Perfect

I'm so embarrassed; I accidentally posted the unedited version of this chapter. This is right version, I hope you enjoy, sorry for the mix up.

Perfect

Edited by: Tom

~ Chapter 11 ~

Flashback - Gabriel's POV

I pulled the small bottle from Tommy's puckered mouth, placing it on the coffee table. I stood up and moved his body onto my chest, his head lying on my shoulder. I rubbed his back soothingly.

Derek and Elaine were both were asleep in bed, the exhaustion having a newborn catching up with them. It wasn't that Tommy was a fussy baby, he was actually pretty mellow most of the time but having a child depend on you for everything was a scary experience for all of us.

Tommy let out a small burp. I chuckled, "Feel better now don't you?" I shifted him again; his head nestled in crook of my arm.

Tommy squirmed, reaching to tug at my hair. He yanked then beamed at me with a drooling smile.

"No, No," I admonished the mischievous four month old, "None of that." I unwrapped his fingers from my hair, the last time I let him play with it he had yanked so hard on it I swear I got a bald spot.

He bounced for a moment, his small butt squirming, his tiny fist moving, showing his displeasure, until I began to rock him. He quieted immediately, and as I started singing an old lullaby my father had sung to me. He smiled in contentment and reached to touch my face.

He moved his mouth and made off-key non-words as he tried to sing along. I couldn't help laughing at his cute efforts.

His body gradually relaxed and he fell asleep as I continued to rock him. It was such a peaceful moment I wanted to freeze it and bring it out to experience again when I was ready to lash out in frustration.

I put his soft, relaxed body into his crib (Derek and I had barrowed it from the Home Economics room) and watched him. He had screamed with glee when I had walked into the room. Silly, in that moment I had felt more wanted and loved than any other time in my life. Now his little bottom was hiked up in the air and his thumb sat loosely in his mouth.

A sweet sensation crowded my chest. He was so tiny. He was a small innocent baby, who completely needed all of us, but we needed him too. He was all of our reasons for trying so hard to keep our home a secret. That wasn't easy to accomplish with a six-week-old baby screaming for food. I mean the walls are thick, but we were all afraid that one day, someone would hear him and come to investigate. So we became like a well-oiled machine, taking shifts between us, making sure everything he needed, he got. I hardly ever slept in my room anymore; the couch was becoming my permanent bed. Hell, even Derek and I have stopped arguing because a hostile environment wasn't good for the baby.

Eventually I returned to the couch, lying down I closed my eyes, not falling asleep but resting my body, my mind drifting over the last few months.

The transition into motherhood was not easy one for Elaine.

I smiled, remembering another night when I had awoken to a screaming two mouth old Tommy. Elaine had been passed out on a chair beside the crib. I had gone over to pick him up when Elaine had jerked awake. Her legs seemed to move on auto, her mind not completely awake, when she plowed into me she had stared at me dazed, as if I had just appeared out of no where.

I turned around and looked at her. "Good Morning."

Tommy howled.

"I'm guessing he needs to be changed and fed."

"Changed," she echoed, mind still fuzzy. "Diaper," she said, not looking forward to the task.

I nodded.

She grabbed a fresh diaper and the pack of wipes. "Lets do this on the couch." She said and I placed Tommy on the couch, screaming at top volume.

Mrs. Wright, after taking care of Elaine, had given us advice on what we needed for the future. She had told us to buy cloth diapers instead of disposable ones because they could be washed and reused, so we wouldn't have to sneak out in order to get supplies as often.

Elaine bit her lip. "I'll get better at doing this soon, but for now cut me some slack," she said to Tommy as she pulled off his plastic pants and unfastened the pins. "I just hope it's not a mess-OMIGOD," she said in dismay. "How is it possible for such a small being to produce such a large quality of-"

"You might not want to leave him uncovered," I suggested.

She shot me a quick glance of confusion. "What do you mean?"

I pointed. "He might-"

She glanced down and a tiny fountain of baby tinkle sprayed her nightshirt. She covered his spigot with a diaper, and then looked up at me. "Could you please bring me another diaper?"

I brought another and she began to wipe up Tommy, none too efficiently. Tommy cried louder and Elaine grew flustered.

Her hands were shaking when she completed her task.

When Tommy was clean, fed, and back to sleep Elaine had sat on the couch, her head in her hands, eyes filled with tears.

