Level Up

by Hadley Quinn

She lightly chuckled. “It helps when the room is mostly dark.”

  “Ha,” he said as his lips brushed along her skin to her neck. It sent shivers up her spine and she let her body be pampered by his attention. “Besides,” he added, sliding his hand over her hip and down her thigh. “I was born with night vision.”

  She laughed out loud and he rolled her onto her back, gently pinning her arms down as he held himself over her.

  “You mock me?” he said, lifting a brow with inquiry.

  She tried to match his feigned seriousness and bit her lip so she didn’t laugh. “Not at all.”

  “You are,” he insisted.

  “No, never.”

  “You lie and I should do something about that.”

  The look in his eye was indiscernible and it sent her heart into a different rhythm. He took a knee and wedged it softly between hers to open her legs.

  “I think anything you threaten me with would be worth it,” she murmured.

  He grinned and said, “You might want to take that back.”

  She was going to argue again, but he kissed her neck and then moved aside her strap to brush his lips and tongue across her shoulder. His touch was hardly felt, but just enough to keep her focused. Then he smiled at her—an incredibly sexy yet devilish smile that did a number on her insides. Very slowly he lifted her shirt a few inches and ran his finger along the edge of her panties. His lips followed and he scooped an arm under her leg, kissing the inside of her thigh.

  That’s when she knew she was in trouble.

  “Gabe, you’re despicable.”

  He barely chuckled and kept kissing her, moving to the other inner thigh, and then along the edge of her underwear.

  “You’d better stop right now if you know what’s best for you,” she threatened.

  “Baby, I don’t intend on stopping,” he murmured. He continued to work his magic, eventually sliding her panties aside to explore a little further.

  “You’re not going to tease me and then stop?” she asked. She realized how pathetic her voice sounded.

  “Now why would I do that?” he replied. His tongue sank into her and she let out a moan. She couldn’t respond at first so she didn’t. She let go of everything that had upset her the night before and selfishly enjoyed this distraction that they both knew was working so well.

  “Because…you’ve done it…before,” she barely got out. That wasn’t entirely true, but he knew just how to keep her on the edge for so long and sometimes it felt like torture. And he could be patient, and strong-willed, so it was within his capabilities to draw it out for so long.

  His thumb rubbed against her clit as he looked at her with a smile. “Well how about you agree to cook me breakfast and I won’t make you suffer any longer.”

  “Deal,” she said immediately, and it made him chuckle.

  But he went to work quickly, bringing her to a climax within ten seconds. She was so grateful for the instant gratification that she removed her clothes, and his shorts, and straddled his waist to return the favor.

  As they shared the intimate moment, she couldn’t help but think how well they worked together in this way. She had never felt so comfortable with a man like she did Gabe, and she couldn’t imagine herself with anyone other than him. She wasn’t sure if he felt the same way, but she told herself that she was good for him. There wasn’t another woman that would ever care for him as much as she did.

  She was completely in love with the man.

  “Oh my God,” she whispered when the realization hit.

  Gabe obviously considered it to be part of their session. He told her how good she felt and how beautiful she was. He touched her all the right ways, soft and rough, until she was satisfied again and it was his turn. He flipped her onto her back and drove into her until he came.

  He let out a long growl with his release, and even though the intensity of it was carnal, there was always more to it by the way he took care of her at the end. He slowed and kissed her neck and shoulder, and at that moment, she realized the difference between sex and making love. There were deeper emotions involved, for Ava at least, and even though she knew that there was something special between them, there was more at that moment; an extra bit of contentment in her heart instead of just between her legs.

  He was kissing her again, and when he teased that she wanted to go for another one, she realized she was clinging to him like a frightened baby monkey.

  She loosened her hold and lightly ran her fingers along his chest. “No, that was amazing,” she smiled.

  “You sure?” he chuckled. “You’re getting way too addicted to this, Ava.”

