Healing Gabriel (9 page)

She groaned and Gabe’s worried face appeared above her. 
“Morgan!  Are you okay?  I’m sorry!”

“You jerk!”  She whacked him hard on the chest and he winced
a little.

“I’m sorry.”

“I thought you had hurt your side again.”  She glared at
him.

“I was just paying you back for your little stunt with
Sally.”  He grinned at her, his breath warm on her face.

She scowled.  “I suppose I deserved it.”

“Are you okay?”  His grin faded.  “I didn’t mean for you to
get hurt.”

“I’m fine.”  Her gaze dropped to his mouth.  His body was
touching hers lightly, and her traitorous nipples were hardening and straining
against her bra.

His eyes darkened and he stared at
her
mouth for a
long moment.  She swallowed and licked her lips.  He groaned quietly and then
his mouth was on hers, and his tongue probing at her lips.  She opened them and
he pushed his way into her mouth, his tongue exploring the sweet familiar
warmth.

She moaned into his mouth, the sweetest sound he had ever
heard, and he kissed her more deeply.  She wrapped her arms around his neck and
clung to him as he pressed his hard body against hers.  He groaned softly, his
hands stroking her ribs and arms repeatedly.

Her breasts were aching for his touch and she grabbed his
hand and pushed it under her shirt.  “Touch me Gabe.”  She begged against his
mouth.  “Please.”

He hesitated and then slid his hand across the smooth skin
of her stomach before cupping her breast gingerly through her bra.  She moaned
encouragingly and arched her upper body, pushing more of her breast into his
hand.

He inhaled sharply and squeezed her breast lightly then
roughly, staring worriedly at her.  “Is that – does that feel good?”  He asked
in a soft whisper.

“Yes.”  She moaned.  She shivered when he rubbed his thumb
over her nipple.  It was very hard and he plucked at it through the soft cotton
of her bra.

“Oh God.”  She shuddered and put her hands under his shirt,
rubbing his hard chest for a moment before she traced his stomach with her
fingers.  He kissed her neck, tasting and licking the soft skin, and she angled
her chin up to give him better access.  He buried his face in her throat and
then kissed his way to her ear, licking and sucking on her earlobe until she
was moaning and twisting under him.

Growing bolder, he worked his hand under the cup of her
bra.  He was desperate to feel her bare nipple, and he was so focused on it
that he didn’t realize she was wiggling her own hand under the waistband of his
shorts. 

She slid her hand inside his underwear and gripped him
firmly just as he got his hand under her bra and felt her nipple pebbling
against his palm.  He cried out, his back arching, when her hand wrapped around
his cock.  There was pain in his side but it was distant and unimportant.

She stroked him; her soft hand felt unbelievably amazing on
his cock as her nipple tightened against his palm.  She stroked him twice more
and he could feel his groin tightening.  He tried to hold back, tried to stop
the orgasm that was rushing through him, but the combination of her hard nipple
against his palm and her soft hand touching his cock made it impossible.

He climaxed with a loud shout, his hips pumping against her
hand as he came all over her hand and the front of his underwear.  He had
barely caught his breath when embarrassment flooded through him.  He stared
down at her, groaning at the look of surprise on her face, and he pulled his
hand free of her bra and shirt and wrenched her hand out of his shorts.

He scrambled to his feet, wincing a little at the pain in
his side, and she sat up.  “Gabe…”

“I’m sorry.”  His face was bright red and he couldn’t look
at her.  “I’m so sorry Morgan.”

He turned and fled, leaving her staring after him in
confusion.

Gabe wiped the steam off the bathroom mirror and stared at
the scorched landscape of his upper body.  It really was hideous he thought, as
he leaned forward and ran his fingers over his face.  He traced the missing
half of his eyebrow, before running his fingers down his cheek and neck.

He left the bathroom abruptly and began to get dressed.  He
had avoided Morgan for three days.  He had locked the door of the farmhouse so
she couldn’t let herself in, and hidden like a little kid in the kitchen when
she had knocked on his door a couple of times.