"Why am I not better at this?"

I drew her close to me. "Stop beating yourself up, your doing the best you can."

"Am I a bad mother?"

"No! Why would you think-"

"Because," she said, not allowing me to finish. "I don't know what the hell I'm doing, I don't like washing dirty diapers, and I'm tired all the time."

I let her vent, then said, "No ones instinctual on how to take care of a baby. Everything comes with practice. The only reason I knew he was going to pee on you is because the little bugger did it to me." I cupped her face in my hands. "You're in a tough situation, and all the help you have is two inept men, give yourself a break."

She laughed. "Thanks."

"No problem."

It wasn't smooth sailing from there by any means but Elaine started to lighten up more, the pressure she was putting on herself to be the instant perfect mother slowly lifting.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"Gabriel can I please see you in my office after class."

I glanced at Mr. Paterson in surprise. His class was the only one I felt truly comfortable in since I started school here. Mr. Paterson was until then the only teacher I ever had who allowed us the freedom to do what we wanted. If you needed to paint outside he'd let you, as long we were being productive he never interfered.

After class I walked into his office, well studio actually. On the walls were paintings from various local artists, some I think he'd done himself.

"You wanted to see me sir?

He sat at his desk, a file in front of him. My file.

"Is everything alright with you Gabriel?"

"Yes, why wouldn't it be?"

He looked up at me. "Well, you've moved half way around the world. You've isolated yourself from everyone in all of your classes. You don't call home, or get any calls from relatives..."

My spine stiffened, "...and you get defensive whenever I mention your family, why is that?"

I clenched my jaw. "Why is that your concern, sir?"

"Because I'm worried about you."

"Don't be, I'm fine."

He stared at me, and it took all my strength not to look away. "You're fine, really? Then why do you show up for class looking like you haven't slept, and instead of painting, fall asleep at your easel?"

`Because, I'm helping raise a newborn baby,' I answered in my mind.

"I haven't been sleeping well, sir."

He signed, "Gabriel, I can't help you if you don't talk to me."

I stood, stubbornly silent.

"Whatever you're going through, you don't have to go through it alone."

"I'm not alone." I whispered.

"What?"

That seemed to give him pause. "I'm not alone."

"Care to elaborate?"

"No."

He shook his head in defeat. "When your ready to talk come to me ok."

Without a word, I left his office, his words going through my head. I headed to the library. It was my shift to watch Tommy.

Right now we were all living in limbo, waiting for Derek to turn eighteen, it wouldn't be long now. Just one more week and then they were free, free to more out of this place and start living in real house.

There was a corner of my heart that didn't want it all to end. The selfish voice that asked, `What about me?' What would happen when they left, I couldn't go. I would be trapped here alone again.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Present Day- Gabriel's POV

"So did it go?" Elaine questioned yet again. Since I called her she kept badgering me for information about Connor but I refused to answer her questions, which of course only made her more curious.

"Elaine."

"What?"

"I'm your boss right?"

She snorted. "Like that's going to work."

I chuckled. "Elaine, we have work to do."

"And I would very be cooperative in helping you finish that, when you tell me what I want to know."

"That's not fair."

"I never am."

I signed, giving in as I always did. "Everything went great."

She squealed. "Really?"

I pulled the phone away from ear. "You're such a girl."

"Of course, what else did you think I was, Bighead?"

I shook my head; I wasn't going to answer that one.

"So, when are you seeing him again?"

"Well if you would let me get back to work, I'll being seeing him as soon as I'm finished."

"Fine, fine, spoil my fun." Her voice turned serious when she said. "You sound happy."

"I am."

"I'm glad, you deserve that."

"Don't get mushy on me, Brat."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Afternoons were my favorite time to work; I always got the most work done. Usually I'd loose myself in what I was doing, so much I lost track of time. Like today, when I finally glanced up from next weeks invoice's I realized it was 4:00 and Connor had still not arrived.

I picked up the phone and dialed his number, only to have it ring out and his answering machine come on. Thinking he was on his way, I went into the kitchen to check out what I had in order to make dinner.

Only a few vegetables and leftovers sat in the fridge. Deciding to get groceries, I wrote Connor a note telling him where I was.

I made the trip there and back in less than forty minutes, picking up the essential foods as well as two steaks for dinner.

