by Amy Miles
Roseline moved on to the hall, wrinkling her nose at the smell of vomit wafting from the bathroom. At the entrance to the family room, Roseline stopped, straining up on her tip toes to find Sadie. It shouldn’t have been hard to spot her neon pink hair, but the spinning strobe lights casting dancing colors around the room made her task a little more difficult.
The room was bursting at the seams with sweating, hormone crazed, drunk teenagers. Not to mention the lovely addition of ear shattering music drifting up the stairs and the ever present scent of stale beer. Lovely!
“Hey, new girl!”
Roseline groaned. She was really beginning to hate that title. Roseline turned and watched a guy barrel his way towards her. His broad shoulders shoved people out of the way as he carved a wide path straight through the room. One thick finger hovered in the air in front of him, pointing directly at her. His steps were heavy, trying to compensate for the booze coursing through his blood stream. This guy she recognized!
Crossing her hands over her exposed chest, Roseline stood her ground as he lumbered up. “You’re that girl that threatened me a couple weeks ago, aren’t you?”
Roseline rolled her eyes. This was obviously going to end badly. “Yeah? So?”
“So I think you should apologize,” he burped, beer sloshing from the plastic cup as he wiped his mouth. His forehead was clammy, eyes slightly glazed but his resentment was keeping him pretty lucid.
“I will do no such thing. You were acting like a brute so I put you in your place.”
Oliver slammed his fist against the wall near the side of Roseline’s head, a spray of beer raining down onto her dress. “No one puts me in my place,” he growled. His head cocked to the side as he glanced down, enjoying the view down the front of Roseline’s dress. “You know, there is something about you that I like though.”
Roseline chortled. “I wonder what that could be.”
Oliver grinned. “You’ve done a real number on poor Gabriel,” he tsked. “Poor guy can’t stop thinking about you. I wonder why that is,” he murmured as he slid closer, pressing the length of his body against hers. His sweaty clothes stuck to her bare skin. “Maybe he’s already had a taste.”
Roseline spit in his face, disgusted. She shoved him away. “I warned you before…don’t touch me.”
Oliver grinned maliciously. Roseline was unable to stop the shiver that raced down her back. It wasn’t Oliver that scared her. It was the look. The same look she’d seen a million times before Vladimir began his punishments. Instead of Oliver leaning over her, Roseline saw her husband’s face. That was all it took to immobilize her.
Vice like hands cupped her face. Rank breath washed over her nose, turning her stomach sour as Oliver closed in. “I think it’s only fair that I get a piece of the action too,” he leered down at her, his tongue flickering over his lips. Carnal lust gleamed in his eyes.
He withdrew one hand, sliding it around her waist to pull her tightly against him. It wasn’t the feel of his long length shoved against her that snapped her out of her paralysis. Or the way his breathing grew haggard as his thumb brushed over her lips. No. It wasn’t until Oliver’s head slammed into the wall next to her that she blinked away the terror.
“Are you ok?”
A single tear slipped from Roseline’s eye as she turned towards her savior. “Gabriel?”
His warm hands reached for her, steadying her as her legs fought to remain upright. “Did he hurt you?” All Roseline could do was shake her head.
“Oh thank God,” he breathed a sigh of relief. “I was afraid I’d be too late.
Roseline stared up at him. “Where did you come from?”
Gabriel glanced away, the muscles along his jaw clamped down tightly. “I was worried about you. When I saw you weren’t on the deck…” he words pinched off as he grimaced.
“I didn’t go with you’re friend.”
Gabriel nodded solemnly. “I know. He’s over on the couch with Rachel Lutz.”
Roseline glanced to the far wall, snorting as she watched Conner shove his tongue down the cheerleader’s throat. “Well he bounced back nicely,” she replied sourly.
“Yeah. He always does,” Gabriel said through gritted teeth. His gaze fell back on her. “Are you sure you’re alright?”
His concern touched her. “Yeah, just a little shaken up.”
“Want to get out of here?”
Roseline nodded, following Gabriel’s lead faithfully. His fingers entwined with hers as he led her through the crowd. It wasn’t until they started up the stairs that she began to question his motives. “Where are we going?”
