Chapter 8

Never had a guy kissed her the way Gabe did. He was gentle, yet sure of what he was doing. He didn’t mash his teeth against hers while fumbling around her breasts. He took his time and caressed her whole body.

The feel of his warm skin against her own aroused her even more. If this was foreplay, she’d take all she could get.

She ran her hand over his sparse, dark chest hair and circled her index finger around his nipple. Then she gave them each a little squeeze. His husky moan encouraged her to keep exploring. Her fingertips followed the muscles of his arms and shoulders while he expertly kneaded her breasts. Then he gave her nipples a little squeeze too. Her breath caught from the electrifying sensations. She tangled her fingers in his damp hair. She played with the silky strands, winding them around her fingers, being careful not to tug too hard.

Gradually, she caressed a path down his back, gliding over the dip at the base of his spine. When she cupped his buttocks and squeezed, he growled. She ached to go further but waited for a sign.

He rolled so she was lying on top of him, then placed both of his hands on her exposed buttocks and kneaded her glutes. She sighed at the intimacy of this new discovery.

“Beautiful,” he murmured. “You feel like silk. So soft… Warm perfection.” He rolled her onto her back, then feasted on her breasts until the rosy tips became hard and puckered. He captured each nub between his teeth, scraped gently as he withdrew, and then flicked his tongue over the very end, creating a torturous frenzy.

Still, there was no urgency in his lovemaking. He seemed to enjoy awakening every raw nerve in her body. The length of his hard cock prodded her naked thigh. She reached down, grasped it, and he sucked in a deep breath.

“Misty…”

She didn’t answer, and he didn’t finish his thought—if he had one.

He rolled on top of her. Nothing stood between her and the point of no return. She couldn’t stop now even if she wanted to.

Gabe said, “I’m going to tell you in searing detail what’s going to happen if we continue.”

“Tell me,” she said breathlessly.

“I’m going to fill you up. Take you, inch by hot inch. I want to feel your legs wrapped around me while I penetrate you. I’m going to rock hard against your clit until you climax. Is that what you want?”

“Yes! More than anything.”

Her next breath mingled with his as they shared a deep lingering kiss. He crawled off of her just long enough to grab something from his nightstand.

A condom, she realized. Thank goodness one of them was thinking logically. He placed the condom on the pillow, scooted between her legs, and parted her nether lips.

“Why are you—” She sucked in a deep breath as his tongue flicked her most sensitive spot. “Oh!”

Her urgent moans filled the air. A rush of sensations erupted into a powerful climax. She thought she heard screaming. Oh yeah, that would be me.

As soon as she had returned to earth, she let go of the sheets she had gripped in her hands as she held on for dear life. Nothing mattered now but having this man inside her.

“Gabe, I want you.”

“How? Tell me exactly how you want me.”

She didn’t dare use the words making love. The L-word would probably scare him off—and she wanted him in. “I want you fucking me, five minutes ago. Is that exact enough?”

He laughed. “Just making sure.”

He opened the condom package and handed her the rubber. “Would you like to do the honors?”

She took the condom from him and placed it over the tip of his penis but only after planting a kiss there. Then she rolled it all the way down to the root. She cupped his balls and gave them a gentle squeeze. He growled.

She wanted to come again, but this time with her lover inside her.

He positioned himself between her knees and paused at her entrance. He smiled down at her, then leaned down and kissed a path to her ear, whispering, “I want you to enjoy this fully.”

She planned to.

He leaned on one elbow, propping himself up. As he entered her, slowly, he looked down at her, and his eyes seemed to glow. His free hand parted her folds so he could make contact with her clit completely.

He began a slow rhythm and did as he promised, grinding into her clit with his pelvis. God, the sensations! Soon, she was alternately gasping for breath and moaning. She arched to meet his every thrust, and it wasn’t long before she exploded in ecstasy.

She thrashed. She screamed. She left her body and saw stars. Gabe came too, with a roar.

He collapsed on top of her, and when he tried to roll off, she blocked him. “No. Stay”—pant—“where you”—pant, pant—“are.”

He chuckled. “I’m kind of heavy.”

“I like your weight on me.”

