GABRIEL
“If that’s a threat, you know you didn’t do too well. Find another reason.”
“Well, because I don’t feel like working for you and because you threatened to punish me.”
I let out a childish laugh.
“I threatened to punish you if you hit me again. So you’re in danger just in that case.”
“I don’t need to be punished! What did you do with Gabriel Bates, and who are you?”
As she tried to turn her head, I released her wrist, only to grab her face with my other hand. My thumb traced the line of her jaw as I clasped her cheeks. Damn it, I enjoyed making her shudder.
I cursed myself, thinking, why didn’t I act sooner? About three years sooner...
Because that was a misconduct at work. Because morally it wasn’t right. And the desperation not to lose her was very serious.
“I’m the same person you’ve known your whole life. But I’m not your boss right now. You resign, as far as I remember. And your departure let loose a different aspect of myself. So, my dear, it’s not what I did with Gabriel Bates. When you informed me you wouldn’t be coming back after the holidays, you did it to him”
She shrieked.
There was never a time when I wanted to kiss her more than it was right now. I simply lacked the guts to do it earlier.
That needed to change, and it did.
My lips barely touched hers as I leaned forward.
She trembled and was tense.
“What the hell are you doing?” she yelled in defense.
I moved backward while cupping her face in my hands.
“Being your fiancée for the week needs it, therefore I’m going for that kiss.
“For the night, you mean. Because tomorrow you have to leave!”
I stood a few inches away, looking at her with a trace of a smile on my face.
“Unfortunately, there’s no way I can do that. They were out of tickets for the return trip. So we’re going back together on Monday. Or if we’re having a good time, we can extend our vacation. How about that?” I said, closing the distance between us again. Her perfume intoxicated me.
“What?” The anxiety in her eyes was obvious.
In my entire existence, I had never felt so aroused.
My mind was racing with countless ideas. And they were all scolding me.
You cannot have her, Gabriel. You’re putting yourself in danger, and Kira is too innocent and sweet for your specific lusts.
She didn’t move at all. Missing a breath. I couldn’t tell what she was contemplating. Her lips were parted, and her pupils grew wide. She was completely still and somehow defenseless.
Just tell her, you stupid fuck!
I simply could not.
“I asked for a holiday trip,” I forced out at the end. “Because you threw this blow on me. It’s what I could book at the very last minute. I suppose I’m your fiancé for the week, unless you want to notify your folks that you left the company and I followed you here to persuade you to come back. And also a kiss will be needed. This position would require it. I’m confident that I’ll enjoy it. I sincerely hope you will as well.”
“No, we can’t,” she blurted out.
Her entire body trembled as her chest rose and then let all the air out.
“Gabriel…”
It was agony for me to hear my name on her lips. Last night, as I kissed her neck all the way down to the line of her breasts, I heard her muttering my name.
“Please don’t call me that.” I scowled, trying not to think about how wonderful she felt squeezed up against the wall.
“Is there anyone in your family who knows the idiot you work for? You know what I mean.”
“Used to work,” she groaned.
“You’re being dramatic, my dear. Imagine I can help you. I understand that your mother, who has a lasting marriage from what I can tell, wants the same for her daughter. Since they don’t know me as Gabriel, they’ll know me as Brad. It’s a good deal, I think.”
“How you could help me would be to walk down the stairs now and leave”
I admired the peace in her family. And maybe she wanted the same thing for her. Maybe that’s why she was reluctant to raise her voice so her parents wouldn’t think we were fighting.
I was dreaming about Kira from the moment she walked into the office for her interview. Now the thought that there would be a man dreaming of making her his wife, even an imaginary one, filled me with rage.
“I didn’t come here to leave. You have no choice but to let me play this Brad, who I hope doesn’t exist in reality.”
“You are just unbelievable. You didn’t come here to play a role. It's because you want me back on the job that you came here. How in the world did you find me, anyway?”
“Our phones are linked, remember?” I said with satisfaction.
“You tracked my phone? I don’t believe this”
“Well, you better believe because I am not leaving here without you! You hear me?”
“I know they’re connected, but of business interest. You can’t use it to stalk me,” said Kira, visibly annoyed with the way I handled it.
“Since you shouldn’t have revealed to your family that you were seeing a man named Brad, let’s call it even. Let me take a wild guess. He’s dark hair, six foot five, and has a strong reputation for knowing ridiculous amounts of facts, right?”
