Three
“What the fuck happened to the game?”
“It’s half-time, dickhead. Calm down,” I huffed as my closest friend joined us from the bathroom. He lowered his big body onto one of the spare sofas in front of the TV. Older but not necessarily wiser than any of us, Maxim Hunter aka Max was twenty-nine years old, six foot four and bulky. He had a rough as fuck appearance and tats all over his arms, back and chest. He was also sickeningly good-looking but in a pretty boy way, almost like his head didn’t suit his body.
My eyes narrowed as he placed a stick of gum in his mouth. “Have you been fucking smoking in my bathroom again?”
“Would I?” Max replied with fake offence.
“So, what did I miss?” he asked, shifting in his seat, having left our group at least twenty minutes ago to take a piss (whatever). His question related to the match, but the others had moved on.
“Gabe’s new housemate. It appears he’s been holding out on us,” Luca said, throwing me under the bus. Prick. “You just missed the finest piece of arse this side of the city.”
Max’s gaze swung to mine; one eyebrow arched in question. “I see. You never said you had pussy living here. Why the big secret?”
I suddenly felt like a caged tiger with the need to rip someone’s throat out. Shit. I’d met the girl once and she already had power over me. What the hell? As I had watched that cute little heart-shaped arse, I’d wanted to grab her and flatten her against the nearest wall, or more preferably the nearest bed.
“Well, spill it?” Max repeated with a puzzled expression, glancing between us. He was a mean-looking motherfucker; Leonie would probably run a mile from someone who looked like him; one hoped. Max had his own construction business and was a professional, but he still looked like an east-end thug who could break your fingers without even blinking. The guy oozed a general don’t-fuck-with-me demeanour.
“Leonie’s is to live with the Knight boys in sin, I imagine,” Adam answered with a dimpled grin and I wanted to lamp him. I glanced down at the whisky glass in my hand. How many had I had? I needed to get a grip; I wasn’t about to lose my shit because I was jealous. The range of emotions rolling through me were hard to describe.
“L-e-o-n-i-e,” Max repeated, savouring her name.
The match started up again and I purposefully turned the volume up, hoping the game would distract them. It didn’t, it appeared they could multitask; one eye on the match and the other on me.
The boys roared as Arsenal scored, leaning forward in their seats, and fist-bumping the air. Arsenal was my team and I backed them one hundred percent, but at that split second, I didn’t give a shit about football.
“So, the houseguest is a she, and you decided to leave that part out because she’s a fitty?” Max husked in that deep baritone of his.
“Yep, it appears Gabe has decided to hide her from us. I wonder why?” Miles blurted, taking a swig of beer. Motherfucker, I had visions of glassing him with the bottle.
“I must admit, I wouldn’t mind climbing that,” Adam said, causing a ripple of nods of agreement to occur around the space.
“She single?” Max queried, rolling his huge shoulders, the tats over the muscles of his arms flexing. Is she single, like that mattered to the prick? Hunter by name, and a hunter by nature. For Max, married women dropped their knickers in a heartbeat.
“She’s off limits, end of,” I stated. Cut them off at the source, and say it how it is so they didn’t need to decipher any type of code.
Max looked mega shocked at my words; almost like I’d just told him that his grandmother likes to take it up the arse. I suppose it would come as a surprise as I’d never warned my friends off any woman before. Even those I had been mildly interested in. As far as I was concerned when it came to pussy; let the best man win.
“What the fuck does that mean sunshine?” Max added, composing himself, those shrewd eyes roaming over my face before his focus was tugged away.
“Gabe’s trying to cockblock us,” Sam put in and then followed this up with a mighty belch. Sam owned several cash and carry units; he was a proper Del Boy but minted with it.
“I must say, for once, shit for brains is right. That’s exactly what I’m doing.”
“Alright big man, calm the fuck down. When did you become such a fun sponge?” Sam taunted with a cocky smirk.
Max glanced with an amused expression at Sam, who then started texting on his phone. He was probably messaging his girlfriend, which was rich, considering he’d just been eye fucking said houseguest.
“So, where is this angel?” Max asked, his blue eyes glancing towards the corridor which led to the bedrooms. He had the longest eyelashes ever, much too long for a man. I’d told him that one night when we were in the pub and got smacked in the face for my trouble. Max was a brawler and loved using his fists. Sam was the total opposite; the calmest of the lads, you were lucky if you could piss him off at all. And believe me, we’d all tried.