  She knew he was playing and it made her laugh. “I won’t argue with you on that,” she agreed. “You’re okay with upping this to six times a day, right?”

  He laughed and kissed her forehead. Oh how she loved to see that side of him. If Ava could keep him that relaxed all the time, maybe he would eventually shed all of the demons that were squeezing the life out of his soul.

  He dropped onto his back and exhaled a deep breath. She was happy that he seemed content, but she watched him check the clock. Knowing Gabe, daylight couldn’t come fast enough. Usually he’d tuck her against him until she fell asleep, and depending on how restless he was he’d either sit in the chair or pace the house. She knew he did that because she’d witnessed it. He thought she was asleep on one occasion when she wasn’t, and when she didn’t hear the tiny squeak in the chair, he’d disappear out the bedroom door in silence. She’d been able to see all the way down the hall from the bed and could tell he was pacing in the living room. The most disturbing aspect of all this was that he was clearly agitated.

  She sighed to herself as he wrapped his arms around her, signifying that the routine was going to continue. She wanted him to hold her, but not at the expense of his wasted time.

  “I’m wide awake,” she told him, kissing his arm before she sat up. “I’ll jump in the shower and then start breakfast.”

  She could feel him watching her leave the bedroom but he didn’t say anything. She entered the bathroom and turned on the shower. For some reason the medicine cabinet was summoning her and she quietly shut the bathroom door. She selected the bottle that she remembered Gabe taking a pill from; it was on the left end.

  It was just as she suspected. The recommended dose was for two pills. Gabe had only taken one. Out of curiosity, she opened the bottle and peeked inside. She couldn’t stop herself from rolling her eyes when she saw that every pill in the bottle had been broken in half.

  “Jesus, Gabe,” she whispered to herself. He’d only taken a fourth of the prescription.

  She sighed and put the bottle away, placing it exactly the way that she’d found it. She knew Gabe. She knew he’d notice anything out of place.

  She took a quick shower and when she came out, he was in the kitchen making breakfast.

  “Let me guess,” she said. “Now I owe you something else since you took my breakfast job away?”

  He smiled and leaned against the counter to face her. “Nah. I’ll give you a free pass.”

  She only nodded and returned to the bedroom to get dressed. She was irritated about the stupid sleep medication and was letting it get to her again. Why the hell couldn’t he just try sleeping at night?

  That night they sat outside by the fire pit. Ava was sharing the lounge chair with Gabe and they’d been talking about dogs for some reason. She admitted that she’d always wanted a dog but her parents would never let her have one.

  “What’s stopping you now?” he asked. “You’re almost twenty-two, you have your own house, and you live alone. A dog seems like a good fit.”

  She almost joked about getting a dog to replace a man in her life, but that wasn’t really funny to her. She had Gabe, right? She’d finally found someone to dedicate her time to.

  “Someday,” she shrugged. “I guess I want the perfect one and I don’t want to be disappointed.”

  He considered that and agr
eed.

  They didn’t stay outside much longer. The bugs were becoming a little too pesky because Ava hadn’t filled the citronella jars like she’d meant to. She was just wearing a sundress over her bathing suit and a pair of flip flops, but she headed for the cabin with Gabe, knowing she wasn’t going to be dressed in a minute anyway.

  They were just about to the porch when a loud explosion-like sound came from the closest neighbor. It scared the hell out of Ava and she jumped, but Gabe reacted to it a half-second before she did and threw her to the gravel, his own body shielding hers.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  Ava wasn’t sure what freaked her out the most—his reaction to the sound, or fifty percent of her body being hurled into a billion tiny rocks.

  “Gabe,” she said, almost in a whimper. She didn’t know if he was even cognizant of what had actually happened.

  “Oh fuck, Ava,” he said, and as quick as he’d reacted to the car backfiring, he scooped her up into his arms. “Jesus, I’m so sorry,” he murmured, nuzzling the side of her face.