When I arrived at home Connor's car was not in the driveway, and when I entered the house, I found it quiet.

"Connor, you are here?"

No answer.

"Connor?"

Still nothing.

I dropped the groceries onto the kitchen counter and went to phone, but yet again his machine picked up.

"Hey honey, when I said, see you later I meant later today, not tonight," laughed, "if you're home pick up the phone." I waited, but no one came on the line. "I guess you're running late, erase this message when you get it."

I put away the groceries and began to prepare the steak. Another two hours went by and still no Connor. I grew worried. I couldn't shake the chilling feeling in back of my mind, that something was wrong. I called him again but still no answer.

Fallowing my instincts I jumped into my car, and drove to his condo, taking short cuts instead of the high traffic highway.

I rung his doorbell, nothing, not a sound came from the other side of the elevator door.

"Connor, if you're in there open up, you're scaring me." I shouted.

I banged against the door.

Nothing.

I was getting more frantic, by the minute, what was going on, where was he?

The doorman, if Connor, left the building, the doorman would have seen him.

He was leaning against the front doors, as I exited the elevator door. I rushed up to him.

"Excuse me, did you see Mr. Neil leave this afternoon."

He nodded. "Yes, I did."

"When?"

He eyed me closely. "I'm not sure I should give out that kind of information."

"Please, it's important."

"He left around one or two o'clock."

"And he hasn't returned?"

"No sir,"

"Thank you," I muttered, as I walked away. If he had left this afternoon, then where was he?

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Connor's POV

The blackness lasted for only a few seconds. I was aware that there was chaos around me: voices yelling, sirens shrieking, tires screeching but other than that I was numb to anything else. I couldn't feel any pain, though I knew that I was hurt. I rested my head on the steering wheel, too weak and dazed to try to get of the car.

I closed my eyes and drifted, through time, through places, until I found myself standing in Gabriel and my old tree house. Gabriel was sitting through the opening of the door, his legs dangling in air; this was a scene so familiar to me. I had watched him countless times as he was now, but this wasn't Gabriel the boy, this was my Gabriel, the man he'd become.

He glanced at me and smiled, patting the space in front of him. "Sit."

I sat between his legs, his arms coming to wrap around me.

"Where are we?" I asked.

"You know."

"Yes, but why are we here?"

"Because you need to be."

"Am I dead?"

"No, Connor, you're fine."

"So this isn't heaven?"

He chuckled. "No, just a dream."

"I used to always dream about you." I said.

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"What kind of dreams?"

I laughed, "Dreams of you coming to rescue me."

"Why did you need rescuing?"

"I was scared."

"Of what, honey?"

"Of not seeing you again." I turned to him, my gaze filled with sorrow. "Why did you leave me?"

"I didn't have a choice."

"We always have choices."

"Not always."

"Why?"

"I can't answer that."

"Are you going to leave me again?"

"You have to wake up for me to answer that."

"Why?"

"Because you can't stay here Connor."

I sat there for a moment, my head against his shoulder, his heart thumping against the back of my head.

"Wake up, Connor." He whispered in my ear.

I blinked, the vision fading away.

I was lying on a gurney, in front of an ambulance, a woman bent over me. I sat up, wincing at the pain in my head.

"Don't try to get up." She said, gently pushing me back onto the gurney. "Are you alright?"

"I think so." I looked around; traffic in both directions had come to a complete halt. Steam rose from the crumpled hood of the car that had hit me, and other motorists were helping the woman inside. On the other side of the four-lane, tow or three cars rested at weird angles in the road, but the damage there seemed to be mostly in the fender-bender range.

"I want you to lie right there, no more trying to get up, just in case you're hurt worse than you realize and don't feel it yet. Do you feel any sharp pain any where?"

"My head, my ribs." Actually my whole face hurt as if I'd gotten in a fight and lost.

I glanced around again at the chaos, at the bloody people sitting on gurneys beside me, and it shook me to my core. I had done this? It was an accident; I knew it was, but still... I was the cause. My car. Me. Guilt ate at me. I kept my car in good running condition, but had I overlooked some key maintenance? Not paid attention to a warning sign that my brakes were about to fail?

"Is anyone hurt bad?"

The smile she gave me was sympathetic, seemly understanding my fears. "Just bumps and bruises, nothing life threatening."

