When I see the truth in his eyes, a smile spreads over my face.
My hands have shifted to his shoulders, and before I know what I’m doing, they drift down to his biceps to take in the feel of his arms.
God, so much strength and golden skin.
The veins. Sigh. The veins.
Realizing what I’m doing, I yank them away from his skin, my cheeks flushing.
Gabriel tilts his head to catch my eyes, then asks, “Why are you blushing?”
I quickly shake my head, pressing my lips together so the secret won’t escape them.
“Lara.” There’s a warning tone to his voice, then he demands, “Tell me.” The order is filled with dominance.
Once again, I’m unable to disobey him. I squeeze my eyes shut. “Touching you feels intimate.”
“Are you uncomfortable?”
I shake my head.
That’s the last thing I feel.
“Do you feel it’s wrong?”
I open my eyes, and frowning, I answer, “No, that’s not what I meant.”
Gabriel moves us back to the side of the pool, then he takes hold of my hips, and without any effort, he lifts me out of the water and sets me down on the paving.
With his hands still on my sides, he looks up at me. A predatory look shutters his eyes, then he mutters, “Put on my shirt.”
As I reach for the dry fabric, I glance down. Seeing my own shirt is practically see-through, an intense wave of self-consciousness hits. I quickly shove my arms through the sleeves of his shirt and cover myself.
Instead of getting out, Gabriel pushes away from the side, his body gliding through the water. Only when he’s on the other side of the pool does he turn to look at me. “Don’t mistake gratitude for something it’s not.”
Huh?
Shaking my head, I admit, “I don’t understand.”
Gabriel lifts himself out of the pool and sits on the other side. With the light shining on him, I have a clear view of his muscled chest and abs, and Lord help me, his strong arms.
He’s breathtaking.
I’m well aware of the weapon lying next to me and know it’s a test. Gabriel is checking to see whether I’d shoot him if I got the chance.
That will never happen.
“I didn’t save you, Lara. I shot you and stole you from Mazur, hoping you’d be able to give me information on him.”
I still don’t understand.
Letting out a sigh, Gabriel wipes the water from his face. “Don’t make me out to be the hero, because that’s the last thing I am. You’re grateful and experiencing life for the first time. Don’t confuse that emotion for more.”
My eyebrows pinch together. “I’m even more confused now.”
Gabriel gets up, and the wet fabric of his suit pants hangs so low on his hips, there’s a V carved into his hips, pointing down. My mouth goes bone dry, and there’s an intense tightening in my abdomen.
Wow.
I can’t tear my eyes away from his beauty as he walks around the pool. Stopping in front of me, he holds out his hand, and once I’ve placed mine in his, he tugs me onto my feet.
He leans down, his eyes burning on mine. “You look at me as if I’m becoming your entire world, Lara. Don’t mistake gratefulness for love.”
Oh…
OHHHH.
Having been caught out with the silly infatuation I have for him, awkwardness and embarrassment wash over me. I pull my hand from his and nodding, I quickly turn around and walk toward the house.
Oh. My. God.
I’m going to die of embarrassment. I’ve been drooling over him, and he knows.
Kill me now.
My chest fills with a weird pressure, all the happiness being sucked into it until I feel empty.
“Lara!”
I stop on the spot, my body tensing.
Please, please, please, I just need to shove my head under a pillow until the mortification disappears.
I hear Gabriel behind me, and taking a deep breath for strength, I turn to face him.
There’s a dark frown on his face, and it makes my heart sink. He stops in front of me, his eyes locking with mine.
“Don’t walk away while I’m talking to you.”
Lowering my head, I nod, almost saying, ‘yes, sir.’
He lifts a hand to my chin, nudging my face up so I’ll look at him. The touch is too much at the moment, making my bottom lip tremble.
I swallow hard on the embarrassment still whirling in my chest.
Gabriel shakes his head, his eyes softening on me. “Jesus, this is hard.” Pulling his hand away from my face, he takes a step back before his gaze finds mine again. “I’m just saying to not mistake one emotion for the other.”
He looks uncomfortable as well, and I start to worry, I’ve really gone and ruined things between us. I can’t keep the words back and whisper, “I’m sorry.”
He shakes his head, giving me an incredulous look. “What for?”
“For making you feel uncomfortable. I didn’t mean to do that.” My shoulders slump, and I wrap my arms around my middle, lowering my eyes to the cobblestones beneath my bare feet. “It wasn’t my intention for you to find out.”
No one was supposed to find out. I’ve barely had time to explore the things he makes me feel and none whatsoever to enjoy them.
Again he nudges my chin up. His eyes search mine, then he seems to realize something. “You really like me?”
I nod, my arms tightening around me. “I’m sorry. I’ll stop it.”
“Don’t!” As I blink at his strong response, he adds, “There’s nothing wrong with it, Lara. You’re allowed to feel whatever you want. I just don’t want you confusing your emotions for something they’re not.”
“It’s really new,” I admit.
His hand moves to my shoulder, and he pulls me against his bare chest. My eyes drift shut from how good it feels as he hugs me. His chin rests on the top of my head. “If you’re ever unsure, you can talk to me about it.”
I nod, my cheek brushing against his warm skin.
When Gabriel pulls back, I feel better and not as embarrassed.
“Thank you,” I whisper. I gesture to the house. “Can I go inside?”
“Yes.” Gabriel takes a step back, giving me a full view of his bare chest and the damp pants clinging to his strong legs.
Before he can see the strength of the attraction I feel for him, I quickly turn around and dart into the house. I don’t stop until I reach the safety of my bedroom, and placing a hand over my heart, I try to calm the frantic organ down.
So, am I allowed to like him or not?
Chapter 26
Gabriel
Dressed in jeans and a charcoal sweater, I walk to the dining room for breakfast.
I think I made a mistake last night and only managed to confuse the fuck out of Lara.
“Selam,” I mutter as I walk into the room where only Emre is seated. I take a seat at the head of the table and stare at the plate in front of me.
“You look like you had a shit night,” Emre comments. “By the way, you owe me for taking one for the team.”
My eyes snap to his. “You went home with the woman?”
“Nope. We went to a hotel. It’s easier to leave in the morning.”
I shake my head, and the conversation ends right there when our grandmother comes into the room.