Right then, I seemed to have forgotten that fact. Because looking at Gabriel, thoughtlessly giving such a young girl easy affection, the image of him, in his cut with tattoos and the innocent, beautiful little human, my womb clenched.
Then my gaze moved back to the television.
“What are you doing?” I asked, finally realizing I was turning into some sort of Peeping Tom, though I was sure Gabriel knew I was there. He had badass skills.
The way he jumped told me his badass skills were on vacation. Amazingly, the little girl on his thigh stayed in her current position, still firmly gripped by the sandman. I felt a pang of envy at how little people welcomed oblivion so easily.
You could welcome it that easily, the devil on my shoulder said. All it takes is one shot.
I shook the thought away with great effort, my hands shaking slightly.
“Shh,” he hissed.
I raised a brow. Belle didn’t wake up with him almost crawling up the back of the sofa, so my simple question probably wouldn’t wake her. But then, he wasn’t looking at Belle. His gaze was glued to the TV.
My mouth had a mind of its own and a small grin tugged at the corners. “Did you just shush me in order to keep watching My Little Pony?” I teased, my eyes on the ridiculous pastel cartoon.
“I’m not watching My Little Pony,” he scoffed, though his gaze didn’t move. “I’m watching Belle, who happens to like Rainbow Magic. I’m just being an awesome uncle and letting her have her way.”
My grin turned into a full-blown smile. “Babe, Belle’s asleep,” I pointed out.
Gabriel suddenly tore his gaze from the TV. It didn’t go to Belle, as I expected, but came straight to me. I felt his eyes at my smile and I couldn’t even take it off if I tried. Something moved beyond them before he quickly glanced down at the sleeping toddler on his lap. Registering that she was, in fact, asleep, he quickly fumbled for the remote and turned off the TV.
“You’re a Brony,” I said, on the edge of laughter.
Gabriel’s gaze shot to me. “No, I’m not,” he argued. There was a pause. “What’s a Brody?”
That’s what did it. I burst out laughing. Real, bent-over, gut-wrenching, tear-bringing laughter. I finally got hold of myself, still too far gone to see the way he was looking at me. “A ‘Brony,’” I said between giggles, “is a full-grown man who derives pleasure from watching Rainbow Magic,” I explained. “Never in my life would I think a biker, a big bad Sons of Templar biker, would also be a Brony,” I teased.
Gwen entered the room before he could defend himself, her hair slightly mussed. “Thanks for watching Belle, Lucky,” she said. “Hey, babe, what’s up?” she asked me.
I grinned. “Well….”
Gabriel surged off the sofa, thrusting the sleeping kid into Gwen’s arms.
“We were just talking about how incredibly manly and strong I was and how Becky couldn’t control herself around me. I had to remind her that we were in the presence of a child, but that didn’t stop her.” He shrugged at Gwen. “What can I say, I’m irresistible.” He was at my side in a flash, his hand over my mine. “We’ve got to go now, bye.” He ushered me out the door before I could utter a word.
“How much do I have to pay you to keep that under your belt, Becky,” he murmured in my ear, yanking me to his side.
I grinned and glanced up at him. “About a million dollars. But I’ll take it in installments.”
“Let’s get my baby on the bike.”
“Or we could ride unicorns?” I teased.
“They’re fuckin’ ponies,” he snapped, and I full-on laughed.
I didn’t think I’d ever be able to, but there was Gabriel, proving me wrong.
Chapter Twenty-Four
“She has been through hell. So believe me when I say, fear her when she looks into the fire and smiles.”
-E. Corona
“I don’t want to go to a party,” I whined, climbing off Gabriel’s bike.
He grinned and took off my helmet, then ran his fingers through my spiky hair. I closed my eyes. I was getting better at it, letting him touch me. Letting the warm feeling wash over me and not feel their hands disperse ice through my limbs. Since that night, three days before, when I’d fallen apart almost completely, it was like I could finally start putting myself together again. I didn’t miss the way Gabriel watched me, his eyes guarded and intense. I knew I scared him with the syringe. I’d terrified myself. I’d looked right into the hell I’d clawed my way out of and seriously considered going back there. But I hadn’t. And that was something pivotal.
I’d been getting better. I wasn’t ready for everything, but I was getting there. I freaking hoped so, because living with someone who looked like Gabriel, sleeping next to him and his abs, had me feeling all pent-up but unable to do anything about it.