Page 80 of House of Scarlett
I reorganize the flower arrangement on the center of the kitchen table for the few dozen seconds it takes for him to climb the three flights of stairs, and spin around to face the door when he knocks. With one more glimpse down at my robe, I smooth the lapels and step forward to open the door.
As soon as he sees me, his gaze turns hungry. Instantly, it’s clear I made the right decision.
“Jesus Christ. Holy shit.” He swallows, and the paper of the takeout bags crumples in his hands as his eyes devour me. “Fuck me. I sure as hell didn’t need to bring dinner, because you’re all I want.”
The heat of my blush tingles across my skin, but the smile tugging at my lips is the stronger sensation.
I casually adjust the knot before meeting his gaze once more. “I almost changed.”
He shakes his head as he steps forward, letting the door shut behind him. “Missing out on this sight would’ve been a tragedy. You are fucking beautiful.” He leans down to steal a kiss. “Goddamn, you make me want to skip dinner and spend all night devouring you.”
I bite down on my lip as he pulls away. “That sounds like a good plan to me.”
As soon as I finish speaking, my stomach growls, and Gabriel’s brows dive together.
“When’s the last time you ate?”
“Earlier. I’m fine.”
His lips twitch like he wants to smile, but he shakes his head. “You’re still healing. Burning through a lot of calories. You need to eat.” His blue eyes flare, equally full of concern and desire. “Trust me, you’re still going to get all you can handle tonight. That’s a promise.”
He lifts the bag between us and deposits it on the table. I want to protest, but my stomach growls again, this time even louder.
“Okay, fine. We fuel up, and then it’s game on.”
Instead of a lip twitch from Gabriel, I get a full-on grin and belly laugh that fill my heart with joy.
“Attagirl. Let’s eat, and you can tell me about your day. Did you get the tickets to the dinner you wanted to go to?”
Forty-Seven
Legend
Eating dinner across from Scarlett,while she wears a tiny cream-colored robe that covers everything I can’t wait to get my hands and lips on, is a new form of torture I would sign up to participate in every damn day of the week.Fuck, how is she so goddamn beautiful and funny and sweet?
She asks about Bump, and I take it as my opening to let her know about the promise I made him earlier today.
“He’s doing fine. You can see for yourself tomorrow for dinner, if you’re not busy.”
Her gray eyes light up. “I’m pretty sure I’m not busy, and if I am, I’ll take care of it. Where are we going for dinner?”
Her easy agreement and willingness to cancel anything on her schedule to fit in dinner with Bump does something to my chest. It squeezes tight and then releases, leaving a feeling of warmth behind.
I’m not used to having a smile on my face this much, but I can’t help it when I’m around her. She makes my life better just by being near. It’s something I’ve never experienced before, and I’ll fight to keep that feeling—and her—in my life.
Fight ...
Fuck. I have to tell her about that too.But not until the contracts are signed and it’s a done deal.There’s no point in getting her concerned before there’s something to be concerned about. Besides, it’s not like I’ll keep it from her.
I need to start hitting the gym like it’s my second fucking job if I want a chance in hell of beating Black again. It’s our best path to being free and clear with the club.
I can do it. I have to do it.
“Gabriel?”
She says my name, which always sounds so fucking sweet on her lips, and I realize she’s still waiting for an answer.
“Sorry, the robe is distracting,” I reply with a wink. “I told Bump he could choose, so expect an arcade or something along those lines. He’s also obsessed with anchovy pizza, so don’t be surprised if that’s what he wants to eat.”