  “Ow, ow, ow,” she cringed. Whatever damage on her didn’t exactly like to be pressed against.

  He put her down carefully and pulled his hands away like he was afraid to touch her. It was dark out, so neither of them could see much. He rushed to the porch and flipped on the porch light. She was already to the step when he looked at her and said, “Oh my God, Ava…”

  She glanced down at her bare legs just as he placed his hand on her back and led her inside. Even then she could feel warm liquid running down her legs from her knees, and when she saw blood on Gabe’s shirt, she looked at her hands and elbows, knowing it was hers and not his.

  “What the hell have I done?” he said to himself. He rushed to the bathroom and came out with wet washcloths and a first aid kid.

  “Gabe, I’m fine—”

  “No, you’re not fine!” he yelled at her.

  She knew he was just upset with himself so she didn’t argue. She let him clean her up, and even though he was pissed as hell, his work was careful, efficient, and effortless. For such a tough man, he could sure take care of her gently.

  But she didn’t know what was going through his mind until he finally dropped the rags on the table with a groan and rubbed his face with the back of his hands. He turned on two more lights in the house suddenly, and then the pacing began.

  She didn’t know what to do. He seemed to be fighting some kind of memory. She glanced at the blood on the washcloth and wondered if it had triggered an image of some sort. First the explosion, and then the blood. Was he about to lose it?

  “Gabe, look at me,” she said. She pushed aside the pain that was pulsating from her body being pounded into the rocks and focused on him instead. She stopped in front of him where he was staring at the couch.

  “Gabe,” she said firmly. She stood in his view until his eyes settled on her. She held his gaze for several seconds until he took a deep breath and closed his eyes. When he opened them, he seemed a little more composed.

  “I’m so sorry,” he said quietly. “It was just… I reacted to a sound that I’ve reacted to more times than I can count and…”

  “I understand,” she nodded. “And I’m okay. I promise you. I’m fine.”

  “You’re not fine,” he mumbled, gesturing to her body. He even stared at her legs again and shook his head in disgust. She knew what he saw—more bruising that was beginning to show.

  “I am fine,” she said. “You’re bleeding too, by the way.”

  He looked at the wrist she’d nodded to but blew it off. “It’s a scratch, Ava. Nothing like what I did to you.”

  She knew it was wicked of her, but she wished that she could use the incident as a reason for him to get some damn sleep. She truly felt that it was causing him to be over sensitive. It was only nine o’clock at night, but she was exhausted from getting up so early that morning. And she really didn’t have it in her to argue with him about the sleeping pills.

  “I think I’m gonna get into one of your shirts and climb into bed,” she told him. She stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. “I’m so tired; I think I could use some extra sleep tonight.”

  Yes, she was hoping he would magically agree that he needed sleep too, willingly take the recommended dose of medication, and climb into bed with her.

  Instead, he grabbed a beer from the refrigerator and almost downed it by the time she made it to the bedroom.

  She didn’t know what was going on at that point. Was she in over her head? She understood why he was so hesitant at the beginning, why he wanted to keep her distant. She’d sparked an interest in him though, and he’d drifted away from his cold, dark world. At least, that’s what he’d once told her. He also told her that he just didn’t do relationships, that he wasn’t an easy guy to be with, and that he had too many issues for any one person to deal with.

  It made her cry that she might agree with every one of those things.

  She carefully changed into one of Gabe’s t-shirts. She was about to get into bed until she realized that two of the bandages were already soaked with blood and needed changed. She couldn’t get into his pale gray sheets with cuts bleeding everywhere and she also knew that she couldn’t fix it without him knowing.

  With a sigh, she left the bedroom for the first aid kit on the kitchen table. Gabe was sitting in the corner of the room—the corner that had a perfect view of both the front door and the back door—and he only watched her.

  “Are you going to lie down with me?” she asked.