"Thank God."

"I'm going to check you for any other injures, ok?" I nodded, as she lifted my shirt, she poked at my ribs, I hissed in a breath of pain. "It's ok, they're just bruised, nothing's broken."

She touched the cut on my head. "A butterfly bandage will cover this." She took my pulse, and then flicked a tiny penlight from eye to eye.

"The air bag has given you a nice black eye." She said. "Were you wearing your seat belt?"

I nodded; so then she checked me for seat-belt injuries.

"Other than, cuts and bruises, you should be alright, but you I want you to go to the hospital to make sure." She then moved to someone else.

I lay there for what seemed like hours, sirens screaming around me until finally a cop came over and took my statement. When it came time for me to go to hospital, one word popped into my head: Gabriel.

My eyes widening, realizing the sun was setting, he must be out of his mind with worry or pissed off I hadn't showed up.

I sat up, and then walked over to a cop my muscles screaming in protest. "Excuse me, can you please call me a cab?"

He turned to me, "I'm sorry sir, but you need to go to the hospital."

I shook my head. "No, I need to be some where, right now, please call me a cab or I'll find one myself."

He looked like he was about to protest, so hurried on to explain. "I'll go the hospital first thing in the morning, the EMT said there was nothing wrong with me that aspirin and Band-Aids won't cure."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Rain began splattering on the windshield just as the taxi turned onto his street. Darkness had fallen, deepened by the cloud cover. Lighting flashed briefly in the west, lighting up the belly of the storm, and thunder rumbled.

His house was dark. My stomach clenched at the thought that he wasn't there, maybe he had gotten fed up of waiting. Drawing in a breathe of courage I hobbled up the stairs, in order to ring the doorbell, but before I could, it whipped open, there standing in the doorway we a Gabriel. He loomed over me, his face dark and savage. He seized my by the arms, his fingers biting in my already bruised flesh.

"Where the yell have you been?" he shouted.

His anger startled me. "I-I-I" I stammered

"You haven't answered your phone, you weren't home. I thought something was wrong." He bit out, shaking me.

"Gabriel." I gasped out, tears filling my eyes.

"What?" he snarled.

"Yo-ou're hurting me."

He looked down at his long fingers encircling my writ, loosening his grip and scowling at the dark red marks there. "I didn't mean to hurt you." He said, his thumb brushing softly against the injured skin.

"I'm sorry." I said.

His chest heaved as he pulled me into his arms; his lips met mine immediately, his tongue thrusting into my mouth savage, hungry. I whimpered, pulling my lips from his.

"What's wrong?" he asked, and then froze when he licked his lips and tasted my blood for the first time.

He pulled me into the house, flicking on the light. His sucked in a sharp breath, when his gaze took stock of my injuries.

"Who the hell did this to you?" He bellowed.

I smiled gently at him. "My car."

"What?"

"I was in a car accident. My brakes failed."

His face paled. "Are you ok?"

"Yes."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

He looked unconvinced. I wrapped my arms around him, placing my head onto his shoulder.

"I'm Ok."

His body was stiff and unyielding. "Have you been to the hospital?"

I didn't want to answer that because I knew he would just get more angry, so I murmured, what sounded like `yes' against his chest.

Not fooled, he pulled me away from him, his eyes narrowing. "Did you?"

I sighed in resignation. "No," I continued before he could protest. "But an EMT looked me over and said I was fine, just bruised."

"But-"

"I'm fine," I said, cutting him off. "If it makes you feel better, I'll go to the hospital in the morning, but right now all I want to do is take a shower."

He turned me towards the stairs, leading me to the bedroom. He left me standing in the doorway as he went into the bathroom and started the shower.

"I'll get you a towel," he said, walking about of the room. He voice had sounded cold, harsh. He was pulling away from me and I didn't know why. Suddenly cold, I hugged myself

I still had my arms wrapped around myself when he came back. I offered no resistance when he tugged at my jacket. He pulled off my t-shirt, and then moaned when he saw my stomach. I looked down, seeing the black, blue, purple, and orange mess that was my ribs.

I winced. "It's ok, the seatbelt did it." I tried to smile. "Look on the bright side, if I hadn't been wearing them I would have flew through my windshield."

