His labored breaths wafted against her cheeks and whistled in her ears. His chest felt harder than steel as it crushed her breasts through the material that separated them. He pushed against her – all muscle, sinew, and brawn. Then he aligned his lips to her ear and whispered words of comfort. His mouth tracked down the length of her neck, leaving a damp trail everywhere it touched, stopping only to nibble the hollow of her throat. Swept with euphoric sensation, her head lolled backward and an airy gasp spilled from her lips.
“Ariah … lose yourself completely …” The husky, dark timber of his voice stoked an inner fire. Ariah had been enamored of that voice ever since she first heard him speak. It was decadently low and rich. The immobility of the left side of his lip made it slightly muffled – something that added to its appeal rather than detracted from it.
Gabriel was perfect in his imperfections.
And such a thing was true for the both of them. Here they stood, two shattered souls made complete through each other.
Her heart thudded as Gabriel caressed her bottom with calculated strokes. Mon Dieu. Those fingers were strong, skillful, and impossibly long. He splayed his palm across the small of her back and nudged her body forward. The subtle movement sent her hips rocking against his own in a fluid motion. He sprang to life against her – massive and harder than tempered steel. She tensed at the heady, burning feel of him. The size of his manhood ought to have frightened her away, reminding her of that painful encounter … of that unforgettable, stabbing sensation that had haunted her nightmares for so many years. And yet, foreign thrills shot up and down her spine, empowering her with an ever-growing need that only Gabriel could sate.
Ariah ground against him without conscious thought, and a guttural sound emerged from his throat. Her breasts felt unbearably heavy. The coarse material of her walking dress was suffocating. He stilled her hips with a single hand, as if the pressure was too much to bear. He seemed to be suffering an exquisite agony … one not so different than her own. And the power she held over this strong, battle-worn commander was exhilarating.
“Mon Dieu … Ariah. You shall be the death of me,” he groaned, as if in excruciating pain. “A rather pleasant death – but death nonetheless.”
Her mind spun as she imagined how he might look naked. Ariah had never seen a man in the nude, though she knew Gabriel would put most to shame. Every bit of him was a testament to his years on the battlefield – coarse, well defined, and rugged. Brief sadness passed over her heart as she thought of his deformity, though it was swiftly replaced with a much stronger emotion.
Love? Had she fallen deeply in love with this man? She’d contemplated the notion several nights before, when putting Emmaline to sleep, and had tried to brush it aside. But now the thought consumed her. Her heart stirred at the silent confession, though she dared not speak the words. Not yet.
Suddenly she longed to hear his voice once more, to feel those sultry vibrations move against her. “Speak to me, Gabriel. Please. Your voice is an instrument of pleasure.” With her eyes still sealed shut, she was overwhelmed with raw sensation. “Let me hear you.”
He spoke in Russian, adopting one of the tongues he’d acquired during his worldly travels. “Два сердца в любви не нужны слова.” Two hearts in love need no words. Then he followed suit in several more languages. Deaf to the meaning, Ariah immediately wished she was more cultured. He spoke again, spinning his words through various dialects: “Me enamoré de ti profundamente.” The words were spoken with such soul, such passion and love … Ariah nearly shattered into climax from their force.
Then a gasp burst from her lips as his hands tracked over the curve of her bottom … up the length of her back … past her neck … and fisted in her curls. Wildfire erupted everywhere he touched, igniting an inferno inside her soul, crumbling her thoughts into ashes. The tender area between her thighs throbbed, ached, moistened. He gave a gentle pull and possessively reeled her mouth against his own.
Ariah’s eyes blinked open. Their heads were mere centimeters apart, mouths sharing the same breaths of air. She took in the irregular features of his face – half achingly handsome, half a testament to years of torment. Tears threatening to surface, she pressed her lips against the uneven skin, not daring to leave a piece of him unloved. A salty tang flavored her tongue – and she realized that he was weeping.
