First Night--A 'Safe Place' Novella

Jess winced at the unexpected jolt of the sharp sensation on the side of her torso, her expression distorting and eyes crossing at the pinpoint hot needles that radiated out, while Rainer mumbled yet another apology, fisting the cushion of the settee in one of her clenched fists.

“I know, kiddo, I know…last one.” The male Vanes murmured lowly to her. Her eyes drew down to where he was by her hips sitting in a chair next to the small couch, his blue nitrile-encased hands moving with care over her healing wound while he continued his work, the long tweezers and a pair of thin surgical scissors catching the bright overhead lights. There was a little beige plastic kidney basin off to the side of her thighs, a small stack of sterile gauze squares tucked in one end, the other clear save the dark suture monofilament pieces he had already removed.

It had been ten days since she woke up from her coma after being shot. Over two weeks since she faced another brush with Death and somehow came out alive and in one piece on the other end. Gabe had wanted to call up Joe and have the doctor come pay another house call to remove her stitches, but she shut that down flat—both she and Gabe knew that Rainer not only had medical equipment stashed within their villa compound, but he was also well versed in trauma surgery, and was one of the surgeons responsible for ensuring that she survived that night of the conclave. So it was pretty reasonable to have the ancient vampire save them all a phone call and just do it himself.

Too bad some of the sutures were proving to be a bit of a bitch.

Gabe was right there holding her other hand, her head resting on his thighs, observing his old friend with a grim scowl plastered on his mug that seemed to have made a home there. She knew he wanted to start protesting again at the sight of her discomfort, but he was thankfully staying silent this time around. Ever since she woke up from her coma, he barely ever left her side and refused to let her lift anything more than what was necessary. Not just because he was now her Aegis—her sworn protector within the secretive world of the Vampire Nation—but she had a sinking suspicion it was because his protective streak was cranked up over a hundred. Which was slowly starting to grate on her damn nerves.

“There, all done.” Rainer deposited his surgical tools in the plastic container nearby, grabbing a few squares of gauze and gingerly blotting around the site before pressing them to her wound. “So—”

“Please. Please don’t apologize again. You’re starting to sound like him.” Jess smirked weakly, kicking her chin up towards Gabe, whose scowl just got deeper if that was even possible. “I’m good, just still a teeny tender.”

Rainer chuckled at her retort and held up his hands in surrender. “Definitely don’t need that. Well, some good news then, other than you being teeny tender, you’re healing pretty fast. Even more so with his blood.” He snapped off the nitrile gloves and wadded between his palms, depositing them with the rest of the used medical equipment. “Most mortals don’t heal particularly fast, so consider yourself beyond lucky.”

Jess held the sterile pads to her skin while she carefully sat herself up vertically, readjusting the hem of her bronze-toned long-sleeved shirt down her torso. Gabe was still silently by her side, still holding onto her hand. “I was healthy as a horse even before, so it makes a bit of sense.”

“True, which is a good thing. That means you’ll bounce back even faster.” Rainer nodded. He directed his eyes towards Gabe, flashing him a reassuring grin. “You can breathe now, buddy. Your girl Jess here is a trooper, aren’t ya?”

Gabe just shot him a deadpan glower, grumbling at him under his breath. “Yeah, yeah.”

Jess slipped her hand away from his finally, tenderly cupping his strong jawline while stroking her thumb over his cheek. “I’m okay, Handsome. See?” She flashed a grin, but all she got from him was yet another half-hearted smile.

Rainer cut a glance between them both, his mouth scrunching to the side for a brief moment with a tilt of his head to a shoulder. He quietly gathered up the medical supplies he had brought to their suite before he stood up from his chair. “Okay then. Soo I’m gonna go get rid of this stuff…give you two a moment.”

“Thanks again, Rainer. For everything.” Jess smiled up at him warmly.

The male Vanes reached and squeezed her on the shoulder, flashing a grin. “Don’t even mention it, kiddo. The missus should be getting back in a bit from the airport from dropping off Al, and I know she wants to be here to send you two off.”

