27. Chapter Twenty Seven
Iwake up still curled up in Gabe”s arms and for the first time ever, I feel truly happy. Sure, I have a good family and great friends, but something has always been missing. He’s my missing piece.
“Morning,” Gabe yawns.
“Morning,” I reply as I nuzzle into him more. Gabe wraps his arms tightly around me and pulls me in so that I”m trapped against him, listening to the gentle thumping of his heart.
“What do you want to do today? Gabe asks.
“Just this,” I sigh contently as I slide my hand down his abs.
“Damn, I”ve created a monster,” Gabe jokes. “How about we have some breakfast first?”
I try to protest but the rumble of my tummy gives me away.
“I”ll take that as a yes,” Gabe laughs, as he leans over and picks up the room service menu.
We both spend the next few minutes perusing the menu.
“I can”t decide what to have; it all sounds so good,” I whine. Gabe reaches over and snatches the menu out of my hands and for a second, I worry I’ve done something wrong. That is until his signature frown turns into a slight smirk.
He picks up the phone and calls down to reception, “Can I place an order for room 308? Yeah, I”ll take the pancakes with a side of syrup, chocolate sauce on the side, some strawberries, and uh, yeah, some cream. I also want a portion of the poached eggs on toast with bacon… yes for two, my girl is hungry. You got a fucking problem with that?”
I internally cringe at how rude and snappy he’s being to the poor person on the other end of the phone, but something about being called ‘his girl’ does things to me. I can”t explain what exactly it is, though.
“Yeah, we will also take a pot of coffee, apple juice, and orange juice…”
He turns to me and whispers, “Wine?” but I shake my head. It”s barely 10 a.m.
“...and I”ll take a bottle of bud… I don”t care what time it is….well then I suggest you find one!” Gabe snaps before slamming the phone down.
“Gaaabe, there”s no need to be so rude,” I yell at him in a half playful, half serious tone.
“Stupid douchebag, trying to tell me they don”t serve alcohol at 10 a.m. Who the fuck does he think he is?” he huffs as he takes out his cigarette and attempts to light it, still sitting in bed.
“Gabe, do that on the balcony…please,” I add when he throws me a pissed off look. Heck, if looks could kill, I”d be dead twenty times a day with this guy. Iadd a little smile, which seems to do the trick because he shrugs and makes his way outside.
Once he”s out of the room I make my way to the bathroom. For some strange reason, despite everything else we”ve experienced together, the idea of him hearing me pee just fills me with embarrassment.
I finish up, making use of the free toothbrush and mouthwash, then head back to the bedroom.
I expect to see Gabe back inside by now but realize he’s still outside smoking.
I take my opportunity to stare at the hard ridges of his shoulders, the huge tattoo of angel wings that cover his back, and how cute his butt looks.
I make my way over to him, expecting him to turn around, but when I get near him, it’s clear that he is in his own world. As I get closer, I notice he”s staring at people who are passing by on the street below. I quickly throw my arms around his waist from behind.
“I got you!” I laugh. “Good thing I”m not a bad guy sneaking up ready to push you off this balcony,” I joke as I give him a slight nudge.
A slight scoff leaves Gabe’s mouth as he quickly maneuvers so that I”m now the one in the front, trapped within his arms.
“Baby, you couldn”t sneak up on me if you tried,” he says in that sexy, growly voice he has while he plants little kisses on the side of my neck.
“You had absolutely no idea I was here. I totally snuck up on you,” I laugh, giving him another playful push.
“That”s cute, Little Spark” he says sarcastically. “I heard you flush the toilet, and turn on the tap. I heard the bathroom door open.” I internally die knowing that if he heard the toilet flush and the water running, he likely heard me pee as well.
“I heard the floor creaking as you stood perving on me at the door. And I heard all seven steps it took for you to reach me. So remind me again Sparky, at which point you thought you were being so stealthy?” He continues to tease me.
“What the fuck, you heard all that? Who are you, Spiderman?” I laugh.
“Nah, I”m just used to listening for danger,” Gabe says nonchalantly.
“And counting footsteps keeps you safe from danger, does it?” I joke, “What danger do your spidey senses protect you from then, I wonder, Mr. Super Hero?”
But his response kills my playful mood instantly.
“I pray you never have to find out.”
Even though he only said eight words, he said them in such a raw way that it fills me with so much sadness. Idon”t know everything he went through in his life, but from the few small things either he, Nate, or Izzy have let slip, I know it was fucking shitty.
