Freeing Her (16 page)

Kolson’s back was to her.

“
Thank you for the
clothes. They’re a bit large but they’ll do.”

He turned to check her out and laughed. “You
look like a street urchin from one of those old movies.”

“
I’m glad the shorts have
a drawstring. I couldn’t hold them up otherwise.” She pulled up the
shirt and he laughed again.

“
Sam’s going over to your
place to bring back some of your things.”

“
My things?”

“
Yes. You can’t go back
there with your cousin hanging about. It simply isn’t
safe.”

“
Then what will I
do?”

“
Gabriella, sit. Why don’t
you eat first and then we can discuss this.”

He set a plate of pasta with red sauce and
chicken on the counter, along with a salad and ice water.

“
Did you make all
this?”

“
Are you questioning my
culinary abilities?”

“
No, but …”

“
Eat,
Gabriella.”

Her stomach let out a big growl and she
nodded. Taking a seat at the huge stone counter, she scooted her
stool in and began eating. He stood across from her and hovered,
asking her if she needed this or that. He refilled her plate once
and her glass twice. Soon, she patted her stomach and laughed.

“
I think I’m going to pop.
I didn’t know I could hold that much food.”

“
I have a confession to
make. I didn’t cook all that. My housekeeper did. She’s really
great and leaves all kinds of food for me because she knows I don’t
cook. By the way, when was the last time you ate?”

Without thinking, she replied, “Last night.
I had a cheeseburger. Along with my Sugar Tits.” Then she
remembered what had happened as a result of said drinks and her
face burned with embarrassment. She quickly dipped her head,
twisting the napkin in her lap.

Kolson didn’t say a word. He cleared her
plate and took a seat next to her.

“
So tell me what
happened.”

Glad for the distraction, she said, “I went
running. I figured it was okay since it was around nine. I knew
there would be people out and about. So I headed to the park and
was making my way around the lake, enjoying the beautiful weather,
when I got the text.”

“
But that was hours ago.
What happened between then and now?”

Kolson watched the way her eyes looked
everywhere but at him. He noticed how she grabbed her wrist and
repeatedly slid her thumb back and forth over the scars. After
watching her for a few seconds, he reached over and took her hand
in his, stopping the action.

“
You’re safe, Gabriella.
He can’t get to you here. Tell me. What happened?”

“
I got his text and then I
panicked and couldn’t breathe. I’m a fucking psychiatrist and
couldn’t control my stupid reaction to him. I
allowed
him to have that control
over me. I went into a total meltdown. A massive panic attack. Some
kind woman stopped and helped me. She called 911 and the EMTs came.
The goddamn ambulance came.”

By now she was shaking. Kolson couldn’t
determine if it was because she was angry or frightened or a
combination of both. She looked up at him; Kolson again found
himself captivated by her eyes. Almond-shaped and caramel-colored,
he thought them to be warm and inviting. But at this moment, they
were alive and sparking with flecks of fire.

“
Deep breaths, kea.” He
held her shoulders and watched the panic seep out of
her.

“
Why do you call me
that?”

“
Call you what?
Kea?”

“
Yeah. You called me that
once before.”

“
Do you know what a kea
is?”

“
No.”

Kolson laughed. “It’s one of the most
beautiful birds in the world. It’s a member of the parrot family
and it’s native to New Zealand. Its coloring is olive green to
caramel brown but when it takes flight, the underside of its wings
are a fiery orange and the tops are teal blue. They are
spectacular. Your eyes remind me of a kea. When I look at them,
they’re caramel brown, but I can see hints of olive green. However,
when you get upset or angry, like you are right now, flecks of
fiery orange and gold pop out. And that is why I call you kea.”

Gabriella’s hand covered her mouth. No one
had ever said anything so sweet or romantic to her before, and it
settled into a place within her heart she didn’t know existed. Her
fingers moved to the bridge of her nose and she pinched it as her
eyes burned with unshed tears.

Kolson didn’t say a word. He only wrapped
his arm around her tightly and held her against his chest for a
moment. When he was satisfied she wasn’t going into another attack,
he asked, “Are we good here?”

“
Yeah.”

“
Can you finish telling me
what happened?” He released her so she could talk.

“
They got my breathing
under control. I couldn’t stop hyperventilating. My heart rate was
at one ninety. Blood pressure through the roof. Classic symptoms.
They wanted to take me in but I refused. So they released me
AMA.”

“
AMA?”

“
Against medical
advice.”

“
But you’re okay
now?”

“
Yeah.”

“
Gabriella, what time was
that?”

She shook her head. “I’m not sure. Ten
maybe.”

“
What happened between
then and now?”

“
I walked.”

“
What. The. Fuck! Are you
crazy?”

She tried to pull her hand away from him.
“You’re hurting me.”

He immediately loosened his grip. Kolson was
angry. Not particularly at her but at the fact that she didn’t come
directly here. His eyes filled with remorse. “I’m sorry.” He lifted
her hand and kissed it. “Why didn’t you come straight here?”

She shrugged. “We … I … after last night, I
didn’t think you’d want me to. Honestly, I hadn’t planned on coming
here. I only ran into Sam by accident.”

“
What do you mean by
‘after last night’?”

“
You left me! Alone in my
apartment. I didn’t think …”

Kolson blew out his breath. “Because you had
too much to drink. I’d never take advantage of you in that state.
Gabriella, what exactly did Danny do to you?”

She tried to pull her hand away from him
again as she pushed her chair back from the counter and stood.
“Nothing.”

His voice softened as he asked, “Do you know
how ridiculous that sounds? You get a text from him that sends you
into a major panic attack and then you say he didn’t do anything to
you?”

“
Please, just drop it. It
doesn’t matter anyway.” She gave her hand another tug but had no
success in freeing herself.

