Chloe“Gabriel?” surprised to see the object of my every waking thought materialize in front of me, I opened the door widely and stepped towards him, only to have my senses engulfed in a strong smell of alcohol that surrounded him like a cloud. “Are you drunk?” I couldn’t help but ask as if I needed confirmation of his obvious state.Memories of the first time we met flooded my mind, and I flinched internally.“Not enough.” Gabriel’s answer was loud and clear, and it didn’t hide his displeasure. “It seems that no matter how much I drink, I can’t stop thinking about you.” The accusation in his voice startled me, and I stepped back inside, stunned by what he said.My ears must’ve been malfunctioning because what I heard could not be correct. I must’ve imagined it.I made one more step backwards, with my ears drumming with the sound of my rapidly beating heart. But it wasn’t caused by fear, no. I wasn’t scared of Gabriel; I could never be scared of him. Excitement and waking desire pushe
Chloe“Good morning.” A husky rumble echoed behind me, its potency making the fine hairs on the back of my neck stand straight.Startled, I turned around only for my eyes to meet the most mouthwatering sight I could imagine.There, in the middle of my spacious kitchen, stood Gabriel Miller. The man who spent the night in my bed. Again.His hair was disheveled, and his white dress shirt was half unbuttoned and hanging loosely from his broad shoulders. And those irresistible grey skies shone with a spark I failed to recognize.“Good morning.” I returned the same way, forgetting about the bacon sizzling in the pan.Gabriel shifted his weight from one leg to the other before pulling his hand through his hair, setting a few escaped strands in place.“I…” he said before focusing on something behind me. “It’ll burn.”I blinked in confusion, not understanding what he was talking about, but then the smokey smell of burning meat reached my nostrils, and I rushed to turn off the stove and pull t
ChloeCould a colder bucket of water exist in this universe to pour over me? No. It definitely could not.Could I ever have imagined that the man who launched me to reach unimaginable heights would crash me down to the ground mere seconds later? No. I definitely could not.All reason seemed to have dissipated from me as I stared into his eyes, trying to find a clue that he didn’t mean what he said.I swallowed the hard lump stuck in my throat, but the shame and embarrassment refused to go down.Cursing myself for allowing a spark of hope to ignite, I grasped the sheet and pulled it to cover my naked body. Was there a greater pain than watching a barely budded hope die a cruel and merciless death? I couldn’t imagine there was.As if Gabriel knew the dark thoughts overtaking my mind, he grabbed me by the hand and kept me close when I tried to get up. I wiggled, wanting nothing but to put as much distance between us as possible, but his hold on me was not wavering.“Chloe,” he roared, hi
Chloe“You smell like sex!” Simon goggled his eyes as he circled me like a wolf would stalk his prey, sniffing the air around me.His accusation caught me off guard, and I was late to hide it.“No, I don’t.” I tried to brush him off, not interested in sharing what happened earlier, and the fact that he was my best friend changed nothing.“Yeah! You do.” Simon persisted with his interrogation, but I wasn’t budging. There was no chance he could’ve known anything.I continued going through the orders Abby took during the morning as Simon peeked over my shoulder annoyingly.“You can choose to ignore me about this matter, but then I will never tell you how I know.” My head snapped towards him involuntarily, only to see him smirking devilishly.“Or I can just fire you.”“Oh, you would never. You cannot keep this house running without me.” he chuckled.“Simon!”“All right! All right!”At that moment, Suzy, Maya, and Frankie walked into the workshop laughing, returning from their break. Simon
ChloeI recognized ‘The Gables’ immediately. Not only was it one of the most famous restaurant chains in the city, but it was also where my missing best friend had worked for the last couple of years. Making a reservation on short notice was impossible, but Gabriel Miller wasn’t just anyone.And I was right. The hostess led us to a reserved table at the center of the grand hall. A few heads turned our way as we took our places, though Gabriel and I ignored them; we were too engrossed with each other.“So, I guess being childhood friends with does wonders when it comes to dining in exclusive restaurants.”“It does.” he chuckled.“You wouldn’t happen to know where they are, would you?”“If Ryan hadn’t stolen my plane, I would not.” What the hell? He owned a plane? I was slightly taken aback by this discovery. Even though I knew Gabriel was a successful businessman, I did not expect him to be that rich! “You shouldn’t worry about Gina. I suppose she’s having the time of her life in Paris
ChloeJust like Gabriel promised, the sky was clear and stary.After leaving the restaurant, we drove to the shore.Magically, luck was on our side, and the beach had barely any visitors; only a few night strollers here and there passed us by.As soon as we reached the sand, I bent and took my stilettos off, intending to carry them, but Gabriel snatched them before I could react. He swung them playfully when I tried to take them back and offered me his other hand, which I accepted gladly.It must’ve been a decade since I walked on the beach holding a guy’s hand, probably since junior high. But then again, Gabriel made me feel like a high school girl with a crush on a quarterback! So, I embraced the moment and held it tightly against my heart.“Chloe,” Gabriel’s voice suddenly turned serious. “I’ve been meaning to ask you something important, but it never seemed right. However, I have to be in the clear about.” A cold shiver ran down my spine, and goosebumps covered my skin. “Do I have
Chloe“Aaah!” an ear-piercing scream shook the ground I was standing on or, better yet, the bed I was lying on.Fret for my bare life yanked me out of the sweetest dream the world had ever known, and I propelled from my soft sheets into a sitting position.Bright lights from the ceiling blinded me, and I squinted, trying to locate the source of the alarm. But I didn’t have to bother.“Oh, my Gooood! I’m bliiiind! I did not need to see this.” Gina’s frantic voice brought a wave of clarity, and I realized we were not in danger.But she didn’t stop! Oh, like, could she ever?“I need bleach!” she whined like a lost puppy. “I need to wash the sting out.”“Gina? What the fuck?” I croaked, every word I spoke felt like sandpaper against my throat.At that moment, memories from last night rushed through my head, and I remembered my date with Gabriel. Blood boiled in my veins, sending a flood of heat to my cheeks in response to the flashes of moments we shared.“Good morning, Gina. It’s nice to
GabrielShe came into my life unexpectedly, like a cold storm on a hot summer day, destroying everything in her way.I never had a chance against her cataclysmic nature; she had broken all of my defenses without me noticing, and I was left helpless to fall deeper and deeper into the abyss of her enchantment.Chloe.Woman that had me on my knees, begging for more.I could die a thousand deaths and endure the greatest torture over and over again if it meant I could have her by my side, soothing the eternal thirst for her.Gabriel from a year ago would laugh at what I had become. No, he would’ve punched me in the face! He would try to force sense through my tick scull!But I?I wasn’t willing to resist the call. What’s more, I had succumbed to it even before I could recognize it for what it was – an irresistible siren’s song meant to take me to the bottom of the sea.“Wipe that moronic smile off your face!” Ryan barged into my office without knocking, snapping me out of my daydreams abo