Me:I’m feeling under the weather. I can’t come in at all today.
I watched the three dots bounce and winced slightly, knowing he was probably writing out a tyrannic text. I didn’t want to bother reading his response, so I turned my phone off before he could hit send. I needed to tune everything out. I needed time to think.
Chapter 22
Chandler
I let out an exasperated sigh and tossed my phone on my desk, the loud clatter drawing in the eyes of an employee passing by. They quickly averted their curious gaze and kept walking, seeing I was in no mood. I ran a hand through my hair and sat back in my chair, turning to look out at the view of the city. Gabriella hadn’t responded to my text and when I called her, it went straight to voicemail.
I wondered if I had pissed her off with my harsh response to her taking the morning off, but it was unlike her to just not come in. I hated that I relied on her as much as I did. I had grown used to her being here and though I often pretended to ignore her guidance, I really did take most of what she said and implement it as my role as CEO. I wasn’t an idiot. I knew her tenure here, and how it could benefit me. I just didn’t like admitting that much to her.
Without her here, I felt a little lost and I didn’t like that feeling, especially when the office turned to me for guidance without their friendlier middleman here to help them out. Without her here, the office felt quieter. Lonelier. Dull. There were none of those sneaky glances in each other’s direction. No office nookie. No sharp comebacks. Honestly, I hated it.
As I looked at her empty desk across the way, I realized my idea of firing after enough time had passed would be a pretty miserable one. I chewed the inside of my cheek and picked up my phone again. I figured I would try one more time and then I would give up. The phone didn’t even ring one time before her voicemail picked up, the melodic sound of her voice filling my ears. I debated leaving a message, maybe an apology or an “I hope you feel better,” but decided against it. I hung up.
She seemed fine last night. More than fine. It had been bold of me to show up to her apartment unannounced, with no invitation from her. Especially when I had been there the night before. But I couldn’t help myself. The evening had rolled around and I was on my couch eating leftover takeout and watching the news, and I found myself lonely. And horny. I had driven over to her place and hoped she would be there.
And boy was she. She opened the door wearing a flimsy pair of silk pajamas that left little to the imagination, and I was already tearing them off her by the time the door had closed behind me. She didn’t question it. We just fell into each other, like we always did.
I had slipped out of bed and quietly pulled on my clothes while she lay fast asleep in her cloud of a bed. Seriously, I had toask her where she got her mattress from because it was nearly impossible to pull myself out of it. The fact that she was naked under the sheets also made it difficult to leave. But I never stayed the night with any woman, even if it was Gabriella.
Actually,especiallyif it was Gabriella.
This thing we had going on between us was already confusing and consuming as it was, as much as I tried to deny it. There was no need to make it more than it was, so once I was changed, I watched her sleep a second longer before slipping out of her room and leaving her apartment, closing the door softly behind me.
It wasn’t the first time I had snuck out, and it wouldn’t be the last. She never questioned me about it, so I figured she had no qualms about it. Most women did, usually texting me the morning they wake up to find me gone to chew me out for being an asshole for not saying goodbye. But Gabriella was different. She knew what this was. Or wasn’t.
The rest of the day at the office dragged on. My mind was being pulled to Gabriella, a knot of worry in my stomach that she must be really sick if she wasn’t returning my text messages or calls. I had the idea of taking chicken noodle soup or ginger ale over to her apartment, but it dissipated as quickly as it popped into my head. We weren’tthosepeople.Iwasn’t that kind of guy.
When I arrived at the office the next day, I was surprised to find her sitting at her desk, focused on typing something on her computer. She had never called me back the day before, and nowshe was just sitting here like she hadn’t gone all MIA on me. I made it a point to slow my pace as I walked past her office, feeling that hint of excitement pulse through me whenever she was near, but she didn’t acknowledge me. She kept her eyes down and on the glow of her computer screen.
I frowned slightly before continuing into my office. Maybe she hadn’t seen me. But shealwayssaw me, just as I always saw her. It was instinctual. Without laying eyes on her, I could feel she was nearby. My cock could too. It was like one of those lightning rods, electric and humming for her to come closer.
I sat down at my desk and looked at her, my brows furrowed as I tried to get a read on her. When she continued to avoid my gaze, I cleared my throat and garnered her attention. Her hazel eyes were wary as they slowly raised to me.
“Gabriella, can you please come in here?” I said in my best authoritative voice. It was the tone I always used on her because we didn’t want to raise suspicions. We wanted the office to believe we still hated each other, which was true on some level, but we also loved fucking each other.
She looked nervous, and not the kind of nervous I was used to when she wasn’t sure if we were going to take things slow or rough and fast. She stood slowly from her desk chair and walked into my office, leaving the door open behind her. Something was off. She always closed the door.
“You’re back,” I said, gesturing to the leather armchair across from my desk.
“Mhmm,” she said, not taking the invitation.
I tilted my head and peered up at her. Her eyes were on the floor and it was as if she was trying to hide behind her long, brown hair that fell partly in front of her face.
“Please sit,” I said. “I need to catch you up on yesterday.”
She nodded and hesitantly sat down.
I wondered what the hell was going on. Had I done something wrong? Maybe she didn’t like the fact that I had snuck out of her apartment. Again. I shook the thought away because that would mean she was getting attached, and we couldn’t have that. Gabriella was too smart for that, anyway. She knew mixing business and feelings was a no-go.
“First off, how are you feeling?” I asked, trying to sound warm and hide my irritation as to why she was being so standoffish.
“Fine,” she said.
She was really on one with the one-word answers today.
Mhmm.
