Falling For My Ex's Dad (Clarissa and Gabriel) novel Chapter 311

Clairessa’s POV

Later that evening, I stepped out of the bathroom, wrapped in a plain robe, my hair freshly styled and falling over my shoulders. I had been ready to tease Gabriel about this so-called “simple dinner” he hadn’t stopped talking about all afternoon.... until my words caught in my throat.

He stood by the wide cabin window in a perfectly fitted tux, his dark hair slicked back, looking illegally handsome. For a moment, all I could think was, how is he not my husband already?

“Don’t you look dashing,” I teased, leaning against the doorframe.

His lips curved into that self-satisfied smile I knew too well. He gave a quick glance at his reflection in the glass, then turned his eyes back on me. “I suppose I do,” he replied playfully. “But it’s for you, sweetheart. Always for you.”

I rolled my eyes, fighting a smile. “Cheesy. So cheesy.”

“Maybe.” He stepped forward, and that’s when I noticed that he was holding a gown.... a long, golden dress that shimmered with delicate beading, catching the light like fire.

I raised a brow. “What’s this?”

“This....” Gabriel draped the dress carefully over his arm. “Is for you.”

My mouth fell open. “Wait, I thought you said we were just having a simple dinner.”

His eyes glimmered with mischief. “You know I have an affinity for being a little extra. Dinner with you is never simple.”

I stared at the gown in awe. It was too…gorgeous. And instantly, my insecurities got the best of me.

My hand brushed over my stomach. “Gabriel.... the dress is beautiful, but there’s no way I’m going to fit into that. Look at me. I’ve put on weight. I’ll ruin it.”

He caught my chin, lifting my face to his. His eyes softened, like he was reading straight through my self-doubt. “The dress is beautiful, yes. But you’re more beautiful. You’ll fit, Clairessa. Not just fit, you’ll look breathtaking.”

I tilted my head back, torn between wanting to believe him and wanting to run into the bathroom to try the gown on in secret. My voice was weak, almost pleading.

“Then let me at least change in the bathroom....”

“No.” His answer was soft but absolute. He tugged at the flaps of my robe, pulling me flush against his chest, his breath warm against my ear. “We’re doing this together.”

My pulse raced. I could feel the deep rise and fall of his chest against mine as he led me to the mirror, his hand firm at the small of my back.

His breath tickled the back of my neck, sending heat spiraling through me. “Look at you,” he whispered, voice laced with awe.

I stared up at my reflection, my makeup subtle, just a hint of color on my lips, my hair tumbling loose around my shoulders. I looked nervous and exposed.

But Gabriel’s presence behind me seeped into all of my senses. His hands slid up to my shoulders, lingering for a second before he eased the robe down, inch by inch, until it slipped off completely and pooled silently on the floor.

I gasped, instinctively crossing my arms over my stomach, suddenly shy in a way that didn’t make sense considering all the dark, reckless things we had already done together. But he didn’t let me hide.

He caught my wrists gently and drew my arms away, pressing them to my sides. His mouth brushed my temple as his hands cupped my face, his thumbs grazing over my cheeks. “Don’t you dare hide from me, Clairessa,” he breathed. “You’re too damn breathtaking.”

His hands trailed lower, tracing the curve of my jaw before gliding down the line of my throat, his palms warm as they slid over the bare slope of my shoulders. “Your skin....” he whispered, his tone filled with hunger. “....flawless.”

His fingers lingered at the spot where the skin wasn’t flawless at all. He circled the scar on my shoulder, the faint reminder of the bullet that had nearly taken me from him. His mouth hovered close enough to make me shiver.

“This scar....” he murmured, voice rough with feeling. “Has become my favorite place to touch you. Because it reminds me of what we survived.... what we overcame to get here.”

His words sank deep into me, burning through every insecurity I felt about.

His gaze roamed slowly, forcing me to swallow hard as his hand moved lower.

“And this....” he cupped my breast in his palm, his voice roughened. “Fuller now. Softer. Still mine.” His thumb brushed teasingly over my sensitive tip, making me gasp. “Perfect. Begging for me.”

My head nearly fell back against his chest, but his gaze dipped further, devouring. “And these legs....” his palm ghosted down the length of my thigh. “....Every inch of you is fire.”

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