Clasping both of her hands in one of his own, Gabriel stepped backward, leading her away from the railing. She followed without thought, her soul carrying her feet. Those powerful, haunted eyes never left her face as he edged toward the center of the roof. What a breathtaking and surreal figure he made, silhouetted against Paris’s eternal night sky. A light breeze ruffled the material of his greatcoat. Carried by the wind’s breath, the greatcoat billowed around his body like a pair of colossal wings. Beneath this light, he resembled a fallen angel. Her legs grew heavy, each one weighed down with desire and anticipation.
His hand slipped free, and Ariah’s knees nearly gave way at the loss of his touch. Then he stripped away his greatcoat, eyes still locked on her own, and suavely smoothed the material across the flooring. Gabriel lowered to his knees and held out his hand, beckoning Ariah forward with the raw magnetism of his eyes.
Pulse thrumming, she moved forward until she stood on the edge of the greatcoat. Moonlight flashed against his raven hair, brightening the locks to a rich amber. His shoulders were strong and wide, and Ariah was struck with the desire to feel his muscles constrict beneath her fingers. Indeed, he resembled a crouching panther – dark, smooth, and infinitely powerful. Admiring his silhouette, she wordlessly stared down at him. She attempted a smile, but her dancing nerves prohibited the simple movement. “Touch me. Touch me, Gabriel …”
Gabriel coiled his hand around her ankle, enveloping it completely, his sultry eyes never abandoning her own. His fingers slid up her flesh in an antagonizing slow burn. The warmth of his caress seared her skin. She watched in breathless awe as his hand vanished beneath her skirts. The simple feeling of his scarred, callused skin moving against her own was maddening. With each caress, each flex of his fingers, she ascended to a euphoric, untouchable summit. He searched her face for signs of reluctance or fear. Unable to speak, Ariah urged him on with a subtle nod.
Gabriel increased the pressure of his touch. Pleasure running anew, another gasp fled her lips as he cupped the curve of her bottom. Eyes hooded with acute desire, he murmured a low groan of satisfaction.
He tugged Ariah impossibly close. Then he reclined on top of his cloak and took her down with him. From head to toe, he was as coarse and as hard as stone. And his arousal was no exception; it stood dangerously prominent, straining against the fabric of his trousers. Their lips were mere centimeters apart … torturously close. They shared the same breaths of air, inhaling each other’s exhales – consuming the other’s heat, desire, and scent.
In a fluid movement, Gabriel flipped Ariah onto her back. Propped on both elbows, he hovered above her face and stared down. She felt the heat of his eyes as they roamed over her body. Balancing on one elbow, he nudged the material of her cloak aside. That cognac gaze ran over the swell of her breasts, taking in every curve, every bend. One of his hands swept over her tousled hair and brushed across her cheek in a painfully gentle touch. She swallowed as it descended, riding down and over her tender curves. He cupped one of her breasts with his fingers, molding his palm around her. Heat coiled about her spine like interlinked serpents. She arched into his touch, overwhelmed by the enticing pressure. Then his fingertips dipped below the neckline of her dress. Ariah worried her bottom lip as she bit back a moan. His callused fingers grated against her bare flesh, kindling flames everywhere they touched. Gabriel strained his body as they moved lower in restless, intimate perusal …
Buried beneath her dress and chemise, he cupped a breast with his palm and gently kneaded the aching flesh. Then his mouth skimmed across her collarbone, tracing the fine line with his lips. Pleasure rippled t
hrough her body. Her breasts grew heavy, each one tingling with sensation, both begging for his touch. Her nipples sprang to life as he increased his pressure and rhythm. He rotated between slow, sensual circles and abrupt teases to her nipple. Then those strong, weathered fingers deftly undid the clasps of her dress, freeing her skin to the elements. His mouth abandoned her collarbone as he lifted his face. His breaths sharpened while his eyes roamed over her chemise – the final barrier that shielded her from his eyes. His rich gaze deepened with desire and unmasked longing, and Ariah felt his passion echo inside her.
“You are exquisite.”
Ariah shivered at the husky sound of his voice. It fell upon her ears like molten lava, scorching hot and capable of consuming everything in its path. She could feel the baritone resonating within. Her insides quivered, burned, screamed, and ached for more. Then his mouth swept downward and claimed the erect tip of her breast. Her toes curled against the barrier of her kid boots as she abandoned herself to the erotic ministrations. His tongue swirled around the flesh, plastering the chemise to her skin. Three fingers hooked around the straps of her chemise and urged the material downward.