“
It does. Look at the
effect it has on you. Tell me, Gabriella, does this matter?” He
lifted her wrist with the scars on it.

“
Not to the people who
were supposed to count in my life.”

“
Fuck them. Not everyone
does what they’re supposed to do. What about to you? You’re the
psychiatrist. If you were your own patient, what would you tell
yourself?”

He was right and she knew it, yet she didn’t
respond.

“
You need to talk to
someone so it might as well be me. Tell me,” he urged.

She shook her head and he said, “I’ll find
out. I have my ways. And you know what they are.”

Gabby shivered at his words. “I won’t give
up on you nor will I ever hurt you, Gabriella.”

“
Maybe not physically. But
that’s not what I fear. It’s the emotional scars that hurt the
worst, Kolson. They never go away.”

Kolson eyed her for a long moment. His
emotions were conflicted—part of him wanted to carry her into his
bedroom, throw her on his bed, and fuck her silly. He lusted after
her and there was no use denying it. The urge to dominate her and
force out every secret she ever had was compelling him to do just
that. But the other part implored him to be gentle with her, to
treat her like a fragile goblet, like one that could shatter with
the slightest touch. It surprised him because he’d never thought of
treating a woman like that before. The darker side of him emerged
and he longed to seduce the mystery out of her. For the first time
he could remember, he was at great odds with himself. The tension
that mounted within him only served to fuel his desires.

Kolson leaned in and touched his mouth
briefly to hers. Then he followed an invisible trail that went from
Gabby’s ear to her collarbone. When she sighed, he wound his arm
around her waist and backed her against the wall. Then he took his
time dragging his tongue across her lips, nibbling as he went.

“
Are you going to tell me
now?” he asked.

“
Mmm. No,” she
breathed.

He lifted her shirt and pulled it over her
head, trapping her arms behind her back. The cool air skimmed
across her scorched skin and her flesh tightened as goosebumps
flared. Then his mouth went to work on her chest. He tasted her
skin, freshly scented from her bath, and moved to one of her
breasts, taunting her nipple with his teeth. He blew his warm
breath over her and she arched into him, giving him better access
to her aching peak as he flicked his tongue across it.

“
Now?”

“
Uh-huh,” she
panted.

“
Then I guess this calls
for something even more drastic.”

Gabby’s eyes were closed as her head rested
against the wall. But when his fingers slid into her shorts and
between her silken crease, the alarm bells went off. She struggled
against him as she tried to pull away, but he only leaned against
her and kissed her again until she moaned.

“
Tell me, Gabby,” he
demanded against her lips.

She was panting now, from both desire and
unease.

“
I won’t hurt you. You
know that. But I want to know what he did to you. Tell me,” he
insisted.

“
I can’t.” Her eyes were
closed as lust burst within her. “Please,” she begged.

His mouth moved back to her exposed breast
and he began to tease her nipple again. His tongue was relentless
as it flicked back and forth. But when his lips encased it and
began to suck, Gabby moaned and curved into his luscious mouth.

“
Please,” she begged. But
now she was pleading for something altogether different.

He let go of her with a pop and moved to her
other breast. His fingers began their pursuit between her legs once
more, and she shifted her hips, seeking a release she was so hungry
for.

Kolson recognized her orgasm was right on
the horizon, so he slowed the movement of his fingers down, only to
prolong her ecstasy when it came.

“
Please, I need
…”

“
Tell me,
Gabriella.”

“
Please.”

“
I’ll be generous with you
if you tell me.”

She opened her eyes. His full lips were
shiny from where he’d been torturing her nipples. If only her hands
weren’t trapped in her shirt, she’d pull him closer so she could
kiss him. His tongue poked out and ran across his lower lip right
before he dragged his teeth over it. Then he took her lip into his
mouth and sucked on it. Hard. She knew it might be swollen, maybe
even bruised, but she didn’t care. That tiny action sent her juices
flowing, even more than they already were.

“
You liked that, didn’t
you?”

She closed her eyes, unwilling to face
him.

“
Gabriella. Tell
me.”

When she didn’t say anything, he resumed the
motion of his fingers on her clit. Then he slid one inside of her
and she tensed up. Was it wrong that it felt so good? She wasn’t
exactly a willing partner, but her body thought otherwise.

“
Are you going to fuck
me?”

“
No. Not now. But I’m
going to make you come all over my hand. And you’re going to beg me
to do it. Now, tell me what I want to know, Gabriella.”

Why was this so important to him?

His fingers stopped wreaking havoc on her
sex, and she whimpered. But his mouth moved to her ear and she felt
his warm breath when he whispered to her, “I’m waiting.” Then his
teeth sank into the velvety flesh of her lobe and he tugged on it
as he sucked.

Gabby never had so many different sensations
assailing her at once. She wanted to touch him so badly, her
fingers tingling with need. She groaned as his mouth bit her
neck.

Kolson looked at the image Gabby made.
“Damn, you’re one hot lovely piece of sex, all spread out against
the wall. But resistant as steel too. To hell with this.” Dropping
to one knee, he jerked her shorts to her ankles and buried his face
between her legs. The action took Gabby completely by surprise.
Shock and then pure electric heat raced from her core straight
through her stomach and down to the arches of her feet. She wanted
to pull away, wanted to squeeze her thighs together, but she
couldn’t. Her blood roared through her veins and it wasn’t long
before she felt her muscles clenching, an orgasm fast approaching.
She angled her pelvis toward him but he lifted his head and asked,
“What did he do to you, Gabriella?”

“
No, don’t
stop!”

“
Gabriella,” his voice
urged her on.

“
Please, don’t
stop.”

“
I’ll lick and suck your
pussy for hours, if you tell me what he did to you. Just say the
words, Gabriella.”