Her face flushed when they finally broke apart and then everyone was clapping and shouting their congratulations at the same time.
“It’s going to take awhile for me to get used to seeing you make out with my little sister,” Blake joked, his voice containing humor and a little disgust as he slapped Gabe on the back. “But I can’t see her finding a better man.”
Chloe smiled at Blake and he winked back at her before pulling her into a hug. She hugged every person in the room, her heart overflowing with joy.
“I can wait until you’re ready before we get married. But I wanted that ring on your finger,” Gabe whispered huskily into her ear.
Everyone was milling around the living room chatting, giving them a break to be alone for a moment.
“What happened with you and James?” Chloe knew the bastard had gotten what he deserved. Still, she hated that Gabe had been hurt in the process. The cut over his eyes had clotted and stopped bleeding, but his jaw was still swollen.
“We settled things. He’ll go from the hospital to jail. Unfortunately, he’ll probably get out if he makes bail. There weren’t that many charges we could bring against him, nothing violent.”
“When do you think he’ll get out? Do you think he’ll try something else? What if he has other videos?” Chloe wondered if her fear would ever end.
“I’m pretty doubtful he’d ever have released the video. It doesn’t exactly put him in a good light either. He was careful when he didn’t email the video to you. I don’t think he wanted any copies out there. And I’m pretty sure he isn’t going to get out of the hospital any time soon.”
Chloe sighed as she put her arms around Gabe’s neck and rested her head on his chest. “I can’t believe you put him in the hospital. What if he presses charges?”
“He won’t. I have witnesses who will swear it was self-defense, one of them a senator. He’s already been warned that he can’t win. He hated that. The bastard always wants to win.”
Chloe knew Gabe was right. James did like to win. There was nothing that pissed him off more than losing.
“Let me clean up your cuts,” she said, pulling away from him. “You really should go to a hospital.” She could doctor him up a little, but for her peace of mind, he needed a professional assessment.
“That’s the last thing I need,” Gabe argued as he pulled her close to him again, tossing the jewelry box he was still holding onto a nearby counter. “I only need you.” He pulled her close and ran his hands up her back.
“You have me. Now let’s get you a doctor.”
“I think I already have one,” he said teasingly.
Chloe rolled her eyes. “If you were a horse, I’d know exactly what to do.”
“Pretend I’m a stallion,” he whispered naughtily.
“That’s hard to do when almost every member of my family is here.”
“Later,” he promised.
Chloe ached to be alone with him, but she wanted to thank her family first. All of them had been willing to let their own lives crash down around them because of James’s revenge porn. She wanted them all to know how much it meant to her that they loved her that much.
“Later,” she agreed, pulling him down for another kiss. She was gentle, careful not to aggravate his injuries. She settled for a short embrace before pulling away. “Now let’s go get you cleaned up.”
He let her lead him away from the crowd. She took him upstairs and cleaned his wounds, thinking the entire time that he acted just like the restless horses he loved so much. He changed clothes because he had blood all over his shirt from the cut on his forehead, and they headed back downstairs.
“That was fast,” Blake said with a smirk as they appeared. He looked Gabe up and down.
Chloe laughed, knowing her brother was teasing Gabe because they’d taken so little time upstairs. Blake was insinuating that they’d gone for a quickie.
“Fuck off, Colter,” Gabe grumbled.
The men stopped insulting each other as Chloe’s mother came rushing over. “Let me see the ring.”
Chloe held her hand out for her mother to dutifully admire her engagement ring. “It’s a Mia Hamilton ring,” she told her happily, going on to explain how Mia and Max were related to Asha, who Aileen knew from hearing Chloe and Lara speak about her in conjunction with the charity they’d become involved with.
“It’s lovely. How many carats?” she asked Gabe curiously.
Chloe watched him shrug. “I thought about getting something bigger, but I was afraid Chloe wouldn’t wear it all the time if I did that. I think this one is around four carats.”
Aileen smiled at her, and Chloe smiled back, remembering their joking conversation about getting at least a three-carat ring from The One.
“It’s more than enough,” Aileen said happily and winked at Chloe.
“I think it’s perfect,” Chloe said with a contented sigh.
Her family started to leave one by one, and she thanked all of them even though they shrugged it off as no big deal.
Blake offered to get Chloe’s truck from James’s house.
“We’ll pick it up…later,” Gabe told his friend with a warning glance.
Chloe nodded, knowing she needed some time alone with him.
When everyone had gone and the home was quiet, Chloe breathed a sigh of relief. She loved her family, but right now she needed Gabe. Her fiancé. The man who really did love her and accepted her, mistakes and all.
She locked the front door. “I think I need a bath. And I feel like some company.” Chloe felt like she needed to wash all remnants of James from her body, and who better to help her but Gabe?