The Unexpected Heiress [ON HOLD]

Eight

Chapter Eight (picture of Caroline) 

Gemma’s heart fluttered at the sight of the man in front of her. Surprise was definitely an understatement. She was not expecting to see Marcelo at her front door, especially from coming back after having coffee with Will. Even though she still felt disappointed in Marcelo for just leaving without an explanation to her personally, she couldn’t deny the pitter-patter of her heart against her ribcage. She was happy to see him.

“I was just about to leave.” Marcelo’s stance stayed rigid, and his face was unreadable, his eyes looking anywhere but the two of them. “I thought I would surprise you with…” He bent down to pick up the beautiful, blooming roses and chuckled humorlessly. “Roses.” He held them out to her lamely.

Gemma eyed him warily and stepped closer to him, forgetting about Will entirely. “They’re beautiful.” Her free hand, not holding a café’s coffee cup with its insignia on the side, enclosed around the stems of the roses. Her hand lightly touched Marcelo’s but he pulled away a second after the contact. Her heart fell. “Thank you.”

He finally flicked his eyes over to hers, her earning for his eye contact being fulfilled. “I see I have interrupted something. I should leave you two at it.” He nodded at Will, and Gemma closed her eyes.

“Please stay.”

Those two words took everything within her to utter them.

A clear of a throat reminded Gemma of Will behind her. She turned around and flashed him an apologetic smile. “Will, this is Marcelo. He’s a… business partner of mine. Marcelo, Will.” She shuffled her hand back and forth. “He lives in the same building as me.”

The two acknowledged each other with a nod of their heads as men do.

“Will, good night. Thanks again for the wonderful evening. I guess I’ll see you around?”

After pulling away from the staring match with Marcelo, he flashed her his charming smile. “Anytime. Good night.” He leaned in to kiss her chastely on the cheek and disappeared down another hallway on the same floor.

Gemma’s cheeks heated up, and as she looked up at Marcelo’s narrowed eyes, it felt like a burning inferno. They both stood awkwardly in front of each other just outside of her apartment unit. Marcelo kept his hands in the pockets of his slacks, and she looked down at her feet trying to find the courage to speak.

“Um, it was rude of me to demand you to stay.” Gemma looked up to meet his wandering eyes. “I’ll understand if you have to go.”

He was silent for a moment before he spoke. “Do you want me to go?”

Her eyes grew big at the question. “No. I don’t.”

She noticed his stance finally relax, and a part of her did the same as well. “Then I will stay.”

She smiled briefly and fumbled for her keys in her purse. The roses and leftover coffee weren’t helping. She felt the heat radiated by Marcelo’s arm as he enclosed his hand over hers and turned the key into the lock. She was afraid he could hear the rapid beating of her heart.

“Thanks,” she murmured pushing the door with her foot. Gemma quickly sent a prayer above that nothing embarrassing would be within eyesight, like an undergarment or something equally humiliating. She was generally a clean person so if something appeared, she would be just out of luck. “Well, welcome to my home.”

She turned the lights on walking into the open living room area. Hearing the door click shut behind her made her realize this was the first time she was bringing someone back to her place besides Leila and Will. And it was Marcelo Valacari of all people.