Unsure of what to do or say, it”s clear that whatever he”s talking about is no joking matter. Part of me wants him to open up more and let me see the side of him he keeps buried, but from the little I’ve figured out about Gabe so far, sitting and discussing our innermost thoughts and feelings is a form of torture in his eyes. Instead of asking him the questions I have whirling around in my brain, I just hold him and hug him tightly.
A knock at the door breaks up the silence, so I quickly head inside. I am almost glad for the distraction.
“Hello ma”am, where would you like me to put this?” the porter asks as he motions to the trolley.
“Here, I”ll take that,” I offer, then quickly state, “the room is kind of messy.”
“It”s fine ma”am; it”s kind of heavy. I”ll bring it in for you,” he offers with a kind smile, but before I even have a chance to thank him, I sense Gabe behind me.
“She said we”ve got it. Now fuck off!” Gabe growls, making me jump slightly.
“If you”re sure,” the guy replies as he turns and leaves so quickly that had this been a cartoon, he would have left a person sized cloud of smoke behind him.
“Really! Was that necessary?” I complain, turning and walking back into the room, leaving him to bring the trolley in himself.
“It was when that creep was undressing you with his eyes.”
“He was not. He barely even looked at me,” I argue.
“Riley, I know men. He was thinking about all the ways he wanted to fuck you.” Gabe huffs as he pulls the trolly into the room and kicks the door closed.
“You”re such a…well…man,” I toss back, feeling even more exasperated now. “Not every man wants to fuck every woman they see.”
“Yes they do,” he states in a matter of fact way, “and I”m not having some greasy haired punk, staring and fantasizing about my girl,” he snaps back.
Feeling defiant and kind of stubborn, I walk closer to him and point my finger, “And who said I was YOUR girl anyway? Maybe I have a thing for greasy haired punks? Maybe I should head out and see if HE’S single?” I see Gabe”s eyes turn to thunder and his whole face morphs in frustration. He pushes the trolly away, not caring as it bumps into the wall and lunges forward, grabbing me and pinning me against the wall.
“You..are…MINE!” he growls possessively.
“You say that, but you haven”t even asked me to be your girlfriend yet,” I point out in more of a pouty voice than I intended.
“Fuck labels. You. Are. MINE.” he says through gritted teeth. “This is mine,” he says, running his thumb roughly against my lips. “And these are mine,” he says as he grabs hold of my boobs. “And this, this is definitely mine,” he growls as he leans over me, spreads my legs with his knee, then takes his hand and possessively grabs hold of my crotch.
“You are so fucking jealous!” I say pushing him back.
“I”m not jealous; I”m possessive, there”s a difference,” he growls.
“It”s the same difference,” I grumble back. Damn, he”s so easy and fun to wind up.
“No. Jealous means I want what is his. Possessive means, I”d kill any man who tries to take what is mine!” he growls back as he kisses me. Hard. Fuck, his words alone fill me with so much desire.
I kiss him back with a moan. Just as I’m about to lose myself in him, he ruins everything by muttering the words “I own you,” into my mouth.
I push him away, slipping out of his grasp. “You”re such an asshole. I”m not some piece of property you can just claim,” I huff.
Gabe grabs me by the hand and pulls me back closer to him.
“I claimed you the first time I saw you!”
“You”re such a goddamn caveman!” I yell just as he picks me up, carries me over to the bed, and throws me down on it.
“You”re such a brat,” Gabe laughs back.
“Yep, but I”m your brat,” I reply with a smug grin.
“Lucky me,” Gabe replies with a sarcastic eye roll.
“Oh shut it, you love it. Now go make me a coffee, slave,” I giggle as I use my foot to push him away as I shuffle up the bed to sit against the headboard.
The defiant look on her little face as she pushes me away fills me with a mixture of emotions. Part of me is turned on by her bratty behavior and wants to fuck the attitude right out of her. Another part of me wants to laugh and enjoy the fact that she’s brave enough to have such an attitude toward me. It”s rare to find a girl with some fire; one who doesn”t cower down and do whatever I say. The last part of me wants to cringe and kick my own ass for allowing her to turn me into such a little bitch.
“I’m waiting,” her singsongy voice reaches me as I make my way over to make her the fucking coffee she asked for. “And bring some food! I’m wasting away over here.”
“Then get your ass over here and get yourself something then,” I shout back.
I hear her climb out of bed and make her way over. She comes up beside me and bumps me out of the way with her hips.
“Sorry, fat ass coming through” she smirks.
