The Watcher (21 page)

“As you wish” came through the speaker in my helmet.

*****

Gabriel

A little while later, as the sun was setting, I pulled off the highway into the parking lot of a little diner.

“Let’s get some real food,” I said as I helped her off the bike. “I want to tell you a little more about me, as it involves you.”

“Um, ok,” she responded quietly. We walked in, took a seat in the back and gave a tired looking waitress our order. It was a cute diner, a little outdated in décor and the booths were peeling, but I thought it was quaint. It was one of those hole-in-the-wall places where you knew the food would be greasy but delicious.

I began talking in a low tone as she stared at me, “About six months before I saw you, I started to feel like I was being watched. I couldn’t see anyone and I knew it wasn’t human. I had been on the run a long time and thought I had hidden myself pretty well. It turned out to be my father, Azael. He had somehow weaseled his way back into heaven after having killed my mother and somehow he had tracked me down to finish the job. I woke up to find him hovering over me one night. I immediately attacked him, even knowing that he would be stronger. He wasn’t prepared for my attack and I was able to stun him for a minute before he unleashed his wrath. I begged for mercy, but he was unwilling to give in.”

“I begged and promised him anything he wanted. He finally stopped beating me, and looked at my wings. He said he knew that they would make him even more powerful if he possessed them. I wanted to live, you see. I knew I was going to meet someone very soon. I had no idea it was you, but I knew it was someone special. I had just broken things off with Rosie because there wasn’t even a spark. She knew it and I knew it. We’re better off as friends. I knew in my soul that something spectacular was about to hit me. So I bargained with him. He promised to spare my life if I gave him my wings. I stood up and turned around and told him they were his. He ripped them off slowly, reveling in my screams. I could feel a part of my soul being ripped apart along with the wings. I felt the blood dripping down my back and I fell to my knees as he laughed. He disappeared and I haven’t seen him since.”

“After that, I took time to heal. The wounds were hard to care for, but I couldn’t show them to anyone. I did the best I could, with help from Rosie, but the scars remained. I got the tattoos as a reminder that heaven is both good and evil. I promised myself that once I healed, I would meet you, well not you but I would be open to whoever I was supposed to meet. Easier said than done, it turned out. I finally saw you one day walking on campus. I watched you for weeks, but I was still too afraid, thinking maybe you really loved Ryan. I didn’t want to make you unhappy if you had already found happiness. So I started to
really
watch you. I followed you everywhere, listened to your thoughts, peered into your soul. That’s what my father didn’t realize, that my wings didn’t hold my power. He had heard a myth and believed it. It’s my soul that holds the power.”

*****

Lily

I was shaking my head, tears streaming down my face. I pulled him into my arms and held him tightly. This man had been through so much. My heart had recognized his heart. He had sacrificed for me, had lived through almost unbearable pain, and I had only just noticed him. I cried freely into his shoulder and held him as tightly as I could.
“My god Gabriel, I had no idea. You are so wonderful. I promise, I promise, I...I don’t know what I promise, but I promise all the same.”

He held me tight and stroked the back of my neck.  “It’s ok beautiful. I’m ok now. I’ve got you in my arms. All the shame and fear and hurt led me to this beautiful moment with you.” I pulled back to put my lips on his, kissing him softly. I wanted him to feel my love, the love that I couldn’t verbalize just yet. I pulled away and smiled, suddenly struck by something he had said.

“What do you mean you really watched me?” I tried to keep my face free of emotion. I was slightly pissed that he had been in my head and in my life without me knowing. That was a severe lack of privacy. But I was also getting to know him better, and I could see that he had used his power to protect his heart. After all he had been through, I couldn’t blame him.

“I mean I watched you all the time. While you were at work, at school, sleeping. I learned everything I could about you, all the while wishing I could show myself. I just wasn’t ready. I needed time to heal and be strong again. I knew you and Ryan were having problems and that he was a piece of shit, but I didn’t know he was cheating on you. I was too busy watching you. When you went to sleep crying, I was there, whispering to you that you would be ok. I held you while you slept, so you could find some peace. I was always there, whispering and hoping you’d hear me.”

