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It was an empty threat because I had no intention of getting involved with anyone. I was going to school for my bachelors, then applying to law school. There was no time in my life for a relationship, dating, or partying of any kind.
“I’m making it my business. If you have people over, fine. All I’m saying is do it when I’m around to make sure nothing goes down y’all can’t handle.”
He was getting irritated and something deep inside me wanted to see what he was like when his control snapped. Instinctively, I knew he wouldn’t hurt me, but there was something about the way he commanded my cooperation that made my pussy wet with need. Gabriel wanted me to know that he was in control, and a part of me liked that and wanted to obey. The other part of me wanted to see what happened when I didn’t.
“I didn’t ask for your protection.”
“And yet you’re going to get it,” he responded quickly. His jaw clenched again while his voice dropped to a low growl.
“Wow,” Paisley spoke up from her perch on the barstool. “If y’all will excuse me, I’m going to enjoy my pizza upstairs before you two start trying to settle this little sexual tension by going at it on the counter.”
We both watched as she left the kitchen. Neither one of us said another word—afraid to face the truth she’d just dropped on both of us. She was right. Gabriel made me hot in ways no other guy ever had.
“She’s right, Gabriel. You can’t deny the sexual attraction going on between us.”
“No,” he replied, taking a deep breath. “You’ve only been here a day and I can’t stop thinking about you.”
“I can’t stop thinking about you either, but I won’t date a cop. I can’t go through that kind of loss again.”
He sighed. “I know, and the last thing I want right now is a commitment.”
“So, what do we do about this?” I moved my hand back and forth in the space between us. “I know you feel it.”
He laughed humorlessly and dragged his hand down his face and across his jaw. “Yeah. It surprised the shit out of me, too.”
“So, what do we do?” I asked again, unsure of where to go with this. Day one of us moving into Paisley’s parent’s home, and already it was getting complicated.
“You abide by the rules as long as I’m here, and I’ll start looking for someone to take my place in the guesthouse. Someone I trust to look out for you two.” He moved back to lean against the opposite counter and crossed his arms, looking out the window toward the pool and the beach beyond. “If we stay out of each other’s way, maybe it won’t be so difficult sharing the same address.”
“Fine,” I said, standing to my feet, no longer hungry for food. My stomach was in knots, and my heart felt heavier than it had before we arrived. Day one and already things weren’t going to plan.
I moved toward the door to go back to my room, but I paused and looked back at him, “I’m sorry, Gabriel. I never expected this to happen.”
He shrugged and shook his head, “I didn’t see you coming either, Lexi.”
We silently agreed not to voice the strong pull to each other, instead we knowingly agreed to stay out of each other’s way because there was no way this would end in anything but heartbreak. The only problem was my heart already felt a bit broken.
Chapter Eight
Just because I was avoiding being around Lexi, didn’t mean I didn’t know when she was coming and going. I’d see her in the pool or down at the beach, but I made sure to stay clear.
When I wasn’t at work, I was at home and true to their words; the girls hung out together but didn’t seem all that interested in bringing anyone else around.
One morning, I went for a run on the beach. My earbuds provided the noise for me to get out of my own head. If I was thinking about the music, then I didn’t have time to think about the hot, young, sultry voiced brunette that was slowly driving me crazy.
I knew I needed to start looking for another place to live, and to find someone to take over my lease. I’d have to get everything approved by Monroe before I did it, so it was going to take time for me to make this happen, but I didn’t even want to start the process.
Searching for a new place and someone else to take over my job of protecting Lexi and Paisley felt wrong. I didn’t want anyone else watching over them. I didn’t trust anyone else to do the job and keep their hands off of her.
She was mine to protect, and the idea of handing that job over to anyone else pissed me the fuck off. Nobody was right for the job, and I didn’t want another man living within fifty yards of her let alone fifty feet.
Frustrated, I ran my hand through my damp hair and let the music calm me down. It was barely seven in the morning and already the sun was rapidly heating up the day. They said there was going to be a heatwave this week, temperatures reaching well into the triple digits.
Georgia summers could be brutal and living on the coast meant the humidity made it feel like living in a sauna fully clothed. When heatwaves hit, the fully clothed part of that equation became optional and people went a little crazy.
I ran back to my house and went straight for the fridge and grabbed a bottle of cold water, chugging the whole thing down without stopping for a breath. When I lowered the bottle, I looked out the window to see Lexi going into the pool.
She shivered as she went thigh deep before jumping in and going under. Her body glided through the water as she swam from one end to the other. I’d never been jealous of water in my life, but I found myself wishing I could glide into her as easily as she cut through the surface.
