She wondered, did Amber already sign the divorce papers? Salene was pretty sure Gabriel would mention it if she had, but when it came to that man Salene could never be sure what to expect. Giving her his car to borrow was something she would never have dreamt of. The delivery man coming up the porch broke her thoughts as she showed them to the master bedroom.
After setting up the new expensive looking mattress, the men grabbed the old one. "Okay that should be it, try to stay dry there is supposed to be one hell of a storm this evening." He said.
Waving goodbye she turned back to Bishop, who was sniffing around the couch. "Well hopefully it clears up before the picnic this weekend."
Bishop just gave her a happy stare.
The sound of the door in the kitchen opening startled her.
Gabriel walked through the darkened kitchen into the light of the living room, looking awful. The normally bright green eyes filled with devilish mischief were darkened with fatigue, while his skin looked pale. Coming closer to him, Salene realized he was not standing at his full height, rather in somewhat of a stooped position.
"What is wrong? Are you sick?" Salene had never seen such a pained expression on the man's face before.
"I feel like shit," walking past her, he started to head towards his bedroom. "I left work right after my lunch with a client."
Quickening her step to catch up to him in the hallway she stopped at the entrance of his room as he entered.
"It sounds like food poisoning," Salene offered softly as she watched him slowly get out of his shoes. "Go make yourself throw up to get rid of whatever bug you have and I will make you some tea that will settle your stomach."
Pausing his actions, he turned his head to look at her, giving her a confounded stare. "Fuck that, I am just going to lay down. I should be better by morning."
Dear God, he was being such a baby.
"No you cannot do that, that would mean you will be laying here miserable for hours." Shaking her head, she refused to allow him to even consider that as a logical plan. "Surely when you were little your mom told you to do the same thing, right?"
An unknown emotion shot through his eyes before he turned away to focus on his other shoe.
"No, she did not," his voice was softer with a note of exhaustion. "Because I never had a mom."
The words seemed to float in the air between them for what seemed like minutes before hitting her in the face like a cold splash of water. Now it all made sense, his weird antiquated thinking, the general mistrust towards females, and the lack of photos of any other paternal figure other than his dad.
"I see. Well trust me then," she replied softly as she entered the room. Stopping in front of him she pulled at his shoulders gently, signaling for him to stand. Confused, he complied wordlessly standing to his full height. Carefully, she pulled at the knot in his tie, loosening the black silk around his neck. Catching a glimpse of his widening eyes she ignored him while pushing the heavy suit jacket off his thick shoulders. "I promise if you follow my instructions, I will have you feeling better in the next couple of hours."
Surprisingly Gabriel agreed, leaving him in his room Salene went to the kitchen to begin making the tea. Sitting in the quiet den Salene sat somewhat sideways on the sofa allowing her to rest her folded arms on the back of the sofa so that she could stare out the window. The rain was coming down hard. The sound of footsteps behind her alerted her of Gabriel's presence. Somehow the man looked worse than before and more than a little pissed. Pressing her lips together she held back a smile, for some reason it was not that surprising to know that he would be so dramatic about being sick.
"I hope you went light on the toothpaste," she patted the sofa next to her urging him to come sit. "I should have warned you that too much toothpaste can sometimes make you nauseous again."
All she received was a surly noncommittal grunt in reply.
The couch dipped deeply as he sat right next to her, he was so close his thigh was pressing directly against her own. The extreme heat rolling off his body, though, made her look past the self-conscious moment.
"Here," handing him the warm tea from the coffee table. "Drink this."
Taking the mug Gabriel began to drink, only to immediately set his face into a bitter scowl.
Shaking her head, she gave him the same no-nonsense look her mom gave all of Salene's siblings. "No Sir, I do not want to hear it. I know it is nasty just keep drinking."
Furrowing his brow even deeper the bright green eyes stared daggers at her as he gulped the rest of the bitter liquid down.
Setting the mug on the table Gabriel sat back heavily against the couch cushions in obvious fatigue. "Now what?"
"Well…" Feeling self-conscious Salene looked down at her hands in her lap before slowly making eye contact again. She can hardly believe she was going to suggest this, but much like earlier in his room when he told her about the lack of maternal affection she acted instinctively. "If you want you can lay your head on my lap."
The look he gave her was void of any emotion.
Embarrassed she rushed to clarify. "My mom did that with all of us kids and I know it does not sound like it would make a difference but I can swear it does."
Now her face was getting really warm, Salene felt very foolish for offering something so personal as she endured the awkward silence. Shifting his weight against the cushions Gabriel scooted away from her down the sofa. A stab of pain lanced through her as Salene took the move as a blatant rejection, so when the weight of his head hit her lap, Salene sat frozen.
