by A. L Long
“I didn’t know, Chavez,” I mumbled.
“I know, Gabrielle.”
When he finally eased his hold on me, I turned my body into his. The comfort was all I needed. Lifting my head, I looked at him and without having to say a word, his lips were on mine, giving me what I needed more than anything, compassion. But much more than that, I felt loved.
Breaking our kiss, Chavez held me at arm’s length and looked deep into my eyes. “After you left, me and the guys had a little chat with Delaney and the way he treated you. We all knew there was no way you could have known about your father and the fact that he was still alive.”
“That’s not exactly true. When Graham did the facial recognition on Kataryna’s father, I saw the composite he came up with before you did. I freaked out knowing that Kataryna and I were sisters. I hate my father for what he did, not only to me, but to my mother. It was so hard for her when he died. So hard that she killed herself over him.” I confessed. “The man I loved and knew died twenty years ago. I will never forgive him for what he did.”
I knew that Chavez understood where I was coming from. Walking back to where my car was parked, we didn’t say a word. I guess we were both lost in our own thoughts. Mine on my screwed-up life, and if I had to guess, Chavez’s on being with a girl who had a screwed-up life.
When we made it to my car, I noticed that his 4-Runner was parked right behind it. As I opened the door, Chavez took hold of my arm and said, “Come stay with me tonight.”
It was the sincerest thing he had ever said. Taking hold of his t-shirt, I pulled him close to me and planted my lips on his. When our kiss broke, I looked at him with a smile and responded, “Don’t ever hurt me, Chavez.”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Chavez
The way Gabrielle ran out of the conference room, I could have taken Delaney by the nuts and twisted them off. He had no right talking to her that way. I was glad that the guys were with me on that. Telling him where he could put his fucking theory was the most gratification I had in a long time. Letting the guys handle him, I went after Gabrielle before she got too far.
As soon as the elevator closed, I knew it would take too long for the next one. Heading to the staircase, I practically ran down the steps, hoping that I would be able to catch her before she got to her car. When I got to the door, her car passed right in front of me. Like a man with fire at his feet, I ran across the street while hitting the unlock button on my key fob. The traffic was horrible and I thought for sure I was never going to be able to catch her. Pulling my phone from my pocket, I dialed her number, hoping she would at least answer. After trying over and over, I was ready to give up when I spotted her. I was only one car behind Gabrielle when I saw her fling her cell out the window. I guess I should have stopped after the fourth try.
As I followed her, I made sure to stay a safe distance behind her, but being safe caused me to lose her. At least I knew the direction she was going. It was a straight road and I could look down the cross streets to see if she had turned. I began to worry when I didn’t spot her. It had to have been at least twenty miles out of Manhattan when I saw her pulled over on the side of a dirt road. Pulling up behind her car, I got out and walked to it. She must have started to walk because she wasn’t inside. I knew that there was only one way she could have gone since I hadn’t passed her.
After walking nearly two miles, I spotted her on the ground a good two hundred feet in front of me. I began walking fast to get to her. Pulling her weapon on me was something I hadn’t expected. When she finally realized that it was me, I was glad that she lowered it, only I didn’t count on her replacing it with a near hit punch to my face.
~****~
I could tell that she was pretty shaken up about the meeting. After a lot of convincing, she finally agreed to leave her car and ride with me back to my place. If I took the short cut that I knew of, it would be a lot quicker than driving back to her place. Heading down the road, her eyes were focused on the white line on the side of the road. Reaching over, I took hold of her hand and squeezed it gently. When her eyes met mine, I knew that we were good. Pulling over to the side of the road, I put the 4-Runner into park and didn't only take control of her, I showed her just how much she meant to me. Placing my hand on her chin, I tilted her head and placed my lips on hers. I began to devour her sweet mouth with sweeping strokes of my tongue. When her lips parted, letting me in, I plunged my tongue inside her warmth, exploring every inch of her.
It was only when a truck passing us, honking in approval, that our kiss broke. Popping the gearshift into drive, I pulled out onto the street while still holding onto Gabrielle’s hand. Smiling to myself, all I knew was that I needed to get to my place as fast as possible without getting a ticket in the process. Stepping on the gas, I accelerated a little more, keeping my speed at 10 m.p.h. above the posted speed limit.
Arriving at my place, my hunger for Gabrielle intensified before I even closed the door. Taking her in my arms, within minutes, I had her clothes completely off and the warmth of her bare skin pressed to my fully clothed body. Lifting her off the floor, I held her in my arms while I deposited my mouth over hers. Gabrielle smoothed her hands up my chest and around my neck, deepening our kiss while intensifying the pulsation that was taking place between my legs. More than anything, I wanted her beneath me, submitting to my every demand. It had been a long time since I desired anyone as much as I did her.
I gently lowered her to the bed, taking off my own clothes, only focusing on her eyes as she gazed up at me with a lustful need. With her eyes on me, I went to my dresser, where I pulled out a black scarf that had been hidden away out of sight for much too long. Grabbing her by the ankles, I carefully flipped her over and requested in a calm but demanding voice, “Give me your hands, baby.”
