Chapter 22
There was someone’s hand in mine.
When I blinked my eyes open, there was enough light coming from the other businesses through the window to see Gavriel’s sleeping face resting on the edge of the mattress.
What is he doing here?
That was when I realized that I had a death grip on his hand. Carefully, I pulled from his hold and moved some of the hair that had fallen over his eyes. “You don’t look like such an asshole when you’re sleeping.”
Would an asshole bring you dinner and then put you to bed?
No.
Would an asshole sit there and be willing to get a kink in the neck because at some point, you grabbed his hand and wouldn’t let go?
No.
I let out a sigh. Maybe he wasn’t an asshole. It didn’t mean I could get all mushy over him. He still killed my father. I still had a job to do.
Eye on the prize, Elin. Eye on the prize.
My mind wrestling with the contradiction of this man.
His presence was comforting, yet his actions were unforgivable.
I got up and walked to the window, looking out at the avenue below.
The city was alive, oblivious to my internal turmoil.
I turned back to look at Gavriel, his chest rising and falling rhythmically.
An unexpected feeling washed over me—a mix of desire and control.
Yeah, that's why you keep a vibrator in your drawer, for those moments when you are thinking about how amazing he looks as he kneels before you.
I couldn’t argue with my inner voice about that.
Having so much control over a powerful man gave me satisfaction I couldn’t explain.
With my clients, it was knowing I gave them what they needed, what they craved.
With Gavriel though . . . I watched him sleep and the small curve of his lips as he whispered, “Elin.”
Every muscle in my body froze in place. He’d said my name. Not Goddess, but my real name. There was no wince or anger on his face, just calm serenity. My heart warmed, and with the next breath out, I felt lighter.
“What are you doing to me, my Gavriel?”
Getting up carefully so as not to disturb him, I stepped into the small bathroom by the door.
After using the toilet and washing my hands, I was reaching for the towel when the door opened.
I swung my fist, but it was caught by Gavriel.
It took a fraction of a second, but when I registered it was his hand wrapped around my fist, I let out a harsh breath. “Are you trying to kill me?”
“Of course not. Are you okay?” His face was covered in concern, and there was a bit of wildness in his eyes. Closing the distance, I placed my hand on his hard, muscled chest that was moving quickly with his breathing. I could feel his heart beating hard under my palm while he stared down at me.
His hand released for his fingers to thread through mine as he wrapped his free arm around my waist. Leaning his forehead to mine, he whispered just loud enough for me to hear the relief, “Thank God.”
Pulling me close, he shifted his hold, and I felt him place a kiss on the top of my head. While it surprised me, it shocked me more that I liked it. Liked it a lot. I felt a small smile cross my lips as I rested my head against him.
We stood like that until his breathing normalized, and I said, “Come on. Let’s go back to bed.” When I stepped back from him, he moved out of the doorway and gave me a nod. Only, as I climbed back onto the bed, he went for his jacket. “You're leaving?”
He tipped his head to the side in confusion. “You said we needed to go back to bed.”
“Yeah.” Indicating the bed I was currently sitting in. “Back to bed. Take your shoes off and climb in. You were going to hurt yourself sleeping like you were.”
“You . . . You want to share the bed with me?”
Lifting an eyebrow, I stared at him. “Seriously?” He nodded. “Gavriel, I’m not a monster. You obviously put me to bed. So will you please just come and get some sleep before my alarm goes off in a few hours?”
He reached over and cupped my cheek. “You’re really okay with me sharing a bed with you?”
I smiled widely. “Yes, just keep your dick to yourself.”
As he undressed, he chuckled. “Well considering you own it and it’s caged, it doesn’t really have a choice.”
When he was down to his undershirt and boxers, he came to bed, lying so that he was facing me.
“Goodnight, Gavriel.”
“Goodnight, Elin.”
We stayed there for a long time just staring into each other's eyes. I didn’t know what he was thinking, and I was purposefully pushing any erotic or dangerous thoughts of him from my mind. My eyes were getting heavy, so I leaned over and kissed his brow before rolling over to face the closet.
If I was going to get anymore sleep, I couldn’t look at him. That was dangerous. We weren’t in a scene. We weren’t Goddess and Pretty Boy. We were Gavriel and Elin right now, and I had to admit that the way he had said my name was beautiful.
He shifted behind me, the mattress dipping slightly with his weight.
His arm, warm and solid, slid under the blankets and wrapped around my waist, pulling me against the firm plane of his chest. A moment later, his lips, surprisingly soft, pressed between my shoulder blades, sending a cascade of goose bumps across my skin.
