The Divine Whisper (20 page)

Before she could answer, she heard a vehicle pull into her driveway.
She looked over her shoulder and saw Malachi getting out of his truck. When she moved to sit up, he finally let her, but when she tried to get off his leg however, Gemariah held onto her.

“Wait.”
He took another strangled breath in, and she could tell how much his little speech had affected him. He really needed to be seen by a doctor, but when she frowned and tried to say something, he interrupted her. “Wait. I know we started off wrong, but I would like to try again, this time the correct way. Let me court you.”

“Court?”

“Yes, court. Give me a break, it’s been a while since I tried to ask a woman on a date. What do you say?”

“You’re not going to be able to take me anywhere, if you don’t get to a hospital.”
When she moved to get up, he refused to let her go.

“I’m not going anywhere till I get an answer.”

A nervous laugh pushed past her lips. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

He raised an eyebrow in a silent challenge.

She threw her arms up in exasperation.
“Fine! Alright! If you’re still alive tomorrow, give me a call.

He smiled, but it quickly turned into a devious grin.
“It’s settled then. Now, we kiss on it.”

“What? No.”

“Scared?”

“No.”
Nicole defiantly crossed her arms over her chest.

“Look what we have here.
The indestructible Gemariah actually needs my help.” Malachi stepped onto the porch and immediately started to tease his friend. “Here, Nicci. Let me help you up.” Reaching out, he waited for her to take his offered hand.

“We’re not done here, yet.”
Gemariah never took his eyes off of her as his grip tightened once more on her waist.

With widened eyes, she looked up to Malachi, then back to Gemariah.
“This is crazy. Let me up.”

His grip never loosened as he continued his challenge.

She pursed her lips, and when she saw that he wasn’t relenting, she let out a loud sigh. “You are unbelievably pigheaded, you know that, right?”

Still, he said nothing.
His silence was unnerving.

Nicole could feel the fluttering in her stomach, but she knew it wasn’t from the baby.
It was the same feeling she had every time he came to her door, being a mix of excitement, anticipation, and others that she couldn’t exactly describe. “Oh, alright,” she said suddenly.

Without giving herself time to rethink her actions, or him time to process her acceptance, she quickly put both her hands on his cheeks and brought her mouth down onto his.
His lips were warm, soft, and inviting. Vaguely she heard him groan before she felt fingers move into her hair. It felt nice… maybe a little too nice. She could see herself getting lost while kissing those lips.

She took in a breath through her lips, successfully parting them, and he didn’t miss the opportunity.
Gently, he ran the tip of his tongue across the open crease. The feeling inside her stomach kicked into overdrive, and she immediately pulled back. Quickly she stood, ignoring any help from Malachi, before saying, “Okay, now go get him fixed.”

Refusing to look either of them in the eye, she waved her arms in a shooing motion.

“Come on, Casanova.” Malachi leaned down and grabbed Gemariah under one arm to help lift him up.

Gemariah stood slowly, even with the help.
She could tell that he was in pain, but he was still grinning from ear to ear. “Yeah right. I was the one that taught Casanova everything he knew.” He winked at her before Malachi jerked him roughly towards the porch steps.

That was a strange comment
, she thought. Of course, Gemariah was like no one else she had ever met.

As they drove off, she shook her head at what had happened in the last half hour.
The stupid hormones where driving her insane. Sometimes she didn’t know what her true feelings were, or if they were manifested from her pregnancy. One thing was for sure, she was definitely not making any big decisions until after the baby was born. Maybe then, she could think straight.

When she turned around to go back into her house, she heard a faint sound coming from the porch.
Realizing it was her phone, she quickly walked back to where she had laid it down before.

Thinking that it was Gemariah calling too soon, she smiled and hit the answer button without looking at the screen.
“I thought I told you to call after we knew you were going to live.”

Waiting for his smooth laugh, she froze in place when she heard her boss’ voice come over the phone.
“Nicole? Is that you?”

“Oh… um… yes sir.
Sorry, I thought you were someone else.” She could feel her face heating up as she blushed with embarrassment.

“Are you still working today?”