She waited until Rainer had closed the bedroom door behind himself before standing up from the small couch, lifting the bit of gauze from her torso and inspecting the site, noting only minuscule traces of a bright red smear on it. Jess was definitely glad she had always been a pretty healthy and athletic individual all her life, so she always bounced back quickly. Because she knew if she hadn’t been, she would more than likely be still laid up in bed and not being able to move around freely without much discomfort.

Without speaking, Gabe quietly reached for her, his large hands resting on the flare of her jean-encased hips while maneuvering her to face him. He lifted the hem of her shirt and exposed her abdomen once more to the cool air, laying a chaste kiss right above her navel. He grazed the pads of his fingertips over the closed wound with the gentlest of touches, hearing him exhale noisily as if he were disappointed at what he was inspecting. The area was still a bright angry red around the thin incision line, tiny pinholes on either side of the area where the sutures were previously embedded. Jess smirked down at him when he finally glanced up at her, watching his irises shift to silver. “I’ll be fast, Beautiful.”

“You don’t have to...be fast, I mean.”

His head tipped to one of his shoulders, a weak-hearted grin flirting on his lips as he chuckled softly. He nipped the pad of his thumb with a fang, a crimson bead welling up on the end of the digit before gingerly smearing it all over the laceration.

Jess remained quiet while she watched him, fighting back an unbidden wave of anxiety that crept past her defenses, swallowing the emotion down. He’s still…being careful with me. She knew she shouldn’t be thinking this way; it was a miracle that she was up and walking around, no worse for wear after what happened weeks ago that horrid night. And yet, she would constantly catch herself feeling like this the past couple of days. Wanting— needing—connection with him, feeling so starved for him each passing day she felt her strength come back. He was still treating her like she was a fragile piece of glass ever since she regained consciousness, which she understood considering the circumstances. Jess wasn’t fragile, she’d shown him that countless times from the first moment they’d known one another. But with him defaulting back to kid gloves with her…it honestly made her want to break things and scream.

But she was hopeful and praying that he would come around—she was trying to be patient with him. To be understanding of where his headspace was and put herself in his shoes. She remembered how he was on the verge of tears with those sorrowful lavender eyes the morning she woke up and thought he destroyed the bond between them, the guilt he carried even now because she was inadvertently hurt under his watch.

She knew he needed to be reassured that she was alright and that she was healthy and whole. It’s why she had been trying to reach out to him, to lighten her own disposition so he could see she was alright. And today was supposed to be a good day for both of them; they were finally going back to their homes. Back to their lives after everything that’s happened.

So why did she just feel so…alone?

Gabe sensed that creeping, constricting anxiety coiled its way around Jess’ psyche. Knew exactly what it was from too. He’s felt it from her in intervals for the last couple of days, knowing he was the culprit; he had been far more careful with her than before, still feeling somewhat responsible that she was recovering from being shot, all because he had to outmaneuver a psychotic bitch and his sire to rid them once and for all. Jess was still very much human, and as much as he knew she was strong…he couldn’t quite shake the uneasiness in his own mind every time he saw that healing scar on her torso. It was there because of his own misstep with her, no matter if he was the one who held the gun or not.

Yet, she forgave him. For everything.

They had made the joint decision the other week after the Regent’s sentencing, that it was time to leave the safety of the villa. Instead of spending two centuries buried alive in The Garden, he was bound to servitude to the Nation as the Aegis for them all. However, there was a silver lining to his penance; the same Regent his beloved Jessica held a pact with as a chosen handler held his as well. Andromeda had charged him with the protection of her newest handler, the love of his life. The woman who meant more to him than life itself, who he would risk everything for—had risked everything for—and would always do so without hesitation or reservation.

The same woman who was now gearing up to finally go back to her own life after weeks of him throwing her life into an absolute upheaval. They had decided that once she was healthy and able to move around comfortably, that it would be good to leave the villa and go back to their respective abodes. To start moving forward once again, for him to actually start living and not just surviving to exist day to day. For her to continue to live and resume her own life.

