I sigh, rubbing my temples just as I hear my mom call from downstairs.
“Cecilia, you have a visitor!”
I frown, pushing away from my desk. The tone in her voice is—excited. I head downstairs, the soft creak of the stairs beneath my feet the only sound breaking the silence. When I reach the bottom, I pause. My mom is standing in the doorway, her eyes flicking between me and the porch.
“Guess who’s here?” she says with a wide grin as she steps aside.
Gabriel stands on the front porch, one hand in his pocket, the other holding onto his helmet. His eyes are shadowed withsomething I can’t quite place. He looks exhausted, worn out, like something’s pulling him under, and not for the first time today, my stomach tightens with worry.
I thought we were meeting later tonight?
“Gabriel …” His name barely makes it past my lips.
My mom senses the weight of the moment and offers a small, understanding smile. “I’ll give you two some privacy.” She disappears into the kitchen, leaving us alone.
Gabriel steps forward, his mouth bracketed with strain, but before I can ask what’s wrong, he speaks. “Can you come out with me? Please. I know it’s early but …”
It’s the “please” that gets me. It’s clipped, heavy, like he’s holding onto something he can’t control. I don’t ask questions. I don’t need to. I just nod. “Give me a second.”
I rush back upstairs, grabbing my shoes and the first sweater I find, my heart thudding in my chest. I don’t know what’s going on, but whatever it is, it’s eating at him.
When I return to the porch, Gabriel’s still there, leaning against the railing. The weight in his posture tells me more than any words could right now. He hands me his helmet, the familiar shadow of the matte black visor swallowing the light.
“Here,” he says, his voice quiet.
I take the helmet, slip it on, and follow him to his bike. The engine roars to life as I climb on behind him, my arms wrapping around his waist. The leather of his jacket is cool under my fingers, the solid warmth of his body grounding me.
We take off down the street, the wind whipping against my face, the sound of the bike drowning out everything else. Gabriel drives like he’s got nowhere to be, weaving through the streets of Richland with no real destination in mind. I can feel the tension in his body, the way his muscles tighten every time we stop at a light, how he grips the handlebars like he’s holding on for dear life.
My worry grows with each mile. Something’s bothering him, gnawing at him, but I know him well enough to know he’s not ready to talk about it. Not yet. Right now I’m just grateful he came and got me. This is his way of letting me in.
Twenty minutes pass, having taken the scenic route, before we pull up in front of his place. I take off the helmet, my hair a tangled mess, but I don’t care. I slide off the bike, watching as Gabriel gets off slowly, like the burden of whatever’s on his mind is dragging him down.
“Come on,” he says, his voice low.
He reaches out for my hand, and I place my palm in his before following him up the porch steps.
The house is quiet, but I doubt it’s empty. The guys are probably all just in their rooms or maybe hanging out back. Gabriel heads to the living room, flicks on the TV, and then drops onto the sofa, tugging me down with him, “Wanna watch a movie?”
It’s a distraction. A way to fill the silence without having to talk, but I agree anyway. “Sure.”
We sit on the couch, side by side, but Gabriel’s stiff. He’s trying to act normal, but I can feel it—the tension radiating off him, the way his leg bounces slightly, how his arms are folded tight across his chest. His mind is somewhere else, miles away from me and this living room.
I glance at him, my chest aching for him. What the hell happened today to make him like this?
Gently, I reach out, my fingers slipping beneath the hem of his shirt. I trace the hard lines of his abdomen, the ridges of muscle warm under my touch. He sucks in a sharp breath, his body going still, and when he turns to look at me, his gaze is heated, intense. The storm in his eyes shifts, turning from frustration to something darker, something desperate.
Suddenly, the tension in the room morphs into something heavier. There’s this charge in the air now.
Gabriel moves fast, his lips crashing into mine with a desperation that makes my heart race. He kisses me like he’s starving for something only I can give him, and I melt into it, my hands fisting his shirt, pulling him closer. His fingers are in my hair, his touch rough and possessive as he deepens the kiss, his tongue sweeping across mine in a way that sends heat spiraling through me.
Before I know it, I’m straddling his lap, my knees on either side of his hips, grinding down against him. He groans into my mouth, his hands sliding up my thighs, gripping me tight. His hips thrust up to meet mine, the friction between us electric, every movement sending a jolt of pleasure through my body.
My breath is coming in short gasps, my heart pounding in my chest. I can feel him, hard and ready beneath me, and a thrill shoots through me, my body reacting without thought. But just as I lose myself in the heat of it, a thought slams into me like a cold bucket of water.
Gabriel doesn’t live alone.Shit.
I pull back, my chest heaving as I meet his gaze. His pupils are blown wide, his breathing just as ragged as mine. He frowns, confusion etched into his face.
