Page 92 of Gabriel

“With you, I’m up for anything. Something tells me you would be too.”

“So confident. What if I’m like a black widow and I kill my men after I fuck them?”

“Nowthatwould be a hell of a way to go,” he said, laughing, though there was a wistful edge to it. “I could be convinced.”

“There’s something seriously wrong with you, Santos.” I rolled my eyes, but the smile broke through anyway. What was it about this man that made me feel like a sensual woman?

“Do you think you’ll know what to do with me, Amara?”

I met his gaze, steady. “Don’t worry. I’m not some clueless virgin.”

“No, you’re not,” he drawled, watching me like he was ready to eat me alive.

I knelt beside the bed, tracing my fingers lightly along the chain.

“I could teach you a thing or two about being kinky. It might be fun,” he suggested, his tone full of dark seduction. “Would you let me?”

“Since we’re talking in hypotheticals, sure, why not?” My voice was too breathless for him not to notice it.

“I like where this is going.” His controlled mask slipped just enough for something raw to flicker through. “Uncuff me and I’llshow you exactly what you’ve been missing all these years you’ve avoided me, Amara.”

I leaned close, lips brushing his ear. “I thought we were going for kinky here.”

“With free hands, I could make you scream so much faster and louder,” he purred, self-confidence rolling off him in waves. Strangely, I was fairly certain he had every right to boast, because Gabriel was sex on legs, and I suspected one night with him would be enough to get me off for the rest of my life by just picturing him.

I attempted to rein in the wild impulse to let him have his way with me, and rasped, “I’m in charge here.”

He smirked as he whispered, “Always.”

For a moment, everything outside—the unknowns, the danger, my uncertainty about this man—faded to nothing. Just the two of us tangled in a dangerous dance, pushing boundaries neither of us were sure we wanted to cross.

It was time to accept that everything leading up to this moment had to be part of some greater plan, one that was beyond my control.

Gabriel

Her hands hovered over my wrists, fingers brushing the lock, but then… they stilled.

I saw it in her eyes first. It was a flicker of doubt. Of what it would mean if she let go. If she set me loose without one of her guard dogs hovering nearby.

She stepped back, just a hair’s breadth, but it was enough.

“You’re not ready,” I said, quietly and without accusation.

She shook her head once. “Not yet.”

I nodded as I relaxed into the restraint. “That’s okay.”

Her gaze snapped back to mine, surprised.

“You thought I’d be mad?” I asked, smirking faintly. “Are you disappointed?”

“Men usually don’t takenovery well,” she muttered, trying to sound hard, but her voice was softer than she wanted it to be.

“I’m not like other men. I’m me, and I’m at your mercy.” I dipped my head to catch her eye. “Besides, you’re protecting yourself. That’s smart.”

She didn’t move, but relief unclenched her shoulders.

“But,” I added slowly, “just because you don’t want to uncuff me… doesn’t mean we can’t still do something else.”