Chapter Fifteen

Gabby pulled the thick comforter around herself.

Her ancient Cornell T-shirt and lacy Brazilian knickers didn’t match, but who cared, and who was going to see them anyway? They were comfortable since none of it pressed on her abdomen, the stretchy scalloped lace sitting about an inch below the beginning of her scar. Black and completely see-through, they left nothing to the imagination. They felt like she wasn’t wearing any at all.

It felt so nice to lie down and be still. Taka had been right. This bed was so darn comfortable, she could easily melt into the mattress.

Matt had gone home not long ago. It was so good to be in a place where she could see them both without it being a flying visit. Usually she only saw Matt a handful of times a year, sometimes Taka even less. His shifts often were at odds with Matt’s. Some years, Christmas was the only time she and Taka crossed paths. She’d seen him more this past year than most, but it wasn’t enough.

Just spending time having dinner together had been good for the soul. Both of them had her in stitches throughout most of the meal, keeping her attention diverted from the strange incident outside. She was glad to turn in to get some rest. A yawn worked its way out of her.

She turned her head toward the doorway and smiled. Warm, soft lamp light glowed from Takeshi’s open door. He would probably be awake for a while yet, since it wasn’t late. It was reassuring to know he was just across the hall.

Gabby thought of their earlier conversation about him sleeping naked and she smiled to herself. She was pretty sure he was wearing something on his delicious butt while she was here.

Pity.

 

 

Taka put down his book in disgust. He’d just read the same page three times and still didn’t know what the hell it said.

The bed she’d bought him was nice, perfect for the style of the room. He shifted into the mattress and tried to empty his mind.

It didn’t work.

He’d walked past her door on his way back from the bathroom earlier and glanced through automatically. Gabby had been kneeling on the bed, his bed, when she’d leaned over to pull the comforter from under the pillows on the opposite side. He’d stopped dead in the doorway at the sight of her on her hands and knees, his lungs refusing to work.

He groaned and rolled over onto his side. He was still hard and thinking about it wasn’t helping at all. But, damn! She had been wearing that ancient T-shirt, but the scrap of material on her ass could not be called underwear. It was the sexiest thing he’d ever laid eyes on.

All black and lacy, the way it curved over her hips and butt was unbelievable. There wasn’t much material to speak of, and what was there was totally see-through. The effect on him had been instantaneous.

Man, he wanted to see those again.

No, if he were completely honest with himself, it had nothing to do with the knickers. It was her. Her smooth skin. Her knockout curves. Her slow, sinful smile that lit a knowing look in her eyes. He was getting all sorts of ideas after seeing her like that. Not that he needed any help in that area.

Taka scraped his hand over his face and reached over to turn off his light. Thinking about her would get him nowhere. His birthday couldn’t come fast enough as far as he was concerned. At least then he’d know. He was either going to be very happy, or totally gutted. But either way, at least the whole thing would be resolved.

And if she did say no—again—then at least he could get on with his life and try and get over her once and for all. He had a funny feeling that would be much easier said than done. He’d felt this way for such a long time it was a part of him.

It wasn’t as if he hadn’t had girlfriends. But whenever he was with someone, Gabby was always there in the back of his head. At the most inconvenient moments, he’d think of her.

More often than not, it annoyed the hell out of him.

Taka growled in frustration and crossed his arms over his eyes, determined to block out the erotic images of Gabby that refused to leave his head.

 

 

Taka woke with a start. He lay on his back in the dark, listening. A sound from across the hall turned his head in that direction. He strained his ears to try and work out exactly what he’d heard.

A sob broke through the darkness. Followed by a gasping breath.

Oh, no.

The nurses had told him about the nightmares Gabby had suffered. She hadn’t had any since she’d been here. He’d been fool enough to think that getting out of hospital, and perhaps being near him, would be enough to stop them. Wishful thinking on his behalf. She was crying now. Maybe this one wouldn’t be very bad and she’d just fall back into deep sleep. He knew her well enough to know she’d be embarrassed to have him hear her.

Should he just go to her like he wanted to, or leave her some sense of dignity?

Gabby’s scream cut through the cool air around him. He threw back his blankets and bolted through the door to her room. No way in hell he was leaving her like that.

A small figure huddled back against the headboard of his bed with her arms over her head. He could see her in the light of the full moon. Another bloodcurdling scream echoed through the room. He was on his knees beside her in an instant.

“Gabby, hey, it’s me. Gabby!” Taka took her by the shoulders. She was fighting to come out of it, but didn’t recognize him.

