Chapter 6.
“Did you take a happy pill this morning?” Charlotte suspiciously asked Gabriel the next day.
“What do you mean?” He lifted his head from the computer screen.
“Well, let’s summarize. You asked me to come here to go through some data that don’t look too good, I am fifteen minutes late and somehow there’s no foam coming out of your mouth.” She narrowed her eyes.
“You’re hilarious.” Gabriel smirked at her.
“No, really. What’s going on? If I didn't know any better, I'd say you…” Suddenly, her mind cleared.
“You were with Lena.” She leaned to his desk and set her palms down flat on the table.
Gabriel’s smile faded.
“How do you know about Lena?”
“Oh come on, I’ve known about you two since Hawaii. You both ditched my party and the next morning you looked as if you spend the night escaping the war zone. Oh, and let’s not forget the past three weeks. Your marvelous mood swings and Lena’s desperate attempt to keep cool… I seriously thought about bringing myself a bowl of popcorn and watch how things progress.” She rolled her eyes but then looked at him with a concerned expression on her face.
Gabriel felt like a little boy caught doing some roguery.
“Gabriel… I know there are things you can be talked into. You relationships were the one thing we never discussed. But please, whatever it is that you’re doing, don’t hurt her.” The plea in her eyes was more than visible.
“Lena is a big girl, Charlotte. She knows what she’s gotten herself into and I’m not hiding anything from her. We agreed we’ll just have fun.” Gabriel defiantly lifted his chin. Charlotte was wrongly accusing him of tricking Lena but Lena knew exactly what he was or wasn’t able to give.
“Really? I’m so glad you have it all figured out. And I want you to be happy. Just keep one thing in mind- unlike you, Lena thinks with her heart.” Saying that and leaving the last sentence hanging in midair, Charlotte left his office.
All the presumptuousness and arrogance on Gabriel’s face vanished leaving him anxious and tense. Why would Charlotte say that? Lena wouldn’t ruin this with emotions. She couldn’t.
He dreaded the L word. When he was young, women expected him to love them, and he thought he could. At least at the beginning. Then he came back from university, in a relationship with a fellow student, ready to take over his family business. However, when he detected many of its aspects were illegitimate he knew he can’t continue doing it that way. When he confronted his father about it, he threatened to ruin him if tells the authorities, to destroy his mother and everything he held dear. From a loving father he turned to a monster. Trying to protect his mother, he kept quiet for a while but then he accidentally found out his mother knew all about it but was too afraid of her husband and was too accustomed to the lavish lifestyle his actions enabled her. The love for her son wasn’t strong enough to overcome that. The painful realization that his own parents played him, broke Gabriel, leaving him damaged beyond repair.
He didn’t turn his dad to authorities but he left and never looked back. They never tried to reach him.
Naturally, he was left penniless and his beloved girlfriend slowly excluded herself from his life, as well. Somehow, it didn’t surprise him. By that time, he already embraced solitude.
Over a decade after, Gabriel’s life was a fusion of work, money and occasional sex. No people, no relationships, at least not on an emotional level.
Charlotte was the only exception. She took him in at his worst, gave him his first job and he was eternally grateful. Still, he kept even her at a certain distance.
She reproached him for not having any true friends. The truth was he had acquaintances, men he worked with and who he sometimes joined on some events, drinks and parties. They were close enough so Gabriel didn’t feel like a lone wolf but they never shared stories over a drink like true friends. It was good enough for him.
Lena was something new. He was drawn to her, waking animal instincts in him. At the same time, he enjoyed talking to her. And that was a precedent; just like mixing business with pleasure. However, he was convinced he could handle it.
Gabriel didn’t fool himself about their relationship. It would end one day; that he knew for sure. It was inevitably. But for the time being, he planned to make the best out of it. So when Charlotte mentioned Lena’s heart, he selfishly wished she could be more like him. Why did women tend to ruin everything with feelings? On the other hand, if she were more like him, maybe he wouldn’t enjoy being with her so much.
“Keep your heart Lena Rylan. But restrain it,” he whispered into the air.
*
Lena was proud of herself for managing all the work with the same efficiency as before she met Gabriel. She barely slept in the last 24 hours and her body felt sore she but didn’t care. On the contrary, she kept looking at her wristwatch, knowing she’d see him soon.
This morning they finally exchanged phone numbers, and an hour ago he texted her,
“Dinner. Tonight. I’ll pick you up at 8pm.”