“Yes sir. I was just on lunch when something came up. It took a bit longer than expected. I’m heading back to the office now.” As she was talking, she went inside to gather her belongings, so she could leave as quickly as possible.

“Listen.
Are you still working with the McGrapht family?”

Dread filled her as she swallowed the lump in her throat.
“Yeah. Is everything okay?”

He must have heard the worry in her voice, because his tone immediately lightened.
“Oh yes, it’s nothing like that.”

Slowly, she let out a breath, and listened to what else her boss had to say.

“There was a situation today, a few houses down from theirs.
Since you already have a case in the area, I thought you might what to take it.”

“Yeah, okay.
I can swing by there before I come in to the office. Hold on, while I find a pen and paper.” Nicole looked around the room, but when she couldn’t see anything that she could use, she dug into her purse. Eventually, she pulled out a pen and an old receipt. “Okay. What’s the address?”

She balanced the phone between her ear and her shoulder and leaned over to use the front table to write on.
Once she had the address down, she stood up strait and winced at the pull in her lower back. Grimacing, she reached behind her and stuck her fist into her back where the ache was.

“Okay.
I got it.” As she put the address into her purse, she walked to the front door. “Is there anything I need to know before I get there?”

“I don’t want to go over all the details over the phone, but this is a sensitive case.
There’s speculation that the kids could possibly have been kidnapped, drugs were involved, and officers along with detectives are there now. With all the commotion going on, I thought having a friendly face there as soon as possible would be good.”

“Wow.
I think you’re right. I’m headed there now.”

After saying their goodbyes and disconnecting, she went through her mental checklist in her head to make sure she had everything.
Walking out the front door, she locked it behind her and took a second to relax and breathe before she got into her car. The day had already felt like a whirlwind, and it was only halfway done. She could only hope that the second half wouldn’t be as full as the first. Except, if even part of the information was correct about the house she was headed to, she didn’t have high hopes for that happening.

CHAPTER 8

Nicole figured that after the first couple times out with Gemariah, she would want to strangle him.
As it turns out, she had actually been having a good time.

To her surprise, the day after their truce, he called to set up a time for their first date.
She had protested adamantly, knowing that the wounds he had would definitely keep him off his feet for a while. She was actually thinking of visiting him in the hospital that week, not agreeing to go have dinner with him. Of course, he wore her down, and she eventually agreed. He seemed to have that effect on her.

The first date was different, to say the least.
He had told her to “dress to impress”, so she had worn a new outfit that she had bought just for the occasion. It was a gorgeous yellow full length sleeveless dress that had layers of satin that flowed out, starting under her breasts. Paired with a jacket and low heeled sandals, she knew that she would freeze, but it was worth it to look as good as she did. With how much she had grown, she had needed some new clothes anyway. At least, that was the excuse she had told herself.

He had picked her up promptly at seven, looking as sharp as ever.
The moment she opened the door, it was as if time had stopped. Neither one of them spoke for almost a full minute, just admiring the other person.

He had been so charming.
It was unusual and a little unnerving to see Gemariah like that. It was nice, but in a way she sort of missed the verbal sparring that came so easily to them. Which was crazy since that’s what always got her so mad at him to begin with, but at least he had kept her on her toes.

Once in the car, he had announced that he was taking her to one of the most expensive and sophisticated places in Chicago, saveur de l’amour.
She had heard rumors about the place before; small portions, high prices, and over embellished meals that had people leaving disappointed and still hungry. Immediately, her stomach started to protest the idea. She was eating for two after all.

To make matters worse, she could not stop herself from thinking that she needed a large slice of greasy pizza.
She had tried to curb her craving by thinking of something else, but it hadn’t been working. Finally breaking down, she told Gemariah what she really wanted, and without a second thought, he turned the car around and drove to a hole in the wall restaurant that he claimed had the world’s best pizza.

Before they had sat down, he took off his coat and slipped it over her shoulders to put it on her.
As he buttoned her up, he had said that her dress was too beautiful to mar with grease and marinara sauce. At that moment, she felt the crack in her defensive wall become even wider.

She thought back and laughed at what they had looked like.
It was fun, lighthearted, and not at all what she had expected.

