that’s what you want bebelus , I could deny you nothing.”
A frustrated breath blew through her teeth. “What if it’s not—”
“ Not what?” He cut her off, eager to finish this conversation and leave the church together. Or better yet, take her up the aisle and marry her himself.
“ What if it’s you…?”
A knock at the door interrupted her words this time. Marie opened the door, and smiled at the couple sitting so intimately close on the couch.
“ Are you ready? It’s ti—” Marie smiled at Niko then backed out of the door.
“ Am I ready to do this ?” Gabby’s eyes searched Nikolai’s again.
He felt as though she was stripping him bare, one layer at a time. He swallowed hard, trying to put the pieces of his heart back into the empty cavern where it would forever go dormant.
“ Nikolai, please.” There was an edge to her plea, one that insinuated she was asking for more than an escort. He took her hands in his and pressed them to his lips. Her eyes filled with tears. “Nikolai?”
His heart pounded so hard in his chest he feared it might just break the ribs that were meant to protect it. He dropped to the floor and knelt at her feet. “My sweet Gabrielle.”
“ Please.” That one simple word, spoken with such pure anguish assured he would deny her nothing.
“ What do you want from me?”
She cradled his face in the palm of her hand. He leaned into her touch. He waited for her answer. She stroked his cheek with her thumb, but didn’t respond.
“ Gabby, do you love … him?” Or me?
“ I love Jayson,” she said in a rehearsed, robotic way.
But not as much as you, Nikolai, he added in his head, I have never loved a male as much as I love you.
But there were no ‘buts’.
She stood and turned to face him. Her eyes locked on his. He disappeared into the deepest blue he’d ever seen, getting lost. His hand absently rubbed at his chest again, at the breaking heart just below the surface.
He got to his feet and stood before her. “Are you … sure … this is what you want, Gabrielle?” He let his accent seep heavily into every word.
She took a step closer to him, their bodies only a breath apart, and looked up into his eyes. The deep cobalt was intense, filled with a thousand emotions he couldn’t name, they flashed so quickly.
“ Give me one reason I shouldn’t marry Jayson.”
I love you! I need you. You are my life, my soul, my very heart!
She pushed up one her tiptoes, her breasts brushing lightly against his chest then grazing upward as she continued the motion. Her lips pressed to his chin, then drifted to the corner of his mouth.
He couldn’t stop the groan that escaped his throat. His mind came back on track, sent the orders to his hands to capture her and pull her to his body. His lips bruised hers with kisses long awaited. Gabrielle’s heartbeat echoed in his ears. Her scent increased, intensified, exposing her desire. She wanted this. She wanted him.
His tongue moved across her lips and she opened to him. He swallowed her gasp as he deepened the kiss. She met his aggression, throwing her arms around his neck and pulling him down. His arms tightened around her and lifted until she nearly melted against him. One step toward the couch and another and—
A knock interrupted their kiss, and she went stiff when a male voice asked, “Gabs, baby, is everything okay?”
She ripped herself out of Nikolai’s embrace and began to smooth the front of her dress with shaking hands. She flew over to the mirror to examine her smudged lipstick. “Yeah, Jay, I’m fine.”
“ Like hell you are,” Nikolai hissed.
“ Okay, well, we’re all um … waiting on you.” Jayson’s attempt at calm was eclipsed by his anxiety.
“ I’ll be right there,” she called.
Nikolai’s mouth dropped open and he gawked at her. “You’ll be right there?” he mocked her statement. “After what just happened, you’ll be right there ?”
Her fingers slowly, intoxicatingly
A frustrated breath blew through her teeth. “What if it’s not—”
“ Not what?” He cut her off, eager to finish this conversation and leave the church together. Or better yet, take her up the aisle and marry her himself.
“ What if it’s you…?”
A knock at the door interrupted her words this time. Marie opened the door, and smiled at the couple sitting so intimately close on the couch.
“ Are you ready? It’s ti—” Marie smiled at Niko then backed out of the door.
“ Am I ready to do this ?” Gabby’s eyes searched Nikolai’s again.
He felt as though she was stripping him bare, one layer at a time. He swallowed hard, trying to put the pieces of his heart back into the empty cavern where it would forever go dormant.
“ Nikolai, please.” There was an edge to her plea, one that insinuated she was asking for more than an escort. He took her hands in his and pressed them to his lips. Her eyes filled with tears. “Nikolai?”
His heart pounded so hard in his chest he feared it might just break the ribs that were meant to protect it. He dropped to the floor and knelt at her feet. “My sweet Gabrielle.”
“ Please.” That one simple word, spoken with such pure anguish assured he would deny her nothing.
“ What do you want from me?”
She cradled his face in the palm of her hand. He leaned into her touch. He waited for her answer. She stroked his cheek with her thumb, but didn’t respond.
“ Gabby, do you love … him?” Or me?
“ I love Jayson,” she said in a rehearsed, robotic way.
But not as much as you, Nikolai, he added in his head, I have never loved a male as much as I love you.
But there were no ‘buts’.
She stood and turned to face him. Her eyes locked on his. He disappeared into the deepest blue he’d ever seen, getting lost. His hand absently rubbed at his chest again, at the breaking heart just below the surface.
He got to his feet and stood before her. “Are you … sure … this is what you want, Gabrielle?” He let his accent seep heavily into every word.
She took a step closer to him, their bodies only a breath apart, and looked up into his eyes. The deep cobalt was intense, filled with a thousand emotions he couldn’t name, they flashed so quickly.
“ Give me one reason I shouldn’t marry Jayson.”
I love you! I need you. You are my life, my soul, my very heart!
She pushed up one her tiptoes, her breasts brushing lightly against his chest then grazing upward as she continued the motion. Her lips pressed to his chin, then drifted to the corner of his mouth.
He couldn’t stop the groan that escaped his throat. His mind came back on track, sent the orders to his hands to capture her and pull her to his body. His lips bruised hers with kisses long awaited. Gabrielle’s heartbeat echoed in his ears. Her scent increased, intensified, exposing her desire. She wanted this. She wanted him.
His tongue moved across her lips and she opened to him. He swallowed her gasp as he deepened the kiss. She met his aggression, throwing her arms around his neck and pulling him down. His arms tightened around her and lifted until she nearly melted against him. One step toward the couch and another and—
A knock interrupted their kiss, and she went stiff when a male voice asked, “Gabs, baby, is everything okay?”
She ripped herself out of Nikolai’s embrace and began to smooth the front of her dress with shaking hands. She flew over to the mirror to examine her smudged lipstick. “Yeah, Jay, I’m fine.”
“ Like hell you are,” Nikolai hissed.
“ Okay, well, we’re all um … waiting on you.” Jayson’s attempt at calm was eclipsed by his anxiety.
“ I’ll be right there,” she called.
Nikolai’s mouth dropped open and he gawked at her. “You’ll be right there?” he mocked her statement. “After what just happened, you’ll be right there ?”
Her fingers slowly, intoxicatingly