“You never have to thank me for that. Trust me.” He smirked.
I swatted his shoulder gently. “That’s not what I was talking about.”
“Thank me for what, then?” He stopped playing with my hair.
I took a breath, trying to formulate the right words. “For what you did today. For coming clean to my father. Just… all of it.”
“I should have done it right from the start. I was just being an oblivious asshole. It took almost losing you to realize that I love you. And how much I love you.”
I nestled into him. “I love you too, James. I have never felt this way about anyone.”
“Neither have I, Gabbi. Neither have I.” Then he tugged me into his lap and kissed me until all rational thought fled my mind.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
James
“I’m not going to lie to you, son. I was more worried about you and my Gabbi than I was ready to admit at first.” Richard swirled scotch around in his tumbler and took a deep swig.
It was late afternoon, I was leaving soon to surprise Gabrielle at the examination center, so I stuck with water. I wasn’t sure that it would be much of a surprise, though. We’d been practically joined at the hip for the last month unless she was with a study group or I was in the gym.
She stayed over at my house most nights, and on the nights that she begged off to study late, I stayed up until she let me know that she was winding down for the night, and then I’d be at her door before her pen hit the desk.
“You and me both, then. I was fucking petrified.” I chuckled. “We’re good, though. I think Gabrielle will be much better after she sleeps for the entire time that she waits for her results.”
Gabbi was taking the bar that day, and the stress of the exam had weighed heavily on her narrow shoulders. Especially for the past week or so.
She’d jump up in the middle of the night to check some note or another. I’d even caught her sighing names of cases in her sleep. It was adorable, but I was really fucking happy that it would be over soon.
I hated that I couldn’t take the load off her shoulders. It killed me, but I’d soldiered through somehow. It helped that I could ease the tension by promising her orgasms as rewards when she hit her target for reviewing for the day.
Other than that, I had kept my hands strictly to myself, even if I was dying to spend at least a couple of days getting lost in her. I’d known that she had a difficult month ahead of her when I’d come clean about how much I loved her, and it wasn’t as if I’d been abstaining. She had a lot of targets, but damn.
I had more of a surprise planned for her than just meeting up with her at the exam center. We were headed to a small private beach I knew nearby for a couple of days. I had packed her bag. She had toiletries, lingerie, and bikinis in it.
Mrs. W.’s kids and grandkids were busy, so she’d agreed to stay with Harper while I whisked Gabbi away. In her words, that girl deserved a month on an island, not just a few days at a nearby beach. I tended to agree, but that wasn’t an option for either of us at the time, so I settled for the best that we could do.
Even Harper was excited for Gabbi to be done with her studying. She had taken to Gabrielle like a bee to honey. As did Gabbi with her. Those two got along like a house on fire. It was the most beautiful thing to behold.
I didn’t need a reminder of how lucky I was, but Mrs. W. took it upon herself to tell me every time she saw them together. Which was practically every day. She got all teary about it.
I was surrounded by women, and I didn’t mind it one little bit. Gabrielle’s things were spread around my bedroom and en suite. Harper’s things were scattered through the rest of the house, and Mrs. W. cooked for an army every day. She turned my kitchen into a war zone, then had it clean as a clinic before I could blink.
When Gabrielle took breaks, she and Mrs. W. cooked together like they’d been doing it for years. They swapped recipes, squealed over flavors, and fixed each other coffee every morning. I had no idea that Mrs. W. loved the stuff, but Gabrielle had bonded with her over it on her first morning at my place.
Richard’s voice brought me back to the present. “You hid your fear, arrogant swagger and all.”
“I did?” I smirked.
“You sure did. How was she this morning?” Concern furrowed Richard’s brow.
“She was okay. Strong and stubborn as always. I organized with Heather to pick her up from the house so that her car wouldn’t be stuck at the center all weekend.” I took a swig of water and shot a quick glance at my watch. Almost time to leave.
Richard caught the
gesture. “You know, you’re good for each other. I’ve noticed a change in Gabbi this month. We haven’t spoken this much in, well, ever. You’ve matured again, as well. I feel like I’m getting old.”
“We are good for each other. We’ve talked a lot about everything. I think she’s starting to see things from your point of view as well. I told her about how much you helped me when Harper came along.” My voice was quiet, contemplative.