His face was all darkness, his mouth a tight slash, his chest puffed with indignation.
“What the fuck are you doing?” he growled when he reached her. Without missing a beat, he lifted her into his arms, kicked the door shut, and brought her back to the bed.
Sinking into the pillows, Eva didn’t take offense to his gruff caveman routine, she just stared at her protector as he sat on his leg next to her while her heart expanded with a love too vast for her to deny. Not that she would. Never again.
“How are you feeling?”
“Sore.” She touched an angry-looking bruise on his jaw. “I’m so glad you weren’t badly hurt.”
He waved the concern away and loosely held her chin as he kissed her. He was tender and careful, but slow. Deliberate. “Don’t you ever do anything like that again. Swear to me.” He pulled back to look at her. “Swear it.”
“I swear.”
“You’ll never fuck off without coming to me first. Jesus Christ, woman.” He put their foreheads together. “I think I aged a decade in the last twelve hours.”
Her heart melted. “I’m sorry. Furio called and told me he had an explosive device in the suite. He knew who was there. He knew I was with Caleb and Nika— Oh my God. Are they okay?”
“Worried about you, but otherwise fine.”
She let out a breath. “And everyone else?”
“No one was hurt.”
“Your brother.” Stefano had been shot. “How is he?”
“He’s okay.” He looked at his watch. “Came out of surgery an hour ago. Your father’s private physician stayed behind. Apparently, Yuri’s connected at Virginia Mason where they took Stefano. When he can be moved, Yuri will bring him home.”
Thank God. “Home.” She glanced around. “Whose plane is this? Are we going to New York?” Whose home?
“Yeah. Vasily didn’t think there was any reason to remain in Seattle. We’re heading to his place on Long Island.”
She searched his features. He was taking her to her father’s house? Not his? “Oh. Okay. That’s, uh, good. I’ll be able to get to know him…” She bit her lip as nerves attacked her belly. “That didn’t seem so scary when I thought you’d be with me.” She tried to laugh that off but failed.
Gabriel feathered his fingertips down her throat. “Don’t be scared. He’s a goddamn saint. You have no reason to fear him.”
“Does that mean he’s not mad at you? For this?” She waved her finger between them.
A pained expression flitted across his face as he looked into her eyes. “Tell me about this.” He mimicked her gesture.
She swallowed, her mouth drying. “What. You mean, now?”
“Sure. We have some time.”
He stretched out beside her and rested his arm across her middle, pinning her down with its weight. She stroked her fingers over the corded muscles in his forearm, feeling anchored and secure.
“Would it help if I told you Caleb shared what you said in the elevator?”
Shit. Her face flushed hot. Okay. They were really doing this.
She cleared her throat and grew a pair. “No need. I already know he has a big mouth.” She plucked at his watch. “So, what. You want me to lie here while I’m injured and tell you that your unexpected presence in my life has changed everything? You want to hear that in the short time I’ve known you, you’ve become my world?” She pressed into him, holding tighter when he went to move. “How can I tell you that that without being terrified it’s too much for you? What if you don’t feel the same? What if you were on your way back here to fire me? What if—”
He forcibly extracted himself and rolled his big body over to trap her beneath him, holding his weight on his elbows. “Say it.”
She blinked up at him, adoring the smoky demand in his green eyes. “Your life scares me. Your wealth freaks me out. Your friends are intimidating. The way I need you is absolutely terrifying. But…I love you, so I’d deal. With all of it. If you want me to.”
† † †
Gabriel stared into his future wife’s sapphire eyes and waited for his heart to start up again.
She shifted, looking uncertain. “You know, if a relationship with me isn’t what you want, considering the trouble I’ve caused you, you can just tell me. I won’t have a breakdown.”
The weak trace of snark she’d injected into her tone even in the shape she was in had his lip pulling up at the corner.
Aaand that was when he remembered his vow