ACCIDENTALLY MARRIED TO THE BILLIONAIRE SINGLE DAD (Gabrielle and Damon) novel Chapter 45

CHAPTER FORTY–FIVE

GABRIELLE’S POV

Damon held my hands even after I stood up and even as we walked through his garden.

It was unusual but I had to act normal even though my insides were a mush of nerves.

We walked in silence through the huge garden, the sounds of crickets and frogs filling the space between us. The night air was cool against my skin and his hand was warm, almost grounding.

He didn’t look at me, not directly, but his thumb brushed my knuckles every minute like he was checking if I was still there.

Or maybe he didn’t even realize he was doing it.

The thought made my chest tighten.

I kept waiting for him to let go, to step back into his usual cold, distant Damon but he didn’t. He kept holding me like it was the most natural thing in the world.

We reached the small stone path that led to a huge fountain, almost the size of Father’s pool and he finally paused. I turned to him, unsure of what to say. His eyes flicked to my neckline and I instinctively reached to tug at my dress again.

He gently caught my wrist before I could.

“Gabrielle,” he said quietly, “don’t do that.”

My breath caught.

His eyes were softer than I’d ever seen them and the crickets hummed louder like they were trying to fill the silence he left behind

“You look beautiful,” he said, almost like it hurt him to admit it out loud. “There’s nothing wrong with your dress.”

My throat tightened. “She made it sound like-”

“She was wrong,” he cut in sharply, then softened again. “You didn’t do anything wrong.”

The way he said it… slow and certain… like he needed me to believe it.

I looked down at our joined hands. “You dragged me out because you were angry,”

“Yes,” he said without hesitation. “But not at you.”

His thumb brushed my skin again and this time I felt it like a spark.

“I don’t like seeing you upset,” he murmured.

My heart squeezed hard enough that I had to exhale to steady myself.

Wait.

Fuck, Gabrielle.

No.

Your heart shouldn’t do that.

But it was too late.

Or maybe it was the alcohol.

It had to be.

CHAPTER FORTY–FIVE

+25 Bonus

He led me to sit at the edge of the fountain, his hand still wrapped around mine like he had forgotten how to let go.

The sound of water trickling behind us made everything feel too intimate.

He sat beside me but left almost no space. My dress suddenly felt too thin, the air too heavy and my heartbeat too loud inside my

chest.

“Gabrielle,” he said again, quieter this time. “I don’t want you thinking for one second that anyone has the right to make you feel small.”

I blinked hard. “I wasn’t feeling small.”

He tilted his head. “Then why did you try to cover yourself?”

I swallowed, my mouth dry and my brain useless. “Because… because everyone was looking.”

“I was looking,” he admitted. “But not for the same reason.”

My breath hitched.

Then he exhaled and his expression turned unreadable. Back to default, huh?

“Your garden is beautiful,” I said, looking around. “It’s very beautiful. I want to see more.”

He nodded. “Sure. But your feet will be sore by the time we finish touring.”

“It’s that big?”

“It’s that big.”

I stood up. “Then we’d better start now.”

He rose beside me, still holding my hand. The shift in his face lingered in my mind but I pushed it away and focused on the path ahead.

We walked between tall hedges and quiet trees. The night air moved against my skin and the lights along the path cast soft glows on the flowers.

My steps slowed every few seconds because everything around me pulled my attention.

“You created all of this?” I asked.

He nodded once. “I oversaw it.”

“It feels peaceful.”

“It helps me think.”

I turned to him. “You needed to think tonight?”

A faint movement crossed his jaw. “Yes.”

I tried not to stare at that tiny shift in him but it was impossible. His fingers were still linked with mine. He hadn’t let go once. His thumb brushed my skin every time our hands swung forward and my chest grew tight each time.

We reached an open area with a stone pathway cutting through to an even bigger fountain.

“You seem to be obsessed with fountains,” I commented.

His eyes darkened. “My mother used to love them. They are here to honor her.”

That meant his mother was dead. It was the only thing I knew about his family except for his sister’s death.

2/4

CHAPTER FORTY–FIVE

+25 Bonus

The moonlight hit his face and his icy blue eyes pulled me in before I could stop myself.

He stopped walking.

So I stopped too.

His gaze dropped to my dress, then rose again to my face. “Gabrielle.”

My stomach tightened. “What is it?”

He stared at me, his lips parted but not saying anything. He studied me quietly as the silence pressed between us and my breath became shallow.

He stepped closer. “I did something.”

“What?”

He put his hand in his suit jacket and brought out a small bottle of scotch. The same kind I had stolen from the party weeks ago.

Well, I like to think I borrowed it.

I smiled. “Did you steal this?”

He shook his head. “I picked it up before we left the house.”

“I could kiss you right now,” I laughed, taking the bottle from him.

I tried to open it but it was too tight. I turned to him for help but caught him staring at me intently. For a few seconds, I forgot

what I was about to say.

I held the bottle up. “Help me.”

He did not move for a moment. His eyes stayed on my face and something inside my chest reacted before my brain did.

“Damon,” I said, softer than I intended.

He blinked once and finally took the bottle from my hands. He twisted the cap open with one smooth motion, but his focus never shifted from me.

“Here,” he said, handing it back.

I took it, but my fingers were slow around the glass because he was still looking at me with that heavy, focused stare that stripped every thought from my head.

“You drink first,” he said.

I took a swing from the bottle and winced as it burned through my chest, making me feel warm in the cold night. He took the bottle and drank.

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