Song for chapter: Crazy For You ~ Adele

VANESSA

The long day is winding down when I finally return to the office after spending most of the afternoon doing outreach marketing. I decided to expand our usual target area, hoping it will benefit us in the long run.

My phone chimes as I walk in through the main doors. It's Jaqueline confirming our meeting tomorrow morning.

I look up from my phone, noticing Lily and Jenny are not at their desks but Jake is talking with a couple of women.

He looks up at me and gives me a confident grin. "Hey, what's up, boss?"

Clearing my throat, I remind myself to not overreact before I find out what is going on. I slip my phone into my purse and smile at the ladies. They could be friends I suppose, but as I approach, the open brochures on the desk catch my attention.

"Just finished doing some outreach," I reply, searching for my key and unlock my office. I listen in as he converses with the girls, immediately bristling at his overly friendly, borderline flirty attitude.

"You've been such a great help, Jake," one of the girls says. "We had a problem with our last apartment. Granted it was older, but it's better to ask upfront than be surprised..."

"Shoot." Jake encourages her.

"Can you guarantee your units won't have issues like mold or... bugs?" The second girl asks with a giggle. "I know it's the city and bugs are basically like the longest living citizens here, but still, it doesn't mean they're not nasty. We had a pipe that was cracked within the walls of one of our bathrooms which led to a really bad black mold issue."

"Yeah, I had to be hospitalized and after that, we realized living in the apartment was making me sick." Adds the first girl.

"Ladies, I assure you our units do not have any of those issues. This property is one of the newest gems in the city. Brand spanking new. In fact, I'll put it in writing—"

I rush out of my office. "I'm sorry you've had those bad experiences, ladies. Unfortunately, it's against our policies to put anything in writing outside of the lease agreement." I slightly glare at Jake, before focusing on the girls again. "Also, there are certain things that are out of our control. Typically, with concerns with bugs, that is something that is brought in more often than not. A lot of times, first time renters will find a great deal on used furniture at a garage sale such as on a mattress, sofa or maybe they come across something on the curb somewhere and bring it to their unit unaware it could be infested with bugs and realize it too late."

"That's disgusting." One of them comments as both their faces and noses crinkle with revulsion.

"We don't shop second hand." The other says, giving me the once over.

I plaster a smile. "Of course not, I was simply using an example of what I've seen happen. What I can assure you on is, if you were to encounter an issue with a leak or even a bug issue we would take it very seriously and do everything to eradicate the problem or make the necessary repairs to restore the unit."

The girls ask a few more questions and ultimately decide our apartment community is not a fit for them when I reiterate that we are pet free. They gave Jake a pointed look, stating it would have been nice to know that upfront rather than waste their time for nothing.

As they walk out, Lily returns with a couple, finishing her tour with them in the lobby, while Jenny comes back with another small group. I call Jake back into my office to talk to him privately.

Closing the door, I walk around my desk, taking a few deep breaths. "Jake, while I appreciate your eagerness and team player attitude to help out, you have not had the proper training or have the legal background on some of our policies regarding the do's and don'ts on things we can or can't say that will make us a liability for the company."

"I didn't see the harm; I practically had it in the bag," he replies cockily.

"They had pets, Jake."

He shrugs. "If they had a chance to look at the unit, they wouldn't think twice about giving them up."

Don't lose it. Don't lose it. Don't lose it.

I breathe in deeply then exhale. "There are some who consider pets like family."

Jake snorts. "Look, Nessa—"

"Vanessa." I correct him.

"Jenny calls you 'Nessa'." He retorts back, his jaw muscles twitch in annoyance.

"Jenny and I have worked together for years. We've earned each other's respect through our work history." I tell him. "And right now, that is not the issue. You could have jeopardized your job, or risked a potential lawsuit on the company if I hadn't walked in. Consider this a verbal warning, Jake."

He appears to wrestle with himself on wanting to respond, but he sets his mouth in a firm line and nods.

"Fine. Is that all?"

"I have to document that we've had this conversation. I'll need you to sign it before you leave today."

He stands and I catch the roll of his eyes before he turns toward the door to open it and walks out. Falling back into my chair I run my hands over my face, feeling emotionally drained, but I don't have time to dwell on the latest crap and focus on what I need to finish before the day ends.

______________

Inputting Gabriels entry code to his top floor apartment suite, I open the door and call out to him, "Gabe?"

I can hear soft music coming from the living room and set my things down on the small bench and table near the entry. Groaning with relief when I take my heels off and walk in further to the opening leading to the living room; I don't see him anywhere.

