Page 16 of Abraxas

They began to walk along the beach. Gloria could see little except perhaps an item that reflected the moonlight. His vision at night was much better, and he could pick up a few shells they would look at later. She still seemed distracted, and he hoped she was still thinking about that kiss and how much more it could be between them, especially since he was still thinking about it.

They picked up several shells of various sizes and carried some as they headed back inside. Abe led the way to his office and turned on the lights as they entered. Abe knew they'd hit solid gold on some of these shells, but he would have to act surprised because no one knew how good the senses of a god or a demon were. It just seemed smart not to let them know.

“What is this one?” Gloria asked.

"It's a good one. It is called the Glory of the Sea cone. It is a Conus gloriamaris, and they were once thought to be much rarerthan they are now. The value depends on the individual shell, but many can be bought for under a hundred bucks."

“And this one?” She held up a small shell.

"I don't know what that one is, but I think it is probably common because I have seen many of them on the beach. We'll have to look it up tomorrow along with these others. For tonight, I think we've done what we can, and at least a few of these are interesting enough to go in the entryway. Why don't we put these on the table, and I will walk you to your room?" Abe suggested.

Gloria agreed. So, he walked her to her room in the same hallway as his. Funny how that happened. When they arrived, she asked him in for a drink. It was obvious that Kiki was already home. The young girl was already in her room, and he could hear the music she was playing and see that the light was still on. It was okay because he didn't think they would do anything she couldn't walk in on.

Abe didn't know what the drink would be, but it turned out to be a hearty, spicy, sweet tea. It was very good, and he thought it might help him sleep.

“Do you drink this every night?”

"Unless I get in a hurry, I do. They say it helps you sleep when you get into routines."

“You have trouble sleeping?” Abe asked.

"It's one of the side effects of stress. Sometimes, figuring out where your life is going and what you want from it is hard. And that can be made harder by the people around you or the people in your life. I shouldn't be complaining because I know you guys had things hard most of your lives. Mines the cakewalk compared to that."

He couldn't argue because she was right. Most people, if they took the time to think about it, would know that there were people whose lives were truly horrible. People who didn't have enough food to eat or possibly even a bed to sleep in. Thesituation with the gods and the demons had been particularly odd since they had been basically bred to be slaves. Torture, experimentation, starvation, and more had been an everyday occurrence to them.

Their lives now were a dream compared to what they had been, but they still wanted more. Abe intended to have more and wanted his brothers to have that, too. Even more than that, he believedthey could have it. They did not need to do with less than everything they wanted. Once their little island was turned into the tourist attraction of all time, they would all have the opportunity to meet people so they would have friends and relationships that might develop into a marriage with possible children. He knew that was what most of them wanted, but some of them were afraid to dream, afraid to hope for something they didn't think they would ever get.

Every band member hoped to bring about the changes required to help every demon live a good life on their own terms. That was what they were singing for, hoping for, and dreaming about—not just for them but for all demons and gods. They've been through hell and come out on the other end, and now they deserve to have the life of their dreams.

They talked for a little while, mostly about hopes and dreams. Gloria seemed to have her dream in hand, except for the part where she had a husband and family. Everything else seemed to be how she wanted it because she had her dream job.

“I better go and let you get some sleep.”

Abe stood up, and when she came near to go to the door, he pulled her into his arms and gave her a more passionate kiss. It was the kind of kiss he thought about giving her every night. The problem was that he knew she was the one who would decide their relationship. If he pushed too hard, she would be gone. She opened the door, and he left, going to his room just a little down the hall. When he entered the room, he knew he needed toshower. There were two choices: he could take a cold shower or shower and give himself a little help to relax.

No one was in his life or bed when he'd met Gloria. Abe knew she was special to him, and until he gave up the hope of bringing her into his life, no one else would be. Right now, what he was doing was waiting for the woman of his dreams to finally say yes, I am ready. He decided on a hot shower and would use his hand to relieve himself. This was not something he did often, and he wished he didn't have to do it now, but the tension had built, and it needed to be relieved. He stripped, and once he was naked, he set his shower and got in.