He just continued to stare, his face white as if he was nauseated. He dropped the towels onto the bed. "Shower's ready, take as long as you want." With that he left.

I stood, shocked, not sure what had just happened.

I climbed into the shower, and swore when the water touched my open cuts, burning my skin like fire. As the discomfort cooled, I began to wonder if I shouldn't have come here.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Gabriel's POV

He could have died. He could have died; and I would have been helpless to stop it. How does a person face the reality of the mortality of the man he loves? That if he had died I would have died with him?

I poured myself a scotch, the liquor spilling slightly because of my shaking hands. I gulped it down, enjoying the burning sensation it caused in back of my throat.

I wanted nothing more than to take him into my arms and make love to him, proving to myself that he was all right. I wanted to scream at him for not calling me immediately, but all I did was sit on my bed, scotch clenched in my hands as I listening to him in the shower.

Tears burned at the back of my eyes but I refused to let them fall. I knew this would happen. I knew as soon as I got something good in my life, something I've been wanting more than air itself, it would be taken away from me. I was a curse to everyone I touched, it would be better to let him leave now, than let him continue to stay. Because I knew deep down that the best way to protect him was to push him away.

I just didn't know how to do that without killing my soul in the process.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Connor's POV

I came out of the bathroom, a towel wrapped around my waist. Gabriel was sitting on his bed; he was staring out the window, into his glass, anywhere but me. He shifted on the bed, flexing his shoulders, as if he was uncomfortable. As if he couldn't wait for me leave.

I shut my eyes, tried to arrange my thoughts, steady my emotion, calm my suddenly unsteady heart.

I ventured another glance at Gabriel. His head was bent. He looked tense and worried and downright miserable.

"You finished?" He asked. His voice was gruff. His eyes lifted, locked just briefly with mine. I tried to guess what he was thinking, but couldn't. His eyes slid too quickly away.

"Yes." I said. "Thank You."

I felt almost as if I was speaking a foreign language, as if I had to say everything very carefully or I would commit some grievous error.

"Gabriel, is something wrong?" I asked, reaching out to touch his hair, only to have him shift his head slightly, away from my touch.

"Everything's fine, I'll get you something to wear." He walked into the closet, bringing back with him a t-shirt and sweatpants.

When I began to unwrap my towel, he said. "I'm going to take a shower."

I sat on the bed dejected, I couldn't put on these clothes, my ribs were still burning with pain from my taking off my other clothes in the first place.

He came out of the bathroom fifteen minutes later, freshly showered but wearing sweatpants similar to the ones he had given me.

He stood in the doorway, his hands in his pockets, his expression remote, as if he were deliberately distancing himself from me.

As if he didn't care.

And I remembered the boy he had been, when he visited us on holidays.

I remembered the stoic indifference, the strong jaw, the stubborn, chin, the firm, hard set of his mouth. As if he hadn't a care that he was left out, that his mother bought me presents for Christmas, instead of him.

Then I remembered that I'd looked into his eyes and saw the truth.

I looked into them now. They were dark as night and deep as the sea, and they spoke to me of hopes and fears, wants and needs that I wasn't sure I saw or only imagined.

Nor was I sure if they were Gabriel's hopes and needs or simply a reflection of my own.

I knew, though, that to not say anything would be like saying goodbye. He would put me to bed, then in the morning shake my hand, maybe even brush his lips across my cheek. But then he would turn and walk away. And I would see no more of Gabriel Greywolf.

It took all the strength I had to say, "Do you want me to leave?"

His gaze snapped to mine and for a moment I saw blind panic in those green depths before they glossed over again.

"Of course not, I invited you stay, so stay." He walked towards the door. "I'll sleep in the guest room."

I felt like I had been slapped. I couldn't move, couldn't think, and didn't want to see past my own pain or rejection to find the reason behind his attitude. He had been so loving earlier, so gentle, and before he seemed genuinely concerned about me.

He didn't want me here he made that pretty clear. I went back into the bathroom and pulled on my dirty, bloody clothes not wanting to put on his because I knew his scent still lingered on them.

I painstakingly made my way down the stairs, ignoring the pain in my ribs and my weak screaming heart that was begging me to stay.

I had just tugged open the door when his hands covered mine, slamming it shut. He stood quietly for several minutes, just breathing on my neck. I tried to open the door again, but his hands stayed firmly on mine enabling me to move.

