I smiled. “Yeah?”
He placed his hands back on my hips and squeezed. “I should have asked you if there was anything I could do better,” he said, stunning me. “I made the mistake of thinking that because being in bed with you was enough for me, that it was enough for you.”
I pulled a face. “And I should have told you that I wanted more than just sex-a-thons with you.” I leaned in and placed a kiss on his lips. When I straightened, I repeated how sorry I was. “I’m really sorry, Gabriel.”
“Baby, you don’t know how happy I am to hear that, but there’s more here than our love for each other,” he replied.
“What do you mean?”
“Justice, we’remarried,” he stressed the word ‘married’ as if I had suddenly forgotten. Trust me, it was hard to ignore the weight on my finger.
“I know,” I replied, not sure where he was going with this.
He sighed. “We can’t be in this limbo of a life anymore. Now that I know how you feel and we’re going to move forward with everything, we can’t keep living apart.” Before I could comment, he added, “And that includes how you feel about our money.”
I winced.
I couldn’t help it.
“Gabriel, I don’t need the kind of life that requires that kind of money,” I told him, honestly. “I have a job and it pays my bills and…and I can’t just become some wealthy, bored housewife.”
Gabriel started laughing. “Jesus Christ, woman. I’m not sure what you imagine us to be, but can you picture Shane and Denise sitting around all day sipping cocktails and talking about the latest handbag line?”
I recalled my brief encounter with the two women and how there was no hesitation in calling their husbands fools. They had also been dressed in casual wear and they didn’t seem hoity-toity. “No, I suppose not,” I agreed.
He gave me the most tender smile. “Justice, I don’t want to come off as if your life is interchangeable or as if your life here isn’t important or significant. And…and I’ll do the hour commute each way without any issue if that’s the decision we come to, but I’d like you to think over a couple of things first.”
I nodded. “Okay, what?”
“Shane needs an assistant,” he said, verifying that his sister-in-law was indeed down to earth. “She’s been trying to get by without one for the past two years, but she finally caved and confessed to needing one. I asked her if she’d be willing to give you an interview if you were willing.”
Wow.
“There’s also my condo,” he continued. “It’s bigger and has more space for when I knock you up.”
I gasped and slapped his chest. “Gabriel Buchanan!”
He laughed at me. “What?”
“That is not how a person describes a child created out of love,” I teased.
His dimples popped. “So, is that a yes?”
This was my entire future we were talking about, and while some people might cry nepotism, I wanted to be with Gabriel. It’s what I’ve wanted all along. “I’ll interview with Shane, but if she doesn’t pick me, I’ll still need to work, Gabriel.” I could see he was about to object, so I cut him off before he could even start. “I’ll let you pay all the bills and…and I’ll even let you put my name on your accounts. But, Gabe, Ineedto work. I need that…independence. So, if Shane doesn’t hire me, I’ll try to find a job in the city, and I’ll quit and move in with you when I do.”
I could tell it was killing him. But he gave me this. “Okay,” he breathed out. “I can…I can do that.”
“There’s also one more thing,” I said, hoping I wasn’t already becoming an entitled wife 15 minutes into this thing. “I don’t want to leave Bea behind. I know she’s happy working and living here, but…Gabriel, she’s my only friend.”
Gabriel tucked a stray lock of blue hair behind my ear as he looked at me. “Anything you want, Justice,” he replied. “Just say the word, baby.”
My eyes spilled. “Really?”
“She’ll have a job tomorrow if she wants it,” he confirmed, his hands at my face again, thumbing my tears away.”
I wrapped my arms around his neck, and I didn’t think I’d ever been as happy as I was right now. All my dreams were coming true. The biggest dream being that Gabriel Buchanan really did love me. “I love you, so much, Gabe.”
I could feel his heart beating against mine. “God, I hope so,” he whispered. “Because my life has been tied to yours since we were 15 years old. It’ll be tied to yours forever.”
