“Tell me.” She finally dropped her hands and stared at him with haunted eyes. “Tell me about those kids. Why did you never release a statement?”
“Because there was nothing I could say that didn’t undermine their choices.” He settled on the floor, resting his hands on her ankles. “I’m not an advocate of suicide, I never have been. But I can understand that they felt it was the only part of their lives they had any control over. I understand that to end it was actually a brave decision rather than a cowardly one. In many ways I respect their choice to do as they did. I know why I am the way that I am. I know how it feels to be terrorised and manipulated so utterly that you feel as though you have no control over anything you do. It’s a horrible feeling. To wrest that control away, to do the only thing you can do that puts you back in the position of power...yes. I can respect that. I can understand that they felt it was their only choice.”
“And what is it you think you’ll do to me that will scare me?” She was pale but she had stopped shaking.
“I would never hurt you.” He promised. “I’m not at all about pain. But I will want to dominate you. If you’ll let me, I’ll tie you up. I can’t...lose myself until I’m certain that everything is under my command...that it’s all safe.”
She shuddered all over and then
surged up to her knees, scooching forward so she could put her arms around him. “How did you get so broken?” Her voice wavered as she fought tears. “Who hurt you so badly?”
He sucked in a sharp breath and then sighed. “That’s a story for a rainy night and a bottle of tequila.” He said softly. “I promise I’ll tell you some day.
If you stick around.”
“I don’t think I’m ready to be dominated.” She laughed shakily. “Not
today anyway. I’m too tired. Can we sleep on it tonight, talk about it tomorrow?”
“Anything you want.” He replied huskily.
“Shall I get the car?”
“No.” She rested her forehead against his chest. “I’ll stay here. I just...it’s a new way of thinking Gabriel. I know you’re the same man as you were an hour ago, and yesterday, and last week. It’s...I don’t know anything about where you’re coming from. Sexually I mean. I’ve never...I’m not very
experienced. Part of me wants to try it out of curiosity. My heart is telling me that maybe these are boundaries I should try pushing, because I like spending time with you. You challenge me and I feel more alive than I have done in years. I just don’t want to get hurt. Physically or emotionally.”
“I swear I will never push you farther than you want to go.” He promised her solemnly. “As long as you trust me, we’ll be fine.”
“We’ll talk about it in the morning.” For a long while they sat there, lost in their own thoughts. Then she stirred again. “Let’s go eat, Gabriel. We can at least have tonight.”
“You’re right.” Looking a little lost, he helped her up and they moved through to the kitchen.
When Noelle woke up the next morning, Gabriel was asleep with his arms wrapped snugly around her. Smiling, she watched the sun rising over the city. It was a new day, bright and fresh
with promise. She realised she was at peace with the knowledge of who he was. Knowing that he was damaged, that his issues were the result of some dark time in his past, made it somehow easier to bear. She could even admit that his reasoning for not issuing a statement made sense. Those kids had lost everything. Belittling them even after death did seem cruel. You didn’t have to like someone’s choices to respect them.
She sensed the moment he came awake. She’d felt him twitching in the small of her back as he’d surfaced from his dreams, but when he became fully conscious, his arms tightened reflexively around her.
“Hey.” He murmured sleepily.
“Hey you.”
She murmured back. “Did you sleep okay?”
“Yeah.”
He stretched his full length out and then jerked away as his early morning erection pressed into her. “Sorry.” He muttered and she burst out laughing.
“It’s okay. You don’t have to move away.
” To prove a point, she turned in his arms and stretched up to kiss him. “We can do this.”
“Are you sure?” Something dark and haunted rolled beneath the surface of his eyes and she nodded.
“Yes I’m sure.” Tentatively she reached down between them and curled a hand around his cock, beneath his boxers. “Is this okay?” She asked, stroking the length of it, and he smiled, a small, satisfied smile.
“Oh yeah.”
