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His nostrils flared. “Let’s see if I have this straight. You’d been curious what sex with me would be like? And now that you know, you’re done with me?” Gray ice melted as heat blazed in his eyes. The rest of his expression remained frozen, but his searing, penetrating gaze heated places that would inspire her to surrender if she wasn’t careful. “Well, let me set the record straight. I’m not done with you.”
Traitorous impulses surged through Emma’s body, undermining her resistance. She shoved Nathan’s business deal with her father to the furthest reaches of her mind and gathered handfuls of his lapels, but before she could draw him closer, a tall brunette breezed into the office as if she belonged there.
“Nathan, I hope you’re free to take me to lunch.”
At the interruption, Emma’s hands fell to her sides. Nathan shifted his gaze to follow the newcomer across his office and pushed away from the wall.
He smoothed his tie and straightened his suit coat. “Gabrielle, what are you doing here?”
“I’ve been craving Rolando’s crab bisque all morning.” The brunette set her purse on his desk and pulled out a compact, appearing oblivious to the charged atmosphere.
A wave of nausea pounded through Emma. She’d been a fool to think for even one second that she was the only woman Nathan was interested in. Scanning Gabrielle from her elegant haircut to her expensive shoes, Emma recognized that Nathan’s taste in women ran to sophisticated, pampered brunettes with large bank accounts.
Nathan looked from her to Gabrielle and back again. Was he comparing his women? Who would he choose? The tense, pale girl in a simple beige dress or the accomplished flirt in the pencil-slim skirt, cowl-neck halter top and Manolo sandals?
“Nathan?” the brunette asked, sensing that she hadn’t captured his complete attention. “Are you listening to me?” She turned around and spotted Emma. “Oh, is this your new assistant? I’m glad you finally listened to Sebastian and hired someone. Tell her to make reservations for us at Frey’s.”
“Gabrielle, this is Emma Montgomery. She is not my new assistant. Her father is Silas Montgomery of Montgomery Oil.”
“Really?” Gabrielle turned the full power of her aquamarine eyes on Emma and perused her appearance with amusement. “Well, my daddy is chairman of the board and CEO of Parker Corporation.”
What was this, battle of the spoiled heiresses? And adding to Emma’s humiliation, Nathan had introduced her as if she was the daughter of a business associate instead of his… What? Lover? Girlfriend? Well, wasn’t she?
Emma unclenched her jaw and forced her lips into a polite smile. “Nice to meet you, Gabrielle,” she said, not meaning a single word. It was long past time to go. She slid sideways along the wall until she found the doorway, then practically fell on her behind when the gap appeared. Dodging the hand he reached out to her, she muttered, “Carly’s Café at nine. Bring my earrings.”
Beset by the sense that something had just gone very wrong, Nathan stepped into the hall. He watched Emma race away, fighting the urge to chase after her. His mood worsened when he reentered his office to find Gabrielle ensconced in one of his guest chairs, her skirt hiked up to show off her great legs.
“Ready to take me to lunch?” she demanded, her lower lip pushed out in a sulky expression she wore way too often. “I’m starving.”
“See if Max is free.”
“I don’t want to have lunch with Max.” Which meant they were arguing again. Gabrielle and Max had an on-again, off-again thing going. Nathan didn’t understand it. There were plenty of women in Houston eager to help a guy scratch an itch. Why did Max put up with Gabrielle’s demands and temper? “I want to have lunch with you.”
She only wanted his company because she thought it bugged his brother. It didn’t.
“I don’t have time. I’ll give Max a call for you.”
“I’ll bet you would have gone if she’d asked you.” Gabrielle wasn’t ready to give up. She leaned forward, running her hand along her shin to draw attention to her best asset. “What’s up with her, anyway? And where the hell did she get that dress? I would expect someone with her kind of money to have better taste in clothes.”
“I thought she looked fine.”
Indeed, the dress’s scoop neck had shown off a hint of cleavage and the hundred tiny buttons running from neckline to hem had awakened an urgent desire in Nathan to unfasten every one, or give up and rip the garment right off her. Arousal lashed him like an unexpected storm. He dropped into his leather desk chair to keep Gabrielle from noticing.