Without any reason, her heart began to beat harder in her chest. For a brief moment, she regretted initiating the move, the intense feeling of intimacy it brought with it was completely unaccounted for. Looking down at her lap she was a little relieved to see that his eyes were closed. Unobserved she let her gaze sweep over the large man partially in her lap. Wearing a simple T-shirt and matching sweats Gabriel appeared normal, but Salene could tell he was not. Small almost indiscernible lines creased his forehead as he fought through the discomfort. Ignoring her growing nervousness she gently ran the pads of her fingers across the warm skin of his forehead.
"Christ, your hand is cold," he murmured tiredly.
"Oh, sorry," pulling her hand back.
"No, Don't," green eyes snapped open giving her a piercing stare. "It feels nice."
The only sound between them was the far-off ticking of the clock on the fireplace mantle. Apprehensively she used her left hand to gently repeat the earlier actions. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the heavy rise and fall of his chest as he relaxed deeper. The hair beneath her palm was so soft as she continued to stroke his forehead. Never in her life would she have imagined this situation, just a couple of weeks ago they were having vicious fights.
Pressing the coolness of her other hand against his warm stubbly cheeks Salene's eyes widened slightly at the deep rumble like purr he emitted. Smiling she continued to gently soothe the man in her lap as she observed him unwatched. Looking down the length of the sofa Salene observed the long, strong body. At one point in this man's life, he was not always so big nor so strong at one point he was just a little boy. A little boy that she just found out today who had no mother. What kind of woman abandoned their own child?
Looking at Bishop who was asleep in his bed in the corner Salene looked down to see that Gabriel had fallen asleep as well. Carefully relaxing into the cushions, Salene turned her head to stare out at the pouring rain, eventually sleep claimed her as well.
A loud crash of noise startled her wake. Sitting up from the cushions she was leaning against, Salene looked around the room. Gabriel was no longer on the couch, and the room was nearly pitch black. The only light filtering into the den was the greenish gray hue of light from the large patio doors. Squinting through the heavy darkness, Salene could see that Bishop's bed was empty as well. Alarmed she stood up in the empty room, with narrowed eyes she made out the dark doorway to the kitchen but another strong how
l of wind caused her to turn back to look out the window.
The rain seemed to have completely stopped, and the dark clouds had now dispersed. A greenish sky and ghastly winds were left in the storm's wake, blowing back trees with its force.
"Don't panic," Gabriel's voice from the dark doorway made her jump.
"Oh my God, what's going on?" Instinctively she walked closer to him in the dark. "Why is it so dark in here?"
"Again, don't panic I just got off the phone and supposedly there is a tornado warning for this area. That's why the lights went out."
For a moment his words gave her a strange feeling of disbelief, like being suspended in a sea of nothingness. Everything in her life was always so carefully planned out, nothing left to chance. Even if things didn't work out, there was always a next step to be taken. With a tornado, there was no next step, no options whatsoever.
"I said not to panic." The touch on her arm brought her back to the present as she looked up to see Gabriel standing inches away from her giving her an intense look.
He was right she was panicking, her breathing had become shallow and sporadic. Wiping her sweating palms on her pants Salene swallowed a gulp of air to try and compose herself.
"I don't know how I cannot panic," she said barely in a whisper. "Should we be standing here near the windows?" Her voice trailed off as she watched the trees shake viciously through the whipping winds. "Should we hide?"
"No, we won't need to," Salene could hear him put on his most reassuring voice through the opaque darkness. "A tornado hasn't hit Dallas in…" He paused as if thinking. "Well, it's been so long actually don't know the exact date."
The relief from his words didn't last long before worry set in again. "But don't we live on the outskirts of Dallas technically? We…"
"No, we live in Dallas Salene. Look just come over here and sit down," his hand slid around her waist and propelled her along with him as he rounded the back of the sofa towards where they sat earlier. "And it will all be over in a few."
Too nervous to sit she remained standing in the spot where they stopped. The groan like whine from the cushion next to her alerted her to Bishop's presence, her nervousness was most likely agitating him. The sound of the shrieking wind made her jump, immediately she turned to Gabriel for guidance.
"Shouldn't we hide in the tub, I read an article…"
"Sit," he commanded. She feared he was losing his patience with her fear but when she looked up at his face, he gave her a half smile. Complying with his orders she lowered herself back onto the soft cushions, Bishop was immediately by her side for consolation.
"Tell you what, I will close this door on the patio sliding doors." Walking to the large bank of windows that took up nearly one wall in the den that overlooked the patio and pool Gabriel grabbed the door handle. "For some reason, the previous owner thought it was a good idea to install a roll-down metal security door here to cover this section of windows. I thought about removing it actually."
Salene could tell he was being a bit more talkative for her sake. Pulling the sliding door open the strong wind rushed in around him into the house. Fearful he would get blown away Salene held her breath in terror as Gabriel quickly grabbed the hidden metal roll door and pulled it down. Ducking underneath he came back in latching, it shut. Ensconced in darkness, she heard the muffled click of the patio door closing shut behind the protective metal door, sealing them safely inside. Now with absolutely no light coming from anywhere Salene had no choice but to stare off blankly in the dark as the sounds of the violent wind mixed with the creeks of the house created a terrifying orchestra around them.
