5

Gabriel’s pov

The blinding morning sunlight streaming through the sheer curtains made me squint as I forced my eyes open.

I immediately knew I wasn't in my own bedroom- I mean, why on earth would I leave my blackout curtains wide open before going to sleep?

A soft, sleepy moan beside me shifted my attention to the woman draped across my chest. I let out a snort, gently pushing a tangle of wild red hair off her forehead to look down at her face.

She must have been exhausted, and slightly tipsy last night. Honestly, so was I. Mid-kiss, she’d practically passed out in my arms. Just like I’d done with Leah, I’d carried Rachael into her bedroom to lay her down. But as I’d tried to pull away, her fingers had hooked stubbornly into the collar of my shirt.

“What kind of man kisses a girl and leaves her to sleep all alone?” she’d mumbled into my neck.

So, against my better judgment, knowing full well I was stepping straight into a trap, I’d climbed onto the mattress beside her until she fell asleep. And well... here I was.

The sharp vibration of my phone alarm made me panic. I carefully slid my arm out from under her body, reaching across the sheets to kill the sound before it woke her up.

I turned back to see her still breathing softly, letting out a quiet sigh.

Today was Saturday, but I had an urgent, long-overdue meeting scheduled with an elusive corporate investor. I hadn't met the guy in person yet, but his firm had been trying to get a sit-down with me for over a month, and today was the only opening on my calendar.

All of a sudden, I wanted nothing more than to call my assistant, cancel the damn meeting, and pull the duvet back over my head. I took a long, longing look at the empty space beside her, taking in her serene, sleeping face, hair sprawling wildly across the pillows, with a tiny, adorable thread of drool running down the corner of her lips.

I bit back a laugh, pulling out my phone to snap a quick picture of her before sliding out of bed.

I tiptoed down the hall, sneaking a peek into Leah’s room to find her fast asleep with her new doll tucked under her arm.

“Goodbye, sweetheart,” I whispered softly, closing the door before slipping out into the morning air.

[11:14 AM]

As I walked into the office, I half-distractedly set my keys aside as a text came in.

Rachael: I could sue you, you know? For invasion of privacy.

Her reply came in hours after I’d arrived at the office, responding directly to the picture I’d sent her of her drooling in bed.

I leaned against the edge of my desk, a slow smirk spreading across my face as I texted back immediately.

Gabriel: There was a lot of invasion of privacy that happened last night that you haven't mentioned suing me for.

Rachael: For fuck’s sake. We just kissed.

My smirk faded, my fingers flying across the screen.

Gabriel: We could do it again. This time without either of us having an excuse like being drunk.

She took longer to reply this time. I started pacing around my office, staring at the screen until the notification popped up.

Rachael: What did Amanda say when you came home this morning?

Gabriel: What? You think I’d lie to her? I told her exactly where I was.

A few minutes passed before her final message dropped.

Rachael: We should forget last night ever happened.

I typed back instantly.

Gabriel: I don’t want to.

Three little floating bubbles appeared on my screen, indicating she was typing a reply. I held my breath, waiting... but then the bubbles vanished. The screen went dark. I tried to swallow the sharp pang of disappointment in my chest, sitting back down at my desk just staring at the screen, but no further message came.

A quiet knock at the door broke the silence. My executive assistant, Liam, poked his head into the room, holding the door handle.

“Mr. Kayes, your eleven o'clock appointment is here.”

I tried my best to mask my irritation.

“He can come in.”

My feet felt like lead as I walked over to my leather chair, shoving my phone face-down onto the blotter.

The door swung open.

I leaned back into my seat, my entire body going rigid with instant shock.

My long-term prospective business partner was HIM?!

What a sick, twisted coincidence. Just last night, I’d heard his name for the first time in years and spent hours imagining wrapping a pipe around his throat and ripping his head out.

Michael Barnes.

He stepped into my office, looking completely unbothered at the sight of me- as if he’d known exactly whose desk he was walking up to.

I flicked my wrist, waving Liam off. The moment the door clicked shut behind my assistant, Michael tilted his head, a smug, irritating smirk touching his lips.

“Are you thinking of cancelling our partnership before we even start, Kayes?”

“I am involved in numerous multi-million-dollar partnerships,” I said, my voice dropping into an icy, lethal tone. “You are not important enough to me to waste time cancelling. I’d rather you just walk back out that door.”

Michael didn't sit down. He stood near the entrance, holding my gaze with that same arrogant look he used to wear back in college, the look of a man who thought he possessed something he had no right to touch.

“You have zero interest in what I have to say,” Michael noted.

“Out of respect for my board, I honored this meeting,” I seethed, leaning forward on my desk. “Naturally, you could have relayed whatever proposal you had to my assistant.”

“Well, I wanted to deliver this to you in person.”

“What the fuck do you want, Michael?” I growled.