Chapter 124 Never-Ending
"Ah!"
Ignoring him, Teresa was caught off guard as her arm was seized and gently pulled, causing her to stagger and tumble straight into a pair of warm, strong arms.
"Gabriel, stop it, you’re being insufferable, you’re not allowed..."
"Just like this, the wound won’t get wet, right?"
"Mmph!"
Before Teresa's words could trail off, the man's long arm encircled her, his large hand cradling the back of her head as he leaned down and captured her lips with stunning precision.
With a soft gasp, Teresa pushed against him twice, but to no avail. He was immovable, like a wall.
Realizing she couldn't push him away, Teresa resigned herself.
As she gazed at the passionate, fiercely handsome face so close to hers, Teresa found herself slowly succumbing to him. She closed her eyes and, almost without realizing, began to respond to his advances.
Feeling her response, Gabriel grew even more frenzied. In no time, his lips and tongue began a journey from her jaw, gradually moving downward.
With eyes shut, Teresa tried desperately to contain herself, yet involuntary goosebumps engulfed her entire being. Flashbacks of the agony from three years ago tore through her mind, the kind of pain that seemed to penetrate the bone. Just thinking about it made the pain spread swiftly throughout her body.
"Ah!"
Just as Gabriel's mouth claimed her more assertively, Teresa couldn't help but shudder violently, letting out a sharp cry as she pushed away the man entwined with her.
"Teresa..." Gabriel, caught off guard by her resistance, stumbled back a couple of steps before steadying himself.
Thrusting him away, Teresa quickly draped a bath towel around herself, her eyes welling up as she shouted, "Can't you slow down? Out, now!"
"I'm sorry, darling," Gabriel said, looking at Teresa who was clearly in distress and beyond wanting him at the moment.
"You need to control yourself!" Teresa yelled, turning her head away, refusing to look at him. "Just go."
"Darling..."
"OUT!" Teresa cut him off, shouting again.
Gabriel watched her, her resolve clear, her pain evident. He knew that staying would only make things worse.
"Alright, darling, don't be upset. I'm going," he said, moving toward her with his warm hands gripping her shoulders. He placed a lingering kiss on her forehead.
With that, he released Teresa and strode out the door.
After he left, and she heard the soft click of the door closing, Teresa finally turned to look in its direction.
She didn't understand her own feelings. In truth, she no longer detested Gabriel's closeness; she even craved the comfort of his embrace and his kisses. Yet the pain of that harrowing night three years ago was engraved into her very core, like a deep-seated poison that flared up with every recollection.
Teresa reminded herself that Gabriel had been drugged and out of control that night, promising herself that he had changed and wouldn't hurt her again.
“Aren't you already head over heels for Gabriel? Then give yourself to him, completely, without reservations. Please, for the love of God, tone down the drama next time, will you?” Teresa thought to herself.
Teresa closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She'd wait until his wounds healed, and then, she'd take the initiative to show her love.
With that thought, a smile crept upon her lips, her cheeks flushing without reason, and she continued her shower beneath the spraying water.
Fresh from her bath, with her hair blown dry and herself all tidied up, Teresa emerged from the bathroom to find Gabriel had already taken a shower in another room. Clad in a navy silk robe and leaning against the headboard, he was reviewing some documents.
At the sound of the door, Gabriel looked up to see Teresa, fresh-faced and wrapped in a silk nightgown, stepping out. A smile played on his lips as he patted the spot next to him, "Sweetheart, come here."
This time, Teresa was compliant, approaching him obediently. Settling on the bed beside him, she knelt and asked with concern, "Are you done with your shower? Did your wounds get wet?"
"They're fine. Want to check?" Gabriel set the papers aside, leaned in, and placed a kiss on her forehead.
With mock severity, Teresa said, "Off with the robe, let me have a look."
He chuckled, his joy apparent. Without hesitation, Gabriel undid the ties and slipped out of his robe.
Quickly, Teresa leaned over, checking his back and the other shoulder for any sign of moisture on the bandages.
"Good, the bandages are dry. Looks like they weren't affected," Teresa nodded, satisfied with her inspection.
"Darling," Gabriel called to her tenderly.
"Mm?"
Teresa sat back on her knees, gazing at him with her bright, shining eyes. Perhaps it was because of the warm steam from the bath, but her fair and delicate cheeks were rosy, and her freshly dried hair tousled just so, adding to her irresistible charm that was both innocent and alluring.
Unable to resist, Gabriel lifted his hand, and his defined fingers cradled her chin. He pressed forward with tempered restraint, kissing her softly before reluctantly pulling away, then, with his deep eyes shimmering and a raspy voice, he said, "It's late. Let's go to sleep."
"Don't you have work to do?" Teresa inquired, ready to offer herself to him.
She recalled whenever William was home, he would often work into the wee hours of the night.
"It can wait. Let's sleep," he replied, before reaching for the remote to turn off the floor lamp and then the bedside light, settling onto his uninjured side and patting the bed beside him.
The curtains were left open, and moonlight streamed through the window. Teresa remained still, locking eyes with him as the silver light bathed the room.
It was odd how distinctly she could see his face, especially those strikingly bright eyes that captivated her.
Knowing Gabriel wouldn't require more of her tonight, Teresa couldn't help but chuckle softly to herself as she settled down beside him. The moment she lay down, Gabriel's arms enveloped her in a secure embrace.
"Darling," he whispered.
"Mmm?"
"For the past three years, every night before I fall asleep, I've imagined holding you just like this," his voice, soft and low, carried a seductive edge in the dim moonlit bedroom.
Teresa lifted her head to stare at the extraordinary handsome visage above her, "So, did you cuddle with a blow-up doll every night, pretending it was me?"
He chuckled, his lips brushing her forehead affectionately, "No, I dreamed of you."
Teresa smiled, a yawn escaping her as she unwittingly tightened her grip around his lean waist, "So sleepy."
"Then sleep," he said softly.
"Mmm." She nodded, nestling into his chest to find a more comfortable position, closed her eyes, and swiftly drifted off into a deep sleep...
...
"Good morning, honey!"
The next day, as morning light crept in, Teresa woke naturally, feeling rested. The first thing she saw was Gabriel's perfectly sculptured face.
In the next moment, his irresistible lips pressed gently against hers in a tender kiss.
"How's your wound? Is it alright?" Teresa asked, blinking away the remnants of sleep.
He gave a contented look at her worried expression, and kissed her forehead, "Why don't you check for me?"
"Okay," she nodded, sitting up to inspect him. He obediently sat up and slipped off his robe.
Teresa leaned in, her eyes carefully scanning the bandages on his skin, noting a few spots of red where the bandages had bled through, likely from the pressure of lying on it overnight.
