Sweet Surrender (Returning January 4th 2025)

Chapter 8

The sight of Cassandra's car parked in the driveway had Gabriel hurrying into the house. A smile on his face, he headed to the kitchen, figuring he would either find her there or someone who could tell him where she was.

He found Eleanor in her pajamas and robe, preparing her nightly cup of herbal tea. "Where is Cassandra?" he demanded to know.

"Master bedroom," Eleanor replied, adding a tea bag to her cup.

Gabriel turned to leave.

"Do you love her?" Eleanor asked.

Coming to a halt, Gabriel turned back toward her. "She's in my home and in my bed. Have I ever brought a woman into this house, into my bed?"

"No," she muttered.

"Because they meant nothing to me and I didn't want them in my private space," Gabriel said. "The fact that Cassandra is here should answer your question."

"It does." Eleanor smiled. "I like her."

"Good, because she's not going anywhere." Gabriel wished her a good night and headed upstairs. The closer he got to the bedroom the more excited he was to see Cassandra.

He opened the door and stepped into the room. At that moment, Cassandra emerged from the bathroom wearing a pale blue silk nightgown. Her blonde hair was in a messy bun.

"How was your dinner meeting?" she asked.

"Boring but productive." Gabriel crossed the room. Pausing in front of her, he reached up and pulled the clip out of her hair. Her hair tumbled free, and he ran his hand through the silky strands. "Beautiful."

"That feels nice," Cassandra muttered, concentrating on the sensation of his hand stroking her hair. She closed her eyes and sighed.

Gabriel moved his hand to the nape of her neck and massaged the muscles there. "I'm happy you're here, darling. You won't regret giving me a chance."

"Time will tell," she mumbled.

"Yes, it will." Gabriel pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Go ahead and get into bed. I'll join you shortly."

"Which side do you prefer?" Cassandra asked.

"Right," Gabriel replied. "And you?"

"Left," Cassandra said. "Charlie always sleeps on the right side."

"The cat won't be sleeping with us," Gabriel stated.

"Try telling him that," Cassandra said, gesturing to the bed.

Gabriel glanced at the bed and rolled his eyes. Charlie was kneading the blanket on his side of the bed. "Seriously?"

Cassandra grinned.

"All right," Gabriel exhaled. "Here's how it's going to go. He can sleep with us tonight. Tomorrow you buy him a bed of his own. I'll pay for it. You can put it over there in the corner. That way he can see you from his bed."

"We can try it, but Charlie's slept with me ever since he was a kitten." Cassandra pulled the covers back and got into bed. "It's going to be hard to break him of the habit."

"Oh, I'm going to break him of it," Gabriel said.

"Good luck," Cassandra said, smirking.

Gabriel grabbed a t-shirt from the top drawer of the dresser and disappeared into the bathroom. He took everything off except his boxers and then slipped on the t-shirt.

He usually slept naked but he had Cassandra with him now. He wanted her to feel comfortable around him, so until she accepted him fully he would wear clothes to bed.

After brushing his teeth, Gabriel left the bathroom. He walked around to his side of the bed and picked up Charlie. Bringing the cat close to his face, he said, "Listen here, cat. You're on my turf now. You're no longer the male of the house. I am. What I say goes."

Cassandra snorted.

His gaze on the cat, Gabriel said to Cassandra, "A little faith here, darling, would be appreciated."

"There's something you need to know about cats," Cassandra said, adjusting her pillow. "They answer to no one. You answer to them."

"So you're saying I'm screwed?" Gabriel said.

"Pretty much."

Sighing heavily, he handed the cat to Cassandra and slipped under the covers. He turned on his side, facing her. "What made you decide to move in tonight?"

"All of my belongings are already here, and you did say you wanted me moved in by the weekend."

"I honestly thought you would wait until Sunday night," Gabriel said. "I'm glad you didn't."

Charlie settled himself between Gabriel and Cassandra and began to groom himself.

"I hope I don't wake up in the morning with his ass in my face," Gabriel said, eyeing the cat.

"It's happened to me," Cassandra said. "I've had all his body parts in my face at one point or another. You get used to it."

"If you say so," Gabriel uttered dryly.

"Has my father called you?" Cassandra inquired, changing the subject.

"No," Gabriel murmured. "I can't help but wonder why he wanted my number."

"I'm sure we'll find out soon."

"Yeah." Gabriel leaned in close. "How about a kiss goodnight?"

"How about you turn off the light instead," Cassandra suggested.

"That's just no way to be, darling." Gabriel rolled away from her and switched off the lamp. "No way to be at all."

"You'll get over it."

Gabriel shifted until he found a comfortable spot and let his body relax. Staring up at the dark ceiling, he thought about the woman lying beside him. Her scent and her warmth called out to him. He wanted to hold her, to kiss her. He hated this distance between them.

Baby steps. I'm not going to win her heart overnight, he told himself. He glanced over at her, making out the shape of her profile in the dark. "What are you thinking about?"

"I'm wondering how many women you've had in this bed," she said.

"I've had one woman in this bed," Gabriel told her. "And that is you. This is my private sanctuary. I don't let just anyone in here. Until you, Eleanor was the only woman allowed in here and that's because she needs in here to clean. If you don't believe me, you can ask her."

"I believe you," Cassandra said. "I just don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything," Gabriel said. "Maybe now you'll believe me when I tell you that I'm serious about us."

"I'm starting to believe," she said quietly.

"Good," Gabriel breathed.

Cassandra scooted closer and brushed her lips against his cheek. "Good night," she whispered.

"Good night, darling."

A/N: Thank you all for your support. I appreciate it. Hope you enjoyed the chapter and that you have a great weekend. :)