by Paris Hansen
Walking into Arrow, she waved at the new hostess and headed toward the bar where she figured Gabriel would be. She was surprised when she saw Ray there instead of her boyfriend. She scanned the rest of the restaurant to see if he was in the dining room before deciding that he was probably in his office. With the cupcake box in hand she started toward the kitchen to find her boyfriend.
“Hey Savannah, he’s not here,” Ray called out to her from behind the bar. Turning back around, she walked over to him a smile on her face to mask her confusion.
“He said he was going to be here working late. Did he step out for a bit or something?”
Ray nodded. “I’m pretty sure he doesn’t plan on coming back. He’s out with Donna for the evening.”
Savannah felt her heart stop for a moment as Ray’s words sunk in. Her boyfriend was out with someone named Donna…for the evening. He wasn’t actually working like he said. Before she could ask any more questions, Ray was called away by a customer, but really Savannah had heard all she wanted to. Gabriel had lied to her. That was all that mattered.
Feeling tears fill her eyes, Savannah set the box of cupcakes down on the bar before hurrying out of the building. She did not need any of them to see her cry. No one needed to know the hurt she was feeling at Gabriel’s betrayal. He knew how much she hated liars. They had gone over the deal breakers they each had before making their relationship official and dishonesty was number one on her list, followed closely by cheating. And here he was probably breaking both of them.
She felt like she’d been kicked in the stomach as she silently walked home. The tears kept threatening to fall, but she would not cry; especially not out on the street. The hurt would go away soon, replaced by the anger she could feel boiling in the pit of her stomach. Now she was glad she hadn’t told him she loved him. It was obvious he didn’t feel the same way and that she was wrong when she thought he did. He played her for a fool and she willingly walked right into it. Those were the thoughts that fueled her walk home. Before she realized it she was in her kitchen trying to find a way to drown her sorrows and irritation.
Opening a bottle of wine, she wanted to feel numb. She didn’t want to feel the pain or the anger. All she wanted to do was to forget she had stopped by Arrow; forget that Ray had shattered her world with one stupid name. Between glasses she tried to convince herself that she was wrong. That there was a simple explanation to the lie that Gabriel told her. Then the name Donna would flit through her head and she’d picture some Amazonian beauty with dark hair rubbing all over her boyfriend and her stomach would do flips, threatening to expel the alcohol that she inhaled.
At some point she must have passed out because the next thing she knew her front door was opening. Glancing at the clock, she realized a few hours had passed since she had first walked in the door. Instantly, the anger and pain filled her again and she didn’t want to see him. She didn’t want to hear his excuses; didn’t want to know why he did this to her. Quickly, she poured another glass of wine, finishing the bottle she originally opened. She downed what little had been left and then stood to find another bottle to open.
Wobbling a little bit on her sleepy legs, Savannah grabbed the first bottle that looked good and opened it. As she poured another glass of wine, Gabriel finally made his way into the kitchen. He immediately pulled her into his arms, hugging her tightly against him. Her stomach lurched when he kissed the top of her head. She could tell he was happy and it just made her angrier. Pushing away from him, she walked back to her glass and filled it, downing it swiftly before filling it again.
She could feel his eyes on her; watching her, but she didn’t want to look at him. Was their lipstick on his collar? Did he smell like her? She hadn’t noticed when he was hugging her, but then again she hadn’t been thinking about it. All she’d thought about was getting away from him before she threw up. Now her stomach was threatening to rebel because she couldn’t stop picturing him with someone else.
“Babe, what’s wrong with you?” Gabriel asked stepping toward her.
Savannah stepped back, one hand clenching the wine glass, the other pushing her chair in front of her to put something else between them. She took another long drink of her wine, wishing that she had been drinking out of the bottle instead. Gabriel was still watching her and she knew he was confused, but she was afraid to speak to him. She really didn’t want him to know how bad he had broken her with his betrayal.
