“Here we go with that FRIEND word again. Thanks, but we’ve already established that’s not possible. If you’ll excuse me, I gotta find Anthony.”
“I’ll help you look,” she said stepping on the elevator bringing him with her.
“I’m capable of doing it myself.”
She pressed the button closing the doors. “Jonathan, I’m going to overlook the fact you’re acting an ass because of the circumstances surrounding Nick and you’re tired.”
His mouth dropped open. “I’m being an ass?”
She kept her eyes straight ahead as the doors closed saying, “Yes, and I’m glad you agree with me.”
*****
Jonathan shook Anthony on the knee. He was fast asleep in a chair with his head resting against the wall. Stirring slowly he cleared his throat. “Well, how is Nick?”
“It’s not good, Ant. He’s heavily sedated and doesn’t know what’s going on and its’ probably best he doesn’t.”
Yawning, Anthony stood up stretching his back. “There’s not much we can do for him now. I’m going home to crash. I don’t know if I’ll come back later; it’s not like he wants me here.”
“Don’t be like that, Anthony. We have to put that part of Nick aside until he gets better. Like it or not he’s going to be indebted to you; you saved his life.”
“I did what I was trained to do.”
Gabrielle rubbed Anthony on the shoulder. “Wow, Anthony, you’re a real hero.
You saved Jonathan and now Nick. You must feel some kind of wonderful inside.”
“Nah, Gabrielle, I don’t. Jon has pulled my butt from the fire many of times, and us three have worked together as a team for many years. Nick just recently wanted me off as part of the team.”
A rapid clicking of heels on the hard surface of the hospital floor caught their attention. Sandra bounced around the corner stopping in front of them. “Oh thank goodness you’re both okay. I went to the fire station and they said you might be here but did not elaborate why. I didn’t know what to think.” Clutching Anthony she hugged him close to her big breasts. “I was so worried. And, Jonathan, I was especially worried about you.” She went to hug him but Gabrielle threw her a look making her retreat.
Gabrielle looped her arms through Anthony’s while holding onto Jonathan, saying, “We were just leaving. I’m taking these guys home to feed them a hot meal and put to bed for a few hours.”
Sandra crossed her arms. “Gabrielle—is your name right? You appear to be a little worn yourself. How are you going to take care of anyone when it’s apparent you’ve had very little sleep yourself?”
“Ms. Rhodes, don’t bother worrying with what I can handle,” Gabrielle said refusing to be intimidated. “I’m more versatile than I look.”
Sandra took hold of Jonathan’s arm. “Jonathan is better off coming with me.
He’s speaking at my daughter’s school tomorrow morning for career day. And, since I’m a Westside he’ll be closer.”
Gabrielle would not engage in an argument with the woman. Her brows formed a frowned, saying, “Jonathan, you decide what you want to do and let me know.
Anthony, feel free to go with your girlfriend.” She released her hold of both men and proceeded to the revolving doors to leave the hospital.
The cold rain flickered off her face cooling her temper. Jonathan appeared beside her. “Is your offer is still open?”
Her lips curled into a smile. “Of course it is. Is Anthony coming?”
“Anthony’s got his hands full at the moment. After you stormed out his side chick came in. I didn’t wanna stick around to witness what was about to go down.”
Chapter Eleven
Gabrielle refilled Jonathan’s coffee mug. He’d eaten double the portions of breakfast food leaving nothing to be thrown away. Placing his fork on the plate he slowly drank some of the fresh coffee before pushing everything away. “I’m stuffed to the gills. You should be a chef on television or at least own a restaurant.”
She smiled from the compliment. The majority of their meal had been eaten in silence since neither one wanted to touch the subject that caused the huge tear in the first place. “Thank you. I actually considered being a chef at one time but didn’t want the headaches of listening to people complain.”
“You don’t get that from unhappy patients?”
“I’m the good therapist remember,” she said clearing the table.