His mind would be on Gloria like it always was, but it would only be a little more personal this time. It wasn't hard to imagine her in his mind and to make sure that she was naked. The hot water hit him, and it felt really good, so he got some of his body wash and put it in his hand, and now it was time to stroke off. Abe's cock was long and thick, but it was also hard as a rock. A little drop of precum dripped off the end before he began to stroke. His hands were big, so there was no problem wrapping around his cock. He immediately started moving from root to tip.

He knew there was no way that this was anywhere near as good as it would be if she was doing it. That didn't matter because he needed this, and she wasn't ready to move to a sexual relationship. All he could do was hope that, in time, they would get there. One hand went to his balls and cupped them lightly while the other hand began moving faster and faster so he could get to his goal. When it hit, it would be hard and splatter all over the side of the shower. He moved his other hand to the shower wall to steady himself, moving hard and fast. A tingle on his back grew stronger as he thought about his woman and what it would be like if they were together.

No surprise, it hit suddenly, and it was fast, and there was so much because it had been so long since he'd done this. He'd kept hoping Gloria would change her mind and give in, but at least now he saw signs that she might soon. His orgasm went on and on, then finally stopped. It had taken a lot out of him, and he waited a moment and ensured he washed everything off before he finished his shower and prepared for bed. No point in putting anything on because it was just him in the apartment. It was time to sleep, and he would surely have sweet dreams.

Chapter 7

My Love

Gloria sat at the table, looking enthralled. Her name wasn't mentioned, but somehow, she knew he was singing to her and only her. Abe was singing, and she had been told that this was a song he had written. It was about his struggle to convince the love of his life that she should be his and his alone. The song was beautiful, and she had no doubt it would hit on any chart once it was released. It brought tears to her eyes and made her think of that last kiss he had given her last night when he had left.

She knew anyone would call her a fool, and maybe she was one. It was just that in the past, she had made decisions quickly and regretted them for a long time. Maybe she was going too far in the opposite direction. Everything felt wonderful when she was with Abe. He was the perfect man. There was no denying it. Stef was right that she wouldn't be able to live with it if she lost him. Her friends sat near her, looking at her as the song finished. Everyone knew the song was about their relationship and how much he wanted her.

It was time for them to go to the next step. Abe wanted to, and Gloria knew it. She was dragging her feet every step of the way as the relationship progressed. Abe had allowed her to take her time and feel comfortable, but now it was time to move on. Gloria felt ready and was excited about this next step. They would have to take it to his room this time. Being caughtby Kiki simply could not happen. They finished their set about lunchtime. Food was brought in, and they all sat and enjoyed it. Abe sat next to her. There was little talk because demons paid attention to what they ate and enjoyed it greatly.

Gloria realized it was because they had been starved for so much of their lives. Even when they had eaten, most of the food wasn't good. Yes, she realized they'd been kept prisoner but hadn't realized they'd been abused and mistreated. Even though she had watched many of the articles about the gods, she had not realized how heavy the abuse had been or that those classified as demons had generally been treated worse. She still wasn't sure why some were classified as demons. She had asked Abe, but he had changed the subject and never really answered. Maybe that was one of those secrets that he was keeping from her.

Stef knew those secrets, so once you became a mate, as they called them, you would learn them. Gloria wondered if she was ready to know. If they were trying to keep that hidden so hard, those secrets would have to be bad ones indeed. They returned to their next set, and this time, Lu sang a song that was a tribute to Stef. While it didn't say her name, it might as well have. The songs by other bandmates didn't have a love theme. Some sang about having fun and spreading their gift so all women could enjoy it. Those were usually funny songs and very lighthearted.

Gloria knew that their songs spoke to where they were in their lives. Some were still recovering and learning to enjoy their freedom, hoping to find that special person but not in any hurry to do so. The songs they were rehearsing right now would be the next album they would put out, and each had written at least one of them. By sharing the responsibility, Lu and Win do not have to write all the songs. Both were creative, and sometimes songs just seemed to burst out of them, but at other times, it helped knowing someone else was helping and they didn't have to force their talent.

---