Chapter 8 Gabriel
CHAPTER EIGHT
GAbrIEL
Tonight, I’m winging it, but my endgame is stealing Alice’s goddamn heart.
On autopilot, I throw together my grandmother’s lasagna recipe.
I layer noodles, ricotta, mozzarella, and sauce.
My hands move fast, muscle memory from years of watching Nonna do it the old-fashioned way, but my brain is a fucking train wreck.
All I can think about is Alice. Her laugh.
Her mouth. The way she looks at me like she wants to murder me one second and kiss me senseless the next.
I want her so bad I can barely breathe.
The lasagna hits the oven, and I scrub down my kitchen like Nonna herself is going to see it. Then I check the time and see she’ll be here in eight minutes. The anticipation is making me insane.
When the elevator pings, my heart jackhammers against my ribs.
I open the door to find Alice standing in the hallway, clutching a white pastry box like a shield, and wearing a black long-sleeve T-shirt and gray yoga pants.
Her hair is down—soft, loose, and curling around her face in a way that makes my hands ache to touch it.
She gives me a shy wave and a smile that could topple empires.
“Hey,” she says, voice bright.
“Hey, yourself. Come in.” The words barely make it out of my mouth. My brain just… stalls.
She breezes in, sidestepping me like she owns the room. Her gaze sweeps the penthouse, wide and electric, drinking in every inch. “Nice place.”
“Thank you,” I tell her as I shut the door behind us.
I can’t look away from her. The way she moves, it’s like every step is precise, head held high, confidence stitched into her spine.
Still, her eyes flicker over everything, hungry and alert, taking stock of every detail.
“Mrs. Winters made me promise to tell her all about it.” She turns to me and winks.
“I didn’t know you were friends with Mrs. Winters.” I laugh.
“I wouldn’t call us friends. More like she’s the building gossip who’s trying to use me to get all the good gossip.”
“Oh, really?” I worry about what others think of me. Anyone except Alice, that is. “What did Mrs. Winters have to say about me?”
Alice turns to me and bites her lip. “Well, she told me you bought the penthouse from the past tenant when he fell in love and got married.”
“That’s true.” Oliver Burkhardt, a business acquaintance, offered it to me for a steal, and I jumped at the chance to buy the best penthouse in Worthington Hills. “What else did she tell you?”
“That you don’t really talk to anyone in the building.
” Also true. Until I met Alice, I didn’t really feel the need to interact with anyone.
“And you bought all the apartments on the ninth floor so your security staff could live onsite.” Damn.
The building grapevine is on it, I think, as she continues.
“And you’re hot but grumpy. Which I found out for myself. ” My girl winks at me.
I arch an eyebrow at her. "When have I been grumpy with you?"
"When I spilled my coffee on you the first time we met.
" She shrugs, the corner of her mouth quirking up into a half-smile that makes my chest tight.
"You were beyond grumpy then. Your face turned this interesting shade of red, and I swear I could see steam coming out of your ears like some cartoon character.
You looked like you wanted to strangle me. "
"Oh, coffee girl." I walk over and pull her curvy body close to mine, feeling the soft cotton of her shirt against my palms, her warmth radiating through the thin fabric.
The scent of her rose-scented shampoo hits me like a drug.
"Strangling you was the last fucking thing on my mind.
" I smirk down at her, watching her pupils dilate as she tilts her face up to mine.
"What were you thinking?" Her warm breath brushes against my lips, sending electricity down my spine.
"How much I wanted to throw your gorgeous ass over my shoulder and drag you back to my lair." My voice drops to a growl as my fingers press into the small of her back.
“Oh.” The vein at the base of her throat pounds away as she stares up at me.
Needing to take things down a notch before I spread her little ass across the breakfast bar and eat her for dinner, I pour us each a glass of wine.
Our fingers touch as I hand one to her, and the contact zaps through me, straight to my cock.
Jesus. I’m one breath away from losing control and fucking her in my goddamn kitchen.
She tries to pretend she doesn’t notice the spark, but her eyes go wide, and that shy smile is back. I want to taste it. I want to put my ring on her finger and tie her ass to me for life.
She swallows her entire glass down in one swallow, then steps back and glances around.
“Wow,” she says. “Your kitchen is… insane. I mean, it’s bigger than most restaurants.
” She steps past me to peek at the lasagna, and my eyes drop to her ass in those yoga pants.
I can’t stop a groan from erupting from my throat as my cock hardens.
