Closer_To_You Read Online Free PDF

you.”
    “I don’t even know you.” Her voice had a tinge of haughtiness as she broke her gaze from his and looked out over the balcony at the night sky surrounding them.
    “We can change that.” That deep, gravelly voice seemed to get under her skin, sending thousands of pinpricks into her nerve endings.
    Dragging her gaze back to his, she gave him an assessing glance. “How do you propose we do that?” Remembering his calloused palms, it seemed to belie the polished air surrounding him. Watching him a bit longer, she noticed that his hands seemed strong, with just a little bit of hair on the back. She wondered if his entire body was covered in smooth dark hair and almost lost herself in the fantasy of what he looked like underneath all of those clothes.
    “How about this? Just give me tonight. Let’s spend time getting to know each other. You and me. Just two adults talking and enjoying this wonderful evening.”
    Although the words were harmless enough, she knew there had to be something more. There was a hidden meaning that she could not identify right then and there. “If that’s what you want. Tell me a little more about you. Do you live in Washington, DC?”
    At that moment, the waitress came back with her drink and sat it in front of her. Although she was all smiles as she placed the glass on the table, her gaze immediately went to Gabriel. “Will that be all, sir?”
    Gabriel looked at Penelope across the table and she gritted her teeth, willing herself to stay quiet. Regardless of whether she and Gabriel had known each other for five minutes, or five years, there was no excuse for the woman’s behavior. Plastering a fake smile on her face, she shook her head no in response to his unspoken question.
    “No, thank you. We’re fine,” his polite, cultured words were more than Penelope could have managed at the moment.
    “Well, sir, if you need anything else, please let me know. I’ll come right away.”
    Oh my goodness, Penelope thought as she rolled her eyes. Could this woman be any more blatant with her interest? Penelope pursed her lips and shook her head at the antics of some women. And no, she was not going to dissect her own behavior, thank you very much. Taking a few minutes to gain her bearings, she lifted her drink for a sip of the briny liquid.
    “Thank you, but I have everything I need right here.” With a pointed look at Penelope, Gabriel effectively dismissed the waitress and sent her on her way. Childish yes, but Penelope couldn’t help but be pleased at what he had just done.
    Then again, she was also annoyed. But not with him. It was the general premise that the woman thought she could openly flirt with a man sitting with another woman.
    Gabriel turned his gaze back to her and that devastating smile almost made her melt into a puddle on the floor. No man deserved to be this devastatingly handsome. It just wasn’t fair to the rest of the male population.
    “So, you asked me a question.” He seemed to settle into his seat a bit further, as if readying himself for a relaxing night of conversation with a long lost friend. “I’m just a guy here on business for a while. My office is in New York, but I’m here in Washington, DC for a few days on some business related items. Nothing exciting.”
    She was positive there was more to him than that, but she could play this game as well. “Are you married?”
    A look similar to amusement came over his face before he answered the question, “No wife. No kids. You?”
    “The same. No wife. No kids.” Cheeky, yes, but she was in that type of mood tonight.
    He laughed out loud and she couldn’t keep herself from laughing along with him. Smiling at him, she gave a follow-up answer. “No husband or boyfriend either.”
    “Good. I would hate to come between a woman and her life at home.”
    Glancing at him sideways, she challenged his assumption, “Who says you would have that power, even if I did? As you said before, we’re just two