by Anna Antonia
Gabriel took advantage of the situation to convince my mom to try living at the Rosenburgs since it was already a done deal. I didn’t think he was really fooling her but she graciously agreed since Gabriel swore it was his family custom to gift the mother-in-law with her own home.
What he didn’t know was that my mom also negotiated a loan with me due after she graduated and was employed for a year. I didn’t hold high hopes that she’d change her mind but we’d cross that bridge when we got there.
Gabriel and I got back home and then the mad push came to get everything in place. I ran bubble baths for Gabriel every night and did everything I could to make it less stressful for him.
Still he was a whirlwind of pressure
Finally, I had to take matters into my own hands. After poking and prodding Gabriel with my “naughty” behavior, or basically being a brat, I ended up facedown over his lap and then facedown on the bed with him pounding me into bliss. The thorough spanking calmed us both down and Gabriel was able to move forward with the wedding of his dreams.
Then the day came.
Now I was sitting the Library/Bride’s room attired in the wedding dress of my dreams. Full skirted with what had to be hundreds of yards of tulle, the sweetheart bodice was covered with thousands of Swarovski crystals. My shoes glittered with the same stones.
It had been waiting for me this afternoon with a note from Gabriel.
For my dream princess who loves her sparklies so…
“There. You’re all done.” The girls had worked their magic on me again, making me look as beautiful as Gabriel always said I was.
The lingerie I wore, a gift from Gretchen, helped make me feel equally beautiful beneath the dress. She promised to be at the wedding with me in spirit since she was unable to make it back in time. I couldn’t wait to tell her all about how it went.
Marie dabbed at her eyes, welcoming me to the family with a brilliant smile. My mother sobbed outright and I joined her, all of which was captured by the photographer. Minnette rushed me back into the makeup chair, working fast to repair the damage of my emotions.
The time came for the ceremony to start. Being that I didn’t have a father, I’d planned on walking myself and rehearsed it as such. So imagine my surprise when Lucas appeared and informed me of his intentions. Neither of us looked exactly comfortable but Lucas was adamant.
“I accepted you into our family, Emma. It’s only fitting I do this.”
Apparently, Lucas’s arrogance hadn’t dimmed since I last saw him in Paris.
I took his arm. The music began and so did the rest of my life.
Gabriel was resplendent in his tuxedo just as I knew he’d be. My heart overflowed with love, especially when winked at me. Everything we’d gone through, the good and the bad, had led to this.
When he took my arm, he leaned down to whisper, “Did I do well, Emma?”
“Better than well. I know what you should do next—wedding planning.”
“Nah. But I’ll be ready to do this in another twenty-five years or so when our daughter gets married.”
My smile couldn’t get any wider.
The ceremony was short per Gabriel’s instructions. I felt his arm tense when the “If anyone has any objection to this union, speak now or forever hold your peace,” part came. I think Gabriel would’ve strangled the offended party by that point.
We kept the vows traditional, agreeing that we’d exchange our private ones later that night. And then the magical words came.
“I now pronounce you Mr. and Mrs. Gabriel Gordon. You may now kiss the bride.”
Gabriel pounced, dipping me low and then kissing me soundly to the laughter of our beloved guests. Holding onto him, feeling his lips against mine, I knew this was one of the moments I’d carry with me to remember when life got tough as it was bound to do.
Our reception was held in the Rotunda. The tables were gorgeously decorated in our colors and I complimented Gabriel many, many times over his exquisite taste.
The food was delicious, nothing frou-frou. And then the first dance came. Gabriel expertly led me across the floor to the applause of our guests. He then danced with my mom and Lucas took his place.
“You make him happy,” he said stiffly. I wondered if he’d ever relax in my presence. Then I noted how stiff my body was and forced it to loosen a little bit.
“He makes me happy.”
“I see that. Be good to each other, Emma.”
I promised Lucas I would make sure of that. The corner of his mouth lifted in a small smile.
Eventually I found myself back in Gabriel’s arms before we were interrupted again.
“May I have this dance?”
