RUSH - Maya Banks
Breathless , Book 1
Berkley
ISBN: 978-0-425-26704-2
February 2013
Contemporary Romance

New York City, New York - Present Day

Mia Crestwell has had a crush on her big brother Jace's best friend Gabe since she was sixteen years old.  While she's definitely had her share of fantasies about him, nothing could have prepared her for the truth of what being with him entails.  After he lays a very passionate kiss on her at the grand opening of HCM's latest hotel, Gabe pretty much orders Mia to be at his office the next day.  At the meeting, he explains that he wants Mia to be his personal assistant—with an emphasis on personal .  The contract he offers her explicitly states that he would own her, body and soul, and though a part of Mia is shocked, another part of her is eager to sign.

Gabe Hamilton watched Mia grow up, and a few years earlier he started to see her as a woman he is sexually interested in.  The age gap held him back at the time, but now he knows he has to have her.  The friendship between Gabe, Jace, and Ash, the third partner in their business, has gotten the three of them through some very tough times, and Gabe's aware that his plans for Mia may jeopardize everything, but his need for her is too strong to ignore.

An exciting new trilogy by Maya Banks, RUSH introduces readers to Jace, Gabe, and Ash, billionaire owners of HCM Global Resorts and Hotels.  The men became close friends when they met in college, and when Jace and Mia's parents died, Gabe and Ash were the support Jace needed when he took on the raising of his much younger sister.  The bond was strengthened further when Gabe's divorce turned nasty and it was his turn to lean on his friends.  None of them would imagine anything could damage that friendship, until Gabe makes his move on Mia.  In spite of the contract, his interest in Mia isn't purely sexual, but after his divorce, allowing emotions into his affairs is something he doesn't do.  To say Mia is stunned by Gabe's proposition is stating it mildly, but she's just as surprised by her reaction to it.  The thought of Gabe dominating her is as intriguing as it is scary, but the bottom line is that she trusts him, so she agrees.

While RUSH is definitely an exploration into kink for Mia, it's also not just about sex.  Since graduating from college she's been content with her job at a pastry shop, but with Gabe's job offer she realizes she hasn't really taken any chances with her life.  Gabe's doing a little exploring of his own, as Mia challenges a part of him that has not been involved in his sexual relationships in years—his heart.  A sizzling and scintillating novel, I highly recommend RUSH, and can't wait for Jace's and Ash's books.

Jennifer Bishop