Without hesitation, she brought her hands to her back and rested them, face up. Taking the scarf, I began wrapping it around her wrists, securing it with a slip knot. Kissing her palm, I whispered softly as I placed one end of the scarf in her hand, “If it gets to be too much, just pull on this end.”
“I trust you, Chavez.” Her words were softly spoken, but with a confidence that told me she was giving herself to me completely.
Leaning over her, I began placing small, but erotic kisses along her soft skin. By the time I got to the cute dimples just above her nice tight ass, I knew she was primed and ready to be taken completely. Sticking my finger in my mouth to get it thoroughly wet, I slipped it between the seam of her cheeks until I found the one place I wanted so badly to take her. With small circular motions, I began working the tip inside, until it penetrated her up to the first knuckle. Gabrielle’s back arched and she began swaying back and forth against my finger until it was fully inside her small pucker.
Already I could feel the heat radiating from her pussy, which I knew needed to be taken. As she rocked, taking my finger, I positioned my cock to her entrance. While I kept still, she did all the work, taking every inch of me deep inside her wet channel. When her moans of pleasure filled the room, I pulled my finger from her ass. She screamed with ecstasy as her release erupted with thunder.
Untying her hands, I flipped her body over and finished what I had started. Never had my cock been so happy. The grip she had on me, pulling me deeper and deeper inside her, carried me to my own release as my cock pulsated, spilling my seed deep within her. Collapsing on top of her, I kissed her gently on the forehead before getting up and exiting to the bathroom.
~****~
Lying in bed, I knew soon it would be light out and there were some things that I needed to talk to Gabrielle about. One thing in particular was the meeting that was scheduled today between Kataryna and her father. I wasn’t sure if it was advisable for Gabrielle to be anywhere near Grand Central. I had this funny feeling about the whole thing, and with the emotions that got Gabrielle here, it would be better if she didn’t see her father, at least not yet.
Feeling her stir in my arms, I pulled her closer t
o my body. Just the warmth of her sent my cock raging. If I had any hope of taming my impeding erection, I needed to pull away from her and take a cold shower. Picking up my cell from the nightstand, I swiped the screen to see exactly what time it actually was. Five o’clock in the morning was a little early for me, but there was a lot I could get down after I had my shower. Kissing her lightly on the head before removing my arm from underneath her, I slipped out of bed, careful not to interrupt her sleep.
Taking a shower was the best thing I could have done. Not only did it cure my rather hard erection, it also brought light to what had been going on between Gabrielle and me. I was beginning to really care for her, and spending the rest of my life with her was certainly a possibility. If only I could convince her of that. I was pretty sure that she felt the same way, but was too stubborn to admit it.
Looking over to the bed, making sure she was still asleep, I decided to let her sleep for a little while longer while I did some work in my office. Graham was so kind as to give me the security code to the recognition software, so it was pretty easy to get the information I needed. He figured it was more practical to do that than having to log in for me every time I needed to update something. Besides, in a couple of weeks the code would be changed anyway. Getting to the application I needed, I pulled up the picture of Abraham Jackson, aka Elliott Crawford, and studied the composite. I had to laugh about the whole thing. It seemed that Jagged Edge and the FBI were dealing with a lot of ‘AKAs.’ First Kataryna, hence Olivia Crawford, and now Mr. Jackson.
The more I studied his picture, the more I could see the resemblance to Gabrielle. She had his eyes. I guess that was one thing he wouldn’t be able to change unless he wore colored contacts, but even that was only a temporary fix. Feeling like there was someone else in the room, I turned in my chair to see that Gabrielle was standing in the doorway wearing the t-shirt I had thrown on the chair last night. I knew there was a big grin, from ear to ear, on my face when she pulled the shirt down to cover her sexy legs.
“I need to get to my place. Can you please take me?” she asked in a hushed tone, like a child asking permission to have a cookie.
Rising to my feet, I crossed the room to where she was standing. With my thumb, I gently swiped it across her cheek and replied, “Absolutely, babe. Get dressed and I’ll make some coffee first.”
Before she could turn and leave the room, I reached out to her, grabbing her hand. The minute she turned to face me, I pulled her close and placed my mouth over hers. I was glad to find that she didn’t resist my affection. I could have taken so much more, but with everything going on, I needed to give her space.
Watching her leave, I headed in the opposite direction to the kitchen to get the coffee going. I wasn’t sure what the day would bring, but whatever it was, she was going to need more than coffee to fuel her. Grabbing a couple of eggs, bacon, green peppers, and a few other items from the fridge, I figured a healthy breakfast was in order. Placing the items on the counter, I reached in the lower cabinet and pulled out a pan. I was going to make Gabrielle the best omelet she ever tasted.
Just as I finished mixing all the ingredients together, I heard her footsteps on the wooden floor. “Something smells good,” she stated with more confidence than before.
Turning her way, I said, “I thought a good breakfast would make you feel better.”
