Page 47 of One Night with Cinderella

“I don’t belong here, Gabe,” Monica said, taking a deep sip of her drink in hopes of easing her insecurities.

The behavior of his family and friends was proof that money could not buy respect. To them she was still the maid in expensive dress-up.

“I’m here and you belong with me,” he said.

In his eyes she found the strength she needed. Being with Gabe meant merging their worlds and taking whatever came along with it—to a degree.

“How was the meeting?” she asked.

The light in his eyes dimmed a little. “Enlightening,” he said.

“Care to share?”

He forced a smile that did not reach his eyes as he shook his head. “Not yet.”

Monica reached for one of his hands and started playfully swaying back and forth as she made little silly expressions meant to lift his spirits.

He gave her a reluctant chuckle before pulling her close for a hug as he pressed a warm kiss to her neck. “Let’s go,” he said.

“Where?”

“You came here with me, and now I’ll go wherever you lead.”

Monica leaned back to look up at him. “Anywhere?” she asked.

“Anywhere,” he promised.

Cloaked by darkness, Gabriel leaned against the doorway to their private overwater bungalow at the Four Seasons Resort Bora Bora. He glanced back over his shoulder at Monica, asleep in the middle of the king-size bed, before facing forward and resting his gaze on the dark shadow of Mount Otemanu in the distance. He needed the quiet and had been unable to sleep even though they’d left for their trip just a few hours after they’d ducked out of the cocktail party.

During their thirteen-hour flight, mini-chaos had reigned. Photos of them together at the cocktail party had been leaked to the press. Their relationship had become gossip fodder. The tale of a former maid, who was the secret love child of a former Hollywood star, now dating a member of the family she used to work for, seemed too salacious to be ignored. Particularly with the speculation of just when their relationship had begun.

His phone was ceaselessly ringing with calls from his family members, but he ignored them all. His disconnect from them had begun before the scandal that brought the Cress, INC. brand into the fray.

“There are women you wed and those you bed. Know the difference.”

His anger at Phillip Sr.’s words rose as if he’d just heard them for the first time. He was offended by the insult, and such a mindset disturbed him—particularly coming from his father. His respect and admiration of his father’s talent, wisdom and profound love for their mother had been immense. Those traits he admired were suspect with the things he’d said in that meeting. Gabe was questioning if they were different men at their core and why he’d fought so hard for his father’s hard-earned approval.

He decided it was time to take his own advice.

Take nothing from anyone.

And in the silence, the answer he searched for came to him. The idea was not new, just something he had been hesitant to accept. But now he was sure.

It was time to walk away from Cress, INC. and open his own restaurant.

With one last look at the moonlight upon the lagoon, he turned and crossed the bedroom to reclaim his place in bed beside his woman. With his decision made, and feeling inspired by her strength, resilience and her kindness, even with the tough times life had tossed upon her, he wrapped his arm over her waist and finally was able to join her in sleep.

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