Page 71 of Billionaire and the Barista

NATHAN

“You love me?” Gabriella blinked her big eyes at me. Tears still rimmed her lids and sparkled on her lashes. She didn’t believe me. I didn’t blame her. I hadn’t exactly been trustworthy lately.

“May I kiss you?” I asked.

I wanted to take her and crush her in my arms, but she looked so delicate. I didn’t want to damage her, or any amount of trust that might be growing again between us.

She practically fell out of her chair and against my chest. The towel around her hands and the ice cubes went flying as she flung her arms around me. I tasted her tears, but there was more. She kissed me with a deep passion moments earlier I could have only hoped she could feel for me.

“I love you, Nathan. I’ve been stubborn, and—”

“Sh,” I quieted her. “I refuse to let you take on any of my stupidity. You loving me is everything I could have asked for.”

I stopped thinking and held her in my lap, touching her arms, her face. I held the back of her neck and let our tongues dance and tease. My body demanded more touching, more skin, more Gabriella.

I reached for the hem of her shirt, and she pushed my hands away.

“Not so fast, Casanova,” she laughed. “We have got a lot to work out. I don’t want you to think just because I’m in love with you too that you have instant access to my body.”

I nodded. “Yes, ma’am.”

She looked at me sideways and then laughed. “Ma’am? That’s got to stop.”

“Forgive me?” I kissed her.

“For calling me ma’am? I may never recover.”

“For everything else?” I asked.

She got serious again. Her smile faded and she leaned her head against my chest. “I’ve been so angry for so long, Nathan.”

I stroked her hair. “I know you have. And I haven’t made things easy on you. But I am here now, and I will do whatever you need me to do.”

“Can you get the real estate agents to stop pestering me?”

“I’ll call them myself in the morning.”

“You won't leave it to your cousin?” she asked.

This was not something I was going to hand off. She needed me to follow through. And I trusted Gavin about as far as I could—

“Oh shit,” I said with a heavy breath and then chuckled.

“What is it?”

“I left Gavin passed out drunk in a biker bar and came straight here after Mitch told me about Robbie. I was supposed to drag Gavin’s ass back to my mother so she could coddle him. Fuck it. I’ll find him again tomorrow. He can sleep it off in the gutter.”

“I’ll call Mitch in the morning. If he knows Gavin is your cousin, he won’t let anything happen to him. He’ll probably let him sleep on his couch if I know Mitch.”

“How did I not see it?” I stared at her. She wasn’t simply beautiful, but that caring for people part of her radiated through her. She truly cared for people. “You are amazing.”

“What?” she laughed.

“You don’t give up on anyone, do you? I am so fucking lucky.” She hadn’t given up on me. I kissed her again until I didn’t remember what day it was.

“Do you want to meet your son?” she asked when we finally broke the kiss.

I nodded. I did.

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