𝐃𝐞𝐛𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 | 𝟏𝟖+

12. eyes

POPPY ELLISON

✥

My knee bounces uncontrollably as I make my way over to Gabriel's. Probably because I'm coming to his house to see him and only him. A part of me doesn't exactly know how Alexia feels about the situation but she never said anything after I spent the evening cooking when she was consoling Lonzo after a hard day of work.

The guards at the gate check my bag and stare me up and down once before letting me get to the front door. I know it's routine for them. It's something I'll have to get used to if I'm going to be spending a lot more time here.

I'm scarred from what Rexx did to me the other day. It still doesn't take away from the fact I feel guilty every second of every day. But if I don't get what he wants, he'll torture me in ways that he hasn't before.

I didn't think he could get any more vicious but I know he's always got a thing or two up his sleeve. So I want to stay on his bad side.

Gabriel opens the door and I stare blankly at him for a moment. I will never get over a good looking man in grey sweatpants and a muscle fit t-shirt. It always makes them look so effortlessly good.

"Hey," he flashes me a crooked smile. "Come in."

My eyes flick to the ground as I step inside. "Hey," I say shyly. "I hope I'm not intruding on your work time."

He shakes his head immediately. "Na, Lonzo has everything covered this evening. It's all good."

I say nothing more. My arms fall out of my jacket and he's already there taking it from me. I've never met someone who is such a gentleman, he's a breath of fresh air compared to the vile men at all the clubs I've been to over the last two years.

Gabriel has definitely done his fair share of bad things but there is still a tenderness in his voice, in his body language. Despite his scar, I really don't see anything dangerous about him. But I guess I've never seen him in action.

Personally, I don't want to. I want to be oblivious to everything he does for work.

"So you wanted to cook something Mexican?" He asks as he beckons his head over to the kitchen.

My chest brightens. He remembered. "Yeah," I nod. "I always love the spice and flavour but I want to learn how to cook it."

We stop at the kitchen and I make the mistake of glancing at his tattooed muscled forearms as he taps the counter with his finger. He wears rings too. A man who wears rings is automatically attractive in my eyes but Gabriel's already there in that department.

"Well I thought we could start easy and make tacos," he nods and I glance at the ingredients that are already out. The kitchen is spotless and ready for destruction with my attempt at cooking. "That sound good?"

I take a step closer and nod. Gabriel instantly starts telling me what to do, chopping vegetables and preparing the meat. My eyes follow his every move and I enjoy being in his company, something I never thought I would feel.

A part of me knows that I don't have to put on a front, flutter my eyelashes and pray he looks at my ass to even give me a bit of attention. I don't have to put on a front, I can be myself–that is if there is anything authentic left.

Rexx has broken me down more times than I can remember.

All I know is with Gabriel, I don't have to try. He's nice to me regardless.

Throughout the process of learning to cook, he's patient and informative. He hands me the frying pan with the ground beef cooking, mixed with some vegetables and a sauce. I stir it with a spatula which I drop by accident and in the process my bare knuckles graze the side of the pan.