by L. Nicole
“Well, in my defense, you’re unlike anyone I’ve ever met, so all the rules have changed for me.”
“Sometimes, I don’t know if you’re either the sweetest man I’ve ever met in my life or full of shit,” she laughs.
“Come stay with me, Riley. Just for the weekend,” I add on that last part when I can see clearly that she’s going to argue.
“Just when I start to relax with you,” she mutters walking around me to get to her door.
I reach out and grab her hand before she can go very far.
“What’s wrong?”
“You just can’t let me enjoy having a good night with you. You have to ruin it by putting pressure on me for more.”
“Riley,” I growl.
“No. I don’t want to hear it. I told you I need to move slow. I’ve never made a secret of that, but you’re just never satisfied.”
“This isn’t—”
“I’m not that kind of girl, Gabe. Apparently, you haven’t picked up on that yet, so let me make it clear.”
“Make what clear?” I exhale, my hand coming to the back of my neck as I try to get control of my frustration. I swear I’ve never met anyone as skittish as Riley is in my life. I know I need to move slower and I make that decision in my head, but then, we go out and things are so damn good, that I can’t help but push for more. She’s not lying, she’s told me several times when we were alone that she needed to move slow. The problem is, I’m okay with moving slowly into being physical with Riley, but I need her closer to me and I find myself pushing for it. I want her under my roof. I want her smile to be one of the last things I see when I go to sleep and the first thing I have when I wake up.
Damn it, things shouldn’t be this hard.
“I’m not the kind of girl that jumps into bed with a guy. There’s a good chance you and I will never be in bed together and you need to get used to that,” she literally growls, pulling out of my hold. I follow her up to her patio, which is really a small cement pad, but she has a chair and small table on it.
We worked wonders on her yard, but this small house isn’t much. Riley deserves so much better. I can see that, even if she can’t. She needs a place with room and a huge yard with a fence for her children to play in—and as much as she wants to deny it, I’m going to be the father of her children. I don’t care how long it takes to convince her of that.
Hell, just thinking about her pregnant with my child makes my dick swell with hunger.
“If you think all I want from you is a quick roll in the hay, Riley, then you haven’t been listening,” I growl. I pull her to me, but she keeps her face turned from me. She’s looking at her door, like she’s desperate for some damn escape, which pisses me off. How are you supposed to argue with someone, get them to understand how you feel if they won’t even look at you?”
“Gabe—”
Her voice sounds worried. I want to reassure her.
But she still won’t look at me.
“Damn it, Riley, look at me, baby,” I urge.
“Gabe, my door is open,” she says instead, and finally my gaze follows into the direction where she’s looking.
Her door has been forced open, the frame splintered, and the door cracked. I immediately grab her, moving her so that my body is between her and the door.
“Go back to the car, sweetheart.”
“Gabe, no—”
“Go back to the car and call 911. Tell them your house has been broken into.”
“What are you going to do?” she asks softly, strain and fear causing her words to sound desperate.
“I’m going to go see if your house is empty.”
“No!” she cries at once.
“It’s okay, Riley. Just call and get the cops here,” I order. Then, once I hear her footsteps running away, I step through her door.
13
Riley
“I can’t believe this,” I murmur, still in shock at the shambles my small rental home has been turned into. My couch is overturned, cushions are tossed around the room, my television has been knocked over and is on the floor, broken.
And that’s just the living room.
The kitchen has all my dishes lying broken on the bar and floor, all of my toiletries have been emptied out into the sink in my bathroom. Someone purposely tried to destroy all of my stuff. All that is not even the biggest of the damage though.
They saved that for my bedroom.
I’m standing in the middle of destruction and I can’t even believe it, holding my cat, Milo. He’s an abnormal cat and likes lots of loving, right now I think he’s wanting the love because he’s scared. He always hides under the bed when anyone but me is around. That’s where I found him this time. I figure that’s the only thing that saved his life.
My clothes have been pulled out of the closet and are on the floor. They’ve been torn, and the ones that wouldn’t tear have been cut, probably by the large butcher knife lying on top of them.
All of my pajamas and lingerie, including my panties and bras, have been tossed on the bed. A bed that someone has rolled around in. A bed that someone has ejaculated on. A bed that someone has pissed all over.
I haven’t cried. I’m still in shock. My body isn’t shaking, it feels too heavy to do that. It’s hard to breathe.
“I just don’t understand,” I murmur again, my voice hoarse from the emotion that seems to be choking me.
“Let’s go, sweetheart,” Gabe says, his voice so sweet that it threatens to make me cry.
He’s been sweet since the moment we discovered what had happened. He instantly took charge, doing everything he could to protect me. I’ve never met anyone like him, and with my history, that’s probably a good thing. Gabe is nothing like the losers in my past. I don’t know much right now, but I know that.
“Go where? I live here, Gabe,” I murmur, my gaze locked on the officers which are bagging some of my sheets and underwear. I close my eyes tight, trying to keep the embarrassment and the disgust out of my head.
Trying to get rid of this feeling of weakness.
“He’s right Miss Thomas. You can’t stay here—at least not tonight.”