However, that guilt twisted around his own selfishness, because he didn’t want to be apart from her, didn’t want to take her home back to her tiny apartment and everyday life. Some primal part of his soul knew she belonged with him and nowhere else. But they also agreed to start moving forward like a normal, modern-day couple would, and he swore he wouldn’t be selfish with her. Because now they had time—no looming threats, no hunters. Just them, living and continuing to discover more about one another at a better pace.

“How does that feel?” Gabe glanced up at her, tenderly thumbing over her abdomen right under her ribcage. He had forced himself to feed earlier that day, to ensure his restorative blood would be at its peak. But he knew that wasn’t the real reason, not even close. The last handful of days he’s wanted more than just sterilized bag blood, and animal blood was absolutely out of the question at this point. His hunger was progressively making him irritable and testy, despite not meaning to be towards anyone. He knew exactly what his inner beast was craving, and she was standing right in front of him, lovingly stroking his locks away from his crown.

Gabe craved—needed—his female. It had been over two weeks since he’d tasted her, felt her…been inside her. He could still feel the connection he strengthened with her the night of the conclave, when he had her ingest more of his blood. Not just once, but numerous times in the span of hours. More than two weeks since that horrid fucking night, where in his anguish he nearly made an irrevocable error and ripped her mortal life away from her against her will. But she was here—healthy, still mortal and whole, and with nothing but tender warm affection for him.

Why did he feel so goddamn…lost?

Jess tilted his head up with a cup of his jaw, her amber-grey eyes searching his own. “You okay, Handsome? You’ve been kinda quiet all day?”

“Yeah, I’m good. I promise.” He grinned weakly. He stood up his full height before her, quickly licking the small trace of his blood off his thumb, wrapping his arms around her shoulders as he squeezed her tight. “Just a lot on my mind.”

Her hands found their way to his chest, her palms smoothing over the thick material of his black waffle-knit sweater. “Penny for your thoughts?”

Gabe sighed, tucking locks of her chestnut curls behind her ears, cradling her face. “Honestly? Just been feeling…off today.” When Jess raised an eyebrow silently, he forged on. “I dunno how to explain it.”

“Does it feel weird finally going back to your normal life?”

“Well, my life wasn’t quite normal before.” He chuffed, pressing a kiss on her forehead, holding her close. “So I don’t…I don’t know what that looks like right now. I mean, I did side-work to keep myself occupied, but…still trying to figure out what’s next.”

“Shhh,” She rubbed soothingly over his pecs, one of her hands coming up to cradle the side of his jaw, her fingernails combing through the stubble of his close-trimmed dark beard. “You have time to figure that out now. And I can help you figure out whatever that is for you, ’kay?”

He nodded in agreement, letting his hands drift down to encircle her waistline, tracing his knuckles over the small of her back. “Okay, but just so we’re clear, my first priority is you.”

Jess chuckled at him, drawing his head down and gave him a quick peck on the lips. “Just like you’re mine, Handsome. C’mon, let’s see if Vanessa’s made it back from the airport yet.” She unwound herself from his embrace and took hold of one of his hands, tugging him towards the suite door.

He numbly cast a quick final glance around their shared room as she opened the door, hating how he felt at that moment.

I don’t want to go back to whatever my old life was. Not without you beside me.

Okay. Everything’s okay. We’re…okay.

It was close to nine at night when they finally made it back to Berkley. During the entire car ride from Napa Valley, both of them were fairly quiet. Jess didn’t like it when Gabe got into his own head, but she couldn’t blame him at the moment, because she was doing the exact same thing.

It feels so…weird being back here. Everything was familiar, yet the world outside the tinted glass scrolled by wasn’t the one she saw anymore. Jess blankly stared out the passenger window of the Mustang, observing the passing buildings and familiar scenery. Past the blocks near the University campus, where various night classes were in full swing with the Fall semester. Not long ago, she had been focused on continuing her graduates and moving forward with the archaeology program; she still had several semesters to go to be even considered for PhD candidacy, but at that moment she didn’t know if it would be worth it, especially considering how her entire perspective on the world had been cracked open like an egg. She now worked for a historical society in Italy, who were all secretly handlers for the supernatural world under the authority of an ancient vampire.

