The Billionaire’s Rebellious Lover (The Maxfield Brothers Series Book 2) (7 page)

Leaning back, Gabe studied her. “The foreman said the lift had run out of gas. He said it happens all the time. The chain used to secure materials to move across the site was the wrong size, which caused it to jam. He’s investigating and someone is going to lose their job, but it seems like it was an accident.”

Relief was written all over her face. “Gabe, I know you don’t trust me or Restore Eden and I get it, I do. I’ve done some things in the past, and Restore Eden has done worse things. But if you don’t start trusting us, none of this is going to work. You have to get over me as Nathan’s ex-girlfriend, and you’re going to have to trust me. Can we start over?”

Gabe ran his hands through his hair in frustration. “I can’t get over it, Daisy. I want to trust you, but believe me, if I forget that you’re Nathan ex-girlfriend, we’re really going to have problems”

“You’re talking about the kiss,” she said softly. “It doesn’t have to be a big deal. You’re a playboy. It’s sort of what you do.”

It wasn’t what he did, but he didn’t point that out. “I tell you what. We can try to put all this behind us and start over. Clean slate. No history or back story, but you have to do something for me.”

“What?”

“I need you to look me in the eye and tell me that you’re over Nathan. I need to believe it.”

She gave him a sad smile. “I can do that. I can tell you that Nathan and I were over long before we broke up. I can tell you that Nathan and I were never really in love with each other but were more in love with what we were doing together. But if you don’t want to believe it, nothing I say can ever make you believe it. I can tell you until I’m blue in the face, but the rest is up to you. We could do great things, Gabe. We could be good together. You have to believe that.”

Closing the door softly behind her, she left him to his thoughts. Gabe sat back and closed his eyes. When she said they could be good together, did she mean professionally?

Or did she mean something else entirely? Because maybe that was what he was afraid of.

“
M
ore
, baby. More! Harder! Harder! Oh God!”

Daisy was so caught up with listening to her neighbors that she almost didn’t hear the knock on the door. “Daisy? Are you in there?”

Daisy practically fell off her couch. It was five o’clock in the afternoon. Most of her friends were probably waking up or getting over their hangover. Who the hell was this?

Peering through the peephole, she gasped. Angie Maxfield was on the other side. What was she doing here? Had she come by to tell Daisy they were about to kick her off the project? Had something happened?

“Daisy, I can hear you breathing through the door. Although that’s only between the intermittent moaning of your neighbors. Can you let me in?” Angie said dryly.

Daisy unhooked the chain and undid all the locks on the door. “Angie, what are you doing here?”

The CEO of Duncan Enterprises pushed past her carrying a large tote bag and a garment bag. “What do you mean what am I doing here? Aren’t you expecting me?”

“No,” Daisy said, puzzled. “In fact, I’m supposed to meet Gabe at a function of some sort in a few hours.”

“Yes, you are. That’s why I’m here. I’m supposed to help you get ready. Didn’t Gabe tell you that?” Angie draped the garment bag over a ripped once-blue chair that Daisy had gotten free off the Internet, and she put the tote on the floor.

Daisy scowled. “He did not and I do not need help getting ready. I’m a grown woman. I can dress myself.”

“So you have a gown ready?”

“A gown?” Daisy sputtered. “What the hell do I need a gown for?”

Angie laughed. “Daisy, this is a black-tie affair. Gabe thought you might not have anything appropriate to wear, so he asked me to come over. Don’t worry. I used Gabe’s personal credit card to get you this dress.”

Barely hearing Angie, Daisy sat down heavily. Her heart was pounding. She looked up in dismay. “Black-tie affair? Why would Gabe invite me to a black-tie affair? Christ, I’ve never been to any place nicer than an Applebee’s. Why would he do this?”

“You said you wanted to meet some people. Politicians. Businessmen. This is how you do it.” Angie frowned. “I should tell you that Gabe is the only Maxfield brother who is going to be there. Stephen is working in the Bay Area, and Nathan doesn’t go to these functions.”

“Is this a date?” Daisy asked quietly.

Angie raised an eyebrow. “Do you want it to be a date?”

“Of course not,” she answered too quickly as she stood. She rubbed the damp palms of her hands on her jeans and took a deep breath. The thought of being on Gabe’s arm excited her more than she was willing to admit. And the thought of being on his arm at a black-tie affair practically gave her a panic attack. But she was a smart woman. She could make this work to her advantage, and she could be classy.

