Chapter 14
CHAPTER 14
GAbrIEL
S hit! What on earth possessed me?
From the moment I received the phone call, my entire focus has been on Leah and how I can fix this. This past month, she’s become a huge part of my life. Not only feeding me, but I’ve also found myself enjoying our nightly chats. They’ve become the highlight of my day. She always has some random fact to share daily or an unfamiliar word, but most of all, she’s up on world news and current events. We’ve had some interesting debates. I haven’t truly had that since my best friend, Mark, departed for Australia. He’s the only other person I’ve ever been able to share my space with.
I sit in the dark in my living area, nursing a whiskey, filling out the insurance claim, and approaching the interior designer we’d previously employed to furnish the apartment. I also booked an appointment with my personal shopper for Leah to replace her suits. I’m expecting her to complain, and the thought makes me smile. She hates it when I do nice things for her. Colour blossoms on her cheeks, and she can’t quite meet my gaze. It makes me wonder if Vince ever did anything nice for her, at least in the last couple of years. I know the early years were different. She always had new jewellery or clothes. But then, that’s what seems to happen in all relationships. The early years are full of romance, the latter years...
My brother Elijah and his wife. My older sister, Kat, and Zach. Only my parents seem to have been love-matched. Which is funny, seeing as their marriage was arranged. The coming together of two powerful families. My mum always laughs and says it was more the coming together of two souls. Before my father’s untimely death five years ago, they were inseparable. As kids, we were raised in a sea of warmth and love. Strangely, not one of us has found that kind of happiness or connection.
I hear a noise. My breath hitches as Leah stumbles into the room. It’s clear that she’s been asleep, as her hair is mussed up. I watch in silence as she flicks on the under-cupboard lights before making her way to where I keep the glasses. She reaches up, and I bite the inside of my lip as her breasts press against the silky material of her nightdress, her puckered nipples clearly visible. I can’t see her bottom half as the island is in the way, but my imagination has no issues filling in the gap.
She reaches for a glass before moving to the American fridge freezer, a replica of the one in her apartment. She fills her glass, taking large sips, her throat bobbing as she drinks the liquid. I can’t take my eyes off her. As if sensing my gaze, she looks up.
“Sorry. I didn’t see you there. I assumed you’d be in bed.” Her cheeks darken, as if the thought of me in bed . No, that can’t be right. That’s my own mind...
“I was just filling out the insurance claim forms. The manager asked that they be done ASAP so the work could begin,” I say, my voice husky. I take a swallow of whiskey, the burn helping to calm my libido .
“Oh,” Leah says, sounding flustered.
She crosses her arms around her chest as if realising how much her night clothes reveal.
“I was just getting some water,” she stutters. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Night, Leah,”
“Good night, Gabriel.” I watch her leave. The nightgown skims the tops of her thighs. I take another swig of whiskey, the burn helping to temper the blood flow rushing south. Heaven help me. When did Leah become a temptation? She’s my employee, not one of my friends with benefits. She’s just got out of a long-term relationship.
I finish my whiskey before I get up and move to my office. I unlock the door and step inside, closing it behind me. The builders made the room soundproof at my request. I look at the clocks that line the wall, each showing a different time zone. It allows me to keep track of each market - when they come online and close for the day. Eleven hours time difference, so I dial his number.
“Wow, what did I do to deserve a call?” an amused voice answers. “Jen wants to know what the emergency is?” His voice then pauses, taking on a more serious tone. “There isn’t an emergency, is there?”
I could be cruel, but... “No, no emergency.”
“A social call then. That’s unusual.”
Mark has been my best friend since school. He, like me, was always on the outside, never really fitting in. He comes from old money. His parents were older than most when they had him. As a result, he was an only child and mature beyond his years, often finding the antics of the other boys our age tedious. A kindred spirit.
Unlike me, however, he wasn’t top of the class, and was terrible at sports. A misfit. The perfect friendship formed. I helped him with his studies, and he kept me company. Since Caleb was the school’s main social butterfly and my twin, we were left alone to do our own thing. Mark was grateful. He listened and gave me advice on how to navigate the social niceties of the world when I struggled to see the point in them. He understood me and was a great people reader, which made us the perfect pair.
