Dangerous for You (17 page)

“So do it.” Gabriel crouched down. He held his hand out. “You can crawl if you’d like, Emma. No one will see. We’re up higher than the other buildings around us. It’s just you and me.”

“Crawl like a kitty?”

“Only if you’d like.”

I licked my lips. “Would you like to see me crawl to you?”

“I’d enjoy it—yes.”

“Is that the purpose of this?”

Gabriel cocked his head. Pride flitted across his face. “My clever girl. There’s usually a purpose in everything I do, but when it comes to you…” He stopped, seemingly searching for the right answer. “Yes, there’s a purpose. Two of them in fact. I’ll tell you one—I want you to trust me enough to know I won’t let anything bad happen to you.”

“Gravity says differently.”

“Gravity will get sued into the next millennia if it even
thinks
to interfere up here.”

“Gabriel…” I giggled.

“I’m not joking, Emma. My lawyers are a bloodthirsty group. They live for courtroom carnage.” Once our laughter died down he asked, “Which shall it be? Walk or crawl?”

“I don’t suppose you can come a little bit closer first?”

“Sorry, my love. That defeats the purpose of this exercise.”

I looked beyond him, seeing the skyline surrounding us. I
did
want to see it. Taking a deep breath, I rose on my knees and placed my hands on the concrete. It was rough but not rough enough to encourage me to stand up.

I took one step, as it were, and then another. And then another still. I didn’t look down or think about the potential humiliation of being found like this. I merely focused on Gabriel’s eyes, letting them draw me closer. My mind was blank but for him. I barely remembered the circumstances that led me here.

All I cared about was reaching him, to being welcomed into his embrace and never, ever letting go.

Once I got to Gabriel, he instantly gave me what I wanted. Enfolding me in his strong arms, he hugged me tight. I pressed my face against his chest, breathing in his scent and hearing his heartbeat beneath my ear. All the tension seeped out of my body.

“I love you so much for doing this. You’re my brave girl, Emma—the bravest one I’ve ever known.”

I soaked in his praise, thirsting for more and delirious for hearing it at all.

“Careful there, Emma. You’re looking at me like I’m some sort of god and you know I’m liable to let it go to my head.”

I touched his cheek. “Maybe it’s because you are to me.”

“Then it’s fitting considering you’re my goddess.” Gabriel brushed his mouth against mine, keeping his kiss chaste and sweet. “Can you stand up for me now?”

“Help me?”

Gabriel took my hands in his and helped me up to my feet. My legs wobbled a bit, but he patiently waited for me until I felt more stable. “Are you doing okay, Emma?”

“Better than I thought I’d be.”

He put his arm around my waist, securing me tighter against him. “You knew I’d want you to walk with me but you didn’t ask first before agreeing. That’s wonderful progress, Emma.”

“I’m trying to let go. Be different.”

“I know, baby, and you’re doing exceptionally well. But you know I don’t want you to change who you are, don’t you?”

“I do. You want me to stretch my wings a bit.”

“Exactly.”

“Let’s hope I don’t find out in the next few minutes that I really don’t have wings.”

Gabriel leaned down and nipped the base of my throat. “You’re not going to fall, Adams.”

“You’re willing to bet your fortune on that, Gordon?”

“Down to the last dollar, pound, euro, and yen.”

“Okay then. I’m completely in your hands.”

“Ready?”

I tightened my hold on his waist and whispered, “Yes.”

“I’ve got you, Emma. I won’t let you fall, but before we go forward I want you to promise me that you won’t run if you get scared. Just stand in place, but don’t run—especially if we’re near the edge. Okay?”

“Okay. I can do that.”

Gabriel took one small step and waited for me to take one too. When we got closer to the edge, I had to stay in place for a couple of minutes. Gabriel merely nuzzled my temple and murmured soft encouragement in my ear.

I wasn’t entirely sure of why it was so important to Gabriel for me to be able to do this, but because I didn’t want to let him down I inched forward until we were at the end of the wide walkway.

From this vantage point, I could see we weren’t as close to death as it appeared from my initial spot against the wall. Still, the world stretched beneath our feet, beautiful and dangerous.

“Breathe, Emma. Breathe and take it in.”

I raised my head, not brave enough yet to face the danger, and instead focused on the beauty. Countless windows glimmered gold all around us, sparkling like jewelry, while cotton candy clouds stretched across the apricot sky above.

It was…magical.

The world expanded and contracted. We were alone, observing thousands of people who might as well have lived on another planet. I could hear them as a whisper on the wind. Euphoria tingled and the urge to creep closer and peek over the edge unfurled.

“I can feel your heartbeat, Emma. Is this too much for you?”

“No, not all.”

It’s quickly becoming not enough.

“Do you want to walk with me?”

I nodded with jittery excitement.

Gabriel looked at me a moment longer and smiled. “I knew you’d like it.”

“Am I such an open book?”

“My favorite kind and my favorite one.”

We walked slowly along one edge before coming back to cross the pool. “Do you ever swim in it?”

“It’s not deep enough to swim in, but I do put my feet in it sometimes.”

“I’m trying to imagine that. You in your ridiculously expensive suits and how wrinkled your pants must get when you roll them up.”

Gabriel chuckled. “I’m sure I look silly. Still, it’s a great way to shock myself awake especially when my work stretches late into the night.”

“Did I take you away from it today with my ill-planned escapade?”

“No, you didn’t. Luckily for me you caught me in a lull.”

“I didn’t know you had those.”

“They come often enough, thank God.”

I laughed and mused, “I bet Rick’s been up here plenty of times to catch you playing hooky.”

