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I closed my eyes and as if it was some well played movie I’d seen in my head many times, my mind immediately conjured up those memories of the two of us on the Ferris wheel. It’d been at the Fall Festival at Rushton Academy. I was terrified of heights, but there was no place Gabriel could go that I wouldn’t follow at that time.
“Yes. We were at the top of the ride and you told me to look at you. I did and couldn’t imagine a more perfect boy or afternoon. My worries about the ride and everything else disappeared the moment I looked into your gorgeous eyes.”
“What else did I tell you?’ he asked.
“You told me that there’s nothing for me to fear when I’m in your arms because you’ll never allow me to be hurt.”
“And I won’t. I’ll admit I’d never imagined you would experience what you did right afterward because I was a boy. I thought I could protect you from anything, but that was only things in our current world. I never even thought you’d find yourself in one so foreign from the one you’d grown up in.”
I reached up to touch his face. “You couldn’t have known.”
“Maybe not then, but I can now. I have people at my disposal who can eliminate any threats, no matter what they may be. I can now protect you the way I claimed to have been able to back then. Come back to Chicago with me and stay. Days... weeks... months... Come back home to the place you should’ve always been. Come back with me where you belong, Harper.”
GABRIEL
I waited with bated breath for her to respond. When the first few tears fell from her eyes, I steeled myself for the rejection I knew was coming. I was prepared to fuck her all night long until I seduced her into agreeing with me, but she smiled.
“I want to, but I own a company in Portland. My work is there.”
“Can’t you do any of it remotely?” I asked her. There had to be some way. I mean, she had taken time off to come to Chicago and stay, then go to Washington D.C.
“I can do a lot of it remotely because I have contractors who do the hands-on work on the different jobs. I might have to travel back and forth for a while until I transition my business to Chicago, but I think I can—”
“Are you saying what I hope you are?” Not only did it sound like she planned to commute for a short bit, but it also sounded as if she planned to make a permanent move to Chicago.
She nodded, then flashed a watery smile at me.
“I’ll go back with you. I love you, Gabriel. If there’s nothing else to be learned from the deaths of our parents, it’s that life is precious. I realized a lot when going through your father’s things. I’d hoped to learn something more about my uncle and his intentions, but I was reminded of family and friends. I was reminded of love, and what truly matters in this world. I want to have pictures of you and I together like those that your father had among his things. I want to be standing beside you, knowing I’m the reason for your smile.”
“I want all of those things, too.” I settled back over her and cupped her face between my palms. “I’ve always wanted those things. Always only with you, though.”
I fused my mouth to hers and our hands tangled as quickly as our tongues. I hiked up both legs of hers and because she kept me so damn hard all the time, I thrust back into her as I sucked her tongue deeper into my mouth. Her hands were on my chest ... then around my neck... and when I settled into a hard and fast rhythm, she dragged them down my back and arched into each one.
I didn’t linger too long inside of her. I fucked her hard and fast and the moment she tightened around me in completion, I drove into her a final time and came myself. After, I tore my mouth from hers and rolled over onto my side. Harper rolled onto hers too and we stared at each other for a few seconds before I thought about next steps.
“As much as I love fucking you in this hotel suite, I’d much rather christen every inch of our penthouse instead. I need to make our return train ride home—”
“We don’t need the train,” she told me.
“Are you sure?’ I knew how fearful she’d been, even on the damn thing, so it was strange to hear her suggest a more conventional way to travel, assuming that was what she was doing.
“Yes. We didn’t find anything, and as you’ve previously said, there was nothing to indicate the plane crash had been anything more than some tragic accident, so we can fly back to Chicago. I’d much rather be cooped up on a plane than a train.”
“I agree.” I heaved out the breath I’d been holding, then watched as she sat up.
“Where are you going?” I asked her once she rose to her feet.
“I’m going to shower. Do you want to join me?”
“Absolutely. Go ahead and get the water started while I make these flights. I’ll be there once I’m done.”
Harper headed into the bathroom, and I grabbed my cellphone. It wasn’t long before I had two first class reservations on a morning flight. We still had a few hours, and once I entered the bathroom and saw her naked body encased by thick steam, I smirked. I knew exactly what we could do to pass time until we needed to be at the airport. It wasn’t long before I stepped into the shower and pinned her against the wall.
A few hours later, I watched as she slept so peacefully. Her dark hair was fanned out across the white pillows and there was a hint of a smile on her lips as she dreamed.
I had tried to get some sleep myself, but I was too restless to do so. I had meant what I said about protecting her, so I made the decision to reach out to someone I knew would not only be discreet, but would be able to watch over her when I wasn’t around to do so.
“I’d lay my life down for yours,” I murmured as I stroked her soft cheek.
