Page 20

Summer POV

I woke up in Gabriel’s bed.

Our bodies were twined around each other, my leg thrown over his, my head on his warm, wide chest, and his strong arms encircled around me.

A lazy smile crossed my face.

It felt right to be held by him.

Last night we’d showered in his fancy white marble bathroom and then cuddled in his giant bed. He rubbed my back as I drifted off into the best night's sleep I’d ever had. Nothing else sexual had happened between us, but in a way, showering and falling asleep naked in his arms had been even more intimate than our fun in the office.

I lifted my head and studied his face. We’d forgotten to turn off his bedside lamp last night, and now I was grateful for the dim light. His usually tense features were relaxed with sleep . Gabriel’s long, dark eyelashes fanned over his smooth skin, his full lips were parted slightly, and his forehead was smooth, free from the usual worry lines. This was the most peaceful I’d ever seen him.

My heart warmed as I stared at him. Like Grayson, I would never get tired of gazing at him.

Mine.

No, he wasn't…but maybe I wanted him to be? And not just for one night. Maybe I wanted Gabriel to be mine forever. I could feel our broken Mating bond trying to mend itself. That explained the flickers of gold I saw out of the corner of my eye when Gabriel and I were having a moment of connection. Was the bond waiting on me to fully trust Gabriel with my mind, body, and soul in order to repair itself? Was I ready to have that much faith in him? In our relationship? Did Gabriel fully trust me with his heart? Honestly, I believed he did.

Gabriel had been nothing but supportive and kind this past week, making sure my father was taken care of, opening up his home to my family, spending time with our son and actually getting to know him, and helping me through one of the most difficult times in my life. He had been my support system while still managing to execute his plan against the Rogues. In our short time together, he had acted like the kind of man I’d want as my life partner.

If I was only considering Gabriel’s actions this past week, then I wouldn’t hesitate to allow him back into my heart again.

But I couldn’t just consider last week. We had history. When he broke our bond, he had broken my trust along with it.

What had Gabriel said yesterday?

I know I still need to earn back your trust before you can be in a relationship with me.

Hmm, maybe that was the answer. I didn’t have to make a decision right now, especially not when my life was so hectic. I could take mine and Gabriel’s relationship day by day.

Softly, I ran my fingers over his beard and bit my lip. My breathing increased from just remembering the erotic feeling of his beard rubbing against my thighs as he licked me last night in his office.

I smirked as a naughty idea came to me. What if I returned the favor? I could wake up Gabriel to see if he wanted to have a little fun this morning. I would kiss my way down his neck, to his toned stomach, and wrap my lips around his hard dick.

Gabriel and I had fallen asleep naked, and the blanket had shifted slightly. His impressive length was on full display. I wanted to wrap my lips around him. I wanted to circle the head of his dick with my tongue, flick it, and play with his balls. I wanted to give him as much pleasure as he had given me last night.

I pressed my thighs together, trying to alleviate the ache in my center that my little fantasy had brought me.

With an excited grin, I leaned in to kiss his cheek but stopped abruptly.

I had responsibilities. It was early, but Grayson usually woke up before the sun rose since he was used to life on the farm. As much as I wanted to spend the day in bed with Gabriel, I wanted to be there for my son today after everything he went through last night. I’d make him pancakes, and then we could take Goose on a walk. Maybe if Gabriel wasn’t too busy, I’d invite him along.

And if we found the time, maybe Gabriel and I could make my fantasy come true tonight…

With a grin, I carefully rolled out of bed and stretched. The clothes I’d worn last night were in Gabriel’s laundry hamper, so I rooted through his dresser for something to wear. I had to roll up the sleeves of a basic black T-shirt and roll up the waist of a pair of his black sweatpants, but it would work for a walk down the hall. I switched off the bedside lamp and walked to the door.

Gabriel was still fast asleep when I pushed open the door, and I was hoping he would be able to sleep in a little this morning after all the work he’d been doing.

I slipped through the door and closed it softly.

But before I could take a step, I made eye contact with my mom, who was walking down the hallway.

Damn it.

Maybe I could play it cool. My mom hadn’t been here that much this week. Maybe she didn’t know this was Gabriel’s room.

“Good morning,” I said brightly.

“Is that Gabriel’s room?” she asked, her eyes wide and her face serious. My mom studied my clothes—Gabriel’s clothes.

Well, there went my plan of playing it cool.

“I need to talk to you,” my mom said, took my hand, and pulled me down the hallway. “But not here. Not by his room.”

My stomach dropped.

“Is Grayson all right?” I asked, jogging to keep pace with her so I wouldn’t stumble.

“Yes. I have something to tell you. It’s going to be hard to hear.”

Her words were short and clipped.

We took a sharp corner, and her hand was still gripping mine.

Anxiety coursed through me, making cold sweat drip down my back.

Why was she in such a rush?

Then, realization hit me like a truck.

My lips quivered and my eyes welled up with tears.

Oh, no.

My mother was about to tell me that Dad had passed away. That had to be it.

As we walked into the room my mom was staying in, I prepared myself to be absolutely devastated.

After she closed the door, my mom faced me, and her expression gave me pause. Why were her eyes narrowed? And why was her mouth in a tight, straight line? She didn’t look like a grieving widow…she looked pissed.

Her words from a moment ago ran through my head. My mom hadn’t wanted to talk to me in front of Gabriel’s door. Why?

My mom took my hands, and the look in her eyes shocked me. This was the first time since we had learned about my father’s attack that my mom seemed to be fully present. It was like whatever she had to tell me was making her enraged, and she was holding tight to that anger to keep herself from falling back into her grief.

“This morning, I was talking to Sandra on the phone,” my mom started, but then a guilty look crossed her face. “She and a couple of my other friends had been trying to get in contact with me since your father's accident to check in on me and see how he was, but I just couldn't bring myself to call anyone back…not with everything going on.”

I squeezed my mom's hands.

Sandra was my mom's best friend. She lived in Brindle Creek and was a member of WaterLock. When we moved to Aunt Mia's farm, my mom had started talking to Sandra on the phone almost every day.

“Of course, it was hard to talk about Dad being in a coma, Mom. You don't have to feel guilty about that,” I told her gently.

A tear slipped down my mom's cheek, but she quickly wiped it away.

“Sandra and I talked for almost an hour while I was getting coffee in the hospital's cafeteria, and before we hung up, she told me something…interesting,” my mom said and looked down at the clothes I was wearing again. Gabriel's clothes.

What the hell had she heard?

I prepared myself for the worst.

“Sandra asked me if I heard the good news,” my mom said with a sarcastic edge to her voice. “She told me that WaterLock was going to be protected by the Royal Guard thanks to Gabriel marrying the Alpha King's daughter in a week.”