The Photograph
: Chapter Twenty-Seven

Aelin

On the balcony of the main bedroom of Holloway, I swipe the tears off my cheek and freeze.Shoot.Was that a car?Being caught trespassing is the last thing I need. I hurry back inside and as I reach for the doorknob, it moves.

Holy…!I jump back and slap my hand on my mouth. The door opens, and I rush to the ensuite.

“Aelin?”

My heart in my throat, I stop so suddenly, I stumble, catch myself just in time as Gabe walks in.

Fear, anger, and pain explode in my voice as I march to Gabe. “What are you doing here?”

Whatever my plan was, it deflates as soon as my brain starts working again, and I stop before the man who broke my heart. To my horror, tears push behind my eyes.

“I’m sorry. It’s your house and I’m trespassing.”

I run to the doors that seems suddenly very far and pull on the door handle. Gabe’s hand shoots over my shoulder and slams on the thick wood trapping me. Frozen in place, I shiver at the nearness of his body behind me. I let my hand fall while the warmth of his body cradles me as he inches closer.

“Aelin, baby.”

How dare he say my name like that? All tender and…If I look at him, I’ll start crying again, so I keep my back to him and fist my hands by my sides.

“Gabe, move your hand.”

“Why did you come tonight?”

As if I’m going to tell you now.“I’d like to leave. Remove your hand.”

“Turn around, baby. Look at me. Talk to me.”

The soft rumble of his voice so close weakens me.I can’t. if I do, I’ll…I cross my arms on my chest and steel myself.

His words fan on my nape. “Okay, I’ll talk. The woman you saw tonight is Kerry.”

So, that’s the name of the blonde model he’s sleeping with.

“She was there because I ended my agreement with her.

Strange wording.

“Every woman I date signs an NDA. Two in fact. One before we enter the agreement and another one at the end. I also provide them with a clothing account, and in return, they don’t get to demand more time than I’m willing to give them.” His sigh blows in my hair. “Baby, from the moment I met you, I wanted you. More than I’ve ever wanted anyone. I thought you were a callous gold digger responsible for my brother’s accident, but I still craved you.” His breath chops out. “And I fucking hated myself for it. Aelin, look at me, baby.”

When I shake my head, another exhale fans through my hair.

“Baby, I know how much I hurt you, and this is a pain I’ll have to live with for the rest of my life.” I shiver as his breath grazes my cheek. “When you lost our baby, it brought back a lot of shit, and I couldn’t deal. Every time you talked about it…” My heart breaks at his sharp inhale. “Every time, I was reminded of the hurt I caused you. The pain you were in, and I shut you down. But, baby, this is nothing compared to the thought of losing you. Aelin, please look at me.”

My breath hitches and I turn slowly to face him while my heart charges against my chest. He locks his eyes softened by a storm of emotions onto mine and cups my cheek.

“I know I should set you free and all that bullshit because I want you to be happy, and I do, Aelin. You deserve every happiness in this world. But I don’t want you to kiss or date or think about other men.” I tremble at the ferocious possessive heat of his expression. “You’re mine. And I’m yours. If you’ll have me.”

Tears burn down my cheeks. “Gabe…”

Gabe curls a hand around my nape to pull me to him. “Have me, baby.”

Yes. Yes.I touch his fast-beating heart unable to look away from him.

Joy burst inside me, but when his mouth inches to mine, I push on his chest.

“I’m not signing a contract. You’re going to have to trust me.”

The dimple on his left cheek winks as he grins. “No contract.”

“No clothes account.”

He wraps his arm around my waist. “But I’m buying you things. That’s non-negotiable.”

I grin. “All right.”

As he leans in, his mouth so close to mine, I press on his chest and whisper, “And I want my pendant back. I left it at your place.”

His grin widens as he retrieves the pendant from his pocket. “Right here.”

When he fastens the necklace around my neck, the coolness of the pendant on my skin makes me shiver and I loop my arms around his neck. “My turn?”

He crushes me against him and nods.

“I came to tell you that I love you. I’m in love with—”

His kiss is bruising.

When it ends, he places his forehead to mine. “Come home with me.”

I touch my lips to his and smile. “Yes.”

****

Bee-bee-bee-dip. Bee-bee-bee-dip. Bee-bee-bee-dip.

No.I slap on Cara’s ringtone.

We’ve been holed up in the penthouse for three days because we can’t seem to make it past the bedroom door. The coffee table. The sofa.

“Hello? Mm, no … no … maybe later. Yes. Mm. I’ll ask Gabe. Love you, too.”

After putting the cell back on the nightstand, I spoon against Gabe who nuzzles my neck. “Cara?”

No talking. Just cuddling and sleeping. “Yes. I’ll call her back later.”

His chuckle vibrates along my back, and I slant my head, so his warm lips are against my cheek.

“What are you going to ask me?”

I open one eye. “Hmm?”

More soft kisses on my neck. “You said ‘I’ll ask Gabe’ what are you going to ask me?”

Oh, that.“Cara wants us to have a sampling dinner tomorrow.” Before he asks—and because I want to go back to the morning sex—I add, “Every time she creates new dishes, she needs tasters, and—”

He bands his arm across my breasts while his other hand slides down to my sex.Oh, God, this is so good.“Tomorrow it’s Mitch, you, me, Emma, and Gertie.”

His fingers begin a slow zigzag up and down my folds before he pushes two of them inside me.Yes.

He’s hard behind me. I rub my bottom against him, and his breath roughens.

“Your mouth.”

I turn my open mouth to his while I grind my sex into his hand.

His teeth graze the skin beneath my ear while his hand brings me slowly to orgasm. “If you don’t stop squirming, I’m going to tie you up.”

