Gage stands tall and quiet, but alert. His eyes move with a calculated pace around the lobby, but the rest of his face is unreadable.
“Would you like a coffee, Gage?” I ask him, and his deep green eyes fly to mine.
“Dirty chai latte,” he says, and I tremble as the gravelly tenor of his voice caresses my skin, especially when he adds a raspedplease.
He reaches a hand out, slipping his fingers gently under the strap of my duffle bag and props it onto his shoulder. That’s the second time he’s done that now. He might be quiet, with the presence of a storm cloud, but you can’t fault the guy’s manners.
“Oh. Thank you.” My words do nothing to hide the fluster he causes, the way his actions are so soft compared to his harsh exterior. I fiddle with the strap of my handbag, my fingertips running over the woven leather as if the sensation might distract me from the imposing presence of the man before me.
“Okay, see you soon. Let’s go, Iz.” Beth claps and loops an arm through mine, steering us out of the hotel and onto the busy sidewalk.
Within minutes, we step through the doors of the cute café. High benches line every wall, and the mix of dark brick, exposed pipes, and brass lanterns gives the place a steampunk sort of vibe. While we wait for our drinks, Beth scrolls through her phone with a smirk before flipping the screen to show me a message.
MASON:
Sidebar, Beth. Tell me more about this Isabelle *wink emoji*
Beth laughs and shakes her head. “He doesn’t stop.”
“Is that normal? Your brothers wanting to date your friends?”
“Oh, sweetie, he’s not looking to date,” Beth says, as her eyes track a tall man with dark hair, in a three-piece suit, as he passes us with his order. “None of my brothers do that.”
“Really?” After getting to know Caleb a fair bit over the months we’ve been working together, I’ve somewhat come to that conclusion by myself. But it surprises me that it’s a familial thing.
“Caleb is too focused on work, Gage hates people, and Mason likes too many women to limit himself.”
I’m not surprised by her analysis of Caleb. Mason, I haven’t met yet, but I didn’t get that impression from Gage. More that he’s guarded. I don’t think he hates people—he’s just careful with who he invests his time and attention in. I’ve only met the guy for the first time today, though, so what do I know? I lean over, nudging my shoulder to hers. “What about you?”
When the barista calls our names, we collect the drinks and start heading back to the hotel to meet the guys.
Beth sighs wistfully. “I’m not opposed to dating, but being a member of the billionaire Heart family definitely tends to attract the wrong people.”
I stand in front of her, stopping her in her path. “Has someone hurt you?”
Her eyebrows pinch in the centre as she blinks up at me. “You’re so fucking sweet.” She smiles. “But no, babe. I just mean it makes it harder to find the people who are interested in me and not my connections, or my bank account.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t realise it must be so hard to find people to trust.”
“That’s because you’re someone who sees the best in people.” Beth looks at me, pursing her lips and squinting. “Yeah, I’ve got a good feeling about you.”
I tuck my head down, fighting the grin that wants to burst free.
We make it back to the hotel, finding Caleb and Gage standing out front, waiting for us. Caleb leads the way to the tram line so we can make the short ride to the casino.
I sip at my cinnamon latte, trying to keep up with Caleb and Gage, who walk just ahead of us. I twist my body and dip my head, trying to be smaller amongst the onslaught of people everywhere. When I look up, a man is coming right at me, talking sternly on his phone, brows dipped over his dark eyes that are trained well beyond me. In a panic to avoid him, I step to the side, but I’m quickly pulled in.
With a large hand wrapped around my bicep, I’m dragged in front of Gage’s warm and solid body. I look up at him, but he’s looking over his shoulder. The man with his phone still pressed to his ear looks annoyed, but the look fades when he takes in Gage’s presence.
My belly hops when Gage’s hand unlatches from my arm, only to coast down my back and give a little push to encourageme to keep walking. His hand drops contact, but I can feel the warmth of his palm hovering behind me as we continue on.
He’s not touching me, he’s not even at risk of brushing my skin, but the weight of it still feels crushing. He guides me through the crowd like my own personal bodyguard. I look over my shoulder, watching as his eyes narrow, taking in everything around him. Once again, I’m thinking of Beth’s earlier comment about Gage not liking people. I wonder what made her say that. There must be something in his past to make him that way, something that makes his walls come up. I can feel my natural curiosity unfurling, wanting to figure him out, reaching for answers.
When we make it to the tram line, we only have to wait a few seconds before we’re jumping on the next ride. Caleb and Beth hop on first. Gage’s hand is still hovering behind my back as I jump onto the tram. We travel through the lively streets of Royal Harbour, passing buildings with a mix of old and new construction, weathered red brick next to big panes of glass.
We jump off when we come to a stop outside a garden filled with bright red and dark blooms, in beds shaped like the four card suits.
When we make it inside, Caleb announces our arrival, and we’re escorted up a private elevator to a meeting room.
