“Pick your topping of choice.” He pushed over three containers for them to pick their toppings. Billy picked out the sausage slices and Mia some ham pieces. Amy picked out the chorizo. She loved spicy food.
“Bread pizza coming right up.” Amy hadn’t heard her children laugh in ages. Gabriel pulled faces and began singing a tune as he made the pizzas. Mia and Billy joined in, laughing with him. “Come here, guys.” He gestured for them to stand with him. He placed the pizzas under the grill. “You’ve got to watch the cheese melting in case it burns. We don’t want burnt cheese, do we?”
Mia and Billy shook their heads. She watched them at the grill. Gabriel had an arm wrapped around the shoulders of each of her children. They never got so close to their father. Steven would lash out or shout. He was under the impression that children were to be seen and not heard. The life they’d lived had been awful, and she’d been too weak to see beyond him.
They pulled the pizzas out, and Gabriel served them up. They sat at the counter, eating their food and drinking milk. Her kids were enjoying themselves, and she didn’t want to pull them away from the fun. She couldn’t help but laugh when he made a puppet out of his oven glove. He relaxed, and she started to see the Gabriel Anderson not many people had seen. Amy felt herself relaxing at his easy manner. He captured her attention and held it. She wanted to know everything about him. What did he like? What did he dislike? What types of hobbies was he into? The list of stuff was amazing. She watched him and knew her infatuation with him was growing with every minute she spent with him.
“Why don’t you two go and watch some television? Your mum and I will clear away the mess.” They were alone. The sound of the television could be heard.
“Thank you,” she said.
“They’re good kids.”
“They’ve never been like that. Steven wouldn’t go near them. He always shouted and sent them to their room. They’re young, and I can’t believe I wasn’t strong enough to leave when I should have.” The tears she tried to keep down, rose up and spilt down her cheeks. She couldn’t believe she was spoiling such a beautiful moment. Gabriel made her feel at home, and here she was ruining it by crying about stuff she couldn’t control.
“Hey. No more tears.” He wrapped his arms around her, comforting her, but his voice commanded her to stop. She hugged him tight. His warmth and strength provided a safety net she hadn’t felt for a long time. Gabriel made her feel safe. She listened to what he said, and the tears slowed down until they ceased.
“I’m happy. I can’t believe how long it has been since I’ve felt like this. I don’t know if I’ve ever felt like this. When I’m with you, I feel happy.” She closed her eyes and pressed her head to his chest. He stroked her hair, and the heat of him surrounded her making her feel like all of her fears could disappear.
She glanced up into his eyes. Her heart raced as her body was flooded with heat. The intensity of his gaze had her immobile. Underneath her hands, she felt the strength and couldn’t help but tighten her hold. He leaned down and instead of pulling away from him, Amy leaned up. One kiss wouldn’t hurt. She knew it was only an hour ago when she’d asked for him to wait, but she wanted to know what it felt like. The only lips she’d kissed had been Steven’s.
Gabriel pressed his lips against hers, and the current that passed between them startled her. He moved her back until she was pressed against the wall. The only sound she could hear was her own heavy breathing. He was older than she, but no matter how many times she tried, she couldn’t find a reason not to be with him. The people of CapeFalls already hated her. Their opinion didn’t matter. For once in her life she wanted to make a decision that suited her for a change. Gabriel was the only man who’d made her feel like she could be someone and do something with her life. She refused to back down. Her mind was filled with nothing but him. He moved the hair off her neck and tilted her head back. She stared up into his blue eyes and lost all sense of reasoning.
****
Gabriel stared down into her eyes and felt himself sink. She was too young for a man like him. He’d seen death and caused a great deal of pain.
“Kiss me,” she said. He couldn’t refuse her. They way he felt for her was wrong.
“Don’t ask this of me.”
“Please. Just once I want to know what it’s like to kiss someone without being afraid. I’ve spent most of my life being afraid.”
He thought about her ex, and his anger came back in full force. Amy deserved love, tenderness, and time. He could only imagine what her ass**le husband had given her. Every woman should have at least one good experience with a man. He wanted Amy more than he liked, but he would take any excuse he could to be near her.
“Close your eyes,” he said. She did as he asked, and he stared at her lips. The need inside him to take her and make her his was strong. Instead, he brushed his lips across hers. She didn’t respond to him at first. Slowly, so he wouldn’t scare her, he made love to her lips until she began to kiss him back. Her response to him was clumsy, and he knew in that moment her inexperience would be a pleasure to enjoy. If she gave herself to him, he could show her the many different ways to pleasure her body. She gripped the hair at the back of his neck as he pressed against her, deepening the kiss. Her moans made his c**k thicken, and he thrust his h*ps against her.
She gasped, and he used her vulnerability to his advantage. He pushed his tongue between her lips and forced her head back to receive him. She moved with him, her body attuned to his.
Gabriel tasted her sweetness on his tongue. He was addicted to her in every way. He couldn’t begin to describe how he felt. Never in his life had a woman left him so shocked by the emotion Amy filled him with.
“You’re so beautiful,” he said, kissing down her cheek to her neck.
“I’m not beautiful.”
“Yes. You are. Feel that.” Gabriel pressed his pelvis to her stomach. The rigid length of his arousal would be hard for her to miss. “I’m hard for you. I don’t understand what you’re doing to me. I know I want you.”
“We shouldn’t be doing this,” she said with a moan.
“Why? We both want to.” He glanced down her body and saw her ni**les pushing against the fabric of her shirt.
“No. I’m a mother with no husband who has an entire town hating her.” Gabriel stared into her brown eyes and saw the pain. She was always feeling pain. He hated seeing it and wanted to rid all memory of her pain from her mind.