“Oh, you know me so well, Ms. Adams.” Gabriel attacked my neck with a butterfly kisses.

I turned into him, giggling and unable to keep myself from wanting more.

“I don’t think a lifetime will be long enough to know you, Mr. Gordon.”

“Then we’ll spend as many lifetimes as it takes.”

“You’re such a romantic, Gabriel.”

His steps slowed. Pulling me in front of him, Gabriel turned us both back around. We looked back from where we came from, setting sun and night sky quickly swallowing the light.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” he whispered against my shoulder.

“It’s one of the most beautiful things I’ve seen in a long time.” My burning gaze communicated he was first. “Gabriel?”

“Yes, my dearest love?”

“I’m not scared anymore.”

He touched the sensitive spot beneath my ear with his lips. “I know.”

Thoughts of Lucas and Embry tainted my peace. I ripped through them, deciding we could talk about what happened at the ballet later.

Tonight belonged to us.

We stood there for a while, moving to the chaise only when the stars shone faintly beyond the reach of the city sky.

Gabriel held me in his arms, speaking of the future and the brood of children we were sure to have but only after we married most lavishly.

“I never pictured myself married.”

“Well, I should hope not.” He answered my silent question with “Considering our reconnection you would’ve imagined someone other than me in the role of groom. Completely unacceptable!”

“You’re so haughty, my lord Gordon, considering you weren’t so far from the altar yourself.”

Gabriel made a noise somewhat between a cross of a growl and a sigh. “Emma, do you think you might forget all about that in a year?”

“No.”

“Five years?”

“Nope.”

“Twenty?”

“You wish.”

“Fifty. Surely fifty years will be long enough?”

I considered it, finger tapping against my chin. “I might forget your name by then so it’s possible.”

“What a mean, spiteful thing to say. That’s it! You’ve finally crossed the line, Ms. Adams.” Gabriel hauled my wriggling form over his lap and tossed my fluttery skirt over my waist. His large hand landed hotly over my flesh. I arched up, feebly struggling just to put up some sort of fight. Gabriel wasn’t having it.

“Lay still.”

I grasped his strong thigh and gave myself over to the rhythmic strikes. Stretching across the smudged lines of pain and release, I worked towards that beautifully clear space where I lost all worry. Soon the constant noise in my head would lose volume and I’d feel I was completely Gabriel’s.

Trusting him to dole out my punishment, to see me so vulnerable, truly had become the greatest intimacy I’d ever shared with anyone. My pride was such that I’d never let anyone see me in pain, but Gabriel was and had always been my glorious exception.

“Running away from me…driving like a maniac…being absolutely rude on the phone…all those transgressions against me are enough to merit this, Emma, really. But the absolute worse thing you’ve done today…the thing that I simply
cannot
allow to pass is the suggestion you’d ever forget my name.”

“It’s not like I’d…ah...do it on purpose.”

“I must not be doing my job if you can still speak.”

I prepared myself for another stretch of spanks, knowing Gabriel didn’t let up until I was a gasping mess on his lap. Instead, Gabriel turned me over and kissed me roughly. I clung to him. My fingers tunneled through his hair, greedy to keep my lover as close as physically possible.

His teeth scraped against my lip, soothing the sting with his tongue before doing it again. I moaned softly into Gabriel’s mouth, pleading for more. In response, his warm hands cupped my face firmly as he kissed me into liquid submission.

“Say my name.”

I whispered it, aching and full of want and need.

Gabriel’s feral grin curled my toes. His tongue slowly swept against mine. The sensual caress invited me to return the gesture. We played this way for a bit before separating, chests heaving against one another. Breath became a precious commodity, our kisses even more so.

“Say it again, Emma. Louder.”

“Gabriel.”

“More.”

“Gabriel!”

His hands slid from my jaw to my unbound hair. Without another word he fisted it, holding me immobile as Gabriel’s gaze glittered with carnal madness. “Tell me, Emma. Tell me what I want to hear.”

“I’ll never forget you, Gabriel. No matter what, you will be the last thing on earth I ever forget.”

“Swear it.”

“I swear.”

“Swear it on my heart, Emma.”

My eyes prickled with tears as my love for him overwhelmed me. “I swear it on both our hearts, Gabriel.”

A violent shudder went through his body. “You have no idea what hearing that means to me…”

“I love you, Gabriel.”

“Say it again, baby. Please.”

“I love you.”

Gabriel leaned back on the chaise and pulled me along with him. Silence reigned as he his hand stroked slowly from the top of my head to the small of my back.

“Emma, no matter how mad you get at me, and I can guarantee you will get blistering enraged with me too times to count, promise to always come back to me.”

I curled my fingers around his jaw. “I’m never going to leave you again, Gabriel. Not unless—”

“Ssh. I’ll never betray you so there will never be a reason for you to leave.”

“I wasn’t going to say that.”

“Then what were you going to say?”

I shifted my gaze upwards. The night sky stretched on forever. “Nothing.”

Gabriel closed his eyes. His face relaxed as if in repose. We sat like that for upwards to an hour. Later would bring passionate kisses and his fingers deep inside me. Afterwards, Gabriel would drive us to his penthouse where he’d then put me through my kinky paces before tenderly feeding me a late dinner by hand.

But now…now we were two people in love and at peace with our future.

TWELVE

The rest of the night raced down to zero. We laughed together often, but a pall hung over me. Hiding it exhausted me faster than I realized, but rest eluded me. Long after the game we played ended, I lied in our bed and watched Gabriel sleep.