He laid his head on her pillow and kissed her temple. They lay like that for several minutes, just breathing and recuperating. When he had apparently had enough recovery time, he propped himself on his elbows and began his rhythm again.

If she’d had any doubts about being deeply in love with this man, they had vanished.

They made love several times that night. At last, they drifted off into a very sound sleep, Gabe buried deep inside her.

* * *

Upon awakening, Gabe began to stretch and bumped into something. Misty. Oh my God. What have I done? Did I really make love to Parker’s sister all night?

He glanced down, looking for the last condom he used. He searched the bed, trying frantically to find it without waking Misty.

She woke up anyway. Sitting up, she stretched lazily. The blanket slipped down, revealing the beautiful breasts he had enjoyed over and over.

“Oh God, Misty. I’m so sorry.”

Her perfect eyebrows shot up. “Sorry? For what?”

“For getting so carried away. I should never have… I mean…”

“Spit it out.” Her mouth hardened into a thin line.

Shit. She knew what was coming.

He sighed.

“Yeah. I get it.” She threw off the covers, snatched up her clothes, and headed to the bathroom.

That’s when Gabe spotted the condom. It had been right under her. It might have emptied inside of her! Fuck. Berating himself for his stupidity, he lay back and threw his arm over his eyes. It was too late to do anything about it now.

A loud bang came from the bathroom. What the… Was she so angry that she threw something? She shouted his name. Time to face the music—or yelling. He grabbed his bathrobe off a hook and shrugged into it as he strode to the bathroom door and knocked. “Are you okay?”

“No. A little help here, please?”

He slid open the pocket door and was shocked to see her on the floor.

“Misty!” He rushed to her side and helped her up. “You fell?”

“Yeah. I dropped the toothpaste and lost my balance when I went to pick it up. Something’s wrong. I’d get up myself, but I just can’t seem to make my legs work. Especially my left one. It feels…well, like it fell asleep.”

“It wasn’t like that a minute ago?”

“Yeah, but no. It tingled, but not as bad as now.”

“Let me help you,” he said, even though he felt pretty helpless himself.

“No. Wait a second, maybe it’s not too bad.” She waved him off. “I think I can do it.” She tried to drag herself up by grasping the edge of the pedestal sink.

He let her try for a moment, but the first responder in him couldn’t let her struggle. He picked her up off the floor and carried her back to the bed.

“We have to get you to a doctor.”

She hung her head. “I know. I have that MRI in a couple of days, but I’m not sure I should wait.”

“You sit here and rest.”

“Okay.” She had started rubbing her left leg.

“Does it hurt?”

“No. It’s more like pins and needles.”

He was still alarmed, but at least she wasn’t cringing in pain.

“Do you have a laptop?” she asked.

“Of course.”

“Would you be willing to bring it to me?”

Uh-oh. “Why?” I hope she’s not looking for an internet diagnosis.

“So I can Google these symptoms. That doctor wasn’t telling me anything helpful.”

“I don’t know how smart Googling this will be. You can get a lot of misinformation off the internet.”

“Please.”

He sighed, but relented and brought his laptop to her. “Where do you want to start?”

“Uh…” She scanned the screen for an inordinate amount of time. At last, she said, “You decide.”

This wasn’t the Misty he knew. She wasn’t indecisive. If anything, she knew exactly what she wanted and wasn’t shy about expressing it.

“I’m not just going to Google symptoms. WebMD has a pretty good reputation, and it has the most introductory information.”

“Okay. I’ll start there.” Misty typed for a few minutes while Gabe ruminated over his misgivings. Maybe he should have refused to let her use his computer for this.

At last, she clicked on a video. He didn’t know why she picked that one. The doctor droned on about myelin. Lesions. Antibodies. It was dry, but he understood the important stuff. He glanced over at Misty. Her eyes were closed.

“What’s wrong?”

“Um, just a little trouble focusing.”

“As in mentally, or with your eyes?”

“Both?”

Shit. He took the computer and paused the video.

“Oh, no, Gabe. I wanted to finish listening to that. I think it’s what I have.”

“Let’s not jump to conclusions.”