Gabriel’s penetrating gaze seared her as both breasts sprang free. The night air caused her nipples to further harden. She felt the delicious burn of his eyes as they tracked over her exposed flesh. Then his mouth lowered to the base of her neck, slowly, sensually, and he pressed a kiss against her pulse. She inhaled an unsteady breath as both of his hands rose from the ground and cupped her cheeks. He drew invisible circles along the slates of flesh, worshiping her with a touch so gentle, so full of adoration that she nearly wept from the beauty of it.
“You are still frightened,” he whispered against her skin. She mutely nodded, voice stolen from her throat. In spite of his gentleness, ancient memories surfaced inside her mind. Frustration quickly followed. She felt imprisoned – and she wanted nothing more than to be granted freedom.
His lips ventured higher, ghosting over her collarbone, brushing against her shut eyelids in a fleeting caress. “Do not think, chérie. Only feel. Stay with me, in this moment.”
“I trust you, Gabriel.”
Gabriel responded with his touches. Broad hands skimmed over the valley of her curves as he traced each and every bend. He showered a wet line of kisses down her throat, lapping up the pants that formed within. Ariah’s head spun as she squirmed beneath the weight of his well-muscled body. Her fingertips buried in the thick waves of his hair and drew him ever closer. She gave an insistent, impatient pull, guiding his mouth where her body demanded it. He obliged with a husky groan and another foreign endearment.
Then her final barrier shattered as his mouth found her nipple once again. He sucked it deep inside the cavern of his mouth. She arched against the sensation while his tongue swirled around the peak. He blew gently … his teeth grazed the flesh, drawing a moan from her gut. Her entire body thrummed. She fidgeted against the greatcoat, her body restrained by his chest. His scarred hands cupped her shoulders and peeled away both the dress and chemise in a single movement. She shivered as the material whispered down the sides of her body. The dress and chemise bunched about her waist, leaving her exposed and vulnerable. Her body twisted, needing release … needing more …
Gabriel moved away from her and sat back on his heels. Her eyes shot open as she desperately reached for him.
“Mon Dieu, do not stop now,” she gasped. “Why ever are you – ”
He silenced her words with a fingertip. Then he grasped onto the bunched material and slid it from her body. She lifted her bottom off of the greatcoat, allowing the two garments to be shed. A knot of anticipation bloomed inside her chest. The chilly night air tightened her bare skin into gooseflesh – a sensation that contrasted with the warmth of his body.
On his way back up, Gabriel tracked his lips against the heel of her foot and peppered kisses along her outstretched leg. She tensed as he continued the upward pursuit, not leaving a centimeter of her untouched. His fingertips curled beneath the waistband of her pantalettes, the callused pads tantalizing her with featherlight touches. In a suave movement, he rolled the linen down and over her curves, allowing it to join the ever-growing pile of clothing. He pressed delicate kisses down her inner thighs – and Ariah’s legs instinctively clenched together as she realized his intention.
Echoed by the surrounding stone walls, a husky laugh resonated within the night. His weathered palms massaged her thighs, those sensually long fingertips soothing her muscles with encouraging strokes. His palms were uneven and rough from when he’d shattered the mirror.
“Just relax. Relax and keep trusting me. On my word – you shall be glad you did.”
She obliged, forcing her legs to go limp. Chords of awareness spiraled down her spine as his mouth closed in – and the molten heat of his breath wafted against her damp core.
Conflicting sensations crashed together. Hot and cold. Fire and ice. Desire and uncertainty.
Strong hands cupped her bottom and elevated her lower body from the greatcoat. Meeting her in midair, Gabriel parted her intimate curls and circled the sweet bud in repetitive and loving strokes. His smooth tongue – so hot, slick, and pliable – plunged in and out of the moist, tender heat. One hand slid away from her bottom and rested atop the dense patch of curls.
Mon Dieu …
“Relax and open to me.” Obeying the whispered command, the tension from her muscles eased, her thighs went limp, and her entire body grew pliant. She was ready. Ready to be molded into whatever Gabriel saw fit.