Her world definitely wasn’t normal anymore. So why was she in such a rush to get back to normal… whatever that was?

Because I need to figure out what my life is now, with everything I know. After everything that’s happened. Jess was brought out of her thoughts at the comforting touch squeezing her thigh, casting her eyes over to Gabe after he downshifted and braked to a stop at a red light on a thinly trafficked street. He captured her hand and brought it up to his lips, pressing a kiss to her knuckles. Instantly, she felt comforting warmth radiate from her fingertips and all throughout her nervous system at the contact, sighing softly.

“Talk to me, Beautiful. What’s on your mind?”

Jess leaned over the armrest and rested her head on his shoulder, slipping her hand around his bicep so he could shift when the light turned green. At that moment, she just needed to feel his warmth, his steadying presence. His dialed-up overprotectiveness might have been slowly working on her nerves, but it didn’t dampen her need to just be near him. “Just feels weird being back in Berkley. Is that—I’m being stupid…”

“Yeah, no—I get feeling that way. I’ve seen the world numerous times over, this city…but—”

“Shit just feels weird, right?”

Gabe gave her a clipped nod. The light ahead of them turned green, and he seamlessly threw the shifter and clutch and continued on down the road.

“Do you know the way to my apartment complex?”

“Yeah, I remember.”

Why does this feel…wrong? I just…why does this feel like that night in Golden Gate Park all over again? Jess nuzzled her cheek against his upper arm, exhaling a tense breath through her nostrils, Gabe pressing his lips to the top of her head as they drove. She knew he wasn’t trying to cut her loose or draw himself out of her life, no way in Hell. He was here and they were together…but she couldn’t stop the lingering cloud of frustration that just was threatening to kill her mood. She wasn’t in danger anymore, and through everything they had faced, they were together and the male who held her heart hadn’t been torn away from her.

I…this just feels wrong to me. Maybe we should’ve stayed at the villa for another day or so?

“Hey, tomorrow morning, can you wake up early for me?” Gabe quietly spoke, nudging her head with his chin. “I’ll call you first thing, soon as the sun rises. I know you don’t like waking up early, but I wanna hear your voice first thing, baby.”

Jess lifted her head and smiled at him, squeezing his arm, petting his chest with her free hand. “I guess just this once I can get up early for you. I mean, you do have that sexy morning voice going for you.”

“Sexy morning voice, huh?” Gabe chuckled with a wry grin. The first honest one she’d seen on him all day. “Is that right?”

“Uh-huh. Especially when you get all bossy first thing in the morning.”

He turned his head slightly towards her, one of his brows raising teasingly. “I only get bossy when you refuse to wake up for me.”

“Well,” Jess cooed, tracing the pad of her index finger over the side of his jawline. “If you ask nicely, I might consider your request.”

The boyish smirk that upturned the side of his lips had her smirking as well. Gabe laid another kiss on the top of her head when she rested her cheek against his shoulder once more. A contemplative silence fell upon them both for the remainder of the drive to her apartment. The uneasiness didn’t quite dissipate but seemed to worsen as Gabe parked near her beat-up old white Civic, reversing into the free spot before pulling the emergency brake handle with a sharp jerk, though he didn’t kill the engine.

He folded his arms across the steering wheel as he leaned forward in his seat, expelling a long, heavy breath. Even past the thick cotton fabric of his shirt, she could clearly see the shape of his powerful muscular arms, how they shifted as he idly stretched and adjusted his frame in his seat, the expansion of his torso with every measured breath he took. Without turning his head, his voice was somber as he spoke to her. “Last time we were in this parking lot, I was…busy.”

