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Since I could barely keep my eyes open any longer, I snuggled into him. Despite my hangover, I’d never felt more content than in that moment. His arm tightened around me, and he pressed a featherlight kiss on top of my head. I drifted off, held securely in his warm embrace.
When I woke up next, my head was still sore, but at least I could think more clearly and didn’t have to fight the urge to throw up if I moved too fast.
I was alone in bed, and a glance at my phone told me it was one in the afternoon.
A sniff of my clothes and hair confirmed I needed a shower before I attempted anything else. I smelled like the inside of a wine barrel that was only halfway through the fermentation process.
After taking a long shower that did wonders to revive my stiff body, I ventured downstairs. Food was next on my list, and the smell that hit me as soon as I cleared the last step made me speed up.
Cleo was off today, so the only other person who’d be cooking was Gabriel. I spotted him by the stove, his back to me. He was wearing cutoff sweats, no shirt, and an apron. His muscles moved with each flip of the spatula, and the view would be burned into my brain for all eternity.
Once I was able to close my mouth again, I moved into the kitchen. “What are you cooking?”
“I’m making you an omelet. And Mom dropped off koulouri.” He nodded to a plate piled high with what looked like some kind of bread. “But if you prefer something lighter, there’s fruit salad in the fridge.”
I made a beeline for the coffee maker, turning it on. “An omelet sounds delicious, but I have to admit I have no idea what koulouri is.”
He plated up two omelets. “It’s bread smothered in sesame. Crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside.” He broke off a piece, holding it out to me. “Try it.”
Instead of taking the bread, I ate it out of his hand, my lips brushing his fingers. It was delicious, and I let out a small moan.
Gabriel’s hand was still suspended in front of me, and his eyes were blazing a dark ocean blue. I finished chewing, eyeing the rest of the bread. “It’s amazing.”
He shook himself out of whatever had made him freeze and handed me the plate. “Have as much as you want.”
I grabbed my full coffee mug, adding a liberal amount of white chocolate raspberry creamer, then took my omelet and koulouri and sat down on one of the barstools next to Gabriel. “Are you working today?”
Even on the weekends, he had been working at least for a few hours. I loved and dreaded it when he worked from home. It left too many chances of him leaving something important out in the open. But it also meant he was home, and I could hang out in his office.
I might have bought myself a few days’ reprieve by giving Aleksándr information on the shipment, but he’d demand more soon. He always did. And I was frantically searching for an unimportant document or intel that would pacify him without hurting Gabriel.
“Not today.”
I nearly dropped my fork. In the months I’d known him, he’d never taken a day off. I finished the last bite of my eggs, then leaned back, cradling my precious coffee. “Did you make other plans, then?”
“You could say that.” He put his fork down, then turned in his chair to face me, his legs caging me in. Heat instantly shot through my body, and I put my mug on the breakfast bar with shaking hands.
Hot drinks and silly crushes didn’t mix too well.
He leaned forward, one hand on the marble, the other on my leg. I sat frozen, concentrating on breathing. But as soon as his familiar scent hit my nose, breathing became difficult. His mouth stopped at my ear. “We’re talking. And then we’re making up for lost time.”
“Wha… what do you mean?” I stammered, leaning forward as if he were pulling me to him.
He sat back up, and I swayed before at least a small fraction of my senses returned and I stopped myself from landing in his lap.
“I want to give this marriage a shot. Not just as friends but as a couple. The best part of my day is coming home to you and knowing that whatever we decide to do that night, I’ll enjoy it because you’ll be there.” He gave me a hesitant smile. “I haven’t apologized for disappearing during our wedding. And I’m truly sorry for how I acted. I spent three days at Gunner’s cabin in the middle of nowhere, hoping I could forget how good it felt to kiss you. But you’re impossible to get off my mind, and I don’t want to fight this any longer.”
All I could do was blink at him. I was used to disappointment. I didn’t know what to do with being offered the one thing I wanted most.
He tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear when I didn’t say anything. “You gotta give me something before I make up the worst-case scenario. I thought you felt at least a little of what I’m feeling. Was I mistaken?”
Since I didn’t have any words to express how much I wanted him, I put my hands on his cheeks and fused my mouth to his.
As soon as our lips touched, his arms came around me, and he lifted me out of the chair. “Thank fuck,” he said against my mouth, the light brush making me shiver.
What started out as a way to tell him I was all in soon turned into a frenzied ripping of clothes and clashing of tongues and teeth. My bare ass cheeks hit the cold marble, and I shuddered with need.
When did he take off my pants and underwear?
