Chapter 22*
Gavin ducked under the plastic sheeting put up to protect Alex from the elements. It also kept the mural a secret. It was hot and sticky under it and Gavin shook his head as he looked at her. She was dripping sweat down her body. Her shorts and shirt were soaked through with perspiration.
"Perhaps we should pull up the sheeting," Gavin suggested looking at her. "Get some air flow through here?"
"It's fine," Alex assured him as she put her brush down. She saw the food in his hands. This had become the norm. If he didn't bring food down here personally, he made sure some was delivered. Either by Lena or a delivery person. Alex was now very acquainted with most of the bike messengers in the area as just a sandwich wouldn't do for Gavin. He had to send her entire meals.
"Alex," Gavin shook his head as he ducked under the plastic as she pushed him out of the enclosed area. "It's like an oven in there. You are cramping at night because you are dehydrated! Working in a hot box is only going to exacerbate it."
"I'm trying to drink more water," Alex frowned as the lecture began again.
He had been on her about taking care of herself, staying hydrated. She spent evenings with Gavin massaging her cramping calves. The worse cramps were the toe cramps! It looked like the toes were trying to cross themselves for luck but it sent her into sheet clutching pain mixed with laughter. He had threatened to take her to the hospital for I.V. solutions but she had begged him off.
Sitting down she could feel his anger.
"I'm sorry," Alex said taking his hand. "I'll have the plastic lifted up, but I don't want to have to scramble every time a pop up storm hits!" He nodded but didn't change his frown.
"Now I know how you feel," Gavin said with a deep exhale as he handed her a water bottle instead of wine.
"What do you mean?" she asked him reaching for his wine that he pulled away from her and put the bottle up. He tossed the wine from the glass to the grass behind him and pulled out water himself.
"Wine will not hydrate you!" he grumbled shutting the picnic basket on her as she reached for the wine bottle.
"But it tastes better!" she argued. "Now explain."
"I know how you feel...when my work takes precedence," Gavin told her toasting her water bottle.
"I'm sorry," Alex said as she dropped her head.
All her waking moments were here, doing the wall. When she got home, he would bathe her, feed her and then put her right to bed. She was almost asleep in her dinner on some nights. She couldn't remember the last time they had sex. He never pushed the issue. Instead only pushing her health and safety, taking care of her at all times, never bothering her with his desires or his needs.
She watched him. Everything he was doing was taking care of her, but she wasn't taking care of him in return. She felt guilty about it. From the way he bathed her, to the way he made sure she had food interruptions so she would be forced to stop what she was doing to eat. To the fact she was under police surveillance at all times while she was here. She had gotten to know most of Chicago's finest by now. She tried to send them away but they were always there.
"I'll try to come home early tonight," she told him. He smiled at her.
"Really?" He chuckled. "The work-a-holic take off early?"
"I'm sorry, I've been neglecting you," she said embarrassed. "What kind of sub doesn't service her Dom?"
"I'm not worried about that!" he said sharply.
"I am," she said firmly back. "Gavin, I like that. I like it when you fuck me." Gavin furrowed his brow for just a second and she saw it. It was so fast she barely did. He seemed displeased for an instant at her description of what he wanted. To fuck her, like that is all he wanted from her. It didn't make him happy to have that be her first thought.
"Look," he said forcing a smile. "We will have plenty of time for that once you are done with this."
"I'm beginning to think this thing is as important to you as it is me," she said with a twisted smiled and a shake of her head.
"You are important to me, therefore anything you deem important is my utmost concern," he told her firmly. He left no doubt of his sincerity.
"You are much too good for me," she told him as she felt the air leave her because of his words.
"I haven't even scratched the surface of earning you," he winked.
She went back to work after they were done with lunch, before she left he kissed her and she pulled him on top of her and held him there.
"I'm coming home early," she whispered to him. "I have neglected you long enough! I have neglected us, long enough."
"That would please me a great deal," he said to her. "If nothing else I can get you to bed early."
"I'm going to bed alright," she smiled. "But I'm not sleeping."
Walking into the condo she found it dark. Her first thought was he was on a call and hadn't made it home. Her heart sank in her chest, disappointed. She turned the corner and found a candle lit dinner table. She stopped stunned. Gavin came out of the kitchen and stopped in his tracks. He tilted his arm and looked to his watch.
"Wow," he smiled. "You
are
early!"
"Oh my God!" She gasped. He set the rolls down and went to her.
"I wasn't expecting you for another hour or so," he told her tilting her lips and kissing them. "I just put the meat in the oven."
"This is...this is...wow!" she was suddenly without words.