Jess twisted her head towards him, pressing her hands between her thighs to cease the uneasy fidgeting of her fingers. “You were busy alright.” She remembered that night, clear as the windshield they both numbly peered out currently. He had been squared off against those two beefy vampire twins in a heated brawl not far from where they were. There was not a single trace of broken glass or puddles of blood from that skirmish on the black asphalt that she could discern, as if that violent altercation never happened. As if three immortal apex predators hadn’t torn into each other in a brutal and bloody confrontation, and she hadn’t been abducted by one either.

Life moved on, with or without her.

“Could you…walk me upstairs?”

He finally swiveled his head towards her, resting his cheek on his folded arms with a cheerless smile. “Like you even had to ask me, my beautiful girl.”

That raw, cavernous silence stretched out between them as Gabe finally cut the engine and unfastened his seatbelt, exiting the vehicle and quickly coming over to her side and opening her door just as she released her own seatbelt, retrieving her old messenger bag from between her feet. He smiled down at her thoughtfully as he extended his hand to her, which Jess always took without reservation. She loved that he always opened the car door for her, because he always encircled her waist with the same arm while he closed her door for her with the other, drawing her into his warmth—this time was no different. She slipped her arms around his waist, breathing in his clean masculine scent, shivering slightly against the chilly night air.

Gabe kissed her temple, holding her tightly. “Let’s get you inside, alright?”

Jess numbly nodded as she drew back out of his embrace, adjusting the strap to her bag on her shoulder, Gabe entwining the fingers of his right hand with her left as they started proceeding forward. Her eyes fell to her white Civic, pausing their progress, her mouth upturning in a sour frown. It had been hers since she started her path in college in her early twenties, paid off with her own money from the various minimum wage jobs she had when she pursued her associates, and eventually the rest of her undergraduates. She had been proud that she didn’t need to have her dad or mom help her pay it off, and she had taken care of it. The old Civic had gotten her across the country when she decided to move to California, to break away to find her own slice of life away from her overbearing parents and siblings. It had gotten her moved in a night from her douche of an ex-boyfriend, Justin, and had been a part of many a road trip with her best friend Melanie. It had been a faithful vehicle to her, putting plenty of miles on it…until it ran its course, and the transmission just ate it in the middle of midday traffic earlier that year.

Piece of shit…without thinking, she gave the bumper a good hard Spartan kick with her combat boot, the strike resonating within the vacant lot with a muffled clang of plastic and cracking fiberglass, leaving yet another black scuff mark on the chipped and faded paint. When she brought her eyes back to Gabe, he was glaring at her with a questioning expression, both of his eyebrows punched down harshly. “Oh, it’s mine. Just hasn’t ran in since like May.”

“Really?” That seemed to assuage any further questions about her vehicular violence, both of them pressing forward once more. “I can take a look at it tomorrow if you want me to. I know my way around cars pretty well.”

“You don’t have to do that, hun. I know what the issue is, I just didn’t have the money to fix it, so it just sat here. I’d been picking up extra shifts at The Coffee Shop so I could afford the repairs, trying not to go broke with Uber.” Jess shrugged, cracking a small grin. “That day you walked in was actually one of those extra shifts now that I think about it.”

Gabe didn’t hide his low snort, his head kicking back slightly. “Well damn. Isn’t that some fucked up irony?” He brought their entwined hands up to his lips, planting a peck on the back of her palm. “I think I need to go back and kiss your beat-up car then.”

“Maybe. But I think I’m gonna get rid of it finally, get something better. The old girl’s been faithful, but it’s about time I let her go.”

“We can definitely look into that too.” He spoke softly.

Jess led him on through the secluded parking lot, pausing once they reached the wrought iron gate. She frowned inwardly upon discovering the lock broken but didn’t give it a passing thought once they were on the other side. Gabe let her lead him through the apartment complex, their pace languid on the concrete walkways as they passed by the various three-storied buildings. The complex was always fairly quiet this late during the weekdays, the only sounds she could hear were the sporadic barking of her elderly neighbor’s little corgi’s persistent barking two buildings over from hers. The kind old lady had always been sweet to her, and her adorable pup wasn’t bad, just hyper and always needed attention; she knew that the little sweetheart was probably sensing them walking close by the elderly neighbor’s front door on the first floor.

