115. Riley
ONE HUNDRED FIFTEEN
Shockingly,I wake before Gabriel does. He stayed the night last night, mostly because by the time we arrived back at my place, we were a little drunk, a little depressed, and a lot exhausted.
My eyes flutter open slowly. I”m the little spoon, wrapped in Gabriel”s arms.
A sliver of golden morning light filters through the blinds.
Gabriel is still sleeping deeply beside me, dark lashes fanning his sculpted cheekbones. He looks so peaceful and beautiful. My amazing fiancé.
My fiancé. I can”t believe it”s real. I move my hand from under the covers so I can stare at the ring, then back at Gabriel, who looks younger and almost boyish as he slumbers.
Gennaro”s cruelty last night makes my heart heavy. How could any father be so dismissive and arrogant toward his only son? Especially one as hardworking as Gabriel. He tries so hard to win his father”s approval and affection, but Gennaro remains stubborn and stingy with his affection.
I wonder if he was like that his entire childhood. From what I”ve gleaned from Cath, he was.
I trace the sharp line of Gabriel”s jaw, rough with morning stubble. He stirs slightly and pulls me closer. Even asleep, he draws me into his vortex. I smile and snuggle into his warmth.
In sleep, the ever-present tension eases from his striking features. He”s relaxed in a way I rarely see when he”s awake. Gabriel carries the weight of his family”s empire and reputation on those broad shoulders. And his father only adds to that crushing burden with impossible expectations. And doing stupid shit, like dating strippers.
Did Gennaro actually suggest that his stripper girlfriend be a bridesmaid in our wedding? Am I remembering that correctly? I drank quite a bit last night. Somehow I”m not hungover.
My sweet, handsome Gabriel. He would move mountains for those he loves. I wish I could protect him from further barbs, especially from his father. But the bonds of family are complicated. I know this better than anyone.
I feather kisses along Gabriel”s collarbone, inhaling his subtle, intoxicating scent. He stirs again, his hands stroking my back.
”Mmm. Good morning, Riley baby,” he rumbles, voice raspy with sleep. Gabriel blinks, eyes focusing on my face. A smile tugs his full lips. ”This is a nice way to wake up.”
”It”s late, sleepyhead.” I kiss his smiling mouth. ”Time for breakfast.”
He rolls me beneath him, nuzzling my neck. I dissolve into breathless giggles as his stubble tickles my sensitive skin. Gabriel pins my wrist over my head, grinning.
”How about we start the day right where should have ended up last night? I”ll remind you why you agreed to marry me.” His dark chocolate eyes smolder with desire as he claims my mouth again. Heat coils low in my belly as his hard body presses mine into the mattress.
We kiss for a few minutes, but my stomach gurgles, the loud sound breaking the sensual haze.
I crack up and press my head into Gabriel”s chest.
”Apparently, we need to feed you first.” He steals one last deep kiss before rolling off me. ”Do you have anything to eat, or do we need to order in? Or go out?”
He sits on the edge of the bed, running his hand through his hair.
I stretch. ”I have some frozen waffles. And eggs. Um, and I think some sausages.”
”I”ll give you an Italian sausage.” Gabriel smacks my butt as I slide off the bed and head for the bathroom.
By the time I”ve showered and thrown my hair in a messy bun, the smell of coffee hits me as I walk into the living room. My stomach rumbles again. I didn”t eat enough last night thanks to Gennaro”s meddling. At least Gabriel knows how to work an espresso machine. And make breakfast.
I find him on the balcony, wearing only pajama pants slung low. Playfully, I tug at the pocket.
”You found them.” They were a pair I”d stolen from him months ago because they were perfectly worn in and comfy.
”I”ve been looking for these. Bad girl.” He growls and tries to grab me, but I”m too fast.
The morning sun highlights every ridge and muscle of his body. Damn. I want to lick him all over, and now that I”m showered and awake, I want to get right back in bed.
On the small bistro table, steaming mugs and a white bakery box wait. My favorite chocolate croissants. Gabriel knows me so well.
”There”s my beautiful girl. I asked one of my guys to hit up the bakery down the block.” He kisses me softly then hands me coffee, fixed exactly how I like.
I tear into a flaky croissant, the dark chocolate melting decadently on my tongue. Bliss. Gabriel laughs at my groan of delight.
”Feeling better this morning?” Concern clouds his gaze.
