Page 34 of Plunge into Obsession

I nodded. Right, because I had told her about it. “I tried to invite him in.”

Her eyes widened in surprise. “Are you serious?”

Technically, I hadn’t spoken the words out loud to invite him in, but the air between us was full of meaning, and Gabriel was an astute man. He knew what was happening, and he made it clear he wasn’t interested in me that way.

I nodded, shifting a little in my seat. My modest dark-gray chiffon dress moved up a little over my thighs.

“He didn’t come in.”

Even saying it was embarrassing.

I wouldn’t exactly say I had experience in picking up men.

I didn’t.

And the first time I decided to do it, I was rejected, and I was still feeling the sting of it a week later.

“Maybe it’s for the best,” Kaia said softly.

I shrugged, “Maybe.”

“Maybe we should think about switching jobs,” she suggested.

It was my turn to look at her in surprise. “But we’re making more money now than we had with any of the other jobs.”

Kaia and I had always worked together, save for that one time shortly after she graduated from college and went job hunting.

All she had been able to find were jobs in sales, and she had been absolutely miserable doing that.

“Yes, but is it really worth it?” she asked. “Do you really want to live the rest of your life like this? And let’s face it, they’ll probably fire us the moment we turn thirty.”

I frowned. “That’s discrimination.”

She laughed. Not in a mean way, but in a way that showed she thought I was cute.

I mock-scowled at her, and she reached over, patting my hand. “You don’t think they can get away with that?”

I shrugged. Maybe so.

If the rumors were true and Gabriel had connections with the Michoacán Cartel, then he was even more untouchable than he seemed.

And wouldn’t that just be the icing on the cake if I went and fell for someone who had so much disregard for the law? Who helped smuggle drugs and whatever else the cartel wanted to be smuggled into the country?

But this was all speculation, and a huge part of me hoped it was nothing more than a rumor started by some ignorant people.

My mind drifted off, taking in everything I knew about Gabriel so far.

Aside from that one time when he had held me in his arms in the hallway of the strip club, Gabriel had been the perfect image of professionalism.

He never berated any of the employees — except with Corey, though I was sure that was a unique situation — never lost his anger, and though he spent time at the club, it was mostly to meet with other men for his business. Whatever business he conducted, it seemed he liked to take those associates to the strip club.

I couldn’t fault him for that; besides, it was a smart business move.

Those men turned into putty in his hand at the booze and the sight of the women, and they usually all left with smiles.

But even the men Gabriel associated himself with had been respectful to the employees at the club.

I had a feeling they behaved themselves out of respect for him.

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