Gabriel turned at the sound of her concern. His smile was warm, trusting. “Don’t worry. I just want to show you something.”
Roseline followed Gabriel to the end of the hall. The third door on the left was closed, shrill giggling escaped under the door. Gabriel groaned. “I’m gonna have to sanitize everything.”
Roseline smirked, pausing as Gabriel reached over head. He grasped a thin cord and yanked. A pull down ladder appeared. “After you?” Gabriel offered, waiting for Roseline to go up first.
Her blush came fast and furious as she glanced down at the dress that up until that point had seemed only mildly inappropriate. But with its painfully short hem, there was no way Roseline was gonna go first. “I can’t,” she moaned, burning with embarrassment.
Gabriel’s eyes lowered, widening as he came to the same realization she had. He cleared his throat, fighting to tear his eyes away from the tantalizing sight. “Uh yeah, right. I’ll just go up then.”
Smiling appreciatively, Roseline waited until he’d cleared the gap before she sped up the ladder. She glanced around first to make sure there wasn’t some pervert lingering in the shadows, waiting for a peep show. Once they were inside the room Gabriel swiftly closed the hatch.
The sight before her was unlike anything Roseline would have guessed. Gone were the spider webs, scurrying mice and three inch thick dust covering teetering boxes of abandoned junk. Instead, the room was warmly lit by the moonlight streaming in through the skylights above. A lamp perched on top of an overflowing bookcase cast a warm glow on the couch nearby.
A thick beige shag rug filled the center of the room, leaving exposed hard wood floor around the outside. The ceiling and walls had even been completely finished, painted a warm vanilla color. A table overlooked the window above the garage. Adorning the top was a full bouquet of orange roses. Her favorite.
But her eyes were drawn away from the beautiful flowers to the easel standing next to the window, the perfect spot for letting in southern exposure. “You’re an artist?” she whispered, whirling around, noticing for the first time that the walls with lined with charcoal sketches.
Gabriel remained silent as Roseline examined each piece, carefully noting every skillful stroke. City streets filled with people, a mother cradling her child, a little boy wrestling with his dog, and a toddler girl with bouncy curls gleefully riding a merry-go-round. “These are amazing Gabriel,” she whispered in awe.
Turning, she noticed Gabriel watching her. The delicate skin on his cheeks reddened as he smiled. “I spent all my spare time last summer finishing off this space so I could turn it into my own private art studio…but you’re the first person to see it.”
“Not even your parents?” Roseline gasped, shocked by his admission.
Gabriel shrugged, sinking down onto the black leather couch at the other end of the small room. “If it’s not about football or anything to do with Notre Dame, they don’t really want to know. They have plans and I’m not allowed to ruin them.”
Roseline slipped out of her heels, treading through the lusciously soft fibers of the carpet as she sank down next to him. The despair in his voice felt all too familiar. “I’m so sorry.”
Gabriel’s shrug didn’t fool her. She could see the care that he’d taken in every detail in the room. Roseline could tell that he’d put his heart and soul into that room. And to be unable
to share it with anyone…
“I love the roses,” Roseline pointed at the beautiful arrangement. Another surprising detail.
“They’re my favorite,” they said at the exact same time. Roseline smiled shyly, lowering her lashes as she felt heat spreading along her neck.
Her eyes lit on an open sketch book between them. Gabriel scrambled to close the book, but Roseline got there first. Snatching the book away, she carefully ran her hand across the edge of the page. “Is this me?” she whispered, amazed at the beauty staring back at her.
“It’s just a doodle,” he muttered, reaching for the book.
Wide, beautiful doe eyes looked demurely down at the folded hands in her lap. A delicate floral skirt lay across her shapely calves. The low v-neck shirt fit snuggly to her curvy frame. Roseline blushed. “Wasn’t this what I was wearing the first time we met?”
Gabriel nodded uncomfortably. “I uh…I was trying to remember you, just in case you slipped away again.”
“It’s very flattering,” she whispered, amused by the heat staining Gabriel’s ears.
