The Stars

Summer

Staring out the window in the silent car, I watch the lights of the buildings fade by. I was in my feelings about this "date". I felt proud of myself for achieving such a milestone in my recovery.

I'd been clean for years, but there is a different feeling of accomplishment when you can truly be faced with your old demons and still resist. I had no plans to make a habit of facing those demons, but I felt empowered being able to do it at least once.

Focusing on the passing scenery, I notice that we've been driving for a while and nothing looks familiar.

"Where are we going?"

"It's a surprise."

I turn to look at him. For someone that I didn't know up until tonight could drive, Gabriel is a very safe driver. He's not speeding or swerving in and out of lanes. He's actually pretty calm behind the wheel.

"I like surprises," I say, then amend. "Unless we're going to another club. I think one is enough to last me for a while."

He smiles, cutting his eyes to me briefly. "No more clubs."

I felt confident in that. We drive for another twenty minutes before we pull into a nearly empty parking lot. A black SUV is the only car parked in the vacant lot. The windows are down and the speakers are blasting reggae music. The building is small oval shaped with a dome roof.

As soon as we pull in and park, the doors to the SUV open and four black men jump out. Gabriel gets out of the car and before I can open my door, he's there to help me.

He shuts the door and takes my hand walking me over to the sidewalk. One of the four men steps forward. He's tall, handsome, and dark-skinned with a low-fade and goatee. As soon as we approach him, he daps Gabriel up.

"Damn, Big Guy, I didn't know you were into the sistas." He grins showing off his full bottom set of grills. "Wassup, mama," he nods, giving me attention.

"Hi. I'm Summer," I say, holding out a hand.

"Pharrell, but I'm going to hold off on that handshake. He don't seem like the type that wants me touching his girl."

I look over to Gabriel waiting for him to deny what his friend says.

"Thanks for doing this at the last minute," Gabriel says, not disputing Pharrell's claim.

Pharrell and his friends laugh. I drop my hand back at my side and roll my eyes.

"Don't worry about it," Pharrell replies. "As much money as you've made me over the years, this is light work." He holds a set of keys out to Gabriel. "We set everything up inside. The owner told me to tell you, thanks for the donation and enjoy. He'll meet you back in the morning for the keys."

With that, Pharrell and his crew climb back in their truck and back out the parking lot before speeding away.

"I swear everyday you leave me with more mysteries about you," I say jokingly.

"Come on." He tugs me toward the stairs.

Once inside the building I can tell we're at some type of planetarium. The depictions of the solar system and galaxies on the walls give it away. Along with the giant earth inspired globe that hangs from the ceiling and nearly touches the ground. Gabriel leads me to a door to the left of the empty receptionist's desk.

He stops right before going inside.

"You were right earlier. I shouldn't have made you believe we were going on a date only to take you on a job. I didn't think about how that would make you feel." He looks down at his feet. "I have trouble with understanding and sometimes considering other people's feelings. I'm sorry."

Placing a hand on his chest, I grab his attention back. "It's okay. I forgive you."

"Good, because I want to take you on a date."

The smile that stretches my face makes my cheeks hurt. "Well, today is your lucky day. I don't have any plans at the moment."

I love when I can make him smile. He does it so rarely that getting one is like a gift.

"Come on." He pushes the door open allowing me to walk in first.

My mouth falls open and I clutch a hand to my heart. Over my head is a beautiful display of outer space. There are clusters of stars and galaxies above me. In the middle of the floor is a blanket, two pillows, an ice bucket with a bottle of cola inside, two wine glasses, and take out bags.

"Do you like it?" his voice comes from right behind me.

I nod my head, as tears fill my eyes. "When did you have time to set this up?"

"While we were at the club. This is what I was doing on my phone."

I stare up at the screen over our heads in awe.

He points up to the display, while placing a hand at my lower back. I follow where he's pointing.

"That's called the wishing well cluster or Caldwell 91. It is about 1,321 light years away."

