Page 68 of Fragile

The jets of water from the shower felt sublime. I turned the heating up, loving that feeling as the liquid pelted my body like hundreds of tiny needles. I used Gabriel’s shower wash which was lime-scented and reminded me of him.

After climbing out, I ran my palm over the steam coating the mirror only to meet my reflection. My face was bright pink, and my eyes looked considerably bright under the circumstances. I eyed my reflection, wondering if Gabriel thought me beautiful, a random thought I know.

As I towel dried my hair, I spied a large grey fluffy robe on the back of the door, and I unhooked it and slid my arms into the sleeves. Dragging it around my frame, I took in Gabriel’s scent on the lapels as I tied the belt around my waist.

I then bent down and gathered my dance clothing and underwear which I had washed in the shower and hung it on the heated towel rail.

I then pulled the door of the bathroom open and walked back into the bedroom to join Gabriel.

He had just placed his phone on the bedside table before turning to face me with a smile already set on his dark features. As he saw me, our eyes locked and his smile dropped, as he saw what I was wearing.

“I hope you don’t mind,” I said. He had a strange look in his eye, and I wasn’t sure how he was going to respond. He’d been so sweet to me lately but that darkness that surrounded him was still there. If I got out of line, it would swoop over and get me, I was sure.

“You look better in it than I do.” His voice was thick, and his gaze became hooded as he moved closer toward me.

I dropped my arms from the death grip I had on the belt and tilted my chin.

“Do you want to go to bed now?” Gabriel said and a whoosh of heat ran through me.

“With you?” I asked, almost tripping over my tongue.

He grinned and arched an eyebrow. “That isn’t what I meant, Leonie.”

“Yes, it is. I can see it in your face.”

“That may be the case, but it isn’t happening. You aren’t ready for anything like that with me, especially not after today.” The playful expression had vanished, and his serious face had reappeared.

“Are you still not allowing me to think for myself Mr Control Freak?”

A zoo of butterflies kicked off in my tummy at how gutsy I was being. Provoking the beast.

“If I did, what would you do, what would you say?” he rasped.

A silence stretched between us and the tension in the room was heightened.

“I’d say that I want to sleep with you.” There, I had said it. I was being honest and taking control and actually, it felt good. I had survived some shit in my life and today had just added to my list. I needed to break out of my safe mould, somewhere I had buried myself after I buried my parents.

I took another step forward so we both stood close, Gabriel’s back was to the large bed which loomed there like an X-marks-the-spot.

“So, you want to sleep in my bed, is that what you’re saying? You need to think carefully about what it is you are asking Leonie because there will be no going back.”

“Yes, I want to sleep in that bed with you, and…” my voice bled off as Gabriel moved into my personal space, pushing his lower body against me. I felt he was hard against my stomach, and it made me catch my breath.

“And?” he questioned in a thick tone fuelled by desire.

Knowing we hadn’t even touched, and he was already hard as steel for me gave me extra courage and I lifted my hand and touched him through his jeans. He felt huge down there. His mouth opened and his breath caught as I slid my fingers gently against him. Gabriel’s eyes closed as he released a sigh of pleasure and my nipples tightened against his robe. I was fully naked and so accessible, and he would know that. One tug of that belt and I was his.

His fingers curled around my wrist, stopping me from tracing the length of him and he raised my hand to his mouth and kissed my palm.

“You still haven’t answered me Leonie and I’m not a patient man,” I felt the thread of authority in those words in my sex and moisture pooled between my thighs. It appeared the bossy side turned me on and the submissive in me screamed her surrender.

“And,” I repeated slowly, looking him in the eye so he would know this was what I wanted, had probably wanted all along.

“And I want you to fuck me,” I replied. I didn’t even flinch when I swore, the bad girl in me beat her chest.

And then he moved. Gabriel grabbed my arms and spun me around to switch our places, so the bed was behind me. One push and I would fall back onto the mattress and be totally at his mercy. But he didn’t push, he released my arms, watching me all the time as his hands went to the belt of his robe.

Undoing it slowly just added fuel to the fire of my anticipation and my entire body was screaming for release.

---