Page 38 of Redemption
“Good morning,” she said.
“Morning,” I replied, my voice tired and raspy. The moment stretched on as I drifted off again. I felt outside of time with her in my arms.
“We have to go to work soon,” she said, kissing my neck and preventing me from falling back asleep. This was the first time I could remember not feeling like shit after waking up. I didn’t feel hungover or the gnawing need for coffee. I felt good just being.
I pulled her tighter against me, unwilling to let this moment fade. “We will call in sick,” I said.
She wiggled out of my grip and climbed on top of me, straddling me. She rocked her hips, teasing me with gentle bounces.
“Time to get up, Gabriel.”
I returned her rocking with a thrust. “I'm up,” I said with a growl.
She laughed, her green eyes twinkling with alluring mischief. "So you are," she murmured, her delicate hand sliding down my chest as she moved her hips, tracing the contours of my muscles. I watched as her lips parted slightly in a gasp. Her teasing grind shifted to more deliberate, pleasure-seeking movements. Her soft skin against mine felt like pure euphoria. I tangled my fingers in her hair as she arched her back, accentuating the curvature of her breasts in the morning light.
I let my hands wander over her body, and a devious smile tugged at her lips.
“What?” I asked lightheartedly.
“Nothing,” she said, but her smile remained. She leaned over me, draping her chest against mine, and began kissing down my chest, moving ever so slowly, lower and lower. Each kiss coming closer and closer to my cock. The sheets rustled under us as she finally wrapped her lips around me. I reached down and grabbed a handful of her hair, pushing her head down.
She pulled up just enough to look up at me. “Oh, not yet,” she said before I felt the warmth and softness of her mouth again. My eyes nearly rolled back as I growled.
At this encouragement, she picked up speed. “Holy fuck,” I said. She giggled with her mouth full, then took me in deeper. Pleasure coursed throughout my body as she sucked the life out of me. A moment later, she crawled up my body, bringing hers closer to mine, tucking her head under my chin. Feeling her gradually catch her breath against my chest and tracing random patterns on her bare skin, I closed my eyes, holding on to that moment.
“That was fast,” she whispered.
I smiled, keeping my eyes closed. “It’s the morning, what can I say.” I said dismissively, as she giggled again. We lay silentlytogether, savoring the perfect stillness. Then she spoke softly, innocently, “What does this tattoo mean?”
"Ah," I said, a hint of discomfort creeping into my tone as I opened my eyes. Her fingers traced the intricate black snake eating its own tail around my left bicep. The symbol of raw power and dominance that my family all shared. I unclenched my jaw and said, "It's... a family thing. It's nothing."
She propped herself up, her wavy hair falling across my chest. She searched my eyes, looking for the answer I dodged. I sighed and gave in. "It's my family's sigil. We all have it," I said, careful to keep my tone light.
"A family sigil? What is a sigil?" she repeated, her brows furrowing in confusion. The soft buzzing of my phone vibrated on the nightstand. I feigned hesitation to answer it, then rolled over, escaping her curiosity. The moment I had clung to before she started talking had slipped through my fingers, but I was grateful for the perfect timing of the call. I could feel her eyes drilling into my back as I faced away from her, looking at my phone.
“It’s the office.” I rolled back over. “I should take this,” Before she could protest, I answered. “Hey, it’s Gabriel. Listen, I don’t think I’ll?—”
Edwards panicked voice cut me off. “You should get over here, someone broke in last night.”
“What? Did they take anything? How did they get in?”
“We don’t know. They only touched your office.”
My heart thudded in my chest, adrenaline already pumping through my veins. The air suddenly grew thick, the once comfortable sheets felt hot, tangled and constricting against me. I glanced at Sophia, who stared back at me with wide-eyed concern. “I’m on my way.” I hung up the phone and got out of bed, putting on the same clothes as yesterday. “Get up,” I commanded, forgetting it was Sophia I was talking to. Sheswung her bare legs over the edge of the bed and stood up next to me. Her fingers gingerly grabbed my arm, pressing against the snake tattoo.
“What happened? Is everything okay?”
“Everything is fine, but someone broke in last night.”
Her eyes widened, fear washing over her. "Broke into the office?”
“Yeah. I hate to say it, but you need to get dressed.”
She searched my face and eyes, then relaxed as much as she could in this situation. "Okay," she replied, already moving towards a box of clothes in the corner. I disappeared into the bathroom, scrubbing my face with cold water while she got dressed.
As we drove towards the office, I glanced over at her. She was hunched slightly in the passenger seat, her forehead creased in worry as she chewed on her lower lip absentmindedly. The sight stirred a protective instinct within me. Before I could say anything to reassure her or set her at ease, we arrived. Yellow police tape blocked off the entrance. There were uniformed officers milling about, two detectives in cheap, untailored suits stood out in the crowd. Why were they so interested in a simple robbery? A cop approached my car as we came to a stop.
“Are you Gabriel?” He asked through my rolled-down window.
