Tapestry of the Past

by Alvania Scarborough

  It also never failed to rouse every feminine instinct she possessed.

  A deep, wary excitement fluttered low in her stomach. The hand holding the pillow pressed hard against her stomach while the other clutched the arm of the chair as if it were a lifeline. Tiny hairs all over her body lifted just as if she’d stood in the midst of a fierce lightning storm. The sensation caused her nipples to pucker and goose bumps to race over her skin.

  Gabriel stopped in front of her, his legs brushing hers. His gaze went to the pillow and the corner of his mouth lifted. It wasn’t a smile, his expression was too intense for that.

  So what was it?

  His gaze met hers and the breath hitched in her chest.

  Searing heat. Desire. Need.

  Satisfaction.

  He knew she wanted him.

  Not looking away, he snagged the pillow from her grasp and tossed it over his shoulder. It felt as if he’d just stripped her naked. He planted both hands on the arms of the chair and leaned down until his face was level with hers.

  His stance was the same as earlier in the evening when he’d used intimidation to gain her cooperation. Then she’d felt threatened. She still felt threatened but in a way that made her excruciatingly aware she was female and he was male. A way that no other man had ever made her feel.

  Common sense told her to flee.

  Instead, she ran the tip of her tongue around her lips in a quick, nervous swipe and cast common sense to the wind.

  She leaned in until not even a breath separated their lips.

  Gabriel went still.

  He even seemed to stop breathing.

  In the hush, the sound of her heart beating in her ears nearly deafened Kalesia. His lips remained motionless under hers. She almost retreated, embarrassed that she’d misread his interest, then she stiffened her spine. There was only one way she’d know for sure. If she were wrong, she could always dig a hole and pull it in after her. But at least she’d know.

  She traced the seam of his mouth with the tip of her tongue.

  He released his pent-up breath with a shudder that bathed her face in heat. Long fingers tightened on the arms of the chair.

  Encouraged, she teased the moist lining of his lips. Her hands came up to cup his cheeks. She rubbed her palms on the stubble, loving the rasp of evening whiskers against her sensitive palms.

  He purred.

  That was all she could call the deep rumble that emerged from the depths of his chest. Against his mouth, she grinned. Oh, she wanted to pull that sound from him again.

  With the tips of her fingers, she traced the uncompromising line of his jaw, the bold shape of his nose before trailing her fingers up to his temples. On his left temple, she felt a small, irregular scar and smoothed the pad of her finger over it.

  He tensed slightly and Kalesia remembered his reaction when she touched the scars on his wrist. She slid her tongue over his, a warm, wet glide that both teased and promised, an unspoken agreement not to talk about his scars. The pulse in his temples jumped.

  Kalesia did what she’d been dying to do since she met him, she slid her fingers into the night-dark depths of his hair. She was the one to purr now. Oh God, he felt good. She kneaded his scalp, her mouth frantic on his.

  Gabriel sank to his knees.

  “Put your legs around me.”

  Dazed, she stared up at him, trying to make sense of the harsh command.

  “Do it. Wrap your legs around my waist.”

  If she did as he ordered, she’d be wide open to him. Tension hardened the already harsh lines of his face as the seconds ticked past and she didn’t move. She caught her bottom lip between her teeth.

  Slowly, she spread her legs.

  He surged into the space she created.

  “Around me. Wrap your legs around me.” Dark color slashed the high bones of his cheeks.

  She’d never had anyone want her like this. It was more than a little heady. And scary. What would happen when he learned she couldn’t live up to his expectations? Would he turn on her like Christopher had? Would he flay her with words meant to wound? Her teeth sank deeper into her lip.

  He tugged her lip free with his thumb, the work-roughened pad running over the abused flesh. The gesture was oddly soothing. Unable to resist, she swiped his thumb with a quick lick.

  Ocean. He tasted of the ocean. Kalesia closed her eyes, savoring his flavor.

  Gabriel pushed his thumb in her mouth. Without thought, Kalesia closed her lips around it and sucked.

  His groan filled the air around them.

