Page 30

King

“Your ex is a bitch,” Gabby whispers, her head on my chest, her fingers stroking against my skin.

It’s late. I’m not sure of the time, but after we left the restaurant, I didn’t really feel like going into the casino.

I wanted to be alone with Gabby. We came up to our room.

I ordered us dessert—Italian Cream Cake—then we vegged out on the bed while looking out the large window that overlooked the mountains as the sun sank below the horizon.

We talked some, but mostly we just zoned out.

I think it might be the best night of my life.

We’ve carefully avoided all conversation of Shelby and what happened until now.

“I don’t know who she is, Sunshine. Hell, I don’t think I ever knew who she was. The woman I put my ring on was not the bitter woman who was staring back at me today—that’s for sure.”

“Did it hurt seeing her again?” she asks quietly, placing a sweet kiss against my chest.

“No.”

“King—”

“It didn’t. Some of her words … bothered me.”

“She’s a bitch, and I once was the queen bitch of bitches, so I feel fairly certain that I have the experience to give her that label,” Gabby mumbles, squeezing me with her arms while kissing my chest once more.

“It stopped bothering me when you began taking up for me. Then Gabby, no joke, I was just grateful.”

“Grateful?” she asks, her forehead knitting adorably when she raises her hand to look up at me. “You think I’m crazy for how I feel about myself? Being grateful to her? That’s just insanity. You have no reason whatsoever to feel grateful to that woman,” she huffs.

“That’s not exactly what I meant, but I also think you’re wrong,” I argue.

I feel her muscles tense up and I can feel her anger spread around us. I immediately begin sliding my hand up and down her back, trying to calm her down. I wonder if she realizes just how in tune we are with one another. I figure she doesn’t, but I’m going to bring it to her attention.

“We should change the subject,” she practically growls, letting me know she is really not happy. I’m kind of hoping she might be a little jealous, but I’m not going to bring that up. I have a feeling I won’t like the way she reacts if I do.

“I stopped letting her words bother me the minute you opened your sexy little mouth and defended me.”

“I—”

Pressing a finger against her lips and not letting her interrupt me, I continue. “And I figure I need to be grateful to her because if she hadn’t cut me loose, I would have never known.”

She stares at me. My finger moves from her lips to her chin, carefully caressing her there, drowning in her beautiful eyes that seem to change colors every single damn time I look at them. “Known what?” she finally asks.

“How it feels to really give my heart to a woman completely.”

Her eyes go big. I watch her eyebrows stretch, shock cover her face and it’s so quick that I would have missed it if I weren’t looking, but I see the hunger and hope that flashes over her features.

“King …”

“You claimed me, Gabby.”

“I didn’t?—”

“Woman, we’re of the same world. You claimed me as your old man in every way that matters in that restaurant. I can’t allow you to go back, because baby, I’m all in here.”

“I don’t think?—”

I take her hand in mine, pressing them palm against palm. Our fingers stretch out before we lace them together. “I’m all in.”

“King,” she breathes.

“I don’t want to go anywhere else.”

“I—”

“I don’t want to be anywhere else than where I am right now.”

“Honey,” she almost whimpers, and desire floods me. I like hearing her call me honey. Fuck, I just like her.

“When I look at you, Gabby, I see everything I want and need.”

“But I’m?—”

“You’re perfect.”

“I’m about as far from perfect as you can get,” she counters, making me smile.

“You’re perfect for me,” I argue, making her face go soft.

“Tell me, Gabby. Tell me.”

She looks up at me, swallowing down her fear. Yeah, my woman is definitely in tune with me. She knows exactly what I want.

“Tell me, Sunshine.”

“Some will never accept this, King.”

“Fuck’em.”

“You say that, but we both know you have deep connections with T and Dragon. You could have that same relationship with Dom and Kayden with some work.”

“Sunshine, don’t you think I went through all of this in my head before I decided what I truly wanted?”

“I feel like I’m being selfish,” she whispers, as if she’s confessing a guilty secret.

“You are.” Her body jerks, but I keep her close to me—not allowing her to pull away. “You’re keeping the words I need to hear away from me. That’s selfish because it’s killing me.”

“If we take this step and I fuck it up …”

“You won’t. We won’t.”

‘We don’t even know if I can … if I can …”

“Maybe it’s time we find out.”

“Wh-What do you mean?” she squeaks, making me smile.

“Do you trust me?”

“You know I do, but …”

“For tonight, let me prove to you I can help you find pleasure in my touch. Have faith I can make it good for you. We’ll do nothing but bring you satisfaction. Let’s just see if you can be free enough with me to allow yourself pleasure.”

“That hardly seems fair to you,” she finally answers. Still, I see the interest shining in her eyes.

“You have no idea how much I want to touch you. Trust me, I’ll be getting just as much pleasure from this as you will.”

“If I try, but can’t …”

“Then we’ll try again. There’s no time limit on any of this, Gabby. I’m here and I’m going nowhere, Sunshine.” She bites her lip and looks at me with a barely there nod of agreement, but I shake my head in denial. “That doesn’t work, baby. This is too important. I need your words.”

“I want to …”

“You can do it. Tell me, Gabby. I swear, you’re safe. Just give me the words,” I coax.

“I want you to … touch me. Please, King. I want you to erase the memories.”

Fuck . I wasn’t expecting that. Now, I just hope I don’t disappoint her, because Gabby has no idea just how much I want to give her that.

I want to completely erase her past and fill it with memories of nothing but us and the life we will build.