He folded his arms. “Of course not. You must go greet threats with open arms.”
Be mature, Gabrielle, be mature. “Screw you, Andre.”
Okay, I was still working on the whole maturity thing.
I went to push past him, but he caught my arm and reeled me in. “That was not a very nice thing to say,” he said, his voice low and menacing. His eyes glinted. At the moment Andre was a hundred percent predator. “I am not asking you to live in fear; I’m asking you to be smart about these things.”
His nostrils flared and he lifted his chin as he scented the air. His pupils dilated. “What is that smell?”
“What smell?”
Andre let me go, only to walk further into the room … towards the rumpled bed. I’d had one of those “Do Not Disturb” signs outside my room, so the maid hadn’t come in.
Andre fisted the sheets and brought them to his face.
Ah. Oh. He could smell Oliver’s scent mixed with mine.
Rage crackled off of it the second he lowered his hand. “What. Is. This?”
I did probably the worst thing I could in that moment. I laughed. But I mean, seriously? Oliver and me?
“You think this is funny?” He practically growled the words.
I tipped my head back and forth, weighing his words. “Kinda?”
Oliver chose that exact moment to come barging into the room. “Lover bunny!” he shouted as he skipped inside.
Next to me, Andre went rigid.
“You’ve been ignoring me all day, and I want to have fun with you …” Oliver’s words died on his lips when he saw us.
He stopped in his tracks. “I didn’t know you two were in here getting jiggy with it.” Oliver looked like he was going to say more. I shook my head and drew my hand across my neck.
Confused, Oliver glanced at Andre, who still clutched the rumpled sheet in his hand and was flashing the fairy a look that promised retribution.
Understanding dawned on Oliver’s face. He backed away. Smart fairy. “I’ll just leave you—”
“Have you been sleeping with my soulmate?” Andre cut in, his voice low.
“Errr, not like that. Although she does have nice boobs,” he said thoughtfully. After a pause he added, “Only pair I’ve ever fondled and enjoyed.”
I rubbed my forehead. “Oliver just …”
I saw Andre’s muscles tense to attack Oliver, so I did something Andre himself had taught me to do: I tackled him. We tumbled onto my bed, wrestling to get the upper hand.
“Stop. Being. Possessive,” I ground out.
Andre rolled on top of me. “You push me too far, soulmate.” Well damn, he didn’t even sound winded.
Oliver made a small noise, and then I heard the sound of his retreating footfalls. My door opened and closed, and I breathed a sigh of relief. At least Oliver had the sense to get out of the warpath of my raging boyfriend.
Andre didn’t make any attempt to go after him. Instead he stared down at me, his eyes dark pools. “Soulmate, how could you?” Betrayal laced his voice.
I raised my brows. “Did you really think I did anything with Oliver? Oliver?” I asked.
“You’re a siren,” Andre replied. “Anyone—man or woman, gay or straight—can be attracted to you.”
Well, I could’ve used that piece of knowledge before this morning’s grope session.
“So you assumed that I’d cheat on you?” I said. “Me, your soulmate.”
I could see some of the anger drain from Andre’s features. Beneath it was something vulnerable. Dare I think it? Was Andre … unsure of himself? That was new.
I hooked a leg around his hips and flipped us, readjusting my body so that I straddled his torso and pinned his arms. “You are insane if you think that anything happened,” I said, then backtracked. “Well, okay, Oliver did grope me,” Andre stiffened beneath me, “but on accident while we were asleep.” I rushed the rest out.
“On accident?” Andre looked murderous. He began to push me aside, his focus on the door.
I tightened my grip. “Chill, Andre, it’s not a big deal.”
His expression begged to differ. “I will not chill.”
I wiggled my hips and bent over him. I smiled slowly as his attention refocused itself on me.
“Having you beneath me is kind of … hot,” I said, gazing down at him.
His eyes smoldered. “You think you have me trapped?”
“Last I checked, I’m the one pinning you down.”
His trapped hands curled around mine. That … wasn’t supposed to happen. “You’ve gotten good at grappling,” he said, “but you still have a ways to go, young grasshopper.”
My eyes lit up. “Hey, that was a pop culture reference and a joke! I’m officially impressed.” Playful Andre was a rare treat.
Faster than I could react, Andre hooked a leg around me. I let out a small squeak when he flipped us. Within seconds I’d gone from holding him down to being pinned beneath him.
“Your words are insulting,” he said, his hair tickling my cheeks as he bent over me, “but I forgive you.” He nuzzled my neck. His lips brushed over it, trailing kisses down to the hollow of my throat.
I tilted my head back and closed my eyes, reveling in sensation of his mouth on my skin. He hesitated against me, and I felt the air in the room change from playful to serious.
His mouth hovered over the base of my throat for what felt like an eternity. “I love you,” he whispered against my skin.
I didn’t move. Had I heard him right? ’Cause it sounded like …
Andre drew his head back and stared me in the eyes. “I love you, Gabrielle.”
Chapter 12
My gaze locked with his.
He let go of my hands and caressed my cheek. “I have for a very long time—”
“I love you too.” The words just slipped out, as though my mouth had consulted my heart, not my head.
He pulled back just long enough for me to see his astonishment.