17. Brinley
Chapter 17
Brinley
B rinley gasped as Gabriel all but slammed her into the bookcase. An unlit candle toppled over and some of the trinkets shook. He stood at her back, holding one arm behind her while his other hand encircled her throat. She’d dropped the letter opener immediately as pain ricocheted through her wrist. Leaning in, he said near her ear, “Try that again, and I’ll rip your heart out, bijou.”
“No, you won’t,” she said through a clenched jaw. “You need me, remember?”
His fingers tightened around her neck. Not cutting off her air, but with enough pressure to remind her of his strength. It no longer scared her though. She’d seen behind the fa?ade and knew how desperate he was. Despite his threats, she knew he wouldn’t kill her. But that didn’t mean he couldn’t inflict harm.
Except, when he growled low under his breath, it didn’t send any sort of fear through her. It reverberated through her, sending a shiver of pleasure down her spine, and her body reacted before she realized what she was doing. Arching her back, she pressed into him.
The tension in the air shifted in an instant. He stepped closer, releasing her arm to wrap his hand around her abdomen and hold her against him. “You’re playing with fire, little girl.”
Her eyes fluttered shut, her heart racing. She had no doubt he could hear it pounding away inside her chest. The hand on her stomach inched upward, as if responding to her thoughts.
She pushed back into him more, feeling his own response. It wasn’t only her being affected by whatever pull this was. Whatever this heat was between them. She had done everything in her power to ignore it, but the line between hate and lust was so blurred that she couldn’t tell where one emotion ended and the other began. Despite being injured and unconscious, the way he looked in nothing but his undergarments while lying in the street a few days ago was still burned into her memory. The way it felt to be held against that firm chest, even as she flitted in and out of sleep.
The way he’d looked at her in his shirt that night after helping her out of the bath… where he’d sat beside her, holding her hand.
His chest rumbled against her back as he bent to nip at her ear.
“I can smell your desire,” he said, slowly grinding his hips into hers.
She wanted to say something snarky in return about being able to feel his, but she couldn’t get the words out. Swallowing, she barely managed to whisper, “I hate you.”
“Not so sure I believe you anymore.”
“I do.” She wasn’t sure if she said it for him or herself.
His breath brushed over her ear. “But you still want this.”
It wasn’t a question, but her body shuddered, screaming, yes . Even as her mind and heart shouted, no . She knew this was a horrible idea, knew it betrayed everything she was ever taught. But she was so tired of fighting it.
“Brinley.”
A breath escaped her lips. He never used her name. It was always bijou . “Yes.”
“Yes, what?” he demanded.
“I want this.”
This time, his growl was in approval. But she could have sworn there was some relief in there too. Her eyes snapped open. When had she started being able to tell the difference, the meanings of his nonverbal communication?
Before she could think too much on it, Gabriel asked, “How attached to this dress are you?”
She almost laughed. “Like you care?”
He released her throat, sliding both hands to the nape of her neck. In a moment of strange gentleness, he gathered her long curls and pushed them over one shoulder. The move surprised her, the way his fingers caressed her skin in the process.
But then, she heard the rip. She felt the air kiss the top of her back, and she suppressed a shiver. Closing her eyes again, she braced her hands on the shelves in front of her and inhaled slowly.
Gabriel tore the back of her dress, and the chemise right along with it. Likely using his damned claws. More and more of her skin was exposed as he made his way down the soft gray fabric. Her nerves felt as if they were struck by lightning. This was really happening. She was going to let him… A DeLoup was going to?—
Reaching the base of her spine, he paused. A finger came around and ran along her midsection. “How are your ribs?”
“Better,” she said, looking over her shoulder. “But I don’t know how they healed. It wasn’t something I consciously did. It doesn’t mean I know how?—”
“I know, bijou. I just… didn’t want to hurt them more.”
The words messed with her mind. They sounded sincere. Like he actually cared. She knew that wasn’t possible though. “I’m fine.”
He let out another deep rumble but nodded. Slowly, his hands lowered to her hips beneath the fabric of the dress to toy with the top of her pantalettes. “It’s not too late to change your mind.”
She should. She knew she should say no, run from this monster, and pretend this never happened. But she couldn’t. As wrong as she knew it was… she still wanted it, wanted him . Her body ached for him. It was like fire scorching through her, calling for him, begging him to touch her and put out the flames.
At her silence, he gave the dress one more long tear and untied the pantalettes. They fell to the floor, baring her backside to him.
She tried to steady her breathing, to prepare for the uncomfortable intrusion on her body she’d only experienced once before. But it didn’t come.
Gabriel ran his hands along her sides, her curves, gentle with her ribs, despite her reassurances. He stepped closer again as one hand slid fully inside the dress that hung from her shoulders and around to cup one breast. She let out a soft gasp when he gave it a squeeze.
“I’ve wanted to do that for weeks,” he said in a tone that almost sounded amused, his lips brushing her ear. “And this.”
His hand drifted down her stomach and stopped over her sex. He just kept it there, holding her almost possessively. His other hand sat on her waist.
“Is this what you want?” he asked against the side of her neck. She tilted her head in answer, giving him better access, and his teeth scraped along her skin just as his hand began moving lower.
Brinley sucked in a breath as his fingers explored, rubbing and circling. “Gabriel.”
He growled again, as if hearing his name coming from her brought back the beast within. A finger slid along her slickness before easing inside her. “You’re already drenched for me.”
