“How did you manage to get the time off work to be here?” I asked, suddenly worried that we had to make the most of every moment rather than saunter down the street, dodging the mopeds.
“You’re taking up with an unemployed lay-about. I resigned.”
I came to an abrupt halt. “You quit? Did Mike push you over the edge?”
He shook his head. “Nope. Meeting you and then losing you made me look at my life with new eyes. I’d been working for similar reasons that I got married—to make sure I bore no resemblance to my father. I want to hang out with Bethany more. With you. It means we can travel and—”
“I know I don’t have a job yet, Gabriel. But I want a career.”
“Right. And if you have to take an assignment somewhere else in Europe or back in the U.S., we can come with you.”
My heart threatened to explode in my chest. Could life really be this simple? This good?
“Are you not going to work?” I asked.
“I’m going to give second chances for a living. You’re a wise woman, Autumn Lumen.” His smile was infectious.
“I am?”
“The furniture. Restoring and renewing things. It makes me happy.”
Just watching his face as he talked made it obvious that his mind was set. He had been renewed by the prospect of a different life.
“That’s wonderful. And bonus for me, I get to enjoy the fruits of that labor.” I squeezed his bicep, my thoughts already spinning with images of Gabriel hard at work.
“All of me is yours,” he said, his eyes darkening. He pressed his lips to mine and pulled away abruptly. “I need to stop that. Or I’ll be dragging you back to the hotel. I promised you a tour.”
I’d be happy to skip the tour and spend the next week in bed, but Paris was calling, and we had a lifetime to be naked.
As we wandered along the Seine, the sun dimmed further and sky turned darker, the drizzle turning to huge, fat raindrops that thudded against the sidewalks, splashed onto our cheeks, and dented the surface of the river. “The rain has been following me around,” I said.
“It’s raining? Really? From where I stand, the sun is shining all over the place.”
If I didn’t already know that Gabriel Chase was the man for me, that sealed it. “Did you just quote my favorite movie at me?”
He shrugged. “What can I say? I’m so in love with you that I don’t even notice the rain.”
I wasn’t sure what I’d done to deserve Gabriel, but I was going to spend the rest of my life grateful that I’d found him.
Forty-Five
Gabriel
I didn’t approve of the jumpsuit Autumn was wearing.
“Stop growling,” she said, grinning at me. “It’s a wedding. It’s not like we can get frisky during the ceremony.”
“It’s not quick to get out of. Or into. It’s a ridiculous piece of clothing.”
“It’s gorgeous.”
“You’re gorgeous,” I corrected. “You could wear anything and make it look incredible.”
“Back at you,” she said, kissing my cheek and smoothing her hands down my suit. “I’m going to miss you being in a suit every day.”
“If you like, I can dress up once in a while.”
“Ohhh, roleplay. Interesting.” She nudged me with her hip.
“I’m not sure we need roleplay to keep things interesting,” I said, grabbing her bottom and pressing my hips against hers.
She pushed me away. “We have five minutes to get downstairs. And I haven’t finished my hair because you’ve interested me plenty already this morning.”
I watched as she had to do exactly nothing to her hair for it to look completely amazing. She stepped into her strappy black heels. “Yeah, I’m going to need you to wear those for me later when everything else is off.”
“That can be arranged.” She glanced at me as she dropped her phone into her bag. “In the meantime, let’s go and watch our best friends get married.”
I held out my hand and she took it. “Us next, right?”
“Us next, what?”
I pulled the hotel room door closed and we started down the hallway. “You know—getting married.”
She shook her head. “You’re crazy. I’ve been back in London a week. We’ve only just told Bethany.”
“I’m not saying we need to start thinking about it next week, but I want to marry you. That’s not a surprise, is it?” I wanted to do it all with Autumn. I wanted to make love with her, wake up with her, cook, travel, father her children, and spend my life with her. I’d wait if that’s what she wanted, but I had no doubt about where I stood.
“I guess not. And I’m not saying no, obviously. I need to find a job and figure out where I’m going to live—”
“What do you mean, figure out where you’re going to live? Are you thinking that we might not be living together?” I was clearly making assumptions about our future that I shouldn’t have been. A pit opened up in my gut, but I took a breath and waited for her answer. I was beyond jumping to conclusions.