“Leonie is in her room,” I informed them all and then added for effect, “Somewhere none of you fuckers will ever be.”
“Leonie what?” Max questioned, tasting her name again. It didn’t sit right in his mouth in my opinion. He was watching me intently and I knew that look well. The guy read me like a book.
“You wouldn’t know her. She doesn’t move in the circles we do. Leonie Smith, and she’s staying here temporarily as a favour to Asher. That’s all you need to know, now move the fuck on.”
My message was clear but would they listen? Would they fuck. Even though they knew who I was, who my father was. These guys were all big hitters and had never, would never be afraid of me and mine. Some may call that foolish.
“So, you already tapping that? I bet she’s a stellar lay,” Luca surmised, his eyes still on the game. “Bit close to home, isn’t it?” Luca was a model and walked the catwalks, he was a huge success but we still took the piss out of him. I remember one birthday as a wind-up, he sent me a massive poster of himself standing in only Calvin Klein underwear. That had not gone down well as you can imagine, especially when he started to tell the others I put the thing up in my hallway. As if.
Batting off the thought, I jumped in with, “No, ‘that’ as you so eloquently put it has fucking complicated written all over it,” I aimed my reply toward Max, even though Luca had posed the question. Luca may be the prettiest, but Max was my direct competitor where women were concerned. We were similar in so many ways, in looks and personality. Fuck me, we’d shared the same girls at one point. Although I was a suit, pristine and sleek; Max generally lived in jeans, sweaters and boots and looked as rough as fuck. He was one of those guys who you would never pick a fight with. He was also way too lazy for a proper relationship and wouldn’t touch anything that made him work for it. Hence my reply about getting involved with her on any level being complicated.
“Don’t you think the lady should decide for herself? I haven’t had a proper date in a while,” Max sighed, his brow curved, mischief dancing in his eyes. He was being sarcastic as he didn’t date; neither of us did. Too much of a fucking headache.
“You mean you haven’t got laid in a while?” Dale corrected. The others chuckled at that one.
“If you class the last six hours as a while, you’re spot on mate,” Max boasted drily. We all believed him of course.
“So, who was the lucky girl?” Miles questioned. He enjoyed listening to stories of our conquests as he rarely got his end away; he probably needed some sordid details to top his wank bank up.
“No one you know,” Max replied dryly.
“What was she like? You make her cum with the thunder?” Miles chuntered, verbally sucking Max’s cock. He saw the older man as God’s gift to women and he was, in a fashion. Miles went through a phase of attempting to style his hair like Max’s. He even adopted his walk, until we all advised him to climb out of the big guy”s arse.
“Have you popped the daughter of your business partner yet? That tight little number?” Adam cut in with a leering look on his face.
Here we go again. It was well known that Max hated his new colleague”s meddlesome only child; if you could call a twenty-one-year-old woman that. A tiny, pale freckled virago with a huge stick up her arse. Max had vented that she was spoiled and stuck up and trying to hold her own in the world of construction; a field still heavily lorded over by the male of the species. I must admit, I found her ballsy to go against someone like Max. She’d gained my respect within the first hour of meeting her. I wouldn’t confess that to Max, of course, he’d string me up by the nuts.
“What’s her name again, Amber something?” Adam mused with a stupid look on his face.
Max snorted loudly. “You mean the Antichrist? Too much effort mate. I swear, the woman has a death stare that could shrivel up even the toughest guy”s balls. I don’t have the energy to teach her there are other more pleasurable things to do with that tongue.”
The Antichrist, aka Lady Amber-Leigh Swift, was a huge pain in Max’s arse, so he said on numerous occasions. The fact that he bitched about her so much was telling. He liked her and that annoyed the fuck out of him. I wondered if it would go anywhere or whether he would end up throttling the life out of her. The jury was out on that one.
“The little blonde I hooked up with earlier was tame and accommodating, just what I needed.”
“Lucky bastard, I haven’t had a boom for at least two months. Maybe you could set me up with Lady Swift?” Miles sniffed under his breath as he shoved a handful of popcorn into his mouth. This earned him a glare from Max.
“You’d be better sharing a bed with a rattlesnake. She’d eat you for breakfast mate. I’ve seen her reduce grown men to tears, the little bitch. Believe it or not, I like you too much to do that to you.
