Page 62 of Railing the Billionaire

“I have something to ask you,” Gabriel said.

“If it’s about life goals, I’m going to need to take a shot first. And then you’re going to have to drive.”

“It’s not.” He clenched his jaw and leaned closer.

My breath caught, which was for the best, because I couldnotlet myself sniff him. His pheromones were more intoxicating than alcohol.

“Would you be willing to accompany me to an event on Saturday?” he asked.

“An event?”Why?

“I must go to Alpine Aurora.”

“The swanky ski resort?” I’d definitely heard of Alpine Aurora ski resort. It was the fanciest vacation destination in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Gabriel gave a curt nod. “It’s for the merger. It has to go well. I need you to act as my intermediary—make me appear personable by association. Please.”

I’d always wanted to go there. But this was very different from any of our other arrangements so far. This was travel. “How long?”

“One day. We return after the required socialization.”

One day socializing and taking pictures in the Blue Ridge Mountains sounded like a dream. Spending that one day in Gabriel’s company made it a whole lot less appealing. What if we ended up tearing each other’s hair out? What wouldthatdo to his image?

“That’s a long drive for one day,” I said.

“We’ll have a driver. It’ll be fine.”

I wanted to say yes. I really wanted to say yes. But this whole arrangement could end up going south fast and then we’d be stuck with each other in close quarters on the drive back.

“I don’t know if I can get off of work,” I said.

His lips turned down. He flashed his gaze over the crowd. “I understand.”

The soft resignation in his tone made my heart ache.

“It’s fine. I’ll call in sick,” I said before I could stop myself.

You’re supposed to hate him, dummy. What are you doing?I was going to appreciate a day of free travel enjoying the mountains, that was all. Anyone would say yes to that.

“You’ll come?” He studied my face, his gaze landing on my mouth.

“Yes.”

He smiled. Actually smiled. And I caught a glimpse of that dimple.

I wasn’t sure if I’d just made the most awesome or most catastrophic decision of my life. But the trip was only one day. What was the worst that could happen?

EIGHTEEN

GABRIEL

I focused on my phone screen and ignored the ridiculous, flashy interior of the SUV. Layana had sent me an obscene image on Thursday, and another on Friday, with no other correspondence between us since our outing on Wednesday night. Now that it was quarter to four on Saturday morning, nearly time for us to spend an entire day enduring torturous social interactions, that pleasant silence was about to be obliterated.

Since the custom seats flanked the sides of the vehicle, when I looked up, I could see straight out the right side window, where Wallace stood like a sentinel watching the apartment complex’s pitch-black alley.

I’d told him he needn’t bother getting out yet. Layana was never on time for anything. Give it another thirty minutes, then perhaps we’d catch sight of her climbing down the rope ladder she’d installed on her fire escape.

Wallace had insisted on arriving early, just as he’d insisted on “dressing the part.” I hadn’t known what exactly that was supposed to mean until he’d picked me up wearing a full suit including a jacket with tails, a top hat, and gloves as white as his hair.

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