44. Gabriel? Not the angel of course.

An aura of quiet power and self-assuredness seemed to radiate off Gabriel as he bent and kissed my hand tenderly.

"The pleasure is all mine, Emily Rivera".

His features were strikingly handsome - chiseled cheekbones, a strong jawline, full lips perpetually curved into a borderline smirk. But it was his eyes, dark as midnight, that were the most arresting. Hooded and glittering with a cunning intelligence.

Not a single strand of his hair appeared out of place atop his head.

He was impeccably dressed in a beautiful suit. The suit strained slightly across his broad shoulders and chest, hinting at the powerful physique lurking beneath the razor-sharp lines of the tailoring. A silver hoop earring graced his left earlobe.

When he angled his body a certain way, I caught a glimpse of what appeared to be a small tattoo of a coiled snake on his chest, just peeking out from the crisp vee of his dress shirt collar.

"It's so good to see my baby cousin again, although the last time we met, thin