eye. I couldn’t put anything past Gabriel, including finding a way to block access wherever we went. “Absolutely not.” He nodded, smirk that of a man whose immense power had been sufficiently acknowledged.
Despite the heavy traffic, our oversized vehicle managed to pull up curbside. I looked up as we exited, interested to know where we were going to be staying. Hotel Monaco. Gabriel met my questioning smile with another smirk. He held my hand firmly in his own and strode confidently towards the glass doors.
The friendly doorman ushered us into a dark lobby. I studied our surroundings avidly as we walked towards the front desk. While smallish, the lobby was a bold mix of deep turquoise walls, scarlet accents, exotic prints, and lots of mirrors. I liked it a lot. It made me wish I could paint my apartment in similar fashion.
Hmm…maybe I can check with the office and see if it’s okay as long as I repaint the place before I move out.
Check-in was a breeze. Our luggage was soon loaded and we were off to the bank of elevators. Once we arrived at our room, Gabriel opened the door with a flourish.
“After you, my sweet.”
I walked in, instantly charmed. The decor was as eclectic as the lobby five floors down. Behind me, Gabriel tipped the bellboy handsomely, thanking him for saving our collective backs. I looked to see the man was charmed by Gabriel, his smile less formal and more genuine.
I knew long ago that people couldn’t help but love Gabriel, despite his belief to the contrary. It made me proud of him and a bit uncomfortable to know that I was rarely at ease with strangers.
Probably because I spent my time having to fend off insult after insult. Boy, can the chip on my shoulder get any larger?
My maudlin thoughts didn’t have time to take root and flourish. Once the door closed behind the bellboy my lover picked me up and spun me around. Our shared laughter melted into a lengthy kiss. It was homecoming like always. No matter what happened to me in life, as long as I could kiss Gabriel and be with him like this, everything would be okay.
When Gabriel finally let me down I linked my arms around his neck. “What are we going to do next, Mr. Gordon?”
“What would you like to do next, Ms. Adams?” He answered with an impish grin.
“Well…can I ask for anything?”
“Please do so.”
I bit my lip again, finding it to be a natural and new reaction when I spent an extended period of time with Gabriel. “Can we go exploring?”
“Naked exploring?”
“More like exploring the town and then going to see the sights?”
He looked up at the loft where our bed presumably was with longing and groaned. He then looked back at me and smiled angelically. “Of course we can.”
I clapped my hands and kissed him as thanks. “You’re the best!”
“Keep doing that and I won’t let you out of the room.” He squeezed my ass hard, lifting me up high on my toes.
“You keep doing that and I won’t want to be let out of the room.”
His lips curled into a sexy grin. “What do to? What to do?”
I stood there, ridiculously in love with my playful man. Gabriel eyed me for a speculative moment and then sighed. “Make sure you bring your coat, Emma. It’s really windy out there.”
“You packed one for me?”
“But of course. Oh, and anything I forgot we can just buy. I’m sure there’s a clothing shop or two around here. I’ll get changed into something more comfortable and then we can go, okay?”
After I freshened up, I came out of the bathroom to see Gabriel had changed into a black sweater, dark wash jeans, and boots. He looked positively edible. I almost wished I hadn’t suggested exploring the town. It was my turn to look up at the loft and sigh.
Gabriel missed nothing. “It’s too late now, Emma!” he crowed while slipping on his overcoat. “You had your chance with my body and now you must suffer its loss.”
I sighed louder and muttered, “Karma, you really are a