Falling For My Ex's Dad (Clarissa and Gabriel)

Clairessa's POV

Chapter 107: Just Getting Started

Gabriel chuckled softly, stepping forward with that confident stride of his.

"You must be Jess." He extended his hand.

Jess straightened, smoothing her hair as if she hadn't just been caught gawking. She took his outstretched hand, gripping it a little too eagerly.

“And you must be the famous Gabriel Storm." Her eyes practically sparkled.

"In the flesh." His grin was effortless.

Then, turning back to me, Gabriel's hand brushed against my cheek, lingering longer than necessary. His lips pressed lightly against my forehead, warm and possessive.

"I'll call you," he murmured against my skin, his breath sending shivers down my spine.

Then he stepped back. "I'll let you two catch up. It was nice meeting you, Jess."

"The pleasure is all mine!" Jess exclaimed, leaning against the doorway, watching him leave with a look of admiration that quickly turned to mischief the moment the door clicked shut.noveldrama

"Claire..." She let out a dramatic sigh. "That man is the definition of hot. Handsome. Rich. Tall. It's giving

'Zaddy' energy, and I'm here for it."

"Jess!" I cut her off, shaking my head at her theatrics as I dropped onto the sofa.

She plopped down beside me, folding her legs under her. "No, seriously! I can see why you lost your V-card

to him."

"Jess!" I gasped, more outraged by her boldness than surprised. "How was your trip?" I asked quickly, desperate to change the subject.

She waved a dismissive hand. "Forget about my trip. Let's talk about yours." She grabbed my hand and pulled me closer.

"Spill. Now. I need all the details. How was it? Was he gentle? Rough? Did he take his time or-"

"Jess!" I covered my face, feeling shy about sharing such intimate details.

She grinned. "Oh my God, it was rough, wasn't it? I knew it!"

I peeked through my fingers. "I am not talking about this."

"Oh, come on! I live for these details," she pressed. "Did he whisper sweet nothings? Or was he all dominance and control?"

I shrugged. "A little bit of both..." I admitted reluctantly. Gabriel was patient and... intense when he needed to be. Let's just say it went better than I ever imagined. Jess let out a squeal. "I knew it! Damn, Claire, no wonder you're glowing!"

My cheeks burned. "Can we talk about something else?"

"No way," Jess countered. "I need more details. If only my first time had been half as good as yours... What

a waste."

"Jess," I groaned, shaking my head. "You've told me that story a thousand times."

"And I'll tell you a thousand more. But now, I'm only interested in hearing more about Gabriel Storm. Is he anything like Adrian?"

The mention of Adrian made me tense. "Can we not talk about him?" I replied, feeling slightly guilty. "Besides, he is... completely different from Adrian in so many ways."

"Oh, thank God," Jess exclaimed a tad dramatically. "I never really liked Adrian for you. I always thought you were too good for him, but you loved him, so I let it be."

I smirked at her over-the-top display. Adrian wasn't the best boyfriend, but he wasn't entirely bad. He had his moments, but I couldn't say that to Jess. Otherwise, she would wonder why I was still defending him. Even I wondered why.

Jess rested her chin on her palm, eyes narrowing with curiosity. "Now, if Gabriel isn't like his son, what is he like?"

“He's... intense. Hard yet tender. Complicated. He's a whole lot," I responded, feeling a rush of electricity just talking about him.

Jess grinned. "Sounds like my type already. Tell me more.'

"Fine," I relented.

1 told Jess everything about Gabriel-our first night together, his outbursts-but I left out the more intense details. Like the spanking.

Jess listened intently, then sighed. "Claire, you need to be careful with this. Are you sure you know what you're doing?"

I crossed my arms. "I can handle myself. Besides, weren't you just hyping me up moments ago? What's changed?"

Jess shifted, leaning back. "It's just... the look in your eyes when you talk about him. This isn't just a game anymore, is it?"

"It's nothing serious," I replied too quickly, knowing in my heart it was a lie. "It's just... complicated."

Jess didn't look convinced. "Claire, from everything you've told me, Gabriel is the kind of man you should stay away from."

"Why?" I asked, as though I didn't already know the answer.

“Because, Claire, he has so much baggage. The issues with his ex-wife-Adrian's mom-that you just told me about. And then there are all these rules he's giving you. Do I need to keep going?"

I shook my head.

"Claire, I'm only looking out for you."

"I know. But like I said before, I can take care of myself."

Jess gave me a worried look. "You can lie to everyone else, but not yourself. Claire, you're a hearts-and-flowers kind of girl. You're not the daring and dangerous type."

"What if that's who I want to be now? Good girl Clairessa is gone. Now I just want to follow my feelings."

"Without a care for the consequences?" she asked, her eyes searching mine. "I don't want to see you get hurt again-or worse, caught in a twisted web between father and son."

I turned away. "I won't get caught up. Adrian is my past. Gabriel is my present." "Have you thought about what would happen if Gabriel found out you were his son's ex-girlfriend?"

Honestly? I had. More times than I could count. But I was too deep to stop now.

Jess reached for my hand, her gaze serious. "Claire, this was supposed to be one wild night of pleasure. But you're clearly into him. I think you need to stop this."

I pulled my hand from hers and stood abruptly. "Can we talk about something else?"

Jess paused but eventually gave in. "I guess. But the update I have is still about the Storm men. I'm especially talking about Adrian."

"He's been calling me, you know. He keeps saying he wants to talk to you. He's been showing up at the gallery multiple times a week, claiming he can't reach you."

I rolled my eyes. "I blocked him. That's why. I can't have him calling when I'm with Gabriel... That would

just be crazy."

Jess gave me a long look. "Claire... I still think you can walk away from this."

I shook my head. "Let's see where it goes."

"If you say so..." she replied. Then she raised her eyebrows. "What about Adrian?"

"What about him?" I repeated.

"He still claims to love you. Says he'd do anything to win you back."

I laughed softly. "I'll pass. His father is much better."

Jess gasped, then burst into laughter. "Oh my God... I've created a monster."

She giggled, but then her expression grew serious. "Just... be careful, Claire. I mean it."

I met her gaze. "I know, Jess. I know."

The truth of her words settled over me.

She was right-this could all come crashing down.

But for now, I just wanted to enjoy the moment. After all, Gabriel and I were just

getting started.