She looked at the attention to the romance. Candles, wine chilling, flowers with soft music playing in the background. Straight out of the 'how to sweep a woman off her feet' manual. She was beginning to think he had written the damn thing!
"Well, I'll tell you what," he smiled. "While we have the time to kill...," he winked at her.
"Absolutely!" she agreed as she bit her lip in anticipation of what his fabulous hands were going to do to her.
He took her into the bathroom and started the shower.
"Let's get some of that paint off of you," he said.
She pushed him into the shower, clothes and all. Pushing him against the wall passionately, with kisses that devoured his lips. He turned her and forced her against the wall as his lips returned the favor.
He lifted her hands and held them above her head against the wall.
"Don't drop your hands," he said into her ear.
"Yes Sir," she gasped as he took her ear lobe in his mouth.
He cupped the sides of her face as he stared into her eyes. She was being set on fire by him. The way he was looking at her. The way he was touching her. Had it been that long? When was the party? Weeks ago she remembered. That was the last time they had gotten each other off. He, with her, in the bathroom and she returned the oral favor in the car on the way home. Since then it had been all about the wall.
The water cooled her, the shirt she now wore was see through thanks to the water. She watched his eyes follow his drifting hands down her body. Starting with her cheeks, to her ears then downward. Down to her throat. She watched the fire rage in him. She knew what he was feeling as she was feeling it as well.
He ran his fingers down the buttons of her shirt. It was an old long sleeve work shirt, something to throw over her to keep the paint from coating her. She watched his grin tick at his lips.
Suddenly the buttons on her shirt went flying! She was stunned as she felt his power rip the shirt open. She also loved it! He used one hand to press softly on her throat, holding her against the wall. Not choking her, just letting her know she was not to move.
His free hand used the tips of his fingers to drift lower on her. Exploring her. Touching her newly available skin. Her heart beat into her throat. God she loved the wolf when he let it come out. First it was in the hotel that first night. Then here in the condo on the table. She could see it in his eyes right now. The wolf was controlling him. She was giddy about it. She bit her lip, not in excitement this time, but in a reminder to keep her mouth shut and let the wolf run.
He used his fingers to nimbly bring out her breast from her bra. He wasted no time in capturing it between his lips, his teeth gently nipping. She gasped in excitement. While he was working on one breast he pulled the other out. As soon as it was free he was on it like the ravenous wolf he was. Devouring her.
Then he was kissing her, deeply, his tongue in her mouth, hers dueling with it. Her breathing erratic as he pinched her nipples causing her to gasp under his mouth, which in turn caused his secret smile to come out. Yes, she told herself, it had been much too long to not see that smile!
Her body was on fire, and it was a good thing the water was on and running cold. It seemed her fire was a bright and hot as the Chicago fire. It burned an entire city, now it consumed her!
Her eyes snapped open as he marked her breast with his teeth.
"Wait," she whispered as her mind scrambled to make sense of the images flooding her mind. She touched him softly. "Gavin." He stopped sucking on her and looked her in the eye.
"What's wrong?" He asked her, afraid he got carried away with his passion. "Are you ok?"
"Yes," she smiled. It was half happiness and half regret. "I can't believe I'm going to say this, but...,"
"But what?" he asked her, pulling back.
"I've just been hit with an amazing idea," she smiled at him. He began to kiss her neck.
"I love it already," he laughed. "I can see it in your eyes that it makes you happy."
"You are going to hate it when I tell you," she warned him.
"What?" he pulled back.
"I need my sketchbook!" she pushed her way by him and he watched her leave the shower dripping water all over the floor as she ran from the shower stall shedding her newly torn shirt from her body as she went.
"Ok," he laughed in disbelief, his hands on the wall holding himself up.
He pulled his clothes off and turned the shower all the way to cold. An attempt to quell his passion. When he was sufficiently cooled off, he dried himself, laughing the entire time. Not since high school had he been left in a lurch like that. He most certainly hadn't had that problem since he became a Dom.
He wrapped a towel around his waist and walked out into the bedroom. Alex was on the floor with her sketchbook drawing furiously. He leaned against the door, his hand across his mouth. He couldn't decide if he should be pissed or laugh at the whole situation. To be passionately on fire in one moment only to have her bolt from the shower and begin drawing with the same sort of passion.
"Ok," he smiled as his anger melted away. "Do you want to explain what the hell is going on?"
"I'm sorry," she said again but never stopping her hand from furiously drawing. "I just had an amazing idea for a sketch!"
"OK," Gavin laughed looking to the floor. "So you leave me in mid lechery to draw a picture?" She rolled over and looked at him. She smiled sheepishly.
