Page 31 of Michael's Awakening
I needed to limit my physical contact with him until I sorted all of the shit out in my head.
“No.” He took my hand just like I’d had the urge to do to him a few moments ago. “My dad found a smaller house about twenty minutes away from me after I graduated and moved off. Zack, my brother, lives close to him so he can keep an eye on him, which is good. It’s not because Dad is old. He’s not at all. Me and Zack just worry over him. His mental state at least.” He ran his thumb in small circles on the top of my hand as he talked. “What about you? You said at dinner that you weren’t born and raised here. Where ishere?”
“I’m from a small town in Texas.” I clenched my jaw as I thought about my past. “I moved away the first chance I got and went to college for law. After receiving my bachelor’s degree, I moved to Waco, Texas to attend law school at Baylor University for four more years. One thing led to another and I eventually found myself here in Arkansas.”
“Wait, wait,” Gabriel spoke with a baffled expression. “So you’re a Texas man?” He started to giggle and put his hand up to cover his mouth.
I was confused by his reaction. “Yes?” It sounded more like a question rather than an answer. I didn’t know why he found it so funny. “Something wrong with Texas?”
He composed his giggles and looked at me, still amused. “Sorry, no. I think I had too much wine at the restaurant.” He made a serious face and then burst out laughing again. “I just can’t picture you as a Texan with the cowboy boots and hat and being all ‘everything is bigger here in grand ‘ole Texas. Yeehaw.’ You know?”
My lips twitched as I looked at him; he was always reacting in unexpected ways.
“You only had two glasses.” Smirking, I shook my head. Not surprising he was a lightweight. Especially since hemaybeweighed a whopping one-hundred-and-twenty pounds. “You’re aware that’s just a stereotype, right? I don’t see you with missing teeth and carrying a banjo around.”
The giggle that escaped him was legendary. And knowing I was the one who made him react that way just did something to my insides. I wanted to continue doing it; making him laugh. It was the sweetest sound I’d ever heard.
He then grew serious and scooted closer to me on the couch, rubbing my thigh with a seductive look in his blue-gray eyes. “I want you, Michael.”
“I think we need to take things slow.” I stopped his hand from going any higher, trying to sound firm. He was so tempting, but if things were going to work between us, certain rules needed to be followed.
He pouted. And his pout was deadly. I almost caved right then.
“But we’ve already done it before. So, we don’t have to take it slow.” He tried to move his hand again, but I grabbed it and brought it to my lips for a kiss.
“Not tonight, Princess.” An idea struck me. “I want to romance you and do things right. So that means taking things slow.”
I fought down the urge to carry his gorgeous ass to the bedroom and fuck him senseless. Things were different now. It wouldn’t be fair for him to give me any more of himself without me first giving him a piece of me as well. I saw how much it hurt him that he couldn’t touch me when we had sex the other night. The reason for me holding back and staying at a distance was unknown to him.
Because he wouldn’t want me once he saw my scars.
I was being selfish by not telling him the truth. The sooner I showed him the beast I really was, the sooner he could decide he didn’t want me and move on with his life. My mind was a screwed up mess as I tried to choose what path to take.
Turning my head to look at Gabriel, I cupped his face in my hands and placed a kiss on his full lips. He pouted as I pulled away too soon.
“It’s late, I should go.” I stood up from the couch and fixed the pillows back the way they were.
“You don’t have to leave.” He stood as well and chewed on his bottom lip, peering up at me through his long lashes.
My heart fluttered in my chest at his words and I smiled as I had a thought.
“Come on.” I grabbed his hand and led him to the bedroom.
As he followed behind me, I could feel the confusion coming off of him in large waves.
I picked him up as we entered the room before gently set him down on the bed. Leaning down, I unstrapped his shoes and slid them off his feet.
“What are you doing?” His voice wavered.
“I’m tucking you in to bed.”
That response caused him to give me an astounded stare. “You’re what?”
“Shh.” I placed a finger to his lips and then slipped his jacket from his shoulders. Grabbing his shoes with one hand, his jacket in my other, I walked to his large closet. Setting the shoes down with all of the others, I grabbed a hanger to rehang his jacket and then walked back over to the bed. I leaned over him with a smirk. “Now, for your pants.”
Still staring into his eyes, I unbuckled the jeweled belt he was wearing and slung it across the room.
“I usually sleep naked. Just so you know.” He grinned and a spark of delight lit his mischievous eyes.