All she could do was nod as he worked his way deeper. He moved in and out with expertise. It felt so much better than anything she’d ever tried on her own. There was no doubt he knew exactly what he was doing from years of experience with who knew how many other people, but she didn’t care. He added a second finger, and she moaned before snapping her lips shut.
His free hand grabbed her by the chin and pulled her head back to him, all the while picking up the pace and bringing her higher and higher. “Don’t do that,” he hissed. “I want to hear you.”
She didn’t fight back the next moan as his fingers curled in just the right direction, making her see stars. It was so perfect, unlike anything she’d ever felt. The heel of his palm pressed against that bundle of nerves as he continued pumping into her over and over again.
He didn’t stop until she came undone completely, soaring into the heavens, and floated back to their world. His movements slowed, guiding her down. Her chest heaved. He stopped, his fingers lingering inside her for a moment as he just held her.
When Gabriel released her, she couldn’t help the small whimper. She turned to find him grinning at her. She wanted to knock the cocky smile off his face, but her knees were still weak beneath her. Then, not taking his eyes from hers, he lifted his hand and licked his glistening fingers one by one.
She was still holding her dress up in the front, but in that moment, she considered letting it fall to the floor. How was it possible she wanted more? Stepping forward, she reached for his belt with one hand, no longer caring about his arrogance or the lies he’d spewed. All she wanted was him.
Gabriel grabbed her wrist. She was about to protest when he spun her around and pushed against her back, this time bending her over the end of the desk. It was a gentle move while still dominating the situation.
She heard the sound of his belt being removed then shifting fabric. Risking his wrath, she twisted enough to see him stripping off his shirt and pulling his pants down. Her eyes widened at the size of him. Definitely not like the boy in the village.
He began stroking the long, hard length, and she raised her eyes to find she’d been caught watching. With a smirk, he said, “Last chance.”
Brinley licked her lips. “You’ve already told me that.”
His other hand went to her shoulder and made her face forward. At the first brush of his cock against her, she bit her bottom lip.
“Just wanted to make sure,” he said, running back and forth through her slick folds. After a few more times, he started to press into her. But he stilled when she gasped.
Brinley shook her head. “Don’t stop, just… go slow for a minute.”
To her surprise, he obeyed. Slowly, he pushed inside of her, stretching her, filling her in the most delicious way. She braced herself on the desk more as he hit home and paused so she could adjust.
After a moment, she glanced over her shoulder and nodded for him to go ahead. Instead, he stared at her almost in awe. She was about to ask him what was wrong when he seemed to shake it off.
“This changes nothing,” he said, using her words from the other night.
It was her turn to smirk. “Agreed.”
“This is a one-time thing.”
“Yes.” She wiggled her hips, needing him to move.
He gripped her sides to stop her. “There will be no kissing or sharing a bed after.”
“I know, Gabriel,” she said with as much venom as she could muster to mirror his tone. “I don’t want any of that.”
She once again wondered if the statement was more for him or her. Another beat passed before he inclined his head and slowly pulled out of her.
“Then, hold on tight,” he said in that low timbre she felt all the way to her toes.
Brinley gripped the edges of the desk. He slid a hand inside her dress to hold on to her hip just before he thrust into her. She let out a moan, not bothering to hide the sound. Gabriel seemed to approve because he began moving faster. There was some discomfort at first, but it soon turned into pleasure.
She gasped as fingers tangled into her hair and pulled her head back, his other hand still on her waist. Arching her back, she met his tempo. His lips brushed her neck as he continued pumping in and out of her. He bit down, eliciting a short cry, and then he licked at the tender spot.
“Is this what you wanted?” His hand slid up to her ribs then down her front, finding her center. He circled her clit, putting just the right amount of pressure on it.
Everything was too much. Her senses were overwhelmed in the best way.
“I want to hear you, Brinley.”
She groaned in delight, loving the sound of her name on his tongue. “Yes.”
Repeating the word over and over, she let herself fully enjoy this moment. The way he made her feel more alive than she ever had. There was no war, no death, no curse. There was nothing beyond him and her.
“Gabriel!” Her eyes closed as she raised higher and higher, the pressure building, pushing her to the edge.
He let go of her hair only to wrap that arm around her shoulders, hugging her to him. “Come for me, bijou,” he growled in her ear as he hit that spot deep inside over and over, the one that made everything shatter into a million pieces.
She shattered into a million pieces.
A scream left her lips, and his own roar followed shortly after as he released inside her. He leaned into her, covering her body with his as he slowed.
When only their ragged breathing filled the room and he stopped moving, she opened her eyes. He was still holding her, still inside her, and she couldn’t bring herself to push him away yet, despite their earlier agreement. They stayed like that for one moment, then another.
“Fuck.” He finally pulled out, letting her go.
Brinley braced her arms on the desk, trying to steady her heart. At some point, her dress had fallen forward, and she pulled it up to cover her breasts. Not that it mattered when the back was shredded and he’d already helped her get in the bath more than once. Absently, she reached to fix her hair as she heard him put his pants on again.
When she turned to face him, he was buckling his belt. She didn’t know what to do. What did one say after having incredible sex with their mortal enemy?
She didn’t get the chance to figure it out. Without looking at her, Gabriel swiped his shirt off the floor and stormed toward the door to leave.
He paused before opening it though. “I’ll have Brighid bring you a moontime herb.”
Her mouth opened, but he was already out the door and shutting it behind him.