Wind rustles the curtains on the sliding door leading out to his terrace and then I see him standing, near the corner, looking out over the city night skyline. I walk up and lift up on my toes to wrap my arms around his shoulders, pressing my lips on his neck.

He leans back into me. "Mm, I didn't hear you come in, beautiful."

"What are you doing out here?"

His shoulders lift with his deep inhale. "Thinking."

I wait to see if he'll elaborate and then he turns in my arms, wrapping me in a hug and giving me a deep kiss. My soft moans elicit a deep groan from him and when he pulls away, I have to hold on to him to keep from falling on my now jelly-like legs.

"Is everything okay?" I manage to ask, even though I'm breathless.

"That's not something a man likes to hear after they kiss their girl." He pecks my lips.

"It is when your eyes tell me your mind is elsewhere."

"I have a couple of meetings tomorrow. One might have the potential of something being more permanent, but I'm not sure. Then I have an impromptu meeting I wasn't expecting before I leave this weekend for the assignment in Miami."

My eyes shift between his. "That's not really what's on your mind."

Gabriel leans his forehead on mine. "I don't know what to do," he tells me quietly.

"About what?" I skim my fingers along his neck and then through his hair. He's never sounded so vulnerable, it's so unlike his usual confident demeanor.

"Gramps has now decided he wants to sell the house and move somewhere in the city. He said it would be 'fucking waste' to have me move in. He doesn't want me to ruin my life—which I told him I wouldn't be—living with an old fart like him; his words not mine."

I bite my lip to keep from chuckling but a smile still pulls at my lips. "What could have spurred that from him?"

He turns away from me, shrugging. "Hell if I know. He's the most stubborn man I've ever known."

"Seems to be a family trait." I tease, kissing his cheek and give him a side hug.

"I told him I wouldn't take his and Gram's room when he suggested he'd take one of the smaller rooms. He laughed his ass off asking if I'd actually live in my old room again and be comfortable bringing you over for sleepovers on my twin size bed."

I press my lips to his shoulder, but it does little to muffle my laugh. "It is kind of funny. But we will make it work."

His eyes meet mine. The stress and hardness around the edges softens and the corner of his mouth lifts in the sexy smirk he does.

"Yeah?"

I nod and smile back. "Of course."

His gaze moves back towards the city and he sighs again. "I offered to pay to have my old room and the room next to mine—that just serves as an embarrassing and weird trophy room, that Grams put together with mine and some of my other cousin's team sports memorabilia—renovated."

I nibble on my lip, thinking how to best word what I want to say. I shift to stand next to him shoulder to shoulder. "Maybe...that's what triggered him. It's a big change to continue on living without the love of his life, and then the thought of changing anything that reminds him of Millie...might have set him off..."

Gabriel hangs his head. "Fuck, I didn't even think of that."

I rub his arm, soothingly. "It's going to be an ongoing learning curve, Gabe. I know he knows you wouldn't do anything with bad intentions."

"I'll have to call him in the morning and apologize." He turns and nuzzles me. "Thank you."

"I didn't do anything."

"You listened. You helped me see things from his point of view." He cups my face and then presses his lips to mine, softly.

"How was your day, doll?"

I sigh and rest my head on his shoulder. "I had to write up Jake." I tell him about the encounter when I returned to the office.

"Do you think he's the one ratting you out?"

"I don't see what he would have to gain." There's a nagging thought in the back of my mind, but I push it away not wanting to keep thinking about what happened.

Instead, I kiss Gabriel. The kiss picks up in intensity and then his hands slips inside the back of my pants, grabbing my ass and pulling me closer to him.

"I want to be inside of you," he rasps. His fingers begin undoing my pants.

"Gabriel, someone might see us." But my head falls back in pleasure with his skillful mouth, nipping and kissing my neck, his tongue licking me sensually.

"You're right." He grunts and then lifts me up in his arms. "I don't want anyone to see what's mine."

He carries me back into his apartment and then to his bedroom where we finish removing most of each other's clothing. He's left in his boxer briefs and I'm in my bra and panties, still kissing, as he guides me back onto his bed. He wraps his strong arm around me and lifts me higher on the mattress.

His mouth trails down my throat and over the tops of my breasts. Impatiently, I hook my fingers on the bands of my panties and he leans back to help drag them off me. I reach for him and he leans over me again, his eyes on mine while he removes his boxer briefs. We gaze into each other's eyes when he glides into me, but mine want to close on their own from the amazing sensation.