I glance over my shoulder at him. "I didn't know you were into astronomy."

He shrugs. "I'm not." Gabriel takes my hand and leads me to the blanket. I kick off my shoes and take a seat. He sits down in front of me.

"My brother, Lucien, loved stuff like this. When we were kids, he was always reading up on stuff and explaining it to us. The others would sometimes get irritated or ignore him, but I always listened."

He takes the coke out of the ice bucket and pours us two champagne flutes with it. I know it's cheesy, but I love the gesture.

"I found this place for Lucien during one of my menus. On his thirteenth birthday, we all snuck out of the house and broke in. We spent most of our night camped out in those chairs." he points to the theater style seats behind him. "Lucien taught us everything he knew about the solar system that night."

"That's sweet. Did you guys ever get caught?" I ask taking a sip of my pop.

A huge grin spreads on his face. "Hawk made a bet with Many that he couldn't reach the top of that giant sphere in the lobby. Many, of course, reached the top but somehow triggered the fire alarm. Priest paid the owner for the damage. The owner turned out to be cool and allowed us back anytime we wanted during daylight hours."

I laugh at his story. I could imagine how bad they were as kids.

"How many brothers do you have?" I remembered Hawk from that night we first met.

Gabriel divvies up the food. "Hawk is the oldest. Then Zel, they are three months apart. Lucien and Seth are next. Just a month after Zel. Then Many. He's five months older than me."

"I'm guessing you guys don't have the same Mother?"

There is no way Gabriel's crazy ass mama was popping out babies that close together.

"I told you, I've been with the Church since I was seven years old. Priest came and got me about three months before my eighth birthday. He raised me alongside my brothers, which were also recruits. The guys and I have no blood ties to each other, but they are my brothers."

I understood that. I can't imagine the stuff they went through with that organization. I imagine it bonded them. Kind of the way life and my habits bonded me and Trina. We were not biological sisters, but you can't tell me that girl isn't my family.

"I want to meet them." Gabriel looks at me with a raised brow. I shrug. "They mean a lot to you. I can tell by the way you talk about them. And technically they are your son's uncles. I know you can't stay, but I would love to have a part of you around him."

A pained expression flicks across his features turning his brow down. I hated bringing up the fact that he's leaving. However, it's a reality that we both need to face. As much fun as I'm having with Gabriel, and despite me not wanting him to leave, I know that he will.

"I'll see," he says.

For the next forty minutes, Gabriel and I eat and talk. We talk more tonight than we have in the past month he's been here. We talk about my family and everything I've done since he was gone. He talks more about his brothers and growing up with Priest. I laugh so much my sides hurt at the trouble they all got into.

We're lying on our backs, side by side staring up as the screen above us shows the rings of Saturn. Turning on my side, I prop myself up on my elbow. I place a hand on his chest. He turns and looks at me.

"I have to admit. This is the best date I've ever been on."

"Even better than a show and apple turnovers?"

I laugh. "Yes, even better than…. wait, how do you know about that?"

He lifts my hand off his chest and places a kiss on my palm. I knew I wasn't crazy that night. I felt like something was off.

"You better be glad I love you because…" The rest of my words trail off.

That was not supposed to come out of my mouth. Gabriel pushes up on his elbows, his intense gaze watching me.

"What did you say?"

I look away from him. "You know, this Mexican food was really good. We have to take Gabe…"

A finger to my chin has me turning back to face him. He's sitting all the way up now. "Do you love me, Summer?"

The reasonable side of me tells me to say no. It tells me there is no way I could possibly be in love with this man. He's dangerous, unstable, and I've only known him a month. It doesn't make sense. However, my heart doesn't care what logic says.

My heart knows that the night I walked into that crime scene five years ago I'd met the man created for me. Even with all his flaws, Gabriel was meant for me. It doesn't matter if no one else understands it.

"Yes. I love you, Gabriel."

