Chapter Twelve

I’m adjusting my watch as I step through the restaurant and make my way to the hostess.

“I’m meeting with Mr. Robinson.”

She smiles a little too wide and sticks out her tits as she bends down to look at the seating chart. I can’t hide my disgust at her desperation. If I wasn’t completely infatuated with my woman, maybe I’d give her a second look. However I am, impossibly so, and she couldn’t be more repulsive in this moment.

“Right this way.” She winks.

I let her get several steps in front of me, putting as much distance between me and her overly poignant perfume before following her. We wind through the restaurant when a hand catches my arm.

I turn in a flash, surprised when I see my woman holding the cuff of my suit jacket as she smiles widely at me. I soften my posture and give her a small smile as she stands to hug me. Wrapping my arms around her, I hold her tight before cupping her jaw and pressing her lips to my own. It’s just short enough to be appropriate but long enough to tell her how much I’ve missed her since last night.

“Sir,” the annoying hostess says, clearing her throat. “Your meeting is this way.”

She gives a nasty glare to Blake, and I feel her actually shrink slightly under the woman’s gaze, which pisses me the fuck off. I stand a little straighter, slightly pushing Blake behind me so she doesn’t have to witness the bitch a second longer.

“Please inform him I’ll be a few moments. I’ll find my way,” I say before dismissing her with my back.

Blake flicks an uncomfortable look at her before I regain her attention, shaking my head, so I hope she knows she’s worth a thousand of that woman. That the only reason she is trying to make Blake feel small is because she burns too bright.

She smiles warmly up at me before nodding.

“Dominic, these are my friends, Gabrielle and Christian.”

Gabrielle extends her hand to me, a knowing smile on her face as she looks me up and down. It appears she has heard as much about me as I know about her. Like how she moved here from Chicago when she was ten. She grew up rather privileged and married Christian Aranda five years ago and gave birth to Alison Aranda on February eighteenth of this year. That’s all the information I gained from her background check. Blake told me that they met in a foster home together.

I shake Gabrielle’s hand as I nod.

“A pleasure to meet you, Gabrielle.”

“Gabby, please.” She smiles in a way that is just a touch condescending.

I turn to face her husband, who smiles at me genuinely. I ran a background check on him as well. He’s in tech, a software engineer for one of the largest computer software companies in the country.

Shaking his hand, I nod and greet him. “Pleasure.”

“Yeah, nice to meet you! We’ve been curious to meet the guy that’s scooped up our Blake.”

“Your Blake?” I ask with a dubious eyebrow raised.

The look Christian sends her when his wife isn’t looking raises my hackles, and I take a seat beside Blake, wrapping my arm around her as I keep my eyes on him. He feels my gaze and quickly averts his eyes, pulling out his phone like he’s answering an email, before I drag my attention back to my woman.

“What are you doing here?” she asks with a completely oblivious smile.

Her naivety is so refreshing in my life yet so frustrating because I can’t be there to protect her from creeps every second of the day. Especially when she assumes they are friends. I’m going to have to work with her on that.

When her unique eyes practically twinkle from the daylight streaming in through the window, I can’t help but soften a little. Fucking hell, she’s stunning, and she’s all mine.

My fingers rub across her arm, tracing over her tattooed sleeve as I look down at her.

“Business meeting. What about you?”

“We’re just having lunch. They got a sitter?—”

“And we are making the most of it!” Gabrielle smiles as she lifts her mimosa in the air.

Christian raises his as he laughs, and I eye them both carefully before looking at Blake.

“Do you need a ride?”

“No, I’m?—”

“We’re her ride,” Gabrielle practically scoffs before she begins giggling.

I cut her a glance that has her giggles dying before turning back to face Blake.

“I don’t want you getting in a car with someone that’s been drinking. Wait for me? I’ll make this quick.”

Blake smiles and nods when her friend cuts in, again.

“Aww, that’s so sweet! You’re so sweet! Why aren’t you that sweet to me anymore?” she complains, smacking her husband’s arm.

He winces at the impact and rolls his eyes before sending a gooey look to Blake that has my fist clenching in my lap.

“Because you’re not as breakable as Blake. She needs someone to dote on her.”

“Fuck you,” Blake scoffs with a chuckle, assumingly taking his words as teasing and not the hidden promise I plainly see them to be.

