Once Upon A Time(36)

The New York heat hit with a little more force than usual as we moved towards the town car sitting by the sidewalk. An older gentleman stepped out of the car, opening the back door, indicating we should get in. I slid into the back as Gabriel greeted the older man.

“Good morning, Leo.”

I watched as the gentleman merely nodded in reply. Gabriel took his seat in the back of the sleek, black town car as Leo closed the door behind him and moving to take his seat in the front.

I took in the car's interior. It had leather upholstery that looked as though the mere stitching cost somewhere in the thousands. The seats were comfy and large, so large I could actually lie down and sleep on it stretched out fully. As I buckled my seatbelt, a black partition glass moved, enclosing the space from the front.

“Where to, Mr. Black?” Leo’s smooth, clear voice seemed to bounce off the windows. I looked around the back of the car in confusion, wondering where his voice came from. Gabriel pointed to a speaker set on the inside of the door and smirked at the out of depth look in my eyes.

“Alpha, Leo,” Gabriel replied after pressing a small button beside the speaker on his door. Turning to me, he flashed a wink before opening a small hidden compartment between our seats, revealing a console of fancy buttons. He pressed one and I could only watch in awe as another compartment opened in front of us. Before me was a tray holding two glass tumblers and a large glass bottle of what looked to be some sort of whiskey.

“Drink?” He poured himself a two finger measure of the smooth, amber liquid.

I shook my head. Alcohol was definitely needed while around Gabriel Black, but in doing so, I knew I’d put myself into a position that would have me second guessing my judgment when it came to him.

After a moment of silence, I thought it best to ask about what he had planned for this little trip. All I knew was he was taking me to Alpha. I’d been doing my research during the moments my brain actually functioned, when I wasn't constantly thinking about my job or Gabriel. Alpha was to be a sister club of Omega. While Omega was more feminine, Alpha was planned to have a more masculine feel.

“So is there a reason why we’re going to Alpha?” I asked, wetting my lips with my tongue as I watched his throat move with every gulp he took of his drink.

He paused for a moment, taking one large pull of the amber fluid before setting his glass back down on the tray.

“Considering the only thing I can think about when I’m around you is tasting you, I thought it would be safer to take you to Alpha to show you what we plan to achieve.” His gaze darkened. “Because no matter how much you pretend your threats are going to restrain us, we both know that before this month is up, I will taste you and I will devour you.”

I rolled my eyes. I was becoming accustomed to his way of getting straight to the point. I wasn't immune to exactly what came out of his mouth but I knew now to expect nothing but flooded thighs from it.

“In your dreams, Mr. Black,” I muttered beneath my breath as I watched New York City smoothly sail past my window.

New York… where dreams come true.

I closed my eyes for a moment, my mind wandering to my parents and what they must be doing. I grew up in Arlington, a small town in Kentucky. My childhood home was nothing more than a two bedroom, wood-sided building. It was small; my room only roughly the size of the town car I was currently sitting in. My parents preferred simplicity; even if they earned enough money to finally move out of the house that’s falling apart, they’d still only purchase what they thought they needed, not what they dreamed of.

My parents taught me two things: you could have all the riches in the world and they could be taken from you instantly, but what they can’t take is your mind, your education. That lesson only helped push me through high school and subsequently college. They also taught me to take pride in what I have, not what I didn't. I worked hard to get out of Kentucky and my hard work paid off when I was accepted into Columbia University.

As hard as I worked at getting through high school then moving to New York and attending college college, I also had to deal with being so far away from my family. Add in the horrible mess that ensued following mine and Cam’s break up, college was hard for me. Cam moved across the country with me, promising to go wherever I went. He was an up and coming quarterback and the moment I told him I wanted to go to Columbia, he smiled and said okay.

Now I was sitting in a flashy car next to a man who could own the world, yet he still wanted more. Me. Or my lady parts at least.

I was pulled out of my thoughts as the car came to a stop. Turning to Gabriel’s window, I spotted a building still undergoing construction work on the outside. Gabriel flashed me a grin before stepping out of the car. Reaching across the plush leather seating, he offered his hand to help me out. Rolling my eyes, I batted him away.