Any ferocious retort she could have launched at a tap at the door silenced me. She pressed hard on my chest, and I took a step back before turning around to prevent anyone who was at the door from seeing the erection that was pushing through my jeans.
We both froze, listening to her brother’s voice on the other side of the door.
“Kira, Brad, dinner’s ready. When you’re finished, you can come down.”
When we finished. Staying so close I could finish so many times. This woman was driving me insane.
I could even say her brother saved her. I didn’t know how much longer I could hold back. Her being so close and me being so horny was not making a good team.
“Be right there…” I said and looked at her so she could tell me his name.
She whispered it.
“Joe…”
“Be right there, Joe. Just give us a few minutes,” I said out loud.
“Ok, but hurry up or you’ll starve.”
“Your brother is hilarious. But he doesn’t know that this situation between us is so...hot,” I said and moved closer again, inhaling her neck all the way up. Her freesia scent was simply addictive for me.
“Gabriel, we should…”
“Yes, Kira, we should do so many things” I grasped her wrist, and I looked up into her eyes. She glared at me, but she did not distance herself. I held her eyes while gliding my hand over the place where her heart was throbbing. “Keep in mind, Kira. I am your devoted fiancé. The man you would shortly wed. So acting in such a manner is in your best interest”
She did, however, have the courage to reply to me.
“However, you’re not,” she groaned. “This won’t work,” she continued.
My temple flexed a muscle. She jerked her head to the side so she could see or even read my mind. I knew she believed I was incapable of doing this. That throughout the three years she’s known me, I’ve shown myself to be irritating, distant, sarcastic, and uninvolved.
That for those three years, I had only been a rude jerk who demanded excessive amounts of things from her and didn’t show her enough appreciation, as she had already stated.
“Kira, just give me one night... this night. After dinner, we can resume our conversation. Until then...” I said, raising her wrist up to my mouth and dabbed her pulse point, which was still trembling. “Just put your faith in me”
KIRAThis man was the ultimate in nerve and insensitivity. After all that had happened, he was asking me to trust him. He couldn’t have told a better joke. “You are asking me to trust you?” His kisses had burned my skin, and I was furious at what the hell he was up to. I was shivering even as I scowled at him.He gave me a tricky expression that made me want to pound my feet in anger, but before I could strike out at him once more, he slid his hand under my chin, raised my face, and this time tightly pressed our mouths together in a kiss. Not a tease, not a quick brush of his lips against mine, but a passionate, genuine kiss.There was nothing frigid about the kiss I was receiving from my ice-cold ceo.I instinctively lifted myself slightly on my toes to allow him to taste me better. In other words, I was responding to him with eagerness. When I shivered, his lips grew smoother and warmer, and the kiss intensified as his mouth opened and slid against mine. It was really difficult to
KIRA“What do you mean, who is this man? He is Brad… my fiance,” I said with an enormous lump in my throat. I was hoping Granny wouldn’t see. “You weren’t expecting him, were you?” She inquired.“We had a quarrel yesterday. No big deal…” I confessed, which wasn’t entirely a lie.“Oh, I see. Well, you will sort things out. Lovers often fight, right?”“Right…” I hated how I felt like an open book in front of her. Maybe Granny’s wisdom had something to say here, too. But Granny didn’t give up so quickly. She felt there was more to it.“There’s more to quitting your job story than you first told us, isn’t there?” she asked and I hated how closer to the truth she came. “Although he may seem a sweet man, he is not the ideal fit for me… Granny,” I confessed with almost teary eyes. Why was I about to cry? It wasn’t like he was really my fiance.Being all Gabriel needed was something I excelled at. However, because I wasn’t receiving what I needed in return and he couldn’t provide it for me
GABRIELAt her grandmother’s bold advice, Kira gulped. I could easily see she was not feeling comfortable. “I’ll do it as soon as I get the chance.” I said. Then, as she walked by me, I grabbed her arm. “Really, it would be fair if you wanted to go to bed early” I lowered my voice so she could be the only one hearing me.Kira made her eyes so big I had to lean right in front of her so her family wouldn’t notice. She was giving herself away.“With you?” She asked, shocked in a relatively treble voice.“Keep your voice down,” I whispered close to her ear.Indeed, with me, do you see any man around? I wanted to tell her.Why did she find every aspect of this complicated? After all, that was her crazy plan.Making the best of it was all I was doing.I pushed her ahead, and across the dining room as I was conscious of her grandmother following us. “We’ll figure out how to make the most of it. Good night, family!” I laughed when I heard her whimper. “Don’t worry, I only spoke to keep up a