He kissed her. “This is definitely okay.” She held him firmly, stroking with a smooth rhythm as he sighed gutturally with approval. When he made no move to stop her, she slid down the bed, kissing and nibbling as she went. His body was still hot from sleep and deliciously sensitive to her darting tongue. When she reached his waist, he lifted his hips so she could slide his boxers away and free his cock. It lay against his hip, ramrod straight and already moist at the tip.
“
Someone woke up happy.” She jested, using her thumb to spread the glistening liquid across the head.
“How could I not?” He closed his eyes. “I woke up next to you.”
“You say the sweetest things.” Smiling, she leaned down and took him in her mouth. He jerked, his eyes flying open at the unexpected sensation. Noelle wasn’t sure what she was doing. She’d only done this once before and hadn’t much enjoyed it at the time but, seeing Gabriel lying there in all his glory, she’d had a sudden compulsion to taste him. He was salty and musky and she swirled her tongue around the head as he groaned her name. She felt his hands tangle in her hair as he gathered it away from her face, and then he exerted a gentle pressure, moving her head up and down as she sucked.
“God that feels good.” His pupils dilated as he watched himself fucking her mouth. She was so sweet and innocent and he could tell she hadn’t done this before.
It pleased him. It didn’t take long for his balls to tighten and he pulled her away. “If you don’t stop, I’m going to come down your throat.” He murmured huskily. “My turn.” He caught her to him and tumbled her over onto her back as she laughed. “Lie back, spread your legs for me and don’t try to tell me to stop.” She gasped at his tone but did as he asked, obediently dropping her knees to the sides as a flush rose up over her skin. “Wider.” He ordered gruffly and she squirmed, spreading her thighs a little more. “Good girl.” He said approvingly, lifting her nightdress to her waist and tracing a finger slowly up through her folds. “You’re wet.” He looked her straight in the eye as he brought his finger to his mouth and licked it clean. “And you taste good.”
“Oh
my gosh.” She tore her gaze away, blushing madly, and he laughed. Pleased that he had shocked her, he slid down the bed and lowered his face between her thighs. He took a moment just to inhale her scent and then he drove a strong tongue into her. Her hips bucked wildly and he grinned, holding them down to the bed while he lapped her up in long, sure strokes. Her breath was coming faster and she was making small sounds of pleasure. He alternated between fucking her with his tongue and flickering it gently over her clit. When she came, it caught him by surprise. Her whole body convulsed and shuddered and he could feel her contracting around his tongue. Unhappy that he hadn’t sensed it coming, he pushed himself upright and she reached for him.
“Thank you.” She murmured leaning up to kiss him.
“You need to tell me when you’re about to come.” He said gruffly and her eyes flickered a little with hurt, but she squashed it with understanding and nodded.
“I can do that.”
“Good.” The need to punish her was screaming in his mind, but it was too soon. He’d scare her. Gritting his teeth, he moved so he was kneeling upright and positioned his cock at her entrance. “I don’t know how gentle I can be.” He warned her, the effort of restraint making him tremble.
“It’s okay.” She gave him her permission quietly and he shuddered all over. He needed this. He pushed in and
, even though she was wet, she was small and tight. It took several gentle thrusts before he was all the way in and he paused, allowing her to stretch as he filled her. It felt so good he was almost out of his mind. Reaching under her legs he grabbed her wrists and held them down so she couldn’t move as he pulled all the way out and then slammed into her. She cried out, writhing in his grasp, but he didn’t let her go as he pounded away, the sound of flesh smacking against flesh filling the room along with the scent of arousal.
He lost himself in her, in the sensation, closing his eyes and just feeling the molten heat that was driving him to the edge of crazy and beyond. Faster and wilder, harder and harder, he rode the arc of his self-control until it snapped and he liquefied in
stantly into boneless ecstasy, his hips continuing to thrust mindlessly until he was spent.
When he returned to himself, he gathered her up in his arms and
massaged the redness on her wrists where he had gripped her so tightly. “Are you okay?” He murmured, subconsciously rocking her like a small child.
“I’m fine.
Better than fine.” She sounded amused and he began to relax. That was the first hurdle over and she wasn’t pushing him away. Bringing her wrists to his mouth, he gently kissed the redness, fluttering lips over the sensitive flesh until she laughed.
