Caleb had been thrashing in his bed all night trying to fight off some unseen assailant, he had been having a reoccurring nightmare for the past two nights which he could not shake. When he awoke with sweat dripping off him at 6:00am, he cursed himself for allowing Lucas to involve him in Gail's business as he knew the nightmare's were to do with the man he seemingly forced down the stairs.
He had noticed that Gail had been watching him closely the last two days; however, he did not think she suspected what he had done. Gail had still not told him that the man was trying to convince her to leave Trinity and he was disappointed that she had not asked him for his input on the matter. He did not want her to leave and he did not believe Lucas would let her go, so he chose to trust that everything was going to work out fine.
Caleb decided to get out of bed and start getting ready for school, if he headed out early enough he might get a chance to talk to Merly.
Gail woke up after a rare good nights sleep in Lucas's extravagant bedroom, with him asleep on her chest. He had one hand gently gripping her hip from under her back and the other hand cupping her bare breast.
She had visited him last night with the intention of talking about her plans to leave Trinity; however, after a few glasses of wine that conversation did not seem to matter and she could not keep her hands off him. It did not take long for Lucas to take her in the living room, then drag her upstairs to continue with their antics.
Gail cursed herself out loud for allowing herself to be so easily swayed by Lucas and he stirred on top of her, then lifted his head to look at her with tired eyes. 'Sorry' she whispered and stroked his face.
Lucas smiled and pulled himself up off her chest, 'No need to be sorry darlin', I've told you that I don't mind being woken up by you in the morning'
Gail tried to roll free of his grasp when his weight was lifted slightly off her; however, Lucas pulled her back towards him and kissed her passionately. 'Now, now darlin' where are you going in such a hurry? he asked between kisses.
Gail pulled out of their embrace, 'I tried to tell you last night Lucas, I have to tell Gregory my decision and he's being let out of the hospital today'
Lucas placed both arms securely around her and positioned himself on top of her, 'Why don't you stay here and I'll go to the meeting in your place? I'll happily go give him your decision Darlin'' he said sarcastically, while kissing her neck softly. He refused to entertain the notion of her leaving Trinity.
Gail leaned back and let Lucas kiss her. She wanted to tell him that she had decided to leave, but she could not when he was being like this. Her body yearned for him and did not want him to stop, she stroked her hands down his back and opened her legs wide to show her acceptance of his behaviour.
Lucas smiled, he knew Gail had convinced herself that she was leaving; however, he had other plans and he decided there was no rush in her getting to her meeting today. He ran his hands down to between her legs and took a deep intake of breath when he felt she was ready for him so soon. He took hold of his manhood and pushed himself inside her gently, when Gail dug her nails into his back roughly he picked up the pace and pounded in and out of her. He would make sure she knew where she belonged and would feel him inside her for the remainder of the morning.
Ben sat in the drivers side of his car, trying to ignore the man in the back seat. He could not believe the orders Lucas had given him the previous night and part of him thought Lucas would come to his senses before he picked up his present company and call the whole thing off; however, he had not heard anything from him.
He had done what Lucas wanted and parked the car at the end of the pier. Now he was just waiting, although he was not sure what he was waiting for. He cursed to himself when he saw the red mustang pull up further down the path.
Gail got out of her car with Gregory and had to bite her lip to stifle a wince. Lucas had made it hard for her to leave earlier and with the force he had used in the end, she ached as though he was still inside her.
She helped Gregory out of the car and walked slowly with him, as he struggled down the path on crutches. Gail sat down on a bench with him and awaited his questions.
'There's no point dragging this out Gail, I don't want to be in this place any longer than I have to. What's your answer?' he asked.
Gail took a deep breath, even though she had made up her mind it was hard saying the words. 'Ok Greg, you win. I'll come with...'
'You'll go where stranger?' Matt asked happily from behind her.
Gail turned towards the interruption and her eye's lit up when she saw her old friend walking towards her. She lost her train of thought and rushed over to Matt, then gave him a big hug. 'Wow, this is a surprise. Lucas said he wasn't letting you out yet. How does it feel to be out in the fresh air?' she asked and waved at Ben who was standing by his car at the edge of the pier, to indicate she was fine with Matt.
Matt let his arms linger around his friend and smiled, 'It feels amazing. I don't know how you managed to pull this off Gail, I hope it didn't cost you' he said, insinuating that he knew a deal had been made.