“I heard redheads are fiery in bed,” Miles said with a saucy grin.
Max snorted loudly. “Having sex with Amber would probably be as thrilling as filing your annual tax return mate, I’d give it a miss.”
The accountant grimaced. “So, you think she’s stuck up?”
“The girl has something to prove my friend and I can’t be dealing with girls that think they have a bigger dick than me. I need someone who knows how to be a woman. Maybe like your Leonie.”
A heavy silence stretched between us.
“Well, what do you say, Gabe? You going to set me up?” Max asked hopefully.
“Nope, not going to happen,” I popped the P extra loudly and took a slug of my whisky.
“Come on, I let you have a pop at Natalie.”
I shook my head. “You didn’t let me do anything; she came onto me like a bitch in heat. It’s not my fault you failed to satisfy her. I did your sorry arse a solid,” I replied with a smirk. Everyone knew Max won the biggest dick contest hands down, but admitting that was another matter.
“I think you’ll find I’d satisfied her several times that night. From my recollection, you were the shoulder to cry on.” Max drawled, grinning at me like a fool.
“Fuck off,” I said with a scowl; I found him funny but I hid it. I so got off on our banter. He kept me on my toes.
“So, does Leonie look like the fun no-strings type?”
“No, Max. Back the hell off, I mean it. If you go behind my back, I won’t set you up with my contact for Legal Licensing advice. Let’s see how popular Jonathan Swift’s new bar in Soho is without being able to serve liquor. I’ll also leave you to sort out the last two parking tickets you asked me to get you out of.”
“That’s a bit harsh,” Max replied looking truly affronted, a hand to his chest.
“We’re talking rainbows and fucking unicorns; romantic shit. Kitten—she’s shy and quiet, she isn’t your type. I doubt the girl even knows the word kink.” I tried to rush past the fact that I just called her by the nickname I had created.
“Did you just call me kitten?” Max questioned with a confused expression.
To cover it up, I just threw him a puzzled, “What?”
My friend’s perplexed look vanished as he carried the hell on, “Look if you’re trying to appeal to my better nature, I can assure you I don’t have one.”
My nostrils flared, as the thought of him hitting on her was driving me mental. Someone like Leonie would not sexually mesh with someone like Max, he had a kink for the rough stuff. There were no safe words in Max’s bedroom. I shook my head. “You’re such a twat.”
He narrowed his stare and grinned, blatantly winding me up. “You’re not very creative with your insults, are you?”
Luca belly laughed and Adam rolled his eyes, although he didn’t turn his head from the screen; the guy was obsessed with football.
“I’d leave it, Max. You know it’s pointless. Arguing with a lawyer is like wrestling a pig in shit, eventually, you realise they like it.” Adam got a round of popcorn in the face for that one. As I eyed the messy floor, I thought fleetingly again about Leonie’s offer to clean the apartment.
“Talking of parking tickets. I was hoping you’d show me the ropes. How to blag it so to speak,” Adam suddenly said, briefly changing the subject.
Adam was also a law student but two years behind me, I was coaching him, but he was specialising in corporate law rather than criminal. He was like a sponge who thrived on soaking up ways to get ahead. Once he qualified and started work, he’d be the biggest ruthless promotion-chaser of us all.
Adam and his brother Dale were twins but not identical.
My gaze ran over my friends, all slouched on the sofas in a semicircle, facing the screen, drinking my beers, and eating my shit. Fucking freeloaders. Why we always congregated at my pad for these nights was a question I would raise next time we checked our diaries; especially now I had an added complication living with me.
We watched the rest of the game, discussing sports and I was relieved, but only for a short period. When the match finished, it was question time again.
Max strolled over to the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of Vodka; it appeared it was shots time. I checked my Rolex, I had to be up early to study; my final exams were approaching fast.
We all sat in a huddle around the large coffee table which was strewn with bottles of beer, a large empty bowl and of course the spilled popcorn.
I could faintly hear music coming down the corridor, it sounded like the usual shit Asher played and I imagined they were in his room together. If I didn’t know Ash was gay, that thought would have no doubt bothered me.
“So, how did you meet her?” Miles questioned, knocking back a shot of neat spirits.
I leaned back in my seat, allowing the liquor to calm my nerves.
“She’s a dance student and a friend of Asher’s and she needed somewhere to stay.”
