Page 33 of Fragile

I chuckled, leaning forward, mirroring his expression. “Not even slightly.” My words were purposefully at odds with our body language. It was playful flirting and I was enjoying myself.

“I still can’t believe you’re single,” Max said, almost to himself. His face was a picture of confusion as his eyes searched my face. “Don’t you ever date?”

“I’ve been on a couple since I came to the city. I was asked out the other day by a guy at work, but I don’t have the time due to practice and my job.”

“That’s bullshit. You’re in your prime, don’t let it run away from you. You should let your hair down and live a little now,” Max suggested with a smile. “You should go on that date. What’s he look like?”

“That doesn’t matter. It takes more than a good body and a nice face for me I’m afraid,” I stated this fact whilst motioning towards him with my hand.

“Don’t say you’re one of those girls that go for personality. Someone who can make you laugh.”

My eyebrows inched towards my hairline. “Yes, of course. A sense of humour is vital and really attractive in a man.”

Max snorted and dashed a hand down his face. “Bollocks. If laughter is so important, go watch a comedian. You women are all the same, what comes out of your mouth, isn’t what you want at all.” Our banter had now stepped up a notch and we were head-to-head.

“I see. And what do women want, Max?” I asked with a playful twist to my lips.

He motioned towards himself with his large hand. “A stacked, good-looking bloke who they feel safe with and makes them cum with the thunder, would be my guess.”

BOOM! I released a full-on belly laugh. He had won. He’d wanted to shock me and he had (with bells on).

I held my hands up in surrender. “I can’t believe I’ve known you less than a month and you pull out that card.”

His expression was now full of humour and he looked boyish again. “It’s the most important one in the deck, my love. Under normal circumstances, I’d show you what I mean. I’m not a man of many words when it comes to sex but I know what I’m doing. However, I don’t fancy a bullet in the head.”

“Well of course not, who would?”

His hungry gaze swept over me again. “You sure are a sweet little thing, but I value my friendship too much.”

Now this was interesting. “You’re friendship with whom?” I knew where he was going but needed him to air the words.

“Gabriel Knight.” As if in salute, I heard the lift moving.

Glancing briefly to where the lift doors remained closed, I said, “So, you reckon he’d kill you if you made a move on me?”

“He’d certainly try. Once Gabe has laid down the law, his word is final.”

I released an un-lady-like snort. “Nonsense.”

He shuffled against the seat, his eyes drilling into me. “The message to his friends is that you’re off limits and he doesn’t take well to those who go against him. You live here and so you’re kind of like his territory now. As far as his pack of wolves are concerned anyway. It would be interesting to see how he’d react if you went on that date. He’d probably be jealous as fuck.”

Pushing to my feet, I looked down my nose at him. “Why would he care? He doesn’t like me very much.”

Hearing the lift moving again, Max too pushed to his feet and we stood facing each other over the coffee table. “Gabe doesn’t like many people but liking has nothing to do with it. I think he wants you and is finding it hard to hide it. That’s not good when he’s honing the craft of how to lie to people.”

Stepping around the corner so we were closer, my eyes narrowed. “So, you think lawyers are untrustworthy?”

“Fuck yeah, don’t you?” Max replied, folding his arms over his chest.

I glanced over at the lift doors again, suddenly wanting more time to speak with Max. “I’m not sure. Gabriel is the first one I’ve met.”

“Well, prepare yourself for the unexpected. You’re one of us now Leonie.”

“I suppose I should be pleased, to be part of something,” I said with a shy smile.

The sound of the travelling lift was now deafening. “You’re under Gabriel’s protection but you’ll have to play by his rules. We all do.”

Those words resonated deeply with me, the thought of being protected and belonging to something, to someone, even with Gabriel’s rules.

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