I hold his neck, bringing his head closer and kiss him, hoping to pour everything I'm feeling into the kiss. Our bodies move in sync, building the tension of ecstasy between us. Loud panting, grunting and moans, express the pleasure overwhelming us and then I feel myself falling over the edge. My nails dig into his back and his name passes through my lips as I come apart.

He groans following his own orgasm and his breath fans over my ear as he pants. I sense him lean back and my eyes flutter open in the post haze of the orgasm and see him watching me.

He kisses me slowly and I can feel his heart beating against his chest; my own matching the rapid rhythm. Tears build in my eyes and I wrap my arms around him, suddenly feeling overwhelmed, but not in the panicked sense.

I've never felt like this before.

Gabriel trails kisses from my shoulder, neck and lips and then down my chest. "You okay, sugar?"

I nod, giving myself a moment to collect myself. "Yes, I just feel..." I take a deep breath feeling vulnerable with my heart still racing. I want to say the words, but it almost feels like if I say it will be inevitable that I will hurt him. It doesn't make sense, but that's how I feel.

Gabriel skims his nose and lips along my face and neck, his stubble tickling me, but he stops, lifting up on his elbows. "Are you crying?"

I cover my face, and shake my head. "No." I blow out an exhale and he pulls my hands away from my face. "I'm really happy and it scares me." I confess.

"No one's ever made me feel the way you do, Gabriel and I've never been happier."

He gives me a heart stopping smile and then lets out a long exhale and chuckles, making me squirm under him, because his cock twitches inside of me. "Thank God. If you had been crying, this would have been hella awkward." He pulls in his lips to hide his smile.

"You mean all girls don't have tear-filled heart-to-heart moments with you post-coital?" I joke with a grin.

He adjusts himself, but makes no effort to get off of me. "Honestly, no."

Embarrassment floods through my chest and radiates all the way down to my toes, but he lifts my chin to look at him.

"And I'm really glad no one ever has. Just you, Vanessa." He brushes his nose against mine.

"Really?"

He grins at me. "Really, really."

I smile and kiss him and then I feel him getting hard again. I capture his bottom lip with my teeth. "Mm, that's what I call talent, Mr. Tate."

"I'll show you talent." He says and flips us so I'm on top, but before anything else can happen, his phone rings.

"It's late, I'll worry about it after." He tells me and sits up on the bed to kiss me, but I pull back.

"It is late. What if it's about your Grandfather?" I move off his lap and he rushes to his pants on the floor.

"Gramps?" He answers the phone with an edge of panic to his voice.

"Hey, hotshot, hope you're not getting busy," Sly says, with a chuckle through the speaker phone.

I fall back onto the bed with a laugh.

"Guess that cute sound answers that. Hey, Nessa!" Sly shouts into the phone, but then he retracts. "Oh shit, unless it's not Vanessa you're with. If it's not, you sure as hell better believe I can still give that hoity-toity ass of yours a good whoopin'."

"Gramps," Gabriel says in a serious tone.

"It's me, Sly," I say with a chuckle, crossing the room and smacking my lips to Gabriel's with a loud kiss. Then I make a kissing sound next to the mic of the phone, winking at Gabriel. "That kiss is for you, too, Sly."

"I'd much rather get one in person, darling. Anyway, sorry to bother you so late, do you have a second to hear out your old gramps, Gabe?" Sly asks and I whisper that I'm going to the bathroom. He smacks my ass as I walk away and he continues talking to his grandfather.

__________

I probably shouldn't have stayed as long as I did at Gabriel's last night. After we had some dinner, one thing led to another and we ended up on top of the kitchen table and then decided to take a shower together. I smile. I don't regret one second of it.

My blissful moment is quickly consumed with my nerves as I step out of the elevator and open the glass door to the corporate office.

The receptionist, Sylvia, greets me with a smile. "Morning, Vanessa. Savannah wanted me to inform you, you'll be meeting with Jaqueline as she and Trent are tied up this morning."

I'm not sure if I should feel relieved or not. Maybe this meeting isn't going to be as bad as I thought.

"Okay. Should I wait out here for Jaqueline?"

Sylvia stands, with a shake of her head and gestures with her hand towards the back. "No, you can go on in, she's expecting you."

Thanking her I walk through the door leading to the back offices. Rounding the corner, I lift my hand to knock on Jaqueline's open door when a voice floats toward me. Freezing, I take a step back and look down the hall towards the conference room and my heart stutters when Gabriel walks out with Savannah and Trent.