Chapter 25 Is Jessica Complimenting Me?
Hot? Jessica was puzzled by his response. With evening temperatures around the 68°F mark, "hot" was hardly the word she would use. But then, remembering the liquor he'd consumed throughout the day, it clicked—probably the alcohol's doing. "Go take a shower, you'll feel better afterward," she suggested.
That made sense to Gabriel. "Can you grab my pajamas for me, please?"
Jessica's cheeks turned a deeper shade of red as she declined, "Get your pajamas by yourself."
"Well, if you don't, I'll just come out after my shower without them!" he teased.
She glanced at him and, without a word, went to fetch his sleepwear. But inside, she wondered, ‘Since when was he so cheeky?’
Handing over the pajamas to him, she didn't expect Gabriel to push his luck. He stood up and, with an imperious stretch of his arms, commanded, "Help me out of my shirt."
Was he treating her like some kind of maid now? "Gabriel, this isn't like you at all. When did you get so lazy?" she chided.
Without arguing, he squinted his eyes, nodded, and said, "Yeah, it doesn't feel like me. So, are you going to help or not? Because if you don't, I'm telling you, I might just skip the PJs and come out as is."
The nerve!
The audacity!
Finally giving in, Jessica tiptoed in front of him, reaching for his shirt buttons, starting from the third one as the first two were already undone. And all the while, she couldn’t help but feel Gabriel was indeed distracting her.
His breath seemed to wield a magic touch, always leaving her in a whirlwind of emotions.
Especially now, standing so close that his scent, tinged with alcohol, enveloped her entirely. Jessica felt as if the air around them had thinned, her perception of the day's heat intensifying. Yet the man, blissfully unaware, edged even closer.
Jessica instinctively pushed against him. "Stay back," she stammered.
Immediately regretting her action, for her palm was pressed against the warmth of his chest—his skin as hot as fire, searing her hand.
Particularly vivid was the thump of his heartbeat against her palm, resonating directly into her fingertips.
At that moment, Jessica was swept up in the illusion that their hearts were intertwined. Bound tightly together. As if they were the closest two souls in the world.
But it was just that—an illusion.
"Feels good, huh?" Gabriel's voice suddenly cut through her reverie.
Dazed, Jessica took a moment to grasp his meaning.
He glanced down at her hand. "You seem to quite enjoy the touch," he teased.
She jerked her hand back as if scalded. Unbuttoning his shirt, her fingers trembled uncontrollably. Sure, she'd seen handsome men before. But she had only ever seen Gabriel's physique in her lifetime.
And, oh, was it spectacular and explosively sexy. The bronzed skin, the chiseled muscles, topped with a set of alluring abs which was every woman's dream. Paired with that devastatingly handsome face, who could resist?
The more Jessica thought about it, the hotter her cheeks flamed.
What now? The air seemed thinner once more. The temperature rose! It was all his fault for making her peel off his clothes.
"If you keep this pace, it'll be daylight by the time I'm done showering," Gabriel's voice loomed overhead.
Jessica muttered under her breath, "It's not my fault you have to look ridiculously good. As if a handsome face wasn't enough, you had to have this insanely sexy body."
"Should I take that as a compliment, Jessica?" he asked. Suddenly, Gabriel leaned in, his deep voice a breath away from her ear.
Jessica had never expected her mumbling to be heard, let alone addressed. She was mortified!
‘Oh, Jessica, you fool, why did he have to overhear that?’ Biting her tender lip, she was consumed by regret.
Someone seemed hell-bent on getting a response, Gabriel pressed on, "Why has Jessica suddenly clammed up?"
Jessica felt like she'd been talking herself to death all day. She was beyond words now.
"If Jessica doesn't speak up, I'll take her silence as consent," came the tease.
Jessica just sighed, offering no retort.
After a brief silence, Gabriel's voice hovered close to her ear again, "Thanks for your appreciation, Jessica. I’ll keep up the hard work."
Did she ever even toss a compliment his way? When had this man become so vain? But Jessica had to admit, there was some satisfaction in hearing him say her name in that playful tone, "Jessica, Jessica."
That night was their last. She told herself not to think about anything. Just to immerse herself in their matrimonial bliss, pretend they were the most loving couple on earth. She wasn't greedy; one night would be enough.
"I didn't say anything. You’re the one going on about it," Jessica retorted, feigning indignation.
Gabriel didn't take it well, "So you’ve seen it all, touched it all, used it all, and now you’re playing dumb? That’s low, Jessica, real low!"
Jessica’s head snapped, her response fiery, "When did I 'use' anything? Don’t make false accusations, Gabriel. Your body is yours; how could I 'use' it?"
Gabriel chuckled lowly, pondering if he should remind her. "Let's think back then... those nights, who was it begging for mercy on top of me?"
Before he could finish, Jessica’s hand clamped over his mouth, "Stop talking."
He might not have any shame, but she sure did. Such private matters weren’t to be aired so casually. Her cheeks flushed easily at such talk; she was thin-skinned, after all.
The conversation couldn't go on.
If it did, Jessica feared her racing heart might just give out on the spot. With a click, she unbuckled his belt, yanked it free, thrust his pajamas into his hands, and pushed him toward the shower, "Go wash up before sunrise catches you dirty." The little minx, picked up slang pretty fast.
Standing under the shower, Gabriel found the water becoming unbearably hot. Especially his body, burning under the spray like fire. Desire ignited within him, seeking release, a surge of heat unfurled by the cascading water.
Something had felt quite off when he sipped his hangover soup. Now his body's reaction confirmed his suspicion about what was stirred into that concoction. No doubt, this was one of his mom's schemes.
Oh, Jessica's bowl of bird's nest soup.
At the thought of it, Gabriel finished his shower in a rush, not even bothering with pajamas. He wrapped a towel around his waist and headed straight out.
As he opened the door, he saw Jessica lifting the bowl, ready to sip the bird's nest soup.
"Jessica, don't drink that," Gabriel blurted out.
With a puzzled blink, Jessica looked at him and asked, "Why not?"