On the third day he could hear the frustration in her voice
when she had shouted through the door.  “Gabe, this is ridiculous!  You have to
come out of that darn house sometime.  Just talk to me - please.”

That night, when Sally had shown up after work, he had
finally manned up and told her that while he appreciated her help, he was doing
fine and he didn’t need her to drop by anymore.  She had been surprised but
accepted it, and he had panicked a little when she invited him to her house for
dinner on the weekend. 

He had mumbled some excuse and she had given him a watery
smile and made him promise to at least call her on the weekend.  He had agreed
hastily while steering her towards the door. 

Once she was gone, he had given himself a pep talk,
swallowed his pride, and walked to the carriage house.  Morgan had been sitting
on the porch smoking a cigarette and he had eased into the chair beside her.

“Hi Morgan.”

“Oh, so you’re talking to me now?”  She replied.

“Yes.  I came here to apologize for what happened in the
barn.  I – our friendship is really important to me and I don’t want to ruin
it.”

“And you think what happened in the barn will ruin it?”  She
tapped the long grey ash on her cigarette into the ashtray.

“Yeah, I guess I do.”  He stared down at his hands, partly
because he was too embarrassed to look her in the eye and partly because if he
looked at her he might try and kiss her.  Kissing her was a very bad idea.  He
had humiliated himself enough.

“It’s already awkward between us.  I just want it to go back
to the way it was.”  He lied and cracked his knuckles nervously.  If she
refused, if she said that she wanted more, he would do whatever she asked.  He
hated the thought of her looking at his ruined flesh, touching it with her soft
fingers and seeing the ugliness up close, but he also wanted her in his bed on
a level that was close to desperation. 

She sighed.  “That’s fine.  I want that too.  It’s my fault
anyway.  It’s been a long time since I – I’ve been with anyone, and maybe Andy
dumping me brought my self-confidence down.  I guess I just needed to feel
wanted and I took advantage of you.  I’m sorry Gabriel.”

He glanced at her quickly but she was staring out at the
garden, the cigarette between her fingers forgotten.  He swallowed the
disappointment rising in his throat.  She was just lonely.  She had kissed him
and touched him not because she wanted him, but because she was lonely.  She
didn’t see his scars in the same way that other people did, but that didn’t mean
she didn’t notice them at all.

Or, he thought with black humour, maybe it wasn’t the scars
at all that turned her off.  Maybe it was his humiliating lack of
self-control.  He thought back to the way he had come all over her hand after
only a few seconds of petting and his cheeks flamed.  There was a good
possibility that he would never be able to look her in the eye again, no matter
how hard he tried.

“Do you want to have supper at my place tomorrow night?”  He
asked quietly.

“Will Sally be there?”

“No.  I told her I didn’t need her help anymore.”

“Then yes, I’ll have dinner with you.”  She butted her
cigarette and stood up.  She crossed in front of him and he waited to see if
she would touch his shoulder like she normally did.  She didn’t and he let his
breath out in a soft, disappointed rush.

“Good night Gabe.  I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Good night Morgan.”

Now, as he left his bedroom and headed into the kitchen, he
rubbed at his forehead.  It had been a few days and things were better between
them, but there was still an awkwardness that neither of them could seem to
overcome.  Worse than the awkwardness was how she no longer touched him.  Not
even the small brushes of her arm against his or the light touch of her hand on
his back.  He hadn’t understood how accustomed he had become to her touching
him until she no longer did.

He poured himself a cup of coffee as the screen door to the
kitchen banged open.  Expecting Morgan, he turned and smiled when Natalia came
barrelling in.

“Hi Uncle Gabe.  How do you feel today?”

“I feel good Nat.  What are you doing here?”

“Mama and I are going to the farmer’s market and we stopped
to see if Ms. Wilson wants to go with us.”

“That’s nice.”  Gabe replied.

“Do you want to come with us?”

“Not today Nat.  I have to work.”

