“I’m just merely stating how adorable you guys look together.” Luca threw his hands up in mock surrender. Kylie chuckled and leaned in to whisper something into his ear.
“You’re pushing it, brother.” Gabriel grunted, his fingers flexing against my shoulder.
The movement produced a layer of goosebumps to coat my skin. I stared down at the hand resting on my shoulder, the pale goosebumps bold against the tanned skin of his hand. For a moment I wondered what would happen if I finally let go and gave in to Gabriel. What would become of us? Would we just be searching for a reason for the tension between us? Would we screw it out of each other before losing interest? Would it cost me my job?
Question after question filled my mind as I watched my best friend fall into easy conversation with Gabriel’s brother. It always amazed me just how positive Kylie was when it came to love and finding the one person who’d make her truly happy, the one she’d spend the rest of her life with. Here I was, battling my indecisiveness when she was quite happy just to let things take their course.
“You think too much,” Gabriel whispered in my ear. The act sent chills through my entire body. What the hell was that?
“Excuse me?”
“You think too much, you’re stubborn and you talk… a lot,” he said and laughed quietly in my ear.
“As opposed to being egotistical, domineering and evasive?” I countered. “Oh, and also stubborn.”
I reached across the table, grabbing his half empty glass of red wine and took a small sip. A low growl escaped his lips and I had to cross my legs from the sound.
“You aren’t making this easy, Payton,” he muttered, taking the glass from my hands and draining the contents.
“Who said it was supposed to be?” I challenged as he placed the empty glass on the table. “You know, Kylie seems to think you’re my Prince Charming.”
He paused for a moment, furrowing his brows.
“And what do you think?”
What did I think? I thought he could be. The tension between us was electric, the mere touch of his fingertips had fireworks dancing along my skin, and when we were together back at Omega, it was something completely indescribable. The only problem was the one thing standing in the way. My job.
“I think...” I paused, taking a large gulp of air as I suppressed my true answer. “I think she might be a nut job.”
GABRIEL DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING after I pretty much evaded his question with a lie. Instead, he threw down what looked like at least three hundred dollars on the table before turning to Luca.
“I’m going to take Payton home.” He stood, pulling me with him. “You good?”
“We’re fine.” He smiled, winking at me. “Watch out for that one, G. I think the tiger might just bite.”
“You have no idea.” I snickered as Gabriel pulled me from the table and out of the restaurant.
The moment we stepped onto the sidewalk, I ripped my hand from his.
“What are you doing?” I asked, completely confused as to what had gotten into him.
“I’m taking you home, what does it look like?” He growled, pulling me into the town car. I hadn’t noticed Leo or the town car when we’d stepped out. Where the hell did he come from?
“Gabriel, have you lost your mind?” I asked as I slid to the other side of the seat.
Getting into the car, he pressed a button and told Leo to take us to my apartment building.
“I lost my mind the minute you stumbled into my office, Payton. You know that.”
I was becoming more and more self-conscious the closer we got to my apartment. Gabriel hadn’t taken his eyes off me from the moment we sat in the car. I had no idea what he was thinking; his facial expressions really gave nothing away. He was so private, so secretive and it only intrigued me more. He was dangerous to my mind and, as much as I hated to admit it, to my heart.
I kept my gaze on the city out the window, trying my hardest not to look over at him sitting dominantly in his seat. The one time my gaze did lock with his, I felt the instant urge to remove my belt buckle and jump on him faster than the idea popped into my head. I knotted my hands in my lap instead and decided to concentrate on something more structured, more stable. I concentrated on New York City.
The car came to a halt only a couple of minutes later outside my apartment building and I turned to finally look at the man who wouldn't leave my mind.
“Do you want to come up for coffee?” I blurted out, not able to stop my mouth from moving and sounds coming from it. Why the hell had I invited him up? What was wrong with me?
He merely nodded and we exited the car and made our way up to my apartment, the elevator ride silent and filled with tension so thick, I could've cut right through it with a knife. The doors finally opened on my floor and I exited the elevator quickly, trying to get a rush of air that wasn't filled with the scent of autumn rain. Why did he always smell like autumn rain?