Gail gave Matt a mock confused look, 'You mean have I sold my soul? No, it was nothing like that. Don't worry, I just did what I do best and dug into the activities of Juniper House. My report is all circumstantial at the moment, but it got Doctor Monroe's attention' she said and smiled reassuringly. Gail did not believe it would help her friend confirming she had made a deal with Lucas; besides, she had not lied and the deal she made was nothing bad, in fact it felt pretty damn good when he had came to collect. She took a deep intake of breath to push down feelings, this was not the time to be distracted by thoughts of Lucas Buck.
Matt watched Gail closely, he had a feeling that she was not telling him everything; however, she seemed fine on the outside, so he hoped whatever she had done to pull this off would not impact her in the future.
'We haven't finished yet' came a voice from behind Gail and Matt knew something was wrong when his friend closed her eyes at the sound of the voice.
Gail opened her eyes and tried to smile reassuringly at Matt; however, her friend was not stupid and she could see he knew something was wrong. She could kill Lucas for making this so difficult for her and bringing Matt into the equation.
After weighing up the pro's and cons of both Trinity and Charleston, she had made peace with the fact that she was ready to return back to her old life in Charleston. She was going to give Caleb the chance to come with her and if he did not want to, she would arrange to come visit him at least once a month. Gail had worked too hard over the years to progress within her paper, she would be stupid if she threw it all away to stay in this little town.
A part of her was trying to convince her to stay in Trinity, even though it would mean she had wasted her previous years in Charleston and would have to start over. That part of her was attempting to surface now and make her doubt her choice, she had managed to push her doubts deep down; however, the intrusion by Matt had provided an opening for them to surface again.
Gail turned her attention towards Gregory and regarded the man abruptly, 'I'm not stupid Greg, I know we haven't finished'
Gregory stood up with his crutches and walked towards her, 'Well? You were in the middle of saying you'll come with me, so why don't you say your goodbye's quickly and we can get out of here'
Matt placed a hand on Gail's shoulder, but she did not turn to look at him. 'What's he talking about Gail? Are you going somewhere?' Matt asked.
Gail tried to look anywhere but at the two men beside her, she stared towards the opposite end of the pier and caught a glance of a girl in a loose white dress. The girl looked familiar and it reminded her of the strange dreams she had been having a few months earlier.
After the strange happenings in the cemetery before Caleb's birthday, her instincts could not let her forgot about the matter and she had searched through the news archives in the Trinity library. Gail had found a picture of Merlyn Ann Temple and was not totally surprised when she realised that Merlyn was the girl from her dreams. Gail refused to believe she was seeing a ghost; therefore, convinced herself that her dreams meant nothing and Caleb had shown her a picture of Merlyn previously, which manifested itself in her dreams. Still, the girl further down the pier looked real enough and she was staring directly at her.
Gail shook her head to try to make the girl disappear; however, she remained out in the open staring at her. Gail forced herself to turn away from the stare, took a deep breath and turned towards Gregory, 'You know what, to hell with this. Do what you want Greg, I don't care' taking Matt's hand, she began to lead him up the path and back on the pier, 'Come on friend, let's go get something to eat'
Merlyn smiled to herself, she knew she was contradicting her own warning's that she had given to Caleb; however, she felt proud of herself. It had taken all her courage to stand her ground and not disappear when Gail had continued to look at her.
Merlyn was aware of what Caleb had done to Gregory, she also knew that it was done out of love for Gail and he could not stand to lose another family member. She had not visited Caleb since he had committed the incident with Lucas. She was trying not to get involved in his affairs; however, her brother needed guidance and she had to believe that Gail was good enough to keep him away from the evil that Lucas wanted him to become.
Caleb had been broken when he realised what he did to Gail and her baby, the devastation over the thought of hurting Gail was enough for him to keep the monster at bay for now. Merlyn believed her cousin was better off away from Trinity and Lucas Buck, as she was beginning to get drawn in with him again and this time it would be harder for her to escape his grasp. She also knew that if Gail left Trinity, there would be no hope for her brother; therefore, she made the only choice she could for Caleb and chose to show herself.
Merlyn let out a little laugh, it had worked and Gail had not made her decision. Although her cousin would not admit to seeing ghosts, she was open enough to take Merlyn's appearance as a sign. She was happy with herself, even though she knew she would get into trouble for meddling with the business of the living and decided to go get her punishment out of the way.
Lucas sat with Caleb on his porch, drinking a Beer. The boy had come over after school to let off some steam, as he had not seen his cousin all day and was concerned about the situation. Lucas convinced Caleb to sit with him to enjoy the warm peacefulness of the evening and decided his boy could use a drink to calm his nerves. He would deal with whatever repercussions would come over that decision at another time.
