ChloeI found Gabriel leisurely sprawled on the couch in my living room. Could he look any more like he belonged there?“Can I get you something to drink?” I asked my guest awkwardly. “I’ve got some cold beer in the fridge.”“Sure.”I ambled to the kitchen and grabbed two bottles, passing one to him before I moved to sit on the sofa across from where he sat, with only a club table separating us.“Do you know why I’m here?” his voice sent a chill down my spine, but he needed not to explain.I stared as hypnotized as the water beads formed on the green glass before I took a gulp of the cold beverage, allowing myself a moment to relish in the bitterness that exploded in my mouth before I started talking.“I will tell you everything that happened and how I became involved. I have no intention of saying anything but the truth; what you’ll do with it is solely up to you.” I waited for his confirmation, which came as an intense gaze, before I continued.“As you probably can guess, I delivere
Chloe“Tell me you want me,” his labored breath tickled my earlobe as his tongue licked its brims, adding fuel to the fire that was already burning in me.“I want you,” I moaned in response, barely sane. If he continued with those ministrations, I’d die a quick and sweet death!His hot lips moved south to my jawline and further down my neck while his hands skillfully parted my knees to make a place for him to come impossibly closer to me. He slammed his hips against mine, and I felt his growing bulge through a thin layer of clothes that separated us and hurried to get rid of them.Strong fingers squeezed my thighs, causing me to whimper in expectation. As my hands and lips explored his delicious body, his tight muscles flexed under my touch, and I relished in the realization of the power I held over him.If I wanted, I could drive him crazy. If he didn’t make me go crazy first!One pinch to my butt cheek later, and the next thing I heard was the sound of fabric tearing; my blouse ende
Gabriel“Seriously, Mom? A party?” I frowned at my mother after everyone present at my childhood home congratulated me.When she called me earlier, threatening me with everything I held dear if I didn’t show up at the said time, I didn’t expect to see half of my extended family gathered around the barbecue in the backyard.Gemma rolled her eyes at me but failed to conceal a smile that hinted her always-perfect whites.“I’m not…”“You’re not twelve anymore, I know.” She giggled, not missing pinching my cheek, paying tribute to the tradition established when I was a teenager.I turned towards the loud bunch standing around the garden in groups, eating, drinking, and catching up. Smokey air filled my lungs, and as the musky smell of grilled meat enveloped my senses, I scanned the crowd and realized it was not such a bad thing to relax and spend time with the family.Even Vanessa was back from Paris. Hm.That only meant the ‘danger’ was over. ‘Spoiled brat,’ I snorted before joining my f
Chloe“Gabriel?” surprised to see the object of my every waking thought materialize in front of me, I opened the door widely and stepped towards him, only to have my senses engulfed in a strong smell of alcohol that surrounded him like a cloud. “Are you drunk?” I couldn’t help but ask as if I needed confirmation of his obvious state.Memories of the first time we met flooded my mind, and I flinched internally.“Not enough.” Gabriel’s answer was loud and clear, and it didn’t hide his displeasure. “It seems that no matter how much I drink, I can’t stop thinking about you.” The accusation in his voice startled me, and I stepped back inside, stunned by what he said.My ears must’ve been malfunctioning because what I heard could not be correct. I must’ve imagined it.I made one more step backwards, with my ears drumming with the sound of my rapidly beating heart. But it wasn’t caused by fear, no. I wasn’t scared of Gabriel; I could never be scared of him. Excitement and waking desire pushe
Chloe“Good morning.” A husky rumble echoed behind me, its potency making the fine hairs on the back of my neck stand straight.Startled, I turned around only for my eyes to meet the most mouthwatering sight I could imagine.There, in the middle of my spacious kitchen, stood Gabriel Miller. The man who spent the night in my bed. Again.His hair was disheveled, and his white dress shirt was half unbuttoned and hanging loosely from his broad shoulders. And those irresistible grey skies shone with a spark I failed to recognize.“Good morning.” I returned the same way, forgetting about the bacon sizzling in the pan.Gabriel shifted his weight from one leg to the other before pulling his hand through his hair, setting a few escaped strands in place.“I…” he said before focusing on something behind me. “It’ll burn.”I blinked in confusion, not understanding what he was talking about, but then the smokey smell of burning meat reached my nostrils, and I rushed to turn off the stove and pull t
ChloeCould a colder bucket of water exist in this universe to pour over me? No. It definitely could not.Could I ever have imagined that the man who launched me to reach unimaginable heights would crash me down to the ground mere seconds later? No. I definitely could not.All reason seemed to have dissipated from me as I stared into his eyes, trying to find a clue that he didn’t mean what he said.I swallowed the hard lump stuck in my throat, but the shame and embarrassment refused to go down.Cursing myself for allowing a spark of hope to ignite, I grasped the sheet and pulled it to cover my naked body. Was there a greater pain than watching a barely budded hope die a cruel and merciless death? I couldn’t imagine there was.As if Gabriel knew the dark thoughts overtaking my mind, he grabbed me by the hand and kept me close when I tried to get up. I wiggled, wanting nothing but to put as much distance between us as possible, but his hold on me was not wavering.“Chloe,” he roared, hi
Chloe“You smell like sex!” Simon goggled his eyes as he circled me like a wolf would stalk his prey, sniffing the air around me.His accusation caught me off guard, and I was late to hide it.“No, I don’t.” I tried to brush him off, not interested in sharing what happened earlier, and the fact that he was my best friend changed nothing.“Yeah! You do.” Simon persisted with his interrogation, but I wasn’t budging. There was no chance he could’ve known anything.I continued going through the orders Abby took during the morning as Simon peeked over my shoulder annoyingly.“You can choose to ignore me about this matter, but then I will never tell you how I know.” My head snapped towards him involuntarily, only to see him smirking devilishly.“Or I can just fire you.”“Oh, you would never. You cannot keep this house running without me.” he chuckled.“Simon!”“All right! All right!”At that moment, Suzy, Maya, and Frankie walked into the workshop laughing, returning from their break. Simon
ChloeI recognized ‘The Gables’ immediately. Not only was it one of the most famous restaurant chains in the city, but it was also where my missing best friend had worked for the last couple of years. Making a reservation on short notice was impossible, but Gabriel Miller wasn’t just anyone.And I was right. The hostess led us to a reserved table at the center of the grand hall. A few heads turned our way as we took our places, though Gabriel and I ignored them; we were too engrossed with each other.“So, I guess being childhood friends with does wonders when it comes to dining in exclusive restaurants.”“It does.” he chuckled.“You wouldn’t happen to know where they are, would you?”“If Ryan hadn’t stolen my plane, I would not.” What the hell? He owned a plane? I was slightly taken aback by this discovery. Even though I knew Gabriel was a successful businessman, I did not expect him to be that rich! “You shouldn’t worry about Gina. I suppose she’s having the time of her life in Paris