Once Upon A Time Read online

  “The pleasure's all mine,” he replied, his voice all kinds of sinful.

  I removed my hands from my face, trying to hide the giggle as I watched Kylie’s mouth turn into a perfectly formed O. My god, I think she swooned. I needed to get us out of here before I slapped both of them.

  “Kylie, shouldn't we be getting back to the office?”

  Kylie removed her hand from his, checking her wristwatch.

  “No. We still have another thirty minutes.” She grinned at me.

  I was going to do jail time for this.

  Turning my attention to Gabriel, I smiled softly.

  “Sorry, Mr. Black. We have a meeting to attend. It was nice seeing you again.” I stood, pushing my purse up my shoulder. I nodded my head to Kylie, indicating we needed to leave. She raised her brow, shaking her head softly.

  “What’s the rush?” Gabriel quickly took a seat in the booth next to Kylie. “Kylie said you don’t have to be back for another thirty minutes.”

  Oh, kill me now. I threw a glare at Gabriel before looking to my best friend and doing the same. This time, she took the hint. Thank god. Standing, she shook his hand once more.

  “No, Payton’s right. We have a meeting but I can cover for her for another hour or so.” She smirked, turning to me. Moving from the booth, she strode out of the coffee shop with nothing but a small wave of her hand. “See you at the office, sweetie!”

  Suddenly, we were alone and my mouth hung open like an idiot. What was he doing here? Shaking my head and finally closing my mouth, I sat down. There was no use running away like a scared child.

  “So.” He took a sip of his coffee. “Your friend's… unique.”

  I snickered, knowing full well that if she heard him say that, she’d kick his ass up and down lower Manhattan.

  “She also wasn’t kidding when she said she’s a black belt. I wouldn't say that to her face.”

  “I wouldn't dream of it,” he said playfully.

  Damn it.

  I sighed heavily.

  “What do you want, Gabriel?”

  He held my gaze for a moment, seemingly contemplating his next move.

  “Like I said, you in my office on Monday.”

  “I'll call your secretary when I get back to the office," I replied dryly, standing from my seat. "Will that be all, Mr. Black?”

  “No.” He growled. “Sit.”

  I dropped to my seat without protest.

  “I want your pussy, Payton. We need to discuss that.”

  My eyes widened at his brashness. Who says that over coffee?

  “I’m not a business transaction, Gabriel.” I scoffed, crossing my arms over my chest. “If we’re going to work together, we need to be professional at all times. I could lose my job if my boss ever found out about what happened at Omega. We'll work on the account, ensuring all your businesses get the attention they need but I will not be sleeping with you.”

  “You're stubborn.”

  “Very. Don’t test me Mr. Black,” I fired back.

  “And if I do?”

  “Then you’ll find out just how damn stubborn I am.” I stood, pushing my purse up on my shoulder again. “I won’t be sleeping with you. I suggest you find pussy elsewhere, I’m not a whore.”

  He raised his eyebrow. “I think you’re quite the opposite, Miss Miller. But I’m up for a challenge when it comes to the scent of you.”

  “And I’m quite willing to fight you at every turn. Good day, Mr. Black.”

  I MADE A DEAL WITH THE DEVIL.

  The weekend came and went and I found my thoughts drifting to Gabriel. I scolded myself again and again, wondering if the threats I made were a good idea.

  Monday morning rolled around quicker than I would've liked, the nerves fluttering in my stomach making me uneasy as I stepped into Black Enterprises for a second time. I went through the usual security at the doors before moving from the foyer to the main reception, finding the most ignorant woman alive.

  “Good morning, I’m here to see Mr. Black.”

  The woman, who clearly recognized me from my first visit, scoffed and pointed to the elevators.

  “Twenty-third floor.”

  I rolled my eyes and made my way over to the elevators. The doors quickly opened and I pressed the button of Gabriel’s floor. Sighing, I leaned against the wall of the elevator as the doors began to close but out of nowhere, a large hand stopped them in their tracks.

  Standing up straight, I pressed myself further into the elevator, hoping the stranger would hurry up and just get in the damn thing. The stranger straightened his tie and walked in, pulling a gasp from my lips.