My body melted at the touch, tension I hadn't even recognized draining from my muscles like sand through an hourglass.
The knots that had formed at the base of my neck loosened as he snuggled closer, his breath warm against my skin, his heartbeat a steady rhythm I could feel through my thin shirt.
Forcing myself not to overthink it, I reveled in the comfort and security and let myself drift off to sleep.
Inhaling deeply as I stretched out on the bed, I was surprised by how rested I felt considering I had fallen asleep at my desk and had been put to bed on the office hide-a-bed.
Gavriel!
Sitting up, I looked around my office. Everything was in place, but he wasn’t here. When I looked over to where he had been sleeping, there was a single piece of paper, folded in half with my name on it.
Reaching for it, I stopped halfway and shook my head. My heart was pounding and my stomach was tied up in knots. Trying not to panic, I took a few deep breaths. I wasn’t a teenage girl fawning over some boy!
But aren’t you?
I can’t go down that road. No. Last night was nothing.
Quickly, I got up, put the note on my desk without looking at it, and made the bed. Once I had it turned back into a couch, I ran my hands through my hair and put it up in a messy bun. Standing in front of my desk, I stared at the note.
What’s the problem? It’s just a message from Pretty Boy.
But last night he wasn’t Pretty Boy. He was Gavriel.
Something shifted between you two.
No, it didn’t.
You didn’t hate how he took care of you. You liked it and actually relaxed when he snuggled up with you.
And there it was.
Huffing at myself, I grabbed the note and opened it.
Elin,
I’ll have breakfast for you in my office when you get up.
Don’t rush. I have a couple meetings this morning.
-Gavriel
I didn’t bother with shoes before stepping out of my office and over to his, punching in the code.
He looked up as I stepped in, and the corner of his lips lifted slightly before he answered a question for whoever was on the phone.
He pointed to the small kitchenette on the right wall, and I groaned when I saw that a pot of coffee had been brewed.
Making a cup and adding just enough creamer to lighten the color, I sat down on his couch, taking a sip. The rich bean juice coated my tongue, and I tipped my head back as I swallowed, willing it to jumpstart my brain. Restful sleep or not, coffee was a lifeline.
The ceramic mug warmed my hands as I watched him behind his desk. I took another slow sip, letting the rich aroma settle me and wake me up.
Gavriel, still engrossed in a phone call, sat at his desk, his eyes wholly focused on me when my gaze met his.
His head rested on the back of the chair as his fingers drummed on the wood.
I watched him, the way the light caught the lighter strands in his hair, and my fingers itched to run my fingers through them.
There was a subtle, almost imperceptible twitch of his left eyebrow, a nervousness I hadn't noticed before.
His attention dropped as he gave whomever he was talking to instructions.
I walked toward him, the quiet creak of the floorboards the only sound besides his voice while he gave commands. This was Gavriel Azzaro, the heir to the Azzaro family. The fact he was openly discussing a shipment with me in the room was proof things had changed between us.
Reaching his desk, I gently but firmly tilted his chin upwards, his gaze snapping to mine. He swallowed, a visible gulp, before putting the caller on hold with a curt, "One moment."
"Thank you for last night," I said, my voice even. "And the coffee," I added, a small, almost imperceptible smile playing on my lips. The coffee, honestly, was the least of it, not that I would tell him that.
"You're welcome, Goddess," he replied, his voice a low rumble. His eyes softened, but there was an intensity in them that I chose to ignore. The unspoken words hung in the air between us, thick and heavy with possibilities.
Shaking my head, I rubbed his chin with the pad of my thumb. “Nothing about last night or this morning was our dynamic. I am telling Gavriel thank you.”
There was a slight flush on his cheeks as he nodded. “You’re welcome.”
I leaned down, my breath ghosting across his ear.
"For your reward," I whispered, my voice a murmur, "you can remove the cage.
" There was surprise, and even contemplation in his eyes.
"But," I continued, my voice becoming his Goddess’s again as I set the key on his desk, "I expect it back on you, with photographic evidence, by lunch. "
He held my gaze, and the silence that followed felt heavier than the coffee I'd just consumed.
“Of course, Goddess.”
“I have a couple of appointments today.” Both Boi and the Trenton DA had me booked up, and while I really wanted to climb back into bed, I did have a job to do. Stepping back, I continued, “I will be back tomorrow since the club is closed tonight.”
There was a quick nod as he returned to his phone call, resuming his conversation with practiced ease that belied the brief, intense moment we had shared.
Once again, there was the undeniable reality that something had changed between us.
As I walked out, I looked over my shoulder, and he gave me a small smile, the previous tension between us nowhere to be found.