“Good thing I like this fat ass then isn”t it,” I joke back as I give it a playful slap.
Riley surprises me by breaking out in song, “he likes big butts and he cannot lie…”
I can”t help but laugh out loud as she continues singing and shaking her ass in the silliest, most unsexy, yet strangely attractive way ever.
Moments like this, I can”t help but feel carefree. I don”t know what a real relationship would be like. I never spend more than a night with girls, and even then, it”s more like a couple of hours. But if I did ever have a relationship, I”m guessing this would be it.
I imagine these are the moments Nate talks about with Izzy. Like his dates sound boring as fuck, trips to animal farms, cinemas, bowling, and walks in the woods… snore fest.But the playful moments he describes, I wonder if this is what they feel like.
“What ya thinking?” Riley singsongs, as she tries to tickle me.
“Just about work,” I lie.
“So work has you grinning like the Cheshire Cat does it? Strange. I sure don”t have that feeling when I think of work or school,” she smirks, and it”s clear she”s calling me out.
“Here, Pinocchio,” Riley grins, as she hands me a coffee. I take a sip and it tastes perfect.
“Did you add sugar?”
“Yep, three, why?” Riley replies with a raised eyebrow.
“How did you know I take three sugars?” I ask in surprise.
“Err, because this is like the third time we’ve had coffee together, duh.”
“And you remembered how I liked it?”
“Well, yeah, of course… I don”t know anyone else who would have three sugars, it must be sickly sweet though. Why? Don”t you know how I take mine?” Riley asks as she stares at me waiting for me to clearly read off her preference like the local fucking barista.
“No. Erm….wet?” I shrug.
“Really? Wet? You”re shit!” Riley says, shaking her head. “I take milk and half a sugar.”
“Half a sugar? What”s the point of that?”
“Duh, because I”m sweet enough already,” she grins as she places her hands in a little V under her chin and tries her best to look angelic.
“Parts of you sure are sweet to taste,” I smirk back, letting my eyes drop to exactly the parts I wish I was tasting as I lick my lips hungrily.
“You”re such a perv,” Riley laughs as she covers that area with her hand. Even though it”s already plenty covered with the stupid fluffy robe she”s been wearing all morning.
“Here greedy, eat this instead,” she laughs as she shoves a piece of bacon into my mouth.
“I”d rather…”
“...eat you instead,” she finishes in a mocking, masculine tone.
We both prepare ourselves a plate of food then make our way over to the bed to enjoy it. I flick through the limited channels looking for something to watch.
“Stop, stop,” she calls out. “Go back one.”
I do as she said just as a bunch of characters come on screen. I don”t even have a chance to figure out what it is before Riley begins narrating along with the screen.
I just stare at her as she pretty much recites word for word along with each character.
“How many times have you watched this?” I ask, looking at her in fascination.
“What? Friends, or this episode?”
“Either.”
“Friends, every single episode multiple times. This particular episode, at least ten times,” she laughs as she continues to eat her breakfast.
“And you”re not sick of it yet?”
“NEVER!!” she gasps in mock disgust.
We continue to watch TV and eat our breakfast. I don”t say much, but every now and then Riley will pipe up with a random fact, or explain who someone is, or why the fact they’re clearly on a break is such a big controversy.
“Can we go out somewhere…together?” Riley eventually asks.
I feel my pulse quicken at the thought. Sure I”m enjoying our time together, but I know we have to check out in a few hours. Am I ready for us to go out together? Like what if she wants to hold hands or walk down the street being all sickly sweet and coupley? Do I want that? Am I ready for that?
“Never mind, you can just drop me home I guess,” she says, but I can hear the sadness and insecurity in her voice. Why does it bother me so much?
“No, it”s fine, let”s do something. What do you want to do?” I ask, still unsure why I’m agreeing to this.
Her whole face lights up which makes my grinch sized heart grow. “I don”t mind. Can we pop into Target or Walmart first though, as I need to get a few things?”
She bounces off the bed and heads into the bathroom. I hear the shower running and after waiting a few minutes, I get bored and follow her.
“Don”t even think about joining me,” she warns as she peers around the shower curtain. “Otherwise, we’ll never make it out of this room,” she adds as she disappears from sight. Would that be the worst thing?
I close the lid, sit down on the toilet, and just enjoy the view. Even if it is partly obstructed by the shower curtain. Luckily it”s thin enough, especially now it”s wet, that I can see enough to imagine what”s behind it.
“I was thinking….” Riley begins as she continues chatting away while she showers.