As she took a seat at the counter, I poured her a cup of coffee and placed it in front of her along with cream and sugar for her liking. She shoved the cream and sugar out of the way and took a sip of her coffee just the way it was. This was a surprise since I knew she liked her coffee light and sweet. Taking a sip of my Java, I flipped one side of the eggs to the other and slid it onto a plate. Turning the stove off, I turned to Gabrielle and set the plate in front of her.
When she took a bite and closed her eyes, I knew I made the omelet to perfection. With a smile of satisfaction, I placed my hands on the counter. Knowing this was my chance, I professed, “I think you should stay behind during Kataryna’s meeting with her father,” while her mouth was still full.
Doing the unexpected, she spit her food from her mouth onto her hand, “Do you really think I care about what you think? This is my operation. No one is going to tell me what to do and that includes you.”
I guess I should have held back on my opinion, because just like that, she dumped the chewed-up bite from her hand onto her plate and was out of her seat heading back to the bedroom. I could have sworn steam was coming out of her ears. She was beyond pissed and it was the last thing I wanted to happen. Dumping her food in the sink, since I knew she wasn’t going to eat it, I hurried to the room to see if I could fix what I said.
By the time I got to the bedroom, she was out of my shirt and into her own clothes from the day before. I never knew a woman could get dressed so fast. The only thing she didn’t manage to get on were her shoes, which were lying on the floor in front of me. Bending over, I picked them up and held them hostage until she gave me the opportunity to suck up and beg her for forgiveness.
“Give me my fucking shoes, Chavez,” she hissed, her eyes turning a sexy shade of gold.
“Not until you listen to me.” I replied, swinging her shoes from my fingers.
“This is not a game, Chavez. Now, give me… my… fucking… shoes.”
“Nope. Not until you simmer down and listen to what I have to say.”
She must have felt defeated. Her ass dropped to the edge to the bed and her arms crossed at her chest. Placing her shoes on the chair near the door, I walked over to the bed and sat beside her. Taking her hand in mine, I gazed down at them and said, “I only said what I did to protect you from getting hurt. I know you hate your father for what he did. You probably wish he was actually dead. It’s just that I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to be there, especially after everything you’ve been through.” I really hoped that she listened to what I said.
“I know that you’re concerned, but I need to see his face. I want him to know how much he hurt me by doing all those things and lying to me all these years. I want him to see the gratification on my face when they cuff him and take him away. Do you understand that, Chavez?”
I did understand it, more than she realized. Cupping her cheek, I placed my lips on hers, giving her an understanding kiss before saying, “I understand, babe, but I am going to be beside you every step to make sure you stay safe.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Gabrielle
There was something about the way that Chavez made me feel when he told me why he didn’t want me near my father. It wasn’t because he wanted to control what happened at this meeting, it was because he truly cared about me. It was evident the minute we pulled into the parking garage at the Excelsior and my car was parked in its designated spot. I gazed down to where his hand rested on the shifter and put mine on top. Not making eye contact, afraid that I would break down, I kept my eyes forward and said with compassion. “Thank you for having my car brought back.”
“It wasn’t my doing. After I told Delaney that you were okay, he requested it be picked up and brought here,” Chavez confessed sympathetically.
“Really. Why would he do that? After everything he said yesterday. I just can’t believe it.”
“After you left, the guys and I had a little chat with Delaney. He finally saw that he was wrong in what he said. Don’t be surprised if you get an apology from him.” Chavez was right in what he said. I squeezed his hand, letting him know that I was grateful for what the guys did for me. As far as I was concerned, Delaney needed to do more than just apologize. He needed to do it in front of the entire staff and let them all know that he was an ass.
Stepping inside my apartment, I headed to my room to take a quick shower while Chavez made himself comfortable. It would have been nice to share the shower with him, but I didn’t want to reveal just how much I wanted him. In order to hide my true feelings for this man, I left him alone to wait. As I began undressing, I looked in the
mirror and realized that I was looking at a different person. With everything that had happened over the past twenty-four hours, the only person who was by my side was Chavez.
Holding on to that thought, I turned the water on in the shower and began brushing my teeth while I waited for it to get hot. Stepping inside, I was about to close the shower door when it wouldn’t move. Standing before me was Chavez, fully undressed, naked in all his glory. Taking my hand from the shower door, he squeezed in beside me, closing the door behind him. My mouth gaped open with surprise. When his mouth covered mine, it was only then that I opened up to him. There was no way I would be able to refuse him now. He made the move and now he was in control.
Taking the body wash and the sponge from the shelf, he squeezed a small amount on the sponge and began massaging it between his hands to create a lather. Beginning at my neck, he gently slid the sponge to my breasts, making circular motions following the lines of my hard peak. As tender as his touch was to the right breast, he gave the left the same care. I could feel my body begin to heat and it wasn’t from the water that was spraying on it.
Lowering his hand further down my body, he continued to cover my skin with the lather. While his right hand was occupied with washing, the left moved lower to where my heat was beginning to build. A small moan escaped my mouth when he dipped his finger inside. Moving closer, leaving no space between our bodies, he gently nibbled on my earlobe and commanded, “Turn around, babe.”