“I have to meet up with a friend for a bit this morning,” he says as he curls up into my chest.
“Oh, alright.”
He must hear the disappointment in my tone. “It’s just for a bit, Princess. Luke is my friend but he’s also a lawyer. He has some legal form for me to sign for the cybersecurity business. Itwon’t take me long.”
His fingers dig into my waist as he grabs me and flips us. I shriek as we roll across the bed, spinning until I’m pinned beneath him. He stares down at me from above.
“I’ll be gone for just a few hours, then I’m coming home and taking you on a date.” He leans down and begins to pepper my neck with kisses. His wicked lips and tongue are sinful. I melt under his attention.
“A date?” I prod as butterflies fill my stomach.
“Mmmhmm,” he purrs against my skin. “I’m taking you to dinner. I made a reservation earlier this week.”
“You did?” I ask between small moans of pleasure as his mouth continues sucking and nipping at my skin.
I’ve had to invest in some heavy duty concealer this week with the amount of bites and hickies that have begun to be a constant mark upon my flesh. Gabriel loves marking me, and I find I quite enjoy it as well. Every new mark sends a thrill of pleasure through me.
“You said it yourself—you’re mine, Ali. And I intend to show you just how fucking lucky I feel to have you, my beautiful, smart, sexy, sweet woman.”
His words stoke a fire inside me that I’m beginning to feel might be a constant burn of desire in my life going forward. I want this man beyond what is healthy or reasonable. He’s absolutely intoxicating, and despite the small warning bell in the back of my mind telling me that this is too much, too fast, I can’t seem to stop myself from wanting to dive head first into whatever this is. I’ve never been one to throw caution to the wind, but for this man, for this life he’s let me get a glimpse of, perhaps I can live recklessly.
I just hope I don’t live to regret these choices.
I stare at the guide on the TV, seeing and yet unseeing the words on the screen. My phone sits on the couch next to me, the glowing screen taunting me. Gabriel left not long ago, leaving me alone, vulnerable, a sitting duck. I glance down at the illuminated screen next to me. The message is still there, still open, still taunting me.
HUBBY: We need to talk
He hasn’t said a word to me in nearly a week. Why now? I feel the walls of my perfect tower of contentment beginning to crack. Reality will force the fairytale that I’ve been living in to come crumbling down around me. Anxiety and panic swirl through my veins, forcing a tightness in my chest that makes my breathing feel labored. I can’t just sit here staring at the text. It will drive me insane.
Swiftly locking my phone, I stand and throw the offensive device across the cushions. Gabriel won’t be back for a few hours. My body has come to crave him. His smoke and pine scent has invaded my psyche. He’s like a sinfully delectable addiction—delicous and dangerous. A girl could lose herself in a guy like him. I know I’m being foolish and diving in too quickly, yet I can’t stop myself from wishing he was here with me now.
I need something to get my mind off these swirling worries. I could go for a run, but I don’t know this area well enough to feel confident that I won’t get lost. It would be nosey to poke around his house…and yet…
My feet are moving before my mind can catch up to what I’m doing. I definitely should not be doing this, but a part of me feels like if I’m going to be here, in this home, living with this man, I have a right to get to know him a bit more. Make sure there’s no bodies stuffed in closets or anything, right? I chuckle darkly to myself at the thought. I found myself a hot nerd, not a murderer. Perhaps that’s what I like most about Gabriel—he’s safe. I always felt on edge with Brody, like I would never be enough. I’ve never felt that way with Gabriel. With him, I’m enough—no—I’m more than enough.
Ascending the stairs, I let the warm sunlight from the windows hit my face and I stop to bask momentarily. It’s beautiful here. The large widows that make up much of the home allow the beauty of nature to flow into the house. It’s magical. Continuing upstairs, I decide to snoop around the bedroom I’ve been staying in. The bathroom cabinets are full of very normal items—combs, toothpaste, cologne. He’s given me one side of the vanity with my own sink and drawers—as if I’m moving in, like I was meant to be here. But his side is full of dark masculine products and tools. Nothing interesting or alarming.
I move to the closet. It’s still a bit of a mess from when we broke one of the racks a few days ago. I blush at the memory of him fucking me into the floor while clothers cascaded around us. I’ve never felt as desired as I do with him. It’s a heady rush to be sowanted. Gabriel ordered some parts to fix it, because of course he’s good with technology AND he’s handy. But in the meantime, he’s moved some of the clothes to the other side. A few of my outfits have made their way into this space as well. Behind the racks of dark clothing there’s nothing hidden. No dark and dirty secrets in the bedroom, apparently.
Padding down the hallway, I step on light feet. I’m not sure why, there’s no one here. I’m all alone. Yet, I have a feeling that I’m being watched. I glance around. Nothing. No one. Still,I can’t shake the feeling of having eyes on me. The first door I open is a linen closet. Neatly folded sheets and towels line the shelves.
Boring.
Moving on, I try the next door and my mouth falls open when I do. Inside is an art studio. A large easel sits in the middle of the room with a blank canvas balanced on it. In front of the easel are huge windows which allow light to filter into the space, filling it with a warm glow. I stare at the space for a moment as tears prick my eyes. I don’t even know why I’m emotional. I think it’s because I’d kill for a space like this in my home. I used to paint when I was younger. I used acrylics because they were easiest to work with. Oils and watercolors require far more precision, but acrylics allow you to layer, to play, to create without worry. My hands itch to pick up one of the brushes on the counter along the right wall. But this isn’t my space. It’s someone else’s creative area and I couldn’t violate it.
Is it Gabriel’s space? Does he paint?
For some reason, I can’t see him painting. He seems too analytical. A pang of jealousy creeps into my core. The thought of him making a studio for someone else has anger coursing through my veins. I could snap each and every one of her stupid fucking paint brushes to teach her a lesson and then—
No.I am not weak. I’m not that girl anymore. I am in control.
I take several deep breaths as I step back and close the door. I’ll have to think of a way to tactfully bring up the room to Gabriel later. I can’t come across as needy or jealous, but I know that I need to know who that room is for. What if I’m just a rebound? Somehow, I doubt that. Unless he’s a very good liar, Gabriel is as invested in this as I am.
The next door that I try to open is locked. I frown. No other doors are locked. I push my ear up against the wood. There’sa low humming noise coming from within that tells me that there’s something in here. I should leave. I should respect his privacy.
Instead, I get up on my very tippy toes. Stretching my spine as far as it’ll go and reach up along the top of the doorframe. The wood is cool and rough against the pads of my fingers as I run them along the edge until I hit something metal. A key.Yes. I grab it and bring it down to the doorknob. The key easily slides inside the lock and turns. Guilt racks through me as the door swings open. But my curiosity outweighs my guilt.
Stepping inside, I’m taken aback by this room as well, but in a completely different way. Unlike the studio next door, this room is dark and claustrophobic. In front of me is a wall of screens, so many screens. Some seem to be showing rooms of the house…as if there’s cameras inside of it, in every room, including the bedroom and the closet. Has he been filming me? My chest tightens and my body feels hot. Sweat pricks along the back of my neck and I swallow down the lump forming in my throat.
