Page 39 of The Photograph

We clap and hug and cheer some more. I squeeze her hand. “So, tell—”

“Good news?”

We both freeze—I jump, Emma squeals—and whip our heads to Gabe who stands in the reception area. His broad shoulders are encased in a perfectly cut charcoal suit and pearl grey shirt opened at the collar, and the space bends around him to accommodate his majestic stature

My heart, already happy, bursts at the sight of him, and I beam as I near him stopping close enough for the warmth of his body to graze mine.

“Yes, excellent news. Gabe, hi.”

When Em steps by my side and clears her throat, heat flushes my face.

“Gabe, this is my one-woman team, and my best friend Emma. Em, this is Gabe Matthews, the owner of Holloway House.”And sexiest lover in the whole wide world.

Gabe extends his open hand, and his voice rumbles. “Pleased to meet you.”

I smile at Em’s rounded eyes and parted lips as she stares up at Gabe.

“Same,” Emma replies. She clasps her hands in front of her. “I feel like a coffee. Anyone for coffee?”

When Gabe and I shake our heads, she strides toward the kitchen. Halfway past the door, she turns and mouths.‘Oh, my God.’

Left alone with Gabe, my heartbeat quickens. I’ve missed him but I canfeelthe tension coming off him, so I keep still. “Hi.”

His gaze roams slowly over my office.

What are you thinking about? “You like it?”

He sets his black eyes on me, and his voice caresses my skin. “I do.”

Dear God, all it takes is one look and I’m ready to roll over for him. Roll under him.

“Is it about Holloway?”

He does his dimple-winking, lopsided smile, and I hold my breath. “No, it’s PR. Our publicist will get in touch with you, but I wanted to tell you in person thatElle décormagazine wants to do an article on Holloway, and I asked that they get in touch with you since it was your vision. Is it something you’d consider?”

I gape at him.Consider? You just blew up my highest dream into the stratosphere and you want to know if I need to think about it?

“I would love to. Do you know the angle they’re going for?”

His eyes set on my mouth and my skin tingles all over. “Ann will forward you the brief.”

God, I want to kiss him.“Thank you, Gabe.”

His eyes both soften and burn as he brushes the back of his fingers on my cheek. “You deserve it. Your work is excellent.”

Melting under his praise, I lean into his touch, but shift back when Emma comes back to her desk at the same time the phone rings.

Gabe locks his eyes onto mine. “Is there somewhere we can talk privately?”

My bedroom?I sigh, Gabe’s expression is … troubled. “Sure, come with me.”

I lead him to the back of the house to my studio—my small haven—wedged between the two houses and adjacent to our garage. The room is bathed in natural light splashing through the glass ceiling and wide windows to receive maximum luminosity. In the center, my designs are spread all over the huge sketch table John custom built for me.

After closing the door behind us, I rest my back on the door with both hands curved around the handle while Gabe steps to the middle of the room. I shiver at his expression.

“Come here.”

My heartbeat quickens as I stare at his extended hand.

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