AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He took a few steps closer to me, standing beside me at the window. “I should be the one thanking you.”
“Well, this is a mutually beneficial arrangement. I’m going to graduate with my master’s debt-free thanks to you.”
“But you’re giving me a family, Bella,” he said.
I turned and caught him looking at me. His dark eyes softened, his chiseled features relaxed. “You’re going to make an amazing father, Gabe.”
I would have never agreed to it if I’d had any doubt about that. Gabe used to be a bit wild, and I knew about his checkered past, but the man he became was protective and loved with a fierceness that I admired. I wished someone had loved me the way he loved his baby sister, the way he cared for her and would do anything for her. I knew he would do the same for his children.
Gabe’s lips pulled back into a smile, but he averted his gaze quickly. “Come on, let me show you the library before I head into my meeting,” he said.
I followed him out of the room, and he pointed to a door one away from mine. “I’ll be staying there,” he said.
“Good to know.”
He meant it when he said he would be close. There was only a bathroom separating his room from mine.
“And I’ll make sure you always have a way to alert the staff, and me, if you need anything, night or day.”
Seeing Gabe’s protective side only intensified the crush I had on him. God, how I hoped to find a man like him one day, a man who would do anything for his family.
As we walked back toward the stairwell, Gabe stopped and pointed out the library. We stepped inside and I was blown away by just how many books he had. Floor to ceiling shelves, in a room that was almost two stories tall, all stocked with books. My eyes went wide. “I think this is bigger than the public library near my home,” I said.
“If you need anything from the upper shelves, please either get me or one of the staff members to help you.”
“I will, thank you.”
Cozy couches and chairs with ottomans, and a chaise lounge situated in a bay window meant that it would be easy to get comfortable and lose hours reading. There was no way I’d get bored while staying there, that was for certain.
Just a quick glance at some of the shelves and I saw everything from Charles Dickens to Stephen King, Russian literature to Shakespeare.
“And if we don’t have a book you want, just let me know and I can order it for you,” he said.
“I have a feeling you already have every book I could ever want, but thank you,” I replied.
He smiled, shoving his hands in his pockets as I looked around.
I would have plenty of time to get acquainted with the library, and I still had the drive back to Chicago, so I reluctantly pulled myself away. I didn’t want to keep Gabe from his meeting, either.
“Well, I better get going.”
“Are you sure you want to drive? I can get you a chauffeur, or even see about getting the jet—”
I held up a hand to stop him. “It’s only about four hours, I’ll be fine,” I said with a laugh. “But did you say jet?”
He shrugged. “I don’t own it outright, but I have access to a private jet to use as needed.”
I blinked, staring up at him. “I think that’s overkill just to go from St. Louis to Chicago but thank you for the offer. I need my car to pack up everything anyway.”
“Oh, about that, I’m going to hire a moving company,” he said. “Don’t lift a thing, please, it’s not worth the risk.”
“Wow, okay then, thank you, Gabe,” I said.
We stared awkwardly at each other. Ava and I would have hugged, but Gabe and I had never been that close. I reached out my hand and Gabe looked down at it for a moment before shaking it. Probably not the smoothest move I could make, but we had made sure to stress that it was strictly a business arrangement, and handshakes were common in business.
“Alright then… I will see you in a week or two,” I said as I headed for the door. Gabe followed me and walked me to my car. Always a gentleman, I thought to myself. Whatever woman he ended up with one day, if he could pull himself from his work long enough to date, would be very lucky.
2
