The Daddy Box Set

Gabrielle’s eyes drew me in, and Richard’s voice pulled me back out. “Unfortunately, though, I’m out of town today. Otherwise, I’d have gotten you in here this afternoon. I’ll be back in the office tomorrow morning. I’ll be there all day. Stop by anytime.”

“I’ll do that. I’ll see you first thing in the morning, Richard.” Hell, I would’ve slept outside of his office if I thought it would make a difference.

“Good to hear it. I want you to know that we appreciate you, James. A lot of players would’ve upped and left in your situation. You’re a good man.” My chest puffed at the compliment. Then a frisson of guilt ran through me as I studied Gabrielle’s beautiful face.

I pushed the negative feelings aside. Richard and I were close, but being with Gabrielle? It was worth it.

“Thanks, Richard. I appreciate what you’re doing for us, too. Thanks for sticking to your word and making it happen.” I meant it. I wasn’t the only one that could’ve approached the situation very, very differently.

“Of course, I meant it when I said that I’d do whatever it takes to make you happy. I’ll see you in the morning, James. I really hope that I’m right about you liking the new deal.”

So did I. “Yeah, me too. I’ll see you then.”

“Good news?” Gabrielle beamed at me from across the table. My heart did the weird thing again.

“I think so. They’ve had a look over everything and put together a new contract for me. Your father thinks that I’ll like it.”

Her eyes lit up, and she reached across the table to squeeze my hand. I took hers firmly in my grasp. “That’s great news, James. You said that he’s seen the other offers, right?”

I nodded. I didn’t know if he’d necessarily seen them, but he knew what the terms were. “Then that means that he could beat them all. If I know one thing about my father, it’s that he wouldn’t have called to give you the news if he didn’t have a rock-solid offer that he honestly thinks you will take.”

“You think he beat them?” I hadn’t expected that. A match, at best, had been what I hoped he would come back with.

Confidence rolled off of Gabrielle in waves. She squared her shoulders and looked me straight in the eye. God, she was stunning. “Yes, I do think that. He doesn’t do things halfway. It’s all or nothing with him. He wouldn’t have jumped the gun with an offer he didn’t think that you would accept.”

The world became clearer with her words; everything brought into sharper focus. “That’s true. He does shit properly or not at all.”

“Exactly.” Gabrielle nodded, a slow smile spreading on her full lips. “It looks like you’re about to get the best of both worlds. Congratulations. Your dreams are coming true.”

“Yeah, it looks like they are. I couldn’t be any fucking happier right now.” I squeezed her hand, still in mine, and locked eyes with her. “I am exactly where I want to be.”

Chapter Twenty-Four

Gabrielle

“This is paradise,” Heather moaned as the therapist massaged her scalp.

With no small amount of effort, I had managed to convince her to take the day off from studying and have a girl’s day with me instead.

So far, we’d gone shopping. I found a lingerie set that I was dying to show off to James. Then we got massages. We were in the process of getting our hair done, and nails were up next, as soon as our hair was washed and wrapped.

I glanced at the pile of shopping bags at our feet. A naughty thought snuck into my mind. I snapped a picture of the logo of the lingerie store on the bag and sent it to James.

We hadn’t made plans for that night, and I wanted to tease him into dying to want to see me as much as I was dying to see him. Well, see him, amongst other things.

He replied right away.

James: ?

Gabrielle: I might have gotten you a gift ;-)

James: I have a feeling that I’m going to like this gift. It’s going to be *hard* waiting to see it.

Gabrielle: That’s the general idea.

“He has to be incredible at something if you’re texting with him right now instead of marveling at how the stress is just melting away,” Heather said, lifting her head from the basin. I stashed my phone quickly in my bag.

“He is,” I admitted. “At everything.”