19. Lexi
19
Lexi
I must’ve fallen asleep on the couch for an hour or so. As soon as Gabriel left, Mike set himself up at his desk. I let Gabriel go without arguing since he seemed upset and worried and obviously wanted to get away from me and deal with that private matter of his. Before leaving, he hugged me and placed a soft kiss on my lips, just like a proper boyfriend.
Mike made me a sandwich and a coffee and even got me a blanket to keep warm. It was sweet of him, but I couldn’t shake the feeling of being a prop, shuffled around while Gabriel tackled his secret crisis. There was no point in pushing him to continue the talk about the marina show and our fake dating thing for now.
“Are you sure you don’t have better things to do than to babysit me? This must be annoying for you,” I tell Mike after watching him fawn over me for a few minutes.
He hits pause on the movie flickering on his laptop. “That’s the job. I think you’re a little too relaxed about this whole thing. I saw how those vultures went after you at Grain Inc. today—all of them. You don’t have any friends there. I mean, what’s happening to you is a big deal. You shouldn’t downplay it.”
Gabriel left me in Mike’s capable hands, assuring me the fridge and bathroom had everything I needed. He even mentioned a small, secret bedroom disguised behind a door in the dressing room if I wanted a nap. I opted for the couch and stuck near Mike. Solitude wasn’t exactly appealing right now. Besides, Mike seems like a patient soul who’s used to waiting for people—whether for hours or even days.
“Any idea when Gabriel will show up?”
“He said he needed to finish work and would let me know where to meet so he could pick you up.”
“But that could be anytime, even at midnight. It’s already getting dark. He’s been gone for hours.”
“Is there something I can help you with?” he asks in a calm tone. He either doesn’t know what’s happening with Gabriel or doesn’t want to tell me.
“I’m okay, thanks.” I stand up and take a few steps, then hear Mike’s phone ringing.
“Hi, boss. Yeah, I know the place. I’ll be there.” He hangs up and tells me we need to go.
Fifteen minutes later, we meet Gabriel at the northbound exit on our way to his house. Mike puts the box with my office belongings in the back as I hop into the front seat.
Gabriel thanks Mike, then throws his jacket on the back seat, the sleeves of his crisp white shirt already rolled up. A hint of urgency flickers in his eyes before he slams the car into gear and peels off, leaving me scrambling to buckle up as the city blurs past the windows. Where was he?
“Hey, slow down.”
“Sorry, I didn’t realize. Do you want me to pull over?”
“No. I want you to tell me if you’re okay. What’s going on?”
“It’s just work. I’m sorry it took so long. Did Mike take care of you? Did you eat?”
“I’m okay, but you don’t look too good,” I say, looking at his right hand all scrunched up as if he smashed it into something. “What happened there?”
“It happens sometimes when I’m out doing my job.”
“Does it hurt?”
“It’s not as bad as it looks. We’ll be home in a minute, and I’ll put some ice on it.”
His gaze stays glued to the road, a tense line etched across his jaw. Pushing him won’t get me anywhere. The way his hand hovers over the wheel, barely gripping it, tells me the pain must be fierce.
We pull into the driveway, the silence broken only by the engine sputtering to a stop. He goes through the familiar motions of deactivating the alarm, unlocking the doors, and then securing the house again. As soon as we’re inside, Gabriel throws a curt “I need to catch up on some work ” over his shoulder and heads to his study.
“There’s food for you in the fridge. Oh, and make yourself at home, of course. It’ll take me a while. We’ll talk in the morning,” he adds.
The door to the study shuts behind him. Not a question, not a word about the day. Just a vanishing act into the room that has been a silent barrier between us since I first arrived.
It’s almost eleven at night when I decide to text Lena. Hey, where are you?
Lena: At the hotel. Working, writing. You okay?
Me: Tomorrow, we’re going to the port to look for the car. How do we get in?
Lena: What do you want to do there? Does Gabriel know?
Me: Gabriel’s busy with another case. I barely talked to him today. I can’t wait any longer. The port’s the only place I haven’t checked yet properly. It’s daytime. What can go wrong ?
Lena: A lot. What if we just get tossed in a container and dumped into the sea?
Me: Who would do that? You’ve just watched too many movies. Gabriel confirmed there’s no criminal group after me. All that fuss for nothing.
