Page 23 of Forever Mine

“Is that so?”

“Yes.”

“Fine.”

She turns and flounces away from me. I chuckle as I walk back to my office. I forgot to grab a snack, but I no longer want food. I’m hungry for something else. Something that would be much sweeter on my tongue. Something definitely forbidden.

CHAPTER NINE

Monica

If I didn’t think I had bad luck with men before, I certainly know it now. The hot guy from the bar is my new boss? What kind of fucked-up Murphy’s Law is that? It was fine when I could think about Gabriel in private. Maybe use that kiss as my own spank bank. Wait, what’s the female version called? A finger vault. Because that kiss is something I’ll never forget.

Yeah, I was trying to avoid him. It’s almost nine o’clock at night, and I’m still at the office. Evidently, there’s no good time to be here as Gabriel is here, too. As I’m trying to decide if I want to sneak out or stay and wait him out, I see his office go dark.

Shit.

He’s coming back to my cubicle.

“Are you about done?” he asks.

“Why?” I retort.

“Because I want to go home, and I’m not letting you stay here alone.”

“What the actual f …” I don’t finish because he holds up his hand.

“I’m not saying you can’t defend yourself Mon- I mean Ms. Valducci. But it’s late, and I’d feel better if you let me walk you to your car. You don’t need to come here late at night just to avoid me,” Gabriel says quietly. I can hear a slight lilt in his voice from his time in Brazil. He has the most unique and alluring voice. I find myself momentarily daydreaming about what it would feel like whispered against my skin, and I shudder reflexively. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” I stammer. I turn off the light and grab my purse. “I wasn’t avoiding you. I just like to work when no one is here.”

Gabriel doesn’t respond, and I know he knows I’m lying. I’m relieved he doesn’t acknowledge the lie. He called me sweetheart in Portuguese. I’m a complete mess right now.

We walk silently to the parking lot, and he continues beside me as we walk toward my car.

“Are things okay with your boyfriend?” he asks softly.

“He’s not my boyfriend,” I blurt out. “We’re just … I don’t know. But he’s not my boyfriend.”

“I think he feels differently, Ms. Valducci,” Gabriel says, and I sigh.

“I’m aware.”

“He’s not good for you.”

I whirl around to face Gabriel and expect to see a defensive look on his face. I’m unprepared to see the tension in his shoulders, the lust and passion in his eyes. He steps closer to me, so closely that our noses touch, and I inhale sharply. The softness of his cologne whiffs toward me, and I bite back a moan. He smells like the ocean and sin, all wrapped up in one hell of an experienced package.

“He’s no good for you,querida. He’s no match for you. You deserve better,” he whispers as he glides his nose against the side of my face and up into my hair. I feel his lips rest against my scalp as he breathes in deeply. “Go home, Ms. Valducci. I’ll see you tomorrow. During normal working hours, yes?”

“Uh-huh,” I mumble. I’m leaning against the side of my car at this point. I think if I attempt to move, my knees will buckle. Gabriel chuckles as he reaches around and grabs the door handle, forcing me to move. As I slither into my car, I notice him discreetly adjust himself. His substantial self. Holy hell.

“Goodnight, Ms. Valducci,” Gabriel says quietly before shutting the door. He steps back from my car and waits. I expect him to walk to his car, but he stands and waits. “Start the car and leave, Ms. Valducci.”

Oh, shit. Cars need to be turned on to work, huh. Well, now there are two things turned on in the car right now.

I’m in a daze the entire ride back to my apartment. I chose to grab an apartment between Colorado Springs and Mountain Springs. I’m close but nottooclose to Emily and her family, and I’m also far enough away from the area where I typically sell houses. Some realtors love living in the same area where they sell most of their houses, but it’s not for me. Honestly, I don’t see myself doing the real estate thing long-term. It’s been great financially, and the hours were wonderful when I needed to be flexible for Nana and her chemotherapy appointments, but it’s becoming incredibly draining. The problem is, I don’t have a damn clue what I want to do with the rest of my life.

Arriving home, I walk into my small one-bedroom apartment and collapse on the couch. I’m so confused about everything. My life, my job, the situation with Marcus, and Gabriel as my boss. I don’t know what to do.

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