Page 17 of Touched By Destiny
“I thought we could have our meeting this morning at the house,” Clark offered.
“Great,” Gabriel replied. That meant he didn’t have the thirty-minute drive to the casino to come up with something to speak to his boss about.
How the fuck had his life grown so complicated?
That was actually the easiest question to answer. It had happened when Gabriel had stopped thinking and allowed his dick to make his decisions. Now, his soulmate was in the next room filling the entire first floor of the house with beautiful melodies, and Gabriel didn’t have any clue how to handle their relationship anymore.
Long before Gabriel was ready, he’d cleared his plate and finished nursing two cups of coffee. Clark had already left the kitchen, so Gabriel couldn’t procrastinate much longer. He hoped inspiration would strike on his way over to Clark’s home office, but Gabriel was still desperate for ideas as he stepped into the modern room done like much of the house in dramatic black and white.
“Have a seat,” Clark said. “I need to finish up this email, then we can talk.”
“Take your time,” Gabriel encouraged as he lowered himself into a plush armchair done in dark velvet.
The only sound in the room was the efficient clack of keys, then Clark’s blue gaze met Gabriel’s, and he smiled.
“Okay, that’s done, now tell me what’s on your mind,” Clark insisted.
Gabriel opened his mouth, but he was at a loss for words. He was given a momentary respite in the form of a yawn. “Sorry, little tired this morning.”
“I wondered if that was why you wanted to talk to me.”
“Because I’m tired?” Gabriel ventured.
“Yes, I admire how dedicated you are to this family and Eric in particular, but in thirty-three years, you haven’t taken a day off.”
“I love my job,” Gabriel protested.
“I’m glad to hear it because I can’t imagine our lives without you, but in the past few years you’ve taken less and less time for yourself,” Clark said. “At the very least, you used to have a social life. You’re an inspirit, and I’d like you to have a soulmate. You’ll never meet him if all you do is work.”
Guilt rendered Gabriel mute.
“I’m sorry if I’m touching on your personal life, but you know that you’re far more than an employee to this family. While you still carry Samael’s name, you’re a Marwood, and it’s essential that you take care of yourself.”
Swallowing away the lump in his throat, Gabriel let his gaze hit the plush carpet his chair rested on.
“You haven’t offended me, if that’s your concern,” Gabriel replied gruffly.
“Rosalind has insisted for months that I order you to take a vacation, but that’s never been how our relationship has worked.”
It was true. Clark didn’t issue orders to Gabriel. He asked for his advice, and together, they implemented plans for safety at the casinos and at home. Their work relationship was a product of the Marwoods’ desire to include Gabriel in their family. But they were constantly taking in strays, and he didn’t want to be connected to any family in that way again.
Samael Wolfebrier had betrayed him and eradicated Gabriel’s trust in people. Gabriel worked because Clark had aided him in building a position that fulfilled him, and he was dedicated to ensuring Eric survived. Being employed wasn’t a necessity for Gabriel—Samael had left him a very rich man—butGabriel needed purpose. He’d gone far too long without it and found having people depending on him addictive.
“Wait,” Gabriel said as he forced himself to stay focused on the subject at hand. “I’ve taken vacations. We go to the beach at least once a year.”
Those trips had grown into torture for Gabriel. While he loved soaking in the sun, the feel of the sand on his feet, and swimming in the ocean, a wet Eric frolicking in a small pair of swim trunks meant Gabriel spent the trip trying to conceal the rise of his dick.
“Except you don’t allow yourself to relax,” Clark chided. “You spend hours working and don’t go a single day without checking in with the casinos.”
Work was the excuse Gabriel used to escape Eric. Why hadn’t Gabriel understood that until now? He didn’t want to spend his vacation worrying about duties the inspirits who worked for him were perfectly capable of handling. But the moment his hormones spiraled out of control, Gabriel would seek the safety of the home office Clark kept in their beach house on the coast of Marin County, California.
“It’s okay to admit you’re burned out,” Clark said softly. “The last couple of days you’ve hardly been yourself. You were quiet and withdrawn on Friday, which was why I hoped you’d discuss it with me then. The last thing we want is for you to feel you need to quit because you’re overburdened.”
“I’m not quitting,” Gabriel vowed, though he wondered if he should. It likely wouldn’t be possible to hide his connection to Eric forever. Once the truth came out, Gabriel wouldn’t have to worry about his job. He’d be fired on the spot and probably kicked off the Marwood estate. Would Eric be relieved? On Friday night he’d been the one to bring up their connection, but now that the surprise had faded, what was in his head? Gabriel imagined Eric was furious that his soulmate was nothing morethan a hired goon whose only talent was his impossibly straight shot.
“Good, I’d like to keep it that way,” Clark replied. “I’m not going to order you to take a vacation, but consider this a strong urging.”
“I guess I could plan something in a few months,” Gabriel said, hoping by then Clark would’ve given up the idea. Gabriel didn’t need a social life. In a stupid cloud of lust, he’d already found his soulmate. Unattainable though Eric was, there was no replacing him. Soulmates were forever. Or so he’d been told.