Page 17 of Enchanting the CEO

He shrugged. "Didn't want you to get your hopes up."

I thought about the one-bedroom apartment Celia and I grew up in. Mom couldn't afford to rent anything bigger until I turned fifteen and Celia was twelve. It was probably one of the main reasons both of us preferred to live alone—we liked to have our space after having to share for so long.

"If you're sure about the kitchen thing, then I’ll take it," I stated firmly.

Gabe nodded. "Come on downstairs and I'll show you the kitchen, washer and dryer."

He gestured for me to walk in front of him, and I accidentally brushed his chest with my arm on the way out. Oh yeah, his pecs were even harder than I'd imagined.

But why was I even checking him out? Gabe was completely out of the question. My sister worked for him, and I would never want to put her in a bad position.

I went down the stairs quickly, and Gabe pointed through the double doors connecting the entrance to the living room. I stepped inside, looking around. It dripped of old luxury: high ceilings, chandeliers.

"This looks amazing," I told him. "But somehow I imagined you’d prefer a modern setting.”

“This isn’t my style at all. My house will be completely different, but this was the best I could get."

The kitchen was in the back and separate from the living room, which was even better. That meant I wouldn't be bothering him at all.

"This is gorgeous," I said.

The appliances were surprisingly new. The floors were old-school with intricate inlays, though they must have been polished recently based on the shine.

"I can do so much in here," I mumbled.

"All right, then, be my guest." A huge smile lit up his face. “And this door leads to the washer and dryer. Feel free to use anything you need. The detergent and dryer sheets are in the cabinet here.” Gabe moved over to show me everything. “It’s all standard.”

"This will be great. I'll finally be able to reevaluate everything and get my feet back on the ground."

He stepped closer. "You've had a rough few months, huh?" The concern in his voice warmed my heart.

"Yeah, but it's going to be fine.” I didn’t want to delve into that again. “So, did your roommate tell you how long it'll take before he can vacate?"

"He's moving in with his girlfriend, so he said he can be out of here by the end of the week."

"That's great! Oh, I have another question. How long is your lease?"

“I intend to stay here less than six months.”

I nodded. “That gives me enough time to get a decent job and look for another place.”

My stomach rumbled.

"Want to order dinner?" he asked.

I shook my head. “No, thank you. I want to start packing.”

And besides, I wasn't quite ready to spend more time alone with him, which was silly, since I was going to move in with him. Well, not with him—above him.

An image flashed in my mind—of the dirty variety. Damn it, this was not going well. But I knew that after some time passed, and he brought home female guests, I'd be singing another tune.

"I'll drop you off at home," he offered.

I shook my head. "Gabe, that's really not necessary."

“I insist," he said as we walked to the front door.

“I appreciate your concern, but it’s all right.” I turned to him just before I headed out. "I'm going to spend some time in the city before going home. I need to buy a few things."

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