Hello, angels! Just as a warning, there is a bit of a lemon in this chapter (I say "a bit" because I intentionally made it probably the most bare bones lemon that ever existed). So for any of you that would prefer not to read such things, minimal as it may be, or not, you'll probably want to stop reading after "And it was the precise thing she knew she would, if Gabriel had his way." I promise, aside from a minor spat for our not so solid couple, you won't miss much, and the rest of the action will pick up next time around!
With that said, I will stop my rambling here! Many thanks for sticking with this story and giving it a chance, and happy reading!
…
"Fiona, darling, we were so worried," Selena gushed, pulling her daughter-in-law to be into what might pass for a genuine embrace, save for the brittle smile firmly in place upon her lips as she pulled back to look the younger woman up and down, "You're—Fiona, you're bleeding."
"She's fine, Mother," Gabriel interjected, his roll of the eyes almost imperceptible as he reached for his fiancé's arm once more to tug her over towards her seat, "Just a scratch."
"Well I suppose it's only to be expected, what with her line of work. All the more reason for her to quit, don't you think?"
"Actually, I don't have any intention of quitting—"
"Fiona—"
"I don't," The young woman insisted, ignoring the sharp look Gabriel was sending her way, and turning to face her future father-in-law as he downed yet another sizeable gulp of his drink as though he didn't care either way what her opinion might have been on his recent suggestion, "I happen to love my job, Victor."
"Dad, Fiona. How many times do I have to tell you to call me Dad," The older man corrected, chuckling a bit at the slight lift of the young woman's brow, before turning his attention towards his son with a knowing smile upon his face, "She's a stubborn one, son. You were right about that."
"I'm aware."
"Well, now that we're all here, perhaps we can get down to enjoying a round of drinks before dinner?" Selena suggested, aware of the obvious tension in her son's frame, and seeking to remedy it the only way she knew how, "Fiona certainly looks like she could use one."
"Mother—"
"Actually, Gabriel, she's right," Fiona cut in, aware of her fiancé's scathing expression, and choosing to send him her best attempt at a sweet smile before going on, "A drink sounds absolutely lovely."
"Well then, we have our marching orders. Ladies, pick your poison."
"Another martini, dear. Dry. Two olives."
"And you, my dear?" Victor inquired, reaching inside his jacket pocket for a cigar and his lighter, while simultaneously directing a sly smile Fiona's way, "What would you like?"
"Gin and tonic."
"Duly noted. I'll go get them."
"You don't have to do that, Dad," Gabriel advised, only to find his protest cut short as his father rose from his seat and lit his cigar in the same motion.
"Nonsense, son, it's my pleasure."
"Want me to come with you?"
"What, you don't think your old man can handle a few drinks by himself?" Victor scoffed, chuckling to himself as he shook his head and turned to head in the direction of the bar, "I'll be fine, Gabriel. Keep the ladies occupied while I'm away."
"I'm sure he'll do just fine at that," Selena encouraged, waving her husband away with a languid flip of her hand, before turning her attention back towards Fiona and leaning forward in an almost conspiratorial fashion before speaking once more, "There's something I wanted to discuss with the two of you in private, anyway."
"Oh? And what might that be?"
"Children."
"Selena, we aren't even married, yet," Fiona protested, her fingertips fiddling with a fork for want of anything better to do while she took a moment to force a steadying breath, knowing that allowing her aggravation to show would do little to no good at all, "I think children are a ways off, for both of us."
"Not necessarily. Gabriel tells me you've been trying rather frequently, and with no luck."
"I didn't realize our sex life was something he discussed with you."
"Cut it out, Fiona. Mother is only trying to help."
"And besides, I'm only doing what any good mother would do," Selena pressed, taking control of the conversation once again before Fiona could get a word in edgewise, and suppressing a tiny smile at the obvious discomfort in the younger woman's face as a result, "Gabriel came to me with a concern, and I resolved to help in any way I can."
