Page 80 of The Boss and the Adoption Mess
His warm lips trail from my cheek to my neck, my loose hair tickling me as the rough stubble of his jaw scrapes my skin. I gasp again, this time right into his ear. Gabriel hovers near my lips, hesitating, not quite kissing me.
Our eyes lock, just as they have so often in this breathtaking moment. My hands rest on his bare back; his fingers caress my neck, my throat.
He wants me…
Me.
I mean, he wants ME, right? Not because I happen to be present and he wants a woman. Any woman. But me—Kimberley Prescott. His assistant. The woman still on trial week. The woman who knows he lied about being with his mother, while he was really in a hotel room with an “upgrade.”
What am I supposed to think?
Does he truly want me… or am I just a convenient way to keep from being alone tonight?
But the bigger question really is: does it even matter to me?
When he kisses me, it feels like a release. All my doubts vanish, and my body longs for so much more than just his lips. It’s those gentle kisses of his that I’ve missed so much. Not just being kissed by a man again—but by him. I wanted to feel him again, the way I did that night when he spoke to me at theMidnight Loungeand took me home with him.
Suddenly I hear something behind me. Gabriel must have heard it too, because he pulls away. I have to draw a deep breath; I hadn’t expected him to just stop like that. I turn and see Rosie’s bedroom door moving. And then there she is, in her nightgown, unicorn plushie in her arms, yawning and half-asleep. She rubs her eyes and pads barefoot into the living room. Immediately, I step away from Gabriel and walk toward her.
“Can’t you sleep? Do you want a glass of water?” I ask as Rosie looks at me in surprise.
“I didn’t know where I was…”
Well, that can happen when you wake up in a strange place.
“You’re here in Rome. Remember? We flew to Italy today,” I explain.
“Mhm…” Rosie still isn’t fully awake. She glances around, trying to orient herself. Gabriel turns on the light in the living area. It takes me a moment to adjust, and Rosie squints against it too. I kneel down beside her while she looks around.
“We’re in the hotel. In the evening, we played here and went swimming in the pool. Remember?”
“Oh, right.” She yawns. “Can you sleep in my bed with me tonight?”
“Of course.”
She turns to Gabriel too: “You as well? I don’t want to sleep alone…”
“Of course. Come on. We’ll sleep in my bed. It’s big, the three of us will fit.” Gabriel holds out his hand to her, and she takes it. I follow quietly, noticing his apologetic glance. Naturally, Rosie comes first. She shouldn’t feel afraid—she deserves sweet dreams.
I switch off the living room light and slip into bed next to Rosie. Gabriel lies down on the other side, so Rosie is in the middle. She yawns again and—swear to God—falls asleep almost instantly.
Well, that was quick. But then again, it’s been a long day: first the flight, then hours in the pool, the games in the hotel room, then the delicious buffet dinner, and now she even woke up during the night.
Yeah, that’s a lot for such a little angel.
“I think she’s already asleep,” I whisper.
“Yeah. Out cold.” Gabriel rolls onto his side and switches off the nightlight, leaving the room in darkness.
“Is it alright with you if I sleep here too?” I ask.
“Of course.”
My hand rests on top of the blanket. A moment later, I feel his hand touch mine. He holds it gently. It’s a small, simple gesture—but it makes me smile. We can be close this way. Very close—and yet still so far apart…
We don’t speak. But in my head, thoughts spin wildly. Would it have stayed at just a kiss? Or would we have spent the night together?
The next morning, I wake up in a rather crazy way: Rosie is bouncing on the mattress like it’s a trampoline.
