by A. Zavarelli
Gabriel nods and gives me a sheepish grin before he pulls a large folder from one of the kitchen drawers, sliding it in front of Arthur. When he opens it up, I feel all of the blood drain from my face.
Inside is something so intimate, so personal, my cheeks are burning with embarrassment.
“Ah yes.” Arthur pushes his glasses further up his nose. “Gabriel told me you had an affinity for black and white.”
I swallow a big gulp of wine as I watch his eyes rake over every detail of a photo I took in Central Park. A small girl sitting on the sidelines of a playground, watching all of the other children play without her. It’s just one of the many that Gabriel’s had blown up and printed off for Arthur to see tonight. All without my knowledge, of course.
“Can you tell me why that is?” Arthur asks, moving to the next photograph.
“I’m sorry…” I stutter over the words. “I don’t understand.”
“Your affinity for black and white,” Arthur says, swinging his gaze back to me. “Why do you like it?”
“Oh.” I blink. “Well, I’m not really sure. It’s just something about the photographs, I’ve always liked them. The way they look once everything’s been stripped away. And all that’s left is…”
“Emotion,” Arthur finishes for me.
“Yes.” I nod.
Gabriel is grinning, and I can’t understand why. I’m a nervous wreck, and I still can’t tell what Arthur’s thinking as he sorts through the rest of the photos.
Finally, after what seems like an eternity, he stacks them back into a neat little pile and closes the folder, his gaze darting back to me.
“You’re very young,” he says. “But you have the distinct ability to capture human emotion at its most powerful. That tells me two things.”
I wait for him to finish, and when he doesn’t, I can’t help myself. “And what is that, Mr. Huckabee?”
“The first is that you have a beautiful soul. And the second is that I’d like to work with you.”
I grip the breakfast bar with white knuckles to hold myself up as Gabriel gives me an encouraging smile. I’m lost for words, my throat so thick with emotion I feel like I’m going to burst.
“Arthur owns a contemporary gallery that specializes in photography and new media art,” he explains.
“Of course!” I blurt. “Huck’s Gallery. I must have passed by it a hundred times on my deliveries. I always wanted to stop in but never did.”
“That’s the place,” Arthur says. “So what do you say, young lady? I’d love to have some of your work on display.”
“I’d love that.” I give him a shy smile. “Thank you so much, Arthur.”
“Fantastic.” He rises to his feet and grabs his fancy cane. “I’ll have my assistant make an appointment with you for next week, and we can go over some of the photos together with a fresh pair of eyes. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to my weekly salsa class.”
I’m still thanking him profusely as he slips out the door, and soon enough, I’m wrapped in Gabriel’s arms. I squeeze him so tight all of the breath leaves his lungs in a grunt.
“That was very sneaky of you,” I squeak.
“I always knew you were talented baby,” he says. “I just wanted you to believe it too.”
Just as Gabriel pulls me in for a kiss, the doorbell rings again, and I give him a frustrated glance.
“Now what do you have planned?”
“Honestly, nothing,” he says, shaking his head. “I’m not sure who it is.”
The person on the other side of the door buzzes again, and Gabriel moves to answer it. The moment he opens it, a tall and regal looking man steps inside, surveying the place with a haughty attitude before his gaze lands on me.
“Gabriel,” he says.
“Richard.”
Gabriel’s voice and posture are both stiff, and instantly I know, this is his father. Richard Maddox.
“Would you care for a drink?” Gabriel asks, gesturing to the bar.
Richard nods and Gabriel pours him a glass while I wring my hands together nervously. I’m not exactly sure what I should do in this situation or whether I should excuse myself or not.
“Victoria, this is Richard Maddox,” Gabriel says in a formal tone. “Richard, this is Victoria.”
“I’ve heard a lot about you,” Richard says, his dark brown eyes crinkling with a polite smile.
“It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Maddox.”
Gabriel hands him a tumbler filled with dark liquid and then raises his brows expectantly. “So to what do I owe the pleasure of your visit, Richard?”
His voice is anything but friendly, and I can practically feel the tension rolling off of his body as he comes to stand beside me.
“May we talk in private?” Richard asks.
My cheeks heat as I move to excuse myself, but Gabriel pulls me back, wrapping his arm around my waist protectively.
“Anything you have to say, you can say in front of Victoria.”
Richard seems to consider this for a moment before nodding.
“Your mother tells me that you’re dead set on following through with this business venture of yours.”
“I am,” Gabriel says. “I think we both agree that will be for the best.”
Richard sighs and runs a hand through his inky black hair, his expression filled with what looks like a lifetime of regret.
“I know my words don’t mean anything to you,” he says. “But I am proud of you, Gabriel. And you will always have a place at the Maddox Corporation, a part of our legacy…”
“But it’s not my legacy to have,” Gabriel bites out. “Is it, Richard?”
Richard flinches away as if he’s been slapped, and I’m still trying to make sense of the conversation as I shrink into Gabriel’s side.
“Perhaps not by blood,” Richard admits. “But I would hope that you’d know that has never stopped me from loving you as my own.”
Gabriel softens beside me, and my hand strokes his back in an attempt to comfort him as his eyes fill with sadness. As I look between the two men, like night and day, the truth is finally clear. Gabriel isn’t Richard’s son.
“I know that you did the best you could,” Gabriel says. “Under the circumstances.”
Richard nods and both men look away from each other as silence engulfs the room.
“Would you like to stay for dinner?” I ask, having no clue what else to say.
Richard smiles softly and shakes his head as he stands.
“No, thank you, sweetheart. I really should be going. I just wanted you to know Gabriel, that you have my full support on this venture. I’ve contacted some investors, and they want to meet with you.”
