Gabriel's Heart [The Men of Treasure Cove 5] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting)

by Rebecca Joyce

  “Peter Alistair Romanov met my mother in France after he fled Russia during the fall of Stalingrad. Fleeing for his life, he snuck into Paris. There, he met my mother. When Hitler invaded Paris, my grandfather, fearing for his two daughters, paid my father to get them to America. The voyage across the Atlantic was rough. My mother’s sister died, leaving only my mother in the care of my father. Alone and scared, my father vowed to protect my mother with his life, and he did. They were married shortly after their arrival to America.

  “They journeyed across the United States and settled her in Treasure Cove, opened a business, and raised five daughters. They were happy and safe from the chaos in Europe, but mother died shortly after giving birth to Isabelle. Right before my father passed, he handed me the box that my grandfather gave him, before they left Paris. He then told me of its contents and what would happen if the town of Treasure Cove ever found it. He made me and my sisters swear to keep the secret, never revealing what was in the box. And we did, faithfully, until Tabitha dug it up.”

  “I am sorry about your mother and father, Margaret, but what does that have to do with Antoinette being royalty?” Gabriel asked.

  “My mother’s name was Adelaide Isabelle Marie Marbois, daughter of Count Henry Louis Peter Marbois, of the House of Marbois,” Margaret admitted.

  Gabriel began gasping for air. He could not breathe. The reality of what he had done, mixed with this new information, was more than he could handle. If he had just waited, as Antoinette asked, then all of this heartache would have been for nothing. They could marry. The crown would have relinquished his family estate, and Gabriel would have been able to present the town to Antoinette.

  His head was spinning as Alexander picked up the old parchment, placing them in a secured lock box. He then handed Gabriel his family’s signet ring. Thought lost many years ago he had heard stories and seen drawings of the famous ring, but never imagined having it within his own grasp. The room fell silent as they all watched Gabriel take the ring and place it on his fourth finger of his right hand, solidifying his position within the English society.

  When Alex bowed before him, Gabriel knew what he had to do. It wasn’t just Antoinette he hurt, but his brother. The stoic face Alexander showed him was not one of brotherly love, but of duty and indifference. Gone was the carefree smile. He wanted his brother back. He needed him, and before he could even think about fixing the broken relationship with Antoinette, he needed to mend his brother’s heart.

  “Your Grace, I will let my wife know and let her decide on how she wants to proceed. Keep me informed. Good day, Your Grace,” Alexander said, bowing once again before he quietly left the room.

  Before Gabriel could stop Alexander from leaving, Jeff lowered the biggest surprised of them all, and that was when Gabriel’s legs gave out, and he fell into the chair behind him in shock.

  * * * *

  Alexander was sitting on the front porch of the Hicks Family ranch, wrapped in a blanket with Annie in his arms. His life was perfect. He had everything he wanted and more, or at least he thought he did. When he saw Gabriel at his club, every thought and feeling came rushing back. If it weren’t for the people in the room, he would have beaten the crap out of him again.

  He didn’t know what his brother was thinking when he decided to be a dick back at Avalon Manor. After talking with Annie and getting the whole story, it didn’t surprise him that Gabriel used the BDSM lifestyle he had known against her. It was cruel to do so, and he had effectively severed any chance at Antoinette taking him back.

  Certain things were forgivable. Alex knew he would forgive Gabriel for not telling him the truth about his birth. He would forgive him for being a selfish ass, and he would also forgive him for using his dominance against Antoinette, but he could never forgive him for hurting her.

  Smiling into the night as she snuggled closer to him, he held her tighter, pulling the blanket closer around her.

  “I saw Gabriel today,” Alexander whispered, broaching the taboo subject.

  “I don’t want to talk about him. I just want to sit here with you and look at the stars,” she said softly, her breath tickling his chest.

  “He looks miserable,” he continued.

  “Good.”

  “Were you able to go over the documents I showed you?” he asked.

  “Yes.” She yawned, covering her mouth.

  “And?” he questioned.

  “I haven’t decided yet.”

