Page 87 of When Monsters Fight
“Is Gabriel escorting you?” Bee asked, a sly look in her eyes.
It was my turn to blush. “Yes.”
“Have you two…”
“Not yet.”
“Why not?” She sounded genuinely curious, and honestly, I didn’t have a proper reason.
“I don’t…The timing is…Urgh. He hasn’t tried. I mean, I know he wants me, but he’s so…gentlemanly.”
“Then maybe it’s time you take the initiative and jump his bones. Look, he probably doesn’t want to push you. He’s giving you time and space, but if you’re ready, you need to let him know.”
“By jumpinghisbones?”
She grinned cheekily. “Pretty much.”
Maybe she had a point. The past two weeks, with the others gone, Gabriel and I had gotten close, real close, and the sexual tension was killing me.
“I’m going to do it.”
“Good!” Bee kissed me on the cheek. “Right, I’ve got to dash. Last minute prep before the big event tonight.”
She headed to the lift that would carry her down the tower, but I had a different route in mind. And a specific destination.
I climbed up onto the balcony, spread my wings, and stepped off.
I landedon the balcony to Gabriel’s quarters and instantly doubted my eagerness. What if I’d read the signs wrong? What if he wasn’t into me that way? Shit, this was a bad idea.
I turned away, ready toleap back into the sky.
“Rue?”
Fuck. I plastered a smile on my face, formulating a viable reason why I’d be snooping on his balcony and turned to face him, but the words shriveled up and died on my lips at the sight of his naked torso, all gleaming and cobbled and begging to be touched. My gaze traveled down, as if drawn by unholy forces, down to the waistband of his tantalizingly low pants and?—
“Rue, my face is up here.”
I looked up quickly, cheeks burning. “I am so, so, sorry. I was just…just…”
“Admiring the view?” He arched a brow. “Is that why you came, Rue? To look?” He ambled closer, and the tension that was ever at the ready between us spiked. “Or did you plan on sampling?”
I was locked in his emerald gaze, breath trapped in my throat. “I want…I want…you.”
“About fucking time.” He bridged the rest of the distance between us and scooped me off my feet. “You, my beautiful celestial, have been an exercise in restraint.” He carried me into his room and carefully laid me on the bed with my wings spread out beneath me.
But he didn’t join me. Instead, he busied himself with closing the drapes and lighting candles.
I pushed up onto my elbows. “What are you doing?”
“Setting the mood.” His eyes were dark with hunger as they connected with mine before flicking back to the candelabra. “I want our first time to be special.”
“We don’t need candles for this to be special, Gabriel. It’ll be special no matter what because it’s with you.”
He swallowed hard, his chest heaving, then crossed the room to join me on the bed. He stretched out beside me andpropped his head on his hand to look down at me. “Why did you come to see me, Rue? Truly?”
“To tell you that I’m ready, that if you want me, then I’m ready, and that…that I fucking want you so bad it hurts.”
He traced my jaw with a fingertip, trailing it down my throat, over my collarbones, and stopping just above my breasts.