“Hand me a towel,” she instructs.
I look around and see a gray towel sitting in the sink so I hand it to her.
She wraps it around herself and steps out.
Then she spends the next twenty minutes walking back and forth to the bedroom where all her stuff is and the bathroom where the mirror is. Why doesn”t she just grab all of her things and bring them in here? Girls are so dumb.
I spend my time following behind her like some little lap dog as every time I walk away or attempt to sit down she calls me back into whatever room she’s in, then fucking walks off again.
“You”re giving me motherfucking whiplash,” I reply as she brushes past me for the hundredth time, this time to pick up a hair band from beside the bed.
“What? Why?” she asks, sounding genuinely bewildered.
“Back and forth, back and forth. You’re like a goddamn yo-yo”
“You should see what it”s like sharing a room with Harper then,” she laughs back. “Two girls, one room…not so much fun in the morning.”
“You and your sister share a room?” I ask.
“Yeah, kind of weird, I guess,” she says as she shrugs her shoulders. “We have the space for us to have different rooms, but neither of us want that. She”s my twin and she”s always been there. We had separate rooms for a few years when we were younger but it just felt…”
“Lonely?” I finish, knowing exactly how it felt for her because that’s how I felt when I stopped sharing a room with Nate.
“Exactly. Lonely. Don”t get me wrong, we still both like our space sometimes, and the room is big enough so that we both have our little areas, but it”s kind of nice knowing she”s there. That if I need her, she”s just a few steps away. Does that make me sound like a total codependent freak?”
“No, I get it. Me and Nate shared a room for years. Pretty much our whole lives, actually. When I moved out of the Jacksons’ home, that was one of the hardest things to get used to,” I admit.
“The Jacksons? Who are they?” Riley asks and instantly I feel my walls shoot up in defense.
“Nobody, just fucking drop it,” I bark at her a little more harshly than intended. I don”t miss the shock and panic that briefly flashes over her face before it”s replaced with a fake grin. Fuck! Why do I have to ruin everything?
“I”m going for a smoke,” I announce and turn to leave, not even waiting for a response. Why the fuck did I mention the Jacksons?
“All ready to go?” Riley eventually asks from the doorway.
“Yeah, let me just grab my shit.”
I brush past her and put my boots and jacket on. I grab her small bag from the bed and hand it to her.
“You know you can talk to me about anything, right?” she says softly as she takes the bag from my hand.
“Just fucking drop it, please,” I reply, silently begging for her to listen to me for once.
We walk down to reception, hand back the keys, sign off all the extra charges and then hop on my bike in silence. She doesn”t say a word as I take her bag and place it into my seat or as I put the helmet on her head. She doesn”t say a word as she wraps her arms around my waist. We drive in silence for a while until she finally squeezes me to get my attention and shouts, “Pull into Target.” I drive in and park near the front door. She climbs off and removes her helmet.
“I need my purse,” she says, sounding unusually timid.
I climb off the bike and hand her the small black purse which she takes, and then heads inside without saying another word. I stand outside waiting, half tempted to head inside and grab a beer since I haven”t had one since last night but decide against it. For some reason the idea of drinking then driving when I’ve got her on the back just doesn”t sit right with me.
She comes out no longer wearing the dress from last night. She”s now wearing jeans and a simple top that makes my mouth water and my dick start to rise. She could wear a burlap sack and it would look amazing on her.
“You changed?” I say without thinking.
“Yeah, I can”t exactly ride a bike in a short dress can I?” she laughs. “Unless you wanna just take me home and call it a day.”
“No,” I say before she has a chance to finish that thought.
“Look I”m sorry for earlier. I didn”t mean to push you into talking about something you obviously didn”t want to,” she says, and again there”s that hint of sadness in her voice I hate.
“It”s fine. Let’s just move on,” I suggest pulling her against me. She wraps her arms around me and buries her face into my chest.
“You alright, Gabe?” Lucas, one of the guys I work with, says as he comes out of the store and walks past us. Instinctively, I push Riley away.
“Let”s go,” I snap. Shit, I hope Lucas doesn”t tell anyone he saw me hugging Riley. Damn. Who am I kidding, that boy is so scared of his own shadow he wouldn”t have the guts to spread shit around work.
Either way, I”m not risking anyone else seeing us, but I also don”t want our time to end. “Hold on tight. I”m taking us somewhere out of town,” I call back. The truth is I”ve no idea where I”m taking us. I just know it needs to be somewhere no one knows us.