Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 91840 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 459(@200wpm)___ 367(@250wpm)___ 306(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91840 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 459(@200wpm)___ 367(@250wpm)___ 306(@300wpm)
It’s lovely up here.
And hot.
The sun is beating down, and I can feel myself starting to sweat. This sweater really was not a good idea. Maybe I should change into a T-shirt.
Gabe sighs lightly and leans back on the lounger, staring up at the sky. He takes a drag of his cigarette. I watch him. I see just how dark the skin surrounding his eyes looks. I didn’t notice before.
“You look tired,” I say gently.
He blows the smoke from his mouth and then turns his head to look at me. “You would, too, if you had been woken up by a head-butt from a goat.”
“I didn’t mean it as a criticism.” I hold my hand up in surrender. “I only mean it as a concerned employee. And I am sorry about Gucci. I’ll make sure she stays out of your room.”
He takes another sip of coffee. “I didn’t sleep well,” he tells me.
“No? Why not?”
He stares at me for a long moment. So long that I start to squirm under his penetrating gaze.
Then, he looks away, over at the skyline, and he takes another pull on his cigarette. “My foot was bothering me.”
“Gabe…I know you said you don’t take painkillers, but maybe you should consider it.”
“No.”
“It would help you sleep.”
He quickly sits up. “For fuck’s sake, Ava! I said no.”
This is only the third time he’s called me Ava. But I don’t get the warm shivers this time.
Hearing him say my name in anger is the slap I needed. I told myself I’d stop interfering in his life, and here I am, doing it again.
“I don’t mean to interfere. My intentions are only ever good. But I am sorry for pushing. I’ll do my best to stop sticking my nose in where it’s not wanted.” I start to chew on my thumbnail.
Leaving his cigarette between his lips, he breathes heavily through his nose and rubs his hand across the back of his neck.
Feeling like I should leave him alone, I pick my coffee up, ready to go.
He takes the cigarette from his mouth. “A good friend of mine…he had an injury a while back. Got hooked on painkillers. I saw what he went through. It wasn’t pretty. That’s why I won’t take them.” He leans forward and flicks the ash from his cigarette into the ashtray by his lounger.
“Shit. I’m sorry. Is your friend okay now?” I lean over, pick up the ashtray, and place it on the lounger in front of him.
He gives me a grateful smile.
“Yeah, he’s fine. But it was hard going there for a while.”
“Well, he’s lucky that he has you as a friend. But, Gabe, just because your friend got addicted doesn’t mean you would though. Millions of people take pain medication every day without getting addicted.”
“I know.” He sighs. “And I have taken pain medication in the past—for headaches, you know.” He glances at me.
There’s a strange sort of vulnerability in his eyes that I haven’t seen before. It makes me want to hold him.
“But I just don’t want to risk it. People in my line of business are well-known for their addictions.” He gives a sardonic look.
“Sure. I understand. And I’m sorry for pushing the subject.”
“It’s fine, Speedy.”
He gives me a soft smile, and our eyes lock.
My skin starts to tingle under the weight of his stare. The breeze blows, kicking up my hair. And I see as his eyes change from dark brown to almost black. An ache starts to form between my legs. My breasts suddenly feel heavy.
And I somehow seem to be closer to Gabe. Like my body moved without informing my brain.
“Gabriel,” I softly say his name.
And those dark eyes rage like fire.
“Gabe! I’m here! Where the fuck are you?”
I jerk back from Gabe at the sound of the male voice.
“On the terrace,” Gabe calls to him, seeming unfazed.
Tate appears through the door, wearing a white T-shirt, dark blue shorts, sneakers, and Ray-Bans over his eyes. He looks really different from the last time I saw him when he was wearing his white doctor coat and scrubs.
“Hey, Ava. Good to see you again.” He smiles at me. “How’s the patient?” He jerks his head at Gabe.
“Frustrating. Annoying. Bitchy. Aside from that, he’s fine.” I give a light, teasing smile even though, inside, I feel anything but light. I feel like I’m about to climb out of my skin.
“Funny. Speedy’s a comedian nowadays,” Gabe says dryly.
“Are you joining us for breakfast?” Tate asks me, holding up a brown bag with the name of some deli on it. “I brought pastries and muffins.”
“Sounds delicious. Sure, I’ll join you, if you don’t mind?”
“Course I don’t. I’ll just grab us some plates.”
“I’ll get them,” I say, getting up. “Would you like a coffee?” I ask Tate as I move past him.
“Coffee would be great.”