Page 247 of The Bonus

“Thank you for looking after me.” I breathe, distracted. I’m officially drunk on his aftershave; visions of sexual favors are running naked through my mind.

This man is the devil, even though I have a broken wrist, he turns me into a hornbag.

He pulls his suit coat on and checks himself in the mirror, he straightens his tie and turns toward me. “I like looking after you.” He picks me up, and I tentatively put my arm around his neck.

Something about him in a suit does things to me…brings back memories of a time when I worshiped the ground that he walked on. He carries me downstairs. “Where do you want to go, babe?”

“Can you stop calling me babe?”

“No.” He kisses my shoulder as if it’s the most natural thing in the world. “You are my babe.”

“Gabriel, we are just friends.”

“Okay.” He holds me in his arms as he looks at me.

“What do you mean, okay?” I frown.

“If that’s what you want, okay.”

“Oh.”

“Just so you know…even though this is just a friend-looking-after-a-friend arrangement.” He kisses my shoulder again. “I’m not giving up on us.”

“Why not?”

“Because we belong together.”

He holds me in his arms as we stare at each other. He’s so strong in his power suit, and I’m a broken, fragile version of myself in pajamas.

He gives me a slow, sexy smile and kisses my shoulder again. “Now…I have to work, stop distracting me.” He carries me into the living room. Mark is out in the backyard cleaning the pool, and Gabriel opens the sliding door. “Hi.”

“Hello,” he calls as he walks up to the house.

“I have to work, so can you help Grace with anything that she needs, please?”

“Sure.” Mark smiles over at me. “Hi, Grace.”

“Hi.” I give an awkward smile. Damn it, he’s getting me babysat now. “I’m fine, really.”

“No, no,” Gabriel says as he organizes me on the couch. “She’ll need lunch and snacks.”

“Done,” Mark replies.

“And if she needs to be moved, come and get me, you’re not to touch her.”

What the hell?

“I wouldn’t dare.” Mark smirks.

I feel my cheeks turn a bright shade of red.

“Look after her,” Gabriel says. He bends and kisses my forehead. “I’ll just be in my office. Call if you need me.”

He strides down the hall to his office and closes the door behind him.

I’m left alone in the awkward silence with Mark.

“I really don’t need to be babysat, Mark, thanks anyway.”

---