Page 48 of Reeling in Love

Nora: #Owned

“A tiny little kiss in the corner of a room?” Shit! Did those words come out of my blabbering mouth? How desperate have I become?

Truth be told, I want a kiss. So bad. Ever since we kissed that night at the bar, I’ve wanted to kiss him again. Just to see if it was the alcohol that made it seem like the best kiss ever, or was it really so good? I thought the kiss with Clark would make me feel something similar, but it was nothing like it. So, yeah. I want it, but I could’ve been more elegant instead of asking for it point-blank.

Anyway, even if Gabs feels weird, he says nothing. He plays along and nods, though his expressions take a consternated look for an instant.

Well, let’s hope the kiss is not as good, and then I can get past this stupid feeling and things can return to the way they were. Plus, it’s just a ‘tiny little kiss’. No harm can come of that. And if it helps my friend even one bit, I should do it, right? I mean, I get my kiss and he doesn’t need to know that I ‘need’ it for my own sexual reasons as well. A classic example of a win-win.

We go down, hand in hand. There are at least twenty people downstairs already.

“I thought it was a close friends type of small dinner,” I whisper to Gabs.

The women are all dressed in gowns, so I’m glad I wore what I did.

“You look beautiful, Nora,” George gushes as soon as we go down, hugging me. “And Gabriel, you’re still as smart as ever. Just like me.”

“Just like you, Dad,” Gabs says, chuckling and punching him lightly in the stomach.

“Nora, my dear! You look lovely,” Daphne says, sashaying toward us, flailing her hands affectedly.

“Thank you. And you’re as beautiful and graceful as ever,” I reply.

“Come, both of you. Let me introduce you to the others.”

We go around, as she introduces us to everyone, never once mentioning that I’m Gabriel’s girlfriend. Just ‘his friend’ or ‘childhood friend’.

There are only a few who I remember from past times, professors who taught with George. Most people seem to be socialites who are recent additions to the ‘family friend’ circle.

Once we’re done, George comes over with glasses of champagne for the two of us.

“Don’t mind Daphne,” he says, turning to me. “She’ll come around. She still doesn’t believe you two are dating seriously. But I’m delighted for you both. I’ve wanted this since you were kids.”

I smile at George, but his speech is a bit slurred already. So it could also be the alcohol talking. Carla had told me he’d started drinking a lot, and I can see why. Living with this new Daphne must not be easy for a simple and easy-going person like him, who liked nothing more than spending an evening in his pajamas, drinking a cup of coffee, and reading a book alone in his study. A party like this was definitely never his idea of fun.

Daphne calls George to meet someone, and he leaves us reluctantly.

I’ve barely had a few sips of the champagne when Gabs takes the glass from my hand and places it on a nearby stool. Then he holds my hand. “I’m sorry for Dad if it made you uncomfortable.”

“No. That’s the reaction we’re going for, right? But I find it concerning that your mom isn’t convinced yet.”

He comes closer to me. My back is against the wall and he’s standing right in front with his arms on the wall, one on each side of me. He bends a little and whispers into my ear, “Are you sure about the PDA thing you said earlier?”

My brain stops working when he is this close to me. I guess this is the effect he has on other women when he whispers into their ears. Even if he whispers something banal, his sexy drawling voice can make anything seem arousing.

I nod and try to hold his gaze as he peers into my eyes. I swallow as he bends down further, his lips grazing mine, our noses touching.

A tiny little kiss. That’s all we need to do. I can do this. I tell myself. For him, I can.

I see Daphne looking in our direction. This is the best time to show her we’re real, that I’m more than his childhood friend. I pull him down, closing the remaining distance between our lips.

He cups my face in his hands as my hands rub his back. My brain shouts out that the ‘tiny’ part of the kiss is long over, that we should separate now, but my lips can’t seem to get enough. The next instant, his tongue is inside my mouth, ravaging my tongue. I hold him closer, my chest flat against his. I can feel his hardness, and all I want right now is him inside me. His fingers knead my spine like he’s trying to draw me in even closer while his other hand is caressing my cheek.

With a sudden change in movement, he bites my lower lip. I almost moan into his mouth when someone clears his throat near us and I realize we are in a room full of people and not alone in his condo.

“Ahem. Would you like another drink, son?” George asks.

Gabriel peels away his lips and I can see he’s as dazed as I am. What just happened? He licks his lips, gapes at me, then turns to George.

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