The limo came to a stop, giving me scant opportunity to compose myself before Waylon opened the door. I gave him my hand and looked around to see where we were. I thought I recognized the street in passing, but wasn’t sure.
Curious, I studied the sleek building. It was probably about forty floors or so. Tall but not nosebleed-tall. The sapphire glass made me think of the ocean.
“We’re only 3.4 miles away from our building. With traffic it feels like more, but I think it’s still close enough. What do you think of it so far, Emma?”
“It looks expensive.”
“Yes, and what else?”
“It looks nice.”
“Nice. Nice? Really, Emma, I’m going to excise that word from your vocabulary.”
“What? It’s a good word. It’s nice.”
Gabriel’s rude snort challenged my assessment.
“Fine, it’s striking. A bastion of wealth and privilege. And you could even walk to work if you wanted,” I pointed out as I bumped shoulders with him.
“Err, no. I’m lazy, remember?” Gabriel ushered us into the steel and glass edifice where we were met by a smartly attired older gentleman. He introduced himself as Edward Lemmings. We all shook hands.
A quick ride up the elevator and then we entered a palatial spread with a gorgeous view of the city. Gabriel and the realtor spoke in hushed tones, discussing square footage, amenities. My gaze remained locked to the world beyond glass.
This was what wealth could buy. A view, but not just any view. A view free of claustrophobic brick and mechanical traffic. Nothing but the sky.
I moved past the cavernous living room. I was careful not to touch the glass as I slowly walked along one end of the wall to the other and back again. The city lay before me, sparkling like a jewel and full of promise. I found the latch and stepped outside. The wide concrete space was easily twice the size of my apartment.
I turned in a slow circle. It could be so lovely.
Although currently barren, I could imagine bright carpets on the concrete, dark furniture arranged in neat groupings, and firefly strings of light crisscrossing above. A platform bed swathed in white could go in the corner, crimson pillows scattered about in invitation. Ferns could line the perimeter. Gabriel could install a fountain in the middle…
Nix the fountain since he wasn’t buying the place.
My imaginations dwindled. Gabriel might not do anything outside at all. Drawn to the railing, I walked to it and leaned against the high wall. With face lifted to the wind and eyes closed, I let myself savor the moment of peace.
“Penny for your thoughts, Emma?” Gabriel whispered in my ear while squeezing my shoulders.
“No thoughts. Just quiet.” I leaned my head back and smiled when he kissed me. The sweet pressure of his soft lips made my heart skip a beat.
“Do you like the view?”
“Very much so.” My wide grin told him he was the view.
“Silly girl. Mr. Lemmings is waiting to show us the rest.”
“Us?”
“Yes, us. Come on, Emma. I need your opinions, remember? I won’t make a decision on this place unless you’re involved.” Gabriel took my hand and led me back inside. We walked through the luxurious space, hand in hand, and inspected each room. Gabriel asked few questions, leaving me to fill in the gaps. I had a feeling he was doing it on purpose.
We toured five bedrooms, six full bathrooms, one half bath, a media room, gym, library, living room, dining room, laundry room, butler’s pantry, kitchen, private terraces off the living room and master bedroom, plus several other rooms that I can’t even remember.
They were tastefully appointed, lovely, and rich with craftsmanship. I shoved down my usual feelings of discomfort whenever confronted with things that reminded me of my fiscally challenging childhood. My being here was obviously important to Gabriel and I wanted to do my best to be of help to him.
An hour passed before we ended back in the foyer.
“Well, what do you think, Emma?” Gabriel’s fleeting mock frown dared to me to say the word ‘nice.’ I almost said it just to hear him complain.
“It’s a lovely place. The view is gorgeous.” Mr. Lemming beamed with pleasure. “I can’t imagine anyone not wanting to live here.”
Gabriel linked his arm with mine and whispered, “Yes, but what do you think?”
It felt strange to discuss the penthouse in front of the awaiting agent. “I think you could live here.”
“With you?”
I smiled at Mr. Lemmings and then lowered my voice. “With me?”
Gabriel addressed the realtor. His smile could melt rock. “Could you give us a minute please?”
“Of course! Please take your time.” Mr. Lemmings withdrew further into the foyer, giving us a relative amount of privacy. It wasn’t enough for my love.
Gabriel bypassed the living room and instead steered us back onto the patio. “You liked it out here.”
“I did.”
“What did you see?”
“A beautiful place.”
We walked along the wall, heels hitting the concrete in unison. “I see you here.”
I eyed him with amused suspicion. “I know you. What are you really asking me, Gabriel?”
“I’m not asking anything. I’m just commenting on the fact that I imagine you being here.”
His words made me giddy with pleasure. I couldn’t stop the corners of my mouth from expressing my joy. “I imagined you living next door to me.”