Several minutes later, they finally reached her own building. They climbed the concrete and iron-railing steps up to her second-floor apartment. Jess finally released his hand so she could fish for her keys within her old bag, numbly chewing on the inside of her lower lip while she searched. The front porch light was blessedly on, a soft warm light that gave enough light within the area. Gabe stood off to her side, his head tilted ever so slightly as he regarded her. “Well, here we are.” She kicked her head towards her door, finally finding her keys in the bottom of her bag.

She quickly and silently unlocked the deadbolt and doorknob, retrieving the key before pushing the door open to her darkened apartment. A part of her was thankful that her cousin Jackie wasn’t home at that moment, because at that instance she just didn’t have the energy to put on a mask and try to play like she hadn’t been MIA for little over a month. Not with how she was feeling at the moment.

Tomorrow morning. Tomorrow morning, I can deal with her…now just…fuck. This just feels…so wrong.

Jess forced herself to step inside and over the threshold, not bothering to slip her bag off quite yet turning towards the door. Gabe was still just silently standing out on the porch, just observing her, his expression measured yet somewhat sullen. Her eyes narrowed, a curious thought hitting her noggin. “Do I have to invite you in, or…?”

Gabe flashed her a small grin, chuffing under his breath. He glanced down at his boots, taking an exaggerated step over the threshold without hindrance, fully stepping inside with another step. His eyes scanned around the doorway briefly, reaching over to the light switch panel and flicking on the overhead lights for her. “Nope. Don’t believe that myth either.” He snickered, quietly closing the door behind himself.

A small smile creased her lips, reaching for his hand and clasping it once more, tugging him forward in the cozy space, gesturing with an arm in a sweeping arc in front of them. “Well, this is it. My tiny apartment. Thankfully my cousin isn’t home—she’s probably out partying, or with whatever random guy she’s infatuated with tonight.”

He squeezed her hand gently, his eyes searching hers. “Be pretty hard to explain why you’ve been gone so long.”

Damn, he couldn’t have been more right with that statement.

Jess nodded, letting her eyes drift over the familiar space. A space that somehow felt foreign and strange to her at that very moment, not the home she remembered. “I just don’t have the energy to try, honestly.” She knew she couldn’t deal with Jackie tonight, that much was for sure. When she woke up that morning, she remembered being somewhat excited to be able to see her old apartment, with all her books and nerdy memorabilia in her room. And now she was here after what felt like forever being away…

It just wasn’t the homecoming she expected.

It just felt…wrong.

She guided him further into the living room area, finally releasing his hand before she plopped down on the larger couch of the pale tan sectional with a huff, reclining back while her head flopped backward on the sofa cushions, feeling utterly dejected. The couch was a joint purchase between her and her roomie, however, the coffee and end tables, and the cream plush rug had been solely hers. The living room was charming, but not overdone, just like she preferred. Jess dimly remembered that she had to put her foot down so Jackie would stop going overboard with stupid decorations from Bed Bath and Beyond or get those ridiculous motivational quote-framed pictures to hang up everywhere. It had been a healthy compromise of tastes, although Jess silently wished that she could have brought more of her books from storage to put on display—Jackie bickered and clashed with her, stating that having books as accessories was silly, because most people didn’t actually read as much as she did.

But Gabe read quite a lot just like she did, fondly remembering the twin bookshelves he kept in his loft that fateful night they escaped the Spaniard’s coven. So did the Vanes with their entire massive study housing hundreds if not close to thousands of books in there. That space had been more her aesthetic, and was warm and inviting despite the lavish grandeur of the villa.

Gabe cautiously lowered himself to the cushion next to her, thankful he was just content in letting her get her bearings. Even with the short amount of time they’d been together, he had quickly figured out when she wanted to be talkative, or when she just needed him to just be there for her as she collected her thoughts.