Lucas had taken the day off after he had confirmed the arranged for Ben to pick up Harvard from Juniper House was a success. He chose to give Gail some space and not open his mind's eye to what she had decided. Gail had warned him on the night of Gregory's 'accident' that any intrusion into this matter would result in her completely closing herself off to him. As she was straddling him at the time, she had an unfair advantage and he agreed to let her make the decision on her own, under duress.
He was confident that they were meant to be together and she would make the right choice; however, there was no harm in showing her what she would missing if she left and he knew she had a soft spot for Harvard.
Caleb finished his bottle of Beer and let out a burp. He looked at Lucas apologetically, but Lucas just laughed and handed him another bottle. 'Take your time with this one son, I don't want you passed out on my porch before your curfew...Miss Holt would have my hide'
'As would I' Gail said disapprovingly as she walked up the porch steps and stood staring at them both with her arms crossed.
Caleb jumped up, 'Gail? how did you know I was here?' he asked guiltily.
'I've been trying to find you since school finished, I'd searched everywhere else' she said looking at the Beer bottle in Caleb's hand.
Caleb followed her gaze then instinctively hid the bottle behind his back.
'Too late for that son' Lucas said standing up and walking towards Gail. 'This is my fault, don't blame the boy darlin''
Gail shook her head, 'I'm well aware who's fault this is Sheriff...Caleb go to my car, there's someone waiting for you'
Caleb looked towards Lucas who signalled for him to go, then walked down the porch steps to Gail's car.
Lucas gently placed a hand on Gail's arm, 'Did you sort what you needed to today?' he asked.
Gail shook his hand off her and backed away, 'You're a son of a bitch Lucas' she said and turned towards her car.
Gail dropped Matt off at Juniper House with Caleb at approximately 9:00pm, she knew it was late and she did not care after the stressful day she had. Caleb seemed weary of her and was quiet on the drive back to the Boarding House, Gail savoured the peaceful drive back, as it was the only time she had been allowed to be alone with her thoughts all day.
When Caleb got out of the car, she called after him. 'I'll see you tomorrow'
Caleb turned towards her, 'Will you?' he asked more sternly than he intended
Gail sighed, got out of the car and walked towards her only living relative, 'Yes I will, I'll swing by early and pick you up for school'
'So are you staying?' he asked, not sure whether he wanted to know the answer.
Gail caressed his cheek. She had wondered why he had been acting so strange, clearly Lucas had told him about the situation. 'Caleb, even if I was to go I'd still come visit you on a regular basis if you chose not to go with me. Don't worry yourself with any adult stuff, know that I'll always be here for you and that's all that's important'
Caleb smiled, he could tell that she was not leaving. He gave her a big hug and turned towards Miss Holt, who had opened the front door and was staring at them disapprovingly due to it being after Caleb's curfew.
'Don't you let her smell Beer on your breath' Gail whispered and waved at Loris to show she had authorised him to be out later than usual.
Caleb sucked his lips together tight, so he did not breathe near Miss Holt and ran past her to his room.
Gail smiled and returned to her car. What a day, she thought and turned on the engine. Now that she was properly alone, she could ponder on the happenings of the day. Gregory had left, she had no idea what was in store regarding her position at the Charleston Post, Matt had behaved well on his first day leave and she had caught Caleb drinking Beer. That was a hell of a lot to take in for one day.
Gail had been driving around without paying attention to where she was headed and laughed when she realised she had automatically drove to Lucas's house. She shook her head, of course her subconscious would bring her here. Gail spotted the dim porch light on and got out of her car, then headed into the vast garden. Instead of walking to the porch, she strolled slowly around the garden waiting to see if Lucas would notice her.
Lucas smiled from his position on the porch, it was about time his love had returned. He had been waiting for her to come back since she had taken Caleb and had a glass of wine ready for her. He could see Gail had stopped at the gargoyle statue and he approached her carefully with two glasses of wine.
Gail closed her eyes and took a small intake of breath when she could sense him drawing near, 'Wards off evil spirits huh?' she asked.
Lucas positioned himself behind her and inhaled her scent, 'That's what they say' he said, handing her a glass of wine.
Gail reached behind her for the glass and took a huge sip, the sensation of the cold liquid running down her throat was exquisite. She heard Lucas inhale deeply and bit her lip, in an attempt to push her urges down. This ritual of hers was pointless, she knew that, especially when she had willingly come to his territory. Regardless, she would try and resist even though she knew her surrender was inevitable. She could already feel herself becoming aroused with the thought of him being so close.
Lucas had won this round, it was obvious. Gregory had left and Gail had returned to him willingly. He resisted the urge to let out his twin to deal with the retreating man, it was not needed as Gregory had no hold on Gail and he recalled telling Gail he would change when she had found out she was pregnant with his child. There was no harm in attempted to be a little better for her, at least for now.
