“Mmm...”
“I have something serious to ask.”
“Serious...serious is boring,” he fixed his attention on the plump underside of her breast and kept a hand to the middle of her back to keep her still for his enjoyment.
“Gabe please-”
“I aim to.”
“Wait...”
“Don’t make impossible demands,” he switched his focus to her other breast.
Giselle was about to issue another plea when she felt his finger stroke the seam of her sex and take her with it soon after. She choked out his name and gave herself over to the consuming tug that ruled the graceful sway of her hips rising to meet each thrust.
“I invited everyone for dinner to tell them about my family.”
It took a few moments for Gabriel to shift his thoughts from how exquisite she felt around his fingers to what she had just moaned.
“Tell me you didn’t just say what I thought you did,” he managed when he finally withdrew from her.
“We need to tell your family about mine.”
“I thought we decided to wait.”
“We have. It was best to after what happened to Stone, but it’s been so long now and I’m tired of hiding.”
Gabriel rolled to his back then, digging the heels of his hands into his eyes before pulling his fingers through his hair. “Who exactly do you want to invite?”
Giselle braced on her elbow. “I already told Imani and Candace. Rena will come with Aaron. I might even have people from work and then there’s your parents and Humphrey and Vale.”
“No.”
“No? Gabriel what-”
“Do you want a repeat of the Assumption dinner?”
“Oh Gabe,” Giselle flopped back to her pillow. “I’m sure it won’t be that way-”
“No.”
“Gabriel please. I want all the secrets out-”
“You’re being naïve.”
“Stupid, you mean?”
Gabriel rolled his eyes. “Never that.” He moved to his side then and looked down at her. “I do think you have an annoying habit of seeing good in people where there is none. I hope it never gets you in trouble,” he rubbed the damp tendrils of bright hair matted at her temple.
“Is that a yes to dinner?”
Gabriel held his head in his hand. “I don’t want to be around my brothers, Guy. Any of them.”
“And changing that is more important than any of my secrets,” Giselle got to her knees and brought her hands to his face, squeezing. “They’re your family, Gabriel. Whatever you’re angry about, is it worth keeping this going?”
While Gabriel considered his wife’s words, she kissed his jaw and then scooted from their bed. “I’ll make us breakfast. It’s a rainy day, we can eat in bed.”
Gabriel stayed where he was and replayed Giselle’s question in his mind.
***
“You feelin’ okay, Ro?” Pitch could hardly believe what he’d just heard his little brother say. He sent a wary look to Aaron who looked equally perplexed.
Laughing softly and pleased by his brothers’ reactions, Roman went to lean on the desk. They’d met in Aaron’s office that afternoon.
“I’ve been talking to Xav Auten and working through Stone’s notes and Devonny’s too. I’m coming to the same conclusions they did. A rival fleet could be responsible for intercepting our shipments. For all we know, they could be selling our stuff on the black market or even stockpiling their own warehouse somewhere-for sheer gain or just to make us look bad.”
“What’d you just say?” Aaron frowned at Roman then.
“Selling our stuff on the black market?” Roman guessed.
“No. Stockpiling a warehouse,” Aaron said.
Roman shrugged. “It’s possible. The ship was blown not long after Craig Eamon’s telegram to Stone. No telling who those other ships belonged to.”
Without another word, Aaron left the office.
“Something I said?” Roman asked.
