Once Upon A Time(37)

“Will that be all, Mr. Black?” Leo asked as he held open the door for me.

“Yes, thank you, Leo. I'll be in touch soon.” Gabriel nodded as I pulled myself out from the car.

Standing on the sidewalk, I got my first real look at the building. It was an older building with some modern twists. The double doors in the front of the building were studded black leather, showcased beneath a stunning archway. As my gaze ascended, I took in the stunning tinted black glass windows that went up for three floors. I presumed the top floor would house Gabriel’s office and the other two floors for the night club.

“Stunning,” I whispered, admiring the architecture of the building.

Gabriel stopped beside me, staring up at the very same building before dropping his gaze to me. I could feel the heat of his eyes against my skin as I gulped hard.

“You are.”

My head snapped up, caught off guard by his comment. I’d known Gabriel for less than a week but I knew well enough that he pretty much said whatever he thought, no matter what the outcome may be.

“Come. We need to do a walk through.” He smiled, placing his palm against the small of my back. The move in itself wasn't what I expected, not to mention the instant chill that coated my skin from his touch.

Gabriel pulled out a set of keys from his pocket and opened the large black leather doors. I tried to hide my chuckle under a forced cough, which failed miserably. What? No flashy, voice-controlled doors?

“Something funny?” He pushed the doors open and I swear I gasped at the sight before me.

Ignoring his question, I stepped into the building. I was awestruck and completely surprised by what I was seeing. It was… so masculine. The entire room was floor-to-ceiling black. It was laid out exactly how Omega was, giving it the same feel: expensive, luxurious and tempting. The same could be said about Gabriel but I squashed that thought the minute it took residence in my mind. As my gaze moved around the room, so did my feet, carrying me and allowing me to see every unique piece of its grandeur.

My eyes soon landed on the wall that housed a single large golden frame. I was curious, it wasn't what you’d normally find in a nightclub; then again, nothing was normal when it came to Gabriel Black. Stepping towards it, I gasped as a bright blue light illuminated the entire frame from behind. Inside the frame sat a layer of what looked to be black silk, Enterprises embossed in the center.

“Do you have one of these at Omega?” I asked, my eyes still very much on the unique piece of art.

“Yes,” he whispered in my ear.

I hadn't noticed him move, let alone move as close to me as he had. My pulse skyrocketed for a moment, knocking me off kilter and nearly stumbling in the shoes I was wearing. His proximity was distracting: I was here to do a job, not drop my non-existent panties at a mere whisper in my ear.

I inhaled hard, and stepping to the side I quickly moved to one of the booths that adorned the right wall and took a seat.

Clearing my throat, I pulled out my note pad and pen and hoped he’d get the hint that I was here to work.

He didn't move for a few seconds, just stared at me with a blank expression on his face before finally taking a seat across from me. It was clear he was used to getting what he wanted. He wouldn’t get it from me.

He buttoned his suit jacket, sitting back in the booth as if indicating it was my turn to start talking, but before I could even utter a single question, he asked me a question that not only frightened me but did something to unexpected places of my body.

“How long do you think you'll be able to carry on with this without me fucking you, Payton?”

I dropped my gaze; I wasn't getting into this with him. I needed to put on my poker face and ignore him. I needed to work, I needed to ignore everything he did to me and get on with my job.

I tried to ignore him by writing down some ideas on the pad in front of me, which only made him frustrated. Pulling the pen from my hand, he launched it across the room.

“Hey, I need that!” I screamed, standing and moving to retrieve it. Bending down, I picked up the pen, frustrated that he was acting like a child who wasn't getting what he wanted.

Standing up, I was momentarily blindsided when I felt hands on my hips and a very strong, masculine body pressed against my back.

Closing my eyes, I tried to think of something, anything, to stop from melting into his touch. I don't know what my body or my mind was doing in that moment. I had no idea when I became the woman who swooned, or the woman who loved and hated his attention. I was never that girl. I never wanted to be that girl.

“Why are you doing this?” I whispered, my eyes screwed shut as I nervously played with the pen in my hands.

“Because we both know that whatever we have between us is more than just business, Payton,” he whispered, his fingers splaying against the fabric of my pencil skirt. “Because we both know that no matter how many times I'd try to get my fill of you, I still wouldn't be able to walk away from you.” His fingers flexed against my skin and I suppressed the urge to moan into the large space around us. “We both know that you wouldn't be able to walk away either.”