“Leah’s moved in,” I say as if that explains everything.
“I’m good, Gabriel.” Mark laughs, then pauses. “Who is Leah, and what do you mean she’s moved in?”
I huff, realising it’s been quite a while since we last spoke, but Mark waits patiently.
“Leah is my communications officer,” I say. “You met her when you came over.”
“Oh, the dark, haired, beaut... ow!”
I hear the smack at the other end of the phone. “No harm in appreciating beauty. You know you’re the only woman for me.”
I hear Jen in the background and smile. She’s the only one who can keep my friend in line, and he adores her and their son.
“Yes, that’s Leah,” I say, not wanting to add any more.
“Are you dating?”
“No,” I reply quickly.
“Then, my friend, I think you need to start at the beginning.”
I can imagine Mark making himself comfortable as he waits for me to begin.
“I’m confused,” Mark says when I finally bring him up to date. “What’s the problem?”
“I can’t stand people in my space. They drive me mad.”
Mark is aware of how hard I find sharing. He’s the only person I could share with. It’s why I never invited Rachel to move in.
“Okay, that’s nothing new. I’m struggling? What’s happened? Has she done something, and now you don’t know how to deal with it?”
I growl, making Mark laugh.
“No, Leah hasn’t done anything,” I say, letting out an exasperated huff.
“What is the problem, exactly?” Mark asks.
“What if I screw up? What if I get snarky because she’s in my space, and I mess up? She’s the best damn communications officer. Oh hell, how did I let this happen?”
I run my fingers through my hair before tugging it at the roots in frustration.
I can tell from his tone that he’s deliberating on the words about to come out of his mouth. “Let me get this straight, Leah hasn’t done anything to annoy you so far?”
“No, of course not, but then she hasn’t been living with me. She only moved in tonight.”
“Maybe not, but it certainly sounds like you’ve been spending a lot of time together.”
“We have, but then I come home, and I have my space.”
“How did it feel tonight when Leah was there?”
“I don’t know. She disappeared into her room, and I didn’t see her until about half an hour ago when she came to get some water.”
My body stirs at the memory of her nipples pressed against the material of her nightgown.
“So, she stayed out of your way?”
“I just said that,” I reply. Where the hell is this conversation going?
“Does she have any awful habits? Suck her teeth? Eat with her mouth open? Pick her nose or toenails.”
“Now you’re just being ridiculous!” I say, my tone sharp.
Mark laughs. My heckles rise. “Are you listening to a word I say?” I ask.
“Every word, but Gabriel, you need to chill out. Leah living with you is not forever. You do nothing on the spur of the moment. You’re the least impulsive person I know. As a result, your body has already accepted Leah in your space. Your brain just needs to catch up. Stop worrying. Enjoy her company. It might surprise you.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You may find I’m not the only person you can live with.”
“Leah works for me.”
Mark chuckles. “That she does,” he adds cryptically.
“You were supposed to help,” I huff.
I drop back in my chair and stare at my phone. Why did I ring him? He knows me too well, cuts through my BS like a razor-sharp knife.
I decide to change the subject. “How’s Josh?”
I spend the next ten minutes listening to Mark tell me all about Jen, Josh and parenthood. Every time I listen, a twinge hits my chest. It’s one thing I envy about my friend. I might have a few more billion than him, but he has a family. When I held Josh in my arms not long after he was born, my heart melted. I swore I’d be the best godfather, knowing it is unlikely I’ll ever have a little Josh of my own. I hate the fact my friend lives so far away with his family.
“Send me some videos,” I say when Mark ends his latest update.
“On their way.”
My phone pings with a tirade of incoming messages. “And Gabriel, don’t overthink it. I know it goes against your nature, but not everything in life is clear-cut and predictable.”
I know he’s right. It just isn’t the answer I want to hear.
We say goodbye, and I tell him to give his wife and son a hug from me. When the phone disconnects, I stare at my desk. I need to get some sleep, especially if I want to make the pool by five.