“I’ll be fine. There’s some plywood in the shed out back. I’ll just board up the door for the night,” I mumble, looking around, wringing my hands.
“Absolutely not. There’s no way you’re staying here in this tonight, Riley,” Gabe growls. Any other time, I’d accuse him of trying to boss me around and take control, but right now I’m too shell-shocked. I’m also starting to understand that Gabe does care about me and this is coming from a place of concern.
“I’ll be fine—”
“I’m afraid that I have to agree with him, Ma’am. We have no idea who has done this. We don’t have this kind of crime here in Wazega. I’ve seen crime scenes and whoever did this, is mad at you. That’s not something you should overlook.”
I give an involuntary flinch at his words. I can’t help it. I shake it off quickly though. This isn’t Florida, and whoever did this isn’t Jerry. Just the thought of his name, of him, makes my entire body react. My stomach heaves and I have to swallow down the bile.
“Riley?” Gabe asks, and I can hear his worry.
“I’m okay. Seriously, this was probably a teenager thinking he was being funny—”
“There’s not a damn thing about this funny, sweetheart,” he growls, and for some reason that makes me smile. I reach out and touch his face in gratefulness, because as much as I’ve tried to slow things down and resisted falling for this man, I can feel it happening. I’m grateful he’s here, and I definitely like that he’s here for me. It feels good that I have him to lean on.
“He’s right. Whoever did this had anger inside of them. Has anyone bothered you since moving here?” the policeman asks.
“No, everyone has been really friendly,” I respond as Gabe reaches out and takes hold of my hand.
“Okay, well, we’ll continue to process the scene, but in the meantime, you
’ll need to stay with a friend tonight or the local hotel. I’d like to get your cell number, however, so we can contact you if we come up with anything.”
“She’ll be staying with me, Carter. You can call her there,” Gabe says.
“Gabe I have Milo and—”
Gabe immediately shakes his head no.
“He’ll come with us,” he says with a shrug. It’s the safest place, Riley and besides, if you think I’m about to let you out of my sight right now, you’re crazy. If you go to a hotel, I’ll be checking in with you and that seems like a waste of money.”
I sigh, knowing he’s serious. If I’m completely honest, I’m glad he’s being like this. I’m more shaken up by all of this than I want to admit.
I nod my head slightly in agreement. He pulls me to him, placing a brief but really sweet kiss on my forehead, and then enfolds me in his arms. I close my eyes and lean against him…feeling safe.
14
Gabe
I finish putting out Milo’s food dish. He’s currently hiding under my couch, but I figure he’ll eventually find his way to food, then I turn to stare at my woman.
“I like your house.”
Riley’s voice sounds so tired and weak that it hurts. She’s been quiet and subdued, and I don’t like it. Riley is normally so vibrant and alive, now she’s just lost. Even her damn cat took off the moment we got here. Riley’s upset and now she’s worried about her cat. I have to find a way to make this right for her.
“I like it better now,” I tell her, watching the way she stands by the door, her arms crossed, her hands rubbing her biceps as if she’s warding off a chill.
“What’s that mean?”
“You’re here,” I tell her simply, completely serious.
“You never give up,” she says, a small smile playing on her lips.
“Come over here, Riley.”
“Gabe…”
“Come here, baby,” I murmur.
Slowly, she walks to me. I’m sitting in the chair in the kitchen. When she gets right in front of me, I spread my legs apart and wait. She takes another step and then another, until finally she’s standing between them, as close to me as she can get like this. I reach up, putting each hand on her hips and pulling her to me.
“You look worn out, baby. Let’s get you to bed.”
“Gabe—”
“Before you complain, I want you in my bed. I won’t do anything, and I’ll even sleep in pajamas. I just want you in my arms all night. Will you trust me enough to give me that, Riley?”
“I should argue,” she mumbles, her hands coming down on my shoulders.
“But?”
“But if I stand a chance of sleeping, it would be with your arms around me.”
Those simple words manage to make me feel like a fucking king. I move one of my hands slowly from her body to take her hand in mine, our fingers intertwining.
“I promise you, Riley—”
“Gabe…” she breathes, her eyes sad.
“I promise you that I won’t let a damn thing happen to you. You’re safe with me, Riley. You’ll always be safe with me.”
I’ve been waiting. I know from my line of work that adrenaline will fuel you through the bad moments, but there comes a time when you crash. When I see the tears starting to form in the corners of Riley’s eyes, feel a fine quiver move over her body, and those tears begin to fall…I know she’s hit that moment.
I stand quickly, pick her up and cradle her in my arms. I kiss the top of her head and carry her into my bedroom.
“I got you, sweetheart. I’ll always have you,” I croon, as I put her on the bed. I go to my dresser and pull out a t-shirt. “Let’s get you ready for bed,” I murmur.
“Gabe,” she mutters, and I know she’s wanting to argue, so I decide to give her a little bit of the logic that Justin used on me.
“You’ll have your bra and panties on, Riley. I’ve seen you in a bikini,” I tell her with a reassuring smile. It must work because she doesn’t fight me, and in no time she’s wearing my shirt. The tears are still falling, and I can’t be sure she even realizes it. She’s definitely crashed.