I set the wine bottle down and force myself to focus. “I hope you’re hungry.” My voice sounds rough even to my own ears.
She laughs, low and surprised. “I’m freaking starving.” She glances up at me from under her lashes, and I swear my cock twitches in appreciation. Zero shame. Every inch of me is ready for her.
I grab plates and serve up portions of lasagna that would make Nonna proud.
The scents of garlic and cheese fill the kitchen, but all I can focus on is Alice perched on a barstool, bare feet swinging, lips parted in anticipation.
She watches me like I’m the main course, and for a second, I almost forget how to function.
I set the plate in front of her, and our fingers brush again, even though it’s unnecessary. I want to touch her. All the time. Might as well make it obvious.
“Wow,” she breathes, fork poised. “This looks incredible.”
“Wait until you taste it.” My voice is rough.
She takes a bite, and her eyes roll back. “Oh my God, Gabe. This is… I don’t even have words.” Watching her eat turns me the fuck on so much, I don’t taste a bite of my own meal.
Dinner is… surreal. Alice is working on her second huge helping, sopping up the sauce with garlic bread and moaning in a way that makes my pants tighter with every bite.
We talk between mouthfuls, and she tells me about her time in college, her favorite trash TV shows.
And I can’t take my eyes off her. I drag my gaze over her perfect curves, then force myself to focus on something besides pinning her to the polished kitchen counter and making her scream my name.
“How did you end up in Worthington Hills?” I ask, voice low and rough.
Alice looks up, fork pausing halfway to her lips. “I wish I had a really great reason. But honestly, The Mercer Group’s offer was the best one I received.” She grins, but I catch the flicker of hesitation in her eyes.
She tries to play it off with a quick grin, but I spot the truth in her eyes. There’s something she isn’t saying. I lean in, elbows on the counter, crowding her a little just to watch her squirm.
“Did you not want to work for The Mercer Group?” I press, voice low.
She stabs at her lasagna, cheeks flaming.
“Honestly? No. It’s not my endgame. I want something a little more…
creative. But this pays the bills and keeps me sane until I figure out my real dream job.
” She shrugs, trying to act casual, but that stubborn chin tips up and she meets my gaze, defiant and honest and so goddamn sexy I want to drag her onto my lap right now.
Fuck, she’s incredible. I can’t believe I get to keep her.
She tucks her hair behind her ear and gives me this look—a little wicked, a little curious, like she’s about to dig for buried treasure.
“So, confession,” she murmurs, voice soft.
“I read your bio on The Mercer Group’s website, and Mrs. Winters told me what she knows about you. But I want to know the real stuff.”
I nearly choke on my wine. Damn, she’s perfect.
“You want the truth?” I lean in, letting my fingers trace the rim of her glass, just so I don’t wind them in her hair and drag her straight into my lap.
“I’m a control freak. I don’t sleep much.
I hate being bored. My childhood sucked.
I built everything from nothing, and I don’t trust easily.
” I let her see it—the hunger, the need, the ugly bits most people would run from.
“But the moment I met you, I felt a connection I’ve never felt before.
I built my business on listening to my instincts, and everything in me screams that you’re the one thing I need.
” She just looks at me, blue eyes wide, seeing the truth of my words.
She looks at me for a long moment, then her lips part on a shaky breath. “You’re kind of intense, you know that?” Her cheeks go bright pink, but she doesn’t flinch. She tilts her chin up, still meeting my gaze. “But I think I like it.”
Fucking hell. I can’t believe my luck.
I crowd her a little closer, so she has to look up at me. “You should get used to it, baby. I don’t do things halfway.” I let my fingers brush hers on the marble counter, the heat between us sparking again. “If I want something, I make damn sure I get it. And right now, all I want is you.”
Alice lets out a nervous laugh, but there’s nothing scared about the way she watches me.
Her hands are shaking, but she’s defiant as ever, stubborn chin and all.
“That just means you’re going to have to work for it.
” She levels me with that sassy little glare, and I swear my cock goes diamond hard. God, she has no idea what she’s in for.
I crowd her up against the edge of the counter, staring her down until her breath starts to hitch. “Baby, you have no idea how hard I’m willing to work if it means I end up with you.” My voice is a low growl as I slide my hand over hers, pinning her tiny fingers to the cold marble.
Her lips part, cheeks flushing, but she doesn’t back down. Not for a second. “I appreciate your efforts so far,” she manages, but her voice is trembling. “But the night’s still young.”
Fuck, I love this woman. I want to eat her alive.