Chapter 1 #2
"And then you became friends?"
I like that he’s curious, asking me questions instead of just talking about himself—too many men often do.
"Yes. We're very good friends." I lean in a bit and promise: "If you tip her well, she won't throw those devastating looks at you anymore."
Gabriel looks at Chloe, who fixes him with a skeptical stare while polishing the same spot on the counter for what feels like an eternity.
"She doesn't seem to like me much, I assume?" he guesses.
"It's the whiskey. She knows I have an important meeting tomorrow, so she’s worried I’ll drink too much. I had a virgin colada earlier—no alcohol."
"And you were too polite to decline my invitation?" Gabriel smiles. A little hope mixes in his expression. I think he senses that I find him incredibly attractive.
"I didn't want to miss the chance to get to know you better." I clink my glass against his and drink a bit more liquid courage.
It feels like an eternity since the last time a man like him flirted with me.
I’ve concentrated on my work for far too long.
What a coincidence that I’m meeting him today—just one day before this important appointment.
As if fate wanted me to have some fun one more time before life gets serious again.
"I'll gladly drink to that," he responds and treats himself to some whiskey. "So, you came here four months ago because you were frustrated?" He remembered that well.
I nod.
"What happened?"
"My boss at the time annoyed me and I quit." I beam at him.
"He annoyed you?" Gabriel seems interested, but not nosy, so I don't mind him asking follow-up questions.
“Yes, he canceled my vacation, refused to pay my overtime for months, and to make matters worse, fired a colleague whose job I was supposed to be working for. Add to that the constant outbursts of anger and disrespectful behavior toward my colleagues and me. At some point, it was just too much."
"The canceled vacation was the last straw?"
"Yes. My mother was celebrating her fiftieth birthday, and I didn't want to miss it under any circumstances. He tried to cancel my time off just two days before. So, I told him where he could shove it."
"Having no respect for your staff isn't a good quality in a supervisor."
"Exactly. He tried to get me back for weeks, but after everything, I desperately needed a long vacation. He ended up reimbursing me for the unpaid overtime after all. That allowed me to live comfortably for four months. But hopefully tomorrow marks the beginning of a new era."
"Then I wish you good luck with your important appointment." Gabriel raises his glass to me and empties his whiskey.
I do the same. However, he doesn't stand up so we can go to his place; instead, he orders two more from Chloe.
"You'll have one more with me?"
"One more." Phew. If Chloe is good to me, she'll dilute it with some water. The whiskey is damn strong.
"And what important appointment do you have tomorrow?" I ask him.
"I'm meeting with someone. Actually, someone else was supposed to handle this conversation, but he got sick. So, I'm filling in for him. I usually have Mondays off, but... well. Sometimes that's how it goes." Gabriel smiles and turns toward me a bit more. "I’ll be honest."
Of course, I notice how his gaze wanders over my body, which I thoroughly enjoy.
"I have an apartment very close by. I don't have whiskey there, but I do have a big bed." He grins, and I can't help but giggle softly.
"And what else do you have in your apartment?" I flirt back, slightly embarrassed.
"You're welcome to find out if you'd like to join me. Just for this one night."
Yes, as I thought. He's not looking for the woman of his dreams, but for a sweet opportunity. Exactly what I need right now.
I finish my second glass of whiskey, and he does the same.
"Do you want to walk the distance, or are you calling us a taxi?" I ask before I set off with him.
"I'll let my driver know, he's waiting outside."
He even has a driver? Then the gold watch is definitely real. Not bad. I've never been with a rich man before.
Gabriel takes out his phone and texts someone.
However… "I need your address. Just a safety precaution."
As a woman in London, you have to be careful after all.
"Of course."
I give him my phone, and he enters the address on the map, allowing me to locate the place about a little over a mile away. That’s really close, but too far to walk with two glasses of whiskey in my stomach. I’m already feeling all warm and fuzzy.
"Thanks. I’ll talk to Chloe for a moment." I nod to my best friend as Gabriel gets up.
"I’ll wait for you outside."
It’s very nice of him to understand that I want to be safe. There are also guys who really lose their temper or get nervous about it. You really shouldn’t go with guys like that—at least not if you want to get home safely.
I get up and walk over to Chloe as Gabriel leaves the lounge.
Grinning broadly, I join her at the bar.
I can feel how hot my cheeks are and also how the whiskey is already taking effect: "How lucky am I?
" As I whisper these words excitedly, I place my hands on the counter and lean towards my best friend.
She seems anything but enthusiastic, frowning.
"You've had two whiskeys, and I already watered yours down." With a deep clearing of her throat, she's probably trying to make it clear to me that I should stay here with her and not go off with a complete stranger who just bought me two strong drinks.
"Really? I barely noticed," I murmur, clearly feeling the alcohol taking effect.
"Yes, because I want to protect you." Chloe looks towards the door from which Gabriel has disappeared and then looks seriously at me again. "Please take a picture of his license plate before you get in and send me your live location, so I always know where you are, okay?"
"Do you have a bad feeling about him?" I ask.
My gaze now wanders to the door as well. A little uncertainty spreads within me, and my stomach rumbles unpleasantly. Is it perhaps a mistake if I just go with him like this?
"I’ve never seen him here before. Most of them are regulars and keep coming back. For those, I'm happy to give you a recommendation. Some of them tip well and have decent jobs."
"He gave you a good tip too," I defend Gabriel while repeatedly looking back and forth between the door and my best friend. Uncertainty spreads within me, because I usually trust her instincts.
