Open Your Eyes (26 page)

Chapter Fifty-two

Natalie

This was the closest I had ever been to hell.

At first I stood frozen to the spot. My biggest nightmare was happening right in front of my eyes. Gabriel, with his intense rage and jealousy, coming face to face with Nick, the other man in my life.

I had brought this about, causing these two men to have murderous thoughts about one another.

And I was the only one who could stop it.

I had to step in and stop them from hurting one another. And in the process, I had to deal another blow to Nick. But it was better like this. If Nick hated me, he would move on a lot easier. I prayed that he would find someone worthy of his love and devotion. My heart cried a little that it could not be me. I had a glimpse of what it was like to be cherished by a man like Nick. Any woman he loved and adored would be the luckiest woman on the planet. Just,
it isn’t going to be me.

“Nat. Why?” Gabriel choked out, his face like stone as we drove away.

“Not now, please,” I murmured, unable to have this discussion with him at this moment. I rubbed at my heart, the pain was unbearable. I leaned back in the seat and closed my eyes, fighting the burning in my chest and throat.

Gabe drove in silence, but I could sense his dark mood.
I wanted to block everything out so I kept my eyes screwed shut tightly, my arms folded across my chest.

At last
I heard the crunch of gravel beneath the car, we had arrived back at our villa. Tomorrow we were leaving this place, going to Lake Como for the next part of our holiday.
What a way to start a honeymoon.

Without a word, Gabe went straight to the spare room after dinner. We hardly spoke to one another
, and I was grateful that he didn’t dig his heels in and demanding answers. The old Gabe would have ranted and raved, letting me know in no uncertain terms how he felt about my behavior.

Yet the silent treatment I receiv
ed now was worse. He was upset, that much was clear, but I didn’t know what he was thinking.

I tossed and turned in the king
-sized bed, having gotten used to Gabe beside me. I realized with a shock that I actually missed him being here, caressing me, holding me, making passionate love to me. We had found our rhythm and our lovemaking was sweeter than even in our younger days. The new Gabriel was an attentive lover, always ensuring my pleasure before accepting his own.

H
ours of tossing and turning passed, I felt tired yet my brain could not stop going over the day’s events. The crack of dawn was evident through the gaps in the curtains, I felt even more tired than when I had crawled in to bed.

I
t was impossible to just lie there another moment. I knew what I had to do. I had to speak to Gabriel – clear the air. It was because of me that he was hurting. I had to fix it. Now. I padded my way to his room, listening at the door to hear his breathing pattern – which would tell me how deeply he was sleeping. He completely startled me by suddenly sitting up and holding out his hand to me.

“Come to me,” he breathed with a sad smile lifting the corners of his mouth. I obeyed. He pulled me in next to him, tucking me under his arm. I laid my hand on his chest, over his heart. It was beating wildly.

We lay like that for a long time, neither of us uttering a word. What could I say to make things better? How could I fix his hurt?

“You hold my life in your hands. If only you understood that
.” He sighed as he turned to face me, his big hand on my chin, lifting my face to his.

“I do. I understand
.” I nodded. “I'm sorry I hurt you.”

Gabe rubbed his nose along mine, his eyes soft.
“It's OK, babe. You chose me.
In front of him
. You have no idea how much that means to me. At first I was angry and hurt. Thought it was a deal breaker. But the night was long and gave me a lot of time to put things into perspective. Once I realized just how lucky I was to have you back here with me, I was ready to forgive you.”

I drew in a sharp breath. I didn’t expect this. To be forgiven so easily.
I closed my eyes, appreciating his kindness. The little circles started on my back, slowly up my spine. I melted. A suppressed sob escaped my lips.

“Bab
e, let’s put it all behind us. The past is gone. The only place it lives is in our heads. So I am going to let it go – set it free, so it can't hurt us anymore.” His tone was so serious I knew he meant every word. He was quiet for a moment, and I let the words wash over me, sink in to my mind.

“All that matters is now. Here. You and me. The past has caused damage, we can't change that. But the past is done, it's
over
. We have both made mistakes we regret.” His breath hitched at the last word. “All we can do now is to move forward. To make tomorrow better than today.
Together
.”