She gasped for breath and stared at him, her eyes clearing in the moonlight. The pure horror on her face twisted his gut. God only knew what she saw in the shadows.

“Takeshi!” She threw herself into his arms and held on tight. Her whole body shook with her sobs.

His arms went tight around her, holding her as close as he could. He rocked her gently and stroked her back, whispering to her in Japanese all the things he couldn’t say to her in English. Slowly, her rapid breathing evened out, and her sobs slowed to the occasional shudder.

He was still talking to her in his language, kisses to her hair and temple the only thing interrupting his words. He felt her take a deep breath and pull back ever so slightly.

“I’m so sorry, Yoshi. I was hoping that wouldn’t happen.” Her words were so quiet he had to strain to hear her.

He pushed her back a little and looked her in the eyes. “Don’t apologize. I can’t imagine what you must be going through.” He wiped at her tear-streaked face with his thumb.

Another sob escaped her. “I keep seeing it. I don’t even know if it’s real, or how my brain imagines the accident. But there’s blood and death everywhere. It’s horrible.” She buried her face back into his chest, her hands pressed against his skin beside her head. “Why Mara? I miss her.”

Taka cradled her back against him and tilted her face up to look at him, his hand cupping her jaw. “I know. I’m here. I’m not going anywhere. I won’t leave you, I promise. What can I do to make you feel better?”

She stared up at him. A single tear traced down her cheek, a silver streak in the moonlight. He thumbed it away as she spoke.

“Make love to me. Please,” she whispered.

Shock stole his breath as waves of anticipation surged throughout his body. “What?”

She buried her head back into his chest, hiding her face from him. He tipped her head up again.

“Say that again,” he whispered, not willing to believe his ears in case he’d got it wrong.

She bit her lip and closed her eyes. “Make love to me,” she whispered. “I need to feel something. Anything other than this awful emptiness. Just tonight. It feels so bad. Make me feel good.”

“Are you sure?” Taka’s heart tripped in his chest. Surely she didn’t mean it? Hope fired in every atom of his body while he waited for her answer.

Gabby opened her eyes. “Yes.”

He brushed her sweat-soaked hair back from her face and leaned down, his lips a breath above hers. Gabby lifted her mouth to touch her lips to his.

That was all the invitation he needed. Taka took her mouth, gently kissing away all the fear from her dreams. His hand slid into her hair, holding her in place while his mouth made love to hers.

He laid her back against the pillows and pulled her against him. Their bodies ignited everywhere their skin met.

Gabby slid her hands up his chest, touching him, exploring. Taka’s hand wound beneath her shirt to cup her breast. Her indrawn breath at his touch sent fire through him.

His thumb drew circles around her taut nipple. The erotic thrill of her breast beneath his fingers sent shockwaves straight from his spine to his heels. She rocked her hips forward, rubbing against the hardness of his erection.

She rocked against him again, her gasping breaths winding his need for her tighter with every thrust of his tongue into her mouth, her taut body rubbing against him stretching his willpower to the limit.

God, he’d wanted this for so long.

He slid a hand down her slick body to her pants and yanked them off. Gabby snapped the button on his boxers and wrapped her hand around him. When he moaned, she stroked him harder.

Taka lifted her leg over his hip and slid his hand down between them, running his fingers over her. Gabby arched against him, gasping at the touch of his hand. He rolled her onto her back, sliding her shirt up her body. He had to kiss her, touch her.

His tongue traced a path over the curve of her breast. He circled around the peak until he finally took her nipple into his mouth. Her hands grasped his hair to hold him while he suckled her. He shifted his weight to his elbows and began a path back down, following his fingers, gliding gently over her stomach paralleling the scar. His fingers grazed her knee, pushing her legs apart.

He’d make this good for her. He’d make her forget everything but him.

Gabby opened her eyes. The heat in them sent fire straight to his cock. The silvery slash of light through the doors caressed her upper body in its glow. He moved backward out of the moonlight and positioned himself between her thighs, nudging her knees wider with his, kissing and licking her satin skin as he moved.

Taka lifted his mouth from the hot skin of her stomach and gazed down at her. He couldn’t stop himself from smiling. He finally had her right where he wanted her.

He slid his hand back up the inside of her thigh to her center. His fingers slid over her slick heat while he watched her reaction in the moonlight. Gabby arched off the bed. Small moans accompanied her panting breath. He continued down, then dropped to his elbows between her thighs.