Gabriel handed me off to Rick with a smile and a stern warning. “I’ll be back for my bride in five minutes. Not once second more. Do you hear?”
Rick took me in his arms and we moved slowly to the music, both obviously feeling our share of discomfort.
“Gabriel told you about our past.”
“Yes.” The word seemed so insignificant. As insignificant as “past.”
He was silent for a bit before saying abruptly, “I regretted it as soon as I did it. Not because I was sorry that I was going to jail but because I loved Gabriel like a brother and I tried to kill him. It’s a miracle I failed. I was good with knives, Emma. Very good.”
I shuddered thinking about the same hand in mine was probably the one that almost ended the only man I’d ever love.
“What I don’t regret is spending every day since in making it up to him. I’d spend the rest of my life doing so, but apparently your husband thinks I’ve paid enough penance.”
The loving smile tugged at my mouth. “Gabriel trusts you very much despite what you did. I’ll find my way back to there, Rick. It’s just very hard to ignore. It was a shock to me.”
“I understand.” He removed his gaze from mine. Studying his handsome face, it was hard to imagine that this soft-spoken man grew up in poverty and was capable of bloody violence.
“Did you like your office space at Obelisk Pointe?”
I didn’t expect this abrupt conversation change. “It was nice.”
“Management thought the same when I pitched them the lease.”
A moment passed and then it all came together. All I needed was verification. “You pitched the lease to Med-Tech.”
“Yes, I did.”
“Did Gabriel order you to do it?”
“No. He didn’t know I was there at all. Leases were the last thing on his mind because he was on the verge of giving into external pressure. I’m sure you know what kind.”
I did. Engagement to Embry.
“I knew about you, Emma. Gabriel talked about you all the time, especially when he was drunk. I knew your name and decided to look you up out of curiosity. Imagine my surprise when I realized you were within 30 minutes of Gabriel all this time. I knew what I had to do.”
“Does Gabriel now know what you did?”
“No, he doesn’t. I’d like to keep it that way.” His gaze held mine for meaningful moments. I nodded. “Gabriel is a good man and he deserved a happy ending.”
That we could definitely agree on.
Gabriel and I cut the cake and fed each other without smashing the frosting all over our faces. We ate and laughed, him more than me since champagne seemed to make him a wee bit happier.
Later on, I felt a tap on my shoulder.
“Hey, Emma. Remember me?”
I turned around and my eyes widened in surprise. “Nita? Is that you?”
She laughed and nodded, reaching out to envelop me in a big hug. “You remember.”
“How can I forget?” Nita was the girl who sewed my prom dress all those years before. “How are you?”
“I’m doing great.” Her dark eyes glittered with pride and happiness. “So do you like the dress?”
Looking down, I patted the gorgeous material. “I love it. It’s so beautiful.”
“I’m glad to hear it
. Your husband demanded that I make sure it was beyond your wildest dreams.”
It took me a moment and then I caught up quickly. “You’re Lanita Taylor?”
“In the flesh.”
“Oh my God!” We hugged again. “I’m so happy to hear that, Nita. Lanita.”
She held up a hand. “Nita is for my friends and you’re definitely one of my favorites.” Nita explained, “Your husband and mother-in-law helped me launch my line. He found me about five years or so and asked me if I remembered your dress. Which of course I did. The rest is history.”
I shouldn’t have been surprised.
Gabriel worked so hard to make life better for those around him and while he definitely wasn’t perfect, his heart had always been in the right place.
Looking up at my husband, I couldn’t help but feel I was the luckiest girl in the world. Today I learned that wishes did come true and fairytales weren’t just for children. When I told Gabriel, he smiled and shook his head.
“Oh silly girl. Didn’t you know this was my love story and dream come true, Princess Charming?”
“Is that right?”
“Absolutely.”
I planned on waiting but couldn’t resist. Taking his hand, I placed it on my belly.
“Are you okay, baby? Did you eat too much?”
“No.”
“Then what is it?”
“I figured out why I was feeling so tired lately.”
Gabriel’s brow furrowed. “Things have been pretty nonstop.”
“Yes and what else have we’ve been doing nonstop?”
