S

he looks so defenseless and small on that bed, but more so as the detective overlooking the murder case interrogated her a little after waking up. I wanted to safeguard her from this, to break his jaw when he insinuated wrongdoing for not calling it in right away, but Gabriella handled herself perfectly. So prettily.

She knew her limits and rights and made it known, especially when handing over the security password where two motion sensor cameras captured the event. I’ll also be looking at the footage later while she rests in my home, because that’s where she’ll sleep tonight.

Under my roof. My care.

I’m not letting her out of my sight. Not today. Not tomorrow.

I’m a firm believer in fate, and it’s led me to her. This is a predestined path we all must follow, and my admiration for her work has led to an infatuation with the little beauty that’s been building for years. Her paintings are an extension of that inherent mouthiness that makes her all the more attractive.

I like her blushing tendencies.

I like her sassy responses.

She’s naturally stunning and without pretentiousness; what you see is what you get. It’s there in her expressive eyes and body language. There’s no need to guess with her, and that’s more than refreshing. It’s so fucking sexy.

“Am I crazy?” she whispers while asleep and I chuckle, taking in the slow rise and fall of her chest. How her eyelids flutter and goose bumps spread down her arms. So, little Gabriella naturally talks in her sleep? Adorable. “Feels like it. Everything is out of my control.”

“You’re not,” I answer even though the question wasn’t for me—who knows what’s going on in her dreamlike state, but if she can hear me, my hope is that I bring her comfort. Taking a hold of her hand, I slowly bring it to my lips and place a kiss over each knuckle. “I promise.”

“But these dreams and the voice—”

“Dreams are just dreams, sweetheart. Nothing is wrong with you.” My lips are against her skin, loving the softness of her hand. How delicate and small it is in my own. “You’re perfect as is. Always have been.”

Soft footfalls make a squeaking sound the closer to the room they get, and I turn to look at the door a second before the on-call attending peeks his head in. He’s on the younger side and with wandering eyes that sweep across her face a little longer than what’s appropriate and he knows it.

The asshole smirks to himself and walks in, but stops when he notices me. Blue eyes widen and a tan complexion becomes a bit pale; he backs down faster than he blinks.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know anyone was—”

“When will she be discharged?” I interrupt his meaningless apology. I’m not a man of useless words or platitudes; I say only what I mean, and nothing less. Anything else is a waste of time. He stares at me but doesn’t speak for a few minutes and my patience is running thin, too thin to play this game. “Answer me.”

The man swallows hard, nodding fast. “As soon as she wakes up. Her vitals are stable, and other than exhaustion, Miss Moore is fine.” Dr. Frausu, as his name tag reads, hasn’t bothered to look at the machines monitoring her or the notes left behind by the nurse an hour ago. My jaw ticks and the hand not holding hers clenches, nails digging into my palm. “I’ll have the paperwork ready for whenever she wakes up. Does that work?”

“You do that.” There’s a slight jerk to her hand and her breathing has changed. My eyes flick to her, and I notice the faster rise and fall of her chest. She’s alert. And yet Gabriella’s playing asleep to listen in. Bad girl.

“Of course, sir. I just need to check—”

“Get out.” The words come out on a low growl, and I notice him flinch from the corner of my eye. He’s also looking at the floor. “Send the nurse to check her as your incompetence isn’t welcomed in this room. Understood?”

“I’m her doc—”

My head snaps in his direction, eyes narrowed. “I don’t like to repeat myself. Understood?”

“Yes.” He nods before I finish and then scurries off before I can acknowledge his response. Pathetic.

“That was mean.” A low chuckle greets my ears, and I tilt my head in her direction while watching the door close. “And here I thought you were harmless.”

“So is pretending to be asleep in order to spy on the conversation, Miss Moore.”

“Which sin is worse?” she asks while I turn to face her, my body leaning closer.

“The one where you doubt my abilities to protect you at all costs.” My words cause her to blush, and yet I also notice I ruffled some feathers. She’s glaring while biting that damn bottom lip I yearn to lick. “Something on your mind, Gabriella?”

She scoffs, a challenging brow raised. “How is it rude when the conversation is about me?”

I don’t miss her avoidance and mimic the action. “Easy.”

“I’m waiting.”

“I know.” Keeping my eyes on hers, I get just close enough to make her gasp. For goose bumps to rise across her soft skin while I bite back a grin. “It’s rude because it’s beneath you. It’s rude because I’ll never hide anything from you, Gabriella. Ask me, and I’ll always answer.”

“Trust isn’t freely given by me. Nor does this make sense.” A red curl has gotten loose from her messy updo, and I push it back behind her ear with a single finger. She shivers. Shakes a little. “We don’t know each other, and this makes no sense.”

I nod at her low response. “We don’t, and it does.”

“How so?”

“Because sometimes life places a gift in your path that you’d be an idiot to ignore. Because there’s something between us, more than this sudden attraction, that I won’t ignore.”

“And I’m that gift?”

“You are more than that.”

“This is my home,” I say after entering my penthouse apartment in the Belltown area a few hours later. She’s been discharged into my care, per the nurse’s request to be monitored and a bit of negotiating on my behalf. She doesn’t know me well enough yet, and I was more than accommodating in sending a message to the detective working the case via her phone and mine explaining where Gabriella is and the why.

Elise also knows, but not by our doing. She’d found us leaving the hospital—were almost inside my car—when her false best-friend-instincts arose, and she tried to take Gabriella with her. Not that the blonde idiot cared or wanted to help, something the beauty beside me knows, but more to prevent this.

Miss Moore in my home. Close to me.

“Come on, Gabby,” Elise says with the fakest smile on her face, her hand reaching out toward the stiff woman beside me. “Let me get you home and settled in so Theodore can return to his busy day. I’m sure he doesn’t have time to babysit you.”

“How did you know we were here, Miss Scott?”

Her eyes flicker to mine, batting her lashes before attempting to seem concerned. Lies. A motherfucking lie. “Didn’t Gabriella tell you she called me? She said she needed a ride home and I came down right away.”

“Is that so?”

“Ask her yourself, Theodore. Right, Gabby?” Both sets of eyes turn toward the quiet woman beside me who promptly rolls her eyes at Elise while holding her hand out silently for my car keys. We are but a few steps from it, almost within reach if you lean over enough, and I hand them over without a second thought. “Gabriella! We spoke about this and have an agreement.”

There’s a hidden meaning behind those words, a tinge of a threat, but my girl’s response is to unlock the door and get in, closing it with a bit more force than necessary, but the answer is in her actions. She wasn’t going anywhere with her. Not that I would’ve allowed it either.

Gabriella could’ve left, could’ve let Elise manipulate her, but I was proud of her for not saying a single word. Moreover, I’m expecting her so-called friend’s call. Because after our brunch fiasco, I’ve done my own bit of research and know more than she wants—what is beneficial to her.

“And you live here alone?” Gabriella asks out of nowhere and I bite back a smile. What she doesn’t ask outright is if I’m dating anyone.