Desiree's Star Ch. 12

"Scotty, I don't feel well," Desiree whined into her phone from the comfort of under her blanket.

"What's wrong?" he asked not sounding all that concerned. Desiree's brother Scott had called to find out the status of the girls on campus and instead was instead being given the run down of his sister's health.

"I think I'm coming down with something."

"No shit, what's wrong?" he asked again.

"I'm cold, I cant breathe, and my head hurts."

"Sounds like a bad hangover."

"Bring me soup."

"No way, you're an hour away."

"I'm your baby sister, and you love me. Please bring me soup. Chicken Noodle with a big spoon. Please."

"No," Scott said with a smile. His sister was always pitiful when she got sick. "Go to the campus cafeteria and buy some soup."

"Scotty...please."

She heard him sigh, and she knew she had him.

"You are such a pain in the ass, Desiree. Are you still gonna want it after about 9pm?"

Desiree smiled and pulled the blanket tighter around her. "Yes I will."

"Fine. See you later."

"Thanks, Scotty. Love you." She got the words out two seconds before she heard her brother disconnect.

She snuggled down in her bed and closed her eyes. She didn't really need the soup, but she wanted it, and plus she hadn't seen her brother in the two weeks she'd been at school and she missed him. She wasn't going to admit to herself that she probably missed Gabriel more than she missed her brother, but she would be grateful for her brother's company.

She closed her eyes and tried to force the image of Gabriel from popping up on the inside of her eyelids. She hadn't talked to him since he sent her the text message, and she wasn't expecting to. Finally Desiree felt herself slowly being pulled toward sleep.

~*~*~

The three sharp raps on Desiree's apartment door pulled her from her fitful sleep. "Who is it?"

"Soup!"

Desiree smiled as she shuffled to the door. She truly loved her brother. "You do love me," she said without glancing through the peephole as she swung the door open.

"You're damn right I do."

Desiree's heart just about jumped out her chest. Gabriel stood at his full height smiling sheepishly at her, enjoying her shocked expression, with a dozen roses in one hand and her soup in the other. This was certainly the last thing she expected when she rolled out of bed.

She ignored his statement and asked where her brother was.

"He's sitting on his ass in his apartment watching television." Desiree raised her eyebrows.

"Well what are you doing here?" she asked. Obviously she had an idea, but she figured it best not to jump to any conclusions considering she hadn't spoken to him in two weeks.

"You gonna make me stand out in this hall all night?" Desiree wanted to tell him she didn't give a damn where he stayed, but she held her tongue and backed out of the doorway. She waited for him to step through the door trying not to get swept up in his manly scent. She shut the door behind him and felt a sense of panic rise in her.

What was she supposed to do now? The man doesn't call, doesn't text – which she hates anyway – and then just expects that he can bring her soup and everything is okay? What is wrong with him? What's wrong with me, she thought as quickly tried to assess how the night had gone from hanging out with her brother to Gabriel standing in her foyer.

"You didn't answer my question," she said hands on hips.

"I wanted to see you," Gabriel said as he handed her the roses. Desiree took the roses and walked into the kitchen to find a vase for them. She tried to hide her shock, and she was sure she wasn't doing a very good job. And did he tell her he loved her when she opened the door? Technically 'no', right? She did say it first, so that doesn't count. And it really doesn't count because she thought it was her brother.

"You wanted to see me, huh?" she truly was at a loss for words. They both knew the reason she kept letting him in, but she was still mystified as to the reason he kept coming back.

Gabriel walked up behind her and set the soup down on the counter and placed the big spoon on top of the container. "Yes Desiree, I wanted to see you."

"I have to go to the bathroom," Desiree chimed, thinking of the only thing that could get her out of this situation and away from Gabriel's gravitational pull.

"No you don't," he said holding onto her waist and pinning her against the counter.

"Seriously, thanks for the soup, the flowers were a nice touch, but isn't this scenario getting old?" Desiree turned to face him, startled by how handsome he looked. He was in jeans and a ripped sweatshirt. He couldn't have looked better if he'd tried.

Gabriel raised a questioning eyebrow and Desiree sighed. "This whole," she said waving her hands through the air. "Ignore me for two weeks then seduce me when you decide you need a sexual fix. Don't look at me like that. It's your MO, and you're becoming predictable."