“Since when did you get so smart, Mr
. Lawson?” I smiled softly at him. New Gabriel was wise, I liked that.

“
You chose me
. For that I am grateful beyond words. I accept that honor. I will make you happy every day for the rest of our lives together that you made that choice. I will never let you down again.” He pulled me closer to his chest.

His forehead touched mine. “You could have left – you could have chosen him. I could see how much he wants you. But you are here – with me.”

Gabe’s lips brushed over mine, soft and warm and inviting. “Let’s focus on the present – it is all we really have. Today. Now. Let's make it count. Every moment.”

I pulled in a ragged breath. “Aren’t you still angry with me?” I asked in a small voice.

“No, babe. Our time is so limited on this planet, why wouldn’t I want to move forward with you rather than stay stuck in the past?”

“Hmm, that is so true
– ” I started, but his mouth slanted over mine, kissing me with so much passion I knew this conversation was over for now. He grabbed the edges of my nightdress and pulled it over my head, tossing it to one side.

“
You are mine
,” he growled as his mouth slowly mapped my entire body, from head to toe, savoring every inch of me, both of us completely immersed in this beautiful moment.

It was only us here. In the present. Making love to one another, like no one else existed on the planet. It was then I decided to surrender completely – my heart, my body and my soul, and offer them to Gabriel, my husband.

* * *

Our honeymoon at Lake Como was spectacular. We ate and drank, we laughed
, we walked along the water’s edge. We basked in the sun and in one another’s company. It was pure bliss.

At night we held one another – even in our sleep. We made love often; Gabriel miraculously recovered from any previous dysfunction. We bathed together in the large spa bath, taking turns to soap one another’s bodies, candles flickering long into the night.

If only the rest of our life together could be this good. I could certainly hope.

Chapter Fifty-three

I settled into my new life with relative ease. This was what I had always wanted, our family back together again. And I was the lucky one – my wish had been granted.

Determined to make this work, I banished all thoughts of Nicholas Gallagher into the far corners of my mind and heart. It was over. Forever. I had to focus on what was in front of me: Gabe and my beautiful family. That was enough for me.

Back home after our honeymoon, Gabriel and I resumed our marriage with zest. We were both fully committed to making it the best it could be, committed to one another one hundred percent.

Gabriel moved back into our house permanently. And I moved back into the main bedroom. We redecorated the room I had inhabited since Gabe moved out so that it was now a neutral and pleasing pallet of creams and blues. We splurged on new bedding and curtains, making our bedroom warm and cozy. And sex friendly. Gabriel installed locks on the doors to keep the kids out and a huge tub in the bathroom where we often de-stressed with a glass of wine and flickering candles before going to bed and making love into the night.

I could not have wished for a more attentive husband. Gabe spoiled me with massages and small surprise gifts of flowers and books or tickets to a show I wanted to see.

The kids were happy too. Young Robert excelled at school, thriving on the love and attention of both parents. Daniel was in love for the first time in his life – since meeting Sarah, he acted like a love struck puppy moping around the house. And Olivia was her normal fiery self, bossing the two boys around and causing chaos as usual.

Even Miranda couldn
’t believe the difference in Gabe’s behavior. She made jokes about leopards changing their spots and teased me relentlessly about how head over heels in love Gabriel was with me. Sometimes she would still make a comment that had a sting in it – as if she didn’t expect this newfound relationship to last.

She never mentioned Nick after I asked her to refrain from bringing his name up.

As if Nick never happened.

At least on the surface. Because deep down, I often found my mind drifting to him, wondering what he was doing at that moment, wondering if he still remembered me. I hoped he had moved on, found someone else to love. Someone who could love him back, unencumbered.

Secretly I followed his career on the Internet. It was easy; the paparazzi were always looking for a scoop, displaying pictures of Nicholas Gallagher with a string of beautiful women on his arm. Always speculating – was this latest beauty
the one
to finally capture the famous bachelor’s heart? He was even outperforming George Clooney as the most eligible bachelor, simply by the sheer number of women he dated.

