“Are you okay?” I whispered confused as to how I could be feeling so amazing and he obviously in pain. He shook his head, his deep dark eyes searching mine.
“Where did you come from? It’s like you’re not real. You’re so beautiful, you taste so sweet. It’s like you’re a gift from God.” My hands stalled in his beard as his words brought back what the Mayor had said to me that night.
“The women of your bloodline are the Ancient of Days gift to some undeserving mortal.”
Gabe frowned as he looked down at me. “What is it?”
I shook my head sitting up on the seat. With hands that shook I fixed my dress.
“Nothing, I’m nobody’s gift, that’s all.” He sat on the seat next to me. Before he lifted me and brought me to straddle his lap again, his eyes had become fierce. The fun joking Gabe from earlier was gone. Gabe the violent man was back.
“You’re right. You’re not anybody’s gift. You’re my gift—only mine, no one else’s.” He reached into his suite jacket pocket and pulled out a little black box. When he opened it, the flash of the purple diamond caught the light. The beauty of the ring stole my breath. He took it out the box and then lifted my left hand and gently pushed it on my ring finger.
I brought my hand up, turning it so that I could look at the astonishing ring from all angles. It was pure art, it almost looked handmade. There were delicate vines etched into the white gold band leading up to a flower bulb that opened to the big purple diamond. It was bigger than the one he wore in his ear. I looked up at him at a loss for words.
“I don’t know what to say.” I whispered—my senses on overload. This beautiful ring coupled with the way he had just made me feel was at war with what I knew that possessive look in his eyes meant.
He lifted my hand and kissed where he had just put his ring.
“You don’t have to say anything. Just know that you’re mine, and I—” He paused for just a minute, his deep gaze searching mine.
“I don’t know what I would do if anyone ever challenged that.” His whispered threat had just as much impact as if he had just yelled those words.
Chapter 8
The Ball
Yasmin
“Wow, look at you, boss man!” A very pretty woman purred as she and Kenny who was looking extremely handsome in a tuxedo approached us as we walked through the door. She was gorgeous in a polished sophisticated kind of way. The red gown she wore fell on her tall slender physique perfectly. And like mine, her brown shoulders were out as well as her back. She was exposing even more skin than I was. Instantly, I felt better about my outfit.
“Mercedes.” Gabriel greeted, as the two approached. She broke away from Kenny whose arm she had been holding to embrace Gabe. And I must say there was something off about the way she hugged him. She pressed her body intimately against his and ran her hand up the back of his neck in a caress that made me feel a certain way I could not understand. Surely, it was not jealousy.
I looked away. What the world was I thinking, Jealous of what? I was here against my will. Let me not forget that. The way this woman was rubbing her body against Gabriel left no doubt to anyone looking that they were lovers, or at the very least had been. But what did I care? I didn’t. Maybe God will show mercy and he will decide to marry her instead of me.
“When Kenny said you were going to be attending tonight, I must say, I was quite surprised.” She cooed, as she straightened his already perfect bowtie. Gabriel chuckled, as he reached behind him wrapping his arm around my waist gently pulling me to stand next to him.
“And you should be, if not for my fiancée I would not be here.” The dazzling smile slowly left her face. And for the first time her eyes fell on me. She had been so focused on Gabriel that she didn’t even notice the fact that I walked in with him.
“Fiancée?” It sounded as if the word had been ripped from her throat. Kenny who up until this point had been quietly observing the situation smiled wickedly.
“Oh yes, Mercedes did I fail to mention Yasmin, Gabriel’s stunningly beautiful fiancée?” She turned and shot him a murderous look before her eyes raked down my body. All this she did with a smile on her face that didn’t reach her eyes.
“Yasmin, may I introduce you to Mercedes, the Director of Operation at Calhoun Investments. Mercedes, this is Yasmin, my fiancée.”
“Wow! Gabe… I had no idea you were engaged!” She said as she shook my hand with a very limp grip.
“Pleased to meet you!” I told her. She just gave me a really fake smile before turning away from me completely and linking her arm with Gabe’s.
“Come on guys, let me show you to Calhoun Investments table.”
She went to pull him away but he didn’t move. With a frown on his face he looked down where their arms were linked before looking back at me. Kenny held up his hand, as if to tell him to relax.
“Will the beautiful lady do me the honor of accompany me to the table?” He asked before he bowed slightly before me. I chuckled.
“Yes, I will.”
I smiled as he stood and gallantly linked my arm with his, much like Miss Mercedes had done hers with the frowning giant standing next to her. Gabe looked down to where our arms were connected, before his eyes came back up to Kenny’s. His
