a scathing look. "And leave him here? What kind of man do you think I am?"
She realized she was being selfish and cowardly, but she was shivering with fear. It would have been out of character for Ace to desert a wounded man, no matter the danger. She wouldn't have respected him had he done that. Gabby straightened her shoulders and took a deep breath. "You're right. How can I help?"
"Help me tend him a bit. Is he bleedin' anywhere serious?"
Together they made sure nothing was going to kill the man within minutes. It was hard to see in the dark, but he might have been an Asian man, maybe 45 years old. His face was bloodied, though, so he could have been older or younger. His clothes were torn, but when Gabby touched him, she recognized the good quality of the cloth of his coat. If he was a homeless guy, he was one with a good tailor.
"Gabby, call 9-1-1 on your cellphone."
"Right. How will I tell them where in Central Park to find us?"
"Use your GPS app."
"Okay." She made the call and the police dispatcher said that officers would be there soon.
The poor man was groaning steadily now, still semi-conscious, and unable to answer questions. He was beat up badly. They waited with him until they heard noises and police radios in the bushes.
"Here! We're here!"
Uniformed policemen came into the clearing, and soon ambulance attendants arrived and the place was swarming with first responders.
Ace and Gabby shrank back away from the man as the EMTs stabilized him.
The next two hours were spent giving their accounts of the incident and providing information to the police. Ace made sure the attendants knew that if there weren't public funds to cover the man's medical issues, he'd be willing to help, and contact charities who might also donate. When they were excused for the night, it was almost midnight and they were both tired, their adrenalin spikes a thing of the past.
Once they were in Ace's hotel room, Ace pulled her into his arms and held her tight. "It's alright, li'l girl. I've got you."
Gabriella snuggled against him, breathing in his warm scent of cologne and Ace, and listening to his steady heartbeat. His jacket had a hole in the seam up near the shoulder, and her fingers found it, playing with the rough edges. She'd noted earlier that his knuckles were abraded and red. It appalled her that he'd actually fought the homeless man's attackers off all by himself. He could have been hurt, even killed!
"Do you always carry a knife in your boot?"
He nodded. "Except when I'm travelin' by air."
"Have you ever needed it before?"
"It's come in handy over the years."
Gabby raised her head and looked up at his face. His jaw was tight, but his eyes were warm on her as he stared down. "I hardly know you."
"We're workin' on that, sweetheart."
She pulled back and pushed her hair away from her face. A shower was definitely in order. "I need to wash up."
"Me, too. But we have a little unfinished business. You go get undressed and we'll have our discussion ."
Something about the way he said it made it sound ominous. Was he going to say goodbye and take her home early? Had her behavior during the night's incident made her repulsive to him? No, he wouldn't have cuddled her like he did. He would have been cold, remote. But then again, she couldn't imagine Ace not being a gentleman, responding to a woman's needs for comfort and security, when it was needed. Only something awful could take away his chivalry.
"I'm not sure what we need to discuss, Ace, but I need a shower."
"Go get undressed."
"'K." A few minutes later, she'd folded her wrinkled dress and tossed her flimsy shoes in a corner of the suite's bedroom. Her underwear got put aside. Naked, she called his name, and he came into the room. He'd took off his jacket and rolled his sleeves up. His gaze wrapped her up like a fur coat, and she reveled in the burgeoning response on his face and down lower, in his pants.
Maybe he wasn't rejecting her early. Maybe he was going
She realized she was being selfish and cowardly, but she was shivering with fear. It would have been out of character for Ace to desert a wounded man, no matter the danger. She wouldn't have respected him had he done that. Gabby straightened her shoulders and took a deep breath. "You're right. How can I help?"
"Help me tend him a bit. Is he bleedin' anywhere serious?"
Together they made sure nothing was going to kill the man within minutes. It was hard to see in the dark, but he might have been an Asian man, maybe 45 years old. His face was bloodied, though, so he could have been older or younger. His clothes were torn, but when Gabby touched him, she recognized the good quality of the cloth of his coat. If he was a homeless guy, he was one with a good tailor.
"Gabby, call 9-1-1 on your cellphone."
"Right. How will I tell them where in Central Park to find us?"
"Use your GPS app."
"Okay." She made the call and the police dispatcher said that officers would be there soon.
The poor man was groaning steadily now, still semi-conscious, and unable to answer questions. He was beat up badly. They waited with him until they heard noises and police radios in the bushes.
"Here! We're here!"
Uniformed policemen came into the clearing, and soon ambulance attendants arrived and the place was swarming with first responders.
Ace and Gabby shrank back away from the man as the EMTs stabilized him.
The next two hours were spent giving their accounts of the incident and providing information to the police. Ace made sure the attendants knew that if there weren't public funds to cover the man's medical issues, he'd be willing to help, and contact charities who might also donate. When they were excused for the night, it was almost midnight and they were both tired, their adrenalin spikes a thing of the past.
Once they were in Ace's hotel room, Ace pulled her into his arms and held her tight. "It's alright, li'l girl. I've got you."
Gabriella snuggled against him, breathing in his warm scent of cologne and Ace, and listening to his steady heartbeat. His jacket had a hole in the seam up near the shoulder, and her fingers found it, playing with the rough edges. She'd noted earlier that his knuckles were abraded and red. It appalled her that he'd actually fought the homeless man's attackers off all by himself. He could have been hurt, even killed!
"Do you always carry a knife in your boot?"
He nodded. "Except when I'm travelin' by air."
"Have you ever needed it before?"
"It's come in handy over the years."
Gabby raised her head and looked up at his face. His jaw was tight, but his eyes were warm on her as he stared down. "I hardly know you."
"We're workin' on that, sweetheart."
She pulled back and pushed her hair away from her face. A shower was definitely in order. "I need to wash up."
"Me, too. But we have a little unfinished business. You go get undressed and we'll have our discussion ."
Something about the way he said it made it sound ominous. Was he going to say goodbye and take her home early? Had her behavior during the night's incident made her repulsive to him? No, he wouldn't have cuddled her like he did. He would have been cold, remote. But then again, she couldn't imagine Ace not being a gentleman, responding to a woman's needs for comfort and security, when it was needed. Only something awful could take away his chivalry.
"I'm not sure what we need to discuss, Ace, but I need a shower."
"Go get undressed."
"'K." A few minutes later, she'd folded her wrinkled dress and tossed her flimsy shoes in a corner of the suite's bedroom. Her underwear got put aside. Naked, she called his name, and he came into the room. He'd took off his jacket and rolled his sleeves up. His gaze wrapped her up like a fur coat, and she reveled in the burgeoning response on his face and down lower, in his pants.
Maybe he wasn't rejecting her early. Maybe he was going
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