  “Come on, sugar, put those beautiful legs around me.” Voice thick with desire, he ran his free hand down her leg, from knee to ankle. The delicate silk of her stocking caught on his calluses.

  He thought her legs were beautiful? Kalesia lifted her lids a fraction. Looking into the harshly drawn lines of his face, wonder filled her. As amazing as it was, Gabriel Steele thought her legs were beautiful. She shook her head. The man was blind but who was she to correct him?

  Maybe it was just passion speaking, maybe he would find her disappointing before the evening was over. No matter. Tonight she wanted to discover if the real thing came even close to her dreams of the past week.

  She lifted her legs and locked her ankles behind his back, her heels resting on the muscular swell of his buttocks.

  Pure masculine satisfaction turned the silver of his eyes molten. He withdrew his thumb from her mouth slowly, painting her lips with moisture.

  “That’s the way, sugar.” He moved his hands to her waist and pulled her toward him until his cock nudged her damp panties.

  Kalesia caught her bottom lip between her teeth again at the tantalizing touch.

  “Uh-uh. If anyone is goin’ to chew on that bottom lip, it’s goin’ to be me.” Kalesia about melted as a hint of a Southern drawl slipped into the rich, dark tones.

  He dipped his head, catching her lower lip between his teeth, the exquisite press of his teeth both persuasion and domination. Excitement and anticipation surged through her blood, heating it. Her heart began pounding, slow and hard.

  Kalesia thought it was going to beat out of her chest.

  Would he be gentle? Or would he give a sharp nip that bordered on pain?

  A single, slow glide of his tongue swept across the tender inside of her lip.

  Gentle.

  Her hands gripped his forearms, tested the hardness and strength of the muscles beneath the long sleeve tee shirt. Even with the material between them, heat poured off Gabriel. This close his scent, already familiar, played havoc with her senses. She loved the fact that he didn’t wear cologne. He smelled of the outdoors and soap and Gabriel.

  Then she stopped thinking as he launched a gentle assault against her mouth. He nibbled from one corner of her mouth to the other. He seemed particularly fascinated with the bow in the middle of her upper lip, playing with it until the sensation became almost too much.

  She caught his head in her hands. “Gabriel.” It was a plea, a demand for him to stop teasing her.

  He brushed his lips over her cheek, the tip of her nose, both eyes. “What? What do you want, Kalesia? Tell me,” he coaxed, his mouth behind her ear.

  Tell him? Was he crazy? She couldn’t tell him her name at the moment. She finally managed to unstick her tongue. “I want you to kiss me.” There, that should satisfy him.

  “How?”

  Her eyes popped open. Damn him, he was just toying with her. She opened her mouth to berate him and a tiny growl slipped out instead. “Properly.” She gave a sharp tug on his hair, pulling his head away from her neck. Kalesia glared at him. “I want you to kiss me properly.”

  “All you had to do is ask, baby.”

  There was not a thing in his voice to indicate he was amused but Kalesia couldn’t shake the feeling he was laughing at her. Frustrated and mad, about ready to shove him out of the way and storm up to her room, Gabriel stole her ire by covering her mouth with his. His tongue slid into her mouth.
A slow, thorough invasion that sent sparks through her body.

  She moaned as his mouth trailed to the pulse pounding in her neck. He bit lightly at the delicate cord running the length of her neck.

  So this is what they meant by having your socks blown off, she thought in dazed wonder. She tightened her thighs around his waist, rubbing her pussy shamelessly on his denim-covered erection. Bolts of sensation jolted through her swollen flesh. A flood of moisture soaked her silk panties.

  So she did it again.

  Son of a bitch. Gabriel swore again as Kalesia dragged her pussy the length of his aching cock. It was so hard, he was afraid it would shatter. He grabbed her hips and held her still. He was so close to the edge, all it would take was a couple more strokes of her pussy and it’d be over before he even began. She moved restlessly against him, rubbing her breasts back and forth over his chest. Small pleading sounds broke from her lips.

  The feel of the hardened peaks damn near did him in. If he’d been standing, his knees would have buckled. Son of a bitch. She was hotter than an August afternoon in South Florida. The woman was going to burn him alive.

  Damn, what a way to go.

