Dark Creations: Hell on Earth (Part 5) Read Online Free

at her engagement party. 
    “Back to business people.  Nothing to see here.  She’s not preggers,” Alexandra ordered the few who stared. 
    “Oh my God,” Melissa enunciated each word and took her head in her hands.  “We were just going to ask you guys if you want to come to Gabriel’s place after this is over; that’s all.”
    “Yeah,” Gabriel chimed in.  “A little party after the party seemed in order.”  Then he turned to Melissa and said, “But you can’t drink.  Not in your delicate condition.”
    Melissa jabbed him in the ribs playfully and Melissa and Daniella laughed.
    “Count us in,” Yoshi said.
    “That’s a pretty ballsy move there Y man, answering for us ,” Alexandra said.  “I like it.  It’s hot,” she said and quirked a perfectly shaped brow at him.
    “Get a room,” Daniella quipped and smirked.
    “Holy shit.  I’ve lost control of this group.  It’s a mutiny!” Alexandra joked back.  “You’ve all become a bunch of smartasses.  I don’t know whether I should be proud or scared.”
    “Probably both,” Melissa added. 
    “How about you guys?” Gabriel asked Daniella and Ryan.  “You two coming?”
    “Of course I’m coming!” Daniella said.
    “I go where she goes,” Ryan admitted.
    Melissa couldn’t help but smile at Ryan’s reaction.  He stood nearly a foot taller than Daniella and weighed at least a hundred pounds more than she did, a solid, intimidating looking man complete with a short neatly cropped beard.  But despite his unapproachable appearance, he was a gentle giant.  Soft-spoken and polite, he even deferred to her.  He seemed like exactly what Daniella needed, and deserved.  
    “So it’s set.  We’ll meet at our place after we settle up here,” Gabriel said.
    “Sounds great,” Alexandra said.
    “Want us to go on a beer run?” Yoshi asked Gabriel.
    “Do you even need to ask, brother?” Gabriel said and nodded in Alexandra’s direction.
    “Hey!  I resent the implication,” Alexandra said with feigned indignation.
    “Whatever , Boozey Susie!” Daniella said.
    “No, I prefer Count Drunkula,” Melissa ribbed.
    “It’s a damned mutiny!” Alexandra said and shook her head.
    The sound of spoon clanging against glasses froze their banter.
    “What’s that for?” Yoshi asked.
    “They want Melissa and Gabriel to kiss,” Alexandra told him.
    Melissa looked up at Gabriel and watched as his sky-blue eyes dropped to her mouth.  His gaze grew hungry and his tongue slid across his lips.  Her heart began to race wildly and butterflies teemed in her belly.  She’d kissed him countless times before, yet each time felt like the first.  He reached out and placed his hand on her cheek then tilted his head and inched toward her.  Goosebumps arose on her skin when finally his lips met hers.  Applause erupted, as well as a few catcalls.  She supposed their kiss should have ended there, but Gabriel’s lips tasted like chocolate and licorice and his cologne smelled like leather and another spicy note she could not place.  He smelled as enticing as he tasted, sexy, masculine.  She contemplated tracing is lips with her tongue, but knew it was neither the time nor place.  She started to pull away and, as if reading her mind, Gabriel dropped his hand to her elbow and pulled her closer.
    “I can’t wait until tonight,” he whispered in her ear.
    Melissa needed to remind herself to breathe again and took several deep breaths to calm her speeding pulse.
    “Me neither,” she mouthed and winked and she swore she saw a hint of color touch his cheeks.
    “We have to go mingle,” Melissa said to her friends.  “We’ll see you at Gabriel’s house later.”
    Three hours, two sodas and one very large entrée later, Melissa chewed on four antacids and wanted to go home, put on sweatpants and flop on her couch in the family room.  But she wasn’t going home.  In fact, “home” wouldn’t be home for long.  Soon, Gabriel’s