"You really don't need to—"
"Nonsense, darling, I've already helped so many of my friends who had the same issue. I guess you could say I'm something of an expert."
"An expert in what?"
"Infertility."
"In—infertility," Fiona repeated, the fork she had been fiddling with sliding out from between her fingertips, and landing against the fabric of the tablecloth with a muted thud, "That's what you think this is?"
"Well, what else could it be, dear? If you really have been trying, and you're not on the pill—"
"I have no idea, but that doesn't mean it's—that I'm—"
"It's nothing to be ashamed of," Selena interrupted, glancing towards the bar to ensure that Victor was still otherwise occupied, and turning back to her son's fiancé as soon as she was satisfied that his return was not imminent, "Plenty of women encounter it. And I have several friends in the medical field that may be able to help."
"I don't think that's going to be necessary."
"It wouldn't hurt, Fiona. I mean, a child is what you've always wanted, isn't it?" Gabriel cut in, the barely veiled tension in his tone causing his fiancé to flinch, though she did her best to avoid letting it become too obvious she had done so while his hand came to rest more than a little firmly upon her knee below the table, "Let Mother speak."
"Thank you, Gabriel," Selena enthused, reaching across the table to pat at her son's hand, before turning sharp eyes towards Fiona once again, "I can understand if you aren't ready to discuss it yet, of course—"
"She's ready. We both are."
"Really. Because that's news to me."
"Fiona—"
"No, Gabriel, really," The young woman insisted, holding his gaze even as she felt the telltale sensation of his fingertips digging into her thigh while he shot her a warning glare, "This isn't something we should be discussing right now."
"Why not?"
"Because for one thing we are in the middle of a country club. And for another, you know I can't afford to have that much time off work right now."
"Maybe that would be different if you finally realized you didn't have to work at all."
"And here we go again."
"Gabriel has a point, dear. He makes more than enough to situate you both comfortably, and you know if you ever run into trouble Victor and I are happy to help."
"I wasn't raised with the inclination to take charity, Selena."
"Oh, but it's not charity. It's what family does," The older woman said, straightening a bit in her seat as she realized Victor had returned with their drinks, and once again plastered a grin upon her face, "Just think about it, Fiona. That's all I ask. And when you are ready, you just let me know."
"Let you know about what?" Victor asked, depositing the drinks he had obtained upon the table, and sliding back into his seat with the nub of his cigar clutched tightly between his teeth, "What'd I miss?"
"Nothing, dear. Just a little talk between mother and daughter, so to speak."
"Well, now that all's said and done, shall we grab an appetizer before the main course? I'm starving, and if I have any more booze on an empty stomach, only God knows what may happen."
The group, such as they were, seemed content to murmur their agreement, though Fiona had fallen silent in the wake of the conversation that had just transpired. The thought had crossed her mind, of course, mostly as a result of the rather obvious disappointment her fiancé had always shown each and every time she returned from the store with more toiletries that only proved none of his attempts to get her pregnant had taken hold. But perhaps what troubled her more than her seeming inability to conceive, was the fact that each and every time she found out she had not, the tiniest bit of relief overrode any and all disappointment she might otherwise have felt in response.
She wanted a child, but the idea of being forced to choose between a career she loved, and a life of relative isolation regardless of how much she loved the new baby was something she did not particularly want to face…
And it was the precise thing she knew she would, if Gabriel had his way.
…
The ride home was nerve-wracking, to say the least, despite the fact that the remainder of the dinner had gone off without a hitch. Of course, the greater part of Fiona's attention was forced to remain focused upon the road, to avoid crashing into any oncoming cars. But, in the back of her mind, she could not help but think of exactly what awaited her when she did return home, her teeth constantly chewing at the inside of her lip while she drove until she registered the metallic taste of blood upon her tongue.
She knew that sooner or later, Gabriel would confront her about her reaction to his mother's suggestion, and that said reaction would be nothing less than unpleasant, no matter how fiercely she may try to persuade him that she had not meant to give offense.