  He felt her hands fumbling at the button of his jeans. He started to reach for his wallet to get a rubber only to remember he hadn’t carried one in a couple of years.

  He dropped his head back with a disgusted groan. “Son of a bitch.” He caught her hands before she could pull the zipper down. Thumb beneath her chin, he tilted her face to his. “We can’t, sugar. No condom.”

  He saw realization slowly sink in. Disappointment flashed in those beautiful green eyes.

  Her pussy was still pressed up against his cock. The heat, the wetness from it soaked through the thick material of his jeans. His cock jerked. Gabriel gritted his teeth, furious with himself.

  Kalesia started to unlock her legs from around his waist.

  Son of a bitch, no! His hands shot to her hips, his fingers digging into the round fullness of her behind, holding her still. Although some said he’d already sold his soul to the devil and most times Gabriel wasn’t sure he disagreed, he knew he’d willingly do so now to sink inside her hot, snug channel. He sucked in a deep breath, searching for the control that should have been second nature. After a long minute, he found it.

  “No. Stay. Put your arms around me and hold on tight.” Without question, she wrapped her arms around his neck. She didn’t look away. Using his grip on her fanny, he slid her up his cock. Her breath caught. He came damn near to choking on his at the intense pleasure that shot down his cock, straight to his balls.

  On the second downstroke, Kalesia caught the rhythm.

  Behind the fly of his jeans, his cock swelled impossibly further. A tingle started down low, at the base of his spine. He dropped his head to hers, clinging for dear life to his control. He’d be damned if he came before she did.

  “That’s it, darlin’, ride me,” he encouraged hoarsely. Her breathing was as ragged and rough as his. He shifted his hands, sliding them until he was cupping both full cheeks of her bottom. He lifted her and dropped, letting her slide the full length of his cock.

  Kalesia twisted and moaned. She tightened her legs, pressing harder.

  Over and over, he let her drop, driving her and himself, higher and higher. The soft sighs and demanding moans coming from her throat were driving him crazy. He didn’t know how much longer he could hang on.

  He lifted her again, forced her even tighter against him, wedging the ridge of his cock between her pussy lips. The confined head of his cock rubbed hard over her clit when he dropped her this time.

  “Gabriel!”

  Every nerve stretching to the breaking point, her strangled scream shattered his control. Hands biting into her flesh, hips rocking with relentless need against hers, spurt after spurt of hot cum filled his jeans.

  Gabriel forced his eyes open and leaned back so he could see Kalesia’s face. Lips parted as she panted softly, her eyes were squeezed closed. “Look at me.”

  At the rasped command, she slowly lifted her lashes. Only a thin circle of vivid green surrounded the blown pupils. The sight punched him in the gut.

  A man could get high on such honest passion.

  The thought stopped him cold.

  Kalesia seemed to sense the change in him. The expression in those beautiful eyes sharpened, became wary. “Gabriel?”

  When he didn’t answer right away, she unwound from around him, scooting back on the chair.

  Gabriel was absurdly aware of the wet stickiness of his jeans and the smell of spent passion. Shit. He was a full-grown man. He shouldn’t feel awkward after making love to a woman.

  Especially as they hadn’t even gotten naked together.

  He clenched his left hand into a fist before straightening it, one finger at a time.

  And they never would.

  Tonight was a mistake. He’d lost his professionalism, his sense of detachment. Gabriel slanted a glance at Kalesia. She looked as uneasy and awkward as he felt.

  For some reason, that stung.

  Gabriel got to his feet, wincing as his knees protested the move. He’d have to see about getting carpet if he was going to act like a teenager very often.

  Strike that. In the future, whether or not he softened the hardwood floors was not going to be an issue.

  Kalesia tucked a loosened swath of hair behind her ears. Then, as if she didn’t know what to do with her hands, tugged on the hem of her dress, pulling it down over her knees. Her hands shook, just the faintest tremor.

  Gabriel winced. Not that she’d be coming back for seconds after his less-than-masterful performance. That damn cat of hers probably had slicker moves. Turning so the huge wet spot on his jeans wasn’t so obvious, he cleared his throat.