“You did not! I barged right through your precious boundaries!” Gabriel spun me. With his back against the wall, he tugged me until I stood right in front of him. “How about this? We’ll split our time between the apartments and here.”
I bit my lip. I wasn’t sure what to say. Should I quibble on the details, harass him verbally just because I could? Or should I acquiesce because that’s who I should be with him?
Non-bitchy and submissive?
Gretchen’s words came back to me like spell.
“…the majority of submissives I’ve encountered are the most strong-willed, independent, stubborn people I’ve ever known.”
“Gabriel?”
“Yes, baby?”
“I like the idea of splitting time with you. I still need my own space though. Is that okay with you?” I hoped it would be because I couldn’t see myself giving up my apartment and permanently moving in with him. I’d come a long way, but I wasn’t quite there yet.
“I guess I can accept that…for now.” Gabriel graced with me a Cheshire grin. He enfolded me in his arms and squeezed. “Do you want to keep looking or is this the one?”
“I’m surprised you’d be willing to sign the papers just off one showing.”
“Sometimes one is all it takes. You’ve taught me that very well.”
I felt the happy blush slide across my face. Could my mouth permanently freeze in the shape of a goofy smile? “Oh.”
“Oh, indeed.” Gabriel brought my hands up to his mouth and kissed the knuckles. “Wait here for me.”
I nodded and watched him walk back inside. All powerful frame and sinewy grace, he was such a magnificent man that I still couldn’t believe we’d come back together. Addicted, I could only wait until the object of my growing obsession joined me again.
Minutes passed and the sky grew darker. I shivered but focused instead on the few stars shining high above. Eventually night extinguished dusk. Still I stood in place for an indeterminable time. Waiting.
Footfalls finally sounded. I didn’t turn around even when I felt him at my back. Tremors ran through me again, becoming stronger and stronger still. I stiffened, doing my best to minimize the arrhythmic twitching.
“You’re cold.”
“I’m fine.” I fixed my stare on a flashing light somewhere far across the horizon. Instinct told me to not to turn around.
The heat from Gabriel’s large hands penetrated my shoulders. He squeezed them once. “Why didn’t you come inside?”
“You asked me to wait.”
“And so you did…even though you were uncomfortable. How long would you have waited?”
I focused my gaze on the buildings below us. The importance of my answer doubled my shivering. “As long as it took.”
Gabriel hugged me to him, his breath warming the nape of my neck. “I watched you. I watched you stand here and I wondered, ‘Why is she doing this? Why would she suffer the cold, standing still as a statue, and just wait?’”
The silence spun longer. Finally I asked, “Do you want an answer?”
“I do.”
“Because you asked me to. That’s why.”
Gabriel covered my eyes with his hand. I startled. “Ssh, Emma,” he murmured in a soft, soothing tone. “It’s okay.”
Sunk in a world without light, I leaned against him, letting my relaxed posture speak for me instead. His cologne comforted me nearly as much as his touch. Blind to everything but him, it was easy to believe we were the only two people left on the planet.
How lovely.
“I appreciate what you did for me, Emma. You suffered rather than risk going against my wishes. You were so very sweet to do that for me. I appreciate it far more than you’ll ever know.”
Gabriel’s silken voice wound me tightly to him. “I’m glad you liked it,” I murmured and then wanted to kick myself for the uninspired reply. Before I could worry about it too long, his lips found my sensitive ear lobe. I drew my breath in sharply.
“You like that, do you?” he purred and did it again.
My knees buckled, but Gabriel caught me with one arm. “What else would you do for me, Emma?”
This was it. The moment I’d been waiting for was finally upon me. “I would do a-anything.”
“Mmm…anything. That just opens up a world of possibility, doesn’t it?”
Gabriel flicked his tongue beneath my ear. I couldn’t control my arching back. Hot sensation hit my pleasure spots. I might’ve gasped his name. I wasn’t sure. All I knew was that his tongue felt divine.
“Are you sure you want this from me, Emma?”
I licked lips gone dry. “Yes, I do.”
“You realize what I’m asking from you?”
Gabriel opened the door. All I had to do was walk through. This was my moment. No turning back. Strange, but I didn’t feel fear. Anticipation, but not fear.
“Yes, I understand. I’m ready.”
“Are you truly?” He inhaled my scent. “I had the best of intentions when it came to you, Emma. I wasn’t going to be a bad boy. I was going to be so very good, but then I see you standing out here in the cold, suffering just for me. And you know what it did to me?”
Hanging upon every single, seductive syllable, I managed to answer softly. “What did it do to you?”
“It made me hard.”
Gabriel’s growl went straight to my core. I clenched, mourning the empty space and wishing he was inside me right then and there. Standing there in his embrace, I didn’t think I’d ever been this excited.
I didn’t know what Gabriel would do to me and I loved the uncertainty in this instance.