“Yeah. I can be classy,” she affirmed aloud.

“I’m glad you’ve decided that,” Angie said in an amused voice. “Okay, let’s get started!” She unzipped the clothing bag and held the gown up for Daisy’s inspection. It was a stunning midnight blue with shimmery detail at the mermaid cup top and at the bottom. The dress would cling to her hips then flare out around her legs to give movement and grace. And it clearly cost money.

Like…a lot of money.

“I should probably shower before I put that on,” Daisy said after swallowing hard. Angie chuckled and nodded her head before Daisy hurriedly scrambled for the bathroom. Adrenaline pushed her through the fastest shower of her life, and finally she was wrapped in a towel and seated on a stool in the bathroom.

“You have beautiful hair,” Angie murmured as she spritzed some product through it. “Why do you always braid it?”

Daisy shrugged. “It’s easier, I guess. Keeps it out of my face, and it doesn’t require any maintenance. Looks have never been super important to me.”

“It helps that you’re naturally pretty. I think some curls would be perfect for tonight.” Daisy held her breath as Angie pulled the blow dryer from the tote and began to work on her hair. After blow-drying and curling, Angie parted Daisy’s hair to the side and slid a discreet pin up one side to clip the hair out of her face. The other side fell freely and flowed down over her shoulder in soft, shimmery curls.

“Wow,” Daisy whispered. “I don’t think I’ve ever looked so pretty.”

Angie beamed. “We’re not done yet. After a little make-up, you’re going to be a knock out.” Just then, the wall began to shake as the neighbors began to scream at each other again. “A few minutes ago they seemed to be madly in lust.”

“All they do is screw and fight,” Daisy said wryly. “But they’ve been together for years, so obviously something is going right for them.”

“Why don’t you complain?”

“You sound like Gabe. If you want to survive in this place, you don’t complain about your neighbors.”

Angie paused as she pulled out her make-up bag and gave Daisy an odd look. “Gabe was here, in your apartment?”

“Not in the apartment. In the hall,” Daisy said hastily. She didn’t want Angie to get the wrong idea. “He insisted on walking me to my place after a party.”

“Gabe went to a
party
with you?” Angie questioned, as her tone rose an octave.

“Sort of. Jordan wanted to meet him, and he was at a party at the time. It wasn’t a great meeting. In fact, the whole thing was a total disaster. Everyone was drinking and doing drugs, and Gabe freaked out. I had no idea anything could break that cool exterior, but he’s really scary when he’s angry.”

Angie chuckled and began to dab some powder on Daisy’s face. “I’ve been working with Gabe for a long time, and I don’t see him lose control very often. But when he does…Stephen talks about Gabe’s past sometimes. He wasn’t always so cool and collected. I think being the middle child had an interesting influence on him. How are things with you and Nathan?”

“Nathan?”

“Yes. You don’t talk about him much. It makes me think that maybe you’re hiding something.”

Hells bells. Angie thought Daisy was still sweet on Nathan because she didn’t mention him! All this time, Daisy was hoping people would get the opposite impression if she kept her mouth shut. She clearly needed to take a different approach. “I don’t talk about him because there isn’t anything to talk about. We don’t see each other these days.”

“Yes. Gabe told me that you don’t want to see Nathan,” Angie said quietly.

“Nathan still means a good deal to me. I know it’s probably causing a rift that I’m here, and I don’t want to make things even more complicated by being around him all the time. My relationship with Duncan Enterprises is purely professional, and by avoiding Nathan, I can keep it that way,” Daisy said carefully. “Why is Gabe talking about it?”

Angie smiled. “I’m CEO of this company. I need to make sure that all parties involved in this unusual project are keeping a cool head about them. Gabe seems to hate his visits with you less and less. In fact, he’s actually touting some of your ideas as practical.”

Daisy felt her heart flutter. For Gabe, that was a huge step. “Thank you,” she said softly. “He’s easy to work with.”

“I don’t think that’s true,” Angie said with a laugh. “Okay, your make-up is all done. All you have to do is slip into the dress. Gabe will be picking you up around seven. Food will be served at the party, so you won’t need to eat dinner. I have to go get ready and pick up Duncan.”

“Duncan will be there?” Daisy asked with renewed interest. She’d only met the man once when she was dating Nathan, and since the start of her Restore Eden project, had only met him that one time at dinner at his home.

