Chapter 9
CHAPTER NINE
Monica
If I didn’t think I had bad luck with men before, I certainly know it now. The hot guy from the bar is my new boss? What kind of fucked-up Murphy’s Law is that? It was fine when I could think about Gabriel in private. Maybe use that kiss as my own spank bank. Wait, what’s the female version called? A finger vault. Because that kiss is something I’ll never forget.
Yeah, I was trying to avoid him. It’s almost nine o’clock at night, and I’m still at the office. Evidently, there’s no good time to be here as Gabriel is here, too. As I’m trying to decide if I want to sneak out or stay and wait him out, I see his office go dark.
Shit.
He’s coming back to my cubicle.
“Are you about done?” he asks.
“Why?” I retort .
“Because I want to go home, and I’m not letting you stay here alone.”
“What the actual f …” I don’t finish because he holds up his hand.
“I’m not saying you can’t defend yourself Mon- I mean Ms. Valducci. But it’s late, and I’d feel better if you let me walk you to your car. You don’t need to come here late at night just to avoid me,” Gabriel says quietly. I can hear a slight lilt in his voice from his time in Brazil. He has the most unique and alluring voice. I find myself momentarily daydreaming about what it would feel like whispered against my skin, and I shudder reflexively. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” I stammer. I turn off the light and grab my purse. “I wasn’t avoiding you. I just like to work when no one is here.”
Gabriel doesn’t respond, and I know he knows I’m lying. I’m relieved he doesn’t acknowledge the lie. He called me sweetheart in Portuguese. I’m a complete mess right now.
We walk silently to the parking lot, and he continues beside me as we walk toward my car.
“Are things okay with your boyfriend?” he asks softly.
“He’s not my boyfriend,” I blurt out. “We’re just … I don’t know. But he’s not my boyfriend.”
“I think he feels differently, Ms. Valducci,” Gabriel says, and I sigh.
“I’m aware.”
“He’s not good for you.”
I whirl around to face Gabriel and expect to see a defensive look on his face. I’m unprepared to see the tension in his shoulders, the lust and passion in his eyes. He steps closer to me, so closely that our noses touch, and I inhale sharply. The softness of his cologne whiffs toward me, and I bite back a moan. He smells like the ocean and sin, all wrapped up in one hell of an experienced package.
“He’s no good for you, querida . He’s no match for you. You deserve better,” he whispers as he glides his nose against the side of my face and up into my hair. I feel his lips rest against my scalp as he breathes in deeply. “Go home, Ms. Valducci. I’ll see you tomorrow. During normal working hours, yes?”
“Uh-huh,” I mumble. I’m leaning against the side of my car at this point. I think if I attempt to move, my knees will buckle. Gabriel chuckles as he reaches around and grabs the door handle, forcing me to move. As I slither into my car, I notice him discreetly adjust himself. His substantial self. Holy hell.
“Goodnight, Ms. Valducci,” Gabriel says quietly before shutting the door. He steps back from my car and waits. I expect him to walk to his car, but he stands and waits. “Start the car and leave, Ms. Valducci.”
Oh, shit. Cars need to be turned on to work, huh. Well, now there are two things turned on in the car right now.
I’m in a daze the entire ride back to my apartment. I chose to grab an apartment between Colorado Springs and Mountain Springs. I’m close but not too close to Emily and her family, and I’m also far enough away from the area where I typically sell houses. Some realtors love living in the same area where they sell most of their houses, but it’s not for me. Honestly, I don’t see myself doing the real estate thing long-term. It’s been great financially, and the hours were wonderful when I needed to be flexible for Nana and her chemotherapy appointments, but it’s becoming incredibly draining. The problem is, I don’t have a damn clue what I want to do with the rest of my life.
Arriving home, I walk into my small one-bedroom apartment and collapse on the couch. I’m so confused about everything. My life, my job, the situation with Marcus, and Gabriel as my boss. I don’t know what to do.
I hear a key jiggle in my lock, and I jump up, racing to grab my mace from my purse.
“Hey, babe,” I hear Marcus call as he opens the door. I stare incredulously at him.
“How did you get in here?” I whisper.
“A key, obviously,” he replies with a smirk.
“I didn’t give you a key, Marcus.”
“Oh, that. Yeah, I made a copy. No sense in waiting outside for my girl. I figured you wouldn’t mind,” he says as he comes over and gives me a kiss. I’m not his girl. He’s my fuck-buddy. That’s it. What the hell is going on?
“Give me the key, Marcus,” I say as strongly as I can muster, but my voice is noticeably shaking. He has the audacity to laugh at me. He laughs .
“No.”
“Marcus!”
His eyes darken as he stares at me. I look back at him defiantly.
“You’re crossing a line you don’t want to cross, Monica,” he says deeply. My mouth drops open in shock. Who does he think he is?