Lena: How will you ditch Gabriel?
Me: I got it covered. Make sure you’re there to pick me up at the exit barriers in the Grain Inc. parking lot around ten.
Lena: You’re going there again? Lexi, this is risky.
Me: No, I’m just making the most of the time I’ve got left. It’s my last chance. Please be there.
Lena sends back a thumbs-up emoji.
I go to the fridge and grab a bag of ice, the cold seeping into my hand. Gabriel made it pretty clear he didn’t want me in his space right now, but I’m in his house, and I can’t help but care. I know something is going on with him, so I work up the courage and knock on his door. He doesn’t answer. I open the door and walk in. It’s not the first time he’s been angry with me, so I might as well.
The room seems bigger than I thought—minimalistic, bare-bones vibes, with just a desk, couch, two armchairs, some cabinets, and a treadmill with a screen stuck to the wall in front of it. It’s so dark I can barely see Gabriel—just the faint glow of one lamp on his desk, the rest practically swallowed by shadows. He’s hunched over at his desk, a sea of pictures splayed out in front of him like an unsolved puzzle. He looks up, and a cringe flits across his face as our eyes meet.
“I told you I have work to do.” He grabs the pictures with his left hand and shoves them into a drawer.
“I came to bring you some ice. That hand doesn’t look good.”
He looks at his right hand and wiggles his fingers, his face contorting in pain .
“Yeah, I guess it hurts. Thanks. You can leave it over there,” he says, pointing to a coffee table in front of an armchair.
“Here, let me help. I got a towel, too,” I say, walking over to Gabriel.
“Lexi, I need to be alone tonight. You can do whatever you want in the rest of the house.”
“Who did you hit?” I continue, ignoring the fact that he’s almost kicking me out of his precious room with every word he says.
“Someone who had it coming. But that’s not how I got these fingers messed up. I prevented something from falling. Dominic’s sister checked up on me, so I’m okay. Go to bed.”
“You were in the hospital?” I ask in a slightly panicked voice.
“No, she came over to Dominic’s and looked at it. It doesn’t seem broken, just swollen and sore. I should be good in a few days.”
“I wish you’d trust me more. I thought things had changed between us.”
“I wish you’d listen to me more. That’s what I was hoping for once things changed between us.”
“The injury to your hand… it wasn’t about a client. You were out with Damien and Dominic. It’s about that woman who came by your office today. Who is she?”
“Go to bed, Lexi. I’m staying here. Tomorrow, we can talk about Grain Inc. and Anita’s lies and our fake dating at the boat show. Tomorrow, we start over.”
I stand in the doorway, looking him straight in the eye.
“Please, Lexi. Just for once, it would be nice if you did what I said.”
I walk out, almost in tears.
** *
The house feels dead silent, except for footsteps coming closer to my open door. I’m snuggled under the covers, trying to fall asleep. I prop myself up and see Gabriel walking in.
“Are you okay?” I ask. My voice barely whispers the question as I watch him undress in the dim light. Jeans fall to the floor with a soft thud. He slides next to me, his arms wrapping around me from behind. Heat radiates from his body as his hand slowly travels down my back, sending shivers skittering across my skin. His touch lingers on my stomach before trailing up to cup my face, his fingers brushing against my lips. Our legs tangle together, his body pressed flush against mine.
He still doesn’t speak. He’s a lone wolf who avoids relationships, and I knew that from the start. But his body tells a different story. It craves mine. Even though he won’t say it, I can feel this man wants me more than he’s willing to admit, even to himself.
“I should get back to my life. If I stick around, I’ll only be getting in your way. You’ve got so much to do, and I can feel how tense you are. You’ve put your life on hold for me.”
He hugs me and grunts, “Not much of a life.”
“Gabriel, you can talk to me, you know.”
I can feel his left hand clutching my abdomen, his fingers searching for support.
“You don’t need my problems in your life, Lexi. Trust me. But you’re still in danger. There’s a storm coming, and it’s not safe to face it alone. ”
“That woman at your office earlier… who is she?” I ask, a knot of unease tightening in my stomach. “You seem different after you met her, like you’re shaken by something. I want to be there for you, but you need to talk to me.”
“Someone who wants to take something valuable from me.” And… we’re back to speaking in riddles. Why is it so hard for you to trust me, Gabriel?
