Victoriaaa- I passed my third driving test so I know how it feels to fail :'( Glad I could help out in some small way :)
Hsmhsm- thankyou and welcome back!
Zanessafreak- here's hoping ;)
Jojo- don't worry ;)
Okay people I think this may be the chapter you have all been waiting for…
14.
Jones' team of armed officers surrounded the small town house, one infiltrating the open window at the side they had found and there were two more shots before a silence descended over the whole plot.
One of the officers approached Troy after speaking into his walkie-talkie and Gabi waited, all the while her breath held in her lungs in utter fear of losing him.
She couldn't imagine having another partner- having anyone else ride with her, tease her, kiss her. That part scared her the most. The way he had kissed her before she had left- it brought a part of her alive that she hadn't thought existed and her heart pounded with the knowledge of it.
He'd wanted her kiss. He'd thought he was going to die and the very last thought that filled his mind had been of her, how he had to taste her before he lost his chance. And that made her ache as much as it made her smile.
She'd given up hope, thought they'd never have anything. She'd thought he hated her, presumed he didn't want to get involved and she'd definitely thought Kayla would have knocked him off his confident perch. Only he'd gone and surprised her and shown a whole other side to him she hadn't expected. And now she found herself wanting more. She found herself wondering if it was possible.
And as Troy was led down the path of the Reynolds house, clutching his gashed arm, she found herself running over to check on him concernedly.
"Are you ok?" She swallowed, her hands brushing his arms, then his face.
He nodded, his smile never far away. "Were you worried about me, Montez?"
"You got hurt, of course I was worried," she chided.
"Excuse me, ma'am," a paramedic pulled her back to attend to Troy and she staggered back uneasily, her head going light with the sudden relief of the situation.
"Hey, don't push her," Troy told the medic, quickly diving forward to steady her, his arm protesting and causing him to wince. "Ouch!"
"Get fixed up," she told him with a tiny smile. "I'll be here."
"Come with me, Montez," he reached out and touched his fingers to hers, a small gesture no-one else saw but that she felt in every nerve ending.
"Do you want me to hold your hand?" She asked drily, smirking at him.
Troy curled a smile back at her, his teeth flashing in his dimpled response.
"Sir," the medic prompted him.
"I'm coming," he told the man, leading Gabi toward the ambulance they had waiting for him.
/
"So, what happened to Reynolds?" Troy asked later, his arm bandaged now as he and Gabi made their way home.
She had offered to cook him dinner while they both recovered from their ordeal and apparently Kayla wasn't home. A fact which Troy felt a little disappointed at- but also quite relieved so that he had Gabi could have some proper adult time together.
"They got him down before he could hurt anyone," Gabi relayed. "I feel so bad for him…"
"He brought it on himself, though," Troy reasoned.
"I know." She agreed softly. "I wish he hadn't put us in danger like that. I feel like someone somewhere wants us dead."
"Hey," Troy looked over with a concerned frown. "Don't think that."
"How can I not?" She pulled into her drive and put the car into park, walking up the drive with Troy by her side. "We haven't had as many 'accidents' in six months as we have in the last four weeks."
"It's just the job, Gabi," he assured as she found out her key and opened her door. "I'll always be there to protect you."
Gabi looked over her shoulder at him as they came into her house. "I can take care of myself you know."
Troy paused, watching as she let down her hair, realising in that moment that this afternoon could have gone a whole other way and that he could have lost Gabi in the flash of a second with Reynolds' gun going off randomly.
"I thought I might lose you out there today," he admitted with a husk and she turned to him fully. "I didn't like how that felt."
Gabi didn't have words to comfort him, but she had something else, she had touch. She wordlessly stepped up to him and put her arms around his neck, coursing her fingers into his soft hair at the same moment her lips met his and he struggled to hold her, his tired and injured body not prepared for her attack.
Oh god, but her kisses were amazing. He could sink into them and lose himself and never have any other worry in the world just as long as his mouth was connected with hers and starting that familiar whirl of exciting emotions across his body.
