Tonight has been a game changer for me, but I’m not ready to tell her that. She said she’s scared of me; I wish she wasn't. I don’t know how to give her what she needs; all I know is, I need her. I need her more than anything, but can I release the control over to her? I don’t know, because that’s exactly what I would be doing, giving her complete control over me. Once she has that power, I’ll be forever hers. So, why do I already feel like I’m hers? Fuck, it’s already happened...hasn’t it? I am hers. Now I just need to make her mine.

Right now I just need to get her home, then I’ll figure out the rest.

My curiosity is piqued by something I remember from earlier. “Fallon, what did Theo whisper to you?”

“You saw that, huh?”

“Yes, and I’ve got to tell you, I didn’t like it. So, what did he say?”

“He told me if I ever needed anything, just to call him and he would take care of it...and me.”

“That son of a bitch!”

“Gabriel, I thought he was a very nice man, and he can be a very nice ally to have. He can be very beneficial to us in the long run. So, don’t allow your jealousy to override smart business relationships.”

“You did it again.”

“What, Gabriel?”

“I’ll tell you what my favorite part of the night was. I loved hearing you say, ‘us.’ You said it twice in front of Theo, and you just said it again.”

“I didn’t mean anything by it. It’s just a word.”

“No, you meant it. You meant it as a form of you and me, and you meant it as being a part of the Stern family.”

It’s so quiet for a while; she is debating the meaning of what I just told her. Well, now I’ll give her more to ponder.

“And as far as what you said about jealousy. I can’t help it. I am jealous. You might not want to believe it yet, Fallon, but you are mine, you will remain mine, and if another man so much as touches you, I will kill him.”

She looks at me in shock, then slowly relaxes back into the seat.

What do I have to do to prove to her she will always be mine and I’m not letting her go?

We pull into the driveway to the mansion. I’m so frustrated, I’m gripping the steering wheel tight. I pull the car over before we get to the front of the doors, before anyone can see us. I put the car in park. Fallon still says nothing.

“Fallon, come here.”

She turns and looks at me and still says nothing. I turn and grab her hand and pull her towards me. I kiss her tenderly, and she kisses me back. I gently grab her around the waist and guide her over the seat to pull her in closer. She spreads her legs and is now straddling me; right where I need her.

She’s moaning into my mouth now, so ready for me. We’re both so hungry for each other.

I grab her face and make her look at me. I study her beautiful face for a second before I ask, “You ever made out in a car?”

She laughs; it’s a beautiful sound.

“No.”

“That’s what I like to hear. I want you to experience all your firsts with me. You hear me? No one else, Fallon, just me.”

She nods her head. I start to kiss her again, and the moaning continues. I grab her hips and start maneuvering them over me to make her feel my erection.

“Do you feel that, baby?”

“Yes.”

“My cock is hard. You made me that way. You always make me so hard. Every time I’m around you. Every look you give me. Only you, Fallon. Only you have ever made me like this.”

I continue to grind her against my erection as I watch her face contort in pleasure.

“Let me have all of you, baby. Give yourself to me.”

I kiss her neck and run my fingers through her hair, moaning into her ear.

“Please, baby.”

She abruptly stops, then looks me dead in the eyes and whispers, “No.” She lifts her body, removing herself from my lap, and returns to her seat. She bends down to grab her purse, then tells me, “Goodnight, Gabriel.”

She exits the car and walks straight into the house, all before I can grasp what just happened. I’m left sitting in my car like a stupid teenage boy with blue balls. What the fuck is she doing to me?

She might be able to tell me no now, but I will have her. Once I make her my wife, I’ll be as patient as I can be, but my patience is running thin.

I don’t know how I did it, but I got myself out of that car. I didn’t want to. I wanted everything he could give me, but I also know I want more. If I would have given into my desire, given in to him, I would never get what I want.

Gabriel sure doesn’t make it easy for me, though. I never wanted to leave his arms.

I fall asleep sometime during the night, thinking of all my options. I awake knowing Brittany’s right. I can never run; he will find me. He won’t let me get away from him. Now I must decide how to proceed. Do I still want to try to convince him to love me, or am I willing to find someone else to love me? I know in my heart I’ll never be over him. Even if I find someone else, it will always be Gabriel in my mind and heart.

But now I need to decide whether to settle or move on.

My cell phone rings, the caller ID says it’s Miles. Here we go; maybe it’s a sign. We talk for a few minutes, exchanging pleasantries. He’s calling me to make sure we are still on for tonight. His family is having a small, intimate dinner party, and he would like me to be his date. He doesn’t say, but I know he also wants to parade me around to his family. He mentioned on our last date how his father said a woman like me would be a great addition to their family. All I heard, though, was that his father thought I would be great arm candy for his son, a son he wants to follow his lead into politics. Everyone loves a pretty face. I know the drill, but I agree to see him tonight. I tell him Vin will drive me over instead of him coming to get me. I don’t think I could run the risk of Gabriel seeing him with me; however, I do inform Catherine where I will be tonight. She takes me by surprise, practically begging me not to go. She says Miles is not right for me.

I tell her, “OK, I will be fine. I already agreed to go to the dinner, and it would be rude of me not to attend.”

“Fallon, dear, please be careful. Please!” Catherine scares me with her tone. I don’t know how to take her. I promise her I will.

The party is an enormous success; everyone is having a wonderful time. Senator Rollins seems to be very interested in me. Through the course of the night, I notice him watching me. Every time I look around the room, there he is staring at me. It’s very off-putting. Finally, he strolls over to me. He greets me with a curious smile. We talk for a few minutes about nothing much particularly, then I catch him studying me again. When he notices I have taken offense, he apologizes for his rudeness and says I look so familiar to him, like he should know me. He even tells me he has brought this up to Catherine, hoping she would jar his memory on how he could possibly know me, but neither of them could place the resemblance.

After our conversation, dinner is announced. During the meal, I catch the senator still in deep concentration over me.