  “Go to bed. We’ll start again in the morning.” He closed his eyes. Shit, he couldn’t even get that right. He sounded as if he were dismissing an errant employee.

  Color crept up from the deep V of her dress until it painted her face. Before he could rectify the situation, Kalesia practically flew up the stairs.

  A minute later, he heard the bedroom door next to his close.

  Son of a bitch. He wished she had slammed it. He closed his hand into a fist, then slowly opened it. Gabriel turned on his heel and made his nightly round, the habit too deeply ingrained to ignore. After checking the doors and windows, he set the alarm. Only when satisfied all was secured, did he shut off the lights.

  With an ease Kalesia would have found mystifying, Gabriel became one more shadow in a room full of shadows.

  It had, he mused, proved a useful ability in the past. Yet, now, he found it vaguely disquieting. Pausing at the bottom of the stairs, one hand resting on the aged mahogany, he gazed at the ceiling.

  What would it be like to live in the light?

  Chapter Four

  Okay, she could do this. After all, it wasn’t the first time she’d less than dazzled a man with her lovemaking skills. Kalesia placed her hand on the swinging door leading to the kitchen and pushed, only to slam to a halt. Her hand went to her stomach as nerves kicked up a mad dance in her stomach. Gabriel was standing at the stove in a faded denim shirt that clung to his broad shoulders and a pair of dark jeans. Faint traces of rich soil clung to the seat of his pants. It wasn’t the evidence that he’d already been hard at work that riveted her attention.

  It was the way the denim hugged his rear in a way guaranteed to give a woman hot flashes. Painful heat crawled into her cheeks.

  Unfortunately, she could personally attest to that.

  What in the world had she been thinking? Well, that was a stupid question. Obviously, she hadn’t. She nearly groaned. Even after tossing all night, coming up with excuses and rationales for her behavior, she still couldn’t believe she’d behaved so wantonly with a man she barely knew. It was just so out of character. But, dammit, for the first time she’d felt so sexy, so powerful and it had gone straight to her head.

  Too bad she
lacked the necessary…ability to carry through on her implied promise of satisfaction. She’d never forget the way, the minute it was over, he told her to go to bed. He might as well have been speaking to a stranger on the street.

  Humiliation settled in a hard knot in her stomach.

  She wanted to run and hide.

  Kalesia pulled her thoughts up short. She was a Brannigan, dammit, and Brannigans never ran. Well, almost never, she amended, wincing as she remembered the way she had fled his presence last night.

  Well, she’d refuse to discuss her lapse. That is, if he even brought it up. After all, she hadn’t exactly impressed him, had she? For the first time since she’d closed her bedroom door last night, a tiny ray of light brightened her mood. Why would Gabriel bring up what had happened? He’d probably forgotten all about it already. Feeling marginally better, she plastered a bright smile on her face and slid onto the white ladder-back chair.

  Even though Kalesia didn’t think she made a sound, Gabriel turned and pinned her with that silver gaze.

  The smile froze on her face.

  “Mornin’.” He picked up two plates and brought them to the table.

  “Good morning,” she managed to croak as he set a dish of scrambled eggs and bacon in front of her. Smile. She was supposed to smile.

  “About last night,” he began, staring at his eggs.

  “Let’s just admit last night was a mistake and forget about it.” Kalesia stabbed an innocent lump of egg with vengeance. She so did not want to dissect what went wrong last night. Been there, done that and it always turned out to be her fault.

  Dead silence.

  “I want to go over your visions again after breakfast. After that, I need to go through your files. There has to be a reason someone wants you dead. A tie, if you will, between you and the killer. Assuming it isn’t totally random, then either your business or one of your visions is the most likely reason.” Gabriel chose a gently steaming biscuit and split it with precision before buttering each half. Strong white teeth sank into one half as he met her gaze.

  Kalesia was somewhat taken aback by his ready agreement to forget last night and by his matter-of-fact return to the investigation. In fact, she felt a bit insulted. Was last night really that unimportant to him? She drummed her fingers on the white wooden table. His eyes flickered to the movement. She stilled the little, irritated gesture.