“How long has it been going on?” she asked her voice barely above a whisper.
“How long has what been going on? What are you talking about Sav?”
For the first time since he had entered the room, she looked at him. Concern was written all over his face until he looked into her eyes and saw the anger. Then that concern was replaced by confusion.
“How long have you been cheating on me Gabriel?”
Gabriel sighed, “Savannah are you drunk? What the hell is going on?”
“I stopped by Arrow tonight to surprise you. I got my work done and Brooklyn volunteered to work for me tonight and in the morning so that we could actually spend some quality time together. Imagine my shock when Ray told me you were out with Donna tonight and likely wouldn’t be back.”
“So you automatically assumed that I was cheating on you? You think so little of me do you? I can’t believe that you could think I would hurt you like that, especially after what Valerie did to me…especially knowing how I feel about you.”
“If you’re not cheating on me, then who the hell is Donna?” Savannah yelled, her anger finally taking control.
“She’s my real estate agent…a nice little 70-year-old lady who’s been showing me some great commercial properties downtown. Sometimes her husband of over fifty years comes with us since they own the company together,” Gabriel said with a sigh. “You inspired me Savannah, so I’ve been trying to find a place to open a new Arrow. I want to expand Jonathan’s dream so Donna’s been helping me find a way to do that. I’ve been working on it for a couple of weeks now, but I haven’t really wanted to say anything because I wanted it to be a surprise. I just can’t believe that you would think I could ever do anything to hurt you…especially something like that.”
“What else was I supposed to think?”
“Have some faith in me Savannah…in us. I mean, can’t you see how I feel about you? Don’t you know that I would do anything for you? I haven’t said anything before tonight because I didn’t want to scare you off, but I don’t understand how you can’t tell that I am ridiculously in love with you. I’m so in love with you that I can’t see straight. I think about you all the time. In fact, I think about you so often that I’ve actually called Meghan Savannah a few times at work. The girls think it’s hilarious, especially since she looks nothing like you. Ray likes to make fun of me for it and I can’t really blame him. I’m a lovesick fool because of you.”
“Ww…ait…what?” Savannah stuttered, her shoulders slumping a little as she tried to process what she just heard.
“I love you Savannah. So much that it scares the crap out of me, but it also makes me feel more alive than I’ve ever felt before. I know that you are absolutely it for me. I would never jeopardize losing you by cheating on you.”
“Gabriel…”
“Look, don’t worry if you aren’t ready to say it back. I know you will be and I can wait, but it’s obvious that you needed to know so you’d never have another night of doubting me like this. I’m in this for the long haul. I’m not going anywhere unless you force me and even then I won’t give you up without a fight.”
The tears she’d been fighting hard against earlier, finally spilled down her cheeks as she looked over at Gabriel for the first time since she’d started yelling at him. She could see the sincerity in his eyes. He loved her and she knew it, but she’d talked herself out of it. What the hell was wrong with her? Deep down she knew he would never cheat on her, yet she allowed herself to think every horrible thing that he could have possibly done to
hurt her. The whole time he was thinking about her and his brother. He was being secretive because he wanted to show her how she’d inspired him and she had turned it all to shit with her insecurities and craziness.
“God Gabriel, I’m so sorry. I don’t know what the hell I was thinking, but I’m so sorry I ever doubted you. I love you too, but was too afraid to say anything because I was scared you didn’t feel the same way. I’m such an idiot and I hate that it took such a screwed up moment for us to finally tell each other how we felt.”
“Babe, I would have told you months ago if I thought you wouldn’t run on me,” Gabriel said as he rounded the kitchen table.
Savannah could tell that he was tired of the distance between them and honestly she couldn’t blame him. She wanted his hands on her body, his mouth on hers. She wanted to show him how much she loved him and trusted him, even though her words and actions thus far had shown him otherwise. They needed to wipe this argument from their minds and remember the good that had come from it.