A whoop of disbelief went around the group like I was bullshitting them.
“And they’re just friends?” Sam said with a grimace. Of course, the guys didn’t know Ash had recently come out to me and I wouldn’t say anything as it wasn’t my news to share.
“Yes, they’re just friends.”
“Whatever, how you could be friends with something that looks like that?” Luca bit out, his lips twisting.
“Yeah, they’re probably fucking right now. Why do you think he’s put the music on?” Adam said with Dale almost mouthing his words. They did weird shit like that from time to time. Spoke for each other and stuff.
My eyes darted around the space. “They”re not, take my word for it,” I said flatly. Max’s eyes narrowed at my tone before he cut in.
“Well fuck me. I haven’t even seen her yet and I must say I’m intrigued. Just my fucking luck to be having a smoke—er—taking a piss when the talent arrives.” I rolled my eyes as he attempted to cover the fact that he had lit up in my house.
“She probably has a massive boyfriend,” Miles mused. “One that could probably wipe the floor with us all, even you Max.”
Max snorted and cracked his neck from side to side. “That’s up there with rocking horse shit, mate. The man to take me down doesn’t exist. Isn’t that right G?” My friend snarked.
“Oh, I don’t know. I reckon the guys and I could give you a run for your money,” I said with a sly smile. The only way anyone could take down someone like Max would be in numbers or at gunpoint.
“You could try,” he replied with uber confidence. “Now enough fooling around, how about you invite the girl to join us for shots? Let me see this slice of heaven?”
I exhaled sharply. “Look, first impressions are that Leonie is the type to expect a marriage proposal and so I doubt she’d be interested in any of you faithless twats,” I informed them, lifting the shot glass and saluting them with it.
“Maybe she could reform me,” Max said, leaning back and placing his large hands behind his head. God he was a big fucker, he benched more than me in the gym and it pissed me off. I was competitive at the end of the day; it was part of my nature.
“Is that even possible?”
Max ignored my dig, the expression on his face now thoughtful as he looked down his nose at me.
“You’re not exactly a do-gooder, G. Why are you really letting her stay here?”
I smirked, “I’m a nice guy, what do you want me to say? I help ladies in distress,” I lied. Everyone chuckled and murmured over each other.
Max continued his line of questioning. “I’d bet my left nut there’s an ulterior motive in there somewhere.”
Our gazes clashed and it was game on, the others rolled their eyes as if to say here we go.
“Why don’t you stick to shifting bricks and leave the third degree to the professionals?” I bit back with a cocky smirk. It didn’t usually take Max long to lose his shit.
Max dropped his arms and leaned forward on the sofa, his hands on his knees. “Whatever. You’re still at fucking school sunshine. How does that make you a professional?” he teased.
He was such a wanker but I loved him like a brother.
I dashed a hand across my jaw as the others waited, holding their breath for my reply. The fucker was right at the end of the day, I wasn’t fully qualified yet.
“No comment.” My reply was bland.
“No comment, the pussy’s way out.”
“I’ll take that under advisement,” I replied with a lopsided smile.
“You’ll take my fist up your arse first,” Max volleyed back.
Winking, I batted, “Whatever turns you on princess.”
There was a whoop from the guys and again, another wave of popcorn went in the air.
The next hour was spent talking shop. When they eventually left, the living room was like a pigsty. I decided to leave it. Let the lovely Leonie see what carnage men could create.
I cleared a couple of bottles away, not wanting to look like a complete slob. I thought about Max’s ribbing, I had just over another week until my exams and I was bricking it. I hadn’t done hardly enough work.
Having achieved a 2:1 in my Law degree at Queen Mary’s, I was now in the fourth year studying for my master’s; having chosen to specialise in Criminal Law and Justice.
My father expected me to join his firm and depending on the outcome of my exams would offer me an apprenticeship at his practice. I’d turn him down on principle. I made my own way in life and yes, I had every intention of rising from the ashes, just not the ones that my father had created.
I needed no handouts and had contacted several other law firms in the city. Once I achieved my LLM they would bite my fucking hand off, irrespective of the fact that I was a Knight. Dear old Dad wouldn’t like it, but I would tell him to go fuck himself; something I had done several times in the past. Garrett and I butted heads regularly, it’s just what we did.