Her fiancé had never been one for hearing her side of the story, even in the beginning, and not for the first time, Fiona found herself marveling at how they had even managed to make their relationship last at all.
Almost as soon as the thought entered her mind, Fiona felt guilt coming over her in waves, her relief that she had made it home without incident fading away in the wake of her sudden nerves as she put the car in park and took the key out of the ignition. The glint of the nearby light on top of the garage door caught the diamond of her engagement ring, only making her guilt increase. But regardless of whether she knew staying put would be futile, even if only for a moment, Fiona did exactly that, her hands brushing through dark hair as she leaned back against the driver's seat and exhaled in a long sigh.
Might as well bite the bullet, so to speak, and get the ugliness over with…
Not exactly steeled by the notion, and yet resolved to get on with the evening all the same, Fiona climbed out of the car and shut the driver's side door behind her with a low thud, her hands automatically seeking refuge inside her jacket pockets as she walked up the long driveway and toward the front door. She hated feeling like this. Like she was walking over a landmine, instead of reaching the safety and comfort of her own home. And although some part of her recognized that this very feeling really should be functioning as a sort of red flag about her relationship, the young woman once again shoved that thought to the side, her shoulders squaring as she approached the door to slip the key into the lock, and step inside the foyer before shutting and locking the door behind her once again.
Fiona made the first few steps inside without event, her brow furrowing as she glanced around the foyer as though expecting Gabriel to appear at any moment. When he did not, she found her nervousness only growing, her hands smoothing idly at the fabric of her jeans after she had abandoned her jacket and bag on the chair beside the front door and started to make her way down the hall towards the kitchen, instead. Her heels clicked along the tiling of the floor as she moved, almost seeming to echo in the surprising amount of silence she had encountered ever since she opened the front door. And even though she knew it was unwise, she found herself calling out for her fiancé in the wake of the relative isolation she could feel suddenly pressing down upon her as she stepped into the kitchen, only to find her breath catching in her throat as she found herself face to face with Gabriel as he moved out from behind the kitchen island, drink in hand.
"Gabe—oh."
"Yes. Oh," Her fiancé repeated, dark eyes straying toward the liquid in his glass for a moment before he downed it in one large swig, and set it on the countertop with a dull thud, "What the hell was that, earlier?"
"I was—it wasn't a good time to discuss it."
"She was only trying to help."
"In the middle of the club, where just anyone could overhear. Yes, that's very helpful," Fiona snapped, determination causing her spine to straighten even though she could already see Gabriel's expression darkening in response to her words, "I really wasn't trying to offend her, Gabe, but really—that's—it's private."
"Are you saying my mother makes you uncomfortable?"
"I'm saying that anyone knowing about what we do or don't do in the bedroom makes me uncomfortable."
"Well, excuse me for trying to make you happy, Fiona," Gabe retorted, sarcasm apparent in his tone as he stepped still closer towards her, and managed to force her back until her body bumped against the wall beside the refrigerator, "I didn't realize that was a capital offense."
"It's—it's not, but you should have talked to me about it first if it troubled you that much."
"I thought it troubled you, too."
"Honestly? I hadn't—I didn't know you wanted a baby this soon," Fiona admitted, trying her best not to shrink away from the sudden flare of disbelief that was so apparent in Gabriel's gaze, despite the fact that he had lifted both of his hands to cage her between the wall and his body even more effectively than he already had, "Don't look at me like that, Gabriel, I wasn't. That's the truth."
"Do you not want a baby?"
"I—I don't know if this is a good time."
"Seriously? That's your answer?"
"Is that a problem?"
"Of course it is!" Gabriel exclaimed, the sudden volume to his words causing Fiona to flinch, while her heart took up an uneasy sort of pounding against her ribcage, "How could you even ask that, Fi?"
"How could you even ask if I want a baby? Now, of all times—"
"What's wrong with now?"
"What isn't? We're—Gabriel, we aren't married, yet."
"But we're going to be."
