Page 93 of The Wrong Groom

“No,” Gabriel says.

I go still, my breath suspended in my lungs.

Without even sparing a glance at the two businessmen, Gabriel speaks in a calm but commanding tone. “Gentlemen, if you’ll excuse me for a moment, I need to speak with my wife.”

The two men exchange surprised glances, their faces shifting from polite interest to confusion. One of them clears his throat and opens his mouth, perhaps to protest, but Gabriel doesn’t give him the chance.

“I apologize,” Gabriel says, although his voice lacks the usual sincerity of an apology. “But this is urgent.”

The two businessmen glance at each other, clearly taken aback. One of them opens his mouth again, but Gabriel cuts him off with a sharp look.

“We’ll resume our meeting when I’m finished here.”

The men nod quickly, standing to gather their things. They don’t argue further. As they brush past me into the hall, they shoot me curious looks. Gabriel’s secretary looks as though she’s tasted something sour, but she knows better than to push him. She closes the door, leaving the two of us alone.

“You didn’t have to do that,” I whisper into the silence that descends. “It’s not actually urgent.”

“What’s wrong?” There’s concern in his gaze.

“Nothing. I swear, it’s nothing. We can talk about it later, when⁠—”

“Come here,” he says, his voice commanding but soothing at the same time. He rolls his desk chair back, making space for me. I hesitate for a moment, then walk toward him, my feet moving almost of their own accord.

Without another word, he reaches for me, guiding me onto his lap. I settle against him, and his arms encircle me, pulling me close. This, this is exactly what I needed. What I came running for.

His arms are steady, his warmth enveloping me as he pulls me closer. I have to resist the sudden urge to bury my face in his chest.

“Talk to me, sunshine,” he breathes. “What happened?”

“I… it’s stupid. I don’t even know how to…”

He brushes a hand through my hair, his fingers threading through the waves. “It’s not stupid.”

I exhale. Something in my chest feels loosened by the sincerity in his voice. “It’s Travis,” I admit. “He called me earlier.”

Gabriel’s body tenses beneath me at the mention of Travis’s name. I can feel the muscles in his arms tighten. “What did he say?”

“He… he told me that he had feelings for me. That he couldn’t stop thinking about me.”

Gabriel’s fingers freeze in my hair, and I can feel the shift in his body as the tension increases. “And how did you respond?” His voice is tight now, laced with a subtle edge of anger that he’s doing his best to keep in check.

“I told him I wasn’t interested. I said I was happy with how things turned out.” I meet his gaze, desperate for him to believe me. “I swear, I didn’t encourage him.”

“I know.” He brings a hand to my cheek, cupping my face. “You didn’t do anything wrong.”

It’s a relief to hear those words from him, an echo of what I told myself when the panic first set in. I lean into him, closing my eyes. His touch soothes the knot of anxiety in my stomach.

“How did you end the call?” he asks.

“I hung up on him.”

I can’t see his satisfied smile, but I can hear it in his voice when he speaks. “Good. That’s what I was hoping you’d say.”

I take a deep, shaky breath. “He just won’t leave me alone. After the bookstore, I thought he’d give me space, but…” I shake my head, at a loss for words.

“It’s okay,” he murmurs. “I’m here. I’ve got you.”

He continues to stroke my hair, run his hand along my back, until the tension in my body starts to melt away. For the first time since I heard Travis’s voice on the phone, I feel like I can breathe again.