Page 67 of Pure Abandon

I look over to Trish. “Will you please make my husband a cappuccino?”

Gabriel turns to me, confused by my abrupt command. The good thing is he doesn’t think twice about Trish’s question nor does he attempt to answer it.

“No, Kat, that’s fine. I’m just leaving,” he says.

“So soon?” A twinge of disenchantment resonates in my throat.

“Yes, I was just stopping by. I have a meeting a few blocks from here.” He looks just as disappointed to go as I am to see him leave.

“I’ll walk you out.” I lead Gabriel out the door and down the concrete hallway with the box of Twinkies still in my hand. Trish makes her way toward Heather’s office.

“Thank you for coming to visit.” I truly am happy Gabriel is here.

“Absolutely. I’ll try and do it more when this trial is over.” Once we’re at the elevator, I hit the call button and stand with Gabriel, waiting for the car to arrive.

As the elevator doors open, I lean up and give him a good-bye kiss on the lips. The kiss is sweet and appropriate for the office. Still, I hold on to it entirely too long. His tender, velvety lips feel so good against mine.

“Ahem.” We are interrupted by the sound of someone clearing his throat. And it’s not Trish.

Inside the elevator is a pair of golden eyes. Gabriel and I unlock our lips and the three of us make eye contact. Gold to green to blue. We’re like the Crux Gemmata of early Christian art. Jeweled crosses in precious metal that hang above altars with the alpha and omega signs hanging in juxtaposition.

A symbol of the beginning and the end.

You can cut the tension with a knife. At least I can. I wonder if Gabriel can feel it.

Asher exits the elevator, holding the door open with his arm.

“Going down?” He’s being snarky.

“Mr. Asher, this is my husband, Gabriel Monroe. Gabriel, this is my boss, Alexander Asher.”

For the first time, I am able to appraise the men properly. Gabriel is a touch taller than Asher, yet the men are equally as handsome in entirely different ways. Gabriel with his fit frame and all-American good looks, slick dark waves of hair, fair skin, and navy-blue eyes. Asher is exotic with bronzed skin and a rock-hard physique, but his blond highlights and citrine eyes make him mesmerizing for all the wrong reasons. Gabriel’s nose is a little straighter, Asher’s jaw a little more square and manly. Gabriel’s eyes are bigger and brighter; Asher’s lips are fuller, his smile broader. They are the black and white, the yin and yang of my life.

Alpha and omega in the flesh.

But which is which, I don’t know.

Asher holds his hand out to Gabriel. “Mr. Monroe. I have heard a lot about you. It’s a pleasure to finally meet the husband.” Asher puts an emphasis around the term. It doesn’t help my story of me hardly ever seeing Asher. Nevertheless, I don’t think Gabriel notices.

Gabriel shakes Asher’s hand. “Pleasure to meet you.” Gabriel quickly removes his hand and places his arm around my waist, marking his territory. “I was just paying a surprise visit to my wife.” He puts emphasis on the word wife.

Yup, it’s a pissing match.

Asher laughs it off. “Well, I hope you do stop by more often.” He eyes the box in my hand, lifts the lid, and takes out a package. “Twinkie?” he offers Gabriel.

The jerk!

Gabriel turns to me and places another kiss on my lips. “I have to go. I’ll be home late tonight. Don’t wait up, okay?”

I nod in understanding and watch as my beautiful husband gets into the elevator.

As soon as the doors close, I hit Asher in the arm.

“Ass!” I say as I storm down to my office, thankful there is no one in the front reception area. I can hear his chuckle over the sound of my heels pounding down the concrete hallway.

I arrive home to a partially empty house. Gwen is at dinner with friends and Carmen leaves as soon as I get home. Jackson and I play with his building blocks for a while.

Build them up. Knock them down. Repeat. We partake in our nighttime ritual of bed, bath, and bottle. Even the lioness knows of this.