I swallow. ”Mmhmm. Nothing coffee and carbs can”t fix.”
”And a peaceful night”s sleep.”
We share a quiet glance at each other.
I scoot my chair closer, nudging his knee with mine. Somehow this morning seems lazy and like we”re on vacation. It”s only eight in the morning.
”I”m surprised you”re not running around, trying to get ready for work,” he says.
”I have an interview at eleven in Clearwater. As far as my editor”s concerned, I”m working from home. But I could say the same about you.”
”My boss tells me I should spend more time with you.”
”Your boss is a wise man.”
We eat in companionable silence, pausing from time to time to chat about casual things, like the weather forecast, a good night to go out on the boat, and a movie that he wants to see. These are the moments I love Gabriel the most.
The ones where he”s all mine. Where he”s not a mafia don. Where he”s just the sweet man I”ve come to love. The city from this balcony has never felt more like home than in this moment.
Gabriel stares into his coffee cup. ”About last night with Dad...I”m really sorry. He was awful. I haven”t seen him like that since just after he got out.” His jaw tightens. ”Prison changes people. He”s still...adjusting, I guess. But that”s no excuse.”
I set down my mug with a sigh. ”I can”t even imagine being locked up that long. It must mess with your mind, warp your perceptions.”
Gabriel nods, glancing away. His broad shoulders tense. I rub his bicep soothingly until some of the strain eases.
”None of that excuses how rude he was to you. You”re too good for this family, Riley.” Gabriel”s voice drops.
I squeeze his forearm. ”Hey. I”m with you because I choose to be. I know who you are.”
Still, my stomach flutters recalling Gennaro”s pointed parting words. Gabriel said his father went to prison for murder. Is that the buried truth Gennaro hinted at? Or something more?
Unease wars with blissful domesticity. My reporter”s curiosity won”t rest until I understand.
”Gabriel, what did your father mean last night about truths buried in the sand?” I keep my tone light despite the gravity of the question.
Gabriel goes utterly still. I hear his sharp inhale. Seconds stretch and warp. Finally, he looks at me, his gaze unreadable.
”Riley... Christ, I knew I”d have to talk about this someday. I didn”t think it would be this morning, though” He heaves a sigh. ”There are things in my past, parts of this life that are ugly. I”ve done things...”
He sucks in a shuddery breath, struggling under the weight of confession. My pulse kicks up but I squeeze his hands in encouragement.
”You can tell me anything,” I whisper.
Even though, I”m not sure I want to know. You know that saying, don”t ask questions you don”t want the answers to? Well, I”m the living example of that concept right now.
My breath catches as Gabriel continues, his voice low and pained.
”The murder my father went to prison for...it was one I committed in my early twenties. Some rival family was trying to move in on our territory. I was brash, looking to prove myself. When negotiations went south, I panicked. I shot one of them. A boss.”
He won”t meet my eyes, instead staring at his cup. My pulse thrums in my ears. I suddenly feel as unsteady as I did last night, when I had too much to drink.
”Why weren”t you charged?” I manage to ask. I knew he”d killed people, but we”ve never discussed it in such stark, open terms before.
”My father took the fall for me. Claimed he pulled the trigger to protect the family name and business. He had more sway with cops and judges back then. I should have gone to prison, but he sacrificed years his life for my reckless stupidity. That”s part of the reason my relationship with him is complex.”
I”m stunned into silence as Gabriel continues recounting that fateful night. He was little more than a teenager, trying to earn his father”s respect.
”I”ll understand if you want to walk away, Riley. You deserve someone uncomplicated. Not tangled in layers of violence and secrets.”
When he finally meets my eyes, self-loathing and resignation simmer in their depths, along with fear of my judgement. It”s the first time I”ve seen him like this. The brash and bold Gabriel who kidnapped me months ago is a raw, complicated man.
I take a deep breath. ”That must have been so traumatic. Carrying all that, all these years...” I trail off, shaking my head.
”I wish I could erase that pain for you, Gabriel. But it brought you here today, to me. I love you, flawed history and all. As long as you want me by your side, no one, not your father, or anyone, drag me away.”
The relief that softens his expression makes my heart fracture in two. I put a hand to his face, a gesture of love.
”I don”t deserve you, Riley Murphy,” he whispers against my palm, then kisses it. ”But I”ll be damned if I let you get away.”