“Why did she give you one week?” I continue to ask, trying to dig deeper and force him to talk to me.
“Because heartless people like to drive the knife into tormented hearts.”
His hand slowly reaches down, grazing the skin between my thighs. As he pulls aside the silk of my shorts, I can feel his shuddering touch.
“That first night together, you said you didn’t have pajamas. Little liar,” he says, trying to pull away and change the topic.
“I, uh, might’ve needed some calming down. I was so freaking scared that night. My mind was all over the place, and my heart was racing like hell,” I answer, playing into his game.
“Did my T-shirt help?”
“No, but having you right there on the couch, just a few steps away, did the trick.”
His face is hidden, so I can’t tell if he’s smiling or not. All I feel is his warmth radiating next to me. His hand slides away from the hot spot between my thighs, traveling up to my face. His fingers dance across my skin, brushing my cheeks before lingering on my lips, tracing my scar. Without thinking, I lean in, my breath catching in my throat. I want him to hold me tight, to feel his strong arms break the last of my resistance, to feel his strength around me. He has my gaze for a moment, a flicker of something raw crossing his eyes before he speaks .
“Stay with me, Lexi,” he whispers, his voice husky. His hand traces lines across my cheekbones and nose, lingering on the scar as if memorizing it. “This place feels different since you came here. Maybe it’s selfish of me to want this,” he whispers, a hint of vulnerability in his voice. “Forgive me.”
“I miss Dad,” I confess with a sigh. “And I need to find a job. It’s time to take my life back, you know? I’ve always been independent.” His hand settles against my left breast, a comforting weight that sends a jolt through me. He doesn’t move it, doesn’t explore further. It simply rests there, like a silent promise of support.
“Give me one more week. I have some leads that might finally bring closure and help put this nightmare behind you.”
“One week is what that woman said, too. Any connection?”
“No. Well, maybe. Just stay. Please.” Gabriel’s once bossy and demanding tone is gone. His voice, hoarse and pleading, now whispers in my ear, igniting a fire within me.
I turn, my fingers instinctively wrapping around his neck. We lie face-to-face in the dimly lit bedroom, the only light a sliver of moonlight peeking through the window. The house is silent, the quiet broken only by the ragged rhythm of his breathing against my lips.
“Okay. One week. I wish you’d trust me enough to talk about this weight you’re carrying.”
My words hang in the air like a silent invitation. Gabriel’s hand drifts away from my neck, and he leans in, his breath warm against my skin. He starts with soft kisses along my neck as his hand cups my face, his thumb tracing the familiar path over my scar. The touch sends a chill down my spine. Seeing my body react, he deepens the kiss, his lips moving playfully against mine. As I melt into him, my yearning pushing all other thoughts aside, I feel him hesitate. He winces slightly, his hand tightening on my stomach. Confused, I pull back. “Are you okay?” I whisper, concern replacing the heat in my gaze. “Does your hand hurt?”
“Not enough to keep me off of you.”
“Let me,” I whisper, reaching out to the nightstand to grab a condom and place it on the bed beside him. My pajama pants slide down my legs as I climb on top of him, feeling the heat radiating from his body. His boxers are about to burst open. My hand trails down his body, skimming the taut muscles of his stomach before finding its target. I stroke his hard cock with one hand and touch myself with the other.
“You’re doing great,” Gabriel says with a smile, placing his hand on mine as I touch my pussy. His thumb massage is so intense that it makes me feel like I’ll explode. If I let him keep going, I’ll probably come fast. A part of me wants to surrender, to let the pleasure take over, but another, a more selfish part, wants to hold on, to savor this feeling and reach that peak together.
“Can you help with the condom?” he asks.
“Yeah,” I mumble under my breath, my heart racing, still in a frenzy from his mind-blowing touch on my clit.
I shift up slightly and lean back on my knees so I can free his amazing cock and ass from the boxers. I groan in disappointment as he takes his hand away from my pussy.
“Patience,” he whispers, “I’ll get right back to it, and it’ll feel so much better.”
Gabriel grabs the condom and rips the wrapper open with his teeth. His throbbing cock is hot and eager, resting against my pussy and my abdomen. I can feel his leg muscles bunching underneath me. This position where he’s not in control must be new to him. Every time he uses his injured hand, a wince shoots across his face. It’s swollen and bruised, a clear sign of pain he must be trying to ignore .
