“Make yourself at home.”
The ceiling lights in the living room dimly glowed as Rachel entered Gabriel’s “lair” for the very first time. It felt like uncharted territory.
I can’t believe I’m actually in his personal space, she thought, standing in awe, taking in the each second of the experience as if she were admiring timeless paintings at a prestigious art gallery.
Based on the square feet of the home, Rachel guessed that it must have been worth millions. She had always loved condominiums that offered an open concept design. Gabriel’s decorative taste was modern and masculine. She especially liked the monochromatic colors in his furniture, the espresso hardwood flooring, and the black spherical fireplace that was mounted on the white washed wall. His collection of abstract art matched the thematic décor of his home.
His kitchen was masterfully constructed with all stainless steel appliances, a dark marble-top island with four steel lamps that hung right above it. The dark cabinetry looked custom made, reminding Rachel of something she had once seen in a Home Sense catalogue. She wondered if he ever put this humongous kitchen to good use. Her mother would have (if she was still alive).
It was only 10:30, but their time at the theater had seemed longer.
Gabriel took off his blazer and rested it over his black leather sofa. He was used to wining and dining many women at his home and was accustomed to female company, but it felt different having his intern there. Being around Rachel at work was hard enough, but now that she was standing in his home… with his bedroom so close by… it was hard not to entertain such steamy sexual thoughts.
Get your head out of the gutter, he told himself as he headed toward the minibar to fix them both a much needed drink.
“I love your place.”
“Thanks.” Gabriel poured some Scotch for himself and then fixed a glass of Peach Schnapps and Vodka for Rachel.
“How long have you lived here?” she asked, wondering if it was too personal.
“Five years.” He walked over to her and handed her the drink.
“Thanks.”
“Have a seat,” he encouraged.
Rachel carefully maneuvered herself to the sofa and sat down. The view of the city was amazing from Gabriel’s living room windows. She was busy admiring the nightlife when the glass coffee table began to glow. A futuristic screen displayed over the glass, featuring a digital playlist of some sort.
“Pick a song,” said Gabriel, joining her and seating himself beside her with drink in hand. “It’s motion detecting. You don’t even need to touch it, just hover your fingers like this—see?” He moved two fingers upward as if he were scrolling over a laptop track pad.
“Wow! This is amazing! I’ve never seen technology like this before.”
“That’s because it’s not on the market yet.” He smiled. “I have a good friend who lives in Japan. He’s always hooking me up with his latest innovations before it’s released to consumers.”
“It honestly just looks like a regular… glass… coffee table.” She tried to examine it, wondering how it was manufactured.
“Try it out.”
She leaned forward and moved her fingers upwards several times just as he had done. Gabriel had many categorized playlists: smooth jazz, lounge, classical, soul… the genres went on. She hovered her index over “deep house” until it was highlighted blue before she air tapped and opened the playlist.
“What do you want to listen to?” Rachel asked.
“Whatever you want,” he said, sipping on his drink. “I’ve only collected music that I love.”
“Of course.” She smiled and was about to choose chose a song she did not recognize: Liar-Night Swim.
Music started to echo all around them as a hypnotic bass beat began to pound from every direction. She looked around hoping to identify where the speakers were, but she had no idea.
Gabriel looked amused. “State of the art speakers. You won’t be able to find them—nice choice by the way.”
“You already love all the music in this thing.”
“Yes, but I have favorites…”
Rachel cursed herself for choosing a song that sounded so seductive. The Devil was truly in the music. She had difficulty making herself comfortable because she was so nervous. Looking into Gabriel’s attractive face only intensified her suffocating anxiety. His green eyes were piercingly intense, like jade slicing into her soul.
“Keep up with me,” he said.
Huh? Oh, yeah! She blinked and sipped on the peachy alcohol.
Gabriel leaned forward and changed songs to a nice piano instrumental that had a slow rhythm of drum and bass. Rachel was thankful in a way. He hovered his index over the glowing volume meter on the glass and lowered it to a comfortable level.
“This should relax you more.”
He had read her mind. She smiled to show her gratitude.
“I know I’m Casey’s best friend,” Gabriel began, “but you deserve better, Rachel. I don’t know what’s going on with him. He’s not the same guy I met when we were in college.”
