Page 51 of Fragile

“I need to give notice at the club Gabriel,” I pointed out, feeling uncertain, like a duck out of water.

Felice looked puzzled as Gabriel replied, “We can discuss that in the car.”

He shut me down so briskly that Felice put in, clearly sensing an atmosphere. “I am looking forward to working with you, Leonie and don’t worry, we look after our own here,” he stated.

I plastered on my best smile and thanked him as he gave me a welcome pack. I then followed Gabriel out of the office.

He gave a waiter his credit card at the bar and I stood there like a mute, waiting and feeling totally pathetic.

Once we were in the car, I opened my mouth to air my concerns, but Gabriel made me start as he leaned across the gearstick and pulled my seatbelt across my body. Heat jetted into me as his arm skimmed across my breasts and I snapped.

“You know, I can do some things for myself,” I bit out, twisting in my seat to face him, the angriest I had been in a long while.

He sighed heavily and leaned his head back against the headrest. He’d aborted his intention of starting the car, clearly deciding it best to deal with me before he was driving.

Gabriel turned his head towards me.

“Well?” I stropped, crossing my arms over my chest, feeling anxious.

“Well, what?” he said in a tone that suggested he was talking to an unruly teenager.

“What the heck happened in there?” I was almost speechless. Surely that wasn’t normal behaviour?

“I got you a job. One with class and less chance of you getting groped every day. So, lose the tone, you should be thanking me,” Gabriel stated loftily, looking down his nose at me.

“You could have spoken to me about it first. Who are you to decide where I work?”

“A friend who cares about your safety maybe?”

“So, you’re a friend now. I must say that’s not the message you gave me when we first met,” I huffed.

Gabriel took a deep breath and I could see a mixture of emotions cross his face. “I get it, I was a dick and I’m sorry. See this as my way of making it up to you.”

I bit the bullet as he was suddenly too good to be true, “What do you want?” I folded my arms and turned towards him with my brow raised.

His expression shifted, his eyes dropping to my shoulders and back. “Now that’s a loaded question,” Gabriel said with a smirk.

I narrowed my eyes and shot him a look that said I was being serious.

He exhaled noisily. “Come on, you can’t say you’re enjoying working in a seedy club?”

“I don’t, but at least I made that decision,” I replied.

Gabriel turned toward me in his seat and I was blasted with the full power of his charm. “Look, we got off on the wrong foot. This is my way of making it right. If you don’t like working for Felice, quit and go back to the dive. How’s that?”

He was clever, a master of manipulation. He turned the tables so easily and now I felt ungrateful. My shoulders slumped and I didn’t miss the twinkle in his eye. He knew he’d won.

“Fine. But I’m not sleeping with you,” I replied tartly, dropping my hands to my lap.

Gabriel looked at me like I was clinically insane before stating, “I wasn’t asking you to. Forget what I said before, I was just dicking about.” He then raised his hands in surrender, adding. “I know I can be a cock at times. But if you carry on living with us, you’ll have to get used to it.”

Gabriel, now thoroughly pleased with himself, turned the key in the ignition and we set off back to the house.

I spent that entire journey, knowing that he was right. I shouldn’t have been working at Aquarius, but I’d been desperate. Felice’s was so classy and nice and I should have been excited to have the opportunity, but that niggle I felt didn’t disappear.

There was still that bad taste at the back of my mouth that I had somehow obligated myself to this man. And after that glimmer, I had witnessed in his eyes when I’d admitted defeat, I had a feeling that he was going to make me pay for it in some way.

I had to be on my guard. Gabriel Knight knew I was attracted to him and would no doubt use every trick up his sleeve to ensure he got what he wanted.

---