  “Okay,” he said, kissing the top of her head. He wasn’t going to push her. She needed to make this decision on her own. He didn’t care how long it took her. He was just happy she was with him now, and whatever she decided, he would stand beside her and give her his undying support.

  The stars were shining brightly when he realized she had fallen asleep in his arms. The cool night’s breeze chilled him as he looked out over the countryside. It was beautiful here in Treasure Cove. The Rocky Mountains with their snowcapped tops, the white blanket covering the grounds and the bare trees glistened at night. It was almost surreal in a way. Never in his life had he ever seen anything so majestic, yet the air had an ominous bitterness to it.

  Looking closely into the night, he saw movement in the distance.

  Slowly sitting up, he watched as a dark figure approached.

  “What are you doing here?” Alexander asked in a menacing voice that slithered through the air, stopping the figure in his tracks.

  “Treasure Cove is my home. Have I been banished from the town, already?” he said, mocking him.

  “You’re not supposed to be here,” Alex seethed.

  “We need to talk.”

  “Not here. I don’t want her upset,” Alex said, pulling the blanket up over her head. The air was growing colder as clouds started drifting of the tops of the mountains. He could feel a storm brewing.

  “We have unfinished business, brother,” he said, crossing his arms across his chest. Alexander noticed Gabriel’s arms rippled as tension rolled off of him.

  “Then say what you have to and go.” Alex sighed, not wanting to risk an argument.

  “I would like another chance. Can you forgive me for being so stupid?” Gabriel asked quietly. Alexander wasn’t sure he heard him correctly. Could the almighty, all-knowing, selfish Gabriel Sexton be really begging?

  Alexander sat there and looked at his brother. The similarities between the two were extraordinary. It shocked him that he never considered it before. Gabriel did live in his own world. Only on occasions would their two worlds intertwine. When faced with the knowledge that the man before him was his true blood brother, Alexander could feel no hatred toward him. Oh yes, he believed that Gabriel needed to atone for what he had done, but to eliminate him from his life…no, he couldn’t see himself being that vengeful. Was he angry, yes, but not angry enough to wash his hands of him.

  A lot had changed in his life in the last few weeks. He now had a brother, and a wife he adored. Sighing, he tightened his hold around the woman in his arms and looked at his brother. “No more lies, and no more running. I don’t care how awful it gets. I can handle anything, but not the lies. I am not ready to forgive you yet, but you’re going to need my help to get Annie back. You hurt her badly, Gabriel. It’s going to take both of us to convince her to change her mind. She is still fragile right now. I am asking that you give her time and do not push her. Let her come to you. Can you do that?”

  “Yes.”

  “Good. If you can do that, then I will help you.”

  “I know I don’t deserve either of you, but thank you anyway.”

  “You’re wrong about that, Gabriel. You deserve so much more, but you never stop and think before you act. For so long you have had to be the leader in everything. You need to realize that it’s just not you anymore. You have me and hopefully Annie. We are a team. As such, we have to work together, for what is best for us. There is no more yours or mine. It is all ours now.”

  Sighing, Alexander slowly got to his feet
, gently cradling his wife in his arms. “I better get her inside. It’s getting colder.”

  “May I kiss her good night?” Gabriel quietly asked.

  Taking a step toward his brother, Alex nodded. He watched as Gabriel slowly moved closer until he was standing before him. Slowly removing the blanket, he looked as Gabriel lowered his head and gently kissed Antoinette on her forehead. She whimpered, snuggling deeper into him, whispering, “Gabriel.”

  Alex looked at the grief written all over his brother’s face. “She calls for you at night.”

  “I am so sorry, little bird,” Gabriel said, touching her face gently. “Good night, my love, sleep well.” Alexander watched him walk into the night.

  Once back in the house, he lowered Antoinette to the bed. After gently removing her clothes, he covered her with blankets and slipped into bed beside her.