His devilish gaze and angelic smile made a potent combination. “Oh yes. I have kept you up very late more often than not, haven’t I?”
“Yes,” I drawled. “And we never needed to take a five-day break.”
“As if I’d break for that…” Gabriel’s voice died off. The gears whirred. “Emma.”
“Gabriel.”
“You’re not saying…” His hand pressed into my tummy gently.
“Actually I am. You know how they say all it takes is one time? It’s true.”
“You mean our first time?”
I nodded, excited to see what his reaction would be.
“So you’re saying I’m going to be a daddy?”
“That’s what I’m saying.”
Gabriel whooped in joy and lifted me right off my feet. We spun around before he abruptly put me down. “Oh my God. I’m so sorry, Emma. Are you okay? Was I too rough?”
“Yes. I’m fine, Gabriel. Honest.”
“Oh shit! You didn’t have any champagne, did you?”
“No. Just you, dear.”
Gabriel ran a hand through his hair. “Oh God. We’ve played and I’ve…oh God.”
“It’s okay,” I soothed. “You didn’t hurt me, Gabriel. Baby Gemma and I are just fine.”
“Baby Gemma. I like the sound of that.” Gabriel’s wondrous smile faded as he made his pronouncement. “We’re on hiatus, Emma, until a suitable time after the baby is born. But don’t go thinking you can be as naughty as you’d like. I’ll be keeping a list on everything and you know I have a long memory.”
I snapped my fingers. “Darn! And I thought I’d have a free pass for the next nine months.”
“Not a chance.” Gabriel walked us both to the main wedding table. He sat down and gently eased me on his lap. He signaled for a server, gave his request, and she promptly brought over a bowl of ice cream.
Oblivious to the indulgent smiles around us, Gabriel fed me dainty bites of creamy vanilla. I was sure the flavor was symbolic.
“You know I’m not going to let you out of my sight now. What do you say to moving to a private island for the next nine months or so?”
“I’d like our baby born in a hospital.”
“Okay, then how about—”
I kissed him into silence. “How about we enjoy our reception first, Mr. Gordon?”
“Mmm. All right, Mrs. Gordon.” Gabriel smirked. “We’re going to have to postpone taking over the world for the present bit, Emma.”
“Why? I was so looking forward to world domination.”
“Yes and so was I, but we have a baby on the way, Emma. There’s tons of things to do. We have to buy a big house in the suburbs, oh! We should get a minivan because it’s the thing to do. Oh and what about a puppy? Babies love puppies, right? And what about the nursery? We can do pink…no. How about yellow? Yellow works, right? Emma?”
“Yes, Gabriel?”
He kissed me sweetly. “I love you.”
“I love you too.”
Just as Lord Byron, the more famous Gordon, was described as “mad, bad, and dangerous to know” my Gabriel Gordon was all that plus more.
He was a man who had overcome his dark past to become kind, spoiled, loving, scarred, selfless, selfish, passionate, and a bit deviant. All of which made him the perfect man for me since I was all that plus more.
Gabriel had brought me the highest of highs and lowest of lows but I’d done the same to him. Despite all of that, we found a way to reach across our extremes and make a new life together.
We were a pair. Perfectly imperfect.
And no matter what happened between now and the inevitable end, I would love Gabriel Gordon for the rest of this life and into the next one.
Always.
THE END
MORE ANNA ANTONIA
Rebecca and Trevor
Being Trevor’s – A Novella
My Love Series
My Love Forgive
Marcus’s Mercy (A Dark Romance Serial)
Marcus’s Mercy #1
Marcus’s Mercy #2
Mad, Bad, & Dangerous to Love Series
Mad for You
First Night (A Mad for You Short)
Bad for You
Dangerous for You
All to Love You
ABOUT ANNA ANTONIA
Anna is a lover of all things dark and passionate. Living in the Southeastern United States, she enjoys antiquing, DIY thrift store finds, sedate hiking along trails, and spending time with her family and menagerie of pets. Being the only girl in a household full of men makes it hard to always be a lady, but she gives it a good old college try.
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Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
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About Anna