  It was Gabriel… but it wasn't.

  His face, his jaw line, his lips. All were the same as Gabriel’s, except for his eyes; instead of that deep unique grey, his were blue, so blue like sapphires. This guy had to be related to Gabriel; if not, he really should look into his family history.

  “Ah, you've noticed. I wondered how long it would take you.” He smiled and pressed the button for floor twenty-three. Oh, I was a complete puddle on the floor, his strong British accent pretty much made me weak at the knees.

  “Uh, I’m confused. Are you talking to me?” I pointed at my chest, which in hindsight was pretty idiotic, considering his eyes drifted to my exposed cleavage. “Hey! Eyes, they’re up here.”

  “And what pretty ones they are.” He smiled, his eyes still attached to my chest. “I can see why my brother is so taken with you.”

  “Yep, still confused and eyes still on my tits.” I crossed my arms over my chest which, to my dismay, didn't really help the situation much.

  He laughed softly, the sound filling the elevator as he gaze finally met mine.

  “I’m Luca Black, Gabriel’s brother, and I’m presuming you’re Payton?”

  “Brother?” I asked.

  “Didn't he tell you? He’s a pain in the arse but yes, he is my brother.” He chuckled, leaning towards me. “But I’m the more handsome one, if you hadn't noticed.”

  Oh hell, he was Gabriel’s brother alright. If you couldn't tell from the looks, you’d certainly know after he opened his mouth.

  “I had no idea,” I admitted.

  “Of course you didn't. Gabriel isn't forthcoming when it comes to family.”

  “Why would he be? We just work together.” I shrugged. The elevator came to a halt and the doors opened to Gabriel’s floor.

  “Whatever you say, beautiful.” He stepped out, leaving me utterly confused.

  Shaking my head, I stepped out of the elevator and made my way over to the reception area which, thankfully, had the polite, blonde woman waiting.

  “Ms. Miller?” She smiled, standing from her chair and walking around her desk to greet me.

  “Hi. Sorry, I didn't get your name the first time we met.”

  “You can call me Rebecca. If you’d like to follow me, Mr. Black’s ready for you.”

  Stepping into the large space, we walked towards Gabriel’s office.

  “Would you like something to drink?” she asked. I shook my head and she nodded. “Door open.”

  Thankfully, I was smart enough to stay away from any kind of door knob after my first experience with Gabriel’s flashy doors. I didn’t need a repeat experience. Sighing, I stepped into the office, noticing Gabriel and Luca standing in the middle of the office.

  “Don’t push it, Luca.” I heard Gabriel growl quietly as I stood in the doorway.

  “Wouldn't dream of it, brother.” Luca chuckled. His eyes caught mine and he gave me a wink. “Anyway, I'll let you two… catch up.”

  Luca patted his brother on the back, pulling a grunt from him as he stepped away to leave the room.

  “Try not to kill yourself, Luca, I’m not bailing your ass out of jail again,” Gabriel growled, shaking his head as Luca shrugged in response.

  “That wasn't my fault,” Luca stated, his eyes on me but addressing his brother. “I didn't know it was a one-way street.”

  “Nin
ety percent of New York City is one-way.” Gabriel groaned. “I don’t think asking the cop whether he knew where to get some good pussy was a good idea either.”

  Luca chuckled softly, turning back to his brother.

  “Why? Just because he’s a cop doesn’t mean he doesn't know where all the good pussy is.”

  “No, but then informing him you’re a British pimp didn't help the situation.”

  Luca shook his head. “Americans, so serious.”

  He saluted his brother before turning to me and blowing a kiss.

  “If you don’t get your ass out of my office, Luca, I'll hit you so hard you won’t need a plane to get back to London.” Gabriel growled, stepping towards us.

  “Yeah, yeah.” Luca waved, a smirk on his lips as he turned to me. “Go get him, tiger.”

  “Did you seriously just call me tiger?” I laughed. “How very British of you.”

  “Oh, I like her,” he said over his shoulder to his brother as he strutted out of the room, closing the door behind him.