Garrett was a Senior Partner at Slaughter and Knight based in Mayfair. He was a criminal defence attorney.
Garrett had defended some big hitters in the past and his record of case wins was almost triple figures. He was high profile throughout the legal system and his peers feared the name Knight. Our father was a force to be reckoned with; he said jump and his associates did exactly that. If you didn’t toe the line, you were toast in the sector. Fact. Even some of the criminals he defended were wary of him. Pussies.
To give him credit, my father was a successful man and extremely well-known in his profession. The jury was out (sorry no pun intended) as to whether he was well respected though. How could you admire someone responsible for putting criminals back on the streets? We’re not talking druggies, thugs, and small-time petty theft; my father only involved himself with the high rollers; white collar crimes mainly whose wrongdoings involve fraud, embezzlement, and contract killings; that type of shit.
Garrett did have some standards; he would never associate himself with rapists; trafficking, abusers of women or kiddie fiddlers; his wife would have his balls for earrings if he’d ever involved himself in anything like that. And that also meant anyone connected to those types of atrocities. That side of him I was on board with.
I suppose I should have been relieved that he had some moral code buried in that soulless shell of his but I wasn’t. I didn’t love my father, never had; I tolerated him. As the story goes, you can’t choose your family. Something my mother had once said when I’d walked out at seventeen.
Athena Knight was Garrett”s wife and mother to Asher and me. You couldn’t exactly call her loving, but she had her moments. Half British, half Greek, she was an ex-supermodel turned socialite and she thoroughly enjoyed playing the role of her husband”s trophy. She involved herself in a variety of charities to pass the time, but this was mainly to take the heat off her husband; to make it look like they were doing something good with their power and influence.
Athena had been a half-decent mother, in a fashion. Growing up, we had wanted for nothing, money-wise. Affection? Well, that was an entirely different story and grotesquely overrated in my opinion.
I loved only three people; myself (first), my brother and Max. In respect of my other friends, I would label my feelings as fond.
What could I say, I was a heartless bastard, my main focus in life was my future career and I had every intention of becoming more successful than Garrett.
And yes, that was something I wanted for myself, but my ulterior motive was to fuck with my father; knock him off his perch and prove to him that as far as I was concerned, he would always be second best.
Did that mean I had Daddy’s issues? Fuck yeah.
Leonie
I had thoroughly enjoyed hanging out in Asher’s room.
After dumping my stuff and familiarising myself with that section of the house, we’d chilled out on his bed and I’d felt so relaxed. That horrible thought of Simon coming into my room in the middle of the night was now gone. Thankfully, he’d never taken it that far, but it had always been at the back of my mind. I’d had nightmares, ones that involved me being pinned to the bed and not being able to push him off me.
In Ash’s room, we spent most of the time listening to music whilst he introduced me to all the pictures of boys he’d matched with on Tinder. He showed me an image of Mark who he’d already spent the night with. He was a tall, handsome black guy but looked a good bit older in my opinion. I kept this to myself as I was shown more and more pictures of Mark. Smitten I would say.
After saying goodnight, I went back to my own room on tiptoes for some odd reason. I wasn’t sure why I was trying to hide the fact I’d been in Asher’s room as his brother now knew his secret.
I thought back to Gabriel’s unenthusiastic expression as I arrived. He looked like he regretted agreeing to me living there. His friends seemed nice enough though. Yes, they had all given me the come on but that was just guys being guys. They had puffed up their chests but at the end of the day, they didn’t know anything about me; they were just being flirty.
My bags were still dumped at the bottom of the bed and I hadn’t put the bedspread on yet. It was so obvious that I had packed in haste, considering everything was just shoved inside my cases.
I dug out some fresh underwear for the morning and my favourite tee which I slept in. It was plain black with Rick and Morty on the front and was soft due to the number of times it had been washed.
After briefly checking my phone, I set my alarm for six in the morning, grabbed my wash bag and went in search of the bathroom.
As I was brushing my teeth, I could hear voices and a couple of doors closing. When I’d left Asher’s room, the living room had been quiet, suggesting that Gabriel’s friends had left, but I could hear the TV on faintly.
After finishing off my bedtime routine, I peered out of the bathroom and then legged it to my bedroom. It was deathly quiet and dark; there were now no lights on in the corridor.
I listened with my head against the inside of my door. From the sound of it, everyone had gone to bed which wasn’t surprising considering it was almost midnight.