The thought of being bound pushes me harder into his hand. “Promise?”

When he rocks his hard penis against my butt, I moan. He takes my mouth.

My sex clenches. Heat swirls. Touches every part of me until… “Gabe… God. Gabe!”

****

Gabe

Where is she?

I check my cell and nod in response to Michelle’s question. “You know what Aelin likes.”

While the chef returns her attention to dinner, I make my way to the living room when my cell pings.

Will be late. AXx

We’ve spent the last month either here, at the penthouse or at her house. Staying exclusively at the penthouse for the last three weeks while the surprise I have for her is under way at my house.

One hour later, unable to concentrate on the financial report Erica sent me, I pace the living room and check my watch.Where the f…?

Her car pulls up in the driveway. I hurry to the door and catch her with her fingers an inch away from the doorbell.

Damn, she takes my breath away.She grins. “Hi, honey, I’m sorry, I’ve been held up—”

I yank her inside and press her back against the door to kiss her. Deep and long.

A little breathless, she curls her arms around my neck.

“How was your day?”

Better now.Already hard for her, I take her mouth until she makes that sound in her throat that makes me harder. When she shifts away, I take her hand to lead her further into the house.

She hooks her purse on the back of a chair of the dining room. “Something smells good. You’re cooking?”

My heart racing, I kiss her knuckles. “No, I asked for Michelle tonight.”

As we walk past the kitchen, Aelin waves at Michelle who responds in kind. The clickety of her high heels halts as she turns to me with the cutest frown. “Are we celebrating something I forgot?’”

I plant a peck on her parted lips because I can’t help it. “Yes, I hope we’re celebrating and no, you didn’t forget. I have a surprise for you.”

Her eyes light up while she squeezes my hand and my heart races faster. “Yeah? Show me.”

What if she…?

She cups my cheek in that way that spreads warmth in my chest. “Honey, are you okay?”

Kissing her palm, I tug her toward the gift I got her. We walk past the library to stop before a closed door at the very back of the house.

I brush my fingers on the soft skin of her cheek. “Ready?”

She nods with a smile.

“Close your eyes, baby.” When she does, I open the door and with my hands on her lower back, I guide her in the middle of the spacious room. “Okay, look now.”

After a couple of blinks, she rotates slowly in the vast room, taking in the white walls, the naked six-foot arched windows. My beautiful Aelin gapes at the cone-shaped sunroof and grazes her fingers on the large sketching rectangle table set right underneath the rectangular glass roof.

There are four wooden easels standing against the wall in between the windows on one side of the room and a bottle-green, small, sectional couch with white pillows and a black coffee table on the other side.

I wait by the door and shove my hands in my pockets while she visits the new space.Her new space.She strokes the ergonomic black chair and the collection of brushes and paint placed on the sketching table. Her long legs close the distance to the adjacent smaller room which contains two full deep sinks and a bathroom equipped with a shower stall.

Say something, baby.When she strolls back to me with an inscrutable expression, I cup her nape and kiss her soft.

“Before you say anything, I’ve built you a studio, so you can stay here.”

Her brows knit. “What?”

I’m fucking this up. After a sharp exhale, I pull her closer. “I want you to come live with me. I want us to live together. The studio is yours to do whatever you want, and we can change it if you don’t like it.”

She tilts her head down and I clench my jaw while tension hardens my back. Baby, please. I brush her cheek with shaking fingers and start breathing again when she leans into my hand with her eyes closed.

I lock my eyes to hers. “I know I’m supposed to give you time, but I can’t. I love you too much and I want you with me when I wake up and fuck you before you fall asleep in my arms. Every day. Every night—”

Her eyes widen and she lets out a soft gasp. “What did you say?”

I stare at her vulnerable expression and the vice strangling my chest slackens.

What an idiot.I show her how much I love her, but I never said the words. Groaning at my own stupidity, I cup her gorgeous face.

“Aelin, I adore you. Baby, I think I’ve loved you since the minute I saw your picture.”

“You do?” she whispers.

“Fuck, yes.”

The love of my life loops her arms around my waist and beams at me. “So, you have to tell me, honey, because I need to hear it.”

“I love you, Aelin. Every day. I’ll tell you every day.”

Her eyes soften. “I love you, Gabe, and yes I’ll move in with you.” She rolls on her toes and brushes her mouth on mine. “Thank you for my studio, I love it.”

My chest expands, my throat clogs up, filling up on all the beauty she is. I carry her to the couch to lay her down on her back and kneel at her feet to remove her high heels.

Her eyes are unfocused, and her mouth is swollen. “Honey?”

“Yes, baby.”

I lift her skirt to kiss my way up her satiny legs. I bite into her inner thigh, she moans, and I get harder.

When I pull her blouse open, my mouth waters. Her black, lacy underwear encases her body roping around her waist and teasing a view of her pussy. I fist the V-neck of her blouse and yank hard. I plunge, mouth open on her nipple while her back arches and her hands clamp my head. “Gabe.”

Fuck, I’m salivating.I take her mouth.

When she turns her head the side to catch her breath, I rear up on my knees. I need a rubber. Aelin fists my waistband, unbuckles my pants, and her touch on my naked cock shoots through my spine.

“Baby—”

“My turn.”

I open my eyes just as she sits up and closes her lips on the head of my cock.

Sliding slowly in her mouth, I wrap my hand around the back of her head. She makes a sound in her throat that has me almost coming and flattens her tongue to take me deeper.

When I hit the back of her throat, she swallows, and with my eyes on her, I fuck her mouth slowly. Soon, pleasure shoots at the base of my spine. Better than my fantasies. So much… Her soft hands cup my balls and I come hard.

“Aelin…”