Chapter 120: Baby Talk
Luna's POV
As we drove away from the hospital, my thoughts kept circling back to Isabella and her pregnancy. Life was about to get seriously complicated for her and Oliver.
"You're awfully quiet," Gabriel noted, keeping his eyes on the road.
I sighed, shifting in my seat to face him. "Just thinking... maybe we should ditch the birth control."
Gabriel's head whipped toward me so fast I thought he'd pull a muscle. His eyes went wide before he snapped them back to the windshield.
"I mean," I rushed to explain, feeling my cheeks heat up, "maybe you should stop popping those pills. They can't be great for you long-term, right? We could switch to condoms."
Gabriel's lips quirked into a small smile. "The pills are totally safe, Luna."
"Still," I pushed, "there could be side effects we don't even know about. What if they mess with your fertility down the line?"
His grip tightened on the steering wheel. "Worried about my future kids?"
"Maybe," I admitted. "You never know what you'll want someday."
Gabriel went quiet for a beat, his expression thoughtful. "Maybe one day we'll want a family," he said softly, his voice almost lost in the engine's hum.
My heart flipped at that, but I kept my tone playful. "Don't get any ideas, Ashford. No 'oops' pregnancies, got it? I'm not there yet."
"Luna," he said, dead serious now, "I respect your choices completely. I'd never do anything without your full say-so."
I studied his sharp jawline—the one I loved tracing with my fingers. "Good to know."
Gabriel eased to a stop at a red light and turned to me. "For what it's worth, I've never been big on kids. But yours..." He paused, his eyes intense in the low light. "Yours would be different."
Warmth bloomed in my chest. Before I could reply, the light turned green, and he focused back on the road.
After a stretch of easy silence, he broke it. "So, what'd Isabella really want to talk about?"
I tensed a little. "Just girl talk."
"Girl talk," he echoed, clearly skeptical. "She's pregnant, isn't she?"
My jaw dropped. "How the hell did you figure that out?"
Gabriel smirked, satisfied. "We've been chatting about babies and birth control since we left the hospital. It was an educated guess." He glanced my way. "I didn't know for sure until you just confirmed it."
"You sneaky bastard," I muttered, shaking my head.
"So Oliver finally pulled it off," Gabriel said, with a hint of respect. "They're gonna have a kid."
I caught a flicker in his eyes—longing? Envy? It vanished too quick to tell.
"Oliver doesn't know yet," I confessed. "And you can't tell him. Isabella swore me to secrecy."
"Her secret's safe with me," Gabriel promised as he pulled into the hotel lot. "But Oliver's sharp when it comes to her. He'll catch on soon enough."
He parked and shut off the engine. Before I could grab the door, he covered my hand with his.
"Luna," he said, his voice dropping low and sending shivers through me. "I want a family. With you."
The heat in his eyes stole my breath. Before I could respond, he was out and opening my door, always the gentleman.
We rode the elevator in thick, charged silence, his hand possessive on my waist. The second our suite door clicked shut, he yanked me close, nuzzling into my neck.
"You wouldn't let me envy Oliver and Isabella, would you?" he murmured, his breath hot against my skin.
I laughed softly, pushing back just enough to meet his gaze. "Is that what this is? Jealous they're having a baby?"
"Maybe," he admitted, hands sliding to my hips. "Or maybe I just want you. Bad."
"I think it's the latter," I teased, looping my arms around his neck. "You just want sex. Don't use them as an excuse."
Gabriel's grin turned predatory as he scooped me up effortlessly. "Help me with my tie?" he asked, carrying me toward the bedroom.
My fingers fumbled with his silk tie, memories rushing back—of late nights from our first time around, when he'd stumble in exhausted from work, and I'd slowly undress him...
"What're you thinking about?" Gabriel's voice pulled me back.
"Nothing," I lied, finally yanking the tie free.
He carried me into the massive bathroom, where a deep, circular tub took center stage. Without setting me down, he cranked on the water, steam already rising.
"You know," he whispered, lips grazing my ear, "you're still terrible at undressing me. Too damn slow."
"Maybe I like savoring you," I shot back, popping his shirt buttons.
His patience snapped. He set me down and stripped us both in record time, eyes darkening as clothes hit the floor. Steam filled the air as the tub brimmed with hot water.
He stepped in first, then tugged me after him. The heat enveloped us as I straddled his lap, facing him. His hands roamed up my sides, igniting sparks everywhere they touched.
"This beats talking about babies, huh?" I murmured against his lips.
Gabriel's response was a deep, hungry kiss, his fingers knotting in my hair as water sloshed around us. I rocked my hips, grinding down, feeling his cock throb in response. "God, Luna," he groaned, breaking the kiss to trail his mouth down my neck, nipping at my collarbone while his hands cupped my breasts, thumbs circling my nipples until they hardened.
I arched into him. One hand dipped between us, stroking his cock firmly—long, deliberate pulls that had him bucking up, water splashing over the edges. "You feel that?" I whispered, voice breathy. "All mine."
He growled, flipping us so my back pressed against the tub's curve, his body pinning me. With a swift thrust, he filled me with his cock, stretching me completely. We moved together, frantic and slick, his mouth devouring mine as he drove deeper, each roll of his hips hitting that perfect spot. My nails raked his back, urging him on, until ecstasy shattered us, leaving us trembling in the cooling water.
---
Hours later, we sprawled in the king-sized bed, a sweaty tangle of limbs and bliss. Gabriel's fingers traced lazy circles on my bare shoulder as I pillowed my head on his chest, tuned to his steady heartbeat.
"Mind if I smoke?" he rumbled, voice low.
I propped up on an elbow. "Since when do you smoke?"
"Occasionally," he confessed. "When I'm this relaxed." His eyes locked on mine, asking permission.
"Go for it," I said, intrigued. I'd never seen this side of him.
He fished a sleek silver case from his pants on the floor, lit up with ease, and took a deep drag, smoke curling lazily upward.
"Can I try?" I asked on impulse.
He looked surprised but passed it over. "Easy does it."
I took a tiny puff and exploded into coughs. "God—" cough "—that's—" cough "—awful!" The bitter taste clung, tears stinging my eyes.
Gabriel chuckled, reclaiming the cigarette. "Silly girl," he said warmly. "Not your thing."
Still hacking, I swatted his chest. "You could've warned me it tastes like ass."
He stubbed it out in the nightstand ashtray, then hovered over me, eyes twinkling. "Let me make you forget," he murmured, claiming my lips in a kiss that curled my toes.
When we pulled apart, I shoved his chest lightly. "You're a bad influence, Ashford."
Gabriel's wicked smile returned as he leaned in again. "I don't need cigarettes," he whispered against my mouth. "You're my addiction."