His intention to take her out on a public place stunned her for a moment. She didn’t quite expect him to lock her in his cave and use her exclusively for sex, but she also wasn’t that naïve to think they would stroll the city holding hands. He probably found some secluded place and she appreciated the gesture. He was compromising and that wasn’t easy for a man like Gabriel Seaborne, Lena thought as memories from that morning came flooding back.
He left her apartment early but he patiently waited for her to wake up to say goodbye. When she saw him sitting on the bed next to her, with his suit on and typing on his phone, she tried to restrain not to laugh so she buried her head in the pillow and amusingly mumbled,
“You can go now. I am not paying you.”
Grinning, he slapped her behind and laid on top of her making her squeak from the heaviness of his body.
“Really? Was it that bad?” He kissed the back of her neck while she pretended to free herself from his grasp.
“You can do better, I’m sure.” She managed to turn over and then relaxed under him. His day-old beard tickled her and he smelled divine. How did he manage to do that, she wondered.
“I have to go now.” Although completely dressed and ready to run out, he looked sad.
“I know. I’ll see you soon.” As she slowly ran her finger across his beard, he pinned her down in a long kiss that rushed lust through her. Then he got off her, flashed her a smile and left.
That morning Lena had the time to think things through and was determined to make it work, Gabriel’s way.
*
That night, Gabriel nervously waited for Lena in his car, excited as if he was heading to a prom. When he saw her exiting the building, his heart skipped a beat. She was breathtaking, with her hair down, wearing a black dress reaching just a little above her knees and black stilettos. The legend of the little black dress among women finally made sense to him.
Almost forgetting his manners, and recently he really worked on them; he got out of the car and went to open a car door for her.
“You look amazing.” He offered her his hand, then gently pulled her in his arms and kissed her.
“Thank you. You look handsome yourself.” And in his navy suit and white shirt, he truly did.
Reminding himself to be civilized, he took a deep breath and unwillingly brushed of the need to undress her and take her right there on the back seat of his car.
He made reservation in a small but elegant Italian restaurant and was even excited about it. It was a long time since he’d had an intimate meal with someone.
When he parked in front of a big sign “Alberto’s trattoria”, the owner Alberto greeted Gabriel and took them to their table.
“Oh, thank God.” Lena sighed.
“What?” Puzzled, he looked at her.
“I dreaded you will take me someplace where people eat grass or raw animal liver served on tiny plates,” she revealed.
Gabriel chuckled but before he had the time to respond, he heard Lena saying,
“Maybe you think it’s funny, but it’s not. I haven’t had the time to eat today and I actually considered hiding a sandwich in my purse.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll feed you properly.” He laughed with a an odd feeling warming up his heart.
Gabriel was a frequent guest at the restaurant but this time Alberto detected it was a special occasion so he made his personnel serve enormous amounts of Italian specialties to the couple. An hour later, he brought the dessert himself.
“Oh God Alberto, stop. I will die.” Gabriel put his hands in the air and shook his head as he smiled to his old acquaintance.
“It is the first time I see this young lady here, Mr. Seaborne. I mustn’t disappoint her.” Alberto gallantly kissed Lena’s hand. The man was no threat to Gabriel but an unexpected jealousy took him over when he witnessed this gesture.
“Back off. She’s mine,” he wanted to growl at him but clenched his teeth instead.
Unaware of Gabriel’s inner struggle, Lena flashed Alberto a smile.
“Everything was amazing. I have only one regret.”
“And that would be…?” Alberto’s cocky smile was replaced by disappointment one.
“Wearing this tight dress. Next time I’ll wear a size bigger tracksuit”.
“I am sure you would look equally stunning in it,” he stated and his grin was back on.
“Ok, go away, little man” Gabriel’s teeth were still clenched.
“Thank you for everything Alberto,” he said politely, hoping Alberto would take the hint. And apparently he did because he excused himself and went to the kitchen.
“This really is a great place. How did you find it?” Lena asked.
“It was coincidentally. I was working on a big deal for weeks and one night I needed some air so I decided to go for a walk. And found this place.” He shrugged his shoulders and added,
“You must think it’s weird to walk the NY streets like that. People usually go for a hike somewhere with more trees and fresh air.”
“Actually, I do the same.” She leaned back in her chair. “I love finding new places and New York is an endless source of them.”
“We are alike then. We feed on smog.” Gabriel’s eyes sparked but then suddenly darkened.