When she removed the plate from in front of him, her arm brushed against his forearm. The brief feel of her soft skin sent a vibration down his spine. Suddenly and without words he pulled her down to his lap and into his arms. Her warm body soothed the chill icing him.
Stroking his back, Gabrielle didn’t squirm from the pressure of his arms squeezing tightly around her. “Jonathan, what’s wrong.”
“I just need to hold you,” he said burying his head in her chest.
Resting her cheek on his head, she understood him wanting to hold her and would allow him to do so for as long as needed. The embrace wasn’t meant to be a sexual embrace but an embrace to relieve pain. Jonathan was hurting and this was his way of emoting it.
“It’s okay, I’m here for you,” she whispered close to his ear.
*****
Jonathan groaned turning over in bed. The popping of his bones signified how long he’d been sleeping in one position. Putting his size twelve feet on the soft carpeted floor, he walked over to the window. It was dark outside and raining heavily. Flexing his shoulders to relieve the stiffness, he also needed to use the bathroom. Clad only in his jockey briefs, the tight fitting underwear revealed what all men suffered from when waking up; the dreaded wood syndrome.
Searching the bedroom for his pants, they were nowhere in sight. “Shit,” he hissed. He didn’t know where in the house Gabrielle was, but if she were in the living room he could sneak to the bathroom without being seen.
Gabrielle opened the bedroom door. Clad in a yellow t-shirt and black biker shorts, she carried an armful of folded laundry. “You’re awake.” Her eyes immediately shot to what his hands were trying to cover. “Um, I washed and ironed your clothes. I left your others pants hanging in the hall.” She handed him his pants and turned her back to give him privacy.
“It was enough you fed me; you didn’t have to do my laundry too; and thanks for hanging my bunkers. Have you had any sleep?”
“Yes, I slept on the couch. Dinner will be ready shortly. I hope you like short ribs with roasted vegetables and Cheddar Cheese Polenta; and for dessert I have a delicate chocolate fudge bread pudding in the oven and a homemade whipped cream chilling in the fridge.”
“Dinner sounds great but I should be getting home. I gotta get my truck from the station, plus I want to stop by the hospital and check on Nick,” he answered pulling the freshly washed t-shirt over his head.
Gabrielle dropped her arms to her side. “Oh okay. I’ll turn the food off and take you home.”
He took her by the elbow. “Gabrielle, wait a minute.”
“I can’t. I have to take the pudding out the oven before it burns. It will only take a second then we can go.”
“Gabrielle, I called a cab. I didn’t feel right asking you drive me home in this weather, and it being late.”
She stopped in the doorway half mad and half hurt. “Wow, you took care of everything. If I wasn’t awake already, you probably would’ve snuck from the house not saying a word.”
He shook his head. “I should not have come home with you; it was too soon and this is what I wanted to avoid.”
“Yup, Jonathan; maybe you should have taken Ms. Rhodes offer.” She went to the dresser opening the top drawer. “Don’t forget your watch. I would have mailed it but I didn’t have an address.”
His fingers lingered on hers as he took the watch. “Gabrielle, the last person in the world I want to hurt is you. My feelings for you have not changed and knowing how you feel about me—I don’t want you to end up hating me. I have to stay away fro
m you until I can be in your company and not feel anything for you.”
She grabbed her hair in frustration. “I was a fool Jonathan. I pretended it was nothing when it was. I’ve been kicking myself hard in the ass for letting you walk out that door and not explaining why I was being a bitch.”
A horn blowing outside indicated Jonathan’s taxi had arrived. She stepped in his path. “Don’t leave, Jonathan. If I don’t get this out, I never will.”
“I’m listening.”
“Okay.” She sat on the bed. “About a year ago, I got involved with a doctor at the hospital. He swept me off my feet. Dr. Hawke took me to the best restaurants. We sat in first-class when we took trips and he treated me like I was a queen.”
“Was he married and showered you with all that to keep you quiet?” He asked placing his hands on his hips.
“He wasn’t married; at least not to a woman.”