Pulling a pillowcase out of one of the bin bags, I pushed the pillow inside and plumped it. I then drew out my old blanket and wrapped it around my body. I’d make the bed up properly the following day when I was back from class.
As I lay there on the bed, staring up at the ceiling, I felt excitement and adventure thrum through me. Living there would be a new chapter in my life and one I was seriously looking forward to.
I just hoped Gabriel accepted me and got to know me for who I was, rather than how I looked.
I closed my eyes and his face was the last thing I saw.
*****
My alarm went off at six and it took me a moment to realise where I was. My disorientation was soon replaced by a burst of energy and I rolled off the bed and went to look out of the window; the view of London was fabulous. My last apartment had faced the graffiti-covered wall of the next building. I relished the change and was determined to make it work.
My throat felt quite dry and I decided to nip to the kitchen to fetch a glass before starting my usual morning routine. Surely no one would be up yet?
I peeked out of the door and down the corridor and could see there appeared to be no sound or movement coming from the living area. It wasn’t like I would be walking around in my underwear; I had my T-shirt on and it covered my thighs.
As I set off towards the living space and kitchen, I glanced fleetingly at Gabriel’s closed door.
Once I got to the kitchen, I didn’t need to put the light on as the windows let a good amount of sun in due to the blinds not being drawn. I could smell the faint aroma of coffee. Maybe one of the boys had already left?
As I glanced around the area and started opening cupboards in search of the glasses, I noticed there was a laptop on the dining room table and several books were open. In the living room, popcorn was strewn across the floor.
I temporarily shelved my need for water and quickly tidied up the space. There were three recycle bins next to each other and I deposited several beer bottles in one and the waste in the other. It only took around ten minutes and I was pleased that I’d had the chance to be helpful before anyone got up.
As I continued my search for a glass, I noticed the coffee machine on the side. The light to signal the pot warmer was on, suggesting someone had made the coffee fresh that morning and a kick of panic set in.
Quickening my pace, I wandered over to the far end of the kitchen and opened one of the top cabinets where I found mugs and glasses. Unfortunately, the glasses were on the top shelf and I knew I’d struggle to reach them. I wondered fleetingly if Asher was up.
As I stretched up onto my tiptoes to retrieve a glass, I felt the hem of my T-shirt lift slightly. Realising the movement exposed my bottom, I snatched a cup which was closer and then lowered myself onto my feet; closing the cupboard door quickly.
“Good morning, kitten,” a deep voice said, causing me to whip around, heat flooding my cheeks. Drat! My pulse raced at the unexpected interruption. Oh, my goodness, had I just flashed Gabriel Knight my arse?
“Gabriel,” I panted, one hand flat against my heaving chest. His gaze slammed into mine. He was leaning against the kitchen counter with a cup of steaming liquid in his hand. Of course, the coffee!
Gabriel wore jogging bottoms and no top; his arms were corded with thick muscle and his chest was mouth-watering, the V surrounding his abs disappeared into his pants. He certainly worked out and was clearly a morning person as he looked bright-eyed and fresh. I could see his hair was still damp from the shower. I pushed away the dangerous thoughts that were suddenly induced.
“You made me jump,” I said in a whisper-shout. My heart was hammering against my ribs.
“Clearly,” he replied in a silky voice, one dark eyebrow raised. He looked sinfully good-looking and way more relaxed than I felt at that moment. Even though my bed had felt like I was sleeping on a cloud, I wasn’t really a morning person; my hair was a mess. I probably looked like I’d been resurrected.
“Coffee?” He said, raising his mug towards the percolator. I didn’t fail to note the amused twist to his lips.
Swallowing away my initial shock and smoothing down my hair, I smiled. “No thanks, I don’t drink it. Caffeine isn’t good for you.” My tone came out much firmer than I had intended, almost preachy; like I was telling him he shouldn’t drink the stuff.
The curl of his lip shifted into a lopsided smile. “Ah, of course. Your body is a temple and all that.”
I frowned, my eyes briefly moving over his wide shoulders. “Isn’t yours?” I attempted to keep my focus off his man nipples. His chest had a slight smattering of dark hair.
He took a sip of coffee, watching me over the rim before he replied, “Not really.”
My eyes narrowed. “I’d disagree. You obviously stay in shape,” I informed him with a wave of my hand.