Miranda must have been doing the same.
In the middle of lunch she broke my rule and blurted out, “Hey, Nat, did you notice the pattern in Nicholas Gallagher’s dates? I've been watching online and it's clear as daylight.”

My head jerked up when she mentioned his name, my throat constricting, making it difficult to speak. All I could do was to shake my head.

“They all look eerily like you! It's bizarre. Either their hair or eyes or mouth. Sometimes so close to you that it's scary. I never knew you had so many lookalikes! Could come in handy as an alibi if you ever wanted to commit a crime.” She giggled, unaware of the sharp pain shooting through my heart.

W
hen I looked at the pictures on my tablet, the only face I wanted to focus on was that of Nick. I purposely didn’t look at the images of the women. I had chosen this path, I had no right to feel jealousy toward any woman he chose to be with.

I laughed it off, going for nonchalance; I didn’t want to discuss Nick’s string of women with Miranda. Or the speculations on who would be the one to finally snare him and become Mr
s. Nicholas Gallagher.

It could have been me.
Suck it up, Natalie!

Chapter Fifty-four

T
omorrow was the first anniversary of our vow-renewal. Gabriel had arranged for us to go to the Hunter Valley, a beautiful wine region in our state as beautiful as that of Tuscany.

“Sweetheart, I have a surprise for you. It's something you have always wanted to do. But it means you have to get up very early tomorrow morning,” Gabe said as we arrived at our hotel and settled into our room the night before our anniversary.

“Really? Tell me, you know I hate it when you keep surprises from me,” I coaxed. But he wouldn’t have any of it; he laughed and told me to be patient, that I would know in due course.

The next morning we were up really early, and Gabe drove us to our destination, where we were expected before sunrise. I cursed all the way in the car; I had never been a morning person and getting up this early made me grumpy as hell. It was only when Gabe shoved a cup of steaming coffee in my hands that I became semi
-normal.

“It will all be so worthwhile, just wait and see,” he soothed as we drove onto a large clearing. I sat up and stared out of the window. In the distance were hot air balloons, flames roaring into their belly, the huge balloons
colorful against the etchings of the early morning sunrise.

I clapped my hands in glee. Gabe was right, it was something I had always wanted to experience, and today we were doing it. The
balloonist team was waiting for us and quickly helped us into the huge baskets, ready to take off into the skies.

“Let's just escape life this morning
.” Gabe smiled as his arms snaked around my waist and he pulled me into his chest. I leaned back and let my head rest against his warm shoulder, admiring the sun cracking through the clouds, spreading a warm orange glow across the skies. This was as close to perfect, as close to paradise, as any human being could ever come.

We drifted over the morning mist, the hot air balloon carrying us over the rows of vines, heavy with the grapes for next year’s vintage wines. Seeing the rolling countryside from this perspective was thrilling.

After we descended and were back on mother earth, I
realized how hungry I was when my stomach began to rumble. Gabe laughed as he rubbed my stomach.

“Must be the fresh morning air. Fortunately breakfast is included in the package
.” He smiled as he led me into the vineyard. I was still wondering where we were going when I saw a table covered by a crisp white tablecloth and two chairs set up between two rows of vines. It was laden with silver-lidded dishes and baskets of fresh fruit.

“Wow, I never expected anything like this,” I squealed, unable to keep the excitement from my voice. It wasn’t only the prospect of food that had this effect on me, it was also that I had seen pictures of this kind of setup in travel magazines and always envied anyone lucky enough to have such an experience.

Gabe was delighted by my reaction. With huge fanfare he popped the cork of a bottle of chilled sparkling wine and poured some into a glass for me. A champagne breakfast was right up there on my wish list, and I couldn’t want for a more perfect setting.

“Ready for your next treat?” Gabe smiled at me when I patted my stomach and groaned from over indulging in the delicious fresh fare.
My grumpiness had given way to a mellow and satisfied disposition.

“
You are spoiling me!” I laughed, not with too much resistance.

I slipped my hand through his arm as we walked back to the car. As he held the door open for me, I stood on tiptoes and kissed Gabe shamelessly, happiness radiating from both our faces.