“It’s funny. Weeks ago, I was super nervous about you coming here to see my place, and now… here you are. With me, finally seeing my place.” Jess spoke to him, her eyes blankly staring up at the ceiling, swallowing the rising lump in her throat.

Jess felt Gabe slowly maneuver and shift around beside her, hearing a small chuckle escape his lips. “Here I am. Finally.” He murmured to her.

She careened her head towards him, finding his blue eyes studying her. For a moment she just drank in the sight of her male, the way his beautifully disheveled dark golden hair was half swept back, yet still swept over half his forehead from his many instances where he idly raked his fingers through the short locks. The way his soft smile creased his trimmed dark mocha-hued beard on his strong jaw, the straight bridge of his nose, those perfectly sculpted lips she loved to kiss. The brightness of his vivid cerulean irises as they filtered over her, how they always made her feel like she was being engulfed in flames with their intensity.

Her eyes settled on his mouth, unconsciously nibbling on her own lower lip briefly, her tongue darting out and whetting them. “I remember you saying you just wanted to talk to me, before you cryptically told me you had to leave town.”

“Yeaah,” Gabe began as he reclined back to mirror her, feeling his hand fan over hers, squeezing it gently before bringing it up to his lips and pressing his mouth against her knuckles. Jess stifled a gasp at the barest touch of his tongue lapping against her skin, his mouth lingering. “I wasn’t wanting to just talk to you that night. I was hoping to get you alone, so I could do this,” Not wasting any other words, he leaned towards her and cradled the back of her neck the same instance he tugged her closer, claiming her mouth hotly, his tongue swiping over the seam of her lips. She moaned against him, feeling her body melt and come alive simultaneously under his touch, meeting his tongue eagerly.

It had been over two weeks since Gabe had kissed her like this, something more than a chaste peck on her hand or cheek. Those weeks felt like an eternity to her because at that moment she realized exactly how starved she was for his touch, for connection, for intimacy with him that she craved more than air or comfortable surroundings. He groaned in her mouth, his kiss becoming deeper, hungrier for the taste of her, clutching the material of his sweater in an attempt to draw him closer.

God…I missed this…I missed him. I…I don’t want to be here. Not without him.

With one last wicked lap of his tongue, Gabe pulled his mouth away from hers, his lips lingering. Jess touched his hand on the side of her neck and captured his lower lip in between hers, wanting more of him. They both smiled at one another, truly smiled at one another. Not the half-hearted or feigned smiles they’ve been giving each other all day with one another. His eyes were pale iridescent blue as they fanned over her features, his thumb stroking over her cheek as he gave her a soft chuckle.

“Gabe?”

“Yeah?”

She thumbed over his heavy tungsten ring as he cradled her cheek, unconsciously scraping her teeth over her lower lip, finding the courage to speak her thoughts to him. “I…I don’t want to stay here tonight.”

He touched his forehead to hers, his iridescent eyes narrowing slightly even while the grin never left his lips. “Tell me what you want to do, Beautiful.”

At that moment, she knew exactly what she wanted—what she needed—and it was to stop trying to deny that her world was irrevocably changed, and Gabe was the center of the new world she was a part of. At that moment, she felt more at home in his embrace than she did surrounded by the familiar furniture and white walls of her boring apartment.

“You. Take me home with you, please?” Jess asked with apprehension, praying he wouldn’t deny her request. Because she didn’t think she could stay one night sleeping under her old roof without him, and she didn’t want to.

The way his eyes flared brightly along with his all too overjoyed smile made her heart soar. Gabe kissed her tenderly before he rose from the couch, reaching down to her and extending his hand, guiding her up into his arms. A hand she would always take, without question. “Like you even have to ask me. Go get what you need, and we’ll come back for everything else later. That’s if, you’re okay with that.”

Jess smiled up at him, slipping her arms around his neck, tracing her fingers across his brow and down his cheek before kissing him on the chin and then his mouth. Without hesitation, she replied to him, “Absolutely.”

Because he was her home. Nowhere else.