"Its not ignoring if you don't want to talk me." Desiree crossed her arms over her chest and waited for him to finish. "Last time we were together, you storm out of your bedroom, then don't talk to me during dinner and you run when I get you back to your house. If I knew any better, I'd say you were trying to ignore me." He watched Desiree's jaw clench and knew he struck a nerve.

"I have to go to the bathroom," she said again.

"No. I want you to tell me why you've been acting so schizophrenic around me."

"I'm sick, and I'll cough on you."

"Real mature, and real nice try, but I wouldn't mind having your germs." Gabriel waited several beats expecting her to say something. When she didn't he stepped closer pressing his chest against her folded arms. "Why don't you tell me what you want."

Desiree narrowed her eyes at him. She was beginning to feel a dull ache in the back of her brain, and she was sure if he weren't standing so close to her, she'd be able to think straight. "I want you to move so I can go to the bathroom."

Gabriel stepped out of her way and watched as she made her way to the bathroom. Everything always has to be so difficult with her, he thought as he put her soup in the microwave.

Desiree locked the bathroom door and pressed her head against the cool wood of the door. Was she being crazy? Probably, but what did he expect from her?

She moved over the sink and stared in horror at her reflection. Her hair was sticking up at odd angles and her face was flushed and devoid of its usual color. Why'd he always have to see her at her worst?

Desiree splashed water on her face noting that she probably had a fever. She re-did her ponytail and was prepared to thank Gabriel for everything, but tonight was not the night for confrontation. Desiree opened the door the door and watched as Gabriel took her soup out of the microwave and set it on the table.

"Um, thanks," she said. She sat down and took several sips of her soup before realizing she didn't have an appetite.

"I liked your hair better the other way," he commented as he studied her.

"Yea well if I wanted to turn you to stone, I would have left it that way."

"Ahh, so you do like me." Gabriel smiled.

"Don't push your luck, I'm sick and delirious." Gabriel continued to study her for a few more moments as she played with her soup.

"Desiree, you're shaking."

"Just the chills. I'm fine."

"Maybe we should get you to bed. I didn't mean like that," he said raising his hands in defense to her glare. "All I meant is that you should probably rest. You don't look so good."

Suddenly feeling as though all her energy had been sucked out of her, Desiree let Gabriel lead her to her bed and watched him with weary eyes as he tucked her blankets around her.

Desiree would have been taken aback by the concerned look on his face if she hadn't had so much trouble trying to stop shaking. Desiree half expected Gabriel to climb into bed with her, but he didn't. He perched himself on the edge of the bed, flicked on the TV and prepared to spend the entire night right there.

She watched him wondering where this person had come from. Certainly this gaberial was an alien because the Gabriel she knew couldn't and wouldn't spend the night with a woman if there was no promise of sex. The fact that he was willing to watch TV while she slept was a little unsettling.

"What are you really doing here?' Desiree couldn't help but ask again.

"You must be sick and delirious. I already told you."

"Indulge me."

"I wanted to see you," he said turning towards her.

"Well now you've seen me, so you can leave."

"I don't want to." Desiree was amazed.

Desiree felt Gabe lie back on the bed on top of the covers. She was shaking so badly he could feel the bed shaking.

"Are you warm yet?" he asked.

"No," she said wishing she'd got warm enough to stop shaking.

Desiree closed her eyes trying to concentrate on getting warm when she felt the bed shift as Gabriel moved up the bed. Gently, Gabriel wrapped both arms around her trying to add to her warmth. Desiree couldn't remember a time when she'd felt more comforted.

"Did you ever figure out what you're doing after school?"

"No." Desiree waited for him to respond. When he didn't, she asked him why.

"Just wondering if you've got your life all figured out. That's all."

"I'm three months from graduation and I have no idea what I'm gonna do for the rest of my life."

"I'm sure something will come up. You'll figure it out."

Desiree wanted to believe him. He sounded so sure, but instead of contemplating her future, she closed her eyes and thought about how warm Gabriel was making her.