Gabriel pulled her into his arms and she gasped as his mouth met hers in a hungry kiss. His hands tangled in her hair, as her tongue traced the seam of his lips. He opened immediately, his tongue darting out to massage hers. Their pace was frenzied as they undressed each other, leaving clothes scattered down the hallway and up the stairs. They’d had make-up sex before, but Savannah could tell this was different. They weren’t just making up after her stupid assumptions; they were officially going to make love. The thought sent chills down Savannah’s spine, goose bumps pebbled on her arms.
Once in her room, hands roamed over bare skin, fingers traced valleys and plains while her lips made their way from his mouth, to his ear, down his neck. Only an hour ago, Savannah thought she’d never get this chance again; never want this chance again, how quickly things could change. She wanted to worship his body, show him how much she loved him, trusted him, even if her earlier words said otherwise. His bronzed skin was hot to the touch, his muscles quivered as she kissed her way over his pecs before dropping to her knees in front of him.
“Savannah, you don’t…”
“I want to. Please. I want this,” Savannah said.
In front of her was a perfect specimen of man, from head to toe, he was amazing. His cock jutted out from between masculine thighs, thick, rock hard and ready for her. Reaching out, she wrapped her hand around him, reveling in the feel of rigid steel encased in silky soft skin. With a firm grip, she stroked him from root to tip, until a delicious drop of moisture formed at the tip. Her tongue darted out to capture the drop of salty fluid before she looked up at him. Catching his eye, seeing the look of passion on his face, nearly did her in. She could feel the moisture pooling between her legs. Having control over his arousal was something that Savannah couldn’t get enough of. She loved knowing that what she was doing…what she was about to do, was driving him crazy.
With one hand still gripping the base of his cock, she wrapped her lips around him, sucking him into her mouth as deep as she could, her cheeks hollowing in the process. Her free hand reached between his legs so she could massage his balls as she took him deeper, her tongue running along the underside. Every so often, she’d nearly let him fall from her mouth so she could take special care to suck and lick at the sensitive tip of his cock. Savannah knew exactly what she needed to do to make Gabriel lose his mind, the right amount of pressure, the right amount of suction to get him off. Gabriel’s hips jerked, his hands tangling in her hair. She knew he wanted to take over, set the pace, but he wouldn’t. While the act was about him, overall the moment was about them and she knew he didn’t want to start the night coming in the back of her throat.
“Shit…Sav…”
She felt his balls tighten and knew she had to stop or things wouldn’t go much further, at least not for awhile. Part of her wanted to let him come, to make up for the way she treated him earlier. She could wait to make love to him, he would take care of her in the meantime while he recovered from the orgasm, but she could tell that wasn’t what he wanted. With one last hard suck, she pushed back, releasing his glistening cock from her mouth. Reaching between her own legs, she slipped a finger through her folds, knowing that he was watching every move she made. She looked up, her eyes meeting his.
“I think I’m ready,” she purred.
Reaching down, he scooped her into his arms, her squeal of surprise making him laugh. When he deposited her onto the bed, she looked up at him, loving the way he looked at her. He wasn’t just looking at her like he wanted to devour her. There was love there too; she had no doubt now that she had been seeing it there for a long time. Even if they’d both been too afraid to admit it, the feelings had been between them for awhile. She waited until he crawled onto the bed next to her, before making her move. Rolling him onto his back, she straddled him.
“I love you Gabriel Archer. I just wanted to tell you that again before I take you for a ride. I hope you don’t mind, I’m kind of digging the being in control thing.”
Savannah placed her hands on his chest, her fingers tracing along his pecs, down to his hardened nipples. Leaning forward, her ass in the air, she took one of his nipples into her mouth, sucking on the nub until he arched his back. Reaching behind her, she gripped his cock, positioning it ever so slightly so that it was in the right spot. Slowly, she sat back, lowering herself until his tip brushed against her entrance. She lowered herself a little further until just the head of his cock was inside of her and then a little lower until his eyes fluttered shut.
