Taming The Lockwood

Twenty Four

(if you're still reading, thanks for not giving up on me lMAO, love youuu!) life is getting pretty hectic and i now have a part time-ish job, as well as another one on the side along with college 😤 and some other commitments so i'll try my very best to keep this book going but please bear with me.

also, i just came on here after a veeeery long time and i'm absolutely overwhelmed by all the love i've received on here, i'm literally blown away, i have no other words. so thank youuu for bearing with me, agh.

(final note: i genuinely have no idea where i'm heading with this book, it's just a make-it-up-as-i-go-along-er, so if you do find any mistakes, don't hesitate to point them out to me. we're all human, after all. appreciate you all, loves.)
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"Shoot." Mirth dances in his eyes and I narrow mine a fraction, warning him.

Across our table at Riztoz, Gabriel reclines in his seat, a notable change from his usual stiffness. His hands are draped across his thighs and a lazy expression dawdles across his face.

What has my heart racing though, is the boyish mess of his hair, tousled by my fingers and the swell of his lips after our brief make-out session- there has to be no doubt about my looking worse. The thought leaves my cheeks stained a dark red and I look back at the beast opposite me, noting the way the corner of his lips tug up in amusement. He definitely knew what I was thinking about.

Reeling in a confident breath, I brace myself, mentioning my first concern and muster every bit of strength within me to keep from being tempted by his handsomeness.

"You're my boss."

"And?" He delivers the word with an arch of his eyebrow and I huff under my breath with the knowledge of him knowingly teasing me.

"Well." I pause dumbly for a second. "It's not right."

"Who dictates that?"

"You know what I mean. People will start talking." I whisper out the last part and look down at the palm of my hand, a crease forming between my brows. How does anyone get through to him? "I don't want to have a reputation." My tone rises to a high pitch as I deliver the last word and I swallow visibly, gathering my shaky hands together in my lap.

A low growl leaves the back of his throat and within seconds, he sits up, back ramrod- straight and a furious glare tainting his visage. "Has someone said something?"

"What?" I question utterly confused, my frown deepening.

"Tell me. Who was it?"

"I-I what?"

"Nora." The sound of my name escaping his lips has me momentarily dazed.

I come back to reality when his hands curl into huge fists.

Reaching out, I wrap my small hand around one of his boldly, and murmur to him with a gentle calmness, "Nobody has said anything. But it's pretty easy for people to get talking."

He relaxes under my touch, but a tenseness still resides in his muscles.

"Let them."

"It's not that easy, Gabe." I talk softly, trying to tame his temper.

"When does it ever matter what other people have to say?"

I cross my arms over my chest. "I'm not talking about this. Either I get a new job or this doesn't happen." My finger gestures between the two of us and the last part of my speech digs a small void in my chest.

For a hot moment, I think he's going to give up and I panic internally. I wasn't ready to relinquish what we had between us, so soon. We hadn't even had a chance to move past our differences.