On the Ropes (Down for the Count) (26 page)

“Get some sleep, Jase,” I hug him tightly.

I enter into my dark room, careful, not to trip over anything. Sitting gently on the corner of my bed, I kick my shoes off. I throw my T-shirt to the ground and slide my jeans off, leaving them in a ball on the floor at the foot of my bed. Crawling into bed, I’m respectful of Salem and keep to my side; even though the thought of her in the same bed, within arms’ reach, is killing me. Then I stare blankly into the darkness as my eyes get heavier and heavier.

A flash of light wakes me. Squinting, I see the dark silhouette of a woman entering my room. “Salem?”

“Yes,” she whispers. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you,” she slips back into bed.

“Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, I just had to go to the bathroom.”

I roll over onto my side with my back to her, and I drift back to sleep.

I wake again to her tossing and turning. “What’s the matter?”

“I can’t get comfortable in these clothes,” she complains.

“You wanna wear one of my T-shirts?”

“Do you mind?”

“No, of course not.” I get up from bed, feeling my way to the dresser, then open the second drawer and grab a shirt.

“Here you go,” I extend my arm out to her as I lie back down.

“Thank you,” she gently takes the shirt.

Our hands touch and a wave of emotion flows through me. I spring up into a sitting position; I can’t be in the same bed with her right now. “I… I’ll… be right back,” I stammer and quickly leave the room. In the bathroom, I splash cold water on my face then look at my reflection in the mirror.
Pull yourself together. She has a boyfriend.
Thoughts of our kiss play back in my head like I’m watching a movie. Her sweet taste, the way her lips felt on mine. When my vision comes back into focus, I’m running my fingertips over my lips as if feeling the kiss again.
Fuck, snap out of it, man!
I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to force my mind on other thoughts.

I hear a light tap at the door, “Gabriel, are you okay?”
Salem
.

“Yes, I’m fine,” I open the door to see her standing there in my T-shirt.

She fills out my shirt very well. Her perky nipples are poking through the fabric and the length barely covers her panties. I catch myself looking down at her bare legs, “Oh good, I’m glad it fits.” I quickly raise my eyes to hers.

“Barely,” she tugs on the bottom hem of the shirt, trying to cover herself.

“You want me to find you a bigger one?”

“No, I’ll be fine. Are you coming back to bed?”

I give her a puzzled look.

“Oh, I didn’t mean it that way,” she covers her face in embarrassment. “I just meant, are you going back into your room to sleep?”

“Yes,” I smile, “are you?”

“Yes,” she smiles bashfully.

We’re both lying in bed, each of us on the edge of our sides, neither wanting to cross the imaginary line down the middle.

“What you did tonight,” she breaks our silence, “it was a really great thing.”

“He’s my brother, what else was I supposed to do?”

“Some people wouldn’t have brought him home.”

“Well, I’m not
some
people.”

“I know you’re not, Gabriel.”

I feel her toss and turn again. “You want me to go sleep on the couch?”

“Don’t be silly. If anyone should be sleeping on the couch, it’s me. Unless your roommate is still out there with his
friends
,” she teases.

I quickly flip onto my side to face her, “I thought you were sleeping.”

“I was pretending,” I can hear the smile in her voice.

“Why were you pretending?”

“I don’t know.”

I inch my body closer to hers. “Salem, you’re more beautiful than those women.”

“Oh, please, those women are every man’s fantasy,” she scoffs, “tits and ass. Why do you think Blaine…” she stops abruptly.

“Why do you think Blaine what?” I ask her.

“Nothing.”

“You have nothing to be jealous over, if that’s what you’re feeling,” I subtly move a little closer to her. The need to hold her has taken over, and I don’t care that she has a boyfriend, I want her so bad it hurts. The smell of her perfume mixed with my cologne on my sheets is driving me mad. “I happen to like your tits and ass,” I whisper, as I slowly run my hand up her smooth bare leg. I’m expecting her to stop me, but she doesn’t. Encouraged by this, my hand continues its journey up her thigh until it reaches her ass, and I gently squeeze. “It’s perfect, Salem,” clutching her, I pull her body into mine and she gasps. I search in the dark until my lips find hers and caress them affectionately.

“Gabriel,” she exhales. Then she kisses me back as her hands trace the muscles on my shoulders. Her touch is going to take me over the edge. My hard-on is raging, and I want nothing more than to sink myself into her, to pleasure her, to hear her say my name as she comes.

Her soft wet lips are teasing the skin on my jaw.
God Salem, I want you so bad.
I’m on the brink of taking this to the next step when I stop myself. I begin thinking about what she said to me at the festival, that she “can’t give me what I need.”
How does she know what I need, when I don’t even know?
I begin analyzing everything we’ve said to one another.

“Gabriel?”

“Yeah?”

“What’s wrong?” she’s running her leg up and down the length of mine.

I take a breath, shaking my head, “I’m not sure I can do this.”

Salem kisses me, “I want you to.” The tip of her tongue gently teases mine and her crotch is pushing up against my hard cock.

Fuck, it would be so easy to take her right now.

“Am I not good enough for you?” she whispers in my ear.

I raise my hand to her face and my thumb strokes her cheek, “I think it’s the other way around, doll.”

“You’re rejecting me?” the tone of her voice is cold as she pushes me back and rolls away from me.

“Salem,” I exhale heavily, “you have no idea how badly I want you right now. Please don’t take this as rejection,” touching her back lightly, I feel her flinch.