  I stood with my hands clasped behind my back, rocking on my heels as the silence took hold of the room. It was deafly quiet as we stared each other down, neither of us willing to back down. The silence was killing me, so I did the only thing I could think of.

  I opened my mouth.

  “So... British brother?” I moved further into the room and noticing, for the first time, how bare the black walls were. My eyes moved to his glass desk. There was no photo frames there either. The room was very professional, nothing to indicate Gabriel had a life outside of his work.

  “You’re a regular Sherlock Homes, Ms. Miller. Who would've thought?” he replied dryly, moving to his desk and grabbing a set of keys.

  “Hmm. I suggest you keep your day job. Comedy isn't your strong suit,” I threw back. “Is there a reason why I’m here or are you going to let me stand here like a lemon? Because I can do that in my own office.”

  He grinned, placing a hand in his dress pants' pocket and making his way towards me.

  “We’re working.” I watched, confused, as he stepped out of his office. “Are you just going to stand there like a lemon? Because you can do that in your own office.” I growled, rolling my eyes as we left his office and stepped into the elevator.

  The doors closed and my breath caught in my throat. Being around Gabriel was hard enough, but being in a confined space with him was much harder than I anticipated. He was hard to read yet alluring, tempting and addicting. His smart mouth could match my own blow for blow. My defiance mingled with his need to satisfy his ego, something that not only infuriated me but turned me on to no end.

  His deep throated chuckle pulled me out of my lust-filled thoughts. Moving my gaze to his, I noticed the look in his eyes.

  “Remember what I said,” I whispered.

  “Don’t worry, this isn't Fifty Shades, I’m not about to screw you in an elevator. Although being balls deep in your pussy sounds amazing right now, no matter the location.”

  A smile tickled my lips. Saying his reference to my pussy didn't turn me on would be an absolute lie.

  “I don’t know what I’m more worried about: the fact that you know about that book, or that you’re continually referring to my lady parts like it’s a normal everyday thing and we don’t work together.”

  He stared, his eyes lingering a little too long into mine as the doors opened and we exited the elevator car. As we left the building, I felt eyes boring into me from behind; a small smile played on my lips as I knew it was from the women who clearly found Gabriel attractive.

  The New York heat hit with a little more force than usual as we moved towards the town car sitting by the sidewalk. An older gentleman stepped out of the car, opening the back door, indicating we should get in. I slid into the back as Gabriel greeted the older man.

  “Good morning, Leo.”

  I watched as the gentleman merely nodded in reply. Gabriel took his seat in the back of the sleek, black town car as Leo closed the door behind him and moving to take his seat in the front.

  I took in the car's interior. It had leather upholstery that looked as though the mere stitching cost somewhere in the thousands. The seats were comfy and large, so large I could actually lie down and sleep on it stretched out fully. As I buckled my seatbelt, a black partition glass moved, enclosing the space from the front.

  “Where to, Mr. Black?” Leo’s smooth, clear voice seemed to bounce off the windows. I looked around the back of the car in confusion, wondering where his voice came from. Gabriel pointed to a speaker set on the inside of the door and smirked at the out of depth look in my eyes.

  “Alpha, Leo,” Gabriel replied after pressing a small button beside the speaker on his door. Turning to me, he flashed a wink before opening a small hidden compartment between our seats, revealing a console of fancy buttons. He pressed one and I could only watch in awe as another compartment opened in front of us. Before me was a tray holding two glass tumblers and a large glass bottle of what looked to be some sort of whiskey.

  “Drink?” He poured himself a two finger measure of the smooth, amber liquid.

  I shook my head. Alcohol was definitely needed while around Gabriel Black, but in doing so, I knew I’d put myself into a position that would have me second guessing my judgment when it came to him.

  After a moment of silence, I thought it best to ask about what he had planned for this little trip. All I knew was he was taking me to Alpha. I’d been doing my research during the moments my brain actually functioned, when I wasn't constantly thinking about my job or Gabriel. Alpha was to be a sister club of Omega. While Omega was more feminine, Alpha was planned to have a more masculine feel.

