The valet brought Gabe’s truck around and Gabe gave him a hefty tip before helping Chelsea get in. There were so many emotions pumping through him right now, he needed a minute. If she touched him, if she said anything, he was afraid his control would snap. He was that desperate to be with her and to prove that she was not defined by the scandal that continued to plague her. Gabe had never felt the need to prove something to someone and he’d never had this desperation before.
But this wasn’t about him. Everything about this moment, about these emotions, was about Chelsea.
Being with this woman was like walking a tightrope. One wrong step and he could plummet into a territory he wasn’t ready for. Gabe was already teetering as it was and he had a sinking feeling he wasn’t going to be able to hang on much longer.
The second he settled in behind the wheel and put the truck into Drive, Chelsea turned in her seat. “Gabe—”
“Not now,” he growled, gripping the wheel tightly.
Once they got to his place, they would talk. Or not. He’d much rather work his tension and stress out another way. He had a sinking feeling if he started opening up about his emotions now, he’d say things he’d vowed never to say to another woman and the last thing he wanted was for Chelsea to get hurt again.
Twelve
Anger rolled off Gabe in waves. She’d never seen him like this, had never thought someone so reserved could dole out such rage. But the man was practically shaking.
He’d been pissed back at the party. The way he’d handled that drunk guy, Chelsea wasn’t so sure what would’ve happened had the room not been full of family and friends. Would Gabe have been so controlled or would he have pounded on the man? She’d been scared, not that Gabe would hurt her in his anger, but of what he’d do to the other guy and how she couldn’t prevent it.
If she thought Daniel had been protective growing up, that was nothing compared to Gabe right now. How would Gabe react if he knew her past? Would he look at her differently? Would he see her as weak?
It didn’t matter, though. Their time was drawing to a close and no matter how much her heart kept trying to get involved, Chelsea had to hold back at least some part of herself. If she gave him everything...well, she’d suffer even more heartache in the end.
Gabe ushered her into his penthouse loft apartment. She’d briefly been there before and hadn’t paid much attention, but now that she was back, she could easily see this was his domain. The industrial yet country vibe surrounded her. The exposed brick walls were masculine, the chrome finishes and high-tech electronics taking up one entire end of the loft screamed money and power. There were closed-circuit TVs showing the outside of the apartment building, the parking garage beneath, the street in both directions.
Being so paranoid must be an occupational hazard for a former FBI agent turned security analyst.
“You sure do have quite a bit of surveillance,” she casually commented.
“I own the building.”
Chelsea didn’t even bother hiding her surprise. “Seriously? How did I not know that?”
Gabe gave a shrug. “It’s not something I talk about. I actually own several properties in Royal, but most are held under my company names.”
Yet again, the man of mystery had more up his sleeve. He tended to keep her guessing on who the real Gabriel Walsh was. Just when she thought she’d uncovered the final layer, he revealed another.
Chelsea continued to peruse the open living area. There was a black metal outline of the state of Texas hanging on the wall at the other end of the room. The simple wall art was tasteful yet very Gabe. There was a pair of old cowboy boots over in the corner and several hats that hung on pegs near the front door. While the loft was neat and tidy, Gabe’s presence was everywhere.
The gleaming kitchen with a long, concrete island lined by eight bar stools just begged for a party. But she didn’t think Gabe was too much of a partier, let alone a host. Still, she saw herself getting steaks ready, him serving up sides and handing out bourbon.
Wait, no. This wasn’t some fantasy that would come to life. He’d brought her here for sex. Isn’t that what they’d discussed in the office back at the club? But then he’d gone and gotten angry and now she wasn’t so sure why she was there because there was still fury pouring from him.
This final week was going to be full of Gabe and the wedding. Gabe in private was going to be vastly different than Gabe as a cohost of the nuptials and a best man. The idea of walking down the aisle with him on her arm gave her heart a little extra beat. She absolutely couldn’t get caught up in that image or that fantasy.
Gabe stalked to the living area and stared out the floor-to-ceiling windows. With jerky movements, he unbuttoned the cuffs on his sleeves and rolled them up his forearms. He’d hung his black hat by the others near the door and hadn’t spoken a word.
“If you’re just going to be angry, I’m not sure why I’m here.”
She remained near the entryway, crossing her arms over her chest and waiting for him to respond. But he kept looking out onto the city, his hands shoved into the pockets of his perfectly fitted jeans.
“I’ll just call someone to pick me up.”
“Stay.”
That one word settled between them and Chelsea softened just a bit. What the hell was he so angry about? It wasn’t like this was his life that kept getting thrown back in his face. She had a feeling there would be jerks for some time to come who were all too eager to bring up those nude photos, thinking she was easy and willing to give them a private showing. It was humiliating, but right now all she could do was keep her head high and move on.
“You didn’t see your face,” Gabe said, still keeping his back to her. “When you dropped those glasses and I turned to see what happened... Chels, your face was pure terror. You’d gone white and I saw that guy’s hand on you and I wanted to kill him right there.”
The hurt in his tone had her moving toward him. She’d been so worried about what type of scene she’d caused and if she’d ruined the party to even think about how all of that had affected Gabe. Obviously he’d been angry with the guy. Someone like Gabe, so powerful and prominent, would see it as a setback, an embarrassment. They were just a fling, anyway, so why should he have to put up with her scandal?