Page 93 of In Control

The lift doors slide open, and I step inside, trying not to think of my passion-filled ride up here with Gabe and Liam, my hands down Gabe’s pants, my mouth on Liam’s neck, and their hands and mouths–

Nope, I’m not thinking about that, or my tension-filled ride up with Roman either, when the electricity between us had crackled so violently you could practically hear it.

The lift stops at the ninth floor. The doors open and I stand up straight waiting for someone to enter. The hallway is empty, though, and I jab the close-door button and slouch back against the wall.

On my floor, I find Newton pacing back and forth in front of the door. He scurries towards me as I climb out of the lift and meows at me loudly.

“OK, OK. I’m here. And look, I brought us treats. This for you,” I hold up the packet of cat food, “and this for me!” I hold up the over-sized bar of chocolate, one end already slightly nibbled.

Newton meows louder and I crouch down to tickle behind his ears. He meows a third time, racing around my ankles in a hurry.

I guess this kind of cat food really hits his buttons.

I tut at him, and hook my key out of my bag, but as I go to slide the key in the lock, the door falls open.

Did I leave it unlocked?

It wouldn’t be the first time. And I did leave in a hurry this morning.

“Hello?” I call anyway, stepping cautiously into my apartment.

“Hello, Sophia,” that all-too familiar voice says as a hand slams over my mouth and an arm wraps around my middle.

21

Gabriel

“What did you do?”I ask, storming into his room and slamming the door closed behind me.

Esra’s already up, standing in front of his mirror, towel wrapped around his middle, face lathered with shaving foam. He looks like he stepped right out of a razor commercial. If I wasn’t so angry, I’d be jumping his bones.

He drags his razor down his cheek, eying his work in the mirror, then dips the razor into the bowl in the sink, shaking it through the water.

“No idea. I need more detail, Gabe.”

“To Sophia,” I say, shaking my phone at him.

“You’re assuming I did something to her?”

“I’ve been texting her all day and all night. And nothing.”

“Maybe she’s not being as needy as you are. Maybe she lost interest already.”

“Fuck you, Esra. She’s been messaging me over text all week. And then all of a sudden, nothing. Poof!”

He meets my eye in the mirror. “Again, why do you assume it was something I did? Isn’t she dating all of you? Have you even asked the others?”

“Because if they’d fallen out with Sophia, they would have told me. You’ve been all secretive these last few weeks. You’ve hardly been home. You’ve hardly looked at me, let alone spoken to me.”

“We just spent three days rutting together during your heat.”

“That isn’t the same, and you know it.”

I try to ignore how much the truth of my words pierce my heart. I’ve been so wrapped up in Sophia, it’s been easy to forget the alpha who’s removed himself from my life.

Now he’s standing in front of me, his bare chest still damp from the shower, it’s impossible.

He scrapes the razor over the last of the foam covering his chin. Then wipes a towel over his face and turns to look at me.

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