All of Me by Tiffany Patterson

Chapter 5

Lena

I sat on the edge of the hotel bed, my latest cell phone in my lap while my assistant ran down the different people and companies that’d reached out to me over the past week.

She lived in New York, and we touched base at least once a week over the phone or video call.

“Oh, and don’t forget about that trip to New York in a few months,” Demetria said. “We’ve put it off as long as possible, due to …” She trailed off.

“Yeah, I know.” I rolled my eyes. After that video surfaced and my very public breakup with Nate, I’d put everything on hold. I refused to do most public appearances and photoshoots. I knew I couldn’t remain out of the public eye forever. Not if I wanted to keep my career going.

“But that’s what? Three months away?” I asked.

“We could make it sooner,” Demetria offered. “Maybe if you have new music, we could time it right and have the photos from the shoot come out around the same time as your next single.”

My stomach muscles clenched. I bowed over, placing my elbows onto my knees and my head in my hands. I couldn’t say out loud that I had nothing new to offer.

“That won’t work,” I mumbled.

“It was only a thought,” Demetria said.

“I know. Thank you for trying to help. And thanks for keeping my schedule in line.”

“It’s my pleasure. Do you want me to make any calls or have your mail forwarded to … wherever you are?”

I still hadn’t told Demetria where I was. Aside from Rayven and Jodi, who no longer even worked in my industry, I was off the radar. Exactly how I wanted it.

“No, you don’t need to do that,” I told my assistant. “Listen, if anything comes up, you let me know. And I know I don’t need to tell you this, but if anyone asks, you don’t have my new number, okay?”

“Even for your parents?” she asked.

“Yes.”

“Even Nate?”

“Especially him,” I said with conviction.

“He is your manager,” she reminded me.

“Former manager,” I corrected. But a dull pain started at the base of my neck when I thought about how Nate still owned my career. I’d fired him as my manager, but I was still signed to his record label.

“If there’s anything he needs to discuss with me, he can tell you, and you can tell me, okay?”

There was a brief pause on the other end of the phone. I sighed, knowing how much of a fan of Nate’s Demetria was. In the last five years that she worked with me, she always rooted for us to be together.

“Do you think that’s most efficient?” She asked. “I mean, there are business dealings that you two need to discuss privately, right?”

I groaned, hating that she might have a point. Demetria had a soft spot for Nate.

When rumors circulated that he was cheating on me, she would tell me to ignore them and that he would never do something like that to me.

I believed her because I wanted to think that I’d chosen the right man. I didn’t want to have the drama in my relationships that I’d seen from my parents growing up. So, I decided to believe in a lie. But with Nate, cheating was just one of the many problems in our relationship.

In the end, I ended up worse than my parents, with my personal business splashed all across the internet with the video to prove it. I was disgusted more with my behavior than with my ex.

“Fine,” I agreed, begrudgingly. “You can give him my new number. But please, make sure to tell him that he’s only to use it in case of an emergency.”

“Emergencies only. Got it,” Demetria verified.

I pushed out a breath. I knew he wouldn’t listen to that part. Nate did what he wanted. But I couldn’t hide from him forever.

After hanging up with Demetria, I rose from the bed and stretched my arms overhead. Spotting my open notebook on the bed, I frowned. In the two weeks I’d been in Texas, not one word or note of a new song had come to me.

Nothing.

That didn't mean my mind wasn’t racing, though. Fifteen days since Jodi’s wedding and the words from her brother-in-law were the first words on my mind each morning I opened my eyes.

Have you ever wondered what it feels like to fly?

He’d asked as if he was offering something. And him calling me his future wife? What the hell was that? Worse still was my body’s response to his declaration. My heart had jumped inside of my chest.

Whatever it was, I needed to squash it. Walking away from Gabriel on that dance floor was the right thing to do. I was done with relationships. I wasn’t any good at them.

“Ready to move out?” Rayven asked as I walked into the main area of the hotel room.

I looked around the small living room space, with suitcases, clothes, and Bessie laying on the furniture and floor.

“Ready as ever.” I slid my hands into the back pockets of my jeans, surveying all that we had.

That day Rayven and I were to move out of the hotel that we’d been in for two weeks and into Jodi’s home. It was her grandfather’s house that’d been passed down to her once he died. Since she moved in with Micah and wasn’t quite ready to sell it, my renting it for the next few months worked out perfectly.

“I bet once I move in and get settled, the music will start flowing,” I said excitedly.

Rayven nodded.

“And Jodi says there are all kinds of trails in this area and stuff,” I continued. “So, when I lack inspiration, I can go for a hike or something to get reinspired.”

