Nerves

Author: Joy

Email: Julianna@ziplip.com

A/N: The default is set so this won't come up automatically if it's R-rating. So just be warned we're moving into R-rated material.

A/N2: Yes I am edging Sara and Gabriel toward more but slowly.

Sara and Gabriel walked into her apartment slowly. "So now you have met my aunt and my cousins" he groaned.

"They were nice. A little over zealous but nice."

"So kind of you to say" Gabriel walked over to Sara's utensil drawer, "I bought you a new spatula."

"Its really okay. I have to admit that is the first time someone else melted my cooking stuff," she laughed.

"It was for a good cause," he muttered putting his hands on her hips. Sara's heart started to race a bit. "Ready for bed?"

"Gabriel, we talked about"

He shook his head; "I'm going to read you your bedtime story."

"Oh."

"You know meI'm a man of my word."

"Except when it comes to promises to your family years ago," Sara teased.

"Who knows?" he shrugged. "May still be true. Guess we'll have to wait and see." He listened as her breath picked up. "My Sara is afraid of commitment," Gabriel murmured. She began to squirm in his arms as he purposely walked her to her bedroom. Since she was walking backwards she had to trust he wouldn't lead her astray.

"I see how this goes," Gabriel teased. "You are the almighty wielder not of this world which I like an idiot had to point out because it was easier than saying I was too scared of rejection and how it would effect our friendship. So now you're stuck on the notion you won't be around for a long time, therefore single life is best Well tough. You're stuck with me. I love you. I've loved you for a long time. I've wanted this for a long time and I am not giving it up without a fight." With his last words he sat her on the side of the bed as he undid her shoes.

"I can do that," she snipped.

"I know you can, but you don't have to. Now where is that? Here," handing her the nightclothes she wore the previous evening. "Get ready for bed and you're getting read to."

"You won't always be this demanding, will you?"

Gabriel batted his eyes, "Only when it's something I really want."

"You really want to read to me?" she asked sarcastically.

"The opportunity to have you fall asleep in my arms snuggle up to my chest cover my body with yours" he whispered heatedly. "I'd say it was one of my more firmly held fantasies."

Sara licked her lips looking into his eyes uncertainly, "Are there others you would like to share?"

"You say things like that and I may not be a man of my word," Gabriel stated in a bare pant.

She swallowed, "I was only really holding off because I wasn't sure how I would feelnerves being too much."

His eyes darted back and forth trying to read her expression. The heat between them was mounting. "Sara," he groaned. "Tell me what you want."

"Stay tonight and we'll play it by ear."

"I can't do that. If I'm going to snuggle up to you in bed and hold you for the night, I have to know whether that is it or not. Cause right now if I start to touch you and know that you want me to continue I'm not gonna stopI'd like to wait," Gabriel stated seriously.

Suddenly Gabriel's phone rang shaking them from their daze. "Hello?" he answered confusedly. "Aunt Sally Yes I'm at Sara. What? What?" He half laughed, "Goodnight Aunt Sally. I'm not answering my phones again tonight" He looked at her rather bashfully and said, "Would you mind if we got ready for bed and just were together tonight?"

"No I'd like that. The story can wait for another night." Gabriel just nodded.

Sara slipped into the bathroom and changed into her nightshirt and did her nightly routine. Periodically she would hear Gabriel's phone ringing unanswered. She wasn't entirely sure what happened but if she had to guess it was in reference to Gabriel being at her place at this time of nighti.e. sex.

When she came out of the bathroom Gabriel sat as before just minus most of his clothes. He avoided eye contact and readied for bed silently. She cuddled him in her open arms laying them both down. Sara just ran her fingers through his hair and kissed his forehead.

"Do you want me to ask or just let it lie?" she asked quietly.

"Nothing like a mom type telling you to remember to wear a condom to take all the sexual anticipation out of an evening," he murmured self-mockingly.

Sara laughed lightly, "Guess we were pretty obvious by the time we left."

"I'm guessing one of my cousins must have seen us making out in the parking lot."

"Well ya know if your mother wants those grandchildren we're going to have to start practicing."

Gabriel looked at Sara with wonder and joy; "You're amazing Come here Snuggle Bunny." Holding each other close they both fell asleep.

Sara's alarm clock started making an awful shrilling sound. "I am getting you a new alarm clock," Gabriel stated hitting at the offending object until it shut up.

"If I use anything else I won't wake up," she said with a yawn.

"So fineI'll get you an alarm for the days when I'm here cause I'll wake you up rather then be given a heart attack by that thing," he murmured kissing her cheek. "You get a shower and I'll make eggs."

"Didn't we have this same discussion yesterday morning?" Sara asked.

"Yesjust minus the days when I'm here' part," he called walking into the kitchen.

With a backward glance he caught her looking at his rear. If he were honest with himself he knew most women thought he was cute but he didn't have the Adonis body Nottingham sported. Gabriel always relied heavily on his intelligence and humor with women. Then again some women didn't like the muscled type.

In high school it had sucked to have Steven around. They were the same age. Steve of course was a football player girls fell all over. Gabriel by comparison was short, intelligent, a computer geek, and hung with the raver crowd. He didn't have a lot of girls looking at him the way they did at Steven Seeing Sara appreciate his body did a lot for Gabriel's ego.

Steven's older sister Angela had told him that nice guys rarely finished first in high school but in the end they were the ones the hot girls wanted. Gabriel had definitely had his share of hot girls since then but with the age difference between he and Sara plus he had met the only guy he had known Sara to datean Adonis typeit made him anxious. It shouldn't have he knew. This was Sara.

