Total pages in book: 65
Estimated words: 63481 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 317(@200wpm)___ 254(@250wpm)___ 212(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 63481 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 317(@200wpm)___ 254(@250wpm)___ 212(@300wpm)
“All right, this calls for celebration!” Gadiel said enthusiastically.
Will let go of his hand and raised his eyebrows. “Celebration?”
“But of course!” Gadiel grabbed his hand again and all but pulled him toward the elevator. “Let’s go.”
Bemused, Will decided to indulge him.
He could indulge him this once.
Chapter 6
It turned out that Gadiel’s idea of “celebrating” their truce was a lunch at his favorite restaurant.
That caused another argument that lasted all the way there.
“We can’t sit together,” Will stated again, opening the door of the restaurant for him. “I’m your bodyguard. I’ll be over there by the wall.”
Scoffing, Gadiel grabbed his hand and all but dragged him to the table in the corner, away from the other patrons of the restaurant. “Don’t be silly. We can’t celebrate our truce if you stand by the wall and watch me eat.”
“Eating with you would be unprofessional,” Will said, pulling his hand out of his grip.
Looking at him over his shoulder, Gadiel smiled. “You can guard me more effectively when you’re close to me, right?”
Will heaved a sigh but nodded, giving in once again. It was becoming a pattern. A bad one.
But the food was surprisingly good.
In the past half a year in this country, Will had struggled to find local food that he actually liked and ended up resorting to fast food and pizza. When he’d told Gadiel that, he’d seemed to take it as a personal challenge and ordered for both of them, completely ignoring Will’s protests. Spoiled little thing.
“You like it, admit it,” Gadiel said, with his chin propped on his hand, blue eyes fixed on Will intently.
“Stop watching me eat,” Will said, dabbing his mouth with a napkin. “Don’t you have any manners?”
Gadiel shook his head, all wide-eyed innocence.
“So,” Will said pushing his plate away and studying the kid. “You promised to tell me more once you secured my loyalty.”
Gadiel cleared his throat. “Right. The thing is, there’s this guy I like. Like, really, really like.” He shot Will a quick look, as if evaluating his reaction. “His name is Scott. It’s kind of new, but I think I might be in love. He’s perfect. The man of my dreams.”
Will barely stopped himself from rolling his eyes. If Gadiel started spouting foolishness about The One too, he was walking out. He’d had enough of that nonsense.
“Does your brother know about him?” Will said, frowning a little when the thought occurred to him. Sheikh Zain had run a background check on him; he knew he had a gay cousin. Why would he hire Scott’s cousin to guard Gadiel from Scott?
Gadiel shook his head. “He saw him only for a moment outside my building and it was pretty dark. I don’t think Zain got a good look at his face. I never introduced them.”
Ah. That explained it.
“So you’re bribing me to let you hook up with him,” Will said, leaning back in his seat and crossing his arms over his chest. Privately, he was far more amused than he let show on his face. Scott had needled him into accepting this job so he could see Gadiel, Gadiel’s brother was paying Will a small fortune to keep men like Scott away from Gadiel, and now Gadiel wanted to pay him even more to let him see Scott. It was beyond ridiculous at this point.
“Hey, I resent that you’re reducing my feelings to a hookup,” Gadiel said, pouting.
Will huffed.
“Oh,” Gadiel said, gasping. “It was almost a laugh!”
“Very funny.”
Gadiel reached over the table and brushed his thumb against the corner of Will’s mouth. “Is that a hint of a smile I see?” he cooed exaggeratedly, grinning. “Can my perfect, emotionless bodyguard actually crack a real smile?”
This time Will did roll his eyes. “I hardly claim to be perfect,” he said. “And no wonder your brother hired me to babysit you if you feel men up in public.”
Gadiel’s wide smile disappeared as if it’d never existed. He opened his mouth and closed it, looking at his own hand with something like bewilderment before a faint blush appeared on his high cheekbones. He snatched his hand away. “I wasn’t feeling you up!” he hissed, glancing around before glaring at him. “I was making fun of you for your emotionless behavior! You’re like a—like Spock! You never smile!”
“I’m surprised kids your age even know who Spock is.”
The outraged look on Gadiel’s face almost made him laugh, but Will kept a blank face just to ruffle his feathers further.
“Don’t call me kid,” Gadiel said. “You’re so condescending! You aren’t that much older than me!”
“That’s simply not true unless nine years is nothing to you.”
Gadiel pouted. “Fine. You aren’t much older than the man I’m in love with. He’s around your age and he definitely doesn’t consider me a kid.”
“He should,” Will said grimly. Having gotten to know Gadiel, the idea of his cousin having fun with him and then moving on to another so-called The One made him... a little uneasy. Gadiel was young. And fragile. There was a softness to him, a vulnerability that lurked behind his pretty eyes. He should stay very far from men like Scott. Will loved Scott like a brother, but he wasn’t blind to his faults.