Rayven snorted loudly. “You? Out hiking? Yeah, okay.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence.”

Laughing, she shook her head.

Rayven’s cell phone rang. “It’s for you,” she said, handing me her phone.

“Hello?”

“Lena, hey, it’s Jodi.”

“Hey. What’s up?”

“We’re on our way back from our honeymoon. You’re still moving in today, right?”

“Sure am,” I said. “Rayven and I were just talking about it.”

“Good. I took the liberty of hiring some guys to help you move in. I know you said you ordered new furniture and whatnot.”

“Jodi, that’s so kind of you. You didn’t have to go through the trouble.”

“No trouble at all. Listen, I gotta go to catch this flight, but I’ll see you soon.”

“Thanks again,” I said before hanging up. “Looks like we’re getting some help moving in,” I told Rayven before giving her back her phone.

“Cool. You think you can give Jodi your new number so she can stop calling me to get to you.” She’d phrased it as a question, but it wasn’t a request.

“I’ll think about it.”

This was the fresh start I needed. It had to be because I was out of ideas.

* * *

A couple of hours later,Rayven turned into the long driveway of Jodi’s home to a large moving truck and a dark blue Camaro.

“That’s a strange car to bring on a moving job,” Rayven commented from behind the wheel. “Hang on. Don’t get out yet,” she instructed as she put the car in park, behind the Camaro.

While I found her precaution a little unnecessary, I remained in the passenger seat of our rental. I watched as Rayven went around the car, checking it out, and then moved toward the front door.

She disappeared inside. That was when I took the opportunity to get out and scope around for myself. I started with the Camaro, observing the two door vehicle that sat low to the ground. The royal blue coloring was shiny and unmarred. When I got to the front of the car, I spotted the black stripe on the hood.

A smile touched my lips for some unknown reason. Before I turned around, I heard rustling noises behind me. Looking toward the cabin-style home’s entrance, I watched as Rayven emerged with a few guys behind her.

I figured these were the movers hired by Jodi and waved. Yet, my hand stopped in mid-air once the last guy stepped out onto the porch.

My mouth turned as dry as a bone when I saw him. Gabriel Townsend, the man I’d been trying to forget for the past two weeks, stepped out onto the porch, dressed in only a pair of work jeans and gloves.

He must’ve had a personal in with the sun that day. My tongue went dry at the sight of the sun’s rays bouncing off of the droplets of sweat on his chest.

With each movement he made, a new muscle popped out as if it were winking at me. He didn’t have a six pack. I counted. The man had an eight pack. And the jeans hung low enough that the visible V indentation of his hips had me feeling a little dizzy.

Fool that I was, I ventured to look up from his torso to his face, and yes, that knowing smirk was right there.

I stumbled backward a few steps as he approached, bumping right into his car. It had to be his car because it read Gabriel Townsend. It was fast, sleek, stylish, and knew what it was all in one.

“Long time no see,” were the first words out of his mouth.

I felt trapped in place. While I had plenty of room to maneuver around him to get out from underneath his stare, my feet refused to move. His eyes sparkled against the sun’s beams as well, and again, he reminded me of something I couldn’t put my finger on.

There was blatant hunger in the way he stared at me. I couldn’t remember a time where anyone had looked at me with such wanton, naked craving. Maybe that’s what held me in place.

“What are you doing here?” I asked.

His lips twitched, and the whiskers of his beard moved a little.

I had to clasp my hands for fear that I’d reach up and try to run my fingers through it.

“Helping you move in,” he said as if the answer should’ve been obvious. “Most of your furniture arrived already.”

“I’m going to kill Jodi for this,” I said.

Gabriel shook his head. “Don’t blame her. She doesn’t even know I’m here.”

Finding my voice again, I placed my hands on my hips. “You expect me to believe that?” I demanded. “She didn’t tell you I was moving into her house?”

He didn’t look the slightest bit perturbed by the bass in my voice. “Not at all. Jodi wouldn’t violate your privacy like that. In fact, she’d probably be pissed if she knew I was here.”

Folding my arms, I gave him a searing look. “Then how’d you know?”

“I have my ways. Harlington ain’t the big city.”

That was originally its appeal, but staring at Gabriel, I started to have my doubts.

He dipped his head before starting for the moving truck on the other side of the rocky driveway.

I trailed him with my gaze and gasped at seeing the tattoo on his back.

“A wolf.” A wolf’s face, glaring back at me. The tattoo wasn’t complete, but it was massive.

