Page 85 of Gabriel's Album

“Do you know how sexy you are?”

“I don’t know, maybe you should show me,” she tells me, and I’m more than happy to oblige.

“Knowing that you weren’t wearing any panties under that dress was driving me crazy all night.”

She unhooks her bra and drops it to the floor, causing an instant erection to tent my pants. I lost my jacket and tie during the after-party, so I unbutton my shirt and drop it on the pile of clothes near our feet.

I step back from her and allow my gaze to travel over her body. She flushes pink at my examination, and I pull her close to me again before kissing her deeply.

“You have been wearing too many clothes for too many hours,” I declare.

“So have you, although I’m sure nobody would’ve complained if you’d been up on that stage naked. I know I wouldn’t!” she tells me cheekily.

My eyes widen and my mouth drops open as it hits me that we actually won tonight.

“Oh my god, we won a Grammy!” I say stupidly.

“You won many Grammys,” Ariana laughs.

“It’s been a lifelong dream of mine,” I tell her. “I can’t believe it’s finally come true.”

“I’m so proud of you,” she says, leaning up to kiss me again.

We make our way to the bed, where I take the time to press the button on the hotel phone to put the Do Not Disturb on our room. I just want to be with Ariana and celebrate with her the best way I ever could. We stay in bed for the rest of the night, cocooned together, making love off and on—sleeping between sex sessions. It’s the best night ever, and I don’t think I’ve ever been happier.

14

The Fourteenth Song

We wakeup late the morning after the Grammy Awards, and the memories from last night hit me at once. We fucking won. Not just one Grammy, but every category we were nominated in, which is absolutely insane.

I kiss Ariana, and she smiles at me. “Good morning, Grammy Award winner, Gabriel Knight.”

“Good morning, Ariana Chamberlain, sweetest and most beautiful woman in the world.”

“I’ll have to work for a better achievement than that,” she laughs at me.

“You don’t think being the sweetest and most beautiful woman in the world is a decent achievement?” I grin at her.

“Compared to winning approximately ten thousand Grammy Awards? No.” She sticks her tongue out at me.

I laugh and kiss her again before telling her, “Well, it’s just as important to me.”

I call room service and ask them to bring us some breakfast before turning the Do Not Disturb off our room as I hang up the phone. To my surprise, as soon as the earpiece is back on the hook, the phone starts ringing.

“Hello?” I answer.

“Gabriel, I was wondering if I could get your thoughts on the article theDaily Mailposted online this morning?”

I feel ice run through my veins at these words. I shouldn’t be surprised that they have this room number. The phone rang so quickly that they must have been repeatedly dialing the room to try and get through.

I don’t know what the fuck has caused this, but I know exactly how to respond from my media training. “No comment.”

I slam the phone down on the hook as if that could make whatever has happened go away.

“What the hell was that?” Ariana asks, looking concerned.

“I’m not a hundred percent sure.” I have a nasty feeling that Sebastian’s guest last night might have something to do with it, though. I’d forgotten about her in my excitement after the awards. “I’m pretty certain it was a journalist. They congratulated me on our win last night and asked me what I thought about the article theDaily Mailposted online this morning.”

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