He wanted to love her, touch her and own her all in one go and he didn't know why- he couldn't explain how- he just knew it.
He'd never had this desire with anyone else- he'd never felt the deep tug in his belly like he did now and as he wrapped her into his hard, aching body, he'd never wanted anyone as much as he wanted her, right now.
He pressed her into the wall, wincing as his arm protested but wanting friction, wanting to crush her small form to his and pillage her soul. God, but she tasted amazing. And her hands ran into his hair and over his shoulders as he kissed down her throat and along her vest scoop neck, taking very gentle lips to worship the soft flesh of her breasts.
"Troy," she sighed, trying to fight the desired fog in her mind to tell him she was dirty from their day's work and actually, he shouldn't be kissing her that way because she might just melt into a puddle of goo right there at his feet.
"You are beautiful," he told her in a soft voice, his breaths caught with equal desire, his thumbs brushing under her ribs and broaching for more as she looked at him and swallowed.
"I'm dirty," she told him honestly, her brown eyes peat-dark and flicking between his where he smiled slowly.
"That's not a bad thing," he assured, leaning down to kiss her again, bringing her body closer to his, pressing her into the wall and she gave up protesting. instead she ripped his top over his head and latched her mouth back to his, not caring about anything except the fact they were both still alive and both able to enjoy this feeling, this rapture, this utter…
"Oh!" She gasped as he grasped her backside and mauled her against his groin, her body arching in response, the move unexpected but exciting all the same. His mouth met hers again and again and then his hands owned her breasts, cupping them with certain care, so strong and tender all at the same time. She wondered how his touch could drive her so wild, but then again, she didn't care as the thought winged from her mind
All she cared about was touching every inch of his muscled torso. All she cared about was kissing him, kissing his flesh and arching against his rock-hard body in search for the unreachable- for ultimate release. Release she wouldn't get while dressed, she realised, quickly flinging off her own vest and sliding down Troy's body to unbuckle her belt, dropping the bottoms at her feet.
"Too hot," she told him in a whisper, something that made him smile before he wrapped her into his body again, his mouth as hard and hungry as before and she had been right, all those weeks ago when he had eaten his hotdog with equal voracity, he did hunger her the same way as his food and good god, he did consume her wholly. She groaned as his hand cupped under her thigh and raised it over his hip, rubbing his hot heat into her intimacy.
"Jesus, Montez," he whispered in her ear as he brushed his lips there, tantalisingly.
"Why are you still dressed?" She wondered, her turn to make him vocalise his pleasure-pain, his arms tightening for a second until he let her loose so she could undo the belt buckle he didn't think he would be capable of unlocking right now.
She licked her lips, met his gaze, wondered briefly if they should be in the bedroom, then pushed the material of his trousers down, her eyes falling on his hard body, a sight which liquidated her insides and had her burning for him to fill her.
"Wow, Bolton, I see why you're so popular with the ladies," she teased, wrapping her hand around the back of his head as she stepped closer, rubbing against him again to revive her tingling pleasure, which she did, and moaned ecstatically at.
"You are driving me insane here," he gasped for breath.
"We should do this somewhere else," she led him up the stairs, inside her golden brown room where she quickly turned and tiptoed to kiss him again, making him smile into the kiss at her eagerness. God, but he never thought the woman who punched his arm every day would ever wrap herself around him so intimately, he never thought her tempting curves would be this exquisite to touch and no, he had never thought they would be heading for her bed, both as keen as the other to make love, right there in the twilight of the evening.
"Are you sure about this?" He whispered, between her thighs on the bed now they had adjusted themselves. He peeled off her underwear and flicked a look into her face, unhooking her bra and kissing her breasts with slow, soft kisses, flicking his tongue over her bud to bring a cry from her throat as she curled in pleasure and dug her short nails into his shoulders to encourage him on.
"Yes, oh god, yes," she sighed, squirming as he kissed her other nipple with equal attention.