“Yes, so try and sheath the claws,” Angie warned.

“I don’t have anything against Duncan, but Nathan never spoke highly of him.”

“None of the brothers speak highly of their father, but some recent health changes have made him see the error of his ways. He’s making an effort. At least, he’s making an effort with Stephen. I think Gabe and Nathan are still keeping their distance. Anyway, I have to run. Don’t touch your hair,” Angie warned, with a smile.

Daisy nodded and thanked her, and as soon as Angie left, she slipped on the dress. As she gazed at herself in the mirror, the only thing she could think about was how she was going to throw Gabe right off his feet. A wicked smile crossed her face. Tonight was going to be fun.

G
abe grimaced
as he pulled up to Daisy’s apartment complex. He tried not to be too judgmental about where she lived, but it looked more like it belonged as part of the backdrop of a post-apocalyptic movie than an actual residence. Driving carefully over the cracked and crumbling parking lot, he slipped smoothly into a guest parking space; at least he assumed that’s what the sign said under the graffiti. The security lights that blanketed the building and parking lot either had broken bulbs or had simply ceased to work some time ago.

Stepping out of the car, he met the interested glances of those people hanging out in the parking lot dead on and each one eventually averted their gaze as he stared them down. Locking his Jaguar, he strolled calmly towards the building entrance. He had installed an anti-theft alarm that only a sophisticated car thief could hack, and he didn’t think anyone in this apartment building was that good, but it wasn’t his safety or the safety of his car that he was worried about. He could always get another car, and he could take care of himself.

But how did Daisy fare in such a dangerous situation?

For once, her floor was blessedly quiet. He smoothed his hand down the front of his tuxedo jacket before he knocked on the door. She opened it quickly and gave him a small smile. “I’m ready.”

It was like being hit in the face by a ton of bricks. Or lumber. Daisy looked stunning. The midnight blue dress showed off her California tan, and for a moment, he couldn’t help but wonder why he didn’t see any tan lines. Did she sunbathe naked somewhere?

Blinking, he swallowed hard and tried to steer his thoughts away from her naked body. Her hair fell in curls over her shoulder, and her make-up was soft and light. He almost didn’t recognize her without that braid.

“You look beautiful,” he said softly. Immediately, he regretted the words. This was a professional outing for her to meet some of the influential people in the area. This was not a date. He would have to keep reminding himself of that.

“Thanks,” she said breathlessly. “You don’t look so bad yourself. When you said that we were going to a function, you didn’t mention that it was black-tie.”

Gabe shrugged and smiled crookedly. “I have to keep a few surprises to myself. Come on. Let’s get out of here before one of your neighbors downstairs decides that my car is worth more than their freedom.”

Her eyes rounded, and she nodded. For a moment, Gabe thought about giving her his arm, but she was already bustling down the hall. She showed little interest in being on his arm or even being seen with him. Of course not. She was not doing this for him. She was only involved with Duncan Enterprises because of Nathan. Something else he needed to remember.

The party was already in full swing when they got there. The valets opened their doors, and they both exited the vehicle. A few reporters were out front snapping photos and asking questions, but he grabbed her arm and steered her out of the way before she could answer any of them. It wasn’t unusual for Gabe to show up at a function with a different woman on his arm, so he knew that the press wouldn’t make that big of a deal about it. Unless, of course, they actually dug into her history and found out whom she was.

“Oh my,” Daisy whispered as she looked around. “There are so many wealthy people here. Is that the actress from Fast Track?”

Gabe shrugged. “Maybe? I don’t think I’ve seen it.”

“But even if you haven’t seen it, surely you know who’s in it. There were billboards all over the city a few months ago.” Gabe shook his head, and Daisy laughed, “You clearly need to get out and have a little more fun.”

His hands immediately went to the small of her back as she turned around, and he felt her twitch under his touch, but she didn’t pull away. “I have plenty of fun,” he whispered in her ear from behind.

“Based on the way some of the women here are looking at you, I can believe it,” she murmured. “Am I about to be public enemy number one because I arrived with you?”

“Those women knew that I wasn’t playing for keeps.” He shrugged, “I always have a different woman on my arm.”

Daisy raised her eyebrows. “Oh really?” she said teasingly. “So I’m what? Tonight’s eye candy?”

It was on the tip of his tongue to ask her if that’s what she wanted. Instead, he chose a safer route. “This is business.”