Her face fell and he ruffled her hair.  “Why don’t we go to
the pasture and visit Lemon before you leave?”

“Okay!”  Natalia grinned at him and he ruffled her hair
again before following her out of the kitchen.

* * *

“Morgan?”  There was a soft knock on the front door and
Lacey stuck her head in.

“I’m in the kitchen.”  Morgan called.

Lacey walked into the kitchen.  “Hey, what’s going on?”

“Not much.  How about you?”

“Natalia and I are going to the farmer’s market.  Do you
want to come?”

“I’d love to.”  Morgan drank the last of her coffee and
rinsed it before putting it in the dishwasher.

“Natalia went to find Gabe.  She wants him to go too.”

“Oh yeah?”  Morgan said noncommittally.

Lacey frowned.  “Morgan, did something happen between you
and Gabe while we were gone?”

“What do you mean?”  Morgan tensed.

“I mean that you guys don’t seem as close as you were.  Last
night at dinner things seemed strained between you.”

Morgan shook her head.  “No, everything’s fine with us
Lacey.”

“Are you sure?”

“Positive.”  Morgan made herself smile at Lacey.  “I forgot
to say thanks for inviting me to your family dinner by the way.”

“After everything you’ve done for Gabe, you’re family now
Morgan.”  Lacey replied.

Morgan’s stomach twisted with guilt.  She had done things to
Gabe alright; things that had embarrassed him and made him feel bad.  She
sighed and wiped the counter with the dishcloth.  She didn’t know how much
longer she could continue to lie to herself and to Gabe. 

When he had come to her a few nights ago and told her he
wanted things to go back to the way they were, she had agreed hastily and made
up – lied her mind whispered fiercely – her own reasons for what had happened
in the barn.  It had been pure instinct.  Afraid of losing him completely, she
had lied about being lonely and about being hurt by Andy. 

If he knew the truth – if he knew that every part of her
ached to touch him and be touched by him - he would withdraw completely.  She
had seen it on his face.  She didn’t know if it was because, despite what had
happened between them in the barn, he really wasn’t interested in her as
anything more than a friend, or if he would just never believe that a woman
could truly be attracted to him.  In the end she hadn’t cared.  She just hadn’t
wanted to lose him.

“Morgan, do you know if Sally has been by lately?”  Lacey
asked.

“No, she hasn’t been.”

Lacey sighed and clasped her hands together.  “I was afraid
of that.  Sally had texted me and said she was helping to look after Gabe while
he was recovering from surgery, and I had hoped that maybe – you know…”

Morgan stared at her and Lacey flushed a little.  “Sally is
interested in him, despite his scars, and I really want Gabe to have someone in
his life.  Someone who makes him happy, you know?  I was afraid he might drive
her away and it seems he has.”

She stared at the top of the table.  “Poor Gabe.  He’s never
even had a girlfriend and I thought that Sally being interested in him might –
“

“What did you say?”  Morgan interrupted.

“What?”

“Did you say that Gabe has never had a girlfriend?”

Lacey nodded.  “Yes.  He was only fifteen when the accident
happened, and after that he just cut himself off from everyone.  He hated the
way he looked.”

Morgan stared at the sink.  Understanding was dawning within
her and she gripped the edge of the countertop tightly.  Gabe had never had a
girlfriend.  He was a virgin.

She took a deep breath.  That certainly explained things. 
The way he had so sweetly but awkwardly kissed her in his bed.  His tentative
touch in the barn, and his immediate and explosive reaction when she had
touched his cock.

She cursed herself in her head.  She should have figured it
out.  She knew Gabe had been a teenager when he’d been in the car accident, and
she knew he had become a recluse.  She expected to feel pity for him, but the
thoughts that coursed through her mind were of the sweeter and dirtier kind. 
She could almost see herself teaching Gabe everything he needed to know about
lovemaking; could picture herself showing him just how good they could make each
other feel.

The crotch of her panties was suddenly damp and she bit at
her lip.  She had told him she wouldn’t touch him, had promised him that they
would be just friends, and knowing he had never been with a woman didn’t change
any of that.

