Gabriel's Rule Read Online Free Page B

what can I get you guys?”
    “I’ll
have a beer, whatever’s on tap.” Shane glanced at Gabe who was still fixated on
the young woman. She shifted uncomfortably so Shane kicked Gabe under the table
which finally seemed to snap the brooding man out of whatever thought he’d been
lost in.
    “Same.”
    Riley
nodded and took off. Gabe’s eyes tracked her back to the bar.
    “What
the hell?” Shane said loudly. Gabe swung back around to meet his friend’s
questioning look.
    “What?”
    “Um,
talk much?”
    Gabe
shifted back in his seat and forced himself not to watch Riley anymore. His
observant friend had already seen way too much. And between the confusion over
his mind blowing orgasm in the shower a couple nights ago and the fierce
possessiveness that had swept through him as he watched men checking out
Riley’s curve hugging skirt and tight T-shirt, he wasn’t in a place where he
could explain anything to Shane anyway.
    “What
are we doing in this hell hole?”
    How
was he supposed to tell his friend that ever since Riley had told him where she
worked he had felt the need to come here and check on her? He’d managed to
resist last night when he heard her leave her apartment, but tonight he hadn’t
been able to sit still as he thought of her in this place. When Shane had
called him to see if he wanted to go for a drink, he’d suggested Mac’s. Gabe
ignored the question and then turned to do a quick check on Riley. She was
still at the bar, presumably waiting on their drinks to be filled.
    “Are
you kidding me? This is about a woman?” Shane asked. He sounded both stunned
and condescending at the same time and Gabe wanted to punch him.
    “She’s
just a neighbor. I fixed her drain the other day.”
    “And
you just happened to pick this place tonight?”
    Gabe
shrugged, but knew he wasn’t fooling his friend. He just hoped Shane would take
the hint and let it go. He did but his new topic wasn’t any better.
    “Carly
tells me you booked three clients for next week already.” Carly was the young
woman who scheduled the clients for the escort agency and Shane’s endless charm
meant he was privy to all the latest information. “Your mom?” was all his
friend had to ask.
    Gabe
nodded his head but kept his eyes on Riley as she made her way towards them.
Shane was the only other person who knew about the shit he had been going
through with his mom and even though Shane could match any woman in the world
when it came to being a gossip, Gabe trusted him like a brother. He also knew
that Gabe wanted out of escorting so having three clients in one week was a
pretty big sign that things weren’t going well.
    “Here
you go guys.” Riley dropped off the drinks, gave Shane a quick smile and ignored
Gabe completely. He knew he deserved it.
     
    ***
    The
jerk hadn’t said one word to her – not one word. He hadn’t even greeted her or
introduced her to his friend. She’d been hurt at first, but by the time she
waded through the crowd to get the drinks, she’d worked herself up pretty good.
She’d been nothing but nice to him and he’d just dumped all over that. So much
for thinking she’d made a friend. When she’d dropped the drinks at their table,
it had taken everything in her power not to dump Gabe’s beer in his lap. She’d
felt his eyes on her several times and each time she’d glanced over to look at
him he was staring at her, his cold eyes seemingly following her every move. If
he hadn’t been so clearly pissed at her, it would have intrigued her and she probably
would have ended up reading too much into it. Didn’t matter because she was
done with him. She’d already let one guy in her past walk all over her, she
wasn’t about to do it again.
    As
she made her way around the room to check on how people were doing, she felt an
arm snake around her waist as another hand tried to grab her breast. It was one
of Stubby’s friends and as she pulled free she heard a drunken laugh and then
felt