Factors of Change Ch. 02

"The other does not ask a man to come inside on the first date?" he provided, feeling helpful. I looked up at him in confusion and he smirked. "Which part is that?"

"The old human part. The wolf part doesn't care what the human part thinks of conventions." I frowned and looked down again, embarrassed. "And you're a wolf."

His hand moved in and tilted my face up again, and I was forced to look into those dizzying eyes of his. "You know," he said slowly, "I am human, too." He gave a half-shrug. "Or I was, not so long ago."

"I just don't know what to do with this... this," I explained lamely, dropping my hands to my sides. I stared into his eyes, willing him to understand. "Why are we drawn to each other like this, Gabriel? Is it just a crush? A fling? A coup de foudre?" I was rambling, upset, and he narrowed his eyes, but didn't stop me. "Or is it really our wolves who are telling us something? We're not supposed to, it's impossible, everyone says that..." He finally interrupted me by leaning in and kissing me soundly, and I closed my eyes in surprise and surrendered instantly as he held me by the arms, pulling me closer.

"You said it does not need a name," he whispered against my lips when the kiss broke. "Nothing is impossible. We can keep it that way until we figure it out." He looked down at me. "Until then, we do what makes your human part comfortable. I will be patient. Deal?"

"I'm not patient at all," I whined softly, making him laugh. I bit my lower lip, but smiled and leaned up to give him a gentle kiss on the lips. "Deal. Thank you, Gabriel." He smiled and returned the kiss much more thoroughly, and I was a bit breathless by the time he broke it and took a step back.

"Bonne nuit, Leah," he said softly.

"Goodnight," I answered, and watched him turn around and walk down the stairs. I heard the door downstairs open and close, and sighed as I unlocked the door and stepped inside my apartment.

I dropped the keys on the small table by the door as I turned the lock back on the door, and quickly made my way to the window to look down at the street. Gabriel had crossed it and was leaning against a car parked right behind his own, speaking to the driver through the open window. The street lamp light caught on the driver's face, and I recognized the dark William as he smirked up at his boss and best friend, a teasing look on his face. I switched my gaze to Gabriel, admiring the rear view as he leaned slightly forward, his long legs and round backside perfectly encased in the black slacks, and his wide shoulders moving beneath the light fabric of his dress shirt. He was unrolling his sleeves as he spoke and laughed, and I realized, glancing down at my own clothes, that I was still wearing his suit jacket over my shoulders.

I laughed at this new cliché. My eyes watched Gabriel as he left William and walked back to his own car, and stayed on the small sports car until it disappeared from my view. Feeling like a teenager yet again, I lifted the collar to my nose and took a deep breath of his fresh, spicy scent. It washed over my senses and relaxed me instantly, and I suddenly felt like a junkie looking for her fix. I wrapped myself in the jacket more tightly and smiled at the thought, ambling through the dark hallway to my bedroom. A fix that would come soon, I hoped. The jacket wouldn't hold his smell for a long time.