He had to taste her. He’d fantasized about this too many nights to count. He dipped his head.

“Takeshi—”

His name tore from her mouth as his tongue replaced his fingers. Gabby’s hands twisted into the sheets at her side. Whimpers of pleasure came faster and louder with every stroke of his tongue. She felt so good, tasted so good.

“Stop.” Her faint voice was barely audible.

He pulled his mouth from her with difficulty. “What’s wrong? Are you hurt?”

Gabby shook her head fitfully against the pillow. “No. I don’t want…I want you inside me when I come.”

Molten lightning shot through him and coalesced in a swirling mass deep in his gut. She wanted him, really wanted him.

Taka wiped the back of his hand over his mouth and moved up beside her, rolling her to face him. He lifted her leg over his hip. She shuddered against him. He pulled her closer to him, his thick cock jutting against her, while his mouth teased hers. He sucked some much-needed air into his lungs and tried to slow down. It’d just about kill him if she told him to stop now, but he had to ask, had to make sure.

“You can change your mind, Marishaten. If you want me to stop?”

“No!” Gabby ground the word out against his mouth, her hips rocking forward to meet his.

A low growl erupted from her throat as he slowly pushed inside her. His hand gripped her thigh hard at that sound of pure pleasure, pulling her tighter onto him. Ecstasy exploded through him. He stopped, desperate for control.

Gabby’s hand went to his back, scraping to pull him in farther.

“More. Please!”

He shook his head against hers, their foreheads grazing. “I can’t lie on you. Not yet. In a few weeks I’ll do anything you want. Anything. I don’t want to hurt you.”

“I want all of you,” she sobbed.

Taka shoved all thought from his head and threw himself onto his back, taking her with him. Gabby leaned back and sank down onto him, taking him deep. She arched backward as he slid completely into her, filling her, stretching her to accommodate him. His hands grasped greedily at her hips, pulling her down hard as she started to move on top of him. He couldn’t think, could barely breathe.

“Better?” His breathless question was nearly inaudible amid his moan of pleasure.

“Mmm.”

His hips lifted to meet hers, every thrust taking him higher.

Taka slid a hand between them to find her clit. She jerked against his fingers, her strong responses melting his brain. “I can’t hold on. You feel too damn good,” he gasped.

He arched under her, thrusting hard. He spilled into her, her climax fast on the heels of his. She tightened around him, and spasms of mind-blowing bliss arced through him. He cried out as he thrust into her again and again. He seized her hips and held her hard on him as the last waves shuddered through him.

She was his. Tonight, she was his.

Gabby collapsed onto his chest, gasping air. He brought his arms up around her and stroked her back as her breathing slowly returned to normal.

Gabby pushed herself up off his chest enough to look down at him. Her sated eyes sparkled in the moonlight. He reached to brush the tangled hair from her face.

“Hell, are you trying to kill me?”

His laughter filled the room. “Maybe. Felt like heaven to me.”

Her grin echoed his. She leaned forward and kissed him gently on the mouth. “Thank you.”

“You never have to thank me for that. Anytime, anywhere.”

Gabby slid off him. Regret thundered through him at her having to move, but she’d be far more comfortable beside him. She curved herself into his side, her hand resting lightly on his arm between them.

“Do you feel okay?”

Gabby smiled into his shoulder. “Okay doesn’t come close.”

Taka’s soft chuckle filled the night. “I wasn’t talking about that, though I’m glad. I didn’t hurt you, did I? Everything feel all right?”

Gabby snuggled into the pillows beneath them.

“Always the doctor. I’m fine. Not even a twinge.”

“Good.” Taka breathed deep and took in the fruity scent of her hair. He moved his arm a little, tensing when she didn’t take the hint to move closer into his embrace. Doubt slithered insidiously into the back of his mind.

Should I offer to go back to my own bed?

Panic washed through him. What if she said yes? Things like this didn’t happen all the time. Hell, the only time he’d ever felt this good was that one other time with her. He’d rushed it that first incredible time all those years ago, had said and done stupid things. What if he pushed her too hard and screwed it up yet again?

Gabby’s hand slid higher up his bicep. Gentle puffs of breath scorched his skin near her mouth as her breathing evened out. She was asleep.

He kissed the top of her head and rested his cheek to her hair.

No. He couldn’t afford to mess it up this time. He had too much to lose. He’d back off, take it slow, not approach her for sex unless she asked. Get her used to him being around all the time. No pressure. He’d wind so far under her skin in the next couple of weeks that she’d never want to be without him.