  Sighing, Alexander let the quietness of the country surround him. The soft wind blew, rustling the trees. A sparrow squawked off in the distance, and the low murmur of her warm breath soothed him. He couldn’t stop seeing his brother’s face. His pain and sorrow for what he had done haunted him. Rolling over, he knew what he had to do. He only prayed it was the right thing. Opening his phone, he sent a quick text and shut his phone off.

  Sending up one last prayer, he closed his eyes and soon drifted off to sleep, letting the exhaustion of the last few days take him away.

  * * * *

  Softly, like a whisper, she heard him. His warm, soothing lips caressed her skin, melting her heart from the cube of ice she had let it become. Wanting so much to open her eyes, the lingering pain of what Gabriel had done consumed her mind.

  She had heard everything. She heard the pain, the anguish, the regret, but yet she didn’t open her eyes. She kept them closed as Alex pulled her closer and when he carried her to bed. She felt Alex slide in next to her, and after a few minutes, she felt him relax as slumber over took him. It was then she opened her eyes.

  The darkness of the room was welcoming. She wasn’t ready for the sun, the warmth, the love. So many questions raced through her mind, but the main question was, why?

  Quietly leaving the bed, she walked to the window and looked out into the night. So dark and mysterious, she saw him. He was there. He was the shadow in the darkness.

  She knew that. She accepted that. Could she live with that?

  She had known Gabriel since she was a little girl. She still remembered the day her brothers came home with him years ago. He was quiet then as he was now. There was something about him which drew her to him every time he was around. Thanks to her buttinski brothers, they had made sure Gabriel never spent any significant time with her.

  So she watched him from afar. Even as she grew older, he held this air of mystery around him, and when he built the Pleasure Cave, she rarely ever saw him. When he was about, her brothers made sure she was nowhere in sight. Even on the rare occasions their paths crossed, he was nothing but a perfect gentleman, showing no indifference toward her.

  There was a silent lingering between them. Where she was the sun, he was the moon. Lost and alone, the two never together except at dusk or dawn, when their lives interceded. Different but the same. She looked out into the night, and her heart wept.

  The quietness of him pulled her, speaking to her soul.

  Turning, she looked at the handsome man who had given up everything, flying across the ocean to be with her. A love she never expected but cherished deeply. His carefree acceptance and devotion was differed from his brothers. They were alike in so many ways, but not.

  Where Alex was happy and fun, Gabriel was reserved and preferred solitude to company.

  Night and day and she loved them both. Could she live with both?

  Her whole life, she prayed for the opportunity to be with one man. Then in a blink of an eye, she had two. Accepting what fate had presented her with, she cherished them and gave herself freely, only to have one destroy her happiness while the other gave up his life for her.

  She knew better than to believe in happily ever after. That shit was for the fairy tales. They had no business in real life.

  Something changed that night in England. She couldn’t rightly say who changed, Gabriel or her, but after the McDaniel party, she knew that she was forevermore his, only he chose to push her away.

  Then one night in England, he lowered his defenses and allowed her to see the real Gabriel Sexton. Boy, did she see him, in full Technicolor fashion. He was hauntingly beautiful, a lost soul in the night, seeking a soft light to grab onto. Did he take her in his arms? No, he chose to walk away, abandoning her, grasping for life. He left her and Alex. He didn’t look back. He could have stayed and fought for what he wanted, but he chose the coward’s way out.

  Looking at Alex, she couldn’t put him through that agony again. Though he wouldn’t admit it, what his brother did hurt him badly. He trusted Gabriel, as did she. Once broken, trust was hard to get back.

  Returning to bed, she curled into Alex. Closing her eyes, she smiled when his arms came around her, holding her tight. Still confused more than ever, she knew in her mind what she was going to do. The problem was getting her heart to accept it.

  * * * *

  Saturday mornings were made for sleep. That was Annie’s mantra and a ritual since she was young enough to remember. It was easy with two older brothers who gave in and allowed her this one particular pleasure. She was happy to be finally home so she could get on with her life. Eager to move on with Alex, she had made her decision the previous night, and nothing was going to change her mind.

