Page 271 of Claim Me
"A gift from Veyron is one thing, but I doubt he was the one arranging those pillows around me, right?"
Gabriel bites his lip.
"Okay, yeah, you got me. Pretty pathetic trying to pin it on him. I don’t know, I just kind of… got carried away. Sorry."
"Don’t apologize for your nature. I’m the one who should feel bad for not having that instinct. It probably makes you anxious."
Silence settles between us for a moment. Gabriel’s hand lightly picks at the edge of my pants and I know I’m right, it is making him uneasy.
Eventually he lifts those large gold-green eyes toward me.
"I just know how much peace and happiness nesting brought my dad. He used to make these beautiful nests with pillows covered in traditional Russian folk patterns… They looked like works of art."
I sigh.
"Wow, I’m competing with quite a standard. Pillows with Russian folk designs…" I say teasingly, tilting my head a little.
"That’s not what I meant!" Gabriel corrects himself quickly. "I don’t want you feeling pressured, or like I expect nests like that…" He lets out a breath. "I just thought the bed looked kind of aesthetic… So think of it more like decor, okay?"
I give him a knowing smile. I know he’s trying to talk his way out of this, but frankly, I understand him.
"It’s fine. We can buy more nice pillows, and if arranging them makes you happy, you can experiment with setting them up in different ways."
Gabriel snorts.
"Ha ha, very funny. A nesting alpha… that would probably count as blasphemy and an insult to every omega on Earth."
I roll my eyes.
"That’s not what I’m suggesting. But if you enjoy the look of pillows on the bed, then you can be the one in charge of arranging them however you want that day. I’m not talking about a nest, just… yes, decorating."
Gabriel studies me for a moment before speaking again.
"Okay. But if there ever comes a day when you actually want to arrange them yourself, then take over, alright?"
"Sure."
Silence falls between us again.
I watch Gabriel for a while.
He’s only wearing gray sweatpants, his chest bare. His hair is still slightly damp, so he must’ve showered recently. His young, pleasant face is turned a little toward the window, and the light filtering through it turns his green irises into thin streaks of gold.
My gaze drifts lower to his lips, soft, inviting, tempting.
I’m rarely the one who initiates sex or erotic touch. That’s just not how things work between us. Unless Gabriel very clearlyencourages me to take a more active role, like putting me in a riding position or something similar, I stay completely passive. Yes, still a pillow prince.
But suddenly the fact that I so sporadically initiate anything between us starts feeling strange.
With a trace of hesitation, I reach out and slide my hand over his shoulder before slowly moving down onto his pleasantly defined pecs.
Gabriel looks surprised, but at the same time his pulse noticeably quickens.
My fingertips glide across his sculpted abs, moving lower toward his crotch where something is already starting to form.
Gabriel’s eyes stay fixed on me, almost questioning, like he’s giving me an opportunity to tell him I want him to take over.
Ah. He knows me too well.