“You should have told Angie that. I’m sure as hell not dressed like its business,” Daisy said with a wicked smile.

No, she wasn’t. It took all his effort for Gabe not to drop a kiss on her shoulder. The urge was insane. This was his brother’s ex-girlfriend.

Then you shouldn’t have invited her to be your date
, a small voice whispered in his head. He blew out his breath. Part of him didn’t even think twice about it. He attended these events all the time, and while she looked around with stars in her eyes, he was completely jaded. He had simply thought that inviting her would make her happy because she’d be able to meet some important and useful people. He hadn’t once thought about what she might think, or how she might feel.

Or how he would feel having her on his arm.

It was time to nip this kind of thinking in the bud right now.

“Listen to me,” he said in her ear as he pulled her close. “You are not to mention Restore Eden. Do you understand? You can give your name and discuss your partnership with Duncan Enterprises and your goals for the future, but you mention that radical group even once, and I will have you thrown out.”

She turned in his arms and stared at him. It was evident by the hurt on her face that he had gone too far. “What?” she asked in disbelief.

This was his chance to backtrack and explain himself, but he pushed forward instead. “Restore Eden has a reputation for being overly radical. I don’t want that kind of reputation attached to my company.”

“No one is ever going to believe that my section has changed if you don’t let me talk about it,” she hissed back furiously.

“Your words are meaningless without your actions to back it up. Prove it with the work you’re doing with Duncan Enterprises and then maybe people will start to believe you,” he said mildly. “And don’t start a fight with my father.”

She narrowed her eyes and studied him cautiously. “If you’re so embarrassed to be seen with me, then why did you invite me?” she huffed and stalked away. Gabe stared after her for a moment. The swing of her hips was mesmerizing.

“She looks beautiful even when she’s angry,” Angie said softly from his right. He turned his head and frowned. The Latino busty beauty was dressed in a daring red evening gown that would, no doubt, get the men talking.

“Her looks are not my concern right now,” Gabe said shortly. “It’s her attitude and lack of filter.”

“Just because she’s passionate about something doesn’t mean that she doesn’t have a filter. You two grew up in different circles, and you learned to handle situations differently. I should know.”

“You’re a hothead as well,” Gabe grumbled. “Of course you’d take her side.”

“I’m not taking anyone’s side. I’m saying, go easy on her. If you treat her like she’s trash, she’ll have more of an excuse to act like it.”

“I’m not treating her like she’s trash. I’m simply letting her know what’s acceptable,” Gabe objected.

Angie folded her arms and shook her head. “You invited her to a high class function, Gabe. That tells her that you trust her, and she’s more likely to watch what she says around people. But when you start the night off with laying down a set of rules, she’s going to think that you consider her low class trailer trash in a fancy dress.”

“I don’t think that at all,” Gabe said with a sigh. “I know what Nathan has told me. Shit. She’s talking to Duncan. I’ll be right back.”

He saw Angie shaking her head, but he ignored it as he pushed his way through the crowd. Before he reached Duncan, someone reached out and grabbed his arm. “Gabe Maxfield. It’s been a while,” a silky voice murmured.

Gabe turned to see a beautiful blonde gripping him tightly. She ran her fingers up and down his bicep in a suggestive, even possessive manner. She looked familiar, and he racked his brain to come up with a name. “Diane,” he said finally with a forced smile. He’d spent a couple of nights with her around a year ago. She was the daughter of a senator.

“Are you here alone?” she cooed. Her meaning was clear, and Gabe remembered why, even though those few nights with her were amazing, he’d never called her again. Diane was clingy.

“I’m not, actually. And if you’ll excuse me, I’m about to join my date,” he said as he removed himself from her grasp. A veil of disappointment dropped over her eyes, and he breathed a small sigh of relief when she didn’t follow him.

“Duncan,” Gabe said stiffly as he joined his father and Daisy. He and his father had always had a tense relationship, which was made worse when his father chose an outsider as CEO. Gabe had been furious. How could his father pass his own flesh and blood over for someone else? Angie was good, but so was Gabe,
and
he was family.

Duncan had never spoken to him about it, and Gabe never asked. Honestly, he didn’t really want to know the truth. Duncan may have patched up his relationship with Stephen, but Gabe wasn’t quite ready to forgive the old man.

“Gabe. Daisy was telling me about the changes she’s implementing with Duncan Enterprises. No one has really kept me up to date on your partnership,” Duncan said with a shrewd look in his eye.