"That's just one side of the coin. I'm just worried about you. Somehow this guy doesn't sit right with me. He comes in, orders you alcohol, and after a little chat wants to take you home right away?" She looks concerned, and that immediately affects me.
"He just wants sex, nothing more. Like I said, I'll send you all the details."
I immediately turn on live location on my phone and promise, "As soon as anything seems off, I'll call you, and then you can call the cops. But if you don't hear from me, I'm having the time of my life." I gush, "He smells incredibly good. His perfume has something dark about it."
"You like danger, huh?" Chloe shakes her head but then smiles. "All right. Send me everything and I'll be glued to my phone the whole time."
She leans forward, puts her hands on my cheeks, pulls me a bit over the counter, and kisses my forehead. "Do you have any tattoos I don't know about?"
What kind of question is that now?
"No, why?"
"In case they find your body. Then I could identify you immediately."
Her sassy look leaves me speechless for a moment before I start laughing nervously.
"Thanks. That's reassuring."
Not. Not the tiniest bit.
I swallow and then shake my head. "Starting tomorrow, I'll be good. This will be my little farewell fuck. It's as simple as that."
"Just be careful, okay?"
"His name is Gabriel. What could possibly happen?"
His mother must have had something in mind with that name. Hopefully only good things. Although I wouldn't mind at all if he showed me in bed that there's a little devil in him too.
"Your words in God's ear. May this angel not fall..." she says, still watching me as I slowly make my way to the door.
"I'll call you tomorrow, I promise." I turn around to Chloe and wave goodbye.
"And then her best friend left. They never saw each other again." She says these words in a fake voice. "That's how true crime documentaries start!" She clearly watches too many of those.
"See you tomorrow!"
Laughing, I exit the Midnight Lounge and look around.
A cool breeze blows under my skirt, which feels quite refreshing at first. I continue looking around and spot Gabriel about sixty feet away.
He's standing next to a black luxury car, looking at me.
I approach him while already pulling out my phone.
At that moment, Gabriel taps on the roof of the car and walks toward me.
"Hey." I point at the vehicle. "May I take a photo of the license plate?"
"Sure." He seems relaxed and not nervous at all.
"Aren't you going to ask why?" I inquire curiously as I snap a picture of the license plate to send to Chloe. The image is delivered immediately thanks to the fast internet. It's definitely an advantage that London has readily available Wi-Fi everywhere.
"You're probably sending it to the bartender. Did she lecture you about not going with strangers?"
"You're spot on," I say and put my phone away.
"She must be a really good friend."
"Good enough to warn me, but still let me have my fun," I reply, obviously revealing that I want more than just coffee at his place.
Gabriel smiles and opens the back door of the car for me. I get in and place my bag in the middle of the row of seats. The driver looks at me briefly through the rearview mirror and nods politely.
"Good evening, Miss."
"Good evening," I reply.
Meanwhile, Gabriel walks around the limo and opens the door on the other side before getting in and giving the driver his instructions: "To the apartment." Gabriel closes the door and presses a button on the glowing blue panel next to him.
"Very well, Sir," the driver responds as the partition rises, giving us our privacy. The passenger area of the limo is so spacious that two or three people could comfortably sit on the opposite side as well.
I immediately notice the car’s pleasant scent, which is similar to Gabriel’s.
I look over at him and examine his posture closely until I feel the alcohol starting to kick in.
A warm rush washes over me, and the next moment the car takes off.
I’m gently pushed into the seat, but my head starts spinning.
At this moment, I’m glad Chloe cut the whiskey; otherwise, I probably wouldn’t have even made it to the car.
But there is one good thing: I’m braver and feel much more determined to enjoy this evening.
Yes, alcohol does lower your inhibitions, I discover that again and again.
I give Gabriel a flirtatious glance as I continue to watch him.
I simply like everything about him. His smile, a mixture of pride, dominance, and the will to conquer.
His posture, which tells me that he’ll have healthy muscles beneath his perfectly fitted suit.
His gaze, which gets a sweet taste of what’s about to end up in his bed—and: his hands.
I’ve rarely seen a man with such beautiful hands.
The gold watch flashes from under his sleeve on his wrist every now and then.
I usually find gold watches ostentatious, but it suits him perfectly.
Manicured fingernails, the bones and tendons that adorn his hands, and the firm grip on my thigh cause the next wave of heat to rush through my body.
No more words are needed, just his smile, which makes me turn to him and simply sit on his lap. The limo moves comfortably through central London, so I have no doubt that I’ll arrive safely at my destination.
The gentle rocking even brings a smile or two to our lips before he wraps his hands around my hips, then my neck, so he can pull me closer to him.
A smile is followed by a broad grin, until he simply kisses me hungrily, and I let myself be led by his guidance. The alcohol makes me braver than usual.
Maybe he feels the same way?
No, a man like him does what he wants. He also takes what he wants.
And today, I am what he wants. I smile into our kiss while his hands wander over my body.
He strokes my neck longingly, down my sides to my hips, as if he wants to explore everything he can get his hands on.
A foretaste of what awaits him tonight. Like a rehearsal dinner before the big celebration.
Oh, how I would love to delve into his world of thoughts and find out what’s going on inside him.
I know: anticipation is the greatest joy. Living in ignorance can be exciting, but I’m still curious. Very much so.
I can certainly count on him liking what he’s feeling and tasting, otherwise he’d probably just stop.
But Gabriel doesn’t stop; he gets more intense. Of course, I also want to tease him a little, and I’m not stingy with my circular hip movements to make it clear to him what I want. Tonight, it won’t just be about kissing.
Nope. Certainly won’t.