For now, I keep my clothes on and lay on the bed, pulling her body to me. Riley burrows her head against my chest, and I hold her close.
“I’m sorry,” she mumbles, her voice muffled against my chest as a sob rolls out of her. I hold her closer—if that’s even possible—kissing the top of her head again.
“Let it out, Riley. Just let it out, sweetheart. I’ve got you.”
I hate that she’s hurting but holding her like this is the answer to every dream I’ve ever had.
15
Riley
I wake up feeling warm, comfortable, and safe. It’s a strange feeling, and as much as I hate to admit it, it hasn’t happened in well over a year. Even before that, it never felt quite like this, and I know that has everything to do with the fact that I’m in Gabe’s arms.
I open my eyes, and as soon as I can focus, all I can see is Gabe’s sleeping face. He’s even better like this, his face relaxed, his perfectly chiseled features peaceful, and his soft lips tempting.
When Gabe was created, I’m pretty sure God was trying to show off.
Somewhere in the middle of all the crap that happened last night, my reserve with Gabe has completely disintegrated. I don’t want to hold myself back from him anymore.
I don’t think I truly ever did.
My past helped me to build walls around myself and I used those walls to ward Gabe off. But he’s nothing like the men in my past. The ones who hurt me in ways that I don’t think I’ve even fully recognized. Gabe is not my father, who completely disappeared from my life, and he’s definitely not Jerry. Gabe isn’t about hurting me or taking advantage of the fact that I care about him. Last night, when he saw me in trouble, knew I was hurting, he held me up. He supported me, cared for me, and he didn’t try to use the situation to his advantage.
All he tried to do is take care of me.
It’s a novel feeling and one I’m not used to, but at the same time fills me with warmth. When I look at Gabe this morning, I can remember the destruction of last night, but I can do it smiling because lying beside me, his arm thrown over me, his body surrounding me with warmth, I feel happy.
Somewhere in the night, Gabe has changed into his pajamas—at least the bottom part. His chest is bare and since my fingers are snuggled in the chest hair there, I’m grateful. I actually snuggle in closer, breathing in the male scent of Gabe and close my eyes at the pleasure that moves through me.
On instinct and not planning it at all, I press my lips against the warm skin on his chest and kiss him there. I hold my breath and wait for his reaction, but he remains sleeping. I’m instantly glad and disappointed all at the same time. My heart starts racing as I contemplate what I’m doing, what I might be inviting, but I discover I don’t really care. I want more of Gabe.
I think maybe, I need more of him.
16
Gabe
I groan, as I come awake, Riley’s sweet little lips wrapped around my nipple sucking, her fingers stroking the skin on my stomach. My cock is already awake, stretching and hardening, like a good soldier reporting for duty. My arm goes around her as I look down to see what she’s doing, my fingers tangling in her soft hair.
“Baby,” I groan, a small shudder moving through my body as pleasure moves through me.
She lifts her head, her lips moving from my nipple with an audible popping noise.
“Morning,” she whispers, her voice thick with slumber and a fine, heated blush on her cheeks.
“What are you doing, sweetheart?” I question, my voice raspy and filled with desire.
“Making you feel good?” she murmurs, her blush deepening.
“That you are, sweetheart,” I murmur, “but you keep it up and…”
“You’ll come?” she breathes as her hand slips into my pajamas, and her hand wraps around my cock.
“You kee
p doing that, baby, and I won’t be able to stop myself.”
“Maybe I don’t want you to,” she says, stroking my cock, boldly.
“Sweetheart…” I gasp, as she tightens her hold and strokes me again.
Her breasts are pressed against my chest, her mouth close enough that I can practically taste her. The pleasure is so intense that my eyes try to close as it hits me. I force them to stay open, however. I want to watch her, see her face as she touches me.
“I like the way you feel in my hand, Gabe. Soft, yet hard at the same time. You’re so wide that I can’t hardly wrap my hand around you.”
“Jesus, baby,” I moan, her words seducing me almost as much as her touch. She pulls on my pants with her free hand and I quickly help her take them below my hips.
Her mouth leaves my chest, kissing a path leading to where I need her most.
“What?” she questions, teasingly. Her eyes are glazed with desire. Then, she licks my cock, her tongue flat against my throbbing shaft.
I practically lose it right there, groaning as my hips thrust up, needing more.
“I need you to suck me, Riley. Fuck, baby, I need it so bad,” I groan, trying to hold my composure.
“I love the way you taste, Gabe,” she praises, as her tongue finds the head of my shaft, and she licks a bead of cum that’s sliding out. She twirls her tongue around in a circle, seeking out every little bit she can.
My voice isn’t my own as I growl, trying not to come apart at the seams. Jesus, nothing has ever felt this good.
Riley works my entire length with her tongue, leaving a wet path as she tortures me, but promises heaven.
“Baby,” I moan, knowing that I belong to this woman completely. She looks up at me, a coy smile playing on her lips.
“Yes, Gabe?”
“If you don’t put me in your mouth, I’ll do it for you,” I groan out, my hips thrusting up, begging for her mouth. “I can’t take much more, woman.”