Hesitant, I hover beneath the arched doorway.
Avery’s been incredibly kind to me, even nurturing, but it only makes me conflicted. I wanted that kind of nurturing from Mama. And occasionally I’d even get it, when she was between boyfriends. But I learned not to trust in it. It would be snatched away when I needed it most.
“What do you have there?” she asks, looking at my books with interest.
The urge to share with her is too strong, to show her what I like and find out what she does. I approach the rug with slow steps, feeling almost shy.
The library is massive, two stories connected by a carved spiral staircase. And on the second floor, the shelves go so high you have to use a ladder to reach the very top. Small leather benches set off the different bookcases, which is where I would usually sit.
In the center of the room is a plush rug that holds two oversized armchairs and a circular table. An intricate carved chess set sits there, positioned so the people in the chairs can play.
Avery points to the empty chair beside her. “Join me. Please.”
In a rush I settle into the cushion, sinking deep. “I’m sorry. I don’t want to disturb you.”
“You’re not.” She tilts her head, reading the spines of the books I’m holding. “You found Gabriel’s financial books.”
“Do you think he’d mind?” I ask, holding the books tighter.
She laughs. “I’m sure he wouldn’t. In fact he’d probably love to discuss them with you. He’s kind of a numbers junkie, but it’s all over my head.”
There’s a book in her lap, with plain text on the front.
“Athenian Vase Painting,” I say, reading the cover aloud.
“It’s my guilty pleasure,” she says, not sounding very guilty. “The classical section of the library is incredible, if you’re interested in the subjects. I can point out some of the more accessible books. This one’s a little dense.”
“Does Gabriel like ancient history?”
“No, but he likes making me happy,” she says with a private smile. “It used to be my major in college. Before I—well, before I left.”
“Why did you stop?”
She sucks in a breath as I realize my mistake. I’ve cared too much, revealed too much. And worst of all, I’ve reminded her of something dark.
“I’m sorry,” I add quickly, starting to stand. “Never mind.”
“No, please. It’s not your fault.” Her hazel eyes look so sad I have to sit again. And I recognize something in her words, that longing. Loneliness. “I had to leave when my dad lost his court case. And he was hospitalized. Long story short I used my college fund to help us keep the house as long as we could.”
I look away, remembering that story in the local news. Everyone had been talking about it. The famous businessman and politician, known for his works of charity, convicted of embezzlement. And despite that he had escaped jail time. The benefits of being rich.
“You’ve heard the rest of the story,” she says, reading my expression.
“Not really,” I say quickly. “People talk, but I don’t believe them.”
“In this case they were probably telling the truth. I approached Damon Scott about a loan. Which he wouldn’t give me since I had no way to pay it back. Gabriel was there. He suggested that I auction my virginity.”
A memory uncoils inside me, stealing my breath.
You know he doesn’t have a way to pay you back. How dare you loan him money?
Would you have preferred I told him no? He would have gone straight to my father, who would have charged him higher interest than I did.
I had been so furious then, so sure of my rightness. And now? I didn’t know the answer. There was no solution to my father’s addiction. There was no proof against heartache.
“So that’s how I ended up here,” she says, gesturing to the library, the mansion itself.
I’ve seen her and Gabriel together, the way he looks at her, as if she owns him. He isn’t forcing her to do anything. At least, not anymore. “Do you ever think you’ll leave?”
Her expression turns faraway. “I’m not sure. I mean, don’t get me wrong. I’m happy here. It’s beautiful and luxurious and safe. But sometimes I miss school so much it hurts.” She glances down at the book in her lap. “Books aren’t the same. They’re nice, though.”
I reach across the chess board and take her hand.
She looks up at me, her eyes wide with surprise. It might be the first time I’ve touched her. The first time I’ve touched anyone, since the attack.
Footsteps startle me, and I turn to see Gabriel stride into the library. He makes a straight line toward Avery, a living and breathing shortest-path algorithm.
He bends down, one hand behind her neck to keep her close. A kiss on her cheek. A whisper in her ear that makes her blush. Only then does he straighten and give me a kind, “Hello, Penny.”
I’m a little disappointed Damon isn’t with him. Maybe a lot disappointed. “Hi.”
“What are you two doing?” he asks.
“Talking about Damon,” Avery says, before I can respond. “And how he auctioned me off.”
It shouldn’t surprise me that she’s keeping secrets—even if those secrets are only what’s in her heart. She doesn’t want him to know that she longs for school. Because he would be angry? Or because she would feel disloyal?
I’m hardly one to judge. I don’t share what’s in my heart very much. I barely know what’s there, most of the time. For me that’s the top-most shelf, full of dust, requiring the use of a special ladder just to reach it.
Gabriel gives a small smile, completely unrepentant. “He gave me a lot of grief for that.”
“Did he?” I ask, uncertain why Damon would mind. It made sense that he wouldn’t want to give Avery money if he knew she would never be able to repay. But how could he mind the auction? I have no doubt that he profited from it.
“He can be a little protective of women. He’s been that way for as long as I’ve known him.” Something about Gabriel’s golden eyes invites me in, as if he’s imparting an important secret.
“But he owns a strip club.”
“More than one,” Gabriel says with a nod. “And for a girl in a desperate situation, there’s no place safer or more lucrative for her to be. You should have seen how selective he was about the guest list for the auction.”
“Really?” Avery says, sounding surprised.
Dark flecks of gold glint in Gabriel’s eyes. “I don’t think he knew whether to be relieved or worried when I won. He warned me that if I hurt you, I’d have to answer to him.”
“Well,” Avery says, her voice arch. “Then there are a few things I’ll have to tell him about.”
The smile flirting with her lips says she’s only teasing. Though I suspect if I were to dig, Gabriel has done one or two things that hurt her. He clenches a fist in her hair, pulling her back to whisper something else in her ear. She’s scarlet by the time he led her upstairs, giving me a short, “We’ll see you tomorrow. Mrs. B is in the kitchen if you need anything.”
“Go to bed early,” Avery says, her voice trailing into the room as she’s led away. “I know you’re feeling better, but your body is still recovering.”