GABRIELLA
Irubbed at my eyes and stifled a yawn. When I agreed to stay and help Jake work on his proposal, I had no idea I’d be committing to staying at the office until midnight, but here I was, bloated from the Chinese food we’d ordered for dinner, desperate to crawl into my bed, close my eyes, and drift off into a dreamless sleep.
Jake nudged my elbow with his. “We’re almost done.”
“You’ve been saying that for two hours.”
He smiled. He’d been doing a lot more of that lately, and I liked it. He had a smile that changed his whole face. One minute he looked like a severe, unapproachable man, and the next he looked like the sun.
We probably would have been done two hours ago if Jake hadn’t been teaching me all his ways as he wrote the proposal. He taught me how important it was to make sure you tailored your proposal to your client and to make sure the tone was right and appealing to them. I could have already guessed that but seeing him in action was nothing short of impressive. He had a way with words that surprised me. From someone I’d seen as stoic and not much of a wordsmith a few weeks ago, I now saw him as someone with more creative edge than I’d given him credit for.
His proposal was honest and concise but also edgy, with fun little anecdotes here and there about what he envisioned for the sneaker brand. Sometimes he used some of the phrases they’d said in their pitch, and I thought that was smart because it proved he was listening and he cared.
At half past midnight we dumped the takeout Chinese containers in the garbage, packed everything up, and shuffled out of his office. This time my yawn caught me off guard, and I stood beside him at the top of the stairs, wavering on my feet as I indulged in a deep, satisfying yawn.
He chuckled. “Am I that exhausting to be around?”
We began to descend down to the deck. “You used to be.”
He put his hand on his chest as he laughed. “Nice.”
“You walked into that one.”
We crossed the deck and made our way to the elevators. He pressed the button for the lobby and the doors closed. I leaned into one corner and fought the urge to close my eyes. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d felt this drained. I’d worked hard today. I’d been engaged from start to finish, and I’d been at the office since eight o’clock this morning. That was a long freaking day.
And it was the first time I hadn’t been itching to leave as soon as the clock struck five.
Even though I was exhausted, this was a refreshing change of pace. Maybe this really was what set Jake’s soul on fire and the reason why he was able to work so tirelessly for days on end without seeming to need a break.
Although I still suspected there was more brewing beneath the surface.
I peered over at him out of the corner of my eyes. He stood slightly ahead of me, so I doubted he knew I was looking at him. He’d taken his suit jacket off as soon as the workday ended and everyone went home. He held it draped over one arm, and I had to admit, he looked hot as hell in his white button-up. His shoulder blades pressed and strained at the fabric, pulling it tight across his upper back. It was tapered all the way down to his waist, which narrowed. His shirt was tucked into his pants, and his ass looked so very tempting.
“Thanks again for your help today, Gabi.”
I tore my eyes off his rear end and cleared my throat. “You’re welcome. Thanks for teaching me your ways.”
He smiled over his shoulder at me. “You’re a quick study.”
“It’s in my genes.”
“The St. Clairs are all brilliant minds?”
“Most of us,” I said. “Some more than others. Nobody is quite on Beckham’s level, but honestly, it’s not worth it. When you’re that smart it’s hard not to be a pompous ass who looks down on everyone.”
Jake laughed.
“He’s better now,” I clarified in a rush. “His partner gave him the kick in the ass he needed and got him to clean up his act. She’s the best.”
“Ainsley?”
“You know her?”
He shook his head. “No, but I read tech updates every now and then. Your brother is always in the headlines for some release or another, and now Ainsley’s picture is right beside his. They’re making waves, those two.”
“They sure are. I’m proud of them.”
The elevator doors opened to the lobby. Nobody was there except for one of the security guards posted behind the night desk. He had his eyes fixed on several security monitors, but he looked up when he heard my high heels clicking across the floor.