My heart flutters wildly against his open palm. I’ve waitedyearsto hear those words again. With that urgency behind them that seeped deep into my heart.
“I want to kiss you,” Gabriel whispers softly near my lips. His breath feels like feathers being dragged across my mouth—lip balm our only barrier. “Let me kiss you.”
“I’m with Alex now,” I mutter, gritting my teeth.
“Mm, well, he can join us.” His thumb passes over my nipple, and I draw in a breath, shuddering from sensory overload. He flattens his palm over my pec, causing that muscle to jump against his hand. Those stormy gray eyes turn dark, and I swear to fucking God I almost get lost in the darkness.
I shake my head, fighting this urge of all urges not to kiss him, becausedamndo I want to shove my tongue down his throat and reclaim him all over again. Let him know that I still love him the same, maybe more, and that I never stopped. Ever. But… I reach for his hand that’s resting over my broken heart. “There is no moreus, Gabriel.”
It doesn’t surprise me in the least that he so brazenly suggested a threesome. Having other men join us in our bed was something we enjoyed as a couple. I was strictly a top, but Gabriel was vers, and as much as he enjoyed bottoming, he also took pleasure in topping. By no means did we have an open marriage, though, more like a play date from time to time. With conditions, of course. No kissing, no feelings, no overnighters… just a simple, no-strings-attached, fuck.
But now, I want to tear down the fucking walls in our home because we could have worked through this nightmare had he only trusted me. We could have fought this fight together. HeknowsI would have kept his secret and protected our family. For God’s sake, I would have done anything to protect us. Damn it! I would have chosen us!
I would have chosen us!
I take a step back, letting his arm drop down to his side. “We need to tell Alex. He’s under the impression that you slept with Meera,” I divulge. “He thinks you have a child together.”
“He what?” He gasps, salacious eyes now shocked silly. If this wasn’t such a serious conversation, his expression would have been comical. “Are you fucking kidding me? I’ve never fucked a woman in my life.”
“Do I look like I’m kidding?” I stare straight into his wide eyes.
And then… I stare right into hazel ones.
ALEX
“Alex!”Elijah startles, causing Gabriel to spin around and just about knock noses with me. My fist lands squarely in the middle of Gabriel’s gut, knocking the wind out of him.
“You motherfucker!” I slam my knee into his face as he bends at the waist, clutching his stomach.
“Oooph…” he huffs.
Elijah tackles me, causing my back to crash into the glass. He pins me to the window with his thick forearm. Veins bulge from his neck. Breath hot and heavy on my cheek. Surprisingly, he’swinded, like he was the one I’d just brought down to his knees. I glance over his shoulder at a stunned Gabriel.
In all honesty, I’m quite stunned myself. Not only by Gabriel’s confession, but by the fact that I just slammed my fist into his body. What the ever-loving heck?
“I’m sorry,” Gabriel cries from the floor, dragging his hair away from his face. Thank God there’s no blood, but a dark red bruise is beginning to form along his cheekbone. “I never meant for this to happen, Alex. You have to believe me. God, I’m sorry. I’m so fucking sorry,” he babbles, getting to his knees, tears running over his quivering lips.
As bad as I feel for hitting him, if I could spit on him, I would, but I can’t because Elijah still has me hemmed up against the glass. So I glare instead, finding him so goddamn annoying… and fucking attractive at the same time.
Christ.
His attractiveness is annoying.
“Get the fuck off me,” I growl, and Elijah loosens the pressure of his forearm against my neck. I pull in a breath and shake out my hand before bringing it up to my face, fingering my sore cheekbone. The gash luckily hasn’t reopened. Elijah slides his hands down to my waist, trusting that I would never hit him. Jesus, before today, I never would have thought I’d hit anybody.
I swoop my eyes back over to Gabriel, who’s in the midst of getting to his feet and wiping his palms against his pants. He sniffles, and I cringe.
“Talk to me, Alex?” he pleads.
I wrestle out of Elijah’s hold and head for the door. “I’m leaving.”
“Alex, wait!” Gabriel shouts, taking off after me, rounding the corner at the same time I’m stepping onto the lift.
“Hi Mr. J! Are you—”
“Jesus Christ!” I jump back, startled by Ana’s sudden appearance. My back slams against the wall as the elevator doors close. Shaking uncontrollably, I slide down to the floor, desperately trying to catch my breath.
“Oh my god! Are you alright?” She drops to her knees and reaches for me, cradling my face in her palms. Her thumb traces the gouge on my cheek, and pain sears through my brain, even at her soft touch, making me squeeze my eyes shut. “I’m calling my dad!”