His eyes close as if he's in pain. The vein in his head throbs, and the hand that was once under my chin is fisted so tight his knuckles are white.

"I'm sorry," I say, not realizing how this admission may have made him feel. "I shouldn't have…"

My words are cut off when his lips smash into mine. His tongue sweeps across my bottom lip. I open for him, allowing him to deepen the kiss. The hungry way he devours my mouth has my thighs sticky with my arousal. The way my dressed dipped in the back didn't allow for underwear. At least not any I owned.

I moan when he bites into my bottom lip. I tug at the hem of his shirt, pulling it from inside of his jeans. Once I free the fabric, we break apart from our kiss so that I can lift the shirt over his head. I toss it somewhere behind me.

Gabriel doesn't immediately go back to kissing me, instead he stares down into my face. He strokes a finger across my freckles. The same hand moves down to my shoulder and slowly pushes down the strap of my dress.

I pull my arm out, stretching the fabric out a little. He places a kiss on my shoulder and then gently bites the skin there before sucking it into his mouth. My back bows, arching my chest into him. He tugs the other strap down allowing me to free that arm as well. He places a gentle kiss on my lips as he tugs the front of my dress down exposing my round breasts.

He places a hand at my waist and then rolls me onto my back as he leans over me. I stroke his face, loving the prickles of his facial hair against my palm. When he lowers his head to suck one of my puckered peaks into his mouth I whimper. Placing my hand into his hair, I take the top knot out allowing his golden locs to cascade down. The strands brush against my flesh.

Gabriel goes from one breast to the other giving them both equal attention. The way he lavishes one nipple while tugging the other with his fingers has me squirming.

"Yes," I moan.

He leaves a trail of kisses from my chest back up to my lips. Wrapping a hand around my throat, he tilts my head back so that he can deepen the kiss. The fact that five years ago this man knew almost nothing about sex yet now has the power to weaken me with a kiss is crazy.

I move my hands to his waist, unbuckling his belt. Once I've unfastened his jeans, I shove them down, trying to get to the one thing I need. The thing my body is leaking for.

Gabriel grabs my hands stopping me from pulling him out. He moves them over my head, pinning them there with one hand. With the other, he slowly glides my dress further down my body. I lift my hips allowing him to pull the fabric down. Once he gets it over my ass, he slips it down my legs and tosses it behind him.

I lay before him in nothing but the slight sheen of sweat that coats my body.

"You are my weakness," he whispers as if the words were only meant for himself.

He runs a hand down my thigh to my knee slowly pulling my legs apart. My knees fall to the side, the cool air hitting my soaking wet pussy lips. Gabriel licks his lips as he stares at the mound between my legs.

He releases my hands and places his free one flat against my stomach before slowly dragging it down to the apex of my thighs. He cups my center and shuts his eyes. I try to imagine what he's feeling. Can he feel the warmth coming from my lower lips, and the wetness that leaks from me. Does he know how bad I want him?

His eyes shoot open as he runs a finger over my sensitive clit. I hiss at the contact. He strokes my nub, dipping a finger inside of me. My breathing becomes labored, my lower half squirms. He places one heavy hand on my hip, holding me down.

"Please," I beg.

I can feel my orgasm roaring to life. I need to feel him inside of me.

He moves his fingers faster. I should be embarrassed at the music my pussy is making for him. I'm soaking wet.

I claw at the blanket beneath me, my head thrashing from side to side as my orgasm crashes down on me. I scream his name. He holds me down and continues his work giving equal attention to my clit and the penetration of his other fingers.

When I feel as if I can't take anymore, he pulls his fingers away from me and before I know it his head is buried between my legs. He sucks my sensitive nub.

I shoot off to the moon again, this time my mouth opens but no words come out, my head is thrown back and my back is arched so high it's not touching the floor.

I come so hard and long I can feel my release leave my body. Tears fall from my eyes rolling down to my ears.