  No one could fault her with ever being indecisive—stubborn, yes, but wishy-washy, nope. As she stretched, she realized something was off. Her body was held by the strong hands of a man pinning her hands above her head. Her wrists ached as she felt a knee forcing her thighs widely apart as she lay there in her bed.

  Her nipples hardened quickly as he moved his mouth over one of them, gnawing on it roughly. She arched her back, letting out a shriek of pain... Or was it pleasure?

  “Alex!” she screamed as his teeth latched on and pulled.

  “Very good, love, you got the name right. Now let me show you how good of a morning it really is,” he said, grinning as she felt him rub his hard cock against her pelvis.

  She whimpered softly as his mouth sucked once again on her breast.

  “You’re such a beautiful woman, Annie. Who do you belong to?”

  “You, I belong to you.” She panted as he continued to tease her with his hard cock. God, she wanted him inside her. She needed his cock, hard and fast.

  “Just me?” he asked, looking up with questioning eyes.

  Annie grinned. “Yes, yours.”

  “No other?”

  “Why, do you want another?” she questioned back, unsure where he was going with this.

  She felt his growl deep within her as his eyes hardened. “There will be no other except for my brother. Is that understood, madam?”

  Laughing, Annie smiled as Alex smoothed her hair back as his finger trailed across her cheek. She moved her head to follow his touch. On impulse, she nipped his fingertip with her teeth.

  “Now that wasn’t very nice,” he admonished.

  Annie reached up and took his hand, drawing it to her mouth. Her tongue flicked out at his finger, tasting. Slowly, she sucked his finger easily into her mouth.

  She watched as he stayed still. She opened slightly, taking another finger into her mouth, wishing it was another part of his anatomy. Sighing, she closed her eyes, imagining that perfect appendage as he slowly moved his fingers in and out of her mouth.

  She moaned at the loss as his fingers slid from her mouth.

  Watching him, she traced small circles around his nipples with her fingertip, and then her tongue flicked out over first one nipple then the other. She grazed her teeth gently over a nipple then nipped down further to his chest. Her hands had moved over to reveal the part of him she most wanted to taste.

  Ann
ie grinned as she pushed Alex onto his back as her lips kissed their way down his body, before sliding over his hard cock, taking him all the way to the back of her throat.

  She practically purred at the taste of him. He was smooth and hard in her mouth, and she eagerly began licking him with her tongue. One hand gently played with his balls. She left his shaft to lap at his balls and stroked the small area just below them with her tongue.

  His hands were in her hair as he urged her back up. Her mouth once again set to work on him. Her head was bobbing up and down as she worked him closer to orgasm. He suddenly stopped her, pulling her up on top of him.

  Cupping her face, he kissed her deeply. His tongue delved deep into her mouth, and she kissed him back, fire in her lips.

  “Eyes on me, love. I want to watch it all,” Alex ordered as he forcefully rolled her onto her back, pinning her against the bed.

  She shivered and nodded. Yes, this was what she wanted, needed. She needed his forcefulness, his dominance. She craved it.

  Annie never took her eyes from his as he straddled her chest, his hard shaft waving in front of her face. Oh, but she wanted his cock in her mouth again. Reaching over into her nightstand, he grabbed a piece of rope, and quickly tied her hands to the bedposts and looked down at her.

  Her gaze was fixed on his hardness. He leaned forward slightly and let it touch her lips.

  She sighed and opened her mouth as her tongue licked, wanting desperately to eat him. Chuckling, he pulled away from her, ignoring her groan of protest, and sat back on his heels admiring the scene before him. “So impatient, love, I am going to have my hands full with you, aren’t I?”

  She was wet and ready for him. She couldn’t take her eyes off him, unsure of what he would do next. Her body shivered beneath the intensity of his gaze, and she waited. He no longer wore a smile, but more of a concentrated look.

  Positioning himself further down on the bed, he lay between her legs and opened her pussy with his fingers. He pulled both sides gently so he could see her. His tongue began to slowly lap at her wetness. Unable to hold back any longer, she arched up, inviting him to taste her sweetness. His growl was the last thing Annie heard as Alex ground his mouth against her.