The Photograph

Aelin

When I hear ‘fire’, step into the living room where Gabe paces the rug before he marches to the business side of the penthouse and disappears behind the door he leaves ajar.

Shoot.The heated shiver Gabe’s kiss instigated comes to a stop as I pick up my clutch from the floor and shuffle on my feet.Should I leave? In any case, I should at least say goodbye.

The clickety of my heels on the glossy floor is indecently loud in the oppressive silence. I peek my head through the thick dark wood doorjamb. Gabe is bent over his laptop while giving directives to whoever is on the other side of the line. I retreat quietly into the waiting room and wait on one of the comfortable armchairs.

My eyes snap up at the swish of the elevator doors opening, and I stand up as Ann dashes through with her eyes on her laptop. I follow her small silhouette into the boardroom I made my presentation in.

While she plugs her laptop to the concealed charging box of the conference table, I knock softly on the frosted glass door. “Ann?”

Gabe’s assistant whips her face devoid of make up to me, and her eyes widen. “Aelin?”

Stepping further into the modern, high tech but impersonal room, I take in her t-shirt, faded jeans and ballet flats. “Can I get you a coffee or some water?”

She drops in the armchair that swallows her petite frame, her face pales, and her eyes brim with tears. “Coffee would be great. Lots of it.”

I inch closer and lean my hip against the table. “Are you all right?”

She rakes her fingers through her disheveled hair. “There’s been a fire … and my wife, Cynthia… She’s over there, at the hotel. I was supposed to join her next week…” She touches her cell on the table. “I can’t … reach her.”

Oh no.I crouch next to her and slant my head until I have her eyes. “I’m sure she’s going to be fine. Does she work there?”

“Yes … yes, she transferred two years ago,” she whispers.

More tears fill up her brown eyes, so I take her hand and tug gently.

“How did you two meet?”

Ann’s eyes soften and she sniffles. “At the Christmas party we attended two days after her transfer was accepted.” She scoffs. “Talk about bad timing.”

I smile with her. “Or it could be kismet. You could have never met and that would have been worse. Don’t you think?”

When the first tear rolls down her pale cheek, my heart breaks a little.

“What if—?” she starts.

I squeeze her hand. “There’re a million things that could prevent her from picking up her phone. Don’t go to the worst-case scenario just yet. Okay?” When she shakes her head, her eyes on her cell, I place my fingers on her phone. “Ann?”

Ann wipes her tears and nods before we stand up at the same time.

After a quick hug, I step back. “Now, how many people are physically coming here tonight?”

She clears her throat. “Um, seven of us.”

My hand still on hers, I take a breath. “All right, I’m going to organize coffee for everyone.”

“That’d be great. Thank you, Aelin,” she says and opens her laptop.

Once in the small kitchen, I prepare hot drinks, water, and set up a platter of dried apricots and cookies I found in the fridge and the cupboard. A few minutes later, three men and two women trickle in straight to the conference room with Ann. When someone shuts the door, I return to Gabe’s apartment where I sit on the sofa, kick off my sandals to curl my legs under me, and wait for the meeting to end.

****

I wake up with a start and inhale sharply when I see Gabe seated by my hip. My eyes lock onto his as he gets to his feet and rakes his fingers through his hair.

He puts the coffee table between us and slides his hands in his pockets while I shake myself from the last remnants of sleep.

After touching the side of my mouth to check for drool, I clear my throat, and lift my eyes to Gabe’s. The planes of his handsome face are pulled tight. “Is Ann’s wife okay?”

He nods, but his expression is hard as he watches me.

Pushing on my knees, I swipe my palms on the skirt of my dress and walk to him slowly. Without my heels I barely reach his shoulder.

“Are you okay? Ann said the fire—”

“You shouldn’t have stayed.”

I don’t know how, but he somehow distances himself even further without moving.

His chest is like warm granite under my hand. “I can stay if you want me to. Are you hungry? We haven’t touched dinner and—”

When he steps back, my throat clogs at his unreadable expression.It’s as if we didn’t nearly sleep together a few hours ago.

“Gabe—”

He pulls his cell out of his pocket. “Jason, get the car ready. Ms. Thorne is going home.”

“Gabe—”

His hands in his pockets, he just glares at me.“I need some sleep before my flight.”

All right then.After a quick nod, I turn my back to him, slip into my shoes, and pick up my purse from the coffee table.He must be tired and stressed.I pivot back to him. “I’ll see you when you get back.”

No reaction, no emotion crosses his expression, and my chest, already tight, hurts a little more.

“Bye then.”And you’re welcome, jerk.

Once home, I get ready for work and settle at the kitchen table.

I shiver at the memory of his kiss while my teaspoon clinks against the walls of my mug as I try to cool my tea. He was so hard and big.

The push and pull he does is so … confusing.He wanted me last night, so what changed?

Just my luck that the man that gives me butterflies is… I blow out a breath, tip my mug in the sink, and sigh. I need to talk to Emma. The few experiences I’ve had didn’t prepare me for a man like Gabe. And Holloway has to come first.

Time to go. I get in my car and hurry to Holloway where my team’s waiting for me.

****

It’s early in the evening and John and I are the only ones still working. Holloway has a special kind of quiet I love. Seated at the large rectangle table of the wide patio leading to the English style garden located on the south side of house, I’m working on my laptop while the sleepy sun beats on the back of my neck. The loud crunch of the fine gravel tugs me out, and I smile as John’s long legs eat the pathway.