  She ignored his hawk-like stare, inspecting her every move as she unwrapped two more bandages to replace the others. He didn’t answer but he got up from the chair and made his way across the room. He took the bandage out of her hand and sighed.

  “That won’t be enough.” He motioned her to sit so she did, and he covered her knees with heavier duty bandages instead. “These will probably scar,” he mumbled, and she was sure it was the last thing he wanted to tell her. “We’ll just keep the ointment on it and that will minimize the scab-and-scar effect. It’ll take longer to heal entirely, but it will look better. Well, as good as it can.”

  “Gabe, I’ve crashed on bikes and fallen enough. I’ve skinned my knees plenty of times. I do have scars, you know.”

  He didn’t reply. He was either too pissed or he didn’t want to talk about it. She felt like she was losing him. She felt like he was shutting her out again and the only reason she was still allowed around him at that moment was because he felt guilty for maiming her.

  When he was done replacing the dressings, she scooped up the first aid kit and the bloody cloths without a word. She wasn’t sure where the kit went, but she stuck it under the sink, and the washcloths got rinsed good and tossed in the washing machine with a few other towels.

  When the load was running, she returned to the kitchen and headed straight for the freezer for some ice cream. She didn’t even ask if Gabe wanted any because she knew he was too upset to eat and would say no. Instead, she took her bowl and sat next to him on the couch. She curled up against him and clicked on the television, finding the movie she knew was on. It was a comedy; something they both needed.

  The movie had been on for about ten minutes, but Ava didn’t believe Gabe was paying attention to it—he just stared ahead at the wall. She felt sitting there on the couch with her was the last place he wanted to be.

  “If you’re going to give me the silent treatment, I’m just going to try harder,” she finally said.

  “I know.”

  She glanced at him for a humorous smirk, but there wasn’t one. She watched another minute of the movie. “Did you know that when they filmed this part, half of the actors had the flu?”

  She barely heard a “nope” from him, but she doubted he was even watching it.

  “They took turns being sick in the bathroom between takes. That’s gross. And can you imagine being the actor that wasn’t sick? I think I’d throw up just seeing other people run for
the john.”

  “Hmph,” he replied.

  “It had to be done, though. That building was set for demolition that week and they needed to finish filming there. The actors agreed to do what they could to finish it and…bam! You have an award-winning film. Oh, and those other actors got sick too.” She added, “Some things are worth the risk.”

  He was silent but then scoffed. “Am I to assume there’s a parallel here?”

  “No, don’t assume. Agree.”

  “I can’t, Ava. Movies, actors…who fucking cares? They get paid shitloads of money to be uncomfortable for a couple of days, and then they’re praised up the ass for the ‘hard work’ they do to get adored by the public. It’s not something that I can relate to.”

  Yeah, his words cut. But what else could she expect. He was right. It was a stupid comparison and she really had no right pretending like she knew what she was talking about. All she’d wanted to do was focus on a subject that was a bit lighter in nature.

  She took her bowl to the kitchen. It wasn’t quite empty, but she’d had enough and rinsed the rest of it down the sink. Ava could feel Gabe watching her, but maybe it was all in her head since he was staring at the wall when she looked at him. Either way, she knew he was still kicking his own ass—whether it was because of the memories that had resurfaced or because of her injuries, she didn’t know.

  She sighed to herself and decided to call it a night. She wasn’t sure how many times she could feel rejected before she finally went to bed. But then again, maybe that was his plan. Be an asshole to her so she’d leave him alone.

  Not gonna work, Gabe.

  She did head for the bedroom, but she only grabbed the throw blanket that was on the chair. When she returned to the living room, it was silent—Gabe had turned the TV off. But he looked surprised that she was back and he eyed her as she joined him on the couch again.

  “You can’t sleep out here,” he told her. He no longer seemed angry, but she could tell he was still on edge.

  “Why not? I’ve slept out here before.”

  “That was different. It was daytime.”