Page 58 of Untamed Protector

“It’s not me you should worry about. I can handle anything. You need to think of yourself right now. Mike is waiting for us in front of the building, and he’ll be your shadow today. Please listen to him. Okay?”

I nod and leave it at that. Mike is okay. He doesn’t bother me, keeps his nose out of my business, and looks scary enough to get the others in the office to leave me alone.

Gabriel reaches out and squeezes my hand. I’m becoming addicted to his touch. His hands have so many ways of caressing me—they offer comfort and solace when he strokes my cheeks or plays with the scar on my lip before kissing me. Or they completely envelop mine, pulling me along to the beach or leading me to bed at night. The same hands cup my breasts, teasing my nipples with playful pinches before I feel the warmth of his mouth on me. The large, firm hands that rest dominantly on my ass cheeks, lifting me off the floor to wrap around him or pressing me against the wet tiles in the shower.

Damn. I hope I don’t start blushing here next to him.

“Are you okay?” Gabriel asks. “You look a bit flustered. It kind of suits you.”

“I’m fine. I was thinking about the day ahead.”

He grips my hand harder, giving me a comforting smile. I think back to the last two days I spent at his house. Despite all the outside threats that brought me here, I’ve never felt so safe in my entire life. The last time I felt this protected and loved was probably in my childhood, when Lara was still alive and our parents were young and happy. Since Lara fell ill on her seventh birthday, the years that followed were filled with suffering, fear, anger, and a constant battle for survival.

Gabriel never dangled promises in front of me—no grand gestures, no whispered futures. He never asked me to pledge my heart and offered none of his own. Yet, in every hug of his, I felt a vow to keep me safe, a fierce protectiveness that warmed me from the inside out. For the first time, I’m living without a plan for tomorrow. But the search for the car that hit me and my dad is on hold, and that worries me.

I felt horrible when Gabriel asked me yesterday morning if there was anything else he should know about my past. I should’ve told him about the accident. Like my father, who wants to protect me, Gabriel would’ve said I should drop it. But I’m not ready to give up on getting justice for me and my dad.

“Here we are. There’s Mike. You’re good to go,” Gabriel says, letting go of my hand. I grab my bag and sweater from the backseat and give him a blank look. Should I hug him goodbye?

“It’s okay, we can hug. We’re together; everyone knows that,” Gabriel says as he wraps his arms around me. He plants a kiss on my cheek and gently strokes his thumb around my lips, making sure not to smudge my lipstick.

“Your lips are so naturally beautiful. You don’t even need lipstick.”

“I’m not ready to put myself out there,” I say, grabbing the door to leave.

A gentle hand closes around mine. “Yes, you are,” he replies, his voice warm. “And soon you’ll see what I see when I look at you. There’s something incredible about you, Lexi, a strength and a kindness that shines through even when you’re afraid. It’s captivating. And it deserves to be seen.”

Mike walks up to the car and opens the door for me.

“Thanks,” I say as I watch Gabriel drive away. “Ready for yet another great day at Grain Inc.?” I ask Mike with a smirk.

“At least there’s coffee,” he smiles back. “Gabriel said you should be done here in a few hours. Either he’ll come to pick you up, or I’ll take you to our offices.”

And… back to my cargo life. Well, at least it comes with handsome men to carry me around—one in particular.

I’m nervous about the next few hours. I’ll need to face Peter. Maybe even Lucas or that viper, Anita.

First, I go to HR and hand in my notice. It says I’ll be leaving at the end of the month and taking the remaining days off. Then I head to my cramped little office on the fifth floor.

I start gathering my stuff into the box HR gave me. I don’t have much—just a mug Lena gave me as a gift and a picture of my dad and me smiling. We took that photo after turning our neighbor’s rented garage into his workshop. Dad was over the moon when we finished, and we celebrated with pizza.

“Knock, knock,” I hear a woman’s voice behind the slightly open door. It’s Susanah, Peter’s assistant.

“Come in, please.”

Susanah, a petite woman in her fifties and the most down-to-earth person in this company, walks in with a sad look on her face. “I heard you’re leaving. I’m sorry.”

“Oh, that’s okay. It’s time. I don’t belong here anymore,” I reply, keeping it vague. She’s always been kind to me, but she’s loyal to Peter, so we can’t be confidants.

“Congrats on your new boyfriend. I’ve seen pictures of you two everywhere. I’m guessing he’s the one who sent the big guy in the hallway to look after you.”

I forgot everyone saw those pictures of us. Gabriel and I had fun going through them on Sunday morning. We both agreed Alice did an excellent job, though it was obvious we were into each other. Dominic called around noon to give us a shout-out for being the hottest couple around. Alice and Lena did a fantastic job pulling everything together in less than twenty-four hours. We looked totally in love, gazing at each other.

And those were taken before I genuinely felt like I was in heaven in his arms. Before I spent two incredible nights lying naked beside him, completely satisfied and in awe of his beautiful, strong, yet gentle body.

“Oh, right. Thanks. Yeah, Mike’s helping me with my bags and giving me a ride to Gabriel’s office later.”

“You don’t have to worry about me,” Susanah says.

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