She restarted the lecture. As the video went on to explain how a lesion in a specific part of the brain affected a person’s nerves, which affected the muscles—including muscles of the eyes—well, it didn’t look good.

He turned her head so he could study her eyes. All he could see was water gradually filling her inner corners and spilling over. He wiped a tear away with his thumb and whispered, “Don’t panic.” He wasn’t sure if he was talking to her or himself.

“How can I not? What if they see those lesions on my MRI?”

“We’ll deal with it then.”

“Oh, will we?”

Her sarcasm was hard to miss. “Yes. We will,” he stated firmly.

“Don’t tell Parker anything. Please.”

“Why not?”

“Because there isn’t a damn thing he can do from where he is except worry,” she said. “They use live ammo in training, you know. I’d rather he concentrate on his surroundings, not on what’s happening here.” She placed her hands on her forehead and closed her eyes.

“Headache?” he asked.

“No. Despair.”

“Misty…” He gathered her into his arms and let her weep.

* * *

Misty had to take some time off from the bank for her MRI. When she explained the reason to her boss, Adam was understanding—a little too understanding.

He dragged his chair around his desk and leaned forward to place his hand on her knee. “I’m here for you if you need anything, Misty. Anything at all.”

“I, uh, appreciate that, Adam.”

“Would you like me to go with you? I have a meeting with a client, but I can reschedule.”

“No. Gabe is taking me. Thank you, though.”

Adam leaned back, and his expression grew chilly. “The firefighter who’s responsible for destroying our vault?”

She knew he wasn’t fond of Gabe, but seriously? “The damage is covered by insurance, right?”

“Uh-huh. So was the cash. How do you know him, anyway?”

“We grew up together. He was my brother’s best friend, and his family lived down the street from us.”

“Was? I take it they aren’t friends anymore.”

“No, that’s not what I meant. We moved when I was twelve, but he and Gabe stayed in touch all those years. Parker would take the T into the city once in a while.”

“Didn’t you go too?”

“I was too busy. Dance classes, field hockey, and school stuff… I would have been welcome, though.”

“Hmph. Well, since your brother isn’t around, the other guy is probably acting as his surrogate. Another big brother, in other words.”

Thinking about the incredible night they’d spent together, Misty almost laughed. “I know what a surrogate is, and no. Gabe isn’t a big brother to me. He’s a friend.”

“Just a friend?”

“Why all these questions about Gabe? I like to keep my personal life kind of private.”

“Of course.” He rose and dragged his chair back behind his desk.

She rose too, a little more slowly. “Can I go? He’ll be here—” She glanced out his glass office wall just as Gabe strode in. “Oh! There he is.” She couldn’t help the grin that spread across her face.

Gabe spotted her, smiled back, and waited outside the office.

Adam just waved her off. “Let me know how it goes.” He opened a folder and looked bored as he went back to work.

She strode over to Gabe. “Hi!” she said brightly.

“Hi, yourself. I didn’t expect you to be in such a good mood.”

She leaned in and whispered, “Getting out of work early always puts me in a good mood. I’ll just get my things and be right out.”

She knew not to admit just seeing his handsome face was enough to thrill her. She walked briskly to the back room to get her jacket and purse and was relieved when she didn’t even list to one side. Standing behind the counter wasn’t too bad. Any time she felt unsteady, she could just grab the edge.

When she returned he said, “I’m double-parked outside.”

“Oh, I didn’t know you had a car.”

“I don’t. It’s Dante’s.”

She followed him to the steps, and as he jogged down, she walked over to the handrail. He noticed she wasn’t beside him when he got to the bottom and turned.

Slapping his forehead, he said, “Sorry. I should have helped you.”

“No. I’ve got it.”

Just then, she stumbled.

He rushed over and caught her, even though she had a death grip on the railing and wouldn’t have hit the pavement.

“Damn,” she muttered.

“Don’t be mad at yourself. It’s not your fault. You can’t help it.”

She realized that Gabe had already given her a diagnosis in his head. “You can’t help it” or “it’s not your fault” meant there was some medical reason for her clumsiness.

She was relieved that he’d brought a car and she didn’t have to ride the subway to Brigham and Women’s Hospital. If it was crowded and she had to stand while compensating for shifting floors, she’d be in trouble.

