Rush (games #4)

The first book in the Breathless Trilogy opens with twenty-four-year-old Mia Crestwell riding to the Midtown Manhattan offices of HCM Global Resorts and Hotels, clutching a rumpled contract she has memorized. She is on her way to see Gabe Hamilton, her brother's best friend and business partner. When she arrives, Gabe, visibly relieved, pulls her into his office and kisses her with desperate intensity. The narrative then jumps back four days to reveal how they arrived at this moment.

At the grand opening of HCM's newest luxury hotel, Gabe, thirty-eight, watches Mia enter the ballroom and acknowledges the desire he has suppressed for years. Mia is the younger sister of Jace Crestwell, who raised her after their parents died in a car accident. Jace co-owns HCM with Gabe and their third partner, Ash McIntyre. Gabe's own marriage ended badly when his ex-wife, Lisa, publicly accused him of abuse during their divorce, even though their relationship had been consensual. Since then, Gabe requires every sexual partner to sign a detailed contract.

Mia has come to the event to surprise Jace, but he has already left. Gabe intercepts her, dances with her, and pulls her onto the terrace to kiss her. He commands her to come to his office the next morning.

The following day, Gabe offers Mia a position as his personal assistant and tells her bluntly that he wants her. He presents a contract stipulating that she must be available to him at all times, cede all power, and accept bondage, restraint, and pain at his discretion. The contract also mentions the possibility of sexual encounters involving other men, which alarms her. He visits her at La Patisserie, the small bakery where she works part-time, to press his case, and she quits in anticipation. She tells her roommate and best friend, Caroline, only about the job offer, not the contract.

On Monday, the scene from the prologue, Mia returns with the signed contract but stipulates conditions: She reserves the right to refuse being given to other men. The word "no" must function as a safe word, a predetermined word that immediately halts all activity. Gabe must be faithful to her. Most critically, Jace must never learn the full truth of their arrangement. Gabe agrees.

Their physical relationship begins that evening at Gabe's apartment. Gabe commands Mia to undress while he watches, brings her to orgasm, and carries her to the bedroom. He later ties her hands with rope for the first time. Though overwhelmed, Mia is deeply aroused. Gabe feels guilty for being too rough, having promised to ease her into his lifestyle gradually.

Mia begins working in Gabe's office, where professional duties and sexual encounters alternate throughout the day. She overhears employees gossiping about her relationship with Gabe and discovers that one woman broke into his office and read his contract. Gabe fires the employee. When he takes Mia to a cocktail party, his father arrives with a young date named Stella, who tells Mia she wants to trade up to the younger Hamilton. Gabe dances with Stella to show his father the kind of woman he is dating, but Mia, humiliated, leaves without a word. Gabe tracks her down and they argue. He explains he was trying to open his father's eyes and confesses his grief over his parents' divorce and his bitterness about Lisa's betrayal.

Their relationship deepens over the following weeks. Lisa visits Gabe's office, first begging for reconciliation and then attempting blackmail after seeing Mia; Gabe bans her from the building. Meanwhile, Jace and Ash return from a business trip and discover Mia working for Gabe. Jace warns Gabe privately to keep his hands off his sister, and Gabe hides their sexual relationship, presenting Mia only as his assistant. Mia settles into the dual life her arrangement demands, spending time with Caroline and her friends and dining with Jace and Ash, all while recognizing that she is falling in love with Gabe.

Gabe takes Mia to Paris on business, but Lisa's parting accusation that Gabe is in love with Mia haunts him. In a misguided attempt to prove his feelings are not as deep as he fears, he invites three prospective bidders to his hotel suite after a business dinner. He ties Mia naked in the room and allows the men to watch and touch her. Before Gabe can stop the encounter, one of the men, Charles Willis, tries to force himself on Mia and strikes her when she refuses. Gabe attacks Charles and throws all three men out. Mia, feeling violated, tells Gabe she hated every moment and will leave permanently if it ever happens again. Gabe cancels his remaining engagements and spends the next day sightseeing in Paris with her. That night, Mia takes sexual initiative for the first time, and the experience marks a turning point: Gabe becomes more emotionally open and begins treating Mia as a true partner.

Weeks later, as Thanksgiving approaches, Charles accosts Mia outside the HCM building, grabs her hard enough to leave bruises, and shows her photographs from the Paris encounter. He demands insider information on competing bids or he will publish the photos, exposing her and Gabe and revealing everything to Jace. After a sleepless night, Mia goes to Gabe rather than comply. Gabe, stunned by her loyalty, confronts Charles and threatens to have him charged with attempted rape if the photos surface. He proposes they tell Jace about their relationship, arguing that secrecy gives such threats their power. Mia agrees.

Before they can tell Jace on their own terms, Jace and Ash arrive early at Gabe's apartment and walk in on Gabe striking a bound, naked Mia with a riding crop. Jace attacks Gabe and accuses him of abuse. Gabe, paralyzed by guilt over the ways he believes he has failed Mia, does not defend himself. He tells Mia it is over, claiming she was becoming too emotionally attached. Mia, devastated but defiant, calls him a coward and tells him that if he ever wants her back, he will have to crawl.

Mia returns to her old job at La Patisserie and confides everything to Caroline. Jace and Ash take her to the Caribbean for Thanksgiving. Gabe spends the holiday with his reconciling parents, returns to his empty apartment, and realizes he is in love with Mia. He goes to Jace's office, declares his love, and says he wants to marry Mia. Jace, though still angry, sees Gabe's sincerity and gives his grudging blessing.

Gabe launches a campaign to win Mia back, visiting the bakery daily, sending flowers, and posting a declaration of love on an electronic billboard near her apartment. Mia refuses to speak to him. When she falls ill and collapses on the sidewalk, Gabe carries her home and cares for her through the night. He then asks Jace to look after Mia while he buys an engagement ring.

On Monday evening, Jace and Ash bring Mia to Rockefeller Center beneath the Christmas tree. A singer announces Gabe's message, a spotlight finds Mia in the crowd, and Gabe walks toward her. He drops to one knee, tells her he loves her, and asks her to marry him. He pulls out their contract and tears it in half, declaring that their relationship will have no rules, only what they choose together. The only signature he wants is on a marriage certificate. Mia accepts, saying she has loved him and waited for him most of her life. Jace and Ash give their blessing, and Gabe suggests they go home.