Leaning
back in the car seat, I occasionally stole glimpses of Gabe from the side. His hand had slipped onto my knee and he seemed more relaxed and at ease than I had seen him in a long time. We drove in contented silence, the kind where two people didn’t need to make conversation just for the sake of it and words weren’t necessary.

He pulled up outside a historic building set on the edge of a lake. Wild birds roamed freely on the
lush lawns and everywhere flowers were in full bloom, attracting scores of bees. My eye fell on the sign directing customers to the reception area of an exclusive day spa.
Oh my, I am certainly getting spoiled thoroughly today.

T
he receptionist indicated that we were having side by side massages and led us into a secluded room with a view directly onto the lake. She showed us our robes and invited us to a customary tea ritual to relax us before our massages. We sipped our tea on the veranda outside our room, drinking in the views and feeling more relaxed by the minute.

Gab
e helped me disrobe and climb onto the twin bed. He grinned like a naughty schoolboy when my breast brushed the back of his hand. His palm cupped my behind as he helped me onto the bed and he gave my butt cheek a quick squeeze. I saw a tent forming under his robe and grinned at him. A playful slap on my bum followed and just as I yelped, he bent over to kiss it better, a low hiss escaping his lips. Just then the two Asian masseuses walked into the room. Gabriel laughed heartily and jumped onto his bed, winking at me as he lay down on his stomach to hide his erection before slipping his robe off too.

The hot stone massage was heavenly. If I got any more relaxed, I would
have fallen into a deep sleep, not waking for a hundred years. I heard soft groans from Gabe’s side and knew he enjoyed this as much as me. After an hour of a full body massage, the ladies covered us in towels and left the room, instructing us to take our time getting dressed.

That was exactly what Gabe had in mind – taking his time. The second the door closed, he sprinted over and locked it, his erection still hard as granite. I giggled nervously
– this was risky. What if they came back in a few minutes?

My body still slick from the oils used during the massage, Gabriel spread his warm hands over my torso, his
mouth trailing behind as he went. I stretched out my arms above my head, taking this unexpected pleasure in my stride. My nipples were stone hard and as his lips tugged at them, I moaned softly, trying to be quiet.

The bed was definitely too narrow to hold both of us, but before I could wonder how this was going to work, Gabe instructed me to get off and turn around, my arms gripping the sides of the bed as my breasts pushed into the soft padding, my ass pointed up
toward him. Standing behind me, his erection pushed against the softness of my ass as he leaned over and slipped his fingers between my folds, caressing my wet sweet spot until my knees felt weak. I pushed back into him, wanting more, whimpering softly. It was then I felt his hard warm length slide into me from behind. Oh God, this was exactly what I needed right now. I hadn’t realized how all the touching of my skin from the massage had aroused my senses. Clearly it had the same effect on my husband.

Gabriel thrust into me with gusto, his balls slapping
hard against my behind, an animalistic groan rumbling from his chest as his pace quickened and he speared into me faster and faster. I gripped onto the bedcovering, fisting it tightly for purchase as Gabe pounded into me. His constant rubbing on my clit had me moaning, my legs quivering; the forceful drive of his thrusts spurring me on to reach orgasm. Then release. I shuddered as I felt my insides tighten and spiral out of control, a heavenly ripple of spasms wracking my body.

“Bab
e!” Gabe groaned as he came apart, pumping feverishly into me. He rested against my back, pressing me into the bed while he cupped my breasts in both hands, kissing my neck. I felt him smile against my skin as his erratic breathing started slowing down. Then he carefully withdrew and scooped me into his arms and carried me off to the private shower, his breathing still ragged, a wicked grin on his lips.

“You are such a fantastic fuck, I’ll never get enough of you
.” He gently set me down under the stream of hot water and started soaping me from top to bottom, caressing my skin as he went. He kissed me passionately, letting the water rinse over our heads.

“I love you
, Natalie Lawson.” He smiled down at me – peace and contentment in his eyes.

“
Love you too, Gabriel Lawson,” I whispered as I leaned in and kissed the base of his neck, meaning every word of it.

To date, this was the best anniversary I
’d had by far.