Page 36 of Protected By Her Daddy

“Yes, it will. Congratulations on your wedding, Wren. I’m so happy for you.”

My heart swells with love. “Take care of yourself, okay? We’ll talk again soon.”

“I love you, honey.”

“I love you, too, Mom.”

I end the call and turn to Gabriel, watching me carefully. Without a word, I wrap my arms around him, holding him close, grateful for the man who’s given me so much more than I ever thought possible.

Chapter 11

Gabe

“Why the pout, Mrs. Burns?”

“You know why,” I grumble as the elevator doors open to the penthouse.

My husband has teased me for days, refusing to touch me again until we said our vows. He’s driven me insane with fleeting kisses and caresses but hasn’t taken things to their natural conclusion. I know he’s being thoughtful, allowing me to recover from my first time, but I’m over it. The sexual frustration is close to driving me mad.

“The virgin I rescued from a dark alley has turned into a sex-crazed monster,” he teases, swinging me into his arms with an ease that makes my breath catch.

I curl my arms around his neck, leaning in to nip his ear. “Stop talking and tend to your husbandly duties.”

“Believe me, it’s been as hard for me as it has for you,” he says roughly as he places me gently on the bed, his eyes raw with need as they meet mine.

I sprawl across the sheets in my wedding dress, already so aroused I could combust. “Do you spray yourself with testosterone?” I demand. “Is that why I can’t resist you?”

Gabriel leans over me with unmistakable intent and his ever-present air of protectiveness. “Special blend designed to trap you, my little bird.”

I scoot up the bed to lean against the headboard, watching him with a hunger I don’t try to hide. “I didn’t thank you for my present.”

When I changed into my dress earlier, a velvet box was waiting on the bed. Inside, an exquisite diamond charm bracelet lay on white silk with a little bird dangling from it.

“Oh, I intend to have your gratitude tonight, wife.” He smirks as he sits on the bed beside me.

Wife.

I love the sound of that on his lips. Desire ripples through me, spiced with anticipation.

His hip nudges mine as he removes the pins from my hair., allowing it to fall around my shoulders. Brushing it aside, he kisses my neck. That same sensitive spot he found the other night when he was inside me.

He kisses me, a fleeting press of his lips to mine. I grumble and follow him for more, grabbing his shoulders and pressing my mouth to his. His tongue flickers out, but he withdraws after a brief taste.

Leaning away, he opens the nightstand and pulls something out. “Close your eyes.”

My heart performs acrobatics. “What?—”

“Close your eyes, little bird.” The command in his voice is unmistakable.

Heat pools in my core as I rest my head against the headboard and close my eyes. My other senses sharpen. The bed is soft beneath me, the Egyptian cotton sheets smooth beneath my fingers. Gabriel’s musky scent teases my nostrils, and his warm breath fans my neck, lifting the tiny hairs on my body. Every nerve ending is on alert, attuned to him.

A whisper of fabric touches my face, and something smooth covers my eyes.

“What are you doing?” I ask, lifting my hands instinctively.

“Don’t touch.” Gabriel’s words stall my movement as his hands move deftly behind my head.

I open my eyes to darkness. “Gabe?”

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