“If I wanted to be treated like this, I could’ve gone to bed with Blaine.”

Her words sting; this isn’t how I want tonight to end.

“I think I should go,” she sits up.

“Please don’t,” my mind is searching to find the words to get her to stay, for her not to be angry or feel rejected. Kneeling behind her, I hug her gently and kiss her neck until her body finally relaxes into me. “I don’t want to rush this. I need you to know that you’re not just another piece of ass to me,” my voice is shaky.

She turns to face me. “I know, Gabriel. It’s just…” she looks away.

“It’s just what?” I lift her chin gently; her blue eyes are full of sadness.

“What you said at the festival. That ‘it doesn’t have to be more than we want it to.’”

I shake my head at that. “I know what I said, but it’s not true. I want
all
of you. I don’t want to share you with anyone.”

She lets out a heavy sigh, “I’m sorry, I just… can’t.”

Not wanting to hear what she has to say, I bring my lips to hers. I need one night with her, even if it’s only to have her lying in my arms. It’ll be enough; it has to be enough.

“A champion is someone who gets up when he can’t.”

—Jack Dempsey

Sounds of laughter and the smell of bacon fill the air as my eyes slowly open. I reach for my cell phone to check what time it is and see that it reads six thirty-five.
Holy shit!
Frankie is expecting me in less than a half hour. I leap from my bed and hustle into the hallway, slowing as I hear my name.

“And then, when he got up it looked like he’d shit his pants,” Jase is in hysterics.

Salem is laughing right along with him. “Did he have to finish the day like that?”

“No, luckily the school nurse had a change of clothes for him.” Jase is wiping the tears of laughter from underneath his eyes when I walk into the room.

“I’m glad you think my falling in the mud puddle is so funny,” I smile at the both of them.

“Dude, it was hilarious,” Jase is still laughing.

“You want some bacon and eggs?” Salem hands me a plate.

“I gotta go. I’m gonna be late for the kids.”

“You got kids?” Jase nearly spits out his bacon.

“No, I work at a before and after school program.”

“Shit, I got excited. I thought I was an uncle.”

“Nah. No kids for me, ever,” I say, putting a piece of bacon into my mouth.

“What do you mean, ‘ever’?” Salem asks.

“I need to expand on ‘ever’? I thought that was pretty straight forward. I just don’t want kids, plain and simple.”

She huffs at my response. “I want kids. I wouldn’t mind having four.”

“Four! Shit, you better marry some rich dude if you want four kids,” Jase advises.

“She
is
dating a rich dude,” I mumble under my breath.

Salem shoots me a look from across the room. Apparently, I didn’t say it quietly enough.

“I gotta jet. The kids’ll be waiting for me outside. You two okay, here alone?”

“I think we can handle it,” Jase kids.

“You wanna come with me Jase? I’d love for you to meet Frankie, my trainer.”

“Nah, if you don’t mind, I’d rather chill here. Maybe catch a few more Zzzs. It’s been a while since I’ve slept in a bed.”

“That’s cool. I should be home around tenish.”

I grab my helmet and keys off the kitchen counter, and I’m walking to the door when I realize that I haven’t said goodbye to Salem; I stop.
Should I hug her or kiss her?
Turning around, I approach her, and she stands there watching me. Putting my hands on her hips, I whisper, “Are you gonna be here when I get back?”

“No,” her response is barely audible.

“I didn’t think so,” I let out a deep sigh. “When will I see you again?”

“Gabriel…”

“Don’t, Salem,” my index finger touches her lips to silence her, “I don’t regret one minute I’ve spent with you.”

Her eyes scan my face.

“I’d do it all again just to spend time with you.”

As she’s about to speak, I kiss her; not a soft, gentle kiss, but a deep, passionate one. When we break apart, I look into her eyes one last time and murmur, “Goodbye, Salem,” then I turn on my heel and leave, racing down the stairs to the parking lot. I need to get out of my building and on my bike. I’m no longer worried about being late. I’m more concerned that I’m going to change my mind and run to her, pick her up, carry her into my room, and make love to her, which is something I know I can’t handle.

With my helmet fastened, I rev the engine of my bike as I look up to the windows of my apartment.
Fuck!
I fly out of the parking lot, racing down the street weaving in and out of traffic. Cars honk at me as I pass them carelessly.
I let her go. Why did I fucking let her go?

Way to go Say, your very first walk of shame. What were you thinking spending the night there? Stupid, stupid, stupid.
The disappointment in Salem’s face is clear as she glances into the rearview mirror and shakes her head. She’s sitting in her car outside Gabriel’s apartment in disbelief.

A flash of memory from last night hits her. Closing her eyes she takes a deep breath, trying to shake it from her thoughts, but it’s unstoppable
. God, his lips, felt so good on my skin and the way he looks at me
…
ah, Blaine has never looked at me like that!
At that, Salem’s stomach does a somersault and parts of her body that she didn’t even know existed begin to tingle; the same way they did last night.

She forces her eyes open and chastises herself out loud, “You need to stop this. This is wrong. You have a boyfriend.”
He probably thinks you’re easy now with the way you threw yourself at him. He was the sensible one, actually saying no. Can you imagine if you actually slept with him?

Again, her mind drifts to last night; remembering how his hand ran up her thigh, how tightly he clung to her, and his strength.
Oh God, those muscles!
His presence is so strong in her mind that it’s almost as if she’s back in his bed with him.