He raised his eyebrow tilting his head slightly. “Excuse me?”
“Jonathan, he was gay and using me as a safeguard. I was good for his image.
He would take me to dinner with his colleagues or to parties; anywhere he needed to have a woman on his arm.”
The honking horn intensified and then stopped with the headlights fading from the window as the taxi pulled from the driveway. Jonathan didn’t budge from his position. “How did you find out?”
“Six months together and he never wanted to have sex with me and when he kissed me, he acted as if it repulsed him. I would snoop around his house but he never left me alone long enough to find any evidence but, in his car I saw a few questionable items that raised the alternative lifestyle flags.”
His jaw went slack. “Please tell me, I do not give you those flag feelings?”
“Oh heck no! I guess I switched from protecting myself from men on the down low to women like Sandra Rhodes, when it came to you. She wants you and I can see her becoming a problem.”
“What about what I want?”
Her eyes scanned his body. The way the dark workpants hugged his fit athletic waist and the t-shirt spanned across his broad chest making her water at the mouth.
“What do you want?”
Sitting on the bed next to her, he cupped her face between his large hands. “I want this.” Lowering his head, his lips brushed against hers. He gave little pleasurable nips to her nose and eyelids. Closing his mouth over hers, he thrust his tongue deep inside her mouth.
Gabrielle moaned, lying back on the bed with Jonathan’s body covering her and not breaking the intimate lip lock. Her hands roamed his muscled-back and down to his tight buttocks, squeezing them gently. She felt his erection pressing hard into her belly; the sensation driving her wild.
An alarm blaring tore them apart. Jonathan jump off her running into the kitchen. White smoked poured from the vents of the oven. Opening the oven door he grabbed the oven mitts taking the smoking baking dish holding the pudding and dumped it into the sink. He grinned wiping his forehead. “Did you know food left on the stove is the number one cause of house fires?”
She sauntered over to him circling her arm around his neck. “Good for me I have my own personal fireman at my disposal.”
“Um-hum, good for you,” he said smothering her mouth with his.
Picking her up in his arms he carried her into the bedroom and laid her gently on the bed. Lifting her t-shirt and bra, he caressed her breasts. The plump flesh filled his hands nicely as he massaged them with increased pressure causing the nipples to harden. She sighed and he knew she was enjoying the pleasure from the expression on her face. Finally, he replaced his hands with his mouth and suckled a hard nipple.
Gabrielle’s back arched as he moved lower, tonguing her navel, kissing her firm belly and savoring the taste and feel of her body sliding along his face. Taking hold of her shorts at the waist, he shrugged them around her hips taking her panties.
Resting back on his legs, he admired the vision before him. Then he slid his hand between her thighs slowly moving upward to ground his palm against her wet heat. He crouched on his knees removing his shirt and pants but not letting Gabrielle move from her position. Once he was naked, he came on top of her, covering her neck with hot kisses.
His weight was heavy and familiar against her. Gabrielle did not feel any guilt or regrets but hungered for the man she could not get out of her mind, to make love to her.
He crushed his mouth to hers with a passion she never thought she’d feel again. His mouth was hot over hers, his tongue wild as it parted her lips and plunged inside drawing a deep growl from her throat.
“I want you so bad,” he said sliding his finger inside of her moist folds then he joined it with a second.
Her breath caught in her throat. “More,” she begged. “Please, I want more.”
He bit the space between her neck and shoulder and whispered, “I ready to give you more.” Deeply and at the same moment he plunged into her, they both groaned in tandem, on the edge of a precipice neither could describe. “You’re so tight its driving me crazy.” He moved out and pushed back in slowly and watching as her eyes dilated in pleasure.
Her lips covered his throat with kisses. She braced and paused when he began to thrust harder. She swallowed the cry as she tightened around his thickness, her body wracked with tremors, pulsing from the friction.
“Gabrielle,” he said, grabbing her plump hips bringing them up to meet his thrusting.