“Its how I see you,” he muttered, finally pulling the book away.
Roseline smiled. “I’m not sure I really look like that, but thank you.”
His eyes darted up towards hers but were unable to hold very long. Roseline felt drawn to his vulnerability. It was so different from the side he put forth at school. “Thank you for sharing this with me.”
She could hear the leather shift as he sank deeper into the couch, his jeans rustling as he crossed his legs. Somehow in that innocent movement he’d closed part of the gap separating them. Fingering a loose thread on his pant leg, Gabriel spoke. “I knew you’d understand.”
Roseline tilted her head to the side. “How? You don’t even know me.”
“True,” Gabriel agreed, bobbing his head. “But I feel…” he trailed off, wincing. “Never mind.”
“What?” Roseline pressed, annoyed with how desperately she wanted to hear his next few words.
Gabriel sighed, finally meeting her gaze. “I feel like there’s something between us. Like a past that I have no memory of.”
Roseline sucked in a breath. Should she admit the same? The dreams that felt like memories, the longing she’d begun to feel for him, and the way just thinking of him set her body on fire? Yes, she knew there was something there.
Running his hands through his hair, Gabriel blew out a breath. “Sorry. I know how lame that probably sounded.”
Stretching out her hand, Roseline gently laid it on top of Gabriel’s. “No. Not lame at all.”
Gabriel turned towards her. “I think you’ve bewitched me Rose,” he whispered, his crystal clear blue eyes filled with hope and longing.
Her soft chuckle sent shivers down Gabriel’s spine. He liked the sound of her voice, the faint rosy tint to her cheeks and certainly everything below that. He had a sneaking suspicion that Rose had been coerced into wearing such a bold dress. Not that she didn’t look gorgeous, but it didn’t exactly seem like her style.
“I’ve known many a witch Gabriel,” Roseline said, moving away to perch on the opposite end of the couch from him. She yanked on her dress, wishing it would magically grow another couple inches. “But none of them have ever had much luck getting the right guy to fall for them.”
Gabriel pouted, his fingers tapping idly on the cushion. “That’s a shame. I quite liked the idea.” Roseline blushed, turning away from him.
“Have I embarrassed you?” he asked softly.
Roseline winced, shaking her head as she fought with her emotions. Being near Gabriel was intoxicating. She breathed in deep, enjoying his blood’s aroma. It called to her, winding silky tendrils of desire through her belly. A deep ache began in her toes, worming its way up through every nerve in her body.
Why did his blood call to her? Why did she feel like her fate rested in his hands? He was a mortal for goodness sakes. It didn’t matter what she felt, or how her body betrayed her. Gabriel Marston was off limits!
“Please don’t,” she whispered, fighting to keep the tremor from her voice. “We both know you have a girlfriend, and I’m…I’m no good for you.”
Gabriel ached to touch her, to brush back the bronze strands of hair that shielded her face from him, but he didn’t want to push her away. Instead he rose to his feet, pacing. He needed space and an eternity of time to think. Even then he doubted he could get a grasp on the feelings he had for this mysterious girl.
His hands flinched at his side, begging to feel Roseline’s silky skin under his fingers, to pull her into his arms and never let go, but he couldn’t. He sighed, shoulders sagging under the weight of his obligation. “You’re right. I am with Claire.”
“You don’t sound too happy about that,” she murmured, noting the edge to his voice. Roseline knew she shouldn’t care. It wasn’t like they could ever be together. But logic failed her in that moment as Gabriel dropped to his knees in front of her.
“I’m miserable Rose,” Gabriel groaned, despair marring his face. “I don’t want to be with Claire. I never have. I only want one thing,” he paused, leaning up to meet Roseline eye to eye. “I want a chance to get to know you.”
Roseline’s mouth gaped open. Her mind told her to flee but her heart refused to let her feet move an inch. Gabriel bowed his head, too nervous to actually look at Roseline. “All of this feels so sudden…but I know in my gut that it’s right. We are right. Will you at least give me a chance?”
Her groan was silent but it felt like it resounded through the heavens. Why was he doing this to her? Didn’t he know how hard he was making it for her to say no?