"And what happens when I am pregnant? What then?" Fiona demanded, her palms pressing flat against the wall in an attempt at steadying herself, though the effort was largely wasted whether she wished for such a thing or not, "Everything's fine again?"
"Everything is fine."
"Right. Because men who are completely fine with their fiancé routinely talk about their sex lives with their own mother."
As soon as she said the words, she regretted them, her teeth digging into her lower lip as she waited for the mere millisecond it took for her fiancé to register the slip, and react accordingly. In the blink of an eye, Fiona found that she could not breathe, the pressure of Gabriel's hand closing around her throat causing her eyes to blow wide in a sort of instinctive panic. Of course, that had no impact on Gabriel's apparent ire, his face mere inches away from her own. And even the fact that one of her hands had come up to scrabble at his arm for purchase did not seem to be enough to deter him, the pressure of his hand forcing her back until the back of her head thudded against the wall, and her eyes began to water with unshed tears.
"My mother is only trying to help us. That's more than I can say for yours."
A ragged gasp was the only sound Fiona seemed capable of as Gabriel finally released her, and took a step back, her hand instinctively rising to her throat as she struggled to get enough air to her starving lungs. Every muscle in her body was trembling, wanting so badly to collapse. But regardless of that desire, Fiona forced herself to remain standing, her free pressing against the wall at her back, while she waited for Gabriel's next move. In truth, she half expected him to strike her, or curl his fingers around her throat again. But what she did not expect was for him to close the distance between them once again so that his lips could crash against her own with a startling ferocity, the low growl that left his throat causing a shiver to roll down her spine while she brought her hands up to rest, palms flat, upon his chest.
Why did he always have this effect on her, where no matter how badly she wanted to shove him away, she never seemed capable, whether he had treated her poorly in the moments leading up to a show of affection, or not?
It was a question she could not come up with an answer for, despite how hard she may have wanted to try, and so Fiona did the only thing she could do, in that moment, her arms shifting to wind around Gabriel's neck while she pressed herself against him as close as she could get. One of his hands had fisted in her hair, the slight tug he gave the locks provoking a slight whimper before she could stop it. Of course, it should have come as no surprise that her fiancé would use the sound as leave to continue, his tongue slipping inside of her suddenly opened mouth whether she wanted it to, or not.
The problem was, she wanted it to.
Somewhat steeled by the thought, Fiona allowed herself to get lost in the moment, until she realized Gabriel was breaking away from the kiss to spin her around until she faced the wall, his hands tugging at her pants until he had succeeded in undoing the button and yanking them down her hips until she could step out of them and kick them to the side. His teeth had taken up the act of nipping at her neck, while his fingers bit into the skin of her hips. And although she knew that sex should be the very last thing on her mind, Fiona would have been a liar to pretend that she did not want nothing more than to simply let things proceed, her hips pressing back towards her fiancé's as one of her hands reached around to hold his mouth to the skin of her neck in the same motion.
Hating herself for the desperation that was so inherent in her behavior, Fiona still somehow managed to force that feeling aside in the wake of the sudden realization that one of Gabriel's hands had snaked around to rest against her stomach, the edges of his fingertips slipping below the waistband of her underwear. For a moment, she held her breath, as if poised on the edge of a cliff, waiting for just the right sensation to tip her over.
And then she could feel Gabriel's fingers exactly where she wanted them, a broken whimper leaving her parted lips as she felt his teeth close around her pulse, and one finger pressed down, and in…
"Gabe—"
"Don't," Her fiancé interrupted, hot breath gusting against the skin of her neck as he removed his hand from her panties in favor of shoving them down her legs to follow the same trajectory as her jeans, "Just—don't talk."
Powerless to do anything but comply, Fiona bit down on her lower lip as the sound of Gabriel unbuckling his belt reached her ears, her hips shifting almost of their own accord as she waited for the inevitable. She wanted this, even though she shouldn't—as though the act of allowing Gabriel to do this would heal something that had crept up between them before she could even make an attempt at understanding it. And if fixing things meant keeping her mouth shut, then she would do exactly that, at least for now.
