Fraternization Rule (Risque Contracts Book 3)(21)

I couldn’t really argue with her. Not when she was right. “Whatever. Give me an hour to get ready.”

“Just so long as you don’t fall back asleep, or else I’m going to come over and pull you out of your bed,” she threatened.

“Fine,” I grumbled, tossing the blankets off my body and apparently talking to myself as I heard three beeps letting me know the call had ended. Odds were good that Elisa was already on the phone with a car service. I climbed out of bed and headed into the bathroom to get ready because I didn’t have any time to waste. It was a good thing, too, because there was a call from the doorman to my cell phone fifty minutes later to let me know my car was here. When we pulled up in front of my sister’s home, she was waiting for me on the steps with a drink in each hand.

“You decided mimosas weren’t strong enough?” I asked, taking one of the bloody marys from her.

“No, I decided I was morally against mixing two thousand dollar champagne with orange juice.”

Startled laughter bubbled up from my throat. I pointed to the four million dollar house behind her. “I think you guys can afford it.”

“You’ve gotta draw the line somewhere.”

I followed her into the house, chuckling softly while we settled on the couch in her living room.

“Drink up and then tell me everything that’s happened with you and Professor Hottie.” I blushed at the thought of telling her about all the things Gabe had done to me in bed last night. She raised her eyebrows at me, her gaze scanning my face. “Okay, maybe you should leave out a few details. You are my baby sister, after all.”

I told her about the time I’d spent with Gabe, what happened with the dean and his subsequent proposal. “I’m worried this is all moving too fast. I’ve longed for him from afar for four months, but we’ve only really been together for three days. And I can’t help but think the only reason he popped the question is because he doesn’t want me to go to Berkley in the fall.”

“I’m the last person to judge you for the speed of your relationship, Charlotte. Remember me? You’ve known Gabe for about four times as long as I knew Brysen before I married him—married, not just accepted his proposal. And that was three days into our actual relationship.”

I thought about how perfect Elisa and Brysen were together, how I’d seen it for myself from the moment I brought our mom’s wedding dress to her in Lake Tahoe. They were proof that whirlwind romances could work, but their story was different from mine and Gabe’s. “Brysen didn’t have any ulterior motives when it came to asking you to marry him that weekend. Nothing other than wanting you to be his wife right away.”

“The best advice I can give you is to talk to Gabe about your worries. Let him know what’s in your heart. The only way to build a solid relationship is to communicate with each other, even when it’s hard.” She paused for a moment. “Actually, scratch that. Especially when it’s hard.”

I knew she was right. I needed to talk to Gabe when he got home tonight. I gulped down my bloody mary and reached for the pitcher on the coffee table to refill my glass. I needed some more alcohol to settle my nerves.



I was sitting and waiting for Gabe in his dining room when he got home, dinner on the table. It seemed to be our thing, and I wanted our conversation to go as smoothly as possible. Although Gabe was an excellent cook, my skills in the kitchen were lacking so I’d ordered take-out and picked it up on my way back from my sister’s house.

Gabe’s gaze swept over me, lingering on my legs as I uncrossed them before standing next to the candlelit table. “Aren’t you just a sight for sore eyes?” He dropped a quick kiss on my lips and then settled into the chair next to me. “But you didn’t have to make dinner. I would have done it. I like feeding you.”

“And I like being fed by you.”

His eyes heated at my response, his gaze dropping to my lips and I knew he wasn’t thinking about watching me eat but seeing something else slide into my mouth instead. I licked my lips at the thought of tasting his cock and then shook my head, trying to fight the sensuous fog I quickly fell into when I was around him. He was too damn sexy for my own good. The food would get cold, but I knew if I didn’t start this conversation now, the odds were good I’d forget what I wanted to say and we’d end up in bed together without talking at all.

I took one deep breath to settle my nerves and then dove right into the heart of the matter. “We kind of got sidetracked last night and didn’t talk about the timing of our engagement and what you see happening next.”