Gabriel laps up every drop of my essence as if I'm his favorite dessert. Finally, he moves back up my body trailing kisses on his way to my lips. With one arm to prop him up, he looks down at me.

The head of his dick presses against my opening. I close my eyes, preparing for the first push of him inside me.

"No," he growls. "Open your eyes, Summer. See me." I do as he says. Opening my eyes I look up into his green ones.

"Say it again," he demands.

I don't have to second guess what he's asking me. Licking my lips, I cup his face as I say those three words to him.

"I love you."

He pushes into me slowly.

"Uhhhh," I whimper at the intrusion.

He hikes one leg up over his arm as he seats himself in my depths. He starts to stroke, rolling his hips with each entrance.

My moans grow louder but I never break eye contact with him.

"You're mine forever. Forever," he repeats as he moves faster. His balls smacking against my ass.

"Fuck. Shit." I blurt out random curse words. "Don't stop. Please."

He lets my leg go and presses his head to mine placing a kiss on my lips. He rams his hips forward stroking so deep into me, I feel as if he's found a secret tunnel. I toss my head back and scream. He groans before sitting up.

Grabbing both my legs, he holds them out in a wide V, as he fucks me deep. Letting one of my legs go, he uses his free hand to once again manipulate my clit.

I'm so sensitive after my last two orgasms, I try to move his hand. He quickly swats me away.

"This is mine. Do you understand?" He pins my thigh down as he rubs circles on my nub. I buck against him feeling the start of another orgasm.

"Answer me?" He growls.

"Yes," I cry as he continues to rock into me.

"If you ever give my pussy away it won't end well. I need you to hear me. I will kill any man you ever let touch it."

I believed him. I had no doubt that Gabriel would never allow me to be with another man. And if I'm being honest, I didn't want anyone but him.

"It's yours. All yours, baby." The last word is screamed as my eruption explodes causing stars to burst behind my eyelids.

Gabriel pulls out of me, flips me on my stomach, yanks me up on my knees and slams into me.

"Fuuuucccckkk," I cry out.

He doesn't miss a stroke as he plows through my climax. He slows his movements, spreading my ass apart. Suddenly, something wet hit my puckered hole. I stiffen, there is no way I was about to take Gabriel's length and girth in my asshole. That's an unchartered territory. And you don't just park your yacht in a speed boat parking space without warning.

The press of something blunt presses against my star.

"Gabriel," I warn.

"Shhh," he hushes me. "Don't worry, my cock's not coming out of this pussy. Just relax."

Feeling a bit more confident, I follow his instructions. Once again something blunt pushes against my back door. Once it slips in, I realize it's a finger. Although the feel of it is foreign, it isn't unpleasant.

Gabriel increases his strokes again, slamming against my butt reaching the depths of my cavern. His finger pumps in my ass adding to the sensation of him being inside me.

My toes curl as another peak unfurls in my belly. I try to throw my ass back on him attempting to fuck him back. However, the way his length digs in my guts has me tapping out. I'm not ashamed to admit that I can't handle him.

He smacks my ass. "Fuck me back," he growls.

I whimper, but once again work my hips. I can tell he's nearing his release, his strokes are getting faster and deeper.

I try to move to keep him from going too deep, but he grips my hips so tightly there will be a bruise tomorrow.

With one final roll of his hip, I come undone. I scream as euphoria takes over me. The sound of Gabriel's roar behind me and the hot spirt of his cum inside me signals his release as well.

My body finally gives out and I collapse down to the floor. He lands behind me. His heart is racing against my back. I fight to catch my breath.

"I have to remind you again, I'm not on birth control." The last time we had sex I had to rush out that next morning and get a morning after pill. If we keep this up, I'm going to have to make an appointment with my gynecologist.

I wait patiently for Gabriel to comment on my last statement. I'm pretty sure he didn't want any more kids.

Instead of a reply. He lifts my leg up over his hip, kisses my shoulder, and slides back in me. My eyes roll to the back of my head. This is going to be a long night.