Blue light suddenly illuminated the room in a soft dim light giving her eyes just enough light to make out shapes in the dark room. Gabriel carried the camping lantern around the sofa and set it on the table in front of them.
"Come here," his deep voice seemed to reverberate in the silent room, as he hooked his arm around her waist much like earlier, scooting her down the couch closing the gap between them.
If it was any other situation Salene might have pulled away or at the very least questioned the intimate contact, but not today. Today, right now Salene needed the contact, she desperately needed the solid sureness of his strong arms around her shaking body. Seeing that she had no intention to protest his actions he pulled her snugly against him just as the house groaned in protest at the harsh winds.
"You're really scared aren't you?" The astonished words were more of a remark rather than a question.
Could he feel her heart beating like mad against her chest? Since she was pressed against the side of his chest with his arm draped over her shoulder he had perfect access to feel the wild thumping through her breast. Leaning back against the corner of the sofa Gabriel tugged her down with him forcing her to practically lay on his side with her own feet on the sofa as well. In reflex, she stiffened as her mind caught up with the sudden movement.
Sensing her hesitation Gabriel's hand began to massage the base of her neck through her loose curls. "Relax it will be over soon, let me comfort you like you comforted me."
Though she could barely make out his face in the dim light, Salene clung to the strength and confidence in his voice. A loud crashing sound from outside made her body jump in fear. Never in her life has she ever experienced something so out of her control, something that made her feel so small and all alone. All she wanted to do was go back to Florida where nothing this terrible ever happened. But she couldn't, and all she had in this moment was Gabriel. Shutting her eyes, she wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her face into his side. Shifting slightly, he maneuvered her until she was sandwiched firmly between his solid frame and the back of the couch. The encompassing feeling his hold on her allowed her to slowly take steadying breaths to calm her racing heart.
As the wild beating in her own chest worked to subside Salene began to focus on the sturdy, strong beats pressed against her ear. Slow and steady as if so sure everything would be fine.
Lulled by the unwavering rhythms, Salene nuzzled deeper into Gabriel's shirt letting sleep take her away from the chaos around them.
Chapter 17
It had been nearly a week since the storm, and the dynamics between them had changed.
Grabbing the brown paper wrapped package from his room, Gabriel took the opportunity while Salene was getting ready to go to the living room. Today was the day of the picnic and Gabriel could not fucking wait for it to be over and done with. Grant it, it hadn't been all bad Gabriel smirked as he tore off the thick paper, grabbing the edges of the gold frame he lifted the mirror onto the hook, securing it back to its original position. Stepping back Gabriel looked over the repaired mirror, hopefully Salene would like it.
Since the night of the storm there seemed to be a sense of awareness that settled over both of them. It was like a whirlpool of colliding emotions around them when they were together. For the past few days, they had been hustling to get things ready. Building furniture until late at night, placing furniture the next day, and tons of cooking. All the while looks were passed, and gazes were averted. On one hand, she seemed more open and happier in his presence, something that made Gabriel immensely pleased considering where they came from. However, on the other hand, she could be downright skittish when she caught his gaze, and that right there opened up a whole new level to the game—a level Gabriel only fantasized about.
Checking his watch Gabriel began closing all the doors to the rooms they wanted off limits for the party. Stopping in the den, Gabriel let his eyes drift towards the large sectional sofa replaying memories of that night. Gabriel could still feel the rapid thumping of her heart against his as he held her close that night while the clean and slightly sweet smell of her soft curls brushed against his nose. Everything in him reacted as he held her that night, Gabriel couldn't suppress it any longer—he wanted her.
This was not going to be an easy task however, Gabriel mentally groaned as he thought of how he practically shot himself i
n the foot with Salene. After nearly a month of fighting back and forth, Gabriel would not be surprised if Salene wanted nothing to do with him anymore. As much as the thought irritated him, Gabriel suspected he wouldn't have an impossible battle to fight. It was the little clues here and there he was banking on. The averted gazes when their eyes met, the deep blush that covered her face when she untangled her arms and legs around him that next morning. Yes, those signs at least told him she was receptive of the growing desire between them and receptive was at least a start. Gabriel had a feeling he was going to have to take it slow with her, much like stalking one's pray in a slow but steady pursuit. Eventually, he would have her cornered until she realized the inevitable.
Glancing at herself one last time in the mirror Salene smiled, she felt pretty and confident with her outfit. Today she wore a red lace cover-up flare dress over her simple black bikini. The contrast of colors gave her a nice if not rather sexy outline under the sheer cover up. With her long brown curls brushed out and loose past her shoulders she topped off the entire look with cute gold jewelry.
Desperate (A Contemporary Romance) Page 11