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Whether it was lust or simply an appreciation of the woman in front of him, she wasn’t sure. What she did know was that he made her feel special and very much desired.
    The feeling was not foreign to her, other men in the past had made attempts to do the same. But something about Gabriel Turner was different. More powerful. More primitive. While that may have seemed like the exact opposite of the man standing across the room from her, she knew it was the right words to describe him.
    He pulled out some glasses and a crystal decanter of alcohol. “Scotch?”
    “Sure, I’ll have some.” Remembering that she needed to let her friends know where she was, she pulled out her phone and sent a quick text, letting them know where they had ended up. Safety first and all that jazz. Once that task was complete, she turned back to Gabriel and watched his movements.
    After pouring some of the amber liquid into both glasses and putting the decanter away, he walked over to where she was standing. “You know, you could have sat down.”
    “I know.” Okay, now she was acting like a scared virgin. Get it together, Penelope. Her inner Diva was completely disappointed in her behavior. Taking a calming breath, she sat her purse down on table closest to her. “I was just waiting for you. Where would you like to sit?”
    Placing the glasses on the heavy glass coffee table in front of them, Gabriel sat down on the plush couch and stretched his legs out in front of him. “How about right here? Feel free to take your shoes off. You should relax.”
    Pausing for a moment, she eventually reached down and pulled one heel off, and then the other. Her toes immediately curled into soft carpet. The fibers almost tickling her toes as she stood there, as if waiting for her next order.
    Patting the seat next to him, Gabriel gave her a patient smile. “Come on, beautiful. Sit down. I won’t bite.”
    Giving herself an internal nudge, she sat down on the couch next to him and reached out for her drink. This was not her first time at the party, so she needed to stop acting as if she did not know what was going on. The man was interested in her and she was interested in him. For tonight that was all she cared about. It was the only thing that mattered. Taking a fortifying sip of her drink, she turned to her host and smiled. Tonight was all for her and she was going to enjoy every single minute.
     
     
     
    Laughing at another story Gabriel had just shared about his childhood in Brooklyn, Penelope was almost in tears at his serious look. “You have to be kidding me. You? Mr. I’m in control at all times is afraid of small, creepy, crawly bugs?” Sitting her empty glass down on the table in front of them, she went to wipe her eyes when the look on Gabriel’s face stopped her cold.
    The look was intense, but not scary. His gaze was filled with heat, the kind that makes you want to jump on someone and rip their clothing off. “Gabriel? Are you okay?”
    Voice tight and husky, he went to lift a hand to her cheek, but paused, “My God, you are beautiful.” Continuing the path of his hand, he grazed his fingers down her cheek, stopping at her lips. The flat tip of his thumb caressed her lower lip, his remaining four fingers holding her tight around the face as his breathing became ragged. “Stay.”
    “Gabriel…” Not sure what she was going to say, the only word she could get out of her mouth was his name.
    “Just one night. I know this is not your normal thing, but I’ve wanted you since I first saw you. Sitting here with you, just being me for these couple of hours has made me feel normal. Better than I have in years. I haven’t wanted anyone like this in a long time. But tonight, all I want is you.”
    The feeling of his hands on her, grasping her tightly, was her undoing. He was right, this wasn’t usually her, but tonight—it would be. She needed this. Even if she never saw him again after tonight, she would relive these moments in her