I Have to Have Her

“I’m standing right here and I’ve told you, I don’t need a man.”

“For all you know, she might have a man, Rhianna. Someone who doesn’t want to be known, who is quite possessive,” Gabriel said.

Rhianna laughed. “I know Claire and she wouldn’t be with someone who wants to keep everything private.”

“I think we should eat now. I’ll serve up at the dinner table.” She carried the sauce to the table, followed by the pasta.

While she sat on one side of Gabriel, Rhianna sat on the other. She’d hoped the conversation would change topics, but clearly no one who would listen to her, as Rhianna continued about her need for her to be with a man.

Gabriel wasn’t helping matters as he played along.

“You think she’ll find someone at this society event?” Gabriel asked.

“Why are you going?” Claire asked. “How did you get an invite?”

“I’m a businessman with plenty of … contacts.”

“And how does this help you?”

“It’s all business,” Rhianna said. “Stop changing the subject. Yes, she’s gorgeous.”

“I’m sitting right here.”

“And what kind of men does she usually go for?” Gabriel asked.

“The bad ones,” Claire said, glaring at Gabriel. “The kind you don’t take home to a parent or brag about having.”

“It’s good you don’t have any family then.”

Gritting her teeth, Rhianna laughed. “Come on, Tony, and what’s-his-name back in high school don’t count. She likes men who are sweet, caring, or at least appear that way. It’s how Tony lasted so long. He must have had a sweet bone in his body to bring back her stuff.”

“Don’t, Rhianna,” she said.

“What about her other boyfriends?” Gabriel asked.

“That’s it. No more. Not even one-night stands. She’s not into those. Claire has always been the one looking for love.”

She’d heard enough. Pushing her chair back, she left the table without a word. She stormed into the kitchen, scraped her food into a bowl, and left it to cool down before she put it in the fridge. Staring at the dishes, she was tempted to wash them but decided they could do it.

After going to her room, she picked up the paper where two more apartments had been advertised.

Claire expected her door to open. She had hoped it would be Rhianna; that would have been nice. However, Gabriel’s shoes came into her line of vision.

“Say what you’ve got to say and then leave.”

“This is my place. This is my room.”

She dropped the paper. “I’m trying to find another place to stay.”

“And it’s going badly for you.”

“How do you even know that?” She glanced at the paper then back at him. “It’s you, isn’t it? You’re the reason I’m struggling.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Don’t lie.” She growled and stood up, pacing the room and stopping in front of him. “Why?”

“You’ve only been with two men.”

“So?”

“Why?”

“You answer my question. Why have you stopped me from finding a place? You didn’t want me to be here and now you’re stopping me, why? What the hell, Gabriel?” she asked.

He stepped closer to her. “You know why I’m not letting you go and now it’s time for you to answer my question.”

She stood her ground this time, not allowing him to scare her off. “What does it matter?”

“Two men.”

“And both of them were assholes. Like I said, I have the worst taste in men.” She went to pass him but he gripped her arm, stopping her. “Don’t think too much into it. I wasn’t a virgin when I entered into this thing with you.”

“You were a woman who hadn’t been shown what could be,” he said.

She lifted her head to look him in the eye. His eyes were dark, sinful. She loved to drown in them. Whenever they were alone, being in his arms, his cock inside her, she forgot everything and just allowed him to dominate, to take over, to flood her world, and she loved every minute. There was nothing he did that she hated.

Even now as he grabbed her, controlled her, she enjoyed it. She didn’t know how it had happened, but she’d gotten Gabriel’s attention. Part of her was afraid of what that meant exactly, but another didn’t care. She liked the edge of not knowing, the surprise.

He cupped her cheek, tilting her head back. His gaze was on her lips. “You’re not going to be with anyone else but me.”

“I know.”

“Good. Remember that when you’re at the party with me. You’ll be on my arm. No other man will know who you belong to, but I will know. At the end of the night, Rhianna will be taken home, and you, you’re going to come with me.”Chapter SevenClaire looked stunning. There was no other word for it. She lit up the entire room. Gabriel couldn’t look away.

“Tell me again why all the press are here?” Rhianna asked.

“It’s an event with a lot of political and business people. If they weren’t here, it would be a problem.”