35

AUDREY
The painting displayed in the living room was already glorious, but obviously, Gabriel kept the finest ones in one place in this room. He took my hand and drew me to the wall at the left, and presented me with the enormous painting of an angel.
And it wasn’t any regular painting of an angel with wings. Its body was male with the face of a female, and it was nude but with no genitals. But that wasn’t what made the artwork brilliant. The angel’s wings had two shades of black and white and spread up above.
“Redenzione dell’angelo caduto. The Fallen Angel’s Redemption. Bello, no?” he murmured.
“Sì, signore, bellissimo. Chi ha creato questo?” I said, unable to take my eyes off the painting.
“A painter and friend I talked about earlier. Tu parla Italiano, si?”
I shifted my gaze to his gorgeous face. “My mother was Italian. She taught me. You? You speak it very well, Mr. Stark like it’s your mother tongue.”
His eyebrows knitted together, but his eyes gleamed in apparent delight. “Bene. I lived in Italy for three years, Audrey.” He brought my hands to his lips and kissed me tenderly. “This painting has a certain meaning to me. It represents my life. I had fallen before with broken wings and shattered dreams. The white that turned black.”
I stared into his cerulean eyes. “But you found redemption?”
“Not entirely. Hence, the different shades of its wings. I’m still stuck between the truth and the lie.”
I watched his expression intently as I could see that Gabriel Stark was just as broken as me. In a way, I wouldn’t understand. What were you hiding beneath that beautiful face?
“But there’s only one thing left to complete my collection. Your portrait would look absolutely divine on my wall. Next to the Fallen Angel should be an actual ‘angel.’ Pure and kind,” he went on, setting his chin on my forehead. “My redemption.”
His words were like a sweet, romantic song in my ears. How could he do this? Making me melt with his voice alone. His creativity was limitless.
“Why me, Gabriel?”
“Because it’s you whom I want. Will you do it for me, angel?” he asked as if pleading. How could I refuse this man? I had no energy to do so. I was like a magnet, getting attached to him more and more every second.
“I will think about it,” I decided.
He let out a satisfied smile. “That is better than refusing me at all. I’m happy to hear you’re considering it. And of course, you can think about it, but don’t take too much time. I can be very persuasive.” He kissed my hands alternately.
I nodded and smiled back. “Yes, very, very persuasive. You even offered to pay for my debt like the amount didn’t bother you at all.”
He laughed. “For you, it won’t. But what is bothering you, if you allow me to ask? It would never be displayed to anyone’s eyes but for me.”
I cleared my throat. “Well, that’s reassuring, but what you offered me is too much money. I could never pay that back even if I work for many decades.”
“Your portrait will suffice. Its value is immeasurable.” He shoved his fingers at the back of my neck and breathed me in.
“You must think so highly of me then,” I whispered.
“You have no idea.”
He lowered his head and collided his mouth with my lips, and the explosive lava flowed through me and stirred up fireworks of chills down to the very last of my nerves.
Gabriel’s mouth twisted erotically, and his grip went possessive on my waist, drawing me close to him. His fiery movements took me to dizziness, and the feeling I was holding while our mouths magically entwined caused ecstasy and pleasure mixed with impatience that I needed more.
But as if he knew my needs, he took me, and his tongue insistently and demandingly entered my mouth, making me shudder and eager. With his possessive touch, it had awakened a thousand sensations in me again. A feeling that I knew only he could give.
Gabriel’s kiss was at the same time demanding, passionate, and decided. He completely overwhelmed me and filled me with incredible satisfaction, and the feverish desire to go further overpowered me. His hand slid over my hips, then around my waist, and to my lower back. Going up slowly and sensually to the hem of my skirt, he continued its absolute indecent advancement… He lowered his mouth to explore my neck as he did so.
I gasped with the growing desire beating inside me when his frolic finger reached my lingerie. I burned in his touch to the most delectable torment.
Audrey, pull yourself together! You’re supposed to talk to this man! I screamed inside.
I grabbed onto his arm and slightly moved away, and he abandoned my neck.
“Audrey?” he panted.
I was going to lose myself already as I was on the verge of jumping on him to let him take everything. Just with a simple kiss and a few caresses, he drove me crazy.
“Gabriel, we need to talk. More talk. We’re not done talking.” Damn, I did repeat the word thrice.
He laughed softly. “As you wish, my angel.” He pressed another brief deep kiss on my mouth. “What else do you wish to know? I told you I’d be delighted to answer any of your questions.”
I held on to his arm. “You told me much, and I realize I haven’t done the same. I’ve never told anyone except for Chelsea before. I had lived a roller-coaster life, Gabriel—with endless suffering and sacrifices. That is why I’m afraid. I think you need to know what to expect from my decision.”
“What is this about?”
“Something about me… It’s too soon to say, but I don’t want to deceive you, so before it’s too late, I will tell you. I’m not as innocent as you think I am.”
His expression darkened. “Okay. I’m listening.”
“And you might think differently about me—”
“Cut the suspense, Audrey,” he hissed tightly. “Nothing can change my views about you. You just have to trust me.”
I moved away from him to sit since my knees were already liquefying that I might collapse at any moment. I sat on the sofa by the library, and Gabriel went after me.
“Well. It all started with a boy.”