by Reana Malori
“I mean, I’m tired of hiding.” Coming to stand in front of her, he palmed her face and leaned down to kiss her lips, “I know the words you said to Bettye were to cover up what we are to each other, but why should you have to hide who you’re seeing?”
“But I know why we have to, Gabriel.” She was near tears and her voice was thick with emotion.
“No, it’s not right. I don’t want you to ever think you have to hide me from people. And I never want you to think I’m hiding you from my friends and family. We’ve been seeing each other long enough to know how we feel. We’re adults. Why should we hide? Do you even know how much I crave you? How much I need you when you’re not around me?” Kissing her again, he wrapped his arms around her waist, “Do you know how much I love you?”
At first she thought her mind was playing tricks on her. “Gabriel?”
“Yes?”
“Do you mean it?” Shocked at his words, she wanted to pinch herself to make sure she wasn’t dreaming.
“Did you hear me say the words?” A smile lit up his face when he responded.
“Yes, but I can’t believe it. I thought I was alone.”
He looked down at her, his brow furrowed in confusion. “What do you mean, you thought you were alone? Explain, Penelope.”
Looking up at him with tears in her eyes, she told him what was in her heart, “I love you, too, Gabriel. I’ve loved you for almost as long as we’ve been together. I thought it was just lust at first. But the longer we’re together, the more I can’t see myself without you.”
“I feel the same way.” Walking her backward toward the bed, he continued speaking, “This house was supposed to be a surprise for you once the deal was finally closed and we no longer had to worry about what people might say. I want this to be our home. You and me.”
“I doubted you, Gabriel.”
“I know.”
“I’m sorry.”
“You should be. How could you not realize how much I love you? Don’t I show you in every deed, every action?” Pulling off her shirt and throwing it to the side, he kissed her collarbone. “Even if I never said the words, my entire world revolves around me and you. When I’m in New York, all I can think about is getting back to you.”
Stepping out of her shoes, she slipped his suit jacket off of his shoulders and began to unbutton his dress shirt. Taking every opportunity to touch his bare skin, she couldn’t believe he was hers. God, she loved this man, “Sometimes a woman likes to hear the words.”
“So does a man. Tell me again,” his whispered words made her want him even more.
“I love you, Gabriel.”
“I love you, too, baby. Marry me, Penelope. We can have this all the time. You and me.”
Kissing his chest, she unbuckled his belt and unzipped his pants, “Yes. You and me.”
“I bought this bed just for us. Let’s make some memories.” Reaching down, Gabriel grabbed Penelope around her thighs and lifted her, bringing her body flush with his. Her thick legs wrapped around his waist as she pressed her body into his, attempting to get closer to him. Taking a step toward the bed, he bent down slightly, tipping her body so that she fell back on the firm mattress. Penelope landed on the bed with a bounce and a light giggle. Opening her arms, she waited for her man to come to her.
“I’m so happy I found you, Gabriel.”
“You are my everything, Penelope. If it takes me the next sixty years to prove it to you, that’s what I’ll do.”
Gabriel looked over at Penelope as the car dropped them off at the office building in the heart of the city. She had just finished sending a text message to her friend, Crystal, whom she told him would be stopping by the house this weekend. Penelope looked over at him as she put her phone away.
“You know her second call would be to Rosalind. If I know Rosalind, she will more than likely show up as well. We might have a full house this weekend.”
Giving her his trademark smirk, he responded, “Your friends are welcome to stay as long as they want.”
Amazed at how his life had changed, he couldn’t hide the smile that came over his face. In spite of their intense love making the night before, they were both committed to showing up together today, as a couple.
“Are you ready, Penelope?” She looked beautiful today and he was glad that he had the forethought to have some clothes ordered for her and delivered to the house. His future wife looked stunning and he was damn proud that she belonged to him, because he belonged to her just as much.
Grabbing her purse, she looked over at him and took a deep breath, “More than you’ll ever know.” Exiting the vehicle, he couldn’t help but smile at the upcoming uproar their presence would make. Luckily, all of the paperwork had previously been signed a couple of weeks ago and things were moving forward. All of the continued discussions were the logistics of the deal, but it was too late for anything to change. Now was the right time for them to claim the life they wanted.
Epilogue
“Baby, are you done yet? Rosalind and Crystal are here,” Penelope yelled out the backdoor to Gabriel as he manned the large grill.
“Almost. I’m coming in now,” he responded from his spot in front of the massive grill situated on the backyard patio.
Closing the door, she shook her head at how things had changed over the past two years. To the public, Gabriel was still the cutthroat businessman known as GT Banks. But at home, he was just her husband and father to their six-month old son, Tommy. Shortly after walking into the offices of IntelliPoint as a couple, she and Gabriel were married in a sunset ceremony on the beach in Hawaii. Her mother had cried throughout the entire wedding. She still wasn’t sure if it was tears of joy at her daughter finally getting married, or if it was because Gabriel had introduced her to his Aunt Tabitha and they had struck up a friendship. Either way, they were tears of joy and happiness. Her mother was no longer demanding so much of her time, and since Gabriel gave her an allowance each month, she could do all the shopping she wanted with whomever she wanted
Rosalind and Crystal also had come to the wedding and because Gabriel credited them with being a huge reason the two of them had met all those months ago, they were given the royal treatment, and then some.
Watching her husband walk into the house from their backyard, she walked over to him and kissed him. “Hey, baby. Crystal and Grant are in the game room getting ready to play darts. Grant says you have to help him teach Crystal a lesson.”
“When will that dude learn not to challenge his wife?”
“Probably at the same time you learn.”
Grabbing her by the waist, he moved her away from the stove and pushed her up against the island, “Babe, I learned not to challenge you a long time ago. Leaning down to kiss her, he captured her lips with his, deepening their kiss as their tongues dueled for supremacy. “See, I’m a smart man.”
A noise from the other side of the room had them breaking apart with laughter. Looking over at their son in his playpen, she patted Gabriel on the butt as he turned to their son. “We’ll finish this later once everyone goes home.”
Reaching down to pick up his son, he turned to her, his eyes smoldering with heat. “You’re damn right we will.” Lifting his son high in their air, the sound of their baby’s laughter lifted her spirits. She watched father and son interact and then Gabriel whispered loudly, “How would you like a little brother or sister? I think mommy and daddy are going to practice over and over again until we can give you one.”
Laughing at the antics of her husband, Penelope threw a towel at his back. “Gabriel! Stop telling our son those crazy things. What if he’s a genius and remembers what you just told him?”
Walking out of the room, he turned back to her, “What, I’m just telling him the truth. Now, put the stuff away and let the caterers do their job. This is our weekend with your friends.”
“Fine. And by the way, Rosalind brought a date. Don’t scare this one off, okay?”
“Nope, I make no
promises. Come on, little guy, let’s go scare the pants off of Auntie Rosalind’s new boy toy.”
Grabbing her glass of wine off of the counter, Penelope nodded to the team of caterers milling around the room. Gabriel spoiled her rotten, but she still tried to do some things on her own. As she thought about the road they had taken to get here, she knew her life could not be any better. Now, it was time to go find her husband and make sure he knew that she was game for another baby if he was. Plus, the practice was the best part.
~THE END~
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~Reana
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