As soon as he saw Riley on the couch, everything that had to do with Amelia left his digital mind. It's like the chip temporarily blocked all files on Amelia, all personal files aside and just focused on her. He felt awful, seeing her arm in a sling. The only reason that she got shot was because of him. It's his fault she got hurt, even if it is her job to protect him. He was doing fine without her, Riley seemed like such a child to him. The way she was curled up on the couch made it look like she was trying to protect herself. Trying to shield herself from letting him anymore into her personal life. It wasn't that he didn't want her around, Gabriel just did not want her to get any more hurt than she was. She had been shot, she had a rough childhood, and she had a tough job. Lillian had said that she got stabbed while protecting the president's children. The president probably did not even think twice about her getting hurt. But Gabriel? He felt like the bullet was tearing through his very own skin, as though he was the one who got shot.
Back to Riley and the couch. That beautiful woman still visibly cringed every time she used those muscles a little too much. The pain that she felt, Gabriel could have sworn that the same pain was coursing through his body. So he pushed Amelia out of his mind and out of the chip and did what he felt he should. He doesn't even remember walking down the rest of the steps, or through the hall, or into the living room. The next thing that he realizes is that his hands are on her. Not in a sexual way, just comforting. One on her neck, rubbing the hair at the bottom of her neck. The other on her arm, gently sliding his fingers over the bandage that he could feel through her sleeve. And him, he wasn't kissing her, or trying to take advantage of her. He was just holding her close enough that her heartbeat could be felt on his body.
This startled her at first, he never seemed like the caring and concerning type. But here with him, she had never felt more safe. Today in the alley though, she never felt more scared. She'd been stabbed before, but there was nothing that scared her more than a bullet. She felt a shiver go down her spine that could have only been caused by the breath, more like sigh, he blew onto her neck like a sigh of relief. She finally leaned into his touch and allowed her free arm to make its way to his neck, threading her fingers in his hair. She burrowed her head into the crook of his neck, taking in his scent and feeling his heartbeat racing. She slid her hand down from his neck, to his chest. She felt his breath hitch as her fingers toyed with the thick collar of his shirt, tracing soft circles into the skin of his chest. Riley felt him pull away slightly, only enough to place a kiss on her temple, taking her breath away. But the way that his lips felt against her skin shocked them both about how much they wanted from this. She was the first to pull away enough to look straight into his crystal blue eyes, then down to the lips that were just on her skin. and back to his eyes. She only moved an inch to place a gentle kiss on his lips. One that stunned the two of them enough to want more.
Even though she was the one who always followed the rules, he was the one who has to say, "We work together. We protect each other. Are you sure this is what you want? Or are you still in shock that I saved your life?" The last part was more sarcastic, but he was right. Did she actually want this, or was it her way of saying 'thanks for saving me'?
"If we do this," she said. "Whatever this is, we can't let this get in the way of work. It may make us want to be more protective. But I'm here to protect you, not the other way around, and it doesn't go both ways. You have to let me do my job, even if that means I get a little hurt every once in a while." She let her thumb graze from the corner of his eyebrow to his jaw. "Okay?" He gave her the same smirk as the day he met her, and lean in so close that Riley could see Gabriel's pupils dilate before he kissed her. The kiss was soft, her hand made a move to his neck and his to her hips. His fingers held her hips so tight she thought there might be a bruise. She opened her mouth when she felt his tongue tracing the line between her lips, allowing the kiss to deepen. Her teeth nipped at his bottom lip, while his hands traveled to her lower back. The moment his fingers played with the hem of her shirt, letting his fingers ghost over her skin, they heard the front door slam. In walked Lillian, and out walked their opportunity for whatever that was.