Lucas took a large sip of his wine, then placed his free hand gently on Gail's hip. She was wearing one of her short, loose dresses that he liked so much and he was trying to resist the urge to bend her over right now to take her. No, he would savour this. He smiled when he heard her take a deep breath due to his touch and nestled his head in her hair, then inhaled her scent again.
Gail leaned back into Lucas and willed him to touch her more; however, his hand just rested on her hip and he began running his nose gently down her neck. She could feel him stop momentarily when he reached to small mark of the bite he had given her previously, then he tenderly kissed her wound. This was too much, Gail was pent up after the day she had and wanted a release.
'Patience darlin', all in good time' he said finishing of his wine in one gulp and kneeling down to sit the glass down on the grass. While he was close to the ground, Lucas kissed the bottom of her left leg and slowly ran his hands up to her thigh. He smiled when he heard a small moan from her and let his hands continue up to her behind. Lucas removed her thong and slowly pulled it down her legs, then Gail obediently stepped out of it.
Gail took a deep breath, then drank the rest of her wine. She turned around and handed Lucas her empty glass, while he remained kneeling on the grass. She reached down her hand to caress his face, but he smiled and pulled away. 'Not yet Darlin'' he said seductively and began kissing her thigh.
Gail looked up at the sky and bit her lip again, the sensation of his lips on her felt incredible and she wanted to call out for him. She had gotten used to Lucas being rougher in their last few encounters, this turn of gentleness had taken her by surprise and it was taking all her strength not to beg him to take her.
'No need to beg Darlin'...' he said between kisses, 'We'll get there soon'. Lucas moved his head higher and licked her sweet spot softly. He felt how close she was to losing control and nipped at her gently. He was beginning to get uncomfortable with how hard he was in his pants; however, he was happy to deal with a little discomfort when he knew he was having this affect on her.
Gail could not handle this for much longer, he was kissing and nipping her between her legs and she felt like she was ready to explode. 'Lucas' she said softly, but he ignored her and began licking and sucking her with more force. 'Lucas, please!' she panted and he pulled her down to the ground with him.
Lucas could never resist when his love pleaded. It was not often that she allowed herself to beg; therefore, when she did it had such a profound effect on him that he needed to take her straight away. Lucas pulled Gail down to him and kissed her passionately, he let his hand move down to between her legs and pushed two fingers inside of her.
Gail bit his neck playfully and pulled at his shirt, ripping his shirt open she caressed his chest. When Lucas grabbed the back of her head and began kissing her forcefully, she dug her nails in his chest and pulled them down to his stomach. Lucas called out for her when her nails entered his skin and she smiled. It was good to know she was having the same effect on him that he was on her.
Lucas began to move his fingers in and out of her more vigorously and sat back slightly, to allow her access to his pants. Gail ran her hands down Lucas's stomach and reached for the zip to his pants, she could feel how hard he was and she grinned triumphantly as he gave off a pleasurable moan when his manhood was free. Gail knelt on top of Lucas and ran her hands over his chest, she could feel his warm blood on her finger tips from where her nails had dug in and brought her fingers to her mouth. Lucas looked at her seductively and pulled her fingers out of her mouth, then placed them in his.
Gail shook her head, how could she have entertained the thought of leaving this? The man was an Adonis and she had never experienced anyone like him. She pushed the thought away and nipped at his neck.
Lucas released his fingers and pulled her further down towards his manhood, then pushed himself up to enter her. Gail called out his name and sat down into him, she moved up and down slowly at first, then more vigorously when he yelled out her name. Lucas grabbed hold of her back and rolled them over so he was on top, she gripped his back and wrapped her legs around his waist tightly as he thrust in and out of her. When they came together, Lucas forced his mouth on hers to stifle their cry's and then rested on top of her with his manhood inside her.
Gail stroked her hands through Lucas's soft, caramel brown hair as he nestled his face into her neck. Dusk was starting to settle in and she could hear the small hum of the night crickets around them.
Lucas kissed her neck gently then raised his head, 'I think that's our cue to take this inside Darlin'' he said and kissed her softly.
Gail took a deep breath to calm her heart beat, she could feel it pounding in her chest. 'No...' she said pushing him gently off her, she tried not to moan when she felt him pull out of her, '...this is my favourite part of the evening. I want another drink'
Lucas smiled as he rolled off her and stood up. He zipped up his pants and held a hand out for her to help her up, 'Whatever the lady wants' he said and led her towards the porch.
-The end-