She would do whatever it took to make sure Gabriel never felt the need to almost strangle her again.
With that thought in mind, Fiona simply waited, the sensation of Gabriel's hand biting into her hip again provoking a low moan, while her head dropped back to rest upon his shoulder. It was easier to simply make herself pliant. To accept whatever he would give her, instead of wanting more. So, when she wanted to flinch away as he entered her in a startlingly rough thrust, Fiona forced herself to stay put, instead, her breath whooshing out of her lungs as all hope of whatever small bit of gentleness he had shown before removing her panties faded away.
Placing both hands upon the wall to steady herself, Fiona stifled a cry as her fiancé set an almost punishing pace, his hips snapping against hers, and causing her entire body to shudder in response. She wasn't entirely sure if it was a pleasurable shudder or not, because her mind was far too caught up in the act of hoping that as soon as he found satisfaction, her slip ups of the day just might be forgotten.
If she could just go to bed with him in peace after this, she would count that as a victory and be done with it.
In that frame of mind, Fiona redirected her attention to the act of seeming more responsive, the slight shiver she gave as she realized Gabriel had snuck a hand around to reach under her shirt so that he could make a grab for her breast at least a little genuine in spite of her lingering apprehension. He seemed content to use the current hold he had on her to tug her backwards until she bumped against his chest. The act allowed his pace to quicken, a ragged gasp escaping her lips as the slight shift in position ignited nerve-endings she had thought would be ignored. Unbidden, she felt herself pushing back against him, though her movement was limited with how he had crowded her against the wall. But just as she had begun to recognize the tell-tale tightening of her muscles that signified, rather mercifully, that her fiancé would not be the only one to get any pleasure from this coupling, Fiona felt the sharp exhalation Gabriel made against her neck as he reached his peak, his movements slowly stilling, and robbing her of the possibility of reaching the same end before she could reconcile herself to it at all.
Damn it…
As soon as he could, it seemed, Gabriel was pulling away, leaving Fiona standing against the wall, while her breathing slowed, and she summoned the wherewithal to turn slightly in search of her panties and jeans. Having located them, she stooped to pick them up, managing to slide back into the panties, though she abandoned the idea of replacing her jeans in favor of turning to head back towards the foyer so that she might venture upstairs in search of pajamas. Before she could fully set about doing so, however, she found herself stopped in the act by the sudden sensation of Gabriel's hand reaching for her arm and latching on almost as tightly as he had grabbed her neck what felt like mere moments before, her blue eyes meeting his in open curiosity for a moment before he spoke.
"What happened at dinner—that will never happen again, do you understand?"
"I—I do," Fiona replied, resisting the urge to give the reply she truly felt was warranted, though her lips thinned into a line for a moment before she gathered the wherewithal to go on, "It won't. It won't happen again."
"Good. Now get yourself cleaned up. Can't have you getting blood from your arm on the new bedsheets, right?"
"Right."
Because the worst thing that could possibly happen in their life would be blood on the bedsheets…
…
Well there we have it! The attempt at a lemon that was purposefully nowhere near as steamy as it should have been to deserve calling itself a lemon. What was the point, then, if I purposefully slacked off writing it, you ask? Well…it IS a Crowley/OC story, and I may or may not be trying to do an eventual comparison between Gabriel as a lover vs everyone's favorite sexy demon (er…criminal). So hopefully once we get to that point, it will all make sense? As I always say, there is a method to my madness…so please bear with me! I promise everything will all come together in the end.
As always, my heartfelt thanks go out to each and every one of you that has taken the time to read, follow, favorite and review this story so far (and special thanks to last chapter's reviewers: ChiTown4ever, and phoward for leaving such encouraging comments as always!) I am beyond thrilled that you seem to be enjoying this crazy little brain child of mine, and I can only hope that you enjoy this installment as much as you appear to have enjoyed the last.
Until next time, darlings…
MOMM