Page 17 of Claimed By the Boss

He stared at her, and sheoffered him a smile, hoping he would take it.

“It smells good. So, youcook as well?” he asked.

“Don’t you?”

“I manage a breakfast ifI’m starving, otherwise I have all my favorite places on speed dial.”

She frowned. How could hebe a takeout king and look that good?

“Isn’t that unhealthy?”she asked.

“All the restaurants cookmy meals. Nothing is fast food. It is all healthy, I just don’t cook. Unless Iabsolutely must.”

She chuckled. “Not all ofus are that lucky to have a chef at our fingertips.”

He winked at her.

“Besides, my mom was anamazing cook.”

There was a brief pause ofsilence.

“You miss her?” he asked.

She nodded and pressed herlips together. She was not going to cry. “Yeah, I miss her. I miss them both.”She let out a breath. “Wow, I promised myself I was not going to cry.” She feltthe tears starting to well up in her eyes.

Within seconds Gabriel’sarms were around her. “I’ve got you.”

He did have her, the onlyproblem was, for how long?

****

Gabriel hadn’t been asleepwhen Nora left the bedroom. He had security cameras placed throughout hisapartment, and after Nora snuck out, he watched her. He knew he shouldn’t doubther. She’d told him how she had been able to get off the streets, and he’dalready paid Milly’s father a visit and given him back the money, plusinterest. The father hadn’t wanted any money, as Nora had helped his daughterwhen she didn’t have to. There were a lot of people in the world who chose tolook the other way, while Nora hadn’t. Gabriel wouldn’t take it back. He feltit was necessary to pay him back for Nora.

But,he wanted to see what Nora wouldbe like if she thought he was fast asleep. He’d been the one watching hersleep, marveling at how beautiful she looked in his arms. She’d not gonesnooping around his apartment. Well, not to find anything damaging about him.

His office was near thekitchen.

Nora had gone straight tothe kitchen, figured out his coffee machine, and got started on breakfast, andfor that, he was so damn happy. It was rare for him to be a bad judge ofcharacter. His Nora was a good woman.

After watching her forseveral minutes, he figured he would join her.

Now, as he held her in hisarms, he wished he hadn’t brought up her family. Seeing her reaction, he knewhe would have to do something. Her aunt and uncle took everything from her.

“You miss them. That isonly natural.” He would not cry over his own parents. Gabriel accepted theworld was divided between good and bad parents.

Nora had two great onestaken from her. Life could be cruel.

“And they tookeverything.” Nora sniffled. “My aunt and uncle, I don’t know how they managedit. While I was in a coma, they stole their home, took their money, and soldtheir stuff. There were things I wanted, like my mom’s cookbooks. I’m notallowed access to them. Her wedding ring. My dad’s necklace. All items that arepart of them.” She shook her head.

“What did your father do?”Gabriel asked. He already knew the answer, and Nora told him what he did know. Herfather was an author.

His name wasn’t huge, butit was enough to make a good income and support his family, and to also startputting money aside for his daughter to go to college. Years of hard work andgood decisions, with investing some of that money, had made it possible.

Gabriel hadn’t met thisaunt or uncle, but he had a feeling he was going to hate them on sight.

Staring at his woman,seeing how distraught she was, he knew he was going to right this wrong.

“Leave it with me,” hesaid.

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