Gabriel laid himself on the line, trusting Roseline with his confused heart, and there was only one thing to do. With tears in her eyes, Roseline spoke the words that her heart forcefully denied. “I’m sorry Gabriel, but I don’t want to be with you.”
It took a moment for her words to sink in. A stunning smile spread across Gabriel’s face. “Liar.”
“Well that was rude.” She shifted her body away from him, peeved.
Gabriel laughed. “Sometimes the truth hurts.” With a feather light touch, Gabriel brushed his fingers over her hand. Her eyes glued to the spot, unblinking as she tried to form a coherent thought. His fingers slid around to the underside of her wrist, drawing delicate circles on her sensitive skin.
“I get it,” he whispered. “You don’t want to hurt me or yourself…but I’m right and you know it. There is definitely something going on between us.”
The touch of his hand on her skin felt amazing. Although his fingers were calloused from countless hours on the football field, his skin was like the finest silk against her skin. The warmth radiating from him felt like a warm blanket on a cold winter’s night. She would give anything to snuggle up to him and let the world pass her by.
It was getting harder to resist him. The longer she lingered with him, the more intense the attraction became. Roseline’s mouth began to water, savoring Gabriel’s scent. She reared back, snatching her hand away. That scent, rain and cut grass…she’d smelled it before. It wasn’t a manly scent but that made it no less frightening. It was the scent from her dreams. That aroma was tied to some of the most realistic and seductive dreams she’d ever experienced.
“What?” Gabriel asked, leaning closer.
Unable to stop herself, Roseline closed the gap between them, breathing deeply as she approached. There was no denying it; Gabriel was the source of the teasing aroma. Closing her eyes, Roseline nuzzled against his neck, embracing the warmth of his throat. His pulse jumped madly against her cheek, making her smile.
Gabriel rolled his neck to the side, eyes closing as Roseline turned to press her lips against his artery. The sensitive skin under her lips quivered, a contented sigh escaping his lips. Roseline’s eyes popped open, reality crashed in as she threw herself against the opposite end of the couch. She commanded her lungs to stop moving as she fought for control.
“Why�
�d you stop?” Gabriel groaned, his words slurring.
Roseline glanced hesitantly at him. Her body began to tremble as she looked deeply into his eyes, terrified by the faint blue glow radiating out from them. It wasn’t possible. Humans couldn’t do that.
Maybe it was the moonlight streaming in from overhead, or a trick of light from the lamp glowing on the bookcase. Or maybe Roseline’s mind had finally snapped, trying to convince herself that Gabriel was something more than a mortal. But try as she might to convince herself of those possibilities, the truth continued to gnaw at her.
Gabriel’s heart drummed loudly in his chest. Hormones leaked from his dampened skin, mingling with hers in the air. The scent of their desire permeating the air was more than she could handle. Roseline’s lips parted, allowing one final agonizing breath to enter her body. She groaned, burying her face in her hands as she tasted Gabriel’s essence.
“That was amazing,” Gabriel cried, his mind slowly escaping the fog. “It’s never been like that before.”
The reminder of his time spent with other girls snapped Roseline out of her trance. “I barely touched you,” she murmured, trying to sort out what they’d just experienced.
“Really?” Gabriel frowned, blinking away the last of the haze. “That’s not what it felt like.”
“Oh man,” Roseline groaned, turning away. Warm tears slipped between her fingers. “This isn’t possible. Why is this happening?”
Roseline jumped when Gabriel’s hand landed on her bare arm. Scorching fire licked against her skin…and suddenly she understood. His blood called to her. Not like blood normally did. This wasn’t some sadistic hunger or a physical need for healing; this was lust in its rawest form.
“Are you ok Rose?” he whispered, his breathing tickling her ear.
“No,” she croaked, pulling free from his grasp. “I want to leave.”
Gabriel’s disappointment hit her like a wrecking ball, but she refused to be swayed. Roseline had to leave, to get some fresh air to clear her mind before she did something she’d really regret. His scent still lingered in her nostrils, making her head spin. “Please, let me go,” she begged.