Her thoughts ricocheted against each other as two thick fingertips burrowed inside her body. Sweet, sweet agony. They moved in and out, in and out … circled the tingling bundle of nerves … rocked deep, deep within … then spread her wide … before discovering the swollen, aching mound.
Then he angled his lips and drew the tip into the hot cavern of his mouth. Her body unconsciously jerked upward, and Gabriel drank from her. The uneven texture of his face ground against her inner thigh. Long, firm sweeps fell across the hardened nub, delicate pressure was applied … a little more … then just enough …
Hard moans rocked Ariah’s body. He steadied her hips as he suckled, drinking her deep, consuming her. Colors burst in front of her eyes … the speckled night sky spun around in circles. A gust of wind swiped over her heated body, helping cool the blazing inferno, and the stars shifted against the black expanse. Needing to anchor herself, she grasped onto the greatcoat, arched into his hot mouth and expert caresses … then shattered completely.
Poignant waves crashed within and spilled over her mind and body. She cried out in a burst of mind-bending pleasure, swept with pure euphoria, every centimeter of her flesh tingling and on fire. Spasms quaked through her body with the force of an avalanche. Gabriel continued the ministrations with his fingers, sending a second wave of pleasure slamming through her core, her limbs, and her heart. Her inner walls clenched tightly, drawing him in, sucking him deeper, deeper. Mumbling into her ear, he obliged and eased farther inside. His fingers sank knuckle-deep, stoking the passionate fire back to life. Trembling and dizzy from the pleasure, she rode the wave into bliss. The sensation was so explosive, so unbelievable and beautiful … and it seemed to last forever. The rooftop transformed into a coliseum of pleasure, and the surrounding stonework amplified each of her moans.
Heart slamming against her rib cage, she loosened her hold on the greatcoat and fought to catch her breath. Aftershocks traversed up and down her spine while a feeling of elation overpowered her senses. Gabriel climbed up her body, dotting kisses along her flesh as he did so. Tears spilled down the slopes of her cheeks as his dark head bowed forward. Then he grasped her face within both palms and brought his lips to her temple. Rocking her in his arms, he held his mouth there for several indescribable moments.
“I never knew. I never thought – ”
“Shh, chérie. I have you. And I shan’t let go.”
Gabriel tilted her face back and c
laimed her lips in a slow, seductive kiss. She tasted the sweet tang of her womanhood on his lips, felt the insistent probe of his tongue as it thrust in and out of her mouth in provocative motions …
They thrust, plundered, and parried in a seductive dance – and each movement mirrored their undulating hips.
Her hands rose from the greatcoat and settled on the buttons of his shirt. The material was covered in smudges and soot – a testament to their climb. “I want to see you, Gabriel. And I want to touch you. All of you.”
Gabriel latched onto one of her hands and drew it against his heart. When he spoke, his voice was low, husky, and laced with desire. “You already have.”
•
Gabriel’s heart drove against Ariah’s palm at a rapid pace, strong and sure. Indeed, the depth of his affection was unmistakable. He studied her features in pure wonderment, unable to tear his eyes away. Curls of gold swirled across her cheekbones, blending into the white slates of the roof. There was a light dusting of freckles across the bridge of her nose. He examined the intricate design, acquainting himself with each marking. Then he smoothed down her curls, inhaled deeply, and pressed a kiss to her forehead. Returning the gesture, she elevated her back from the greatcoat and awarded the immobile side of his mouth with an intoxicating kiss. Staring down, he entwined their hands together and reveled in the simple touch. His breathing grew labored at the feeling … the exquisite, magical feeling of her fingers rubbing against his own. Then, for the first time, he noticed her nude wedding finger.
“Ariah. I – ”
The words died on his tongue. She tugged on the material of his shirt and leaned forward, connecting her mouth with his cheek. Then she fumbled with the buttons as her breaths emerged in shallow puffs. A fierce bolt of desire impaled his mind and body. It robbed him of his sanity, spirited his breaths, and melted the countless stars that drifted overhead.
“I want you, Gabriel. All of you.” Her delectable, beautiful voice hummed in his eardrums and traversed through his body.
Finding Gabriel Page 30