“Gabriel, that tickles!” She pulled her hands back and smiled at him.
“Are you ticklish anywhere else?” His eyes twinkled fiendishly and she swallowed.
“No...?”
“Oh kitten...you shouldn’t have made it sound like a question! Where are you ticklish?” He ran teasing hands down her sides as she pushed away from him, trying to scamper off the edge of the bed.
“No!
Gabriel, no!” She giggled helplessly as he hauled her back by her ankles, tickling the backs of her knees and the soles of her feet. “Mercy! Stop! Gabriel!” He made her laugh until she was crying before he stopped tickling her sides and she lay on the bed, heaving for breath as she wiped her face. “That was mean!” She accused laughingly and he chuckled.
“Fun though.” Leaning down, he pressed a kiss to one rosebud nipple and then got up. “I’ll go warm the shower for you. Are you hungry?”
“Thank you and yes.” Her face was flushed from sex and laughter and he wished he could capture the moment on film. His fallen, wild, wanton angel...she looked at him from searing eyes and he was torn between begging her forgiveness and fucking her senseless. If he didn’t leave, they’d never make it out of the bedroom. He needed to control himself. Ignoring his twitching dick, he strode through to the bathroom and turned on the shower, stepping into the bracing cold rush before it heated. It had the desired effect and when he emerged a couple of minutes later, his head was clear again.
“Shower’s hot!” He called through, reaching for a towel to wrap around his waist.
“Thanks.” She appeared in the doorway, blushing like a maiden bride with a sheet wrapped around her modestly.
“I swear you get more beautiful every time I see you.” He paused with his toothbrush in hand. “You need a hand in the shower?”
“I think I’ll manage.” She gave him an amused look and waited until he’d turned back round to the sink before slipping out of the sheet. Watching her in the mirror, he grinned as she neatly folded it up and left it on the side of the bath, before stepping into the shower. She was so cute with her polite manners and misplaced modesty. She’d spread when he’d asked her to, but when she was in control she wasn’t prepared to be seen naked. It was interesting. He thoughtfully turned back to brushing his teeth and, when he was done, he went to make her breakfast.
They spent the morning just pottering about in the house. He played her his music and they sang Christmas carols together, giggling at her terrible voice alongside his own rich vocals. They ate lunch looking out at the city, exchanging stories about the places they’d visited and all the things in the world they still wanted to see. In the afternoon they went walking in the hills above the house, looking down at the still-frozen city which was now twinkling with Christmas lights as the darkness fell early.
By the time they’d arrived back and warmed up with a cup of coffee, they were both starving, so Noelle set about making dinner. The housekeeper had been in while they were out walking and restocked the fridge, tidying up the few things they’d left lying about.
“Does she come every day?” Noelle asked, chopping onions for chicken wraps. “I’d hate to scare her by suddenly appearing.”
“She comes for a few hours each afternoon, from Monday to Saturday.” He explained, sitting on one of the stools at the breakfast bar to watch her cook. “She gets Sundays off.”
“So she cooks and shops and cleans for you...”
She set a frying pan on the stove. “...what else does she do?”
“That’s it. Sometimes she’ll run things to the dry cleaner for me if I ask her to, but other than that I’m not a very demanding employer.”
“You’re just demanding of your girlfriends, is that it?” She smiled to take the sting out of her words and he grinned back.
“There’s a difference between being your employer and being your lover.” He reminded her. “Each aspect of my life is entirely separate and compartmentalised.”
She didn’t realise she was shaking her head as she thought about it. His identity as Darkness Falls was so tightly locked down that she never would have known until she saw him naked, and even then she would have questioned her thoughts. His persona as the controlling lover was entirely separate from his normal charming, warm, funny daytime persona. That he could absolutely delineate the way he behaved with lovers, friends and employees was both astonishing and disconcerting. It was like he had a multiple personality disorder. He was probably the most complex man she’d ever met and she hadn’t decided yet if that was to her fortune or detriment.