59

AUDREY
The place where Gabriel brought me was absolutely stunning. It was a log house—a very exquisite log house erected by the bay, and I couldn’t believe they were still inside the estate.
The living room was by the fireplace. It was a little freezing tonight, so Gabriel lit up the hearth, and he would let me sit on the couch and provide me a blanket.
“Better?” he asked as soon as he was done with the fire.
I nodded and smiled. “Who uses this place?”
“Only a caretaker.” He grinned, and he settled next to me. “I asked him, and we’ll be staying here tonight.”
“It’s well maintained.” I looked around. “Thanks for taking me here.”
“There’s no need to thank me.” He slightly brushed my cheek. “I wanted to bring you here anyway.” He stared back at the fireplace. “Audrey?”
“Hmm?”
“I don’t think I can take you out of my sight anymore.” He flashed out an amused smile, but for himself. “I never wanted anyone. It was always you.” He shifted his gaze at me, and then he took my hand. “Stay with me.”
His declaration caught me on edge. I knew exactly what he meant because I was not planning on breaking up with him anyway. I was done running. I gulped hard.
“You want me to move in with you?”
He kissed my hand. “Yes, but only if you want. I won’t force you into it.”
“Why? We’ve only known each other for a few—”
“We’ve known each other for years, Audrey,” he pointed out. “You know me better than anyone.”
“Um… Can I think about it? I just agreed to pose for your portrait. Don’t we need to slow down?”
He nodded, leaned forward, and kissed my forehead. “I understand. I told you I’m not going to force you to do something you don’t want.”
“Do you know what I want?”
He grinned. “What?”
“Come here.” I pulled him next to me with open arms so he would rest his head on my chest, then I wrapped my arms around him. “This. I want this.”
I stole a kiss on his forehead, and I felt his smile.
“All this time, I was driven by anger,” he spoke softly. “All I could think of was to make you feel how you’ve hurt me, but when you told me you might run away, I don’t think I could afford that.”
“And I thought running away was the solution,” I confessed. “I was so ashamed of myself. I lived with guilt, thinking that someone died because of me.”
He chuckled softly. “But don’t you think this is fate? It brought you back to me. I never thought you’d appear in front of me when I tried not to look for you.”
“Why would you avoid it?”
Gabriel pulled himself up and positioned himself on top of me, caging me between his strong arms. “Because I might hurt you. Did I hurt you, Audrey?”
I shook my head firmly. “You were an ass.” I snorted. “It made me freaking wish I shouldn’t have worked for you.”
“That was when I thought putting you under pressure would make us a little even. I’m sorry if I was.”
“But I fell in love with the prick you are,” I smirked. “I thought it was probably going to be the end of me. Falling in love with my boss despite being an asshole. But you weren’t anymore, that’s why I’ve fallen even more. You are always sweet, kind, and thoughtful.”
He lowered himself and kissed my mouth lightly. “Not as sweet as you.”
“Don’t you think it’s for you to tell me the rest of your story? What else did I miss? What happened to you during those eight years you left town?”
”Something you already know.” He sat back on the cushion. “I first went to Harvard that same year, graduated, and completed my MBA. I lived in Rome for two years, explored Europe for a year, came back, and established a venture of my own.”
“What did you do in Rome?”
“I’ve become very fond of Italian Arts, but it’s mostly because I was discovering myself and what I really wanted.”
I smiled in admiration of his eventful life while I’d only work my ass off after every class. I had no time to have fun.
“And what did you find?”
“The idea of starting a fashion brand. I could never be a painter or an artist, and with the money my father left me, I succeeded. My father, Gilbert Cross, left me an entire fortune that I never knew existed. It was left in my Dad’s care before he moved to Phoenix.” The way he said it still sounded astonishing at his end. “He lived a simple life on a farm because it’s what Mama wanted. It’s not that she didn’t want money, but she’d always tell me it was the root of all problems and not the solution. Odd, right?” He chuckled humorlessly.
“Well, she wasn’t wrong,” I agreed. “Look at what happened to my father.”
“But I say, money is just money. It just changes people, but how it changes us is up to us. It’s always us who decide,” he stated.
I couldn’t agree more. Money was the reason my family was driven apart. Money could make people successful, like Gabriel Stark, but money also destroyed life.
“But I guess you should know this too,” he continued. “All the properties your family-owned are now in my possession.”
I tensed up. “What?”
He looked at me. “In time, Audrey, I’ll bring him down.” His jaw rippled. “I promise he’d regret every fucking thing he did to the people he hurt and to me. I wouldn’t care anymore if he’s your father, and I’m not telling you this because I needed permission. I’m just telling you so you know.”
I reached for his shoulder. “It’s still dangerous.”
“I don’t make a move without a plan. We should be fine…”