The Greenwich
Upon returning to his apartment, Gabriel immediately closed the blinds, blocking out the harsh glare of the noonday sun. He climbed into bed, dead tired from his lack of sleep the night before. His entire being was crushed by despair.
She didn't believe a word that I said about loving her. She didn't want to listen.
Trembling slightly, he buried his face in the bedspread and allowed his exhaustion to envelop him, to carry him into another dream.
* * *
The weather was as hot as Hell itself. Gabriel could feel the heat of the blazing sun on his closed eyes as he slowly regained consciousness. The last thing that he remembered was the menacing swarm of black birds approaching from the sky, pursuing him and Grace. She had stopped at the edge of the trees, begging him to wait as her hand reached out to nothing. He recalled his great confusion at the time, but now her reasons were clear to him.
The child. She was a mother, with an instinct to protect her child from harm.
Gabriel heard the splashing of water in the distance, giggles and whispers. He cracked open his eyes and saw that he was still in Central Park, lying on a checkered blanket which was stretched over the grass. He sat up and saw a picnic basket beside him, filled to the brim with ripe and juicy fruit, bread, cheese and wine.
"So, you're finally awake."
Startled by the sudden sound of Grace's voice, he turned around on the blanket in time to watch her emerge from the cool water of the Lake. She'd been swimming with her clothes on, and as she stepped out Gabriel saw her peach dress cling faithfully to every curve of her body. His mouth went dry as she drew closer.
She stood over him, and he felt her eyes travel the length of his body like licks of fire. She slowly lowered herself onto the blanket beside him, her gaze never leaving his face.
He stared at her. "Gracie..."
Grace placed a finger against his mouth, silencing him. Her voice was tender.
"I love you, too."
Before he could respond, she kissed him hard and long. Her mouth was desperate and hungry against his, and he felt as if his soul was floating away on the breeze. She broke the kiss, her eyes shining like onyx jewels. Her expression was one of feverish longing and torment, and Gabriel reached out to touch her face.
A slight rustling sound captured his attention and he looked over Grace's shoulder to see Rafe standing beside the water, watching them. When the child's eyes met Gabriel's, he smiled widely at him. Gabriel smiled back, his heart pounding.
Rafe's eyes were still locked with Gabriel's as he addressed his mother.
"Can I go play in the trees, Mom?"
Grace reached into the picnic basket and retrieved a strawberry before looking over her shoulder at Rafe. "Yes, but don't go too far away, sweetheart."
The boy smiled again and ran into the thicket of trees, and when he disappeared Gabriel finally snapped out of the trance that had come over him.
He looked at me with such hope in his eyes. What do you want from me, kid?
He returned his attention to Grace, who stared back at him as she gently bit into the strawberry. Some juice covered her lips, and Gabriel felt his body stirring as he watched her lick it away. Leaning forward, she held the fruit to his lips.
"Want some?"
He couldn't take his eyes off of her; she was a sweet temptress, Eve before sin was released into the world. Her hair was still damp from her swim, and it flowed seamlessly down her shoulders and back like ebony silk. He took a bite from the berry, and he could hear his blood rushing in his ears as he chewed and swallowed.
It had been far too long since he had been so close to a woman, dream or no dream.
As if she read his thoughts, Grace removed the berry from his mouth and replaced it with her moist lips. Heat surged through Gabriel as he responded to her kiss, his tongue meeting hers in an erotic dance. They both moaned from the intensity before she placed her hands on his chest, pushing him down onto the blanket.
Against his will, Gabriel's thoughts returned to the previous danger and he briefly held her away from him. "Why is everything suddenly so peaceful here, Gracie?"
She climbed on top of him, her wet hair dripping water onto his face and neck as she slowly unbuttoned his shirt. A slight smile played on her lips as she revealed his chest to her heated gaze. She looked into his eyes as she spoke.
"We are in the eye of the storm, Gabriel. The threat has passed for now, but it will return. It is only a matter of time before it comes back, stronger and more fierce than before. Until then, we should focus on us. Together, we can survive anything."
She reached for a succulent grape and held it over his exposed skin, crushing it in her hand. He groaned as the juice ran in rivulets over his bared flesh, the feelings of desire growing too powerful to deny. She followed the trails with her satiny tongue, and he automatically reached up to cradle her head in his hands. Moaning, he arched up to her mouth as she tasted him, lost in the shattering sensations.
"Gracie... you have no idea how much I've missed you."
She raised her head to whisper hotly in his ear. "Show me."
Gabriel brought her down to him as he flipped them over. He hovered above her, trying to capture every detail of the perfect moment in his memory. His eyes darkened with passion as he clearly read the signs of her excitement; her shallow breathing, the unfocused quality of her gaze, the writhing movements of her body.
He lowered his head and kissed along the hollow of her throat, his lips leaving a searing heat in their wake that caused Grace to cry out and grasp his wide shoulders.
Her voice shook. "Gabriel, I'm scared."
He raised himself onto his arms and looked down at her.
"I would never do anything to hurt you, baby. Not again."
She brought his face to her heaving breasts, and he could hear the racing of her heart beneath his ear. Her voice was thick, filled to overflowing with emotion.
"It's not you that I fear, but myself. I want you so much, but I'm so damned afraid of opening up to you that I... I just can't allow myself to..."
Grace trailed off with a heavy sigh, and he searched her eyes with his own.
The words came from the depths of his soul and spilled from his lips.
"Listen to me, Gracie. You can trust me, I swear to you. Please, don't shut me out."
The sound of a snapping twig startled them from their intimate embrace, and Grace sat up on the blanket, tilting her head towards the trees.
"Rafe? Is that you?"
There was no response. In the circle of Gabriel's arms, Grace shivered from the sudden chill that swept across her skin. Clearing her throat, she tried again.
"Sweetie, is everything okay?"
The only sounds they could hear were of the steadily growing wind at their backs and of their own breathing. Grace gently broke away from Gabriel and stood up, heading in the direction of where Rafe had gone moments before.
"Rafe, honey? If this is a joke, I'm not laughing..."
When she disappeared into the trees, Gabriel rose from the blanket and looked around. His brow furrowed as he noticed the dark gray clouds in the sky.
There weren't any clouds before... and I've never seen them move so rapidly.
He turned, his eyes searching the woods for a glimpse of Grace's peach sun dress He couldn't see anything, so he drew closer and called out to her.
"Gracie! We've got to hurry and get out of here. Something's not right."
He turned again to face the water, and he jumped when he saw Rafe standing before him. The little boy stared up at him with fear in his eyes.
"Have you seen my mom, Mister?"
Gabriel felt a wave of panic swell in his stomach at the thought of Grace possibly getting lost in the woods, and it took everything he had to suppress it so he wouldn't frighten the child. He forced a smile as he bent down slightly towards Rafe.
"She went looking for you, kid. Let's go and see if we can find her, okay?"