"I could kiss you all night, Montez," he announced, kissing down the line of her toned belly toward her belly button.
"Please don't," she begged.
He ignored her hurrying plea and kissed lower still, dropping a surprise press of his lips to her inner thigh where she gasped and flicked her eyes open.
"Troy, no," she begged of his obvious intent, her fingers ruining his hair.
"It's been three years hasn't it?" He checked softly, the look in his eyes so hot and so loving at the same time; she couldn't help but wonder where it came from.
"How did you know that?" She frowned in annoyance, blushing in embarrassment.
"Hey, hey," he brushed his thumbs up the muscled curves of her thighs, her petiteness stark against the size of his hands, but he settled her with just his touch. "Just relax."
"I just want you," she twirled her fingers into her hair and thrashed uneasily on the bed, letting out the most wanton noise as he flicked his tongue deep inside her, setting her alight with the contact.
She hadn't had this kind of sensory delight since she'd last made love with Paul and god knew it paled in comparison to Troy's skills. She didn't care if he'd slept with a hundred women before her because she felt like she were his only one as he carefully brought her to the edge of her peak and then stopped, kissing her mouth before he crawled back up her body, his boxers gone.
"Condom," she told him with shaky hands, applying his protection as she looked into his eyes, nothing but trust flowing there.
"I wont hurt you," he told her and she didn't know if he meant her feelings or her body, but she didn't think about it for long because soon he was sinking into her, hot and gratifying in the most basic sense.
"Sweet Jesus," Troy swallowed as he felt her tighten intimately around him, causing him to lay his forehead to her shoulder. "Don't shoot now, Bolton," he told himself, drawing a sweet murmur of laughter from Gabi's lips as her hands found his hair again and comforted him.
"Can you finish?" She wondered quietly and he smiled into her face, kissing her nose.
"I'm gonna try," he offered.
She arched, taking him deeper, nearly finishing him right there with her move. The way she stretched for him, the way her arms went above her head and lent his lips to kiss the outer curve of her breast, it all combined with her arching hips and her bright eyes; every part of her alive and needing him.
He gave himself to her in deep, full thrusts and something more, maybe even a piece of his heart as he told her again how beautiful she was, how sexy, how he loved her body and her soul and when they rose together, toward the end, he thought there could be no way down from the height they reached, their pinnacle conquered in unison, the strength of their feelings apparent in their quivering muscles and long aftermath of recovery.
"Your arm…" she suddenly panicked.
"I'm not on it," he assured, brushing the thumb of that hand over her hair gently, gazing into her eyes as he sipped kisses from her mouth, slow and smiling as he did so.
"What's funny?" She asked.
"Nothing is funny," he assured. "I'm just happy right now."
"You got your rocks off," she accused lightly with her own feline smile.
His thumb brushed over her eyebrow as he flicked his gaze over her face- flushed and loved. "I made you smile," he adjusted soppily, reminding her of his cheesy one-liners.
"Orgasms kinda do that," she explained.
Troy rolled over and removed his used sheath, wriggling into his boxers before he lay down and sighed, his eyes still sparkling from the pressure of his orgasm, his blood flow slowly returning to normal.
He was surprised to feel Gabi by his side, curling into him for comfort- a cuddle- and he enclosed his arm around her shoulders to hold her close, his mind still busy trying to come back to reality.
Sharing himself with Gabi had been beyond sex. It had been beyond anything he had ever experienced and he was shocked by it. He'd felt his heart burst with joy when she had shuddered with blissful satisfaction in his arms, her small body governed by his but still she had given as much as he had asked for and more and her strength and lovemaking were a pleasant surprise.
But love wasn't on the cards. He couldn't possibly fall for someone, anyone, let alone Gabi. She was too precious, too beautiful and too needful. How could he ever live up to her standards?
He realised he couldn't and never would. He would always fail somehow, he would always let her down and god, he ached as she hugged him around the middle and claimed him for her own and he didn't want to give up that feeling for anyone else; but ultimately he knew this could go nowhere. Nowhere but into trouble.