The second and the third time they went out were just as entertaining as the first.
Gemariah had quickly learned not to make plans for dinner ahead of time, because she never knew what she was in the mood for until right before.

He still made plans for after they ate, which was always entertaining.
One time it was a walk in the park. She had been half frozen by the time they made it back to the car, but she had been too relaxed and calm to notice. When he took her bowling on their third date, it was too funny. Every time she swung her arm forward, her belly would get in the way and would knock her ball off course. When she tried to move her body a different way, her ball always went sideways.

She could tell that Gemariah was trying to be nice and act the gentleman about the whole situation, but eventually his true nature came forward and he started to tease her mercilessly.
She started to cry, very loudly and very messy. The color had drained from his face before her first fake tear had hit the floor. It worked, and she would have dragged it on longer, but the smirk she was having trouble holding back, slowly emerged. He was completely surprised, and after he got over his initial shock, he promised retaliation of the worst kind.

That’s how all the dates with Gemariah had gone.
It was great because she never knew what was going to happen. He was unpredictable, and so were all the times they went out together. When she got home in the evening, she was never disappointed or angry, just always happy and relaxed.

She couldn’t help but think that maybe she had jumped to conclusions about what type of person he truly was.
Yes, he could be a chauvinistic pig at times. He has a big mouth and doesn’t know when to be quiet, and half the time does things without thinking. It took her a while to realize that he didn’t mean to hurt anyone; it was just his own unique self. Underneath everything, she witnessed his huge heart. Before, she never took the time to see the whole picture. All she had to do was listen to him talk about his friends or the people he worked with to tell that he cared about someone other than himself. Let alone how attentive he had been to her.

She found herself looking forward to when he was going to call or when she would see him next.
It also didn’t hurt that he’s easy on the eyes, or the fact that her hormonal levels have been severely out of whack.

She was feeling things that she had never felt before.
Her skin would flush from just a look. Her heart would race from just a brush of his fingers. She had the sneaking suspicion that he knew the effect he had on her, and would purposefully do something to get a reaction. Whether it was on purpose or accidental, the result was still the same.

She had read about increased libido for the second trimester in one of her pregnancy magazines.
She recounted stories in her head, about women and their fantasies about the butcher to the mailman while they were pregnant. Therefore, every time her stomach would drop when Gemariah winked at her, she would mentally berate herself and say that it was just the hormones.

Those same hormones were not helping her resolve to keep him at arm’s length.
After the second date, she allowed him to kiss her goodnight. It was just a light brush of his lips, but it was unlike anything she had ever felt before. Sure, her experiences had been limited, but it had been something special. It was slow and gentle, unlike their first heated encounter.

He placed his hand on her cheek, and gently caressed her there before he started to lean in.
She was nervous, but when she looked up into his eye, she saw the same emotion reflected back at her. That was when she knew that she wasn’t going to stop him.

After the first time, each kiss became a little more heated.
She felt her skin tingle at the thought of the ending to their last date. He slowly moved his hand on her waist up until his thumb gently caressed the underside of her breast. She gasped at the sensation, but at the same time, grabbed his wrist so he couldn’t go any farther. He respected her restraint, and didn’t move his hand any higher, but quickly took advantage of her open mouth and deepened the kiss while pressing his body more firmly against hers. It was then that she had felt exactly how excited
he
had become. The thought gave her an intense sense of power, and she quickly became drunk from the feeling. In the end, it was him that ended the kiss, said goodnight once again, and turned around to leave. She remembered biting her lip so not to ask him inside that night, and instead waved goodbye before shutting the door.

Shaking her head, she tried to jar her thoughts away from Gemariah, and back to the task at hand.
She had been becoming more tired at work lately, and hadn’t been getting everything done that she wanted to in a nine to five time period. Therefore, anything that could be brought home to work on, she did.

Looking down at her laptop, she got back to what she had been doing.
Clicking on the folder labeled “Fitzgerald”, she went through her checklist to make sure all the proper paperwork was filled out. Then she loaded the pictures she had taken earlier that day, and put them in the correct file. When she was done, she reached over to grab a bite of her snack, and that’s when a certain folder caught her attention, “McGrapht.”

