Chapter 125 Kisses that heal wounds
"Does it hurt?" She ran her fingertips lightly across his back, searching for any signs of pain.
Her touch, soft and delicate, was almost too much. Gabriel felt the restless energy in him stir at her gentle caress.
"It hurts! But..." Gabriel suddenly turned to face her, the defined lines of his fingers lifting her chin, "if you would kiss me, I'm sure it would feel much better."
Teresa shot him a sidelong glance and proceeded to ignore him, but just as she was about to slip out of the covers, he pounced with a swift motion, pinning her beneath him. His hands held hers, their fingers entwined, as he gazed down at her with deep, piercing dark eyes. His voice, huskier than before, teased her, "Are you going to kiss me or not?"
Unfazed, Teresa glared back, her heartbeat inexplicably erratic. With a facade of calm, she challenged, "What if I don’t?"
He chuckled. Leaning in close, Gabriel captured her lips with his, whispering softly, "My dear, if you won't kiss me, then I'll just have to shower all my kisses on you..."
"Click!" "Mommy, Daddy!"
The very moment Teresa's defenses started to crumble, her eyes fluttering shut in anticipation of Gabriel's affection, the bedroom door burst open, revealing their little one’s young, clear voice.
"Whoa!" It was as if an electric current zapped her. Teresa gave Gabriel a push and quickly turned her head to escape his embrace, speaking in a rush, "Croissant is here, we've got to go."
“Alas...” Gabriel released a deflated sigh, his laughter a low murmur of resignation as he slumped atop her.
"Mommy, Daddy, what are you doing? I wanna jump in bed too," Croissant giggled, attempting to scramble up onto the playful heap under the covers.
Feeling awkward, Teresa nudged the man on top of her again, "Gabriel, c'mon, get off!"
At times like this, Gabriel knew their moment was interrupted beyond retrieval. Reluctantly, he rolled away and then kissed Teresa's forehead, saying, "You get some more sleep; I’ll take the little guy out."
With that, he lifted himself from the bed, scooping up the inquisitive child with a peck on the cheek, and as they departed he instructed, "Mommy and Daddy were busy with something really important. Next time, you can't come in uninvited, got it?"
The kid puckered his lips in defiance, "No, I wanna stay with you."
"Such moments are only for mommy and daddy,, not for little ones."
"Hmph! Mommy is mine, I can stay, and Daddy's a meanie."
Teresa watched them leave the room and decided against further rest. She promptly got off the bed to freshen up.
But before she could finish, Gabriel slipped in and wrapped his arms around her from behind, his head nuzzling into her neck as he planted kisses along her cheek.
"Gabriel, can't you just relax for a moment?" Teresa finished brushing her teeth amidst his embrace, then splashed water on her face, reaching for the cleanser to begin a facial wash.
Gabriel, of course, was far from ready to call a truce, continuing to hug her closely, his lips finding the curve of her ear before pressing kisses down her neck.
Teresa couldn't resist the teasing flutter in her heart. Trembling, she spun around in his arms, pushing him away, "That's enough."
"Never enough," Gabriel countered, his arms tightening as he pressed her onto the vanity. "Not until you kiss me willingly."
She glared at him, her heartbeat in disarray, cheeks blushing, "Just one kiss?"
He nodded seriously, his eyes intensely bright, "Just one."
Slowly, Teresa rose on tiptoes, leaning in to kiss his chin.
But as she barely brushed against him, Gabriel's hand cradled the back of her head. He switched from passive to aggressive, capturing her lips with a fervent predilection.
Their passionate, deep kiss made Teresa melt instantly, forgetting everything else. She closed her eyes, responding to him.
The kiss lasted an eternity until, with Teresa's breathing utterly erratic, Gabriel finally let go.
"Sweetheart..."
"Stick to your word, out you go," before Gabriel's husky voice finished, Teresa cut him off, panting.
With a resigned chuckle, he asked, "Do you really want me to leave?"
"Yes, be fast about it."
"Alright, leaving now." With that, he planted a kiss on her forehead and strode out of the room.
Now that Teresa was no longer rejecting him, it wouldn't take long for her to fully accept him.
Watching him leave, Teresa took a deep breath, her hand clutching over her heart, which seemed ready to burst forth.
If she didn't send him away, who knew how long they'd become entangled, possibly for the entire morning.
She calmed herself down, quickly finished washing up, got dressed, and downstairs they went, once Gabriel was ready too.
Mason and the others were already enjoying their breakfast with Michael when they reached the dining room.
Instead of being upset over their tardiness, Mason and Katherine wore welcoming smiles.
Teresa greeted them, and then she and Gabriel joined the breakfast.
Mason suddenly turned to Teresa mid-breakfast, his expression warm, "Teresa, dear, Capital Construction's got a snag in a crucial project in Chicago. I'm thinking of sending Gabriel over to take a look. You don't mind, do you?"
Teresa was surprised. It never crossed her mind that Mason would value her opinion so highly. With a smile and a shake of her head, she said, "Mason, I've got no complaints. Work comes first."
"Good," Mason nodded with satisfaction before turning to Gabriel, "For the situation in Chicago, you'll need to make a personal visit. Head out today, do the rounds schmoozing where you need to, take care of business, and then fly back after you get those contracts signed on Monday."
The project in Chicago was all but wrapped up, just needing the final stroke of the pen on the contracts. But an issue popped up yesterday, which had Mason, Raymond, and Gabriel up last night discussing it. Ideally, the local project manager would handle things, but it seemed like the Garcias would have to step in themselves.
Gabriel was a newlywed, and after yesterday's harrowing acid attack, his relationship with Teresa had been advancing. Teresa had even opted to stay the night, suggesting it would typically be time for Gabriel to stick close by in River North, nurturing their deepening bond.
However, Gabriel was set to fully take over Capital Construction sooner or later, and tackling these troublesome matters was part of the gig, a chance for him to cut his teeth in the business.
So, after much deliberation, Mason resolved that it was best for Gabriel to go in person, even if it was just for a few days.
"Mhm," Gabriel replied. He didn't say much, just calmly agreed.
After breakfast, Teresa and Gabriel made an excuse to leave the house together, ostensibly to change dressings and administer injections at the hospital.
They could have had the doctor come home, but they didn't want to worry Katherine unnecessarily, and even less did they want her to bear any resentment towards Teresa after finding out she was the initial target behind the acid incident. Hence, a hospital visit was the chosen alternative.
Of course, this also meant more time alone for Gabriel and Teresa.
"How about you join me in Chicago?" Gabriel asked, gripping Teresa's hand with earnest expectation after they got into the car and left the estate. He spoke softly as he looked deep into her eyes.
Teresa didn't even hesitate before she shook her head, "You're going for work; why would I tag along? Besides, I've got classes on Monday."
Gabriel continued to hold her hand, thumb caressing the back of her hand, gently tracing over her smooth skin. His dark eyes fixed on her in silent contemplation, not uttering another word.
Teresa batted down the idea without so much as a second thought, insisting that Gabriel should go alone. But since she wasn't keen on going, naturally, he wouldn't press her.
