Mr. Strictly Business by Day LeClaire
“If it makes you feel better,” Gabe said, “I’ll simply explain that you and I are an item again.”
Alarm flared to life in Catherine’s eyes. “Excuse me?”
“After all, it won’t be a complete fabrication. In fact, it won’t be a fabrication at all.”
She tensed. “What are you talking about?”
“You never asked my price for helping you.”
She inhaled sharply before lifting her chin. “How foolish of me. I’d forgotten what a pirate you are, Gabe.”
“That’s me,” he agreed lazily. “A pirate to the bone.”
“So what’s your price? What do you want?”
He gave it to her hard and straight. “You. I want you, Catherine. Back in my life. Back in my apartment. And back in my bed.”
USA TODAY bestselling author DAY LECLAIRE lives and works on a remote barrier island off the North Carolina coast—a perfect setting for writing passionate books that offer a unique combination of humour, emotion and unforgettable characters. Described as “one of our most popular writers ever!”, Day is a three-time winner of both the Colorado Award of Excellence and the Golden Quill Award. She’s won a Romantic Times BOOKreviews Career Achievement Award and a Love and Laughter award the Holt Medallion, a Booksellers’ Best Award, and has received an impressive ten nominations for the prestigious Romance Writers of America RITA® Award.
Day’s romances touch the heart and make you care about her characters as much as she does. In Day’s own words, “I adore writing romances and can’t think of a better way to spend each day.” For more information, visit Day on her website at www.dayleclaire.com.
I had a lot of fun writing this book. It is a lighter story than some of mine, full of emotion and humourand of course, conflict.
The setting for this book is Seattle, Washington, my old stomping grounds. My son was born here and my experiences while living in this marvellous city gave birth to more than one book. A couple of years ago I was fortunate enough to visit my Totton cousins, who live in Seattle, and my mother and I had a marvellous day with them on Lake Washington. We had such a lovely day it actually provided inspiration for one of the scenes in this book.
I hope you enjoy the story, one with a tad more humour, tons of warmth, a strong, powerful hero and a heroine with a secret…
Enjoy!
Day LeClaire
To Jon, Louise and Samantha Totton, with my love and gratitude, particularly for one amazing summer day on Lake Washington.
“I need your help.”
Gabe Piretti struggled to conceal the intense wave of satisfaction those four simple words gave him, spoken by the only woman he’d ever loved. After twenty-three months he thought he’d be able to see Catherine Haile without experiencing any lingering emotions. Foolish of him to think such a thing was even remotely possible. After all, they’d worked together. Lived together. Tangled hearts and minds and bodies into what he’d once believed an inseparable knot. The passion that erupted between them had been an inferno that even eighteen months together had done nothing to lessen. If anything, it had grown stronger with each day they’d shared.
And then she’d left. He knew the excuses she’d offered, what she’d said or—even more damning—hadn’t said. For the first time in his life, Gabe “the Pirate” Piretti had been unable to solve the problem. Not by hook or crook. Not by demand, nor wit, nor full frontal attack, nor carefully crafted stealth. When Catherine had left him, he’d lost his anchor. And as much as he hated to admit it, he’d been adrift ever since.
If she hadn’t chosen to come to him today, he’d have seen to it that their worlds collided in the very near future. Over the endless months they’d been apart, he’d given her the space she’d requested. And he had watched from a distance while she set up her business and professional life on her terms. Keeping that distance had been the hardest thing Gabe had ever done, harder even than when he’d swooped in and taken the helm of Piretti’s away from his mother in order to snatch the business from the teeth of bankruptcy.
Well, now Catherine was back, and he’d find a way to keep her. She wanted his help? So be it. He’d give it to her. But the price would be high. The question was…would she pay it, or would she run again?
Aware that he’d kept her standing, Gabe waved her toward the sitting area that occupied a large corner of his office. Liquid sunlight, still damp from a recent shower, spilled in through tinted glass windows that overlooked a broad sweep of Seattle, as well as Puget Sound. The brilliant rays caught in Catherine’s upswept hair, picking out the streaks of gold buried in the honey warmth.
“Coffee?” he offered.
After taking a seat, Catherine set her briefcase at her feet and shook her head. “I’m fine, thanks.”
He took the chair across from her and tilted his head to one side as he studied her. She wore a chocolate-brown silk suit that shimmered richly over subtle curves, revealing that she’d recently lost weight, weight she could ill-afford to lose. The fitted jacket nipped in at a miniscule waist and ended just shy of a feminine pair of hips. She’d chosen sandals that were little more than a knot of sexy straps with the prerequisite three-inch heels, which she invariably wore to give the illusion of height. The heels also performed double duty by showcasing a stunning pair of legs. Clearly, she’d dressed to impress…or distract.
“It’s been a while,” he commented. “You’ve changed.”
“Stop it.”
He lifted an eyebrow and offered a bland smile. “Stop what?”
“You’re mentally undressing me.”
It was true, though not the way she thought. He couldn’t help but wonder what had caused the recent weight loss, but was careful to hide his concern beneath gentle banter. “Only because I figured you’d object if I undressed you any other way.”
A reluctant smile came and went. “What happened to your motto of strictly business?”
“When it comes to work, I am all business.” He paused deliberately. “But you don’t work for me, do you?”
“And haven’t for three and a half years.”
His humor faded. “Do you regret
