Abel with amusement as the boy savored every bite. “Am I right?”
“Oh god.” Abel nodded. “You're right.”
Kaplan laughed softly and when he finished off his piece, asked, “Want another?”
“Please.” Abel moaned as he took his last bite.
“As you wish.” Kaplan ordered two more, and a couple drinks. When he started on his second piece, Abel just stared at him a moment. The man smiled, “What?”
Abel shrugged and grinned, “I just never envisioned you buying pizza from a roadside vendor.”
Kaplan chuckled, “I'm not all gourmet restaurants. I can enjoy the simple, finer things of life as well.” he smiled, “In fact, they say the best things of life are free.” His gaze slid over Abel. “But I can't necessarily agree.” he winked. “Because you're about the finest thing in this life that I've encountered, and well...” he raised an eyebrow, smiled and took a bite of his pizza.
You sure as hell weren't free, Abel finished for him, this amazing day suddenly overshadowed by the reality of their contract.
Why did Kaplan have to make it so easy to f orget he was just a hired fuck?
***
The ATM was in the opposite direction as the elevators, and Gabe frowned when Cole walked that way. “Where are you going?”
“Just want to check something.” he murmured.
“What?”
Cole looked at him. “Did Abel actually check the bank account Kaplan set up for him?”
“I don't know.” Gabe admitted.
Walking over to the ATM machine, Cole muttered, “Well, I think he just took the man on his word. And maybe he's that trusting, but I'm not.”
“What?” Gabe cocked an eyebrow. “You think the man lied? He gave Abel access to the account, he knew he could check the balance.”
Cole nodded, “Yeah, and maybe he was counting on Abel just accepting it at face value.”
Sighing, Gabe gestured at the machine. “Well, satisfy your curiosity.” Gabe leaned against the wall and crossed his arms over his chest. He didn't really think Kaplan would cheat Abel. Fuck, the guy was loaded. For him, twenty thousand dollars was surely just chump change.
Cole dug out the card and shoved it into the machine slot, entered the PIN, then selected account balance. He grew still and his hand slowly rose and rubbed over his mouth, lingering.
“What is it?” Gabe lowered his arms and pushed off the wall.
“Kaplan put twenty thousand dollars in here?” Cole asked slowly, brow pinching.
“Supposedly, yeah.”
Cole looked at him, face tight. “There isn't twenty thousand dollars in Abel's account.”
Chapter Nine
“Better Left Unsaid”
“Are you all right?” They were back in the limo, on their way up to the Cavalieri hotel. Since their stop for pizza, Abel had grown quiet, even distant with Kaplan. He berated himself for getting caught up in Kaplan's talk of beauty and just the entire romantic atmosphere of the city. Losing touch with reality – though relaxing and soothing – was detrimental.
“Yeah. I'm fine.” he told Kaplan now. “Just...tired.” He wasn't lying, he was tired – tired of Kaplan treating this like some romantic vacation. Tired of the man acting like he cared, and distracting Abel from keeping his mind on the money and his hired duties.
“We'll be back at the hotel in just a short while.” he ran his fingers through Abel's hair. “You can rest then.” he chuckled low. “I guess I got overzealous, wanting to show you everything at once. It's a lot to take in.”
“Yeah.” Abel murmured and leaned his head against the side window.
Kaplan fell silent but he could feel him watching him. The man wasn't stupid, he knew that somewhere along the line, something had changed between them. But he was remaining quiet about it for the moment.
Once they were back in their penthouse suite, Kaplan took a chilled bottle of Merlot and two glasses up to the terrace. Abel followed without having to be asked. Kaplan set the wine and glasses on a
“Oh god.” Abel nodded. “You're right.”
Kaplan laughed softly and when he finished off his piece, asked, “Want another?”
“Please.” Abel moaned as he took his last bite.
“As you wish.” Kaplan ordered two more, and a couple drinks. When he started on his second piece, Abel just stared at him a moment. The man smiled, “What?”
Abel shrugged and grinned, “I just never envisioned you buying pizza from a roadside vendor.”
Kaplan chuckled, “I'm not all gourmet restaurants. I can enjoy the simple, finer things of life as well.” he smiled, “In fact, they say the best things of life are free.” His gaze slid over Abel. “But I can't necessarily agree.” he winked. “Because you're about the finest thing in this life that I've encountered, and well...” he raised an eyebrow, smiled and took a bite of his pizza.
You sure as hell weren't free, Abel finished for him, this amazing day suddenly overshadowed by the reality of their contract.
Why did Kaplan have to make it so easy to f orget he was just a hired fuck?
***
The ATM was in the opposite direction as the elevators, and Gabe frowned when Cole walked that way. “Where are you going?”
“Just want to check something.” he murmured.
“What?”
Cole looked at him. “Did Abel actually check the bank account Kaplan set up for him?”
“I don't know.” Gabe admitted.
Walking over to the ATM machine, Cole muttered, “Well, I think he just took the man on his word. And maybe he's that trusting, but I'm not.”
“What?” Gabe cocked an eyebrow. “You think the man lied? He gave Abel access to the account, he knew he could check the balance.”
Cole nodded, “Yeah, and maybe he was counting on Abel just accepting it at face value.”
Sighing, Gabe gestured at the machine. “Well, satisfy your curiosity.” Gabe leaned against the wall and crossed his arms over his chest. He didn't really think Kaplan would cheat Abel. Fuck, the guy was loaded. For him, twenty thousand dollars was surely just chump change.
Cole dug out the card and shoved it into the machine slot, entered the PIN, then selected account balance. He grew still and his hand slowly rose and rubbed over his mouth, lingering.
“What is it?” Gabe lowered his arms and pushed off the wall.
“Kaplan put twenty thousand dollars in here?” Cole asked slowly, brow pinching.
“Supposedly, yeah.”
Cole looked at him, face tight. “There isn't twenty thousand dollars in Abel's account.”
Chapter Nine
“Better Left Unsaid”
“Are you all right?” They were back in the limo, on their way up to the Cavalieri hotel. Since their stop for pizza, Abel had grown quiet, even distant with Kaplan. He berated himself for getting caught up in Kaplan's talk of beauty and just the entire romantic atmosphere of the city. Losing touch with reality – though relaxing and soothing – was detrimental.
“Yeah. I'm fine.” he told Kaplan now. “Just...tired.” He wasn't lying, he was tired – tired of Kaplan treating this like some romantic vacation. Tired of the man acting like he cared, and distracting Abel from keeping his mind on the money and his hired duties.
“We'll be back at the hotel in just a short while.” he ran his fingers through Abel's hair. “You can rest then.” he chuckled low. “I guess I got overzealous, wanting to show you everything at once. It's a lot to take in.”
“Yeah.” Abel murmured and leaned his head against the side window.
Kaplan fell silent but he could feel him watching him. The man wasn't stupid, he knew that somewhere along the line, something had changed between them. But he was remaining quiet about it for the moment.
Once they were back in their penthouse suite, Kaplan took a chilled bottle of Merlot and two glasses up to the terrace. Abel followed without having to be asked. Kaplan set the wine and glasses on a
Similar Books