On the left side were the typical traces of fur and whiskers you’d find on a wolf. However, the right side was more symmetrical, using shapes and petals of flowers to form the other half of the wolf’s face. The tattoo was outlined, not shaded in, as if it was still a work in progress.

The only coloring was in the eyes. They were the same hazel-green and bluish coloring of Gabriel’s eyes.

“You’re a wolf,” I said out loud. That was the moment it hit me. What I couldn’t put my finger on the first time we’d met or at the wedding. Gabriel reminded me of a wolf stalking its prey.

He looked back at me with that lascivious grin, and I hightailed my ass into the house.

Rayven followed me back inside. “What was that?” she asked, staring at me.

I shook my head. “I need to use the bathroom.”

I pushed past her and headed down the hall, searching for the nearest bathroom. Once inside, I slammed the door behind me, feeling riled up and not even knowing why.

“Write and work,” I said out loud. Those were the only two reasons why I was in Texas. After splashing some water on my face, I went back out to the house's main room.

The movers were in and out, carrying in the furniture that I’d ordered for the house. Jodi’s place was small but comfortable. She’d recently remodeled it, renewing the wooden floorboards and painting the walls white, which I liked a lot.

The addition of the grey couch, hand woven area rug, wooden coffee table, and the earth-tone vases and throw pillows made it all come together. Jodi told me that the house had an updated and state of the art security system. She emphasized this point, especially given what had happened to her the year before.

When I told Rayven about the murder of Jodi’s grandfather and her kidnapping, Ray was vehemently opposed to us staying there. However, when she got to check out the security system for herself and ask Jodi at least a thousand questions, she gave in.

Not that I wouldn’t have remained here without her approval. But it was nice to know that she deemed the property safe.

“That’s the last of it,” Gabriel said, pulling me out of my thoughts. It was only he and I in the room. “This place is looking kind of nice.”

“Thanks,” I said with my arms folded. “I guess you’ll be needing payment now for your help.”

He lifted an eyebrow. “Payment?”

“Yes. This was a job, right?” I asked. “You should get paid for it. That way, I don’t owe you anything.”

I started to look for my purse with my wallet, but he caught me by the wrist.

“This was work for them, but not for me.”

I ground my teeth, mostly because he was standing too close, and it started to mess with my common sense.

“Nonsense,” I said. “You should receive something for your work, and money is all I’m offering.”

He shook his head. “I don’t want anything.”

“Bullshit. Everybody wants something,” I blurted out.

He released my wrist and stepped back, running his gaze down the length of my body as if assessing me.

Yeah, this man wanted something. More than I was willing to offer.

“Look,” I said, “I don’t know what’s going on in your mind, but I’m only here for one thing.”

He angled his head to the side. “What would that be?”

“Work. To write, more specifically. I came here to write music. Not,” I paused and waved my hand in his direction, “whatever game you’re trying to play.”

“I don’t play games.” His voice was impossibly deep and serious.

He’d made a similar comment that night in LA when he was talking to that fighter. But I wouldn’t let myself fall into the trap of believing him.

“I’ve heard that line before,” I mumbled. I let out a relieved breath when Rayven walked in with two of the other movers.

“That’s the last of it,” one of the guys said.

“Thank you so much.” I moved around Gabriel. “I appreciate your help.” I let the workers know that I’d take care of the bill as soon as I opened my laptop as I followed them outside to the front yard.

I felt Gabriel’s body heat as he moved past me.

“I’ll see you soon, Lena,” he said.

I shook my head. “Music. That’s all I’m here for,” I insisted.

He responded with a laugh before turning to head for his car. The tattoo on his back looked as if it winked at me as he strode away.

“I watch a lot of National Geographic,” Rayven said.

“Huh?” I asked but looked back at Gabriel.

“Nat Geo, it’s one of my favorite channels,” Rayven continued. “I watched a documentary earlier this year on wolves.”

That got my attention, and I looked back at her. “Why are we talking about Nat Geo?”

“The doc said that once a wolf has you in his sights, you better watch out.” Her eyes moved over my shoulder.

An uncomfortable lump formed in my throat, and I turned back to see Gabriel grant me one final nod of his head before he got behind the wheel of his Camaro.

My future wife.

Those three words sounded in my mind as he somehow managed to keep his stare on me while reversing effortlessly down the long driveway.

Only when his car disappeared from my sight did I feel as if I could breathe deeply again.

“When a wolf locks his attention on you, there’s very little you can do to get away from him,” Rayven said before going back inside.

The feeling that I’d jumped out of the frying pan and into the fire swelled in the pit of my stomach.