His Wife (A Contract Marriage Story) by Heer Mangtani

Chapter 29

It was late afternoon when we landed in Venice. When Gabriel said Italy, I thought Milan, Florence or even Bologna.

For some reason. I hadn’t thought of Venice. I had only seen it in pictures and movies- the blue water flowing in tunnels, gondolas decorated with colourful flowers floating on it, houses built on both sides and bridges over it where lovers often walked holding hands

I was enchanted to say the least.

We were staying in a villa. I had argued with Gabriel saying we didn’t need a villa for just the two of us and we could’ve stayed at a hotel, but he shut me up saying hotels were for people who weren’t rich enough for a villa.

I had pouted because I actually loved hotels and their breakfast spreads, but didn’t complain when I got inside our lodging for the next few days. It was two floors, with vintage architecture and a spiral stairs in the living room that led to a single bedroom upstairs, had a fully stocked kitchen, and even a small garden area on one side while the windows of the bedroom overlooked a water tunnel.

The best part of the house, however, was the painted ceilings, Stories of Roman Gods and Goddesses and epic battles depicted in colour on the ceiling of every room, with the one of the bedroom being that of two naked lovers with their hands almost touching, but not.

Gabriel had excused himself because of an unexpected issue that arose at work while we were on the way here, and it would take him over an hour. He asked me to get some rest since we were both severely jet lagged.

As soon as he left, I had ripped open the bag that Luna had packed for me, and it wasn’t so bad. It had a lot of satin-satin dresses, satin nightwear, overcoats, jeans with a corset, some long dresses and some short, some formal and some casual, and many comfort clothes. I had smiled, because Luna knew me well. The next bag, however, was just make-up and lingerie.

The lingerie….

There was so much. I didn’t even own most of them. They all had tags on. She had shopped for me. Most of them were made of lace, with straps that I didn’t even know went where, some too tiny to cover even what they were supposed to,

I gulped looking at them. The two times that I had been naked in front of Gabriel, I was in an unmatched cotton bra and underwear.

And now, there was this.

A part of me was just giddy to see his reaction.

I took a quick hot shower and changed into sweats, and got into bed, letting my jet lag take the better of me. I don’t know. what time it was when someone switched off the lamps and covered me with a duvet.

I don’t know how long I dozed off for because the next time I opened my eyes, the sunlight was gone. It was dark outside the blinds, and Gabriel was asleep on the other end of the bed, a respectable distance between us.

I searched for my phone on the night stand in the dark, dropping a water bottle I didn’t know was there.

beside me as I read the

slept for almost twelve hours

awake?” Gabriel’s groggy voice filled the silence and I turned to him as he struggled to open his

slept any more than this, joked, getting up. “I’m sorry to wake you up. Please go

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Chapter 29

mumbled. His voice was hoarse and grainy and so hot. “I’m waking up

I should get

you. Figured we can roam around wherever

grabbing my toiletry pouch from where my bag was, and heading to the bathroom

came out, was up on his toes. “Are you

“Who’s going

The kitchen is stocked. We’ll

cook?” I raised an

“A little.”

I loved baking and basic cooking, not more. Between the

Gabriel commented unimpressed while looking up

“If I’m doing it wrong, why

hands on either

froze. I asked you to do it… not

into a circle that was much thicker than mine, but I barely focused on that. I could only make sense of one thing at a time when he was around, and that thing right now happened to be his touch on me, and his breath fanning my face and

making me miss his touch

It wasn’t something that an

overhead painting the sky

I agreed to take a spot there. If. I wanted to capture that moment forever, especially when we were done eating and Gabriel leaned over from his side, his thumb gently caressing my

a moment there, it seemed like nothing else in the world mastered except the way he looked at me and my

him to kiss me.

But he didn’t

then the moment

dressed in a white shirt with rolled up sleeves and pants, while I was dressed in a matching white