“Oh, my goodness!” I whispered, because it hurts to talk. “Well, I’m never drinking again, so you don’t have to worry about me.”
He chuckled. “Yeah, that’s what them other alcoholics said too.” I opened my mouth half insulted, half amused.
“I ain’t no alcoholic!”
I tried but I couldn’t erase the grin off my face. And he didn’t help. Still typing on his computer, he did that thing with his lips that said he didn’t believe me, causing me to chuckle. Wow! Who knew Gabriel had a sense of humor hiding in there.
“Hmmm, with the way you were tossing them down last night, you made ole’ Mac look like a rookie!” He teased.
I sat up getting ready to tell him what I thought about him teasing me, and regretted it instantly. Putting my hand on my head I eased back. He looked at me when he heard me groan.
“Here, let me get you some more aspirin.” Standing from the couch he disappeared into the kitchen. The man was big, but he didn’t move like it. He moved like he was a martial artist.
Hmmm, I wondered if he knew karate.
“Thank you.” I muttered taking the pills and the water from him. He sat back down.
“Do you want something to eat? We can call room service.”
I groaned sitting the glass on the side table next to me. The thought of food made my stomach do something strange. I shook my head.
“No, please! I don’t ever want to eat again!” He chuckled, as he went back to typing.
I held up my hand looking at the wedding band and the engagement ring on my finger. On Gabe’s finger was the male version of the wedding band.
“So, we’re really married?” I asked, because the thought of that was still strange to me. I couldn’t wrap my mind around it. It just didn’t feel real. He turned and looked back at me, his eyes searching—missing nothing.
“Yeah baby, we’re really married.”
I just nodded. But the truth is, I didn’t know how to feel. I didn’t know what I was supposed to do now. Chilled out teasing Gabriel was perfect, but he didn’t stay like this. As soon as he got angry, he turned into a completely different entity.
I wondered if that’s what happened with my great-grandmother. I wondered if that’s what drew her to my great-grandfather. I wondered if like Gabe he made her feel like the rarest jewel in the world at times. I wondered—
Right then something else came to mind.
“Gabe?”
“Mmm.” He answered without looking up from his computer.
“What happened to my clothes? How did I end up in bed with only my panties on?” Even asking this question was causing me to blush in embarrassment. He looked over at me and the smile was back on his face.
“Damn girl, I aint gon’ lie, you had a brotha going to bed last night in pain… sh*t.” He rubbed the front of his pants remembering the pain.
“What! Why?” I was confused. He shook his head.
“First, you took off your shoes outside the restaurant and threw them across the street, calling them demonic torture devices.” He put his hand to his mouth and laughed.
My mouth dropped in amazement for two reasons. First, what he was describing didn’t sound like me. I would never do anything like that. And second, he was laughing. I had never heard him laugh.
I put my hand on my face embarrassed. “Please, tell me I didn’t show my behind like that.”
My statement made him laugh harder. I mean, he was now clutching his sides laughing. And he had a nice laugh. It was contagious. I couldn’t help but join him in his mirth.
“Gabe!” I cried needing him to finish the story.
“Baby, you tried to show more than that!” He said when he could finally talk again. He was actually wiping tears from his eyes.
“When we walked into the hotel and got in the elevator, I guess you must’ve thought that it was close enough for you, because you started trying to take off your dress!”
My hand flew to my mouth. “Oh no! I didn’t?” He chuckled shaking his head.
“No, I stopped you.” His grin became devious. “I told you to wait till we got to our room.”
“What!” I screeched, causing my head to pound.
He sat back on the couch facing me. With his strong arm on the couch in back of me, he boxed me in with his big body.
“Emm hmm, and as soon as we got to the room you stripped.” The smile left his handsome face, and his gaze became heated.
“I damn near drooled on myself when I turned around and saw you standing there looking like a piece of chocolate heaven. Your pretty tit—” I put my hand over his mouth stopping him.
“Gabriel Calhoun! You can’t say those kinds of things to me!” He grinned behind my palm.
“Why not?” He asked when I removed my hand.
Oh, my goodness! I was blushing so hard I had to bite my bottom lip to keep from cheesing. His heated gaze coupled with his dirty words, were unraveling me.
“Because… it’s not decent!” I whispered. His grin grew.
“This coming from the girl who sent both of her shoes rocketing through the air. Damn near causing a twenty car pile-up before trying to strip in the elevator.”
Okay! This conversation was heading into dangerous territory; territory that I was terrified of treading into.
I put my hand on my temple and moaned. “I think I should get some more rest, I’m not feeling too good.”
With the grin still on his face he stared at me. The way he looked at me made me feel as if he saw straight through my guise. I licked my lips nervously, and his gaze fell to them.
“Yeah, you get some rest….” He spoke low. “You’re going to need it. I want to be
