Amelie shifted onto her left side, sinking into the plush mattress inside the warm duvet. A deep, musky scent filled her senses, wrapping around her nose. A soft smile played on her lips. The scent was so pleasant that she instinctively inched closer to its source, her hand gliding upward until it met something firm and warm.
It was a body.
Her drowsiness evaporated in an instant as her eyes flew open.
A sharp scream escaped from her lips as she jolted upright, her heart hammering wildly against her chest.
"What—what am I doing here?" Amelie stammered with wide eyes.
Gabriel, completely unfazed, leaned back against the headboard. One knee was bent, his forearm draped lazily over it. A teasing smirk tugged at his lips.
"You tell me," he drawled. "You crawled into my bed, Amelie."
Her face burned. "What? That’s not true!" she sputtered. "I—I was in the living room!"
"I think you have a habit of jumping into my bed, Amelie," Gabriel said, his voice laced with amusement.
"You’re lying. I’ve never sleepwalked before," Amelie shot back, her eyes narrowing. "You brought me here, didn’t you?"
Gabriel lowered his knee and leaned in slightly. "I couldn’t let you freeze to death in the living room, kitten," he said smoothly. "Since you chose to sleep there instead of the room I prepared for you, I decided to bring you here. Rest assured, nothing happened. You were curled up like a tiny kitten, fast asleep," he smirked.
"You could have just left me in my room," Amelie murmured, avoiding his gaze.
"And what’s the guarantee that you wouldn’t have ended up in the living room again?" Gabriel countered. "Don’t be so naive, Amelie. Remember, we spent a night together when we first met, shared a few kisses..."
Her stomach twisted at the reminder, and she clenched her fists. She didn’t like his explanation, but she couldn’t fully blame him either. The truth was, she had struggled to sleep last night and had dozed off on the couch without realizing it.
Gabriel’s expression softened. "It was a genuine concern, nothing more. I thought it was best to keep you close," he told her. "You already know I’m a gentleman. Even though you once promised me you’d do anything I desired, I refused to use your body for my pleasure. I suppose there’s no harm in teasing you a little."
Amelie stiffened. "I’m sorry, but you know that..." She trailed off, unable to force the words past her lips. Instead, she took a deep breath and straightened. "I should go to my room. I don’t want to be late on my first day as your secretary," she asserted.
Before Gabriel could say anything, she turned and rushed out of the room.
Gabriel watched her and knitted his brows. He understood where her reaction came from. But pressing her on it now wouldn’t do any good. She needed to accept that there was nothing wrong with carrying the child of a wolf who had abandoned her. She deserved a second chance for herself.
Letting out a deep sigh, Gabriel got down from the bed and made his way to the washroom to freshen up.
~~~~
On the breakfast table, Gabriel was quite surprised to see Amelie being all dressed in a formal attire. Her hair was tied in a bun and the curls hanging down her temples.
As the maids served the breakfast meals to them, Amelie began eating while Gabriel was simply lost in her simple beauty.
Amelie sensed a piercing gaze on her and she lifted her head slowly. Swallowing the food in her mouth, she spoke, "Is there something on my face?"
"No," Gabriel refused and cut the steaks on his plate. "I was admiring you. I think I’m allowed to do that." He took in the steak in his mouth and chewed it.
Amelie bit her bottom lip and lowered her eyes to focus on the meals. After a moment, she said, "There’s nothing admiring about me."
"Who said?" Gabriel asked promptly. "If that’s what you think about yourself, then start learning self-love."
Amelie met his gaze once more.
"You lack confidence, Amelie. You underestimates your own worth. If you won’t value yourself, then others won’t either. You should be proud of your own identity. And I told you already how strong you are! Not everyone can be like you," Gabriel stated, a small smile playing on his lips as he brought another steak to his mouth.
Those words filled Amelie with newfound hope. "Thank you for saying that," she whispered and finished her meals quietly.
Gabriel picked up the wine glass, taking a few sips.
"I have to return in the afternoon from the work. You may have to look into my work, Amelie," Gabriel said.
"Okay," Amelie agreed to him. "Do I have to stay in the office?"
"Yes, for the paperwork. I want to rely on you," Gabriel asserted.
"I won’t give you a chance to complain," Amelie answered.
"I trust you," Gabriel replied, lowering the wine glass.
As they both finished, they made their way out to the living room, where Karmen awaiting his alpha. Seeing Amelie, he greeted her a good morning before turning to Gabriel and whispered something in his ear.
Amelie was curious to know, but she couldn’t directly ask him anything.
"Karmen, Amelie will look into my work from today onwards as I’ve chosen her as my secretary. I hope you make her understand the job well," Gabriel said with a smile.
"Sure," Karmen gazed at Amelie. "I will tell you everything in the car," he added.
Amelie nodded her head and followed Gabriel outside to the car. She stepped toward the passenger’s seat when Gabriel stopped her.
"You are sitting with me on the backseat," he said and gestured to her to get in as he already had opened the door for her.
"Shouldn’t the boss step in first?" Amelie asked.
"I want you to get in first," Gabriel replied. She didn’t argue with him and settled inside. He, too climbed in the backseat and buckled his seatbelt.
Seeing Amelie struggling to pull the strap, he leaned in toward her. She pressed her back tightly on the seat while letting him fasten the seatbelt for her.
’His scent...’ she thought and promptly averted her gaze before he could look at her.