to today would know he'd been claimed, to let them see my mark on him, but I resisted. That I was hiding in the break room, making out in secret, was more than enough. I couldn't explain the rush, but being with him made me feel alive.
"Elena," he finally said, taking the tissue from my fingers. "Your ex is going to say I'm too young, that this will never work, and everything else he can. I don't care. The only thing that matters to me is what you think. Tell him or don't. Introduce us or don't. I really don't care. My job is to make you happy and not make problems for Gabby."
I was a little shocked that he hadn't ignored my earlier question. Even more that he actually understood why I'd mentioned it. Over and over, he made it clear that dating him wouldn't be a hassle, but he didn't know Gerardo as well as I did. Then again, I was divorcing the man for a reason. I'd be damned if I let him ruin what was happening here.
"When did it get so complicated?" I asked. "I mean, I feel like I have all these hurdles I have to worry about, and somehow you're navigating them so easily."
He ducked his head with the hint of a smile. "I was fresh out of high school, just settling in for my first semester of college, when my parents got divorced. Only a few years older than Gabby, actually. I want to say eighteen, but around there, since I graduated early. I definitely remember the fights, the demands, and how they tried to make us into their shields. I hated it when it happened to me, so I respect the hell out of you for not doing that with Gabby. If that means there are a few hoops, then I'll jump through them all, baby."
"Thank you," I told him, meaning it more than I could say.
He leaned in to kiss my cheek. "And the guys will most likely find a reason to stop in today. Just so you're aware."
I was pretty sure I knew why. "Because we're dating?"
A little spark glinted in his eyes. "Mhm. And they know very well that 'we' includes them." Then he stepped back. "Hope you're ready for this."
I wasn't. For some reason, when he said that, I imagined awkward boys acting like they'd just gotten a free pass to get laid. Granted, there was still a little thrill in that for me, but it wasn't at all what happened. I should've known better. These five were men, the real kind, who actually respected me.
It started with Trent. Around nine that morning, he came by for the list of leased homes so he could do a final walk-through. I handed that to him, and he made sure his fingers brushed mine as he took the papers. Then, before he left, he paused to whisper in my ear that I was beautiful. It wasn't much, but it still got the point across.
Just before lunch, it was Pax. I was on the phone, so he moved behind me, gently caressing my shoulder before pointing at a drawer, asking permission to rummage. What he pulled out was a list of utility contacts. Borrowing a pen from my desk and a post-it note, he wrote down a number, pushed it into his pocket, and returned the list to the file. I was done with the call by that time, so he thanked me and snuck in a kiss against the side of my neck.
About an hour later, Seth appeared. He looked almost nervous but made a point to let me know he was happy for Ian and me as he headed in to talk to Ashley. That was it. The blush on his cheeks, though, spoke volumes. But, since he was trying to pretend like this was no big deal, I could do the same. The truth was that it all felt overwhelming. The kind that made me want to smile and sigh dreamily.
I was convinced that this was the best day since I'd started working here, right up until Sampson Delaney, one of the renters in the community, walked into the office. I was on a call, so smiled at him politely, but that wasn't enough. The older man slammed his hand down on my desk loud enough to be heard by the person on the phone. Needless to say, I quickly ended the call with a promise to email