It was a house that she had been planning on stopping by the next day, so she clicked on the folder to refresh her knowledge on the case.
Once she was there, she looked over the checklist she had done the last time she was there. Everything looked in order, but instead of closing down the folder, she felt her hand drift to the “Photos” folder and click.

Without conscious thought, she found herself browsing through the different dates.
Suddenly, the cursor clicked to a specific date, and maximized the photos. It was pictures of the mural on Shane’s wall.

Curiosity got the better of her, and she started to click through the pictures.
It really is magnificent work
, she thought. She went through the fight scene with awe, before moving to the hill that was covered in people. She clicked again, and reached the scene that sent chills up her spine; the one with the man that had his arm raised against the woman and child. Quickly, she clicked past, and found herself staring at the man with flowing white hair. He looked so angry, as if he was mad at the other man. A tiny smile came to her lips at the thought, and she moved to go to the next picture.

“
Look closely.
”

She heard the faint words and a chill went up her spine.
Shaking it off, she glanced around to make sure she was alone, and when she turned back, she saw that the same picture was still on her screen.

“
Closer.
”

She took in every detail of the photo.
His hair looked as if it was moving, and she could almost feel the wind brush against her cheek. She vaguely heard the birds chirping in the background, and she could imagine the bright sun warming her skin.

His head turned, and it was if he was staring right at her.
He was so gorgeous. The bright blue eyes, the devastating smile; it all combined to make the most perfect package. His hand reached up, and beckoned her to him. When she started to lean in, his smile got wider, so she leaned in a little more. She just wanted to be near him. Almost there…

The sounds of a train jarred her back into reality, and she jumped back.
Looking over next to her laptop, she saw that her cell phone was ringing. Quickly, she picked it up and answered.

“Hello,” her voice sounded out of breath, even to her.

“Hey, what’s going on?” Gemariah! She could hear the concern in his voice, but she didn’t know how to explain what had just happened.

“Umm…”
Looking back to her laptop, she saw the original picture on her screen once again. She chuckled, and rubbed her eyes. “Nothing, just doing last minute work and my sleep deprived mind is playing tricks on me.”

“Okay.
Do you need me to let you go?”

“No, no.
I need to be done anyways. Give me a sec.” Without another glance, she shut the laptop. Getting out of her chair had been more difficult lately, especially after sitting for so long. With a loud groan, she got to her feet, and rubbed the small of her back.

“What’s wrong?”

She heard Gemariah’s question, which made her laugh. “I’m huge! That’s what’s wrong.”

“You were working at the kitchen table again, weren’t you?”

She pinched her lips together before answering, “No comment.”

The sigh on the other end of the phone made her hackles rise.
Who was he to tell her what to do, and what not to do? “Listen here. I happen to be more comfortable working at my kitchen table. It’s not your business anyway.”

“Take it easy.” She could picture him holding up his hand in surrender, like he always did when she became hostile.
All the fight drained out of her in an instant when she realized how crazy she sounded.

Letting out a loud sigh, she plopped herself down on the couch.
Settling in, she admitted to herself that the spot was a lot more comfortable than a kitchen chair. She was just a creature of habit and set in her ways, so it was her own fault that her body hurt so badly, not his. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have snapped. Here, you were probably calling for a specific reason, not to get yelled at.”

“It’s okay.
I was just calling to see how you were doing.”

Nicole felt the tears start to form in her eyes.
He really had been so sweet to her lately.

“Plus, I’m also going to be in your side of town tomorrow, and I was wondering if you needed me to pick anything up for you.”

She couldn’t hold in her snuffle any longer. How could he be so nice to her when she was always so mean to him?

“Oh shit.
Was it something I said?” The wary sound was back in his voice, and it just proved her point how crazy she had recently been. The thought made her cry even harder, to the point where she was almost hyperventilating.

“It’s okay.
What’s wrong?”

“You’re just… being… so… nice.”
It took her longer to get through the sentence because after every word, she had to gasp to catch her breath.

“Okay.”
He sounded more confused than ever, and she couldn’t blame him. “Did you want me to be mean?”