Gabriel stood before the stove and started breakfast reminding himself of the last forty-eight hours. There was a real spark of passion between he and Sara. He was asked into her bed and her life. Things were going fine. The shower turned off and suddenly Gabriel was nervous again. This was absolutely ridiculous. One of the things Sara seemed to like about him was his confidence.

Sara stood in front to the bathroom mirror and started to panic. She was almost thirty dating a guy who by all reports had just been sleeping with a woman who should have been a centerfold in some men's magazine. Sara knew she wasn't bad looking but she wasn't sure she could take the comparison. She sighed heavily.

This was stupid. Gabriel had the chance to take the other girl back and didn't. He had told her he loved her in front of his family. He had shown that he desired her a great deal. Things were going fine.

What if he didn't like her body once they slept together? What if the other girl came back again? What if There was a knock at the door to the bathroom.

"Sara?"

"Yeah?"

"You've been in there a while since the shower turned off. You okay?" he asked sweetly. This was Gabriel she was dealing with.

"I'm just acting like a normal female. I know that's a shock but I do have my moments."

He stared at the door trying to figure out what that meant. "Anything I can do to help? Bring you other clothes? Compliment you profusely?"

"The second option would be good about now," she muttered while dressing quickly.

"Okay Well what can I say about my Sara? First off you're mine and I don't like to share. Second of all there isn't another woman like you in the worldall fire and ice"

The door swung open to the bathroom and Gabriel's heart stopped. He really needed to be wearing more clothes then just boxers. She was absolutely breath taking and all she was doing was standing there standing there rather annoyed for some odd reason. She was poutingSara didn't pout. "What's wrong baby?"

Why couldn't he have just given her the normal boyfriend answer of the most beautiful woman' "Thanks for trying those weren't the compliments I was looking for."

"Okay what were you looking for?" She didn't say anything just moved around grabbing her shoes lacing them up.

"I'm running late," she muttered and wouldn't meet his eyes.

Sara ate her food quickly as Gabriel stared very aroused and confused, a dishtowel thrown over his shoulder. Finally it hit himnormal femalein a bathroomwith a mirror. "You cannot actually be telling me you needed me to tell you how gorgeous you are?" Her head sunk lower staring at her food. "That's the normal female part. That is why you're mad Sara to compliment your looks would be redundant. You are beautiful for so many reasons that have nothing to do with your face or your body."

"You just didn't mention it," she said softly.

"I couldn't imagine I would need to."

Sara stood up and started toward the sink with her plate. Gabriel was taking his life into his own hands but he couldn't think of any other way to prove his attraction to her. "Sara," he grabbed the towel off his shoulder and one off the counter and hung them straight down on either side of his boxers. "This is for you. This has been there since you came out of the bathroom."

The fact Gabriel had deliberately called attention to his erection dumbfounded Sara. She didn't know what to do or say. It did accomplish its purpose of making her feel a whole helluva lot better about herself. What she failed to realize was she was still staring at his crotch until the dish clothes covered him.

Sara met Gabriel's eyes and didn't know what to sayso she started to chuckle. "I'm as bad as a thirteen year old boy," she said shaking her head.

He chuckled to and drew her lips to his a few times. "Never doubt how attractive I find you. If you need me to compliment you on your looks I will but there are so many other things I would rather compliment. Your beauty is a fact like your birth date. I would much rather tell you how strong you are and how independent and all the things that made me fall in love with you."

She closed her eyes and savored the feeling of his lips brushing over her skin on her neck and ear. "Gabriel"

He pulled his head back to look at her, "There is a reason this came up isn't there?"

She bit her lip, "I had one male partner that went on and on about what a knock-out your last girlfriend wasI believe the words playboy playmate were involved. My other partner who is married and loves his wife deeply even made a couple comments"

Gabriel took her face in his hands, "Stop She isn't you and its you that I want. You win hands down every time."

"But she"

"I met your last boyfriend too. I'm not exactly that tall or that built, am I?"

"Gabriel that doesn't matter"

"Then don't insult me by thinking I'm that shallow," he snipped. "I can't change what my last girlfriend looked like any more than you can change your last boyfriend Don't you think I have worries and insecurities too? That guy was alive since Christ was. He's had ample opportunities to master" He randomly gestured, "master sexual techniques"

Sara stopped his words kissing him swiftly. "You made your point."

"Good cause I really didn't feel like laying bear all the different things I have running through my head in terms of anxieties. Saying them out loud gives them weight, but the point is I know you. You don't say I love you lightly. Any time I freak out I can turn to those three words and know my fears have no real place with us. I hope you'll do the same," Gabriel stated.

Sara leaned her forehead to his and said, "I love you Gabriel BowmanI don't deserve you."

He kissed her hard and hungry, "I love you too Sara Pezzini and you deserve every once of love the world can offer you Now you're already late so get. I don't want to be accused of being a bad influence."

She smiled and headed for the door but stopped. She gave him an amazingly heated kiss and then gave his rear a squeeze. His eyes popped open. "I really like that," she whispered nibbling at his earlobe and smacking his butt before walking out the door.

Gabriel slid down to the floor. "I am going to die of sexual frustration I need a very cold showereither that or a very good daydream."

TBC

A/N: For the females out there who don't believe there are males in the world like the way I am writing Gabrielyou're wrong. My husband is my inspiration.