I can feel his muscles contracting throughout his body, working against me as he grunts and nips at my ear. I cry out with every thrust, the pressure rising to a powerful crescendo.
“Come, Victoria. Come for me, now!” he orders. And at his simple command, the walls burst around me. I nearly collapse, but Gabriel catches me just as he shudders inside of me.
A moment later, he pulls me into his arms and unzips my dress from behind. It falls to the floor like a soft red cloud beneath me, and he scoops me up in his arms, gingerly placing me into his bed. I let my head fall back on the pillow as he removes my stilettos, massaging each foot with gentle fingers. And then he lays down beside me, staring softly into my eyes. He never takes his fingers off of me, trailing them up and down my waist until my collar catches his attention.
“I love that you wore this for me,” he says. “You have no idea how sexy it is when you do things to please me.”
“I like to please you.” My fingers brush the collar around my neck. “And I love knowing that it means I belong to you. I don’t think there’s anything sexier than that.”
A smile creeps across his beautiful lips, and it’s one of those rare moments I’m certain only I get to see. Gabriel Maddox, relaxed and happy.
“That’s good baby,” he rasps. “It makes me so happy to hear that.”
I take a deep breath, deciding that while we’re on the subject, I’d like to give voice to one of my nagging thoughts. “I like that it’s aesthetically pleasing to you,” I say. “But I want you to use it for its intended purpose too.”
He sits back hesitantly, his brow furrowing in concern. “Victoria, its intended purpose is to serve as a reminder of the fact that you belong to me.”
“Yes.” I roll my eyes. “As if I need reminding of that.”
“Perhaps it’s me who needs reminding,” he says flatly.
His words take me by surprise, and I thread my fingers through his on instinct, holding him closer.
“What do you mean?”
“I just mean that when I look at you sometimes, I still can’t believe how lucky I was to be the guy on the street that you crashed into. It could have been anyone, but it was me.”
“I think I’m the lucky one.” I smile shyly. “But I would hope that you’d know that, even when I’m not wearing a collar.”
His eyes darken, and for a moment, he looks far away. “I’m working on it.”
“Gabriel, I didn’t mean…”
“Victoria,” he interjects, “you have to understand that you’re very different to any of the women I’ve dated in the past.”
“You don’t need to tell me twice,” I retort in a biting tone.
He reaches for my chin and pulls my gaze back to his. “That’s a good thing, baby.”
“Really?”
“Yes, really.” He glares at me. “Have you learned nothing tonight? I’m in love with you. I want you to get that through your head. And quit being so modest around me, you’re a very beautiful woman. The women I’ve dated in the past, they’ve got nothing on you. I didn’t even like them, let alone love them.”
“Then why did you date them?” I ask.
“They were there,” he answers honestly. “And they were convenient.”
Thinking about him with other women makes me physically ill, and suddenly I’m regretting even having this conversation.
“You have to understand that I grew up in a different world,” Gabriel continues. “One where people have everything, but they’re never happy. They put on pretenses, fake smiles, and they tell you what they think you want to hear. Nothing is genuine. Being in the position I’m in, I came to realize very quickly that women didn’t like me for who I was. They liked me for my name, and that was it. I was never interested in pursuing anything beyond a sexual relationship… until I met you.”
“I’m sorry, Gabriel,” I say softly. “I guess I never really thought about it like that.”
“You bring out the best in me.” He strokes his thumb across my cheek. “You’re the most honest woman I’ve ever met, and it’s refreshing to be around you.”