Chapter 171: We Talk Like This
By the time he finished speaking, Aliana’s heart was galloping completely out of control. She wondered if she might actually faint at this rate.
Yet his words touched a profound and deeply buried part of her soul, systematically erasing every lingering doubt in her head.
Her gaze remained locked on his, and she watched as his eyes dipped to her lips once more.
She knew that if he stared at her like that for even a moment longer, nothing would stop her from surrendering herself to him completely. Part of her desperately wanted that, because she realised just how terribly she had missed him while trapped in that dark, cramped container.
His presence was taking deeper root in her life, a truth made undeniably clear by the horrific experience of being separated from him.
Still, there were too many things they had yet to ask each other and get clarity on.
So, with herculean effort, she tore her gaze away from him before finally lifting her hands from his shoulders to cup his face.
"Gav," she spoke softly, "we need to talk about everything that happened."
He studied her for a second longer, letting the feel of her touch settle against his skin before closing his eyes to rein in his growing desire for her.
Then, as if making a decision, he finally moved his arms from her waist down to her thighs and said in a slightly rough voice, "Hold onto me."
Not giving her a second to process his words, he suddenly rose from the bed with her in his arms.
A gasp escaped her in surprise before she instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck.
Effortlessly, he carried her to the headboard before settling back down on the bed, bringing her down with him. Resting comfortably against the headboard, he kept her securely in his lap as his gaze returned to hers.
Frowning, she looked at him in confusion, to which he simply replied, "I thought it would be better to get more comfortable before we continue our conversation." His hands loosened around her thighs, but instead of letting go, his fingers began to lightly trace her skin, making her breath hitch.
Suddenly, it hit Aliana that his hands were in direct contact with her bare thighs.
Her eyes immediately dropped downward, only to find herself dressed in an oversized white shirt. Her cheeks burned at the sight as she realised she wasn’t wearing anything else.
Snapping her head back up to look at him, silently demanding an explanation, she caught the mischievous glint in his eyes as he asked, "What’s wrong?"
"M-my clothes," she murmured, her voice small.
"They were dirty. Don’t worry, I only bathed you and didn’t do anything more than that." His lips twitched slightly. "Even though I wanted to."
Shaking her head in disbelief, she stared at him for a moment before burying her face in her hands in mortification and muttered, "God, you are so shameless."
"There is no shame in seeing what’s mine."
"Alright!" She suddenly slapped her hand over his wicked mouth, cutting him off before he could say anything more scandalous or try to seduce her.
She felt his lips curl into a smile beneath her palm, and her heart fluttered wildly in her chest at the sensation.
Narrowing her eyes at him, she warned, "Behave. We have serious things to talk about, remember?"
As Gavriel watched her lightly glare at him, he was reminded once again of just how different his real Aliana was from the imitation.
The imposter would never have dared to speak to him this way, much less glare at him. Only this fearless woman possessed the courage to challenge him so openly, and if he were being honest, he secretly enjoyed every bit of it.
Yet, it made him wonder if she knew who he truly was... would she continue to be this carefree with him? Or would she, too, begin to fear him?
The thought sat uncomfortably in his chest.
Regardless of his thoughts, he knew now was not the time to dwell on such things. There were far more pressing matters at hand, things that even he needed answers to.
Letting out a soft sigh, he rested his head against the headboard and replied calmly, "Fine. Tell me, what do you want to know?"
Seeing that he was willing to answer her questions, Aliana began to move, intending to sit beside him.
Before she could, he tightened his grip on her thighs once more, "We talk like this."
"But..." she started to protest as she realised she wasn’t wearing anything beneath the oversized shirt. The idea of sitting on his lap in such a state was mortifying.
Gavriel, however, wasn’t having any of it.
"We talk like this, or not at all," he challenged, his tone leaving no room for argument.
Aliana studied him for a moment, fully aware that he wasn’t going to budge on the matter.
With no other choice, she let out a resigned sigh before shifting into a more comfortable position and leaning against his chest. Since he refused to let her go, she might as well make herself comfortable.
Once she had settled, she looked up at him and said, "Fine. Tell me everything."
One dark eyebrow arched. "Everything?"
"Yes, I want to know every single thing that happened at the party, all the way to how you found me," Aliana demanded.
So Gavriel began, recounting what had happened to Cillian and Jade when they spotted the apparition of Rose in the Vanderbilt courtyard. He explained how they had rushed to find her, only to cross paths with him when he was already on his way to find her himself.
He detailed his conversation with the imposter in the car, though he seamlessly skipped the part where he had almost brutally killed her.
He watched as Aliana’s brows furrowed deeply when he reached the part about the impostor trying to seduce him while wearing her lingerie.
He paused for a moment, waiting for her reaction, only for her to ask sharply, "Did you... did she try to do something to you?"
Gavriel’s lips twitched. "What do you think?"
Aliana simply shrugged. "I asked you, didn’t I?"
His smile widened slightly. "Well, she was you, after all."