~*~*~

Desiree shifting her weight in the bed slowly pulled Gabriel from his sleep. He continued to hold her throughout the night although she'd stop shaking a long time ago. He watched her as she slept, her lips slightly curled in a grin. He was hoping she was dreaming about him, but he didn't want to get his hopes up. He was glad Scott called him and told him Desiree wasn't feeling well. Scott knew how busy he'd been at work lately, and this would probably be the only time he'd have to come see Desiree for a while.

Gabriel was a little ashamed to admit that he'd jumped at the chance to see her. He could have picked up the phone and called her, but he was sure she wouldn't answer. And if she did, he'd end up ruining the conversation like he always did and it would result in her slamming down the phone. So the best thing to do was just show up right?

He considered not bringing the flowers, but that's always a nice touch when trying to get back on a woman's good side, and it must have worked because he was still sleeping in her bed, which was way more than he expected when he thought about all the ways last night could have ended. He half expected her to slam the door in his face after snatching the soup from him, but she didn't. It was probably because in a round about way he told her he loved her. He'd never done that before, and he didn't mean to, it just popped out. With a smile, he wished he'd had a camera to catch the surprised look on her face when he said it.

He pulled his right arm out from underneath her and tried as quietly as he could to get to the bathroom. He wanted to stay in bed with her until she woke, but he couldn't hold it anymore.

"You're still here," Desiree said as he made his way back into her room after relieving himself. Gabriel shrugged his shoulders and told her he just wanted to be with her. While he was standing in the bathroom, he'd gone over the things he wanted to say while he was in front of the mirror. If he didn't act now, his plan would be shot to shit and she'd kick him out.

Desiree raised a questioning eyebrow but said nothing else. She was studying his body language, which was telling her he had something to tell her. She was half hoping he'd tell her that after tonight he wanted nothing to with her – at least she would finally be capable of moving on.

Desiree sat up in bed and watched as he moved to the chair in the corner and sat down. She marveled at how his long legs seemed to extend themselves across the room.

"Sorry I haven't called, I've been real busy at work. We are in the middle of transition, and I've really had to step up to the plate as of late."

Desiree shrugged trying to pretend like her heart wasn't beating so loudly in her ears she could barely hear him. "Doesn't matter."

"What kind of response was that?"

"A truthful one." This was not going the way he wanted it to. She was already mad at him and wasn't afraid to make sure he knew it.

"Are you seeing anyone here yet?" he asked changing tactics.

"Does it matter?" Gabriel ground his teeth. She was not going to make this easy on him.

"Yes." Gabriel answered tersely.

"Why?" she seemed indifferent to him, and it was making him nervous. Had she already found someone else? He was an idiot to think she wouldn't.

Desiree flipped her blankets back and marched out of the room. She really only did it because she knew walking away in the middle of a conversation would drive Gabriel nuts, and predictably it did.

"Don't walk away from me," he said stalking after her.

"You're in my apartment," she said as she continued to walk towards the kitchen. "I will do as I damn well please." "Answer the question," he told her when he caught up with her.

"I want to know why it matters so much." Desiree opened the door to the refrigerator just to give herself something to do. She knew damn well she didn't have an appetite.

Gabriel took a deep breath. He had to regain control of the situation. He was about to open his mouth when she tired to brush pass him and leave the kitchen. Before he knew it, he'd grabbed hold of her arms and pushed her up against the wall pinning her down. Now she had to listen to him.

In the calmest voice she could muster, she told him to let her go. She didn't like being this close to him.

"Because I don't want you seeing anyone else." He watched as Desiree's eyebrows shot up in surprise then creased in anger. "Let me finish," he commanded in a stern voice. He was mildly amused when she didn't say anything.

"We should have had this conversation a long time ago," he said with a sigh. Desiree's heart was beating so hard she was sure he could see her shirt moving.

"I wanna know that you are not gonna be with anyone else while you're here. I don't even want you interested in someone else while you're here. I'm everything you need. Granted I don't call when I should, rest assured I'm still thinking about you. Lord knows I'm not perfect. I don't call when I should, I will forget your birthday, I'll spend Sunday watching football, I wont always listen when you talk. I'm a man." he shrugged as if not apologizing for anything. "But I will never forget to tell you how much I want you. Have you any idea the self control I had to exercise to sleep with you in my arms all night and not try anything?"

