33. Ghost
33
Ghost
S he wasn’t happy about not being able to return to her place once she got out of the hospital, but we are compromising, making it work. She has spent more time in the garage than in the house. Thank god I invested in a home gym. I think my punching bag needs a break at this point.
I mean, watching her unleash all that pent-up energy is both impressive and a little terrifying. Every punch is like a release, and I can’t help but feel a little proud.
“Hey, at least you’re getting a workout,” I tease, leaning against the wall, arms crossed. “Who knew you’d turn into a garage warrior?”
I also get concerned that she pushes herself too much sometimes. But she gets up and pushes through it like a damn champion.
She shoots me a playful glare, but I can see the corner of her mouth twitching up. “Just wait until I’m back in fighting shape. You might want to watch your back, buddy.”
“Buddy, huh? Okay, pal.” I retort.
Her body is covered in sweat, and I can’t help but think about something more with her. We have been in each other’s sights since leaving that sterile place she about lost her mind in. The doctor kept telling her that he would like to keep her in the hospital for proper observation, but she almost lost it when another week passed and got right out of her bed she had been nested in like an angry rodent and packed her shit and gave them no choice but to let her go.
Now, here we are. Her breath is heavy, and her chest rises and falls as she leans against the wall. The dim light casts shadows across her face, and her damp hair clings to her forehead.
“You need to rest,” I say, though my voice comes out rougher than I intend.
She scoffs, rolling her eyes. “I’ve done enough resting to last a goddamn lifetime.”
I can’t argue with that. The hospital had drained her—physically and mentally. But here, outside of that sterile nightmare, she’s burning with something raw, something untamed. I should walk away and let her cool off, but I don’t.
Instead, I step closer.
Her eyes flick to mine, pupils blown wide, her fingers twitching at her sides like she’s fighting something—maybe the same thing I am.
“You gonna keep looking at me like that, or are you gonna say something?” she challenges, voice lower now, throatier.
I exhale sharply, running a hand over my jaw. “You’re impossible.”
A smirk tugs at the corner of her mouth. “And yet, you still allow me to be here.”
I don’t know what the hell I’m doing. I don’t do this—I don’t let people in. But she’s a hurricane, tearing through every wall I’ve built, leaving nothing but wreckage in her wake.
And God help me. I think I want to drown in her storm.
I take another step forward, closing the space between us. She doesn’t back away. Instead, she tilts her chin up, daring me to make a move. Her body is still slick with sweat, the scent of her skin mixing with the lingering heat of frustration, defiance, and something darker, something neither of us wants to name.
Her breath hitches as I reach out, trailing my fingers along the side of her neck, feeling the rapid pulse beneath my touch. She doesn’t stop me.
“You should be in bed,” I murmur, voice low, rough.
Her lips part, eyes lock on mine. “Maybe. But I don’t think that’s what you really want me to do.”
Damn her. Damn her for knowing exactly what she’s doing to me.
I press her against the wall, caging her between my arms, my body flush against hers. She gasps, but she doesn’t push me away. If anything, she leans in, her hands fisting the front of my shirt like she needs something to hold on to.
“You’re playing with fire,” I warn.
She drags her nails down my chest, slow and deliberate, her lips curving into a wicked smile. “Then burn me.”
That’s all it takes.
I crash my mouth against hers, swallowing her gasp as I claim what we’ve both been dancing around since the moment we met. She tastes like adrenaline and defiance, like something I shouldn’t want but crave all the same.
Her fingers tangle in my hair, tugging hard, pulling me deeper into the heat of her. My hands slide down her sides, gripping her hips, pressing her tighter against me. She moans into my mouth, and I swear it’s the sweetest sound I’ve ever heard.
I don’t know where this is going. I don’t care.
Right now, she’s mine, and I’m going to take everything she’s willing to give.
I lift her off the ground without a second thought, her legs wrapping around my waist like she belongs there. She clings to me, her breath hot against my skin as I press her harder against the wall, grinding into her in a way that leaves no room for doubt about what’s coming next.
Her lips part, a breathless moan slipping free as I drag my mouth down her throat, tasting the salt of her sweat, the heat of her pulse hammering beneath my tongue. My hands roam, gripping the curve of her ass, pulling her against me, making her feel just how badly I need this—how badly I need her.
She tilts her head back, giving me more, her fingers digging into my shoulders.
“Gabriel,” she breathes, and fuck, the way she says my name, like it’s something sacred, something she’s been waiting to say—it’s almost enough to undo me.
I carry her into the house and to my bed, dropping her onto the mattress, and she looks up at me with hooded eyes, lips swollen, breath unsteady. My hands are on her in an instant, fingers sliding beneath the fabric of her damp tank top, pushing it up, exposing inch after inch of soft, heated skin.
“Take it off,” I rasp, and she obeys, peeling the shirt over her head and tossing it aside without hesitation.
I take in the sight of her, the way her chest rises and falls, the way her body trembles—not with fear, but anticipation. I lean over her, my fingers skimming down her stomach, teasing the waistband of her shorts. Her hips arch, her silent plea louder than any words.
“You want this?” I ask, my voice barely more than a growl.
Her nails scrape against my chest as she pulls me closer, her lips brushing against mine. “I want you.”
That’s all I need.
I claim her mouth again, my body pressing her down into the mattress, the last threads of restraint snapping as we finally give in to the fire that’s been burning between us since the moment we met.
I press her deeper into the mattress, my body fully on hers, every inch of her molding to me like she was meant to be here. Like her body was carved perfectly for mine. The heat between us is unbearable, a slow, burning ache that neither of us can ignore anymore. How long has she felt like this about me?
Her fingers slide up my back, nails digging in just enough to make me hiss against her skin. I trail my mouth down to her throat, kissing and biting at her skin, making her moan. She tilts her head back, surrendering beneath me. Her legs wrap around me, pulling me impossibly closer.
“Little Killer, don’t do something that you will regret amor…” My voice is deep but has meaning in it. I want this to be anything but a mistake to her. I want her, this, whatever this is, for however long life allows me to.
She reaches down, unzips my pants, pulling down my boxers. My cock flings free and hits her thigh, which is already shaking from her workout. She glances down, and her eyes go wide. I take it as a compliment. She spreads her lips apart, giving me the invite to go in, but it’s not going to be that easy. I reach into my nightstand and pull out a tie that I have lying in there, usually for the random court cases I end up needing to attend, but tonight, it will be used in my favor.
She looks at the tie and over to me in confusion.
I smirk, leaning down, my lips brushing softly against the shell of her ear. “ Patience, mi amor.” The words just came out, and I can’t go back now, but it’s how I truly feel deep down. A deep part of me has grown to love this woman.
Sliding the tie around her wrists, I secure it just tight enough to keep her hands bound but not enough to hurt. She tugs experimentally, a soft gasp escaping her lips when she realizes she’s at my mercy now.
I drag my fingers down her body, slow, torturous, tracing every dip, every curve. She arches into my touch, desperate for more, but I keep the pace maddeningly slow, my mouth following the path my hands take.
“You wanted this,” I remind her, my lips hovering just above hers. “Now you’re going to feel every second of it.”
Her pulse thrums beneath my fingertips, her breath coming in ragged gasps as I take my time, savoring the way she unravels beneath me. Every soft moan, every shudder, every whispered plea fuels the fire between us until the world outside this moment ceases to exist.
She’s mine tonight.
And I intend to make sure she never forgets it.