Gabrielle took the brunt of his weight as he collapsed on top of her. Too exhausted to care she didn’t move him but listened to his shallow breathing and wondering if he had fallen asleep.
He lifted his head to look into her dark eyes, saying, “Baby, what did we do?”
“We made love.”
“I told you we can’t be in the same room together without this happening. This friend thing is not going to work for me.”
“Good because I don’t want to be your friend. Jonathan, I want more. I want to be your lover, your confident. I want my picture to hang in your locker at work and at the gym. I want to be the first phone number in your contacts.”
He pinched her lips together. “Can I get a word in?” She nodded her head. “I need you, Gabrielle, I need you like I need fresh air, water and food.”
“You got me, Jonathan; you have all of me.”
He kissed her cheek. “Now that the smoke and fire has settled, we can get down to business.”
She threaded her fingers through his. “Yes. We get to know each other and learn our likes and dislikes.”
He turned on his side leaning his weight on his elbow. His hazel eyes locked with her. Running a finger down the tip of her nose to her chin, he said, “I want to make love to you again—strike that; I need to make love to you again.”
“Where are you finding the energy; I’m exhausted.”
Kissing her shoulder and neck, he said, “You energize me.”
Chapter Twelve
Jonathan had just made it on time to Amira’s career day program. After it was over he went to the gym to have refreshments with the rest of the attendees and answered a few more questions kids had about becoming a fireman. Saying goodbye to Amira, he gathered the gear and tools he’d used to give his presentation and left the elementary school.
His gait had a snappier flow as he answered his cellphone. “Hey, babe, what’s up?”
“I’m on a break and thought I would call and check on my man.”
“Missing me already; I like that,” he grinned leaning against the truck.
“Of course, I am. Will you be coming over tonight? I took a few steaks out to thaw this morning.”
“Babe, you’re gonna have me at the gym seven days a week if you keep feeding me this way, but, I will be over tonight. I might see you sooner; I’m on my way to the hospital to see Nick.”
“Have me paged or call me. I could use a hug to get me through the rest of the day.”
“I’ll make it a priority; ciao, babe,” he said clicking off the phone.
> “Well look at you all happy and smiling?”
The smell of the perfume smacked him from all sides. He didn’t have to stop securing his gear in the bed of the truck to know who it was. “Hey, Sandra.”
“Hello handsome. Is career day over already?” she asked posing sexily against the truck.
He jumped from the bed of the truck ignoring her pose but noticing the skin-tight outfit that was clearly inappropriate for a child’s school. “Yup and I’m on my way to hospital so if you’ll excuse me.”
“Oh, right your other friend Nick. How is he doing?”
“He’s still in a coma and on life support. You could ask Anthony; he’s been to visit him.”
“Anthony and I aren’t together anymore. Apparently he prefers the company of a white woman named Melanie.”
“Don’t take it personal, Sandra. Anthony and Melanie have been dating on and off for years. They just fail to stay connected; maybe this time it will work for them.”
“I’m glad I found this out before I got too attached to Anthony. It would have been bad for Amira, also. She likes him and they get along but, she really adores you.”
“Amira is a real sweetheart. I hate to cut this short; I gotta get to the hospital.”
“Are you on duty tonight?”
“Nope; I’m off for the next three days.”
“Wonderful! Then you’re available to have dinner with me tonight,” she said.
Seductively, she slid her hands down the front of the tight pants hugging her full-figured body. “Amira will be at a sleepover at her friend’s house for the weekend and I’m all alone.”
“I’m sorry, I have plans tonight.” He couldn’t help but to look at her after she stood in front of him drawing a long manicured finger down the front of his t-shirt.
“Okay, how about tomorrow? I’m not much of a cook but I will buy dinner at Lola’s.” Her tongue ran across her lips.
He took hold of her hand removing it from his chest. “Sandra, you’re a very nice person, but I’m dating Gabrielle. I hope you won’t let that disrupt my friendship with Amira—or you,” he added quickly.
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