Gabriel surprises me by breaking away and shaking Richard’s hand in a quick and awkward gesture. And then just as quickly as he arrived, he’s out the door again.
“Are you okay?” I ask.
Gabriel pulls me into his arms and lets out a deep breath as he kisses my temple.
“I guess you know the dirty family secret now,” he says. “I’m the bastard child of the Maddox family. A product of one of my mother’s tawdry affairs.”
I don’t speak because I know that’s not what Gabriel needs right now. I grab him by the hand and lead him back to bed, where I show him how much I love him all night long.
Chapter Fourteen
Victoria
It’s Monday morning, and I’m sitting inside of Gabriel’s office, tapping my foot impatiently.
He was a nervous wreck all morning while he prepared for today, and I didn’t want to admit how nervous I was for him too. In a huge leap of faith, I bought a bottle of champagne and some celebratory lingerie.
Margie assured me he’ll be the only one coming back to his office, so I already took my dress off, and now I’m sitting in his chair, drumming my fingers across the desk. If I’m wrong about this, then I’m not sure what I’m going to do. Throw the champagne away and give him a relaxing blow job instead. But I rea
lly, really don’t want to be wrong. I know how much this means to Gabriel, and I desperately want him to be happy.
The door swings open, and I stiffen as his gaze swings to me in surprise. For a moment, we just stare at each other, and I can’t read the expression on his face. But when he grins and locks the door behind him, I take it as a good sign.
“Well?” I spring towards him expectantly, not even caring how much I’m on display right now. There’s no way we’re having sex until I know how things went.
Gabriel pulls me up into his arms and wraps my legs around his hips while he strokes my face in his hands, looking more relaxed than I’ve ever seen him.
“I got it, baby,” he says. “They want to invest. I’ve got the green light.”
“Oh my God!” I squeal, wiggling around in his arms.
Gabriel smiles and pulls me in for a kiss, breathing life back into me as we meld together in our usual fashion.
I whimper when he splays me across his desk, rubbing his greedy hands over my body while he unzips himself. His cock is rock hard and standing at attention as he rips the lace thong right off me with a predatory growl.
Gabriel the conqueror is back. Now that he’s conquered the business world, it’s time to take me on. He plunges into me in one deep thrust, and I claw at his back as pens and papers clatter to the ground around us.
We’re like two wild animals going at each other, unbridled passion the driving force of our connection at the moment. Gabriel grips my hips in his hands as he powers into me, his hands stroking my breast and clit simultaneously.
When I’m about to come, he slaps his hand over my mouth and I scream into it, the orgasm tearing through me like a force of nature. I’m still spasming around him when Gabriel stills, filling me with warmth as his release spills out of him.
We stay connected like that for a long time, catching our breaths while he cradles me in his arms and sits down. He looks peaceful and happy, and I feel it too. He strokes my face beneath his fingers, staring into my eyes.
“There was something I wanted to do,” he says. “I was going to wait until tonight, but I don’t want to wait anymore.”
“What is it, Gabriel?” I ask.
“You already know I’m putting everything into this company,” he says. “Things might be difficult for a while until it gets off the ground.”
“Well, you’ll always have me,” I reassure him. “I’ll be here no matter what.”
“I was hoping you would say that, Victoria.” He smiles softly, fumbling around in his drawer for something.
When I see the little blue box, my heart skips a beat, and Gabriel squeezes me a little tighter, the nervousness clear on his face.
“I want to make it official,” he says. “I want the entire world to know that you, Victoria Colletti, belong to me…”
“Yes!” I wrap my arms around his neck and let out a strangled sob.
“You didn’t even let me finish,” he says with a relieved smile.
“I’m sorry.” I laugh. “I couldn’t wait.”
Gabriel holds out the ring, and I stare at it in awe. It’s a black diamond set into a white gold band, something so beautiful I would have chosen it myself if I’d seen it first.
“For my gothic princess,” he says.
“It’s perfect, Gabriel.”
“It has an inscription too,” he says, allowing me to see the symbol carved on the underside of the band.
Tears spring to my eyes when I stare at the same symbol I have tattooed on my back. Orion.
“How did you know?” I ask.
Gabriel wipes away my tears, kissing me softly and stroking my face.
“I pay attention, Victoria,” he says as he pulls out another ring. “Mine has the symbol for Artemis. I was thinking that maybe we could rewrite history.”
I grin back at him like a love-sick puppy dog, throwing myself at him and kissing him like crazy. But before we can get too carried away, his intercom buzzes and Margie’s voice fills the room.
“Sorry Mr. Maddox,” she says. “But I can’t keep her at bay much longer. Your sister is here and she wants to see you.”
Gabriel groans and I laugh as we start scrambling for our clothes.
“She’s just excited to know how her big brother did,” I say. “I think it’s cute.”
“Yea, well we’ll see if you still think that twenty years from now,” he says with a wink. “Because you have an entire lifetime to get used to it baby.”
I melt into his embrace and smile, whispering the only truth that I know.
“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
***
Thank you so much for reading The Falling Series. If you enjoyed it, please consider leaving an honest review on Amazon or Goodreads. Or if you’d like to email me directly, you can do so at [email protected]
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Works by A. Zavarelli
Falling into Temptation
Falling into Exposure
Falling into Surrender
Falling Series Boxed Set
Echo: A Dark Billionaire Romance (Vol 1)
Stutter: A Dark Billionaire Romance (Vol 2)
An Escort for Christmas
One Last Gift
Coming Soon:
CROW: A Mafia Romance
