Page 100 of Forged

“Logistics. We own carrier services and work in some third-party sales.”

All technically true.

The conversation continues after that. We share a second bottle of wine. Stories slip easily between the three of us. Gabriel talks about living briefly in Milan when a trading opportunity kept him there for six months. Neomi counters with a story about losing three hundred thousand dollars in Monaco before winning it back the same night.

At some point I notice that I’m no longer studying Gabriel the way I was earlier. The suspicion hasn’t disappeared entirely—it never does with someone new. But the longer the night continues, the easier it is to speak with him and to relax.

He listens when Neomi talks. And when he looks at me, there’s a quiet confidence in his gaze that I find myself respecting.

After our dinner plates are cleared, we order dessert and trade our wine for coffee. Creme brulee and a flourless chocolate cake are placed in the middle of the table and we share them. Gabriel takes one bite of each before setting his spoon down. It’s then that I feel his hand on my thigh under the table.

The contact sends electricity through every cell of my body, and I know I can’t deny the attraction between the three of us. His thumb makes lazy circles as he listens intently to Neomi talk about her high school years. I should be listening, but all I can focus on is his touch. He does it so freely and easily—no shame in our public setting. It’s bold and sexy as hell.

I’ve never been one to shy away from showing affection, regardless of gender. I know I have the privilege of my last name to thank for the comfort I can do it with.

Conversation and laughter continue after I pay the bill and by the time we step out onto the sidewalk an hour later, the air between the three of us has changed.

The valet disappears to retrieve the cars. For a moment we stand together beneath the awning while the city moves around us. Gabriel turns toward Neomi first.

“I’m really glad we did this.”

She smiles, eyes bright. “So am I.”

He leans down and kisses her softly. When he straightens, his attention shifts toward me.

Something in the way he looks at me makes my heart pound against my ribs. Then he steps closer. His hand slides behind my neck as he pulls me into a kiss.

Heat sparks instantly, sharp and unexpected. His mouth moves against mine with confidence, and I feel myself leaning into it before the thought fully registers.

When we finally separate, I’m breathless.

The valet pulls a car to the curb. Gabriel glances toward it before placing one last kiss to Neomi’s lips.

“Goodnight, Neomi.”

She smiles. “Drive safe.”

“I really hope I can see you both again. Lars, call me.”

He rounds the hood of his Mercedes and pauses once with a small wave. Then he gets in and the car disappears into traffic a moment later.

Neomi and I watch the taillights fade down the street.

Then she exhales softly beside me. “Well.”

I glance down at her. “Well, what?”

Her eyes remain fixed on the empty road.

“I want more.”

The honesty in her voice settles deep in my chest.

“So do I.”

Sunlight filtersthrough the tall windows of our bedroom in pale streaks that stretch across the floor. I lie still for a moment, watching the light shift across the ceiling while Neomi sleeps beside me. Her blonde hair spills across the pillow in tangled waves, soft against the sheets. She looks peaceful.

Last night sits somewhere between memory and reality in my mind. Dinner, conversation, the quiet rhythm of the restaurant around us—and then the moment outside when Gabriel pulled me into that kiss. I can still feel it, the confidence in the way he touched me, the certainty in the way his mouth moved against mine.