“Oh my god, Gabriel. I did feel you. I would cry and cry and feel so alone and then it was as if someone was in my head telling me it would be ok. I thought I had made up the feeling of arms protecting me at night out of desperation. I would lie there and pray that my guardian angel would hold me and tell me I’m not alone. That was YOU?”

“Every night, my angel. I was there for you, and you pulled me from the wreckage that had become my life. I fell in love with you the moment I saw you, but I didn’t know what love truly meant until the day I let you see me and you stared into my eyes so freely.”

“That day in class? I thought I had seen you before that?”

“You had seen the ghost of me. I wanted you to take notice, to get used to me being around, but I wasn’t fully ready until the day of finals. It was your last class and I had watched you check every one of your answers twice. It was so adorable and so you and suddenly I was desperate to touch you. I had no idea how amazing you truly were, Lily.”

I sat in stunned silence. I had no idea how to respond or what to do. I kept my hands in his, afraid to break the spell.

“Can I touch your scars again?” I asked.

He smiled and said, “Anytime you want to see me half naked is ok with me.” I punched him lightly on the arm and slid my hands up the back of his shirt caressing his scars.

“These are as much mine as they are yours, Gabriel. My life has hurt me in ways that you don’t know. My scars may not be physical or visible on my body, but your scars hold both of our pain.” I ran my fingertips over them over and over, as though trying to absorb some of his pain and memories. I so desperately wanted to make him feel the love that was bursting in my heart. I pulled my hands out from under his shirt and fixed it back on his body. Grasping his chin, I turned his face towards mine and pulled him closer.

“Everything will be ok”, I whispered. “I’ll watch over you now, I’ll take care of your heart. Like recognizes like remember? My heart recognized your heart.”  He placed his hands over mine and leaned in to caress my lips with his. I sighed into the kiss, gently caressing his lips with my tongue. A growl escaped him and he put his hand on the back of my neck, pulling me even closer. His lips began to devour mine, his tongue attacking mine as though he were trying to escape his demons in this kiss. My core tightened and my panties felt damp. This man’s kiss would be the death of me.

“Let’s get out of here,” I said against his lips. He threw some money on the table, grabbed my hand and pulled me outside. We walked around to the back of the diner where I noticed a small path leading into the woods. Gabriel led me into the trees, walking almost too fast for me. I could feel his need rippling off of him and entwining with mine. Was this it? Was he finally going to fuck me? I nearly giggled with giddiness. I was still so wound up from the nipple clamps and teasing, that I didn’t know if my body could take much more.

We finally reached a clearing where a giant lone tree stood in the center. Gabriel stopped walking and turned to face me.

“Lily, I wanted our first time to be slow and special, and in a bed. But I can’t wait any longer. I need to feel you wrapped around me as I bury myself in you over and over.”

“Gabriel, any time with you is going to be special. I’m not some 20 something virgin you need to take things slowly with. I want to feel you right now.”
“Strip,” he commanded. That dark, hungry look was back in his eyes. I began to peel off my clothes slowly.

“Faster,” he growled as he took his clothes off with me. I whipped my shirts off in quick succession and tore off my pants. I stood there in my bra and panties, wishing I had on something frillier.

“There’s no need for frilly,” he said as he walked closer to me. He grasped the front of my sports bra and tore it in two, making gasp in surprise. “I’ll just rip it off you and ruin it,” he smirked.  He pushed me up against the tree and did the same with my white cotton underwear. He stepped back and stared at my body. It took everything I had not to cover myself, suddenly feeling very self-conscious.

