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I ignored her plea, and I scrolled through my contact until I found Jonas Courtland’s number. I dialed it and willed him to answer, then let out a sigh of relief when he did. “Hey, JC. I was wondering if you had any rooms at your Chicago hotel. I—”
“I’m sorry, man. My niece is in town and currently staying there. I can check around to see if there’s anywhere else, but I think you’re out of luck. Is the place for you?”
“No,” I answered, the deflation evident in my voice. “It’s for a—” I stopped short of calling her a friend because she was definitely not one of those. “—An acquaintance, that’s all.”
“Your acquaintance might need to bunk with you. I’m sorry I don’t have better news.”
“It’s okay,” I responded.
“Be careful with that storm, Gabriel.”
“Thanks, JC. I will. Take care.” I disconnected the call and scowled more.
“I’m sorry,” Harper told me as she placed her hand on my arm. “I should’ve found a hotel before I booked the trip. I can’t sleep on the streets tonight, Gabe. I—”
“You can’t come home with me.”
“But, where am I going to stay. You can’t possibly hate me this much.”
“Oh, but I can,” I responded loudly and saw the tears fill her eyes. “Stop crying, goddammit. You can come back to my place, but you’re staying in the guest room. As soon as the airport opens back up, I want you on the next damn plane out of town.”
“I promise I’ll be no trouble, Gabriel.”
I rolled my eyes at the mention of that word. We’d made various promises to each other, and she broke every one of them. I wasn’t in the mood to rehash all of that shit, so I kept that retort to myself, then grabbed her bag. After motioning for her to follow me, I led her to the nearby parking garage where my newest toy was parked.
Her eyes widened when she saw my Ferrari, but she said nothing as she quickly got into it. I got behind the wheel and in that moment, I realized how small this car was. She was practically pressed against me, the same fruity scent of her shower gel wafting up to my nose.
I inhaled involuntarily, then closed my eyes. I had no idea how I would be able to spend a single night with her and not want to throttle her for what she put me through, but she had no where else to go. I’d have to set my hatred for her aside, and provide her shelter, but there was no saying I had to acknowledge her presence.
I started the car and once out on the street, I drove the short distance back to my penthouse and parked in one of the several spaces reserved for my vehicles. I had four here, and three in a vehicle locker. I grabbed her bag as she got out of the car and didn’t miss the way she glanced around at everything.
“Unless you plan to stay in the garage all night, I suggest you follow me.”
“Yes, of course,” she replied, flashing me a smile.
Once upon a time, I would do anything to make her smile. Now, it was like a knife to the chest. I had spent almost a decade getting over her, and in a few short minutes, she was already under my skin and for nothing more than being here.
“The elevator is this way.”
I didn’t wait to see what she was doing as I strode purposely toward the door. Once inside, I walked to the elevator and held the door open for her. We ascended in silence, and I was actually hopeful that she would just stay quiet the rest of the night, until she spoke. “I thought you were going to stay in your parents’ house.”
“That was your dream, not mine,” I told her, then said a silent thank you to the universe when we reached my floor. My penthouse encompassed the entire level, and that elevator was a private one to my residence. As the doors opened and she stepped aside, I moved past her and removed my jacket and bowtie before loosening the top two buttons of my dress shirt.
She went straight to the floor-to-ceiling windows, her gaze focused on the buildings as far back as the eye could see.
“I haven’t seen Chicago at night since—”
“I’ve had a long day. Do you want to see your room before I head to bed?”
She turned and nodded, then followed me up the staircase. I had made sure all sleeping quarters would be upstairs so the entire lower level could be used for entertaining. She was right on my heels and when I reached the room she would be in, I stopped and moved aside so she could enter.
“Do you need extra pillows? If so, there are some in the—”
“I don’t need pillows or anything else. I do need to talk to you, though. It’s the entire reason I came back here to Chicago.”
“There’s nothing to talk about, and unless you want me to reconsider letting you stay here for the night, I suggest you drop it.” I glared at her, and she finally threw her hands up.
“Since you can’t stand the sight of me, just go.”
