Page 47 of Fragile

The Range Rover was parked against the curb in front of the building; its paintwork glimmering in the sun.

As I stepped through the doors, Gabriel was leaning against the wall beside the entrance texting. I cleared my throat and he looked up from his phone. His eyes did a quick assessment before he said. “Right on time, I must say, I’m impressed. I’ve rarely experienced good timekeeping from a woman.”

I smiled. “But I’m not just any woman,” I pointed out.

“That you’re not,” he agreed warmly.

It was a bright, warm day and Marco came around the front of the car from the driver's side with an expectant look on his face. I noticed he wore his signature black trousers but was dressed down in a navy T-shirt, showing his muscled, hairy arms. He was big and beefy and clearly worked out, but his top showed the possible hint of a beer belly beneath.

He stepped towards us, his gaze directed at Gabriel, awaiting his instructions.

“Talk a walk, Marco,” Gabriel said as he led me towards the car. His hand was on the bottom of my back as he guided us forward.

“Sir,” Marco replied with a respectful nod and he threw what I assumed were the car keys over. Gabriel caught them mid-air and reached past me to open the door.

“Where will he go?” I questioned, wondering what Marco would do whilst we took the car.

“I couldn’t give a shit really but I imagine home. I gave him the day off.”

Gesturing with one hand, he then said, “Ladies first.” His tone was deep and smoky, generating a warm feeling at such chivalrous behaviour.

“Thank you,” I whispered, climbing up onto the plush leather seat, a spark of pleasure shooting directly into the pit of my stomach. The car was as usual alarmingly clean inside.

Gabriel closed the door with a soft click and walked around the front of the vehicle, his eyes never leaving mine through the glass.

Once he had folded his large body behind the wheel, he started the engine, checked his rear-view mirror, and pulled out into the traffic. The vehicle purred like a tiger and I attempted to keep my gaze ahead instead of checking him out. With his dark colouring, he looked delicious against the cream leather of the seats. Gabriel was wearing a dark grey button-down tee and black jeans. His biceps flexed when he changed through the gears and I was surprised my mouth didn’t start to water. Being a dancer, I was used to men with muscles but none were as stacked or as virile as this man.

We spoke briefly, but the traffic was heavy and Gabriel was clearly focused on finding a better route. By the way he was white-knuckling the steering wheel, I also didn’t want to distract him so I looked out of the window. The roads were congested and I wasn’t sure how experienced he would be driving in London. From what I had seen so far, Marco usually ferried him everywhere.

The faint scent of his aftershave was also strangely distracting and I felt myself stealing a few glances when he was negotiating his way through a patch of roadworks. A pulse flickered in his jaw as he concentrated and I found it fascinating to watch. Gabriel must have sensed that I was watching him and he caught me, but I quickly looked away.

I clenched my hands in my lap, feeling hot. Whether that was due to me being caught ogling or the heat in the car, who knew? I sensed the air conditioning was on but it suddenly felt like a furnace. My eyeballs also started to itch, probably a reaction to said air con.

As we sat in traffic, my eyes continued to roam out of the window. We were on the edge of Soho, where the expensive shops were and as I twisted in my seat, I started to window shop. I loved looking at all the fancy clothes in the boutiques, the mannequins fashioning garments I would never get to wear. Suddenly a flash of deep red caught my attention and I leaned forward in my seat and pushed my face towards the window.

“Oh wow, that’s amazing,” I blurted before I could tug the words back. This caught Gabriel’s attention.

“What?” he said, shooting me a cursory glance. The gown stood out and he must have seen it straight away. A smile tugged his lips.

“Ah, yes. The red dress. Very nice. I didn’t have you as the type to be overly into fashion.”

Some girls would have been offended by those words but not me. I lived in jeans and a tank top. I wasn’t used to nice things. Would I buy them if I could afford them, probably.

“I’m not really and would never have any reason to wear something like that, but it’s stunning.”

Gabriel nodded his head. “Well, I imagine you’d look amazing in it.”

I wasn’t expecting a compliment and it made me feel slightly nervous. I mean, it’s not like I wasn’t used to them. I was, in spades, just not from him. The traffic suddenly started moving and the red dress was forgotten.

Thankfully the journey didn’t last long. Gabriel drove us both to an Italian restaurant called Felice’s on the edge of Soho. He parked the car on the road by the pavement in front of the building in a bay labelled for VIPs.

“Are you allowed to park here?” I questioned as I walked around the back of the car to join him on the pavement. Gabriel shot me a withering look but remained silent, his lips twitching. He thought my question ludicrous and of course, he would, he was a man who lived by his own rules.

The sun kissed my face as once again, we walked side by side and Gabriel steered me by placing his hand gently at the bottom of my spine. I wondered how it would feel to have his arms around me; like we were two lovers on a date. And of course, that is exactly what this wasn’t.

We took a couple of steps onto a raised section. There was a sweet decked terrace which sat in front of the glass-fronted restaurant. It was sectioned off from the pavement and other businesses on either side by potted hedging. Several tables were still available, they were all covered by umbrellas to protect the guests from the sun. Glassware and cutlery were set against crisp white tablecloths.

Out of nowhere, a member of staff appeared dressed in a smart-looking uniform.

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