Smilingat the mumbled curses she threw at him before walking back inside, Gabrielswiped some tools out of a cardboard box in the corner.
"Whatis up with you?" Tobias raised an eyebrow, obviously questioning his harshtreatment to Salene.
AggravatedGabriel pulled up his jeans to squat near the hitch. "Don't worry she willbe fine, besides that is Amber's friend I told you about a while back."
"Oh,I see," Tobias smiled as he loosened the rusted bolt. "The realpretty one that looked at you like dirt when you first met, correct?"
"Inever said she was pretty," Gabriel hissed as he forced the second boltoff in pure anger.
“Noyou're right," Tobias hid a smirk as he fixed the hitch for future use."I believe the word you used was beaut..."
Thesound of the door to the kitchen opening cut him off just in time. Smilingwidely at the warning glare Gabriel shot him Tobias turned towards Saleneaccepting the tall glass of water.
"Oh,you fixed it! Thank you, Tobias." Gabriel could practically hear the smilein her husky voice without even looking as he stood and turned towards her.
"Well,Gabe here did most of the work." Tobias slapped Gabriel's back withstinging force.
"Didhe now?" The light brown eyes cut towards him in unhidden derision as herwide smile reserved for their guests disappeared.
Thrustingthe cup in his chest to catch, she grabbed her keys to go move her car. Fuckingungrateful woman, he thought, he should have made her sleep in the garage.
Eventually,Tobias bid them farewell, leaving them alone again with their hate.
Itseemed from the very beginning they were destined to rub each other the wrongway. Gabriel could still remember their initial meetings with vivid clarity. Itseemed with every word he spoke Salene loss more and more interest in him, bythe third meeting they were all but arguing across the table. Not once in hisadult life had a woman ever riled him up as much a Salene could. At their lastdinner, he found himself fighting off accusations of misogyny and nepotism. Allthe while his newly minted wife laughed and occasionally agreed. That was oneof the moments he got to see the real Amber. There were warnings before then,but like an idiot he ignored them, Gabriel was far too busy trying to cementtogether the perfect life, the house, the wife, and the great career. When heasked Amber that night what was up with her friend she just gave him acontemptuous look. Gone were the high-pitched feminine giggles and demurelooks, it seemed from that moment on the real woman he married came out of themask. Rolling her cold blue eyes, she laughed and told him Salene onlyrespected men who have made something for themselves from the ground up, notrich boys whose daddy has paid for everything.
"Beforeyou plan on any scheme of seduction or get your hopes up you can stopnow." Gabriel pushed away the unpleasant memories and focused on the womanin front of him now.
"Whatare you talking about Breslin?" The exhausted look Salene gave him annoyedhim further. No one besides his boss referred to him as Breslin.
"Iam referring to your sad display of flirting back there." Gabriel tossedthe tools back into the box while watching her unlock the overstuffed trailerto fish something out. "First of all, you're barking up the wrong tree.Tobias only likes men, so if you are planning on being possibly rescued by him,that ship is a no go." He couldn't help but laugh.
Slowlyshe turned around and gave him that familiar look of disdain that drove himinto a blind fury. With her hands on her hips, she leaned her head slightly tothe side.
"Whydo you have to be such a stone age prick? What woman goes around wanting to be“rescued”? I mean are you not aware that women are equal to men or are you justchoosing to formally ignore it?" Shaking her head in pity, she grabbed theitems out of the trailer before turning back to him. "Have you everconsidered this old world view you have towards women might be one of the reasonsAmber left?"
Notgiving her a chance to move Gabriel stepped closer, invading her personalspace, backing her into the trailer door. With widening eyes, she bumped intothe filthy U-Haul clutching her clothes as a barrier between them. Placing hishand near her head on the metal trailer door he leaned in close.
"Ifyou ever bring up that slut's name again in my presence I will throw you outonto the street, do you understand me Salene?" He kept his tone lowletting her feel the anger that pulsated through him.
Nervouslyshe nodded her head. The feminine scent of flowers perfumed the air betweenthem at her slight movements. Inadvertently his eyes followed the loose wisp ofcurling hair that fell to her neck. Without thinking his eyes traced the narrowcolumn of flesh. The exposed flesh made him recall the scene in the laundryroom, whether he wanted to or not the memory of her exposed cleavage stayedwith him. Nothing about that moment exuded sexiness overtly, but there wassomething deeply satisfying by her look of innocent shock. The way she clutchedher shirt together to hide her practical no-frill bra. Gabriel could onlyimagine that with breast that large only the sturdiest sensible bra would getthe job done right. The sudden intake of breath brought his thoughts back tothe present.
Disgustedwith his turn of thoughts he pushed away from her leaving her standing in thegarage.
Chapter 6
Beinga maid was not as degrading as was being a maid for bonafide asshole. With abig sigh, she plopped onto a nearby chair. Gabriel wanted her to wake up everyday when he did and make him breakfast. Reminding herself, it was better thansleeping on the streets Salene patiently waited each morning through grit teethuntil he left for work.
Sincethere was hardly any furniture the actual cleaning took no time at all. Most ofher days were spent relentlessly applying for jobs and unpacking Gabriel'sboxes. It was odd going through a stranger's things, even more so if youdespised said, stranger.
Boxesof personal photos, childhood sports trophies, and other pieces of Gabriel'shistory was at her disposal all tucked in the corner of one of the guestbedrooms. Flipping through one of the old yearbooks Salene couldn't help butlaugh at the tall gangly senior in the picture. So you are only thirty-twoyears old, huh? Salene remembered Amber telling her he was only six or sevenyears older than them when she was dating him. The boy smiling back at her wasa complete contrast to the man she knew now. Every day ritualistic weightliftingpumped and bulked the tall familiar form into what it was now while his smileswere only reserved for harsh laughter and snide remarks.
OhAmber, what the hell happened in this house? Even as she thought the questionSalene knew deep down what happened—Amber happened. Amber was a through andthrough manipulator when it came to men. There was no telling the level ofemotional games she put Gabriel through.
Salenemight have never liked Gabriel or got along with the Neanderthal, but she knewenough to know he was angry and hurt. The man she met months ago and the mannow was vastly different. The man she knew now was scarred.
Theloud bang at the front door and made Salene jump. Heart pounding, she slowlypeeked her head out of the bedroom. The sound of a man's voice echoed beyondthe front door. Clutching her phone, Salene thought of the news report she readin the past about nice neighborhoods like this getting robbed during the day.Surely they would not use the front door, right?
Thesound of a dog barking behind the door in conjunction with the gruff voicereally confused her. Okay seriously, what was going on? Looking through thepeephole, she recognized the older man on the other side.