GABRIELI seized her mouth violently and desperately. I needed her, and she knew that. She could feel it because she responded to my kiss with the same frustration and it tasted both incredibly, deeply familiar and dazzlingly different. It was the perfect combination to make me insane. Was this possible every time we exchanged angry glances across my desk, her delicate glossy lips so very alluring but completely off-limits?I was holding her head steady with my hand knotted in her hair so I could kiss her more fiercely. She bit my bottom lip, and I growled at her to stop doing it as this type of behaviour would send me over the edge.We were in the middle of a passionate embrace when I felt the fire inside of me kindle even brighter. I could sense her desire and I knew I wanted more. I moved my hand down, caressing the perfect curve of her ass, and the atmosphere in the room changed.She tensed up, and I could tell that she was both scared and aroused. I did not hesitate, bracing mys
KIRAThe next morning, I woke up gently to the sound of the shower, reminiscing about last night and Gabriel’s touch.I got out of bed, my heart racing as I thought about how Gabriel had taken me in his arms and kissed me with such passion. I remembered the way his hands had caressed my skin, the way his lips had moved over mine, and the way his body had felt as we moved together in perfect harmony. A smile spread across my face as I reflected on our wonderful night together. Even if it was not the entire thing. I dressed quickly, eager to be reunited with him. We would have a full day. “Darlings, you’re down!” Mom said as she walked through the kitchen. “Let’s sit down at the table. After we eat, we’ll go skiing,” she continued with a smile on her face. “Wow, I can’t wait,” said Gabriel, running his hand through his raven hair. God, how handsome he was. We ate on the run and by the time I woke up, we were already at the foot of the mountain.“Do you even know how to ski?”He smil
KIRAYesterday was much more than I had ever imagined it could be. Not only did I finally get to lay eyes on my beloved Gabriel, but I also got to witness a completely different side of him. He seemed so much more relaxed and was actually crackling with enthusiasm in every conversation. All throughout the day, I could feel something special radiating between us that no distance could ever break. His last statement really left a lasting impression on me. It gave me the understanding that we could all make mistakes, but no matter what, the effort needed to be put into making the relationship whole again. It brought the realization that love takes courage, dedication, and a genuine desire to make things right.Overall, yesterday was full of so many wonderful moments that I would cherish for a lifetime. Gabriel and I had come a long way since the beginning of our relationship and have both grown as individuals. We were now more capable of respectfully deciding based on open communicatio
KIRAAnd here came the day we entered the competition. There were a lot of locals and we could barely get through them. My family had already taken their places near the trail, waiting for this to begin. Gabriel held my hand until we enrolled. “Are you nervous, dear Kira?” he asked me just as we made it out of the crowd. The first test was actually the ribbon test.“Not really. But we will make a fool out of ourselves within so many people”“Nonsense! We are going to win this!” he showed his determination, which, I had to admit, was brave.I didn’t get to say any more words as we were already at the start line, hugged and tied with the famous red ribbon. The warmth of his body was running through my thick coat. I could no longer control myself. His minty breath filled my nostrils and his musky scent awakened all my senses. My eyes gazed into his eyes, hypnotized by the mesmerizing rainbow surrounding them. He looked me right in the eye, our eyes locked for what felt like an eternit
KIRAIt was so different from last time. Gabriel was more tender, more attentive. I let myself get carried away by his kisses and touches. I lived every moment to the fullest. When his hand traced the line of my cleavage, thousands of shivers flooded my body. His kiss became more fierce, and I felt it with every breath. I hadn’t had such a strong arousal in such a long time. “Please stop,” I heard myself saying, and interrupting my current line of thinking.“What?” he asked, perplexed.“Stop, I can’t take it anymore,” I said, pulling back from him. I just stared at him.“What? Oh, I am sorry. I didn’t realize it was that obvious,” he said, but I could tell he was lying. “No, I am sorry. It’s not what you think. It’s just that it’s not the same. I mean, I am very grateful for the way you looked after me and I know I am very lucky to have you, but it is not the same. I don’t know. It’s weird. You see, I did not feel the same. I am really confused, Gabriel.” I was genuinely confused