“I’m s-sorry, Rosie,” she stuttered. “I don’t know why he did that. Or why he’s doing … this.” With a defeated sigh, she plonked down onto the nearest chair. “Is he playing a joke on me?”
“A joke?” Rosie chuckled and then shook her head. “Oh, sweetie. I realize now Gabriel has been going about this all wrong, but you really can’t see it, can’t you?”
“Can’t see what?”
“To put it mildly, that boy is interested in you.”
If it were possible, her jaw would have literally dropped to the floor. “In me?”
“Yes, you.”
“B-but why?”
An auburn brow rose high. “And why not?”
“You’re kidding, right?” Using her left hand, she gestured to her face and arm. “Because of this. Why would someone like him be interested in someone like me?” Saying it out loud made a knife-like pain stab into her chest, but maybe this was something she needed to hear.
“Oh. Sweetie.” Rosie clucked her tongue. “Do you think Gabriel is that shallow?” She opened her mouth to say yes, but shut it when Rosie raised a hand. “You don’t know him, Temperance.”
“But I have eyes, and I can see.” Her gaze dropped to her shoes. “Him and me? Can you imagine it?”
“Why, yes. I can.”
She snapped her head up, and when she locked gazes with Rosie, she could see what she was totally serious. “That’s nice of you to say, but he’s him and I’m … me.”
“You mean, a kind, hardworking woman who’s beautiful on the inside and out?”
“Rose—”
“Tut-tut.” Rosie raised a hand again. “Hush now. Why can’t you believe that Gabriel is sincerely interested in you? That he can see past your scars and see the real you?”
A sob burned at her throat. She wasn’t even sure she knew who she was. The fire had left physical scars on her, then a terrible relationship afterwards had left emotional ones until she wasn’t sure there was anything left of her.
“You might think that Gabriel is this perfect, handsome prince—and on the surface, that might be true which is why you’re intimidated.” Rosie said. “But there’s so much more to that man, if you’d only give him a chance to show it to you.”
A laugh bubbled up in her. Her, give him a chance? Was the world turning topsy-turvy now?
“Look.” Rosie bent down in front of her and gave her hands a squeeze. “Let me go talk to him, okay? See if I can at least … make him understand your hesitation and maybe get him to slow down. Oh, these shifter men,” she chuckled with a shake of her head. “Felines are the worst of all, you know, always so used to getting their way. Especially lions. All bluster, and no subtlety at all. And overconfident to boot.”
“L-lion?”
“Yeah.” Rosie rolled her eyes. “King of the jungle and all that.”
Huh. So, Gabriel was a lion. Somehow, she had a feeling about his animal, but couldn’t quite say it out loud. But it made sense—he always moved with a languid, confident grace that projected he owned the room or any space he was in.
“I’ll go now. Why don’t you sit tight or take a break? If I think he’s calmed down enough, I’ll let you know, and you can decide if you want to talk to him.”
“I—” But before she could protest, Rosie was already out the door. She blew out a breath, her body feeling like a deflated balloon.
The thought that Gabriel possibly liked her was still churning in her head. And right now, she just couldn’t get it to process, like a dough that just wouldn’t proof. What would she say to him if Rosie asked her to come out and talk to him?
She buried her face in her hands and let out a frustrated groan.
Chapter Five
Gabriel’s stomach dropped as the door shut in his face. His lion, on the other hand, roared in fury. How dare that little fox keep them away from their mate. If Rosie had been a male, the lion would have shown it who was boss around here.
Can it, he ordered his animal. Not that he thought it would ever harm Rosie, but they were both being pushed to the limit here. He’d had so many mood swings today someone might have thought he was on his period or something. The feeling of dread he had in the pit of his stomach the entire morning was slowly ebbing away, but it left him emotionally exhausted.
When she didn’t come out of her trailer that morning by three forty-five, he had begun to get worried. After knocking on her door for several minutes, he got impatient and broke the lock. Then, realizing she wasn’t in there, his mental state spiraled, and his lion wasn’t helping as it pressed him to find her now.
Why the hell didn’t we check here first?
His lion actually had the decency to slink away in shame.
Raking his hands through his hair, he paced back and forth, unsure what to do next. I’ve ruined things, he thought sadly. But he couldn’t stay away from her, couldn’t get her out of his head. Every moment of his existence pulsated with a need that he couldn’t ignore.
“Are you calmed down enough?”
He halted, then whipped his head toward the door.
Rosie closed it and raised an auburn brow at him. “Gabriel Russel, what in the world is the matter with you?”
“I don’t know, Rosie.” Then tension in his shoulders lessened, but the pit in his stomach grew. “I messed things up, didn’t I? She thinks I’m some kind of crazy stalker. I just … I couldn’t stay away, you know? I can’t. When I thought that she might be in trouble, something in me snapped and—”
She clucked her tongue. “You overwhelmed her.”
“I know, but I can’t. I just … I don’t know what to do with a mate. I never thought I would find mine.” A different uneasy feeling crept into his chest, but he ignored it