She frowned. “Maybe you didn’t really know him at all. Maybe none of us truly know who Casey is.”
“Maybe.” He was able to sympathize with her.
She took another sip and turned her head toward the window. I should be anywhere but here right now. Rachel began to tear up again, desperately hoping to that she would win the emotional battle going on inside of her, but as always, her heart had already surrendered to the pain.
Gabriel noticed a tear roll down Rachel’s cheek. He reached out and wiped the tear away with a gentle thumb. His show of affection had stunned her as she met his gaze looking stung by his touch.
“I’m sorry.” Rachel sniffled. “I hate being such a mess like this. It’s so embarrassing, so unprofessional.”
“We’re not in at the work place, we’re at my place.” He reached for the tissue box and offered it to her.
She tugged on a tissue and thanked him. “I think it’s needless to say that my relationship is over.” Her laughter sounded so sardonic, but Gabriel knew that she was hurting. He could see it in her shimmering eyes.
He wanted to tell her that he was sorry, if only an apology would have made it all better, but it would not have. “I know what it’s like to want something you can never have. No matter how hard you try, you feel like… you’re not good enough.”
It had not occurred to her that Gabriel King would be so experienced in the love department. The sex department, sure, but love? Rachel had always thought of him as a natural born womanizer, as if it had been written in the stars that one day, the most beautiful looking boy would be born in the world, and as he would grow into a man, he would collect jars and jars full of hearts… never giving his own away.
Learning about her boss’s promiscuous sex life did not make things any better. Casey had shared wild stories about Gabriel here and there, and Rachel’s cheeks went flush just thinking about it as she recalled one of their dinner conversations:
Gabriel’s into rough sex. I’m talking hardcore, bruise you up, slap you around, bondage kind of sex.
Was Gabriel King a Christian Grey? Rachel wondered. Does he have a red room of pain? The idea exhilarated her and disturbed her at the same time. This is reality you’re living in Rachel Rose, not the fictional world of romance erotica, her ego announced, slamming her hard with the cynical tone of realism. As much as she loved a good romance novel, her life was anything but a timeless love story. It was more like a tragedy.
A pathetic one, she thought. A pathetic, modern day tragedy: The Withering Petals of Rachel Rose, an autobiography.
“Do you want me to fix you another drink?” Gabriel’s deep voice pulled her out of her self-narration.
“Um, yes, thank you.” She handed him her empty glass and watched him saunter to the bar.
He was such a mystery to her. Other than the fact that he was one of the best lawyers in New York, wealthy, and successful, there was not much that she knew about him.
Gabriel returned, handing her the drink. He sat a little closer to her this time, stretching his arm out on the edge of the sofa.
A brief silence lingered before he said, “I don’t need to tell you what you already know.”
Rachel looked confused. “And what would that be?”
Gabriel took a sip of his drink, clenching his jaw as he swallowed the liquid fire. “… That you’re beautiful and can have any man that you desire.”
I desire you, she said to herself.
He noticed the way she blushed, and it made the faintest smile appear on his lips.
“You know, Gabriel, sometimes I feel tremendous pressure to be perfect, when all I want to do is screw everything up—my job, my life… I just don’t see the point in anything.” Rachel took one last sip of her drink and then set it on the coaster.
“You’re in a negative state of mind right now. It’s normal to feel that way given what you’ve been through.”
She ran her fingers through her hair and sighed. “I’m such a failure at everything. I’ll probably flunk out of law school.”
“Rachel.”
“… Move into some shitty apartment…”
“Rachel.”
“… And most likely screw myself over and end up alone for the rest of my li—”
Gabriel’s soft, warm lips crashed onto hers, shutting her up once and for all. The spontaneous contact took her by surprise, but she didn’t pull back. He was kissing her slow and passionately, holding her delicate face in his hands with dominating desire. A flickering flame had instantly ignited, enclosing them in a blazing inferno the longer he kissed her.
Gabriel cursed under his breath as he desperately found the strength to pull away from Rachel’s insatiable lips. She was breathless, looking visibly affected by his impulsive hunger for her. His eyes looked so intense, radiating everything that communicated heat, desire, and sex.
