“Rhianna, please!”She yelled for her friend, but if Rhianna knew what was good for her, she’dstay well clear of him, especially now. He wasn’t in the mood to argue.
People watched andhe didn’t care. The damage was already done.
One of his men heldthe doors open and he slid on through, making his way up to his office.
“I will bite yourass. Leave me alone. I can dance with whoever I want. Damn it, Gabriel. Thisisn’t funny. Let me go.” She pummeled his ass but she didn’t sink her teethinto him. It was a shame. He intended to sink his teeth into her ass just assoon as he’d put her in her place.
He got to hisoffice and dumped her on the sofa. She made to get up but he grabbed her hands,pinning them either side of her head, locking her in place. “What the hell areyou doing?”
“You are thebiggest fucking pain in my ass!” He growled the words.
“Takes one to knowone. You’re a monster. Get off me.”
“No, I rather likeit when you wriggle a little more.”
She screamed andcontinued to get away.
“You don’t get it,do you? I’m not yours to do this with anymore. I’m a free woman.”
“You stopped beingfree the moment I had my first taste of you.”
“Oh, so now youcan just come and take me off the shelf when you feel like it? I don’t thinkso. It doesn’t work that way. Let me go.” She growled, screamed, and finallycollapsed back. “I hate you.”
He got into herface and yelled back. “And I fucking love you!”
He pulled back tostare into her face, at her drawn brows and pursed lips.
“Wait? What? No,you hate me.”
“I don’t hate you,Claire.”
“No, this is atrick.”
“No trick.”
“I, I’m confused.”
“You and me both.”
“You don’t wantme.”
He laughed. “Youthink so, don’t you? I lied.”
Her frowndeepened. “I … I really don’t know what to say right now.”
“You were onlysupposed to be an easy fuck, Claire. I wasn’t supposedto care. I’ve been with so many women. They all want the same thing.”
“Yeah, perfect.Keep on telling me how many women you’ve been with. It makes me feel all warmand fuzzy.” She sniffled.
“I don’t mean toupset you. What I’m trying to say is I thought you were like other women, butyou’re not. You didn’t take my money. You never sought to be by my side or makeme fall in love with you. When I’m with you, I know you want me for me.” He letgo of her hands and she didn’t move. He moved down toward her hips, touchingher. “I made a mistake.”
“What? Is thiswhere you send me back to the party?”
“No, I won’t sendyou back.” He stroked her cheek. “You know what I am. You know what I’m capableof. The men that tried to kill you, all of them are dead. There will be menwho’ll try to take you from me because they saw weakness. You’re my weakness.The thought of anything happening to you kills me.”
“You dumped me tosave me?”
He nodded and hesaw the tears in her eyes.
“I’m not used tobeing weak. I care about Rhianna and I know she’s safe, but you. Knowing whatyou did, how you would die for her, I can’t, you’re too fuckingprecious but I can’t do it.”
“What can’t youdo?”
“I can’t allow youto be with someone else. I’m a selfish bastard. I wantyou, Claire. I love you. I can’t promise you it’s always going to be easy. Iknow it’s not. It’s going to be hard and painful, but I fuckinglove you more than anything else.” He touched her cheek. “So much, and I don’twant another man to know how amazing you are. I can’t even stand the sight ofsomeone dancing with you. I don’t want to see you given to anyone else but me.”
“What are yousaying?”
“I want you as mywife.”
“Oh,” she said.“This is a big leap.”
“I know what Iwant.”
“What about what Iwant?” she asked.
“Tell me what itis you want, and it’s yours.”
He waited as hewatched her. What was she going to say? Telling her his true feelings, he’dnever been so open with a woman. He couldn’t live without Claire. The past twoweeks were the worst of his life.
He even went tothe mansion and spent time watching her move from room to room, servingungrateful men. None of them touched her. He told Casey to keep her protectedat all times. There were even men near her apartment. There was just no way hecould let her go.
Seeing her now,the thought of her being pregnant with another man’s baby, it wasn’t going tohappen.
“I want you,” shesaid, touching his cheek. “I want all of you. The good and the bad. I don’t wantyou to dump me again. Whenever you’re angry or upset, come to me. I want to beyour everything.”
He took hold ofher wrist, kissing it. “You are my everything. I was just too much of an asshole to see it.”
She sat up,wrapping her arms around him.
“Do I take that asa yes?” he asked.
“A yes?”
“You’re going tomarry me?”
She chuckled. “Ididn’t come here for a proposal.”
“You know, youhaven’t told me how you really feel,” he said, cupping her face.
“You want toknow?”
“Yes.”
“I hate you.”
He slammed hislips down on hers, and she moaned, spreading her thighs wide around him.
“Do you still hateme?”
“A little, but Ithink there’s a little more love there.”
He kissed heragain, moving from her lips to her neck, then down.
“I love you,Gabriel. It’s why it has been so hard to walk away. I didn’t want to love you,but you made me.”
“Then I’m going tokeep on making you. For the rest of our lives, I’m going to make up for being abastard to you.”
“You can starttonight.” She worked the zip of his pants open. He swatted her hand away.
“I was thinkingmore about tasting you.”
Two weeks was toolong to go without having a taste of his woman and he had too much time to makeup for.
Epilogue
Five years later
“I would say we’vestill got it,” Gabriel said as he collapsed to the bed. His wife, the love ofhis life, panted beside him.
“Yeah, I
