Page 9 of The Penthouse Grump

CHAPTER FIVE

ALICE

We ride the rest of the way to work in total silence. The air is full of static, and every time I open my mouth to say something, I think of all the ways I could embarrass myself, so I don’t say anything at all. I’m not sure where my bravery came from, and now I have to figure out how to make good on my promise to resist him.

Gabe’s giant body is all but dominating his side of the limo. He’s scrolling his phone, probably plotting mergers and hostile takeovers, but every so often, I swear I catch him glancing at me. Not directly, just reflected in the glass. I see the tiniest twitch of his stubbled jaw. The smirk that equally irritates and turns me on.

I try to focus on the changing scenery out the window. It’s a lovely morning. Spring in Texas means the air is heavy with the scent of blooming wildflowers, and the sidewalks are lined with people walking dogs and jogging and pretending not to stare at the millionaires riding to work in their limos. Every second we get closer to the office, my heart rate doubles. I am absolutely, one hundred percent certain that if anyone sees me get out of this car with Gabe, my life will explode.

“I can’t go in with you,” I blurt, which is hilarious because I was planning to ghost right out of the limo the second it stopped moving. “People will talk.”

He doesn’t even glance up. “Let them.”

“Easy for you to say,” I huff, shifting as the car glides to a stop in the lower-level garage. “You’re the boss. No one is going to have the balls to question your life choices. At least not to your face.” The last bit slips out before I can stop it, but Gabe finally looks over, a gleam in his eye.

“What people say doesn’t bother me one bit,” he says, and the way he says it, dark and slow, I almost forget my own name.

“Yeah, well, some of us have to work for a living.” I try to sound tough, but my voice cracks, and I instantly hate myself. “And I don’t want anyone to think I’m sleeping with my boss’s boss’s boss to get ahead at The Mercer Group.”

Gabe grins, wolfish, and my girly parts vibrate with excitement. “I admire your work ethic, Ms. Stone. Go ahead—I’ll give you a sixty-second head start.” He winks at me, and I hop out of the limo like my ass is on fire.

I speed-walk up to the elevator, hoping no one else arrives before I hop into the steel and glass enclosure. I keep my eyes glued to the floor and power walk to the elevator banks. I risk a glance behind me, just to make sure he isn’t following, but the limo is still idling, and Gabe is nowhere in sight.

My breathing finally levels out as I hit the elevator and jab the button with way more force than necessary. I clutch my purse so hard the handle nearly snaps. It’s fine. Everything’s fine. If I’m lucky, no one even saw me.

The elevator pings open, and I step inside, alone. Blessed, perfect isolation. I ride up to the 12th floor, try to pull myself together, and walk into the admin suite like I didn’t just dare the company CEO to make a move on me in the back seat of a luxury vehicle.

It takes about two seconds before the anxiety returns. Oh God. Did I really do that? I slide into my cubicle and settle in, open my laptop, and pretend to read my inbox. In reality, I’m trying to figure out how my life went so crazy in just a few hours.

“Good morning, Alice,” chirps Cindy, the office manager. She’s wearing her signature citrus perfume, the kind that gives me a headache.

“Good morning.” I try to sound chipper, but my voice is brittle and thin.

She doesn’t say anything about Gabe, or limos, or rumors. Not even a raised eyebrow. “I need the Dixon analysis on my desk by the end of the day.” I breathe a sigh of relief. It’s business as usual with Cindy, so I’m assuming no one saw how I arrived this morning.

“I’ll send it over as soon as I’m done.” I give her a smile before getting to work. I type out the password to my work computer with shaking fingers, telling myself this is just like any other day. I survive a full three minutes before I feel the hair on the back of my neck stand up. I look up, just in time to see Gabe striding across the glass-walled corridor on his way to his private elevator.

He doesn’t look at me. But for a split second, he slows down, and I see him tap something on his phone, and all three men he’s walking with stop and wait for him.