His Wife (A Contract Marriage Story) by Heer Mangtani

Chapter 33 "Your grandfather paid for all this?" I asked in a hushed voice while sitting across him at our table in a fancy restaurant with a nI couldn't even pronounce, but the food made up for the horrendous name.

Gabriel rolled his eyes. "That's what a gift means, Freckles." I blinked, unconvinced. "The timing is just a little suspicious." "Why?" "It's out of nowhere." "No, it isn't. We never had a honeymoon because we met each other for the first tat the altar, so my grandfather figured two months is enough tforto get to know you. Hence the out of nowhere honeymoon." "Hm." I dig into my pasta, still not quite convinced, but I had other things on my mind- like how I had fallen in love with the meatballs I was eating, and how no restaurant would be able to replicate it's taste back at home.

"How many days are we going to be here for?" I asked him. That's how most conversations between us go, I initiate, he replies.

A few I raised an eyebrow. "What is a few?" "Well, we have a jet. We can go back whenever we like." "So there's no return date?" "Not yet." "But you said you had a business dinner on Saturday." Gabriel frowned. "When did I say that?" "To James," I remind him, "When he invited us over for dinner." "Oh that." A smug expression crosses his face.

My lips part. "You lied!" "I did nothing of that sort. Gabriel wasn't too much of a convincing liar when he didn't want to be.

I just laughed. "Is there an extent to your jealousy?" "I don't get jealous, Freckles. Just territorial." I controlled the urge to roll my eyes, focusing back on my pasta as a comfortable silence spread over us. "What're you wearing?" "A satin shirt and skirt? You can see se that His yes sparkled. "I mean... inside, I glared at him. "Aren't you too perverted?" 1/3 Chapter 33 "You wanted"What if I do tuck you Nonchalant as ever, he ate. "Now don't askto stop." "I won't." He replied, serious as ever. "One night wasn't enough. I want all of them." A small but sly smile covered my lips. "I'm wearing white." "I'm going to tear it off." "You can't ruin all my nice lingerie." "I can. Because then I'd buy you new ones." "You're impossible," I giggled shaking my head, dismissing him.

"What's your wildest kink?" He asked, "A fantasy you're scared to even accept to yourself.

I gulped, and the way I stopped eating and just stared at him, I knew he could tell from my red face it was way more interesting than he earlier thought. Nonetheless, I looked at him pointedly. "Is every question you ask related to sex?" I know everything else about you," "No, you don't" comfort "You don't really have a favourite colour, you like them all equally but if you have to choose, you'd choose blue or purple. You listen to slow songs, mostly from Taylor Swift, but your favourite music genre is hip-hop. You binge watch your shows whenever you're sad. Daisies are your favourite flowers. You miss your parents incredibly, you went to Seoul to connect with their memories. You're fiercely protective about your family- your grandfather, and you'd do anything for him. And, you like me. He says all of it without missing a beat.

"That's all Facebook material." I mumble, not meeting his eyes.

"Is it Facebook material that you like me?" I don't like you," I scowl, "I barely even tolerate you sometimes Gabriel just smirks. “See, here's one thing I didn't know about you- you also lie." I roll my eyes. "Whatever helps you sleep at night." "Lately, it's the thoughts of f*cking you. Or actually f*cking you like last night." My lips part. "You're impossible." "No. What I am is smart and good at proving you wrong, which means I have earned knowing your wildest fantasy" I feel my cheeks redden, again. "I can't tell you, I'murmur. It was almost so twisted that I was ashamed about it. "You can. Askmine and I'll tell you in a heartbeat." "No" My voice was nothing lesser than a whisper. Of course, I wanted to ask him what his kinks were, his wildest fantasy, but knowing his answers meant giving him mine and I wasn't ready for that yet. I'm not ready. I'll tell it to you when I am." He c*cks an eyebrow. "Now you've gothooked." "Have I raned an eyebrow, changing the topic quickly. "I was beginning to think you'll get bored ofnow that we had Chapter 33 "Bored of you?" He pushed his plate aside, and I realised he was done eating. "Freckles, I think I'm obsessed with you."

I stare at him, his words hanging in the air between us. Surely, he couldn't have meant it in the way my heart had taken it, because it was summersaulting in my chest. I had goosebumps on my skin, ones so evident I'm sure he could notice- and I tried my best to convince myself it was because of the cold night wind, and not the affect of his words. I tried pulling a nonchalant smile, and probably miserably failed. "With my body, you mean." "You," he corrected, effortlessly.

The moment was broken when a waiter stopped by our table, asking if wanted any more wine, and I shook my head to Gabriel who declined the offer.

I had had enough in the two small glasses, and I hated being wing tipsy, I think I hated wine, but it suited the kind of fancy place I was at. I was O more of a vodka person. Or maybe even gin, But those were the times I and Alice went to a bar after a hard day at work or when my grandfather's condition worsened and I couldn't see my only family wither away in front of me, and got shit head drunk, and Sam picked us up and made sure we were in bed safe. Simpler times.

"You were wrong about something, you know?" I told him while we waited for the cheque. "In the Facebook information." His eyebrows knit. He did not like being incorrect. "And what is that?" "My grandfather isn't the only family I have," I said, softly, carefully, ready to backtrack from what I was saying if his expressions changed for the worse. Just as reluctantly, I added, "You're family too. Now, I mean." The smile that spread on his lips was so sudden, so genuine, as i had caught him by surprise.

1 0 "So are Elise and Ralph, and Leila and Alister now, Ladded as quickly as I could, referring to his parents and grandparents.

His smile remained unfazed. "A "And me." I raised a shoulder, huffing. I wasn't going to live it down. "And you." "So, you considera part of your family, just not trust worthy enough to know about your kinks," he teased and I thro napkin at him which fell to the wooden floors with a sound louder than I expected, making a few heads turn.

I flushed in embarrassment but Gabriel just laughed until I gaven and joined him, out laughters rest e echoing in the fancy restaurant seeming completely out-of-place, but even out-of-place seemed like a good place to be as long as it was with h X