At the crack of dawn, Gael woke up to Angela's whimper. It was four in the morning when he checked the time. Being a light sleeper really had its disadvantages from waking up to the smallest of sounds. However, it didn't bother him whenever the sound came from her.

In the past few days, Angela had dreams that caused some restlessness in her sleep. Most of the time, they didn't last long, but it still worried him. The awful one was when she woke up crying, but thankfully, none of that had happened since.

When he woke up, she wasn't attached to him, the blanket partially covering her breasts and a nipple peeking out. He carefully shifted her towards him, and she naturally curled into his side. Gael had gotten so used to her warmth that sometimes, he thought that he would wake up whenever she moved away unconsciously during her sleep.

Angela slid her hand across his chest and wrapped it around his midsection as she nuzzled against his neck. This. This was what he was looking for. Her scent, her softness, her warmth, her everything.

In two weeks, a lot had changed in Gael's life. His apartment felt homier than it ever was. The other day, he noticed some subtle changes that Angela made around the place.

There were more throw pillows in the living room; new small plants were placed in some areas, giving life to the otherwise dull sections; the table had a runner and an eye-catching centerpiece; the kitchen island always had fruits; a diffuser and humidifier in the bedroom; even the bathroom had new rugs.

Whenever he was working, she worked on her books too—sometimes she read, or shopped on her phone and had them express-delivered to his apartment. Angela made herself at home. And he loved it.

A lot had changed in just so little time. Just several months ago, Gael was hell-bent on punishing her for the book she wrote that could have gone wrong and ended differently. And now, he was hell-bent on punishing her for other reasons—punishments that she enjoyed very much.

He gently fingered her hair away from her face and tucked it behind her ear. She was still in a deep sleep, and he watched the slow movements of her chest as she breathed and the parting of her lips.

God, she was so beautiful.

So he told her just that.

"You're so beautiful, Angel," he whispered in her ear.

Angela didn't wake up, but she let out a tiny sound as if responding to his words.

Gael didn't ask for her, but she came barging into his life like a hurricane. He wasn't ready then—but now, he'd do whatever it would take to keep her next to him. Even if it meant going against the Russian bratva—hopefully, it wouldn't come to that.

If it did come to that, he wouldn't care if he had to face the Pakhan himself. His father, Alessandro, would probably have to disown him, but even that wouldn't stop him.

Gael was way in too deep—falling in love with Angela—and despite being a great swimmer, he'd willingly drown for her, in her, with her.

Fuck. What had he gotten himself into?

Ever since he lived with his father in Italy, he learned many things from the brutal part of the mafia. His grandfather taught him that love was a liability. That was why his grandfather had mistresses. The late Severino De Luca showed everyone—most especially his enemies—that women were disposable to him, so they wouldn't be able to use them against him.

But growing up with his mother and grandmother, Gael learned that love was what kept them going. That it was both painful and beautiful. That it was worth it.

A small smile formed on his lips as he pulled her impossibly closer and continued to whisper while caressing her bare shoulder, "I want this, baby. You in my bed every night, every day. Wherever… As long as you're with me. I want to put that smile on your face all the time. I'll do it forever if you let me."

Since when did he become so fucking cheesy? Ever since Angela came to his life. Whatever. He'd do everything as long as it was for her.

A rush of strong emotions coursed through him, and he wanted so badly to tell her everything—tell her how much she meant to him. It was getting harder and harder every day, keeping it in, and he didn't want to keep it in anymore.

Placing a long, lingering kiss on her forehead, he closed his eyes as he played several plans in his head.

***

The sound of a phone notification woke Angela up. She fluttered her eyes open and rubbed the sleep off of them as she scanned the bed and looked for a sign of Gael around the room with a lazy gaze. He was nowhere to be found. The clock on his side of the bed said that it was eight in the morning.

Groaning, she reached for her phone on her nightstand, her hand pausing mid-air when she noticed a beautiful bouquet, a black paper bag next to it, and a pink envelope leaning against it. She instantly smiled so wide as she sat up on the bed and tucked the sheet under her arms.

Leaning against the headboard, Angela picked up the envelope. "To my Angel." it said on the front. She pulled out the card inside and read what Gael wrote in it.

[ Good morning, Beautiful. I didn't want to wake you up because you looked so peaceful. I got you these flowers on my way home from a quick run. They looked so pretty, just like you.

You must be wondering what's inside the bag. You can check it out if you're curious, but don't use it yet (even if you are tempted). I want to try something with you tonight.

I'll pick you up at six for dinner. Wear something sexy but easy to remove. I'll have you for dessert. ;)

From your hot boyfriend whose body you love so much,

Gael ]

Angela laughed at that. "How romantic."

Curious, she bit her bottom lip as she grabbed the paper bag and peeked inside. It was full of pink paper stuffing that made a mess on the bed as she fished out the content. Inside was a smooth black box almost the size of a shoebox with nothing written on the surface. It only made her more curious.

She opened the box, and her jaw dropped.

Lo and behold — a sleek, vibrant pink rabbit vibrator laid diagonally inside. "Holy…wow," she gasped. This she did not expect to see that morning at all.

The sex toy looked similar to her old one that was inside her nightstand drawer back in Mayne, but this one looked more sleek and smooth with its body made of silicone and more enticing with its curved angle and bulbous head.

Her heart thumped in her chest, and she swallowed at the thought of using it.

There was another card inside the box with his handwriting on it.

It said:

[ This is "Gael". No. You can't change its name. ]

Angela could only shake her head while chuckling. Of course, he had to do this. When did he even have the time to buy this?

And he was right. She was actually tempted to try after seeing it. However, she exercised her patience until later tonight. Gael seemed to have planned something for her, and she couldn't wait.