Chapter Nine

Gabriel

 

“Good evening, sir,” a uniformed butler greeted Gabriel at the door to Seraphina’s Los Altos Hills mansion later that evening. He stepped aside and gestured for Gabriel to enter. “Ms. James will be with you momentarily.”

Gabriel thanked him as he walked in, marveling at the stunning architecture of the home. The high ceilings likely reached a height of thirteen or fourteen feet. Walls of glass on all four sides offered an unobstructed panoramic view of the mountains. Even with all the things he could afford as a billionaire now, he obviously didn’t live as extravagantly as Seraphina. There was a difference between old money and new money. He wondered if the evening he had planned for them would meet her expectations.

Doubt began to flood his mind as he glanced down at his outfit. His slate gray tuxedo with its black bowtie fit him well, but he felt like an awkward teenager in it. Perhaps, it was because the style was meant for someone attending their senior prom. It was the look he’d been going for a couple of hours ago when he’d come up with his grand plan to impress Seraphina. He wondered if he should just scratch all that and fly her to Paris like any other billionaire would do.

“Hello, Gabe.”

He lifted his gaze to the top of the staircase where Seraphina stood and swallowed hard. She looked more gorgeous than ever with her blonde hair pinned up. Soft tendrils fell around her face, which had just the right amount of makeup to showcase her natural beauty. Her wine-red dress accentuated her curves with a plunging neckline and hugged her slender hips. A high slit revealed one long, toned leg and a diamond-encrusted heel as she strode down the stairs. The sweet floral scent of her perfume filled his senses as she neared.

“Sera, you look amazing.”

“Thank you. You look quite dapper yourself, like a handsome boy I used to know.”

Her flirty tone put him at ease. He released the breath he’d been holding. “It’s not my usual getup, but I needed to look the part tonight.”

She gave him a curious smile. “The part of a high schooler? Is that why you had an exact replica of my prom dress delivered to me to wear tonight? How did you even find this?”

“You can find most anything on the internet.” Gabriel grinned, knowing he had surprised her well. “I hope you’ll humor me. I racked my brain trying to come up with something to do for our first date. I mean, where do you take a woman who can buy herself anything? I thought it would be more meaningful to give you an experience instead.”

Her eyes widened. “An experience? Don’t tell me, we’re going to prom together?”

“You could say that. I reserved the Ritz-Carlton in the city where we had our original prom. I made a few playlists for us to dance to. There’s 90s boy bands, old-school hip-hop, and some new stuff the kids are listening to these days. I also booked a photographer who specializes in prom pictures. You know, the ones with cheesy poses.” He hesitated, furrowing his brows. “This all sounded better in my head when I was planning it. If you’d rather do something else—”

Seraphina placed a hand on his arm. “No, Gabe, this is perfect and so sweet. It takes a man with a big heart to come up with something so thoughtful. I love it.”

“Yeah?” When she nodded firmly, he offered his arm to her. “This way then.” He led her to their waiting limousine and slid into the car after her. They settled onto the plush seat as their driver closed the door.

She turned to him with a coy smile. “Rumor has it you were going to ask me to prom senior year. What happened?”

He smirked. “What happened was I waited too long. By the time I got up the nerve to ask you, you’d already agreed to go with the quarterback of the football team.”

Frowning, she remarked, “I wish you had been my date that night. I’m sure I would’ve had a much better time. At least I wouldn’t have spent it moping.”

“Moping? If I remember correctly, you looked more angry than sad.”

“That’s because your date was all over you! You guys were practically attached at the hip.”

Gabriel couldn’t help chuckling. His response earned him a look of indignation from Seraphina. He placed his arm around her shoulders. “There,” he declared, drawing her to his side. “There’s no need to be jealous anymore. I’m all yours.”

Her red lips curved into a satisfied smile. “Much better. And for the record, I was not jealous. I was merely concerned for your safety.”

He nodded knowingly. “Of course. It’s safe to assume then that you were at least a little bit interested in me?”

She rolled her eyes. “You’re not going to let it go, are you? All right, fine. Yes, I was. Happy now?”

He took her hand and brought it to his lips for a soft kiss. She gasped as he turned it over and placed another kiss on her palm. “Very happy. I only wish we hadn’t wasted so much time fighting in the past. I feel like I missed out on so much of your life. A lot’s happened since graduation.”

She squeezed his hand. “It’s not too late to catch up. If I’ve learned anything recently, it’s to make the most of the time you’ve got. We have a second chance to resume our relationship from where we left off. Except—” she flashed him a coy smile “—we’re both on the same page now.”

“The same page—I like the sound of that. No more competing with each other or trying to get the upper hand. I want to get to know you, the girl I fell for the first time I laid eyes on you in English class freshman year.”

“Freshman year? You barely said a word to me that year.”

“Believe me, I tried. It was hard to know how to impress you. We were from completely different backgrounds.”

“But that’s the exact reason why you caught my eye. I asked you to be my lab partner sophomore year, remember? I appreciated how you weren’t like all the other kids I grew up with. You worked hard for what you wanted. You had a drive and a passion that told me you’d go places one day. I’m not surprised you made it to CEO before I did.”

“Thanks, but I did have some help. The funds I needed to start my company—that was a gift from my father. I couldn’t have done it otherwise.”

“But you chose to use the money for good. You’re using it to help people like my father. I can’t thank you enough.” Her smile shone with gratitude.

“Of course. I’m going to do all I can to help him.”

“I know you will. I believe in you, Gabe. If you could get me to stop fighting with you—” she winked “—you can pretty much do anything.”

Her words sent a thrill through his body. If there was one thing he wanted to win, it was Seraphina’s heart. Knowing she felt the same for him as he felt for her was a sweet victory indeed.

He shifted in his seat to face her, fingering a lock of hair that framed her beautiful face. “You make me feel like I can do anything. I think your name suits you well. You’re like my own personal angel.”

She laughed. “Then you must be mine.”

“Me?”

“Your name—it’s like the angel Gabriel’s.”

He grinned. “You’re right. Look at us—two angels. We’re a great match.”

Her blue eyes twinkled like the stars, full of longing and hope. Sighing happily, she agreed, “A match made in heaven.”

Gabriel took her in his arms, enjoying the feel of her soft curves against his firm chest. One thing he was sure of—he had met his match in every way. He and Seraphina were equals on the playing fields in both war and love. Now that they were on the same side, he looked forward to more of the latter.

As the limousine sped toward the skyline of the city, Gabriel looked forward to a bright evening—and even brighter future—with Seraphina. She was right; they were a perfect pair. Two billionaire angels ready to experience a little heaven on earth.