He leaned his body into hers and stared at her lips. "So smartass, are you seeing anyone?"

Desiree felt her knees weaken, but she was going to try her damnest not to let him know it.

"Maybe." Now she was just pressing his buttons and she knew it. She wasn't sure how to respond. She done so much preparation waiting for him to tell her it was over, that she didn't really know how to process him saying he wanted her all to himself. "What about you, tiger? You seeing anyone?"

"I'm looking at her. Now answer my question." Gabriel could feel himself coming unraveled. He watched her lips waiting for them to form the words he was dreading to hear. If she told him she'd found someone else, he march out the door without looking back, but he knew she wouldn't. He just needed to hear the words out loud.

Desiree felt his growing erection pressing against her abdomen. She wanted to keep him guessing but she knew if she kept talking her lips would betray her and tell him everything he wanted to hear. Instead she watched Gabriel as he watched her, slowly getting aroused by the way he was looking at her.

"Answer the question, baby." The sound of him calling her baby was enough to coax a no from her lips. Gabriel smiled like a kid at Christmas and pressed his lips to hers. She could feel how excited he was that she wasn't seeing anyone.

Kissing her like it was the first time, he gently explored her mouth with his. His hands moved from her arms to the side of her face so he could hold her in place while he kissed her. Gabriel felt her small hands wrap around his waist and pull him closer to her.

He chewed on her bottom lip, drawing a deep moan from her throat. He slid his hands down her body and rested them on her thighs. They were both breathing harder now, and kissing more frantically. Desiree gripped at the bottom of his sweatshirt pulling it and his shirt off in one motion. While Gabriel tried to get her shirt over her head, she fumbled with his belt.

Desiree undid Gabriel's belt and unsnapped his pants and they hit the kitchen floor with a thud. Gabriel lifted her shirt over her breasts and began to greedily suck on her exposed taut nipples. He grabbed her legs and lifted her from the floor and she wrapped her legs around him. She began to grind her moistening shorts into his erection as he continued to milk her breasts. With a moan she arched her back and offered herself to him while running her fingers through his hair.

Neither could speak as both were so consumed with being with each other. They both now knew how they felt about each other and were eager to demonstrate it. Desiree's heart pounded as her bare back pressed against the cool kitchen wall and her front pressed against Gabriel's hard body.

She continued to moan and writhe against him as he moved his wet kisses from her sensitive chest to her neck. He licked and bit and sucked on her neck, marking her as his for everyone to see, and by the noise she was making, she loved it.

"Is this what you want, baby?" he asked as he crudely ground his cock into the junction between her legs. "Tell me. Tell me this is what you want." Gabriel continued to slide is cock up and down her slit and she moved in time with his hips.

"Oh yea, Gabe. I want it," she panted.

Gabriel didn't hesitate. He slid her shorts to one side with his hand, and in one motion impaled Desiree on his cock. Gabriel groaned in pleasure as her hot wet tunnel enveloped him, and it took everything in him to try and not explode inside her. He felt right at home. Desiree panted as her mind tried to comprehend the intense pleasure she was feeling from having the man of her dreams balls deep inside her.

She could feel every inch of him pulsing and moving inside her. She was dripping wet, and was sure she was leaving a mess on the floor beneath them.

"Oh baby, you feel so good." Gabriel felt his knees begin to weaken so he carried Desiree to the kitchen table. He set her down on the table and told her to lie back. He grabbed each leg and raised them towards her head giving him unfettered access to her body. The change in angle caused him to rub against new spots in her snatch making her say his name out loud.

He watched as tiny beads of perspiration on Desiree's body shook with each thrust and he could feel Desiree's body begin to clench around him. He licked his fingers and moved his hand to her clit. As he slowed down his thrusts, he sped up his fingers as they teased her swollen nub. He took her to the edge then stopped moving completely drawing frustrated moans from Desiree. Cruelly he continued this manipulation of her body. He'd push himself into her as hard and fast as he could, only to slow down and play with her clit until she was begging for him to let her cum.

He loved the way she begged him to make her cum, and he told her so. "I am the only man that is gonna make you cum, isn't that right baby?"