Temptation on Ocean Drive - Jennifer Probst Page 0,71
Extra olives, please, preferably stuffed with blue cheese.”
“Got it.”
The waitress drifted off, and Gabe stared at Bella.
“What?” she asked.
“I’ve never seen you drink anything stronger than wine, yet you ordered like we’re in a James Bond movie.”
She shrugged, then tucked one leg underneath her. “I love a good martini for the right occasion, but they have to be perfect.”
“Are you a high-maintenance person masked as low maintenance?”
A laugh escaped her lips. He savored the sound like an expensive aged bourbon. “I don’t think so. Or maybe I am. Maybe I pretend to be calm and zen to escape the fact I really am a control freak.”
“I think we all have those tendencies.”
“What about you? You seem pretty chill most of the time.”
He winced. “I am, but I don’t like anyone messing with my stuff.”
She cocked her head. “What do you mean?”
“Probably an only-child thing, I don’t know. That’s why I never hired a cleaner. I like to have my things in a certain place, and if they’re moved, I get upset.”
Her lip quirked up, and her blue eyes filled with amusement. “Oh, you are going to need to explain more. This image is not fitting with the Gabe I know.”
“Forget it. The drinks are here.”
The waitress set them on the table. Bella sipped hers and declared it perfect, and he leaned back to enjoy his beer. “I’m not going to leave you alone until you tell me the rest,” she finally said, pushing the stirrer in tiny circles. “Get it over with.”
He groaned. “Fine, but don’t tell Avery or Taylor. They like to pull the occasional prank, and I don’t feel like being the recipient.”
“I won’t.”
“Well, I like to alphabetize things. DVDs, books, et cetera.”
“That’s not too bad.”
“And the pantry is coordinated into sections so it’s easier to find things.”
A frown furrowed her brow. “Interesting. Each shelf?”
“Yes, they’re color coordinated. And I have canisters that are labeled.”
“Okay. That’s a bit intense.”
“Maybe, but I never lose time looking for something.”
“Interesting. What about your closet?”
He winced. “They’re hung according to categories. Dress, casual, summer, winter, et cetera.”
“Do you leave things out on the counter? Table?”
A shudder shook through him, so he took a sip of beer. “Hell no. There’s a place for everything.”
“This is more hard-core than I originally thought. Funny, I never noticed it at work. I mean, I know you like your charts like Avery, but it never seemed outrageous.” She contemplated her drink. “What happens if you have a visitor over and she drops stuff on the floor?”
“I rarely have visitors.”
“But if you do?”
He hesitated, imagining her in his room. Clothes lying in a tangle on the carpet, bra thrown carelessly over the chair, heels kicked off and left without a thought. He lived like a monk, used to his single status and his ability to never need to compromise. The yearning for more crashed over him and churned his gut. He’d happily change to have someone he cared about in his life, interwoven in his daily routine, bringing a chaos that was messy but joyous.
His answer came out rough. “I’d forgive her.”
A thread of tension tightened between them. God, he shouldn’t have said anything. He should be imagining Devon in the room. Their date had gone well, and they’d left each other with a hug and a lingering hope for maybe more. At least, that’s what he’d wanted to feel.
A group of men dressed in trendy shirts and dark-washed jeans came into the lounge, visibly drunk and loud. They crowded close to Bella and Gabe, cracking offensive jokes, obviously still ready to keep the party going. Bella’s face tightened as one of them began talking about banging the hottie in the club in the bathroom stall, and Gabe stood up. “Come on. Let’s take our drinks and go somewhere quiet. I don’t think we need any more noise tonight.”
“Good idea.” She took her martini, and they passed through the lobby, but there were no good places to sit and talk. “We can go to my room,” she suddenly offered. “I have one of those nice living-room areas that’s comfortable.”
He opened his mouth to decline. It wasn’t a good idea to be alone with her. Not late at night, after a big wedding, when his heart was still raw. But she nibbled on that lower lip, like she was worried he might think something bad, and he found himself nodding.
They rode the elevator up and entered her room. It opened up to a spacious sitting area with two chairs,