Page 6 of Tempting Gabe
The ding echoed through and they walked into the empty elevator. "Enough to know you broke up with your boyfriend, Emmanual, three months ago because, according to his Facebook posts, you're a cold fish."
The doors closed while her hand went to her heart. "What? That's not true!"
The moment he placed his hand on the small of her back, her body zipped with new life. She steadied her feet. "Yeah, he wasn't worthy of you. It was his status when he posted he was single."
She turned closer to him and smelled the woodsy aftershave that made her mouth water to taste him. She'd never do that, but she lowered her gaze. "I hate the Internet sometimes."
The elevator slowed and dinged so they were silent until the doors opened. He led her toward a different door. "You're into clickbait quizzes when you're home and alone."
"It's meaningless." She shrugged. "What about my car?"
"I'll have someone bring it to you." He continued to lead her. She hesitated until he asked, "What are you in the mood to eat?"
Near the new door, she stopped walking entirely. "Wait, where are we going then?"
He brushed his chin as he stayed close. "To my house. It's the only place I know with enough security that you'll be able to sleep and know you'll wake up the next morning."
The sense of home hit her hard. She swallowed and the taste of it was in her mouth. She nodded and reached out for his arm. "Okay, just for tonight, until the police arrest my brother and then I can go back to work and live my life again."
He led her to his silver Mercedes. "So as I asked, dinner?"
Home was one thing. A restaurant full of people would make her cringe every time someone picked up a fork and made a noise. Her lips pressed together while he opened her door and let her slip inside. Once he was in the driver's seat, she asked, "Are we ordering in?"
"I don't have a cook, only a maid service."
Her mother had been a cleaning lady and her skin felt like razor blades for a second. She lifted her chin and refused to think about the past. "Let's go with sushi."
Her nose turned and his face almost went green. "Ugh. Anything else."
"See, we'd never get along for more than a day. What kind of food do you eat?"
While he drove toward Collins Avenue and the Atlantic Ocean she wasn't surprised. Billionaires littered the seaboard coast while the rest of them lived in nice communities much farther west. With this in mind, she had no idea about the restaurants in whatever part he lived in. He'd have to choose.
"Usually I'm happy with a grilled steak."
That wasn't an option for her. She shook her head. "Your poor arteries. I'm sure you can find a grilled chicken with spinach and feta wrap."
While he turned and she saw the palm trees that covered the beach between the sky rises, he shook his head. "You are complicated."
Grilled chicken needed flavor too. Her hand went over her lap at the same time her stomach growled. "Being healthy isn't complicated."
As he drove, he rolled his eyes. "Now you sound like my sister."
"Good to know your relatives are smart." She winked and stared at the Porsche building. She heard it was designed by an Italian designer who was flown in just for the marble installation that the owner drove the car in and, somehow, it was magically transported with some modern technology to the floor the owner lived. He drove into the building and right into a spot.
He helped her get out of the car. "Most women agree with everything I say."
This time she squeezed his arm before she let him go while she made atsksound. "Must be nice to surround yourself with 'yes' men."
His phone went off as he guided her into the building and toward the elevator. "There is news coming in about your brother."
Her heart pounded while her face felt hot. Maddox must be in the process of being arrested now. Her hands clenched because she imagined her brother shooting back at the police officers. He wasn't well. As they stepped into the elevator, she placed her hand on her heart while holding her mother's ring again. "What?"
"Police have surrounded the house."
Again her imagination created a gun fight where the police shot and killed her brother. She reached out and put her hand on Gabe's arm as she tried to stop the adrenaline that rushed through her veins. The elevator stopped on their floor, but she refused to move. "Turn it off. We can check in an hour. If we go minute-by-minute, I'll break out into a sweat and get myself all worked up. I just want to know what happened."
He held the button on the top of his phone and a moment later showed her the 'power off' screen. While he clicked it off, he nodded and offered his hand. "Fair enough."
