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Gabriel’s eyes locked on my mouth. We stayed suspended, and I held my breath, afraid to break the moment.
Someone walked past, laughing loudly, and broke us out of our bubble. After one last glance at my mouth, Gabriel turned for the bar. “I’ll be right back. Don’t move.”
The words were barely audible over the music. The event was for a charity working with orphaned children, and the organizers had somehow arranged for part of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra to play. I felt out of place, wondering not for the first time tonight why Gabriel had insisted on bringing me along.
Not only was I one of the youngest people here, but I was also surrounded by business moguls and their significant others. Gabriel had introduced me to a lot of people already, and we’d only been here for thirty minutes.
I wasn’t sure how I’d survive another few hours. My high school knowledge wouldn’t get me very far in conversations about stock markets and investments.
Feeling uncomfortable standing by myself, I searched the crowd for Gabriel and found him by the bar. But he wasn’t by himself. And the pain I felt when the woman next to him leaned in close, her hand on his arm, cut me to my core.
Despite our rocky start, we seemed to have come to a truce. He’d been attentive all night, not only opening doors for me and bringing me food and drinks but also making sure I wasn’t left out of whatever conversation he was having. I might not have been able to contribute much, but it was nice not to stand there like I was part of the furniture.
But the reality of my situation came crashing back with a loud smack. Because despite his apparent change in how he treated me, we were only acquaintances. I shouldn’t feel a sense of betrayal at seeing him with another woman.
I was sure he hadn’t been celibate since our wedding. I knew our world and how it worked. Gabriel could have as many women on the side as he wanted. It was expected. I didn’t know any marriage besides Althea and Constantine’s where there wasn’t at least one mistress in the mix.
And it wasn’t as if I expected us to become husband and wife in every sense of the word. He’d given me more in the last few weeks than anyone else ever had. Hoping for more was foolish. But he’d been affectionate tonight, touching me at every opportunity. And he’d talked to me. Listened, asked questions. I felt heard.
And like the stupid, naive girl I was, I’d soaked up the attention and read more into it than I should.
I allowed myself one last glance at the bar, taking in the woman’s long blonde hair, perfectly shaped body, and short red dress. She was my complete opposite. We were about the same height, but that was where the similarities ended.
She had platinum blonde hair styled into a perfect updo; my dark hair hung loosely down my back. Where she was curvy, I was thin. She exuded femininity and had no problem letting Gabriel know she was interested. She practically stuck her enhanced chest in his face while running her hand up and down his arm. I’d never be that forward, the fear of rejection too much of a hurdle.
“I hate that bitch.” Freya appeared next to me, handing me a glass of champagne.
I took a sip, fighting the urge to gulp it all down. “Who is she?”
“Gabriel went out with her a few times. Liam told me that when Gabriel lost interest, she’d show up at the house all the time. She even signed up for the same aqua aerobics class as Mom.” She snorted. “It’s an over-fifty class.”
“Doesn’t seem like he’s no longer interested.”
The words sounded bitter, and I lifted my glass to my lips again to avoid saying anything else. It wasn’t my place to be a jealous wife.
“Believe me, he is. Look how he’s leaning away from her. He wants to avoid making a scene. He knows how to handle the crazies well by now since he’s dated enough of them. And I use the term ‘date’ loosely here.”
“You talking about Yvette?” Jude joined our conversation, putting his arms around his sister and me. “The woman can’t take a hint. Either my brother has a magical cock or he’s dating a lot of psychos.”
Freya made a gagging sound. “Argh, don’t talk about his private parts. That’s disgusting.”
“Nobody calls it ‘private parts’, Fey. I’m sure you know what happens when two grown-ups are attracted to each other. Especially since Gunner always looks at you like he wants to play ‘hide the sausage’. Your false modesty is misplaced.”
Freya slapped her brother’s chest with the back of her hand. “I’m not talking to you about my brother’s bits. And I’m certainly not talking to you about my relationship with Gunner.”
Jude’s body shook from his laughter, and I turned my head into him to hide my smile. Freya was anything but a prude and talked freely about her and Gunner when it was only the two of us.
And I loved that she felt comfortable enough to talk to me. She dropped in nearly every day, and I always looked forward to her visits.
A hand gripped mine, pulling me away from Jude. A startled gasp escaped me, my heart threatening to beat out of my chest. But a familiar cologne, followed by Gabriel’s deep voice, made me sag in relief. “Freya, stop giving my wife alcohol.”
“Since when are you such a rule follower?” Freya stuck her tongue out at her brother. “And she’s almost twenty-one, anyway.”
My birthday was next month. And when Freya and Althea found out that I’d never celebrated it, they’d made it their mission to organize a party.
Gabriel’s hand hit the heated skin of my back, and I shivered. My dress was thin, and he seemed to have developed an obsession with putting his hand on as many places on my body as he could.
He handed my champagne to a passing waiter, replacing it with a glass of water. “What are you gossiping about?” Gabriel raised a brow at Freya. “I could hear you cackling all the way at the bar.”