His expression switched to thoughtful, but his tone suggested he was still mildly amused. “Is that your way of telling me you think I have a good body?”
My pulse fluttered; longing to run my fingers along his perfectly sculpted torso. I decided to bite the bullet, he had an excellent physique and he knew it. Plus, I was an athlete; knowledge of the human body and fitness were my superpowers. “If you like,” I replied, my voice suddenly quite husky. “I think we both know you’re attractive Gabriel but you”re not my type. I’d still give you a solid seven though.” My words were laughable as I didn’t have a type but I wanted to knock him off his perch.
He grimaced but I saw he was amused. “A solid seven? Ouch.”
A silence stretched between us, and I felt for the mug I’d left on the side behind my back, retrieving it and strolling over to the tap to fill it with water. I then turned and leaned back against the sink; Gabriel had remained exactly where he was but had placed his empty cup on the side behind him. He was staring at me, watching me quietly, in full assessment mode. I wondered what he was thinking.
I cleared my throat as he subjected me to an agonisingly slow appraisal. My senses were primed for fight or flight and unbelievably fight won. I stood my ground. I was a confident woman and proud of my body and I hadn’t done anything wrong. So why did I suddenly feel like I shouldn’t be there?
When he didn’t speak, I felt the need to fill the silence. “So, how many times do you work out?”
He shrugged his massive shoulders and then folded his arms across his chest. “A couple of hours a day. You?” he questioned with a flick of his head in my direction. I took a sip of water and then placed the cup on the sideboard.
Our eyes remained tied together. “Ten hours a day, sometimes twelve at the weekend,” I explained, without flinching.
His eyebrows shot up, “Ouch,” he replied with a grimace.
There was another beat of silence.
“Did you always want to be a dancer?”
I tilted my head, considering his question, still very aware that I was standing before a stranger in a T-shirt. “As long as I can remember. How about you? Did you always want to be a lawyer?
“No.” Gabriel’s response was quick. He didn’t even have to think about it.
My brow threaded. “Really? I’m surprised.”
He inhaled and then said with a quirk of his head. “Why?”
Gabriel’s face in the light of the morning was the epitome of masculine beauty. A perfectly sculpted face with a sharp nose, delineated cheekbones, and a square jaw.
Shaking myself out of my trance, I explained, “Well, due to your father, I suppose. Isn’t it a theme of your family?” As soon as the words were out, I wanted to suck them back in. Asher had explained that he had issues with his dad so why the heck had I made him part of the discussion?
Gabriel’s expression darkened and became withdrawn. “So, you think a son should follow in his father’s footsteps?”
My lips twisted and I smoothed a chunk of hair back from my face. I’d opened that can of worms now and so had to deal with the fallout. “Isn’t that what usually happens in powerful families?”
His face then changed and a knowing look crossed his features. “Powerful? Ah, let me guess, you’ve googled us?”
I gave him a pointed look. “Of course, I have. I’m not stupid. I needed to know who I’d be living with.”
“I see. Well, you clearly didn’t do enough digging.” His voice had deepened; it was a low rich rumble and it vibrated across my bones. Gabriel was direct and succinct and I imagined he’d be amazing in a courtroom.
My thoughts bounced back to his comment. “What do you mean?”
Gabriel lowered his arms and he pushed off the counter and took a step towards me. “If you knew about all the skeletons in my family’s wardrobe, you wouldn’t be here right now,” he explained, dashing a hand across the scruff on his jaw. He hadn’t shaved and it made him look dangerously sexy.
“Is that your attempt to scare me off?”
His eyes narrowed. “What do you think?”
Chewing the inside of my lip, I ran my eyes up and down his frame. Mirroring what he had done to me at the beginning of the week when I was on his doorstep. “I don’t know. I need more time.”
“More time for what?” I knew he was making me spell it out on purpose. He suddenly had difficult written all over him.
“Well, to get to know you.” Although after everything Asher had told me about his brother, I was surely part way there.
He pushed his hands into the pockets of his joggers. “I wouldn’t bother. You probably won’t like what you find.”
My eyes searched his face; he was so good-looking it was unreal and his tanned skin was flawless, almost like he’d been airbrushed. “Well, maybe I can make my own mind up about that.” Gabriel Knight would photograph well and wouldn’t need any filters.