He tries to put on the condom, but I take over, my fingers brushing against his. A jolt of electricity shoots through me as I grip his hardness. Lowering myself onto him, I feel the heat radiating through his skin, every inch a delicious confirmation of our desire.
Gabriel’s good hand pulls me close. He kisses me hard, biting my lip playfully as I feel the head of his cock sliding inside the wet heat of my pussy. He thrusts into me quickly, sending shivers down my spine. As I feel him inside me, I let out a scream and break free from his hold. I put my hands on his tight legs and thrust my whole body in sync with him, closing my eyes and letting my senses take over. My breath turns to gasp, and a hot wave sweeps over my body. When he slides a hand around to my clit, it’s like a bomb detonating inside of me. His thumb presses mercilessly, every stroke a mix of pleasure and pain. My body tightens around him, and I let out a loud moan. With his injured hand, he grabs my silk top and yanks me toward him, forcing me to look at him as he stares down at me, his head tilted back, his eyes intense.
“Take it off now,” he mutters, his voice rough as he tugs at the silk of my shirt. I slip it off, leaning closer, offering my breasts to him. He slows down but keeps his finger on my clit, exploring my nipples with his injured hand. Then he suddenly pushes himself up on his elbows, leaning back on his heels, and pushes me onto his cock with his hand. “Open your legs and wrap them around me,” he asks as he continues to move inside me, his hand pressing against my back, keeping me flush against him.
“Fuuck,” I hear him shout hoarsely. “I fucking need you.”
I give it my all and press as close as I can, taking him deep inside. He withdraws and thrusts back with a bit more intensity. Each time, my hunger gets stronger, leaving me craving more. The only release from his hold comes with a powerful orgasm that shakes my entire body.
“Right there with you, baby,” I hear him groaning .
I surrender to waves of pleasure, my eyes rolling in ecstasy as he watches the intense orgasm overtaking me. Just as I start to settle down, he thrusts forcefully with a roar, releasing himself inside me.
Moments later, I lie beside him on the bed, listening to his breath gradually soften and quiet. I run my fingers over his injured hand, tracing the scars and feeling the rough texture.
“Does it still hurt?”
“Hell no, we’re all jacked up on endorphins,” he whispers with a smile.
We lie in comfortable silence for a while. Gabriel barely moves, but his breathing tells me he’s still here, beside me. Curiosity pulls me up, and I gaze at his relaxed, beautiful form. One hand rests casually above his head, the other, his injured one, nestled in my palms. Moonlight streams through the open door, with tiny beads of sweat shimmering like pearls on his collarbones. Every inch of his body becomes more familiar to me every day—the scar on his leg, the tiny mole on his thigh. I stare at his black hair, messy from the pillow. I love running my fingers through it during our moments of passion, the softness a stark contrast to his warm, tanned skin.
I can’t get enough of watching him. He opens his eyes and catches my curious, searching gaze. “What are you looking at so intently?” More like, What am I staring at ?
“You never told me what happened to your leg,” I whisper. His eyes flutter shut, and he flinches as he tries to pull his hand free. Or he attempts to, because I grip it tightly despite it being his injured one. He seems like he wants to escape, but I’m determined to learn more about him.
“This is not a night for war stories,” he replies, dropping his hand to mine .
“Was it painful? What happened? Please, Gabriel,” I plead. “I want to know you. The real you. I want us to be closer.”
“But you already know me. Intimately,” he says, drawing an invisible line from my neck to the triangle between my legs as he pretends not to catch my meaning.
“Is that why you left the Navy?” I insist, trying to ignore the thrill in my stomach from his touch. “You haven’t told me much about your past.”
He lets out a sharp exhale and pushes himself up on his elbows, his broad chest hovering over mine. He takes my chin between two fingers as his eyes meet mine. I’m finally going to learn something about Gabriel.
“The past,” he begins, his voice rough, “is like an old wound—healed on the surface but still painful. To poke at it is to make it bleed again. Let’s leave the past in the past, with all its shadows and regrets.” He trails off, his gaze lingering on my face. “I prefer the present. Having you here with me makes me feel more alive than I’ve ever felt.”