At last, Gabriel broke the kiss, his breath ragged. He rested his forehead against hers, eyes closed. “Eden,” he murmured, voice husky with emotion.
She trembled against him, words lost in the tumult of her heart. Finally, she whispered, “I want you, Gabriel. More than I have ever wanted anything.”
He drew back slightly, eyes searching hers with conflicted longing. Eden’s heart pounded, her hands tightening slightly at the hem of his coat, waiting for him to speak. “As do I,” he said, voice thick. “But I cannot…”
Pain flared in Eden’s chest. “Why not?” she demanded softly, voice cracking. “Is what’s between us truly so scandalous?”
Gabriel’s gaze darkened, a flicker of memory tightening his features. The weight of a promise made beneath a blood-orange sky, the echo of Thomas’s trust in his ears. For a heartbeat, he teetered on the edge of confession, the gravity of the moment pressing against the walls he had so carefully built. “It would be more scandalous than rain and thunder combined,” he replied. “My past, your reputation, your family’s expectations—if word of us were to spread...” He trailed off, unable to complete the thought.
Eden pressed her palm to his chest, feeling the rapid beat of his heart. “I trust you, Gabriel. We can face whatever comes.”
He covered her hand with his, eyes softening. “Your trust means everything to me,” he said. “But I promised Thomas.”
Tears sprang to Eden’s eyes as she met his gaze. Her heart pounded with the enormity of what she was about to say, the risks it carried. But the thought of remaining silent felt more dangerous than any consequence. In that breathless moment, she chose honesty over fear. “Thomas would know in his heart that I love you. He would forgive us if he saw how true this is.”
Gabriel’s face tightened with emotion, regret tinged with longing, as if every choice he had made weighed heavier now in the light of her trust. He leaned forward, brushing a tender kiss along her jaw. The heat of his lips on her skin stirred something deep and aching—a memory of the maze, of whispered promises and breathless silence. Eden closed her eyes, the gentle pressure grounding her, the touch echoing the tenderness she had feared might never return. It was a kiss not of passion, but of understanding. A vow spoken without words.
He pulled back, meeting her gaze. “If only it were that simple.”
Eden rested her head against his chest, arms wrapped around him. “We can make it simple,” she whispered. “One moment at a time.”
He stroked her hair gently, the tension in his shoulders easing. For a moment, they stood silently, hearts synchronized, comforted by each other’s presence.
Lightning flashed, illuminating the lodge in stark brightness, and a loud crack of thunder shook the rafters. Eden flinched, and Gabriel held her tighter, wrapping her in his arms.
“You are safe with me,” he murmured, voice steady and strong.
Eden lifted her face to his, eyes bright with tears and relief. “I never doubted it.”
Another flash of lightning, and the power of their unspoken vow passed between them like electricity. Eden leaned in, capturing his lips in a softer, more tender kiss—one that spoke of trust, hope, and the courage to face the storm together.
They remained united as the tempest raged, passionate kisses interspersed with whispered confessions—Eden murmuring how she had dreamed of his touch, Gabriel promising he would find a way to make her his without dishonor. Eden’s breath hitched at his words, her eyes glistening as she reached for his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze, grounding herself in the weight of his vow. A tear slipped down her cheek, not from sorrow, but from the overwhelming relief of finally being seen, chosen. In the flicker of firelight, she believed him. In that vow was a storm of his own: the echo of his father’s legacy, the duty instilled in him from birth, and the weight of a promise to Thomas that had become a chain around his heart.
But Eden’s touch, her trust, chipped at the links. If claiming her meant challenging tradition, risking whispers, or defying expectation, then so be it. For the first time, he saw a future shaped by choice, not obligation.
Yet each time their embrace grew too fervent, Gabriel gently pulled back. His breath would hitch, his eyes flickering with a battle between longing and obligation. In those moments, silence stretched between them, thick with everything unsaid and everything deeply felt. He would brush a kiss to her temple or offer a whispered apology, the retreat gentle but unmistakable.
Each pause left Eden aching—not for the passion denied, but for the barrier still standing between them. She watched him, searching his eyes for the conflict that mirrored her own, hoping to find a trace of hesitation that matched her fear, or a glimmer of resolve that could anchor her doubt, her fingers brushing his cheek in silent understanding even as disappointment flickered in her gaze.
Gabriel looked away, reminding himself of the boundaries he still struggled to uphold.
As the hours trickled by, the storm outside lost its edge, dwindling to a gentle patter of rain against the windowpanes. The once roaring fire settled into a soft glow, its embers casting flickering shadows that danced across the rough stone walls. Gabriel shifted slightly, his arm pulling Eden closer, her head nestling deeper into the comforting curve of his shoulder.
The air inside the lodge was heavy with the earthy aroma of wood smoke mingled with the warmth of their shared breath, a fragile cocoon sealing them off from the wild world beyond the walls. The scent underscored the quiet intimacy building between them, a reminder that even in such a rustic space, comfort and connection could thrive.
Gabriel’s fingers curled instinctively around Eden’s, her touch light as a whisper yet weighted with meaning. It was a silent conversation, the brush of skin against skin conveying a question and its answer in an instant.
Eden surrendered to her fatigue, not out of necessity, but out of a profound trust in the man beside her.
As Gabriel gazed into the fading glow of the embers, he made a vow in the quiet of his mind that the warmth between them would never diminish.
Eden’s last conscious thought was the steady rhythm of Gabriel’s heartbeat beneath her ear, a promise of steadfast devotion. Gabriel surrendered to the comfort of Eden’s warmth, his breath slowing as the sound of the rain and the softness of her presence lulled him into a state of relaxation. For the first time in weeks, the chaos in his mind quieted, replaced by a fragile, fierce certainty. He did not want to imagine a future without her.
His breath slowed as he listened to the soft patter of rain on the roof and the faint crackle of embers in the hearth. The scent of lavender from her damp hair lingered in the air, wrapping around him. Gabriel inhaled deeply as he stroked his thumb over the soft skin of her hand. He would protect her, honor his duties, and one day claim a love that no storm could wash away.
In the remnants of a fierce summer storm, Eden and Gabriel found solace in one another’s arms, the bonds of their emotional honesty forged stronger than any tempest could ever break.
Nine