“We’ll see.” His tone had a challenging ingredient to it and a jet of heat fizzed through me.
“Everything OK with your room?”
“Yes, thank you. It’s amazing. I really appreciate you letting me live here,” I replied, giving him a thankful smile.
He didn’t reply straight away, just watched me in brooding silence. We held that connection for a moment longer before I forced my tongue to move. “Anyway, I’d better get changed. I need to get to class.”
“Yes, I too have work to do.”
“I imagine you’ll be studying today. Asher said you have exams soon?”
“Yep.”
I pushed off the counter and made to walk past him. “OK. I’ll leave you in peace then.”
“Oh, Leonie?” Gabriel’s voice stopped me in my tracks and I turned to face him, our bodies were much closer than before.
“Yes?”
His gaze ran over me from my head to my feet before his eyes met mine again. “Can I give you a piece of advice?”
“Of course.” I batted off the urge to cross my arms over my breasts. I suddenly felt on display and I knew what he was going to say.
“I would suggest you don’t walk around the apartment so scantily dressed in the future. You no longer live alone. You live with two men. Something to think about.” The last sentence was tagged on as an afterthought.
Wrinkling my nose, I pointed out. “But, one of them is gay and the other is you.”
His expression twisted and he shook his head in disbelief. “Yes, Asher is gay, but I’m not.”
I shrugged my slight shoulders. “But you clearly don’t like me.”
Gabriel took another step towards me, invading my personal space. My neck hurt from attempting to retain eye contact he was so much taller than me. My heart thumped against my chest as he stated. “I don’t have to like you to want to put my dick inside you.”
I gaped at him, almost rendered speechless. The way he aired this comment suggested he could have been talking about the weather, He was unfazed, unruffled, and unfiltered. Shock licked up my spine along with another feeling I didn’t really want to analyse.
His words were blatant and, in my face, but I mouthed the word, “What?” Suddenly out of my comfort zone.
“You heard me kitten,” Gabriel said with a cruel twist to his lips. His eyes dug into mine, like daggers.
My body slumped in defeat and I knew I needed to go to my room. It was day one, I didn’t want to tip the applecart just yet and he had a point. “Oh, OK. Fine. Sorry.” I shouldn’t be strutting myself in front of him, braless in a small T-shirt. It wasn’t appropriate really.
I flinched as Gabriel raised his hand and pushed a strand of my hair behind my ear, his expression now appeared fond. “Don’t be sorry on my account. I enjoyed the view but I’m not made of stone. You wave a juicy bone before a dog and eventually, he’ll bite. You get that don’t you?”
My brain must have rattled in my skull I nodded my head so furiously. “I see. Yes, sorry again. I’ll see you later,” I managed coolly, pulling my gaze away and moving past him. In a rare moment of clumsiness, my elbow brushed past his arm and an electric-type jolt shot across my skin.
“Oh, and Leonie.”
I stopped again and slowly turned to face him. Now what. “Yes?”
A ghost of a smile played around his mouth. Our eyes locked. Gabriel’s hands were now by his sides as he watched me across that small space. “A cowboy,” he said.
A cowboy? What, did that mean? “Pardon?”
He smiled, what I would describe as a genuine smile. “That’s what I wanted to be when I grew up. A cowboy, not a lawyer.”
I stared back at him; it felt like his version of an olive branch and I took it.
With a shy smile, I said, “I wanted to be Margot Fontaine.”
“Who?” He quirked an eyebrow at that one.
My smile was automatic. “She was a famous dancer.”
“I see, maybe I’ll google her.”
“Maybe you should,” I replied, our eyes connecting us in every sense of the word.
I wondered fleetingly what it would be like to have a relationship with this boy, to see him look at me in an entirely different way.
What materialised in my thoughts fell short. For a future partner, I had high expectations. Yes, Gabriel was physically appealing and pushed those buttons but he was out for himself. His family had made him that way.
When I found the one, I wanted him to look at me like I was his reason for living. Something a girl could never expect from someone like the man who stood before me.
I shook off the thought. “Anyway—good luck with your studies. I’ll see you later, I suppose?”
A look of silent understanding flowed between us and I left it a beat or two before I turned away.
As I padded across the tiled flooring; I heard Gabriel’s soft reply. “You can count on it, kitten.”
Maybe he wasn’t as opposed to me living there as I had first thought? And then again, maybe not.