  “So is there a reason why we’re going to Alpha?” I asked, wetting my lips with my tongue as I watched his throat move with every gulp he took of his drink.

  He paused for a moment, taking one large pull of the amber fluid before setting his glass back down on the tray.

  “Considering the only thing I can think about when I’m around you is tasting you, I thought it would be safer to take you to Alpha to show you what we plan to achieve.” His gaze darkened. “Because no matter how much you pretend your threats are going to restrain us, we both know that before this month is up, I will taste you and I will devour you.”

  I rolled my eyes. I was becoming accustomed to his way of getting straight to the point. I wasn't immune to exactly what came out of his mouth but I knew now to expect nothing but flooded thighs from it.

  “In your dreams, Mr. Black,” I muttered beneath my breath as I watched New York City smoothly sail past my window.

  New York… where dreams come true.

  I closed my eyes for a moment, my mind wandering to my parents and what they must be doing. I grew up in Arlington, a small town in Kentucky. My childhood home was nothing more than a two bedroom, wood-sided building. It was small; my room only roughly the size of the town car I was currently sitting in. My parents preferred simplicity; even if they earned enough money to finally move out of the house that’s falling apart, they’d still only purchase what they thought they needed, not what they dreamed of.

  My parents taught me two things: you could have all the riches in the world and they could be taken from you instantly, but what they can’t take is your mind, your education. That lesson only helped push me through high school and subsequently college. They also taught me to take pride in what I have, not what I didn't. I worked hard to get out of Kentucky and my hard work paid off when I was accepted into Columbia University.

  As hard as I worked at getting through high school then moving to New York and attending college college, I also had to deal with being so far away from my family. Add in the horrible mess that ensued following mine and Cam’s break up, college was hard for me. Cam moved across the country with me, promising to go wherever I went. He was an up and coming quarterback and the moment I told him I wanted to go to Columbia, he smiled and said okay.

  Now I was sitting in
a flashy car next to a man who could own the world, yet he still wanted more. Me. Or my lady parts at least.

  I was pulled out of my thoughts as the car came to a stop. Turning to Gabriel’s window, I spotted a building still undergoing construction work on the outside. Gabriel flashed me a grin before stepping out of the car. Reaching across the plush leather seating, he offered his hand to help me out. Rolling my eyes, I batted him away.

  “Will that be all, Mr. Black?” Leo asked as he held open the door for me.

  “Yes, thank you, Leo. I'll be in touch soon.” Gabriel nodded as I pulled myself out from the car.

  Standing on the sidewalk, I got my first real look at the building. It was an older building with some modern twists. The double doors in the front of the building were studded black leather, showcased beneath a stunning archway. As my gaze ascended, I took in the stunning tinted black glass windows that went up for three floors. I presumed the top floor would house Gabriel’s office and the other two floors for the night club.

  “Stunning,” I whispered, admiring the architecture of the building.

  Gabriel stopped beside me, staring up at the very same building before dropping his gaze to me. I could feel the heat of his eyes against my skin as I gulped hard.

  “You are.”

  My head snapped up, caught off guard by his comment. I’d known Gabriel for less than a week but I knew well enough that he pretty much said whatever he thought, no matter what the outcome may be.

  “Come. We need to do a walk through.” He smiled, placing his palm against the small of my back. The move in itself wasn't what I expected, not to mention the instant chill that coated my skin from his touch.

  Gabriel pulled out a set of keys from his pocket and opened the large black leather doors. I tried to hide my chuckle under a forced cough, which failed miserably. What? No flashy, voice-controlled doors?

  “Something funny?” He pushed the doors open and I swear I gasped at the sight before me.

  Ignoring his question, I stepped into the building. I was awestruck and completely surprised by what I was seeing. It was… so masculine. The entire room was floor-to-ceiling black. It was laid out exactly how Omega was, giving it the same feel: expensive, luxurious and tempting. The same could be said about Gabriel but I squashed that thought the minute it took residence in my mind. As my gaze moved around the room, so did my feet, carrying me and allowing me to see every unique piece of its grandeur.