“Rachel, I—we…”
“I don’t want you to stop,” she whispered, reaching for his face this time, but he stopped her from making further contact. Alarms were going off inside his head, despite the way his body was responding to her touch.
“I didn’t bring you back to my place to take advantage of you.”
Rachel brought her lips closer to his, inches away from touching as she breathed, “Maybe I want you to take advantage of me.”
He seductively lowered his voice, “You shouldn’t say words like that to someone like myself.”
“Why’s that?” She licked his lips.
“Because I won’t stop us this time.” He kissed her, leaving no opportunity for her to respond (not that she wanted to). Rachel had abandoned all self-control and was losing herself in Gabriel’s passionate initiation.
His hand slid around her waist, gliding up the zip-line of her dress, never breaking contact from their kiss. Effortlessly, he tugged on the zipper while Rachel unbuttoned his shirt with haste. Both of them were desperate for skin on skin contact.
When she finally unfastened the last button, she withdrew for breath and stared into his glistening green eyes. They were intense, communicating his carnal arousal. He said nothing as he watched her rise to her feet. Her black gown slid off her body with a sigh.
Gabriel’s eyes were fixed on Rachel’s half naked figure. “Holy hell.”
“That’s quite an oxymoron.” She smirked at him and reached back to unsnap her strapless bra. Rachel playfully threw it in his face and he caught it as he watched her step out of her dress. His sexy intern was now wearing nothing but a lacey black thong and heels. The scattered design of tiny rhinestones was a nice touch on the edges of the lace.
She bit her lip when she noticed the big bulge in his pants.
Gabriel thought her body was stunning. She could have been a Victoria’s Secret runway model, but instead, this beautiful woman was studying and practicing law at his firm. She was an exotic beauty with brains, which only turned him on even more.
“I want you to fuck me.” Rachel was completely uninhibited. The alcohol had extremely loosened her up.
“How hard do you want it?” His gaze was dark and seductive as he teased her.
“As hard as you can give it,” she said with confidence.
“I can definitely give it.” Gabriel stood up, divested himself of all his clothing and walked toward her, his erected manhood leading the way. “Where do you think you’re going, Miss Rose?”
Rachel looked around. “This place is huge”—her eyes locked onto his—“fuck me somewhere you’ve never fucked anyone else before.”
The slyest, sexiest smile touched his attractive lips as he stood across from her. He poked his index finger against her stomach and began to apply a gentle pressure. “Walk backwards.”
She took a few steps back.
“Keep going,” Gabriel instructed, never removing the intensity of his stare. “Just a few more steps… and… stop.”
She stood still and gasped when he pressed his palm against her tummy and gave her a gentle shove. The cold glass of the window touched her back while Gabriel maneuvered himself in between her thighs, lifting them up and wrapping them around his waist. Rachel was trapped; enclosed by the glass surface and the warm, hard flesh of his body.
“Right here,” he said, bringing his lips to her ear. “This is where I’m going to fuck you, Rachel Rose, out in the open.” He met her eyes again. “Can you handle that?”
“I can handle all of you.”
“I’ll be the judge of that.” Gabriel slipped her lacey thong to the side, gripped his shaft and slipped himself inside in one careful thrust. The sound of her lustful moan enticed him more as he closed the space between their lips and kissed her while slowly working himself inside of her.
All that pent up sexual tension was finally released as he devoured, penetrated, and consumed her with his body. Every inch of her belonged to him in that moment. Anything that Gabriel touched, automatically became his possession; he had touched her inside out.
Rachel dragged her manicured nails down his back as he kissed her neck and sucked on her flesh while keeping a steady rhythm. She was expecting him to whisper the dirtiest obscenity, but he hadn’t. Their intimate union was motivated by lust, but amidst their wild and passionate undoing, underlying emotions had begun to surface.
He groaned, she moaned, he kissed, she bit, he licked, she sucked; this continuous pattern never ceased as Gabriel slammed into her cervix harder than ever, determined to locate that one spot that would make her shatter into shards of crystallized ecstasy.
His intrusion made her thighs tremble against his trim waist, as she closed them tighter, desperate to feel all of him.
If the neighbors from the buildings across from them had stepped out on their balconies, they would have been able to see the sexy pair going at it like relapsing sex addicts.