He closed his eyes and swallowed against a lump in his throat that told him he had no business giving into his body this way and then leaving her for dust; just like he always did. Especially when she held him so nicely. Especially when the lure of her curvy body lay right there beside him. But he had to. There was no other way. He couldn't possibly consider the alternatives because it was Gabi who would suffer and she didn't deserve that.
He kissed her hair as she murmured softly in her sleep, her knee reaching up his thigh as she rubbed against him unconsciously and he closed his eyes again, wishing away the pain of his betrayal. He shouldn't leave her, god, he didn't want to. He wanted to stay all night and be here in her bed when she woke- all soft and sex-messy and looking more gorgeous than ever. But although the temptation was strong, his urge to run was stronger and he felt it winning out, his heart too afraid to love again.
"I'm so sorry, Princess," he whispered, his face creasing as he worried silently beside her, waiting for her to fall fully asleep before he moved and when he finally extricated himself from her clinging hug, he paused and watched her sleeping for a moment before he went.
His lips burned with the urge to kiss her awake, his body ached with the desire to love her all over again and his heart pounded with the certain knowledge he was falling for her- in a big way. But still he turned to go, his sigh deep and pained at the knowledge of what he was doing- of everything that he was turning his back on as he went, so used to leaving like this that he didn't know what else there was to do. He needed time to think. He needed some air.
"Troy!" A weight hit his leg as he opened the front door to her town house, about to escape.
"Kayla," he frowned, wincing at being caught. It must be early hours already he realised. He'd taken longer than usual to escape.
"Are you sleeping over again?" She asked hopefully, clutching her teddy to her chest.
"Uh…I…erm…" he coughed as he fought for words.
"Where's Gabi?" Sharpay asked with a clear voice as she approached, somehow not surprised to see him there, sneaking out, but her head was tipped sideways in an accusing manner.
"She's in bed," he supplied in a husk from his broken throat.
The blonde's eyes met his and held them, her unimpressed stare shaming him as he stood, in limbo.
"Not staying for breakfast?" She asked pointedly.
"I'll make waffles!" Kayla announced happily, now using both her arms to hug around both of his knees thereby immobilising him.
"I was just on my way out to get some…" he murmured, confused at being trapped here when he would normally be clean and free by now.
Sharpay looked at her watch with a pinched frown. "I have to be at work in ten minutes…" she sighed. "I'll come in and wake her," she decided.
"Wait-" Troy held out his hand to her chest to pause her. "Don't worry. I'll stay and look after Kayla."
"I thought you were sneaking out?" Sharpay enquired knowingly.
He looked right at her, then down to his knees where Kayla still trapped him. "Kayla why don't you go inside and sit on the sofa for a moment," he told the girl, then stepped down to speak with Gabi's friend, one to one.
"You're right, I was going to leave but now I'm not. Is that okay with you?"
"Not really," she levelled at him coolly. "I'm gonna tell Gabi what I saw."
"Fine," he swallowed. "Then at least tell her the truth. Tell her I went out to buy her favourite- smoked salmon and cream cheese bagels. She loves them and I wanted time to think."
"I don't believe you…" She squinted.
"My jacket's in there, my socks and my uniform. I only have my wallet," he lifted it up for evidence. "I felt the fear and I decided to run- but not for good."
"Kayla doesn't need another hero running out on her any more than Gabi does," Sharpay arched at him. "I'm watching you Troy Bolton. Don't step out of line…"
"Yes ma'am," he shut the door behind him with a soft click and came into the living room to find Kayla obediently sitting on the sofa, playing with his hastily removed tool belt from the night before.
"Oh, hey, don't play with that, sweetie," he quickly shot over and intercepted the danger from her small fingers. "That's not a toy."
Kayla sank down in guilt and bounced her small legs on the sofa cushion. "Can we make mommy waffles?"
"Yeah," He smiled slowly, thanking the girl silently from breaking his escape. "I think we can manage that."