The car ride seemed long and quiet. She tried to initiate conversation once and he told her he really had to concentrate. He hadn’t driven a car in several months…or maybe a year.

She didn’t know what to make of that. Maybe that’s all it was. Driving in Boston could be a nightmare even for commuters who did it every day. Or maybe he was avoiding conversation. The way they’d left things on the day after her birthday made her wonder. He was fine when talking about superficial things, like making plans to take her to this appointment, but he clammed up when she casually tried to bring up the topic of their relationship.

Please don’t be an asshole, Gabe. Don’t lose interest as soon as I put out and the chase is over. That’s what my stupid high school boyfriend did.

What chase? She suddenly realized because she was the one who had been chasing him, he’d never had the thrill of the chase at all. Well, that had to change. She wouldn’t chase him anymore. Let him come to her…but would he?

* * *

Gabe had regrets. Huge regrets. He was supposed to be looking after Parker’s little sister, protecting her from guys like him. Instead, he wound up being the guy who took advantage of her.

Well, that had to stop. She needed him as a friend, not a lover. Especially now.

“We’re almost there. Why don’t I drop you off at the front door and find a place to park? I’ll meet you in the waiting room.”

“No need,” she said. “I can handle it. Why don’t you go do something you feel like doing? I’ll text you when I’m done.”

Surprised, Gabe glanced over at her. She was staring straight ahead. Something had changed. “What’s wrong?”

She looked over at him. “Nothing.”

“I am not very good at woman-speak, but I’ve heard that nothing means something.”

She smiled and said, “Sometimes nothing means nothing. Seriously, there’s nothing to worry about. I want you to know that I can handle these things on my own. I’m sure there will be times when you can’t be there.”

“Okay, if you’re sure.”

“Yes, I’m sure.”

Gabe pulled up to the front entrance and let her open her own door. She wanted to be independent, and now he was in flux again. Should he insist on walking in with her, making sure she got to the office all right? Or would that just be making her dependent on him? Shit.

“Misty, I should go with you.”

“No, you shouldn’t.” She slammed the car door shut and ambled down the sidewalk. He watched as she entered the revolving door. She held onto the bar in front of her, but she seemed to be walking okay.

He sat there for a few moments, debating with himself. At last, he decided to park the car and meet her at the MRI unit. And it wasn’t because he had to. It was because he wanted to.

When he found her, she was in the waiting room, scanning a magazine. She didn’t seem to be reading, just glancing at the pictures. Maybe she was more nervous than she had let on. He was glad he didn’t just take off and leave her.

“Hey, beautiful,” he said as he sat next to her. “Is this seat taken?”

She glanced over at him and shrugged. “I was saving it for some good-looking dude, but you’ll do.”

Gabe laughed. She still had her sense of humor. At least he hoped that was a joke.

“Misty, if you think you’re being a burden, don’t. I’m not here because Parker asked me to look out for you. Well, not completely.”

She closed the magazine and faced him. “Then why are you here? I told you I could do this on my own.”

“I know you can.” What could he say? I’m here because I care about you? He didn’t want her to take that the wrong way, although it was true. He simply didn’t elaborate.

She went back to gazing at her magazine. He wondered how much concentration she had, since she flipped the pages frequently.

When she got to the end of the magazine, she tossed it back on the table next to her, and instead of picking up another one, she slid down in her chair. Leaning her head against the top of the backrest, she stared at the ceiling.

“Bored?” he asked.

“Yeah.”

This wasn’t the Misty he knew. Her answers were short and not so sweet. Something was up. Maybe it was simply the stress of her impending appointment.

Fortunately, at that moment, a nurse opened the door and called her name. She got up slowly and seemed to be a little unsteady. Gabe shot to his feet and grasped her arm. She shook him off. “I’m fine,” she snapped.

He backed away with his hands in the air. “Okay, okay. I’ll be here when you get out.” He watched as she followed the nurse through the door toward the first step in finding out the truth.

That’s got to be it. She’s got to be scared out of her mind. That’s why she’s not herself.

A big part of him sensed there was more to it.