Gabriel gripped her hips, stopping her from pushing off of him like she had planned. Instead, he pulled her down until he was fully seated inside of her. A moan fell from her lips, the deliciously full feeling making her forget that she had planned on teasing him a little. She rotated her pelvis slightly before lifting up and then quickly lowering herself back down. From there she continued a frenzied rhythm, riding him hard and fast, her hands pressed against his chest for leverage. His hands moved from her hips to her breasts so that he could cup the heavy mounds.
He teased her nipples as she teased his. So many sensations were taking her closer to the edge, overwhelming her with the need to come, but she fought it off. She wanted them to come together, to go over together. Continuing the fast and furious tempo, she tried to ignore the tingling that was starting in her toes until she felt his cock jerk inside of her. That was her cue that she only had a few minutes, if she was lucky, before he would be emptying himself inside of her. Leaning over until their chests touched, she allowed him to take control of the thrusts so she could rub her pelvis against his, the pressure against her clit giving her the last little push she needed.
Gripping her hips harder, he thrust into her once, twice, before she felt the heat of his seed filling her. She cried out his name, her body squeezing his, milking him for every last drop he had to offer. She continued to move against him for another few minutes until the quaking inside of her body subsided. Sitting up, she felt their mixed fluids leak down her thighs, which for some reason always turned her on.
“I know that look on your face,” Gabriel said from beneath her.
She smiled down at him, trying her best to look innocent. “What look?”
“The ‘you better be ready for round two soon’ look. You’re already raring to go.”
“Hey, it’s not my fault that you’ve turned me into an insatiable sex fiend. I can’t help myself whenever you’re around.”
Savannah laughed as he rolled them over; his semi-erect cock still buried inside her. Pinning her hands above her head, he crushed his mouth against hers. She bucked against him, her back arching off the bed, her breasts pressing against his chest. With her hands still trapped in one of his, he gripped her right hip with his other hand, holding her down so she couldn’t move.
“Oh I know what I’ve created and I love it. I love you,” Gabriel admitted. “And now, for round two, we’re going to do things my way. I’m going to make love to you Savannah and it’s going to be
long, slow and perfect. I hope you’re ready for a really long night because I don’t plan on letting you go until I’ve had my fill.”
Without another word, Gabriel lowered his head until he could suck one of her nipples into his hot mouth. His teeth scraped deliciously over her sensitive skin. If these were the kinds of things he planned on doing to her all night long, she definitely wasn’t going to protest. She felt his cock hardening inside of her and she knew there was going to be no break before she was taken to the brink again and she didn’t mind. This was what she had always wanted, a beautiful, caring man to make love to her. Now that she had him, she wasn’t going to let him go.
*********************
The next morning, Savannah felt better than she could ever remember feeling. She was waking up in the arms of the man she loved who amazingly loved her back. There was a moment the night before when she thought she’d ruined everything, but Gabriel loved her and she knew now that he wasn’t going to willingly give up on her even when she was being stupid. He was going to fight for her, for them, and that was the greatest gift that anyone had ever given her.
Rolling over so she was curled up against Gabriel’s side, Savannah watched him as he started to stir. The arm wrapped around her waist, tightened, pulling her even closer against him. She wasn’t sure how he did it, but no matter what, if they were in bed together, Gabriel was touching her. Either their legs were tangled together or his arms were around her. It made her feel safe, secure and most importantly loved; all things that she had never felt with anyone other than her immediate family.
“Hey babe,” Gabriel said, his voice rough with sleep. His eyes slowly focused on her and she could see how much telling each other how they felt had opened him up to her. He was no longer guarded or wary and that made it easier for her to drop her guard too. The last thing she wanted was to get hurt or to hurt Gabriel in the process, but she knew at some point she’d have to let go and trust in what they had.