“Ael, come see.”

My smile widens at his grin. I close my laptop, jump on my feet, and follow him to the front steps where he’s standing with his chest puffed out, hands on his hips with his eyes up.

Using my hand as a vizor, I track his gaze and frown. “What am I looking at?”

He jerks his chin up. “The main’s balcony.”

I turn to John and grin. “You did it.”

When he crosses his arms over his chest, his long sleeve t-shirt molds his muscular arms, and his untied hair sweeps the top of his shoulders. He looks every bit like the Viking the team nicknamed him—that he hates.

“I sure did.”

“You’re the best.” I race up the grand stairs. Once on the bedroom’s terrace, I crouch before the carved pillars while John chuckles behind me.

The cool surface is sleek under my fingertips. “John, my friend, you’re a true genius.”

John takes a knee beside me, grinning as he explains how he customed his carving machine to reproduce the design I wanted.

“…which will work for…”

His lips are moving, but I can’t hear a word as my heart speeds up. Gabe’s car is parking in the driveway.

As we stand up, John growls while his eyes narrow. “The creepy millionaire’s checking up on you again.”

I step to John. “You mean, my biggest client who gave me not only an unlimited budget to do all this but also his trust?”

His jaw clenches so tight that for a second, I worry he’s going to crack it.

“Johnnie, you know what this hou—project means to me, and you have the nerve to say something like that to me?” I lean in. “He’s not checking up on me, he’s checking up on his house.” God, he’s infuriating. “And all of this because you think I’m some kind of damsel in distress?” I poke his chest. “I’m not, so stop it. You’re better than this.Ideserve better than this.”

John’s expression darkens as he wraps his hands around my shoulders and pulls me to him.

“Aelin, I’m looking out for you because I love you.”

When he cups my face, his eyes bore into mine with a puzzling intensity. “Angel, you’re precious to me and I never stopped loving you.”

His thumbs press under my chin while he leans in, and my heartbeat speeds up.God, John what are you…?

I grab his wrists to pull his hands down and take a step back.

How many times will I have to do this?“John, I don’t feel that way about you. I love you, but not like that. And please, stop calling me angel.”

“You used to, Aelin.” He catches my hand I yank out of his grip. “Let me make you happy.”

My first ever boyfriend and I whip our heads toward the door as Gabe walks into the bedroom.

God, can’t he at least have the decency to look tired?If anything, slightly disheveled and dressed in a black t-shirt and jeans, he’s even more attractive.

Gabe glowers at John. “Everything okay here?”

When John straightens up and steps in front of me like a freaking human shield, I curl my hands into fists. “Yes, I’m just talking to my—”

Gabe stalks further in. “I didn’t ask you. Aelin, you’re all right?”

Both men face each other like it’s theO.K. Corral, and my blood boils. Sweeping my gaze between the man who’s not sure he wants me and the other who refuses to hear that he’s like a brother to me, I exhale a calming breath.

“I’m fine.” I stride past them. “If you’ll excuse me, I’ve got work to do.” It takes a real effort not to slam the door behind me.

Once on the ground floor, I retrieve my laptop from the patio and enter the living room where I sit crossed legged on the plastic covered sofa. The pale green of the walls covered with custom-made khaki green and deep blue paisley wallpaper, bring me the calm I need.

Gabe was gone for nine days, and like an idiot, I waited for a text that never came. After four days of silence, I worried and called Ann to ask about her wife—Cynthia’s fine and there were no human casualties—who without me asking, told me Gabe was fine. Busy but fine.

He dangles me. Close, not close. In his arms. At arm’s length.And why does my laptop take a century to freaking load? It’s like…

“Ael, I’m leaving now.”

I look at John who digs in the front pocket of his jeans for his car key and set my stubborn device on the thick sofa cushion to tiptoe to him. “Are we okay?”

He nods with a tight smile. “See you on Sunday?”

“Vania will kill me if I don’t show up,” I say with a grin.

He chortles. “Or worse, she’ll smile at you.”

“God forbid,” I whisper.

We smile at each other before he hauls me in for a fast hug before exiting the room.

I turn off my sleepy laptop.Time to go home, and if I hurry, I won’t have to see Gabe’s stupidly handsome…I wheel around and freeze as Gabe enters the room. The bright light coming from the hallway delineates his powerful legs braced apart and the width of his shoulders as he shoves his hands in his front pockets.

His scowl from earlier is still deeply etched across his brow as he nears me.

“Aelin.”

God, his voice…“Hey, Gabe.”

When the silence stretches between us, I frown. “Is something wrong with Holloway?”

He shakes his head while his eyes narrow, and even that is infuriatingly sexy.

Pulling the strap of my bag over my head and across my chest, I throw my most professional smile at him. “Good. I have to go, but I’ll see you on Monday or next week?”Or whenever you pull your attractive head out of your muscled butt.

Without waiting for an answer, I walk past him.

“Aelin, I didn’t call you—”

Nearly out of the room, I pivot to face him which is a mistake because my heart stutters at the … whatever’s happening in his eyes.

“Gabe, you don’t owe me an explanation. I’m glad you’re all right.”

Once in my car, I set my forehead on the steering wheel and breathe deeply.Emma was right. I’ll stick to a professional relationship with him.