Page 9 of Untamed Protector

“You know, I’ve always found this place iconic. I read somewhere that a French architect designed it in the early 1900s. Very Art Nouveau. They say it served as a fancy gathering place for the European elite back then,” I say, trying to break the tension between us.

“Wow, you seem to know a lot about this place. Are you passionate about history?”

“This place has always fascinated me. I guess it has a certain vibe. Sometimes I fantasize about being born in another era when time ran differently and people loved stronger. But yeah, I love history and dates and numbers. I’ve always had a knack for remembering details.”

“And people? Aren’t you drawn to them?”

“People don’t like me very much.”

I hear my clutch vibrating. “I’m sorry. It must be my friend Lena checking in to see if I’m having fun.”

“And are you?” he asks, half smiling.

I smile back awkwardly. He doesn’t know why I’m here. He’s a friend of the Maiers, so I can’t open up to him.

I take the phone out of my clutch and find a WhatsApp text: Where are you, darling?

“It’s Lucas. He’s looking for me. We should get back to the Grand Ballroom. Thanks for showing me around.”

“Maybe we can see the rest some other time,” Gabriel says. Is he asking me out on a date?

“I don’t know. Do you have a key to all the places I want to see?”

“If you tell me what you want, I could work some magic.”

The phone buzzes again. Another message from Lucas. “Hey, where are you? I’m waiting for you at the bar with two drinks. I’m that handsome guy on the right, dumped by his date.” And a sad emoji.

“We have to go back, Gabriel.” I realize it’s my first time saying his name without trying to be nasty.

“We’ll make a right and be there in a second.” Next, I hear him talking to his team through his earpiece. “Dean, locate Lucas and direct me to him.”

“No need. He told me he was at the bar,” I cut him off.

Gabriel’s eyes roll, a flicker of annoyance crossing his face. He takes my arm and leads me out of the dome room. As we walk back to the Grand Ballroom, I feel his fingers on my skin, pressing firmly whenever I stray away.

Every brush of our bodies sends a tingly sensation down my spine. His eyes lingered on me a little too long earlier, but it’s hard to read him now that he’s all business again. The charming prince who waltzed with me seems to have vanished, and the stoic bodyguard escorting me to Lucas took over. And that seems to throw him into a spiral of silent turmoil.

The thrumming music from the ballroom grows louder with each step, a stark contrast to the hushed hallway we leave behind. As we take the last few steps together, away from prying eyes, Gabriel breaks his silence. “I rarely step on another man’s territory.”

“Territory, huh?” Of course, he’d think that. He’s been practicing his alpha male vibe the entire night.

“I don’t like to come between two people who are together. Does that sound better?” he says, smiling.

“And yet that’s what you did.” He looks at me, surprised.

“No, I just wanted to clarify things. Plus, there’s also Peter.”

“Yes, Mr. Maier is a special person. Very special to me, to us.”

“There’s an us you’re part of?”

“There is, actually. Did you think I’m all alone in the world?”

I miss my dad. We built a life for ourselves through pain and hardship, but we made it work. He encouraged me and even begged me to live my life now that things are better. So here I am at this ball that every small-town girl dreams of.

I leave Gabriel wondering about the us in my story as we make our way back to the noisy crowd. We walk past the Grand Ballroom into another room that hosts the bar and lounge area, a wave of hushed conversation washing over us. From the ballroom next to it, we can hear Dominic’s voice.

“Ladies and gentlemen, we are about to begin the auction. Please have your bidding paddles ready, check out the list of items auctioned, and be generous. If these items don’t convince you, visit the Seastone Foundation for Children website and donate online to the hospital. We have a few million dollars to raise, and your contribution tonight will make a difference.”

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