“Fuck, Lily. You are incredibly sexy. Especially with that blush creeping up your breasts and neck. You have the most beautiful, pale skin.” I was too nervous and excited to speak. I silently took in his body, staring at all the tattoos and my eyes traveled further south only to see him straining against his boxers. He took the waistband in his hands and lowered them to the ground, his eyes never leaving my body. Stepping out of them, he slowly stalked over to me and pressed himself against me. His hardness pressed into my belly and I could feel my wetness start to drip down my leg. He took my hands and lifted them above my head.

“I’m going to fuck you now, Lily.” I licked my lips, preparing for the delicious punishment I knew would follow and heard him growl. “I’m going to fuck you hard.”

“Are you still on the pill Lily?" he asked quietly as he ran his nose up and down the right side of my throat.

“Yes sir,” I replied, "and I'm clean, I got tested the other day after...well you know. After I found out about the cheating.”

He bit down hard on my shoulder and picked me up. "Wrap your legs around me." I wrapped my legs around his narrow waist, feeling his dick pressing against my core. God he was huge. I wrapped my arms around his neck as he pushed me up against the tree, kissing my lips with such fervor I thought we'd spontaneously combust. I pulled away slightly and looked into his eyes, stunned at the emerald greenness that stared back at me. There was pure love and lust in those gems.

He thrust his hips and entered me fast and hard, no teasing, no warning, just a swift entrance, filling me up more than I had ever been before. I gasped at the fullness I felt, not realizing exactly how big he was. God he was hard. He gave me a minute to adjust and catch my breath, our eyes never breaking contact. And then the magic happened.

He began to move his hips, slowly at first, moving in and out of me. He leaned his head forward and began to nibble my neck. I returned the favor, running kisses up and down his jaw, gently licking his stubble and tasting the sweat on his skin.  I moved down his neck to his shoulder and bit down hard. He sucked in his breath and started pounding into me harder and faster. The bark of the tree was scraping my skin, but I could barely feel it. He was so deep inside me, he was hitting all the right spots.

"Like that, kitten?" he growled into my ear as he ground his hips into mine.

"Yes, just like that Gabriel. Please don't stop." I was worried he was teaching me another lesson and I don't think my heart, or my clitoris, could take it.

"I'm not stopping, Lily. I’ll never stop pleasing you," he whispered as he reached one of those magical hands down between us. His thumb found my center and started rubbing in small circles. He pumped faster and I tightened my thighs around him, feeling the orgasm build up inside me.
"I'm so close Gabriel, please make me come," I panted.

"As you wish," he panted with me. His thumb moved faster and his hips pumped harder. I cried out as I exploded around him, seeing stars and fireworks, and all those things I had read about in my romance novels. His grunting got louder until he stilled, growling out my name as he emptied himself into me.

I rested my forehead on his and whispered, “Wow.” He chuckled softly and nodded, still too out of breath to speak. As our breathing slowly returned to normal, I unwrapped my legs and he lowered me to the ground.  My legs were wobbly so I held onto him for a minute, trying to get my bearings back. I'd never come so hard in my life.

"Me either, kitten," he grinned at me. I grinned back and began to get dressed. He stopped me when I went to put on my pants. Holding out his hand to me, I saw he was offering me a handkerchief to clean myself off. This small act of kindness made my heart leap with hope that this was the real deal. This was what it looked like when someone truly cared about you. I took the small cloth and smiled broadly at him. He turned his back to me, giving me privacy. I looked at him getting dressed and wondered how in the world I had gotten so lucky.

I finished cleaning up and tucked the hanky into my pocket. He turned back around and came over to place a kiss on my forehead. He placed a finger under my chin and lifted my face up until my eyes met his.

“I love you, kitten,” he whispered. I could only stare at him with wonder in my eyes. He pulled me into his arms and rested his chin on my head. “I know it’s too soon for you to say it…and that it’s a bit clichéd to say it after sex, but I wanted you to know.” I nodded quietly and let him lead me back to his bike.

After we pulled up to my apartment, I slowly got off the bike, my legs still a little unsteady from earlier. I handed Gabriel my helmet and we walked up to my door.