No.
Would an asshole sit there and be willing to get a kink in the neck because at some point, you grabbed his hand and wouldn’t let go?
No.
I let outa sigh. Maybe he wasn’t an asshole. It didn’t mean I could get all mushy over him. He still killed my father. I still had a job to do.
Eye on the prize, Elin. Eye on the prize.
My mind wrestling with the contradiction of this man. His presence was comforting, yet his actions were unforgivable. I got up and walked to the window, looking out at the avenue below. The city was alive, oblivious to my internal turmoil. I turned back to look at Gavriel, his chest rising and falling rhythmically. An unexpected feeling washed over me—a mix of desire and control.
Yeah, that's why you keep a vibrator in your drawer, for those moments when you are thinking about how amazing he looks as he kneels before you.
I couldn’t argue with my inner voice about that. Having so much control over a powerful man gave me satisfaction I couldn’t explain. With my clients, it was knowing I gave them what they needed, what they craved. With Gavriel though . . . I watched him sleep and the small curve of his lips as he whispered, “Elin.”
Every muscle in my body froze in place. He’d said my name. Not Goddess, but my real name. There was no wince or anger on his face, just calm serenity. My heart warmed, and with the next breath out, I felt lighter.
“What are you doing to me, my Gavriel?”
Getting up carefully so as not to disturb him, I stepped into the small bathroom by the door. After using the toilet and washing my hands, I was reaching for the towel when the door opened. I swung my fist, but it was caught by Gavriel. It took a fraction of a second, but when I registered it was his hand wrapped around my fist, I let out a harsh breath. “Are you trying to kill me?”
“Of course not. Are you okay?” His face was covered in concern, and there was a bit of wildness in his eyes. Closing the distance, I placed my hand on his hard, muscled chest that was moving quickly with his breathing. I could feel his heart beating hard under my palm while he stared down at me.
His hand released for his fingers to thread through mine as he wrapped his free arm around my waist. Leaning his forehead to mine, he whispered just loud enough for me to hear the relief, “Thank God.”
Pulling me close, he shifted his hold, and I felt him place a kiss on the top of my head. While it surprised me, it shocked me more that I liked it. Liked it a lot. I felt a small smile cross my lips as I rested my head against him.
We stood like that until his breathing normalized, and I said, “Come on. Let’s go back to bed.” When I stepped back from him, he moved out of the doorway and gave me a nod. Only, as I climbed back onto the bed, he went for his jacket. “You're leaving?”
He tipped his head to the side in confusion. “You said we needed to go back to bed.”
“Yeah.” Indicating the bed I was currently sitting in. “Back to bed. Take your shoes off and climb in. You were going to hurt yourself sleeping like you were.”
“You . . . Youwantto share the bed with me?”
Lifting an eyebrow, I stared at him. “Seriously?” He nodded. “Gavriel, I’m not a monster. You obviously put me to bed. So will you please just come and get some sleep before my alarm goes off in a few hours?”
He reached over and cupped my cheek. “You’re really okay with me sharing a bed with you?”
I smiled widely. “Yes, just keep your dick to yourself.”
As he undressed, he chuckled. “Well considering you own it and it’s caged, it doesn’t really have a choice.”
When he was down to his undershirt and boxers, he came to bed, lying so that he was facing me.
“Goodnight, Gavriel.”
“Goodnight, Elin.”
We stayed there for a long time just staring into each other's eyes. I didn’t know what he was thinking, and I was purposefully pushing any erotic or dangerous thoughts of him from my mind. My eyes were getting heavy, so I leaned over and kissed his brow before rolling over to face the closet.
If I was going to get anymore sleep, I couldn’t look at him. That was dangerous. We weren’t in a scene. We weren’t Goddess and Pretty Boy. We were Gavriel and Elin right now, and I had to admit that the way he had said my name was beautiful.
He shifted behind me, the mattress dipping slightly with his weight. His arm, warm and solid, slid under the blankets and wrapped around my waist, pulling me against the firm plane of his chest. A moment later, his lips, surprisingly soft, pressed between my shoulder blades, sending a cascade of goose bumps across my skin. My body melted at the touch, tension I hadn't even recognized draining from my muscles like sand through an hourglass. The knots that had formed at the base of my neck loosened as he snuggled closer, his breath warm against my skin, his heartbeat a steady rhythm I could feel through my thin shirt.
Forcing myself not to overthink it, I reveled in the comfort and security and let myself drift off to sleep.
InhalingdeeplyasIstretched out on the bed, I was surprised by how rested I felt considering I had fallen asleep at my desk and had been put to bed on the office hide-a-bed.