“Blame Angie,” Gabe said simply.

“Mr. Maxfield, you have nothing to worry about. Gabe has upheld every part of our agreement, and I know that Nathan has already begun to make some changes within the company. I had no idea how far you had come, and Gabe has been open to all the suggestions that I’ve made. I think Duncan Enterprises might lead corporate America into the Green Revolution era. You should be proud of Nathan.”

Proud of Nathan? Gabe frowned. Before this moment, Daisy had never mentioned anything about Nathan’s involvement, and now she was practically gushing.

“I should have listened to Nathan’s ideas years ago,” Duncan said. “That was a big mistake, and I’m glad you’re here to help us, Daisy my dear. I’m sure Gabe and Nathan are enjoying your company.”

“I’ve said some terrible things about you in the past, but at least you’re a straight shooter. You say what you mean, and you’re not afraid to admit when you’re wrong.” Daisy shot Gabe an angry look. “You don’t send out mixed messages. Now if you’ll excuse me, I see someone I’d like to meet.”

Gabe opened his mouth to stop her, but she was already walking away. Duncan whistled low under his breath. “Wow. And what exactly did you do to piss her off?”

“According to Angie, I’m treating her like trash all dressed up,” Gabe grumbled. “This company has a reputation to protect, and while Daisy hasn’t broken our contract, her history and the fact that she has teamed up with Restore Eden gives me pause. I invited her to this function on a whim and I have a feeling that I’m going to regret it.”

“Gabe, I’m concerned about you,” Duncan said quietly.

“Oh, now you want to be concerned about me?” Gabe snapped. “What about the other thirty years of my life?” Without waiting for Duncan’s response, he stormed off in Daisy’s direction. After a few minutes of searching, he was pulled aside by someone else.

“Gabe Maxfield. Always a pleasure seeing you.”

Gabe turned and immediately his anger intensified. Jacob Preston was swirling his glass of gin with a cool smiled plastered across his face. Preston had been part of the legal department at Duncan Enterprises up until a couple of years ago when Gabe had to fire him. Information about the company was being leaked to the press, and Gabe had tracked its source for months until it landed him at Preston’s desk. The man had always held a grudge against him for that.

“Preston,” Gabe said neutrally. He didn’t even bother to pretend to be friendly.

“I haven’t seen you since your father named Angela Lopez CEO of the company. I’m sure you had a say in the matter. Duncan Maxfield wouldn’t pass you over and force you to work under a woman unless it was your choice.”

Gabe clenched his jaw and narrowed his eyes. Preston clearly wanted to goad Gabe into a making a spectacle of himself, and Gabe was not going to rise to the bait. “Angela Lopez is an excellent choice for the company, as I’m sure your company has seen by our soaring profits. It’s been my pleasure to work with her for a number of years, and we’re lucky to have her,” he said simply.

But Preston wasn’t finished. “I was curious about the beautiful woman that you walked in with, so I asked around. Daisy Levine. I wouldn’t mind working under her, that’s for sure. Does this mean that Duncan Enterprises is in bed with Restore Eden? That would certainly be a turn.”

Balling his fist, Gabe nearly took a swing at Preston. The thought of him ‘under Daisy’ was enough to make his blood boil, but before he could follow through, a shout of anger got both of their attention.

“I will not have you sully my reputation like this!”

As Gabe and Preston turned, Senator Massey was turning so red in the face that he was almost purple. The woman that he was yelling at was none other than Daisy Levine.

“Shit,” Gabe said softly.

Preston chuckled. “You’re losing your woman to a man twice your age. You must be losing your touch. Didn’t you sleep with Senator Massey’s daughter?”

Gabe ignored him as he moved frantically through the crowd to reach them. Daisy had lowered her voice but was still challenging the senator. “I’m not sullying your reputation. It’s well known that you turned a blind eye to the removal of toxic waste. There are regions of Nevada where the water is practically poisoned because if that!”

“Senator Massey,” Gabe said smoothly, as he grabbed Daisy’s arm. “I think your daughter was looking for you.”

The older man eyed Gabe and Daisy. “Get your bitch under control,” he growled before turning and leaving.

“Bitch?” Daisy gasped. “I’m no bitch, and I’m certainly not your bitch. Get your hands off me,” she hissed.

“What on earth were you thinking? You were verbally assaulting a senator in the middle of a charity event. That is not why I brought you here.”