“I hope you’re not doing all this exploring alone. New York is a wonderful place but can also be dangerous.” A fear crawled in to him. A fear that something might happen to her.
Lena didn’t notice it but reassured him,
“I’m careful.”
Later that night, when they said goodbye to Alfredo who handled them a paper bag full of lasagnas, Gabriel took Lena to his place. It was a penthouse overlooking the city. The rooms were spacious, tastefully decorated and luxury was written all over the walls, but the whole space lacked personality. There were no photos, no personal details, and no warmth.
“Wow. This looks incredible.” Lena looked around, turned to Gabriel and asked,
“So where do you live?”
“I’m sorry?” He assumed he didn’t hear well.
“You obviously don’t live in these rooms. Where do you spend your time?” It was a simple question but Gabriel felt as if someone had just stripped him.
Not saying anything, he took her hand and led her down the hall. He opened the door at the very end of the hallway and brought her in. It had all the components of a classic study- a massive desk, a chair, computer, piles of files and folders… But it also had walls covered with books of various genres, a lot of them. And old records right next to a vintage gramophone. Lena cautiously touched Frank Sinatra cover and bit her lip.
“Wow, Gabriel. This is…”
“Me.” She heard him say.
He came to her from behind and put his arms around her waist, making her tilt her head as he kissed her ear.
“Now, there’s one room you should give a second chance.” He murmured as he tickled the back of her neck with his lips.
Lena knew he was referring to his bedroom.
“Mmmm, I guess I can do that.”
Gabriel swept her of the floor and as she nested in his arms, took her to his room.
“There’s something I want to do ever since I’ve saw you today.” He put her down, gently grabbed her by the shoulders, turned her away and reached for the zipper on her dress. Shivers went down Lena’s spine as he slowly moved the soft black fabric down her body.
“I thought you like the dress,” she teased him.
“I do. It will look great on my carpet, don’t you think?” He made her turn back and slowly pressed his lips on hers, moving them apart with his tongue as he walked his hands down her bare back.
Lena wrapped herself around him and kissed him harder, reaching for the buttons of his shirt.
“Mmm, my little beast.” Her reaction aroused him and he ditched the rest of his clothes, pushing her to the bed.
Taking his time, he peeled off her panties deliberately teasing her. When he separated her knees and kissed his way up from the inner side of her thighs all the way to her sex, she lost her senses under feathery strokes of his tongue. Watching his muscle-bound arms lifting her hips to taste her deeper, she grabbed the sheet beneath her as she convulsed in a never-ending orgasm.
“You taste so good.” She heard his husky voice climbing to her and then kissing her, making her taste her own juices.
His erection bumped against her abdomen and she instinctively slid her hand between their bodies, reaching for him, making him painfully growl. He was at a brink of explosion so when Lena wrapped her fingers around him, the blood boiled in his veins. He slightly raised his body only to grab her arms, pinning them down above her head with one hand, and spreading her knees with other and then penetrated in her in one swift move. The sound that came out of him wasn’t just a roar; it was far more primal, lacked of all restraints and control. It ignited the same hunger in Lena and she arched towards him, begging for more. Rapid rhythm of his body made them both climax, melting in the intense heat.
Three hours later, Lena lazily watched Gabriel coming back to the bed carrying Albertos’ lasagnas and wearing nothing but boxers.
“Finally.” she wrapped the sheet around her and reached for a plate.
“I have to feed my woman.” He seriously stated.
Lena laughed but then a tiny shadow crossed her face. Was she his woman? His mistress? What was the right name for it?
“Stop it Lena,” she warned herself.
“Thank you. And Alberto.” She lifted her fork in an imaginary toast to the chef.
“You better eat because the night is young and I have plans for you.”
“Does that include tucking me in because some of us have to work tomorrow?” Lena took a bite of delicious pasta, provoking him at the same time.
“First things first.” He playfully scratched his teeth on her shoulder.
He didn’t say it at loud but it was evident he wanted her to spend the night with him.
He recalled the night before when he stayed over at her apartment. It felt unusual but in a good way. He hadn’t woken up next to a woman in years and watching her sound asleep in her bed somehow felt right. He wanted her to know he wouldn’t bail on her like their first time. Although he was already late for a conference call from Europe, he waited for her to open her eyes to assure her he was there. He could have perform it a little smoother, but she got the point.
And now she was in his bed, wrapped in his sheet, with traces of him all over her body. And he wished for it to last. As long as possible.