“This is my apartment, not yours. You don’t live here. You can’t just steal my keys and make a copy. That’s ridiculous! We aren’t even in a serious relationship, Marcus. We’re just screwing around,” I retort. I turn toward the kitchen and don’t realize he’s stalked toward me until he turns me around and holds me to him. His hands are like vice grips around my biceps. “Ow, Marcus, you’re hurting me.”
His eyes are wild as he stares at me.
“I’m not just screwing around, Monica. You’re mine.”
“Well, I am just screwing around. I’m not yours.”
I see a quick flash of anger fill his eyes before he shutters his expression and masks his emotions. He takes a small step back and rubs my arms affectionately, but I can feel the anger radiating off him.
“You’re not there yet. That’s fine. I can be patient.” Marcus leans down and brushes his lips against mine before walking into the kitchen. “You got any beer? I really need a drink.”
I’m shaken up. His mood swings have worsened in the last few weeks, and I’m unsure what to do. I should probably ask Liam for his opinion, but I don’t want to involve him. Liam is a county sheriff, but he’s got a family. I don’t want to endanger him right now. I’m not sure what’s going on with Marcus, but something isn’t right.
Marcus grabs a beer and slaps my ass on the way to the couch.
“Wanna Netflix and chill?” he leers as he sits down and pats the cushion next to him.
“Actually, I’m getting a headache. I’m gonna shower and go to bed,” I lie. I’m definitely exhausted, and my brain is clearly riddled with drama and chaos right now, but I don’t have a headache. I just want Marcus to leave.
He takes a swig of beer before grabbing the Roku remote and settling back on the couch. I sigh and turn toward my bedroom. I don’t have the energy to force him out of here. He’ll probably fall asleep on the couch, which he’s done before.
After undressing and starting the shower, I stand under the steaming hot water for a few minutes and let the heat wash away my frustration. My mind is whirling. Thoughts of Gabriel. Our kiss. Marcus and his new aggression. Him making a key without asking me.
The shower curtain is yanked back as Marcus steps into the shower with me.
“Orgasms help with headaches, did you know that?” he whispers as he bends down to kiss my neck. His hand slides between my legs, and I try to push him away. “Let me make you feel good,babe.”
As Marcus kneels and pushes his face between my legs, I close my eyes and lean back against the cool shower tile. This is what I need. This is normal. Using Marcus to get off. But as my mind begins to take off into fantasyland like it normally does when I’m with Marcus, there isn’t a faceless man pleasuring me. It’s Gabriel on his knees. It’s Gabriel’s tongue piercing inside me as his hands knead my ass, and his gorgeous blue eyes lock with mine. It’s Gabriel’s name on my tongue as I crash into the best orgasm I’ve had in months. It’s Gabriel who turns me and thrusts inside me harshly and begins a punishing pace while whispering sweet nothings in Portuguese into my ear. I come a second time as I feel him come deeply inside me. I collapse against the shower wall as I slowly become aware of my surroundings.
Marcus.
Not Gabriel.
Marcus pulls out and slaps my ass again before stepping out of the shower. He doesn’t say a word as he wraps a towel around his waist and struts into my bedroom. Tears fill my eyes as I realize what I’ve just done. I don’t condone cheating. It’s abhorred to me. And while I definitely don’t consider Marcus as my boyfriend, I’ve never slept with more than one guy at a time. I feel like I cheated on him in some weird way. I feel even worse than I did when I got into the shower.
I turn off the water and wrap my hair in a towel. Stepping foot into my bedroom, I see Marcus already in bed. He’s probably already asleep. Asshole falls asleep in less than a minute, which pisses me off even more than him making his own key. I need five hundred different variables to all come together in a perfect symphony before I can fall asleep.
As soon as I climb into bed, Marcus grabs me and wraps his body around mine. I feel emotion clogging my throat as I think about my situation. Could I make it work with Marcus? Could we be more than just fuck buddies? He seems interested in a relationship. I’ve been burned so many times in the past that I’ve just naturally pushed the thought of a relationship out of my brain. I’ve been happy just having situationships and messing around. I know I don’t want kids, so I’m not concerned about finding a guy like that. Finding a partner for life ... well, that is a different ballgame. I would love to have someone that matches my energy. Has the same goals for life. Meets my needs both in and out of the bedroom. But that’s a pipe dream. So I’ll continue living it up with situationships like Marcus.
I figure it’ll be a long night of tossing and turning, but Marcus begins stroking my spine with one hand. It relaxes me so much I fall into a deep sleep.
I wake feeling remarkably refreshed and energized. I decide this is a sign that I should give Marcus a chance. I vow to push any and all thoughts of Gabriel well into the back of my mind and view him solely as my boss.
It’s fine.
I can make this work.
If only I trusted my gut, that nagging gut instinct that said Marcus was bad news and Gabriel was the one to trust, I would save myself a lot of anguish. But, hindsight.