Megan looked up into the face of the man that currently had her locked in his arms. Gabriel's eyes were still ice blue which meant, Megan guessed, that his mood had not soured yet. Megan tried to push back so she could talk to him but that only made him tighten his grip on her. He appeared to be deep in thought.
Megan sighed deeply, drawing Gabriel's attention. "Look, I am not trying to escape. I understand that for the next thirty days we are stuck together but I will go insane stuck in this house all the time. If you don't want me to feel like a prisoner, then you need to let me see my friends."
"Fine," Gabriel said causing Megan to smile brightly. "However, if you want to leave the house, I will have to go out with you."
Megan stared at Gabriel in dismay. "I don't think you will enjoy yourself with my friends."
Gabriel shrugged, "the only way you are leaving this house is if I'm with you. Maybe that will change in the future, but it won't change tonight. Your choice."
Megan looked at Gabriel for a minute. "Okay, we should get dressed or we'll be late." She was certain he would not let her go without him.
Gabriel reached a hand up and brushed Megan's hair away from her face before tipping her chin up and bringing his lips to hers. The kiss was short but still made heat race through her body. Megan sighed lightly as Gabriel stepped away from her and walked into the closet. Megan turned into the bathroom to get dressed and fix her hair.
Megan put on smokey eye liner, mascara, and brilliant ruby red lipstick that wouldn't smudge and left her hair down in soft curls with one crystal studded bobby pin holding back one side behind her ear. Megan looked at her dress which was black satin, fitted with strings holding up the low-cut bodice and crisscrossed multiple times over her bare back.
The dress was short stopping just before mid-thigh. It was a clubbing dress that had an over dress which she put on. The over dress was a vest on the top with a wide belt with a satin covered buckle with a loose flowing skirt that ended just above the knees. The dress was perfectly respectable for dinner attire and completely hid the dress for the club.
Megan didn't know how to tell Gabriel they were going or what she was wearing. He would just have to experience this as he went. He was the one that demanded to come, after all. She wondered what he had chosen to wear for the evening and left the room to grab her evening bag with her wallet.
Walking into the bedroom Megan saw Gabriel tying his dress shoes on the bench at the foot of the bed. He was dressed in a dark grey suit, black dress shirt, and black tie. His hair was slicked back hiding its length.
Megan walked up next to Gabriel. "Stand up and let me look at you." He gave her a funny look but did as she asked.
"Take the jacket off... Don't look at me like that. If you want to go out with my friends and I, you need to loosen up." Gabriel raised an eyebrow at her but took his jacket off.
"I'll be right back. Get the tie and shirt off." Megan demanded, heading into the closet. Megan went through several of Gabriel's drawers before finding what she was looking for and heading back into the bedroom. He stood shirtless with his arms crossed over his chest. Megan noticed he had a rough looking scar over the upper right side of his chest.
Megan handed him the plain black T-shirt. "Put this on and tuck it in please." Megan handed him his suit jacket once Gabriel was dressed again. "You can put this back on now." She was trying not to notice the way the shirt stretched across his muscles and failing. Megan stepped back to look at him, but he still looked too severe.
"Sit down." Megan said briskly. Gabriel huffed but folded himself onto the bench. Megan stepped closer to him and then using both hands completely mussed his hair combing her fingers through it until it fell in dark disorganized waves to just past his chin. Megan took a step back and smiled, he looked a lot less serious and dangerous now. Gabriel opened his eyes; he had greatly enjoyed her fingers in his hair.
"You'll do now." Megan told him smirking. Gabriel scoffed and pulled her against him. He planned to kiss her, but Megan's phone went off and she pulled away to answer it. She told the person on the other end that she was on her way. Gabriel checked what Megan had done to him in the mirror and had to admit that he didn't look half bad.
A few minutes later they climbed into the car. Gabriel asked where they were going and Megan told him Alberto's which was a mid-level restaurant and bar near the docks in the harbor.
"Megan where did you get your phone and wallet?" Gabriel asked about halfway through the drive.
"I was in the library wishing for my phone and then it was just there. I figured the same might hold true for my wallet, so I asked the house for my it and a few minutes later it was there on the nightstand." Megan explained her voice calm and her words level.
"Megan I..." Gabriel started, thinking if the house had given her those things he couldn't really argue since that meant they were things she needed at a fundamental level for her well being.
"Don't. I have accepted that there are some things about your house that don't make sense and I am comfortable with that. If you try to make some excuse it will only make things worse for me because I will know you're lying so just don't" Megan told Gabriel. He nodded, putting his arm around her and pulling her to him.
Megan crossed her legs and what Gabriel thought was her skirt fell open in the center to show a much shorter skirt. Megan watched as his eyes tracked up the length of her legs and he swallowed thickly. She hid a smile seeing his reaction to her. She liked that she bothered him in such a way.
Gabriel cleared his throat. "You look very alluring tonight. What exactly is the plan for the evening?"
Megan grinned, "We are meeting three of my friends for dinner and then we are going dancing at Mystique."
"What is Mystique?" Gabriel frowned at the name.
"It's a nightclub." Megan told him cheekily.
"You were planning to go to a nightclub without me. Without your husband?" Gabriel scowled, turning to look at her.
"Relax, it's not like you're a real husband." Megan shook her head at how ridiculous he was being.
"I assure you I am and you thinking and acting like I am not your husband isn't acceptable. We are really married and as long as that is the case I expect you to honor me as your husband. Do you understand?" Gabriel growled dangerously.
Megan was stumped, she didn't understand this man at all. "I understand. I didn't think you would care one way or the other."
"Well, I do." Gabriel retorted frustration evident in his tone. He looked uncomfortable about the admission.
Megan considered him for a moment. Gabriel was a difficult person to figure out. Was he a serial killer, a secret king of some obscure country adding brides to his harem, a man looking for the perfect wife, a sorcerer with a magic house that needed sacrificial brides? Who was he and why was she with him. What was her purpose and what would happen to her when he tired of her? She couldn't fight him, and she couldn't escape him, so what should she do?
Pretending that none of this mattered didn't seem to be an option either. Gabriel had taken that option from her by coming tonight and demanding she honor him as a real husband. It's not like she was going home with anyone, but it would have been nice to dance and forget she was tied to him without knowing why.
Megan looked up from her depressing thought at a movement from Gabriel. He had turned in the seat to face her. The next second his lips were on hers and he was kissing her with a scorching intensity. Her thoughts swirled away as heat flooded her senses followed quickly by desire. It ran through her system like tongues of flames as her lips parted and Gabriel deepened the kiss. Then the car stopped, and he broke away from her with a soft curse.
"We're here," Gabriel told Megan softly as he rested his mouth against her forehead fighting to calm down so his eyes could return to normal. He hadn't been able to fight the need to kiss her even though he had known it was foolish.
Gabriel turned away from Megan and toward the door just as it opened, needing another moment to compose himself. Gabriel had always kept to himself as much as possible in this world because his changes were tied to his emotions, and he had always been a passionate and hot-tempered person. In his world, no one became alarmed if he suddenly sported black eyes but here that was a real problem.
Megan wondered why every time he touched her Gabriel turned his back on her. Was he hiding his eyes from her? Was what she saw even real? Gabriel climbed from the car and reached a hand in for her. She took it feeling confused. When she exited the car, she looked up at him and he smiled at her. His eyes were a little dark but not black. What a strange man he was?