Yeah, the fuck she’s going home with them. If Mr. Aranda has it his way, he will no doubt leave his wife passed out in the car while he tries to take advantage of Blake. Not gonna fucking happen.

I bend down, pressing my lips to hers once more in a kiss that is definitely not appropriate for the restaurant, but it is for marking my territory. When I pull away, I don’t spare the two idiots across the table a glance as I look at my woman.

“Wait for me,” I say softly, but in a tone that brooked no argument.

She smiles up at me shyly as she nods, and I give her a quick wink before standing.

“Nice to meet you, Gabrielle, Christian,” I say, allowing my distaste for his name to linger on my tongue.

He frowns slightly at that, but his wife is oblivious as her hungry eyes rove over me, settling on my crotch. Okay, could this woman be any worse?

“Please, it’s Gabby.” She giggles before hiccupping.

I hum under my breath but don’t give her anything else before turning to Blake.

“See you soon, babygirl.”

I wrapup our quarterly meeting as fast as possible and am out of my seat as soon as it’s acceptable. With a quick shake of the hand, I’m on a mission to find Blake. Glancing down at my phone, I see several more missed phone calls from an unknown number. I know who is trying to get a hold of me, and I know it’s gonna bite me in the ass if I don’t get in contact soon. I’m not ready yet, though. I need more time. I need to get her out of here, somewhere safe.

She mentioned that she loved San Diego, and I immediately started sending her condo listings after that. She’s laughed off each one, and I’m not sure if she doesn’t take me seriously or if she’s not willing to accept my offer. I’d whisk her away right this minute if she’d let me, but I just don’t think she is there yet.

So, for now, I dismiss the notification and look up to find Blake waiting for me in the front waiting area, alone. I grit my jaw in irritation at that. If Gabrielle was a good friend, she would wait with Blake before abandoning her, and if Christian wasn’t a piece of shit, he would wait to make sure the girl he’s very clearly hooked on wasn’t left alone for anyone to take advantage of. Whatever, I’m glad they’re gone, and I’m glad she was a good girl and listened to me.

When she sees me, her smile is wide and makes my chest tighten at the sight alone. I can’t fight a small smile of my own when she looks at me that way. Fucking hell, I don’t think I’ve smiled as much in my entire life as I have over the last two months. She’s changing me, I can feel it, but fuck if I want to fight it.

“How was your lunch?” I ask as I pull her into my arms, pressing a kiss to the top of her head before walking her out front. I hand the valet my ticket, and he jogs off to get my car.

“Good. Gabby got a little too drunk, so Christian took her home shortly after you left.”

“That happen often?” I ask.

Blake lets out an airy laugh as she nods. “More than you know.”

I want to ask her why she surrounds herself with people like them. She can clearly do better. She is totally oblivious to Christian’s affections, so it can’t be an attention thing. In fact, Gabrielle seems extremely threatened anytime the spotlight shines off her for even a moment. That makes for a terribly one-sided friendship, and my babygirl deserves a hell of a lot better. Something tells me that conversation won’t go over well. So, for now, I’ll stay silent, be there for her the way people in her life should, and I’ll be keeping an extra-careful eye on Christian Aranda.

When my car pulls up, I grab the car door, opening it for her before moving to the driver’s side. I tip the valet, and then we’re off. I easily maneuver through the streets, pulling up to her apartment in no time.

“What are you doing tomorrow night?”

“It’s my first night off in ten days. I’ll probably lay in bed all day and relish every fucking bit.” She smiles.

“Or you could let me take you out,” I suggest.

“Out? Where?” she asks.

“Anywhere you want. We could do dinner or something else. I just want an excuse to show you off,” I say with a small smirk.

“Well, as long as it’s a ploy to boost your insufferable ego and nothing serious like enjoying my company,” she teases.

I roll my eyes but chuckle, nonetheless.

“I’d love to. What time?” she asks.

“Seven?”

“It’s a date.”

“Fuck yes, it is,” I say before grabbing the back of her neck and pulling her lips to mine.

She melts against me, her tongue darting out to stroke against my own. I grip her tightly, so tight I fear I might shatter her. My control shakes, and I do my best to breathe through it, reminding myself that I can’t lose control with her, I’d never forgive myself.

I pull away quickly, resting my forehead against hers as I take deep, even breaths. When my pulse returns to a regular pace, I open my eyes to see her already watching me.

“I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Definitely.”