“Morgan?  What’s wrong?”  Lacey was staring at her worriedly
and Morgan smiled at her.

“Nothing’s wrong.”  She wasn’t about to confess to Lacey
that she wanted to seduce and deflower her brother.  They were friends but that
was a hell of a thing to blurt out.

“Let me just change my shirt and I’ll be ready to go.”  She
gave Lacey another smile and left the kitchen.

* * *

Morgan stared worriedly at the sky.  It was ominously dark,
and big fat raindrops were starting to fall.  A summer storm, a doozy by the
looks of it, was beginning and the sheep were still out in the pasture.

Gabe had left early this morning to help Peter put a new
roof on their greenhouse and although it was after dinner, he still wasn’t
back.  As the rain fell she grabbed her sweater and ran out the door.  The
sheep and Daisy needed to be brought in.

She sprinted across the driveway and past the barn and sheep
shed, ducking her head against both the rain and the heavy wind.  She was
wearing shorts and sandals and her feet were already soaking wet and freezing.

She opened the gate to the pasture and whistled for the
dogs.  They loped out of the growing darkness and whined eagerly at her.

“C’mon puppies, time to bring the sheep in.”  Most of the
sheep had already started to crowd up towards the shed.  She brought Daisy to
the smaller barn first and locked her securely in her stall before heading back
out into the rain.  It was pouring rain now.  The water was dripping from her
nose and cheeks and she shivered miserably as, with Vincent and Delilah’s help,
she herded the sheep into the shed.

She closed the door of the shed, blocking out the sound of
the wind and the thunder, and breathed a soft sigh of relief.  Vincent and
Delilah crowded around her, wetting her already soaked legs with more water
from their thick fur.  They whined nervously and Vincent actually looked at the
door of the shed and growled deep in his chest.  The fur on the back of his
neck was standing up and she patted him gently, trying to soothe him.  The
storm was making everyone jumpy and nervous.  She would -

She frowned and eyed the flock of nervous animals.  Lemon
was missing.

“What the heck?”  She muttered to herself.  She looked
again, her heart dropping when she couldn’t see Lemon’s soft white body
anywhere.  The ewe had grown quite a bit in the last couple of months but she
was still very much a baby and Morgan’s baby at that.  Her heart pounding, she turned
and ran back to the pasture, closing the shed door behind her.

“Lemon!”  She called for the sheep as she ran through the short
grass.  Where could she be?  She squinted through the rain as the wind blew her
wet hair from her face. 

“Lemon, honey where are you?”  She strained to hear over the
wind.  She thought she had heard Lemon’s familiar bleating.  It might have come
from the left, near the grove of trees that grew at the far end of the pasture.

She quickly hiked to the trees.  She could just make out
Lemon’s white coat against the bark of the largest tree, and she breathed a
sigh of relief as she ran over to the ewe and petted her soft head.

“Lemon, you scared me half to death.  Why didn’t you come in
with the other sheep?”  She realized that the young ewe was trembling all over
and bleating repeatedly.

“Lemon?  What’s wrong?”  She ran her hands down the ewe’s
body trying to stop her trembling.  “Is the storm scaring you?  Come on honey,
follow mama.”

The ewe stood where she was, her dark eyes large and
frightened, and Morgan made a soft soothing noise.  “It’s okay Lemon.  Let’s go
before it – “

She heard a low growling behind her and the hair on the back
of her neck tried to stand up.  Her body trembling like a live wire, Morgan
turned around slowly.  Two large coyotes were standing less than ten feet away
and her heart began to pound fiercely in her chest. 

As adrenaline sang through her veins, Morgan backed up until
she was pressing Lemon against the tree.  The coyotes stepped forward on stiff
legs.  Their heads were down and their growling was growing louder.

She took a deep breath and screamed as loud as she could,
clapping her hands and stomping her feet, hoping it would scare them away. 
They flinched and shied back but didn’t run away.