"Don't leave me."

I dropped my head against the door, defeated, knowing I couldn't leave when there was so much anguish in his voice. "What do you want from me Gabriel? I'm tired, I'm scared, I could have died today, and I can't handle this right now. I came here because you make me feel safe but if you don't want me here, I'll leave."

"No."

He kissed the back of my head and I flinched, my anger suddenly igniting. "Dammit! Gabriel, I've had it with all this craziness, you want me, then you don't, you love me, then you're cold. Make up your FUCKING mind."

"I want you."

A scream of aggravation bubbled through me, as I whirled to face him. "No! NO! NO! You don't get to say that and make everything all better again, I came here needing you and you treat me like a stranger. What happens next time Gabriel? When something goes wrong, are you going to freeze up then too? Better tell me now so I'll learn not to count on you."

"I'm scared."

He said those so softly I could barely hear them through my tirade.

"What?"

His face came so close to mine I could see the chips of black in his emerald eyes. "You are mine. Every bit of you. Mine! Do you understand me?"

I stared at him as my body began to tremble.

"What happens to you, happens to me," he told me. "How do you think I feel to know you could have died without me knowing?"

"But I'm Ok."

"That's not the point Dammit!" He said, between clenched teeth. "The point is it could have happened and I would have died too, don't you know that?" He brushed his lips against mine. "People I love leave me Connor, I don't want you to be one of them. I couldn't survive it."

"Shh, Shh," I murmured, placing my aching forehead against his. "You won't lose me, I promise."

His lips searched for mine desperately, kissing me with all the hungry and anxiety he couldn't fully express. I leaned into him, losing myself in the moment, in sheer pleasure of being with him.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"Ow! Hey, that hurts! Ow!"

"You big baby," Gabriel dabbed the broken skin around my eye with an antiseptic cloth as I sat on the edge of his bed. "It doesn't hurt that bad."

"Says you." I muttered, wincing when he lifted up my shirt. Gabriel rummaged through his medicine kit, finding a bandage for my ribs.

"This might hurt." He said, as he started the process, when he was done I was sweating badly from the pain, but tried to keep it in because I knew how much he hated to hurt me.

"Is your car totaled?"

"Pretty much," I said, my left eye was beginning to swell shut, so I squinted at him from my right. "But my insurance should cover it."

"Do have any idea why your brakes failed?"

"Nah, I take pretty good care of it, but I guess it was one of those fluke things." I glanced at myself in the mirror. "I'm going to have a black eye for weeks."

"Yeah." He said, as he scanned the eye, already turning every color in the rainbow. He picked up my hands, examining my skinned knuckles.

"OW!" I yelled when he began dabbing my cuts with more antiseptic.

"Just be quiet." To my sorrow, he didn't show one ounce of sympathy for my painful condition. "And if you're a good boy and don't cry, I'll give you a lollipop," he crooned.

"I don't like to suck on lollipops." I said, impishly. "I would rather suck on you coc-"

"Behave."

I pouted for a minute. "If you want to make it better, try a kiss."

Gabriel stepped back and looked me over. I knew my lower lip was rapidly turning a deep shade of purple. "I don't think you want anything to touch that lip."

I lightly tapped my chin. "Maybe here?"

He bent down and brushed his lips across my chin. "Better?" He breathed against my skin.

"Some. Maybe you could try here, too." I tapped my cheek.

He complied.

"And here?" I looked at him hopefully as I touched my forehead.

He marked the exact spot with his tongue. My breathing was turning harder with each gentle caress. "Now where else are you convinced it hurts?"

"Well, I know where it hurts, but I don't think you'd believe me."

Gabriel's eyes lowered to my lap. "Oh, I think I'd believe you." He shifted his hands through my hair. "But you're hurt, and I want you to rest."

I tried to grumble protests but I knew he was right, my body was relaxing and the adrenaline I was using to get through earlier, seemed to have dissipated. So I didn't complain when he pulled my jeans off and tucked me into bed. When he slid in beside me, he lay there seemly not sure if he would hurt me if he held me through the night.

I solved his dilemma by rolling onto his chest, tucking my head under his chin, after giving a sigh of contentment I allowed myself to finally drift off to sleep. I heard him say, "You haven't changed." before I blanked out.

To be Continued....