‘That extra study I need for that special project.’ I gave her a stare. I had my first pole dancing lesson and I needed to make sure Gabe wouldn’t worry if he thought I was out and about on my own.
‘O right, the special project, sure.’
‘I’ll give you a lift in girls, Mrs. Darby’s coming at nine to keep an eye on Gabe in the morning,’ offered Doug.
‘I’m not a bloody child, I can be left on my own you know,’ retorted Gabe.
‘Doug, that’s really sweet of you but Lexi and I can take a taxi to save you going in.’
‘No, I insist. Nine-thirty and I’ll be good to go.’
I looked at Lexi and raised my eyebrows and she just shrugged her shoulders. Damn it, that meant I’d have to ask Doug to go via Peppers first and he was crap at keeping secrets. Gabe tugged my hand and we headed upstairs. He didn’t need any help, but I helped him undress none the less. I wasn’t missing any chance to see his body and touch it. I helped him adjust his sling and kissed his chest and ran my fingers over the huge ugly purple bruise on his side then the long scar on his shoulder.
‘How’s your shoulder feeling now?’
‘It still hurts. It’s weird, like I can feel my bones aching inside, but it’s not killing me anymore. It’s just hard having to sleep on my back all the time.’
‘How many weeks until I can give you a proper hug and kiss?’ I asked as I stood in front of him leaving a few inches between us.
‘Don’t Mia, it’s killing me as well. I have the two weeks of Suits we missed to distract you if you want to snuggle up to me and watch that?’ I smiled, nodded and sighed. ‘Why the sigh? You love Suits.’
‘I know and I’ll enjoy it, it’s just going to be hard looking at Harvey all suited up without remembering our last date that’s all. Come on, let’s wash up and we can get in bed and not move until morning.’
We got ready and I sorted out his pillows and watched as he closed his eyes and grimaced as he tried to get comfortable and I finally felt some stray tears on my cheeks.
‘Don’t cry Mia, please don’t cry.’
‘I hate seeing you like this, in pain, all bashed up. It hurts, it hurts me, Gabe.’
‘I know baby, that’s how I felt with you and not just at the hospital. When you had that attack at home I felt every bit of it with you. It just shows how much we care about each other.’
‘I love you and I hate this.’
‘We’re both going to get better Mia, and it’s going to be smooth sailing from then on, ok? We’ve had our share of shit. Get undressed and get in here.’ He patted the bed and watched as I rubbed the tears off my face and stripped off and nestled into his side.
‘What’s wrong? You aren’t hard.’
‘Seeing you upset’s not a turn on for me baby, even when you’re standing naked. I need you happy, ok?’
‘Ok,’ I nodded.
‘Mia, a week apart and we were at it all night, imagine what we’ll be like after four or five weeks? It’ll be amazing.’
‘That’s the trouble, I am imagining and I’m not patient, Gabe. Will you put Suits on or I’ll start crying again.’
It took my mind off his troubles for a couple of hours and I helped him shuffle down the bed and turned off the lights and draped myself over his left side as he stroked the back of my neck.
‘I forgot Gabe, I got something for us.’
‘What?’
‘Some graph paper to draw out the apartment. I thought we could sketch out some scale plans and cut out furniture to try different layouts. It’ll give us something else to focus on and look forward to.’
‘Thanks baby, that’s a great idea. I need something to get my teeth into. I’m fed up of sitting around just studying or watching TV. I so need to work out as well. I’ll end up with a flabby gut,’ he moaned. I ran my fingers over his hard abs.
‘Never, you love your body as much as I do. If it gets out of shape you’ll soon put it back right, besides, we’ll be having so much sex you won’t have time to work-out.’
‘Mia sex with you is a work-out in itself and one I can’t wait for. Sleep baby you’ve a long day of lectures tomorrow. I’ll cook something for when you get home ok?’
‘Thank you. I love you.’
‘You too.’ He kissed the top of my head and I closed my eyes and let his strong heartbeat lull me to sleep.
A Month Later
I stretched out in bed and rubbed my eyes yawning. The last four weeks seemed to have dragged at the time, but lying here in bed now, it also seemed to have flown. It’d been seriously hard work though. Gabe was getting more and more frustrated with wearing his sling and not being able to do the things he loved, fucking in particular. We’d had a massive argument over me not letting him inside me again, to the point I’d slammed his bedroom door and locked myself in the spare room for the night so he couldn’t get in. I’d received a massive bouquet of flowers the next day and he apologised and told me it made him love me more, for putting his recovery ahead of our need for each other.
We’d had to postpone our half term plans to go back to mine and to Edinburgh, so I’d caught up with my studying and made sure he was on top of his, done loads of swimming, Pilates and Gym. I’d ended my counselling sessions as I’d started to feel like I was going around in circles and not resolving anything. I’d started cooking some of the meals as he supervised, given hundreds of hand and blow jobs as well as planning schedules for Doug and I to ferry him to and from Physio. We’d met with the architect Tom to discuss more detailed specifics for the apartment, the internal layout had been approved, even though Gabe still hadn’t completed. He wanted the builders in the minute he got the keys.
We’d been out a couple of times a week to eat, to keep him from being cooped up in the house. I’d also had to have my belly button re-pierced, by the time my incision was fully healed, I couldn’t get my bar back in. We’d had another massive argument over me having my hair cut, from waist level to just below the back of my shoulder blades. Gabe hadn’t been impressed and I’d stomped off, telling him it was my body, not his and I could chose to do what I wanted with it. Naturally he disagreed, which made me even madder.
He seemed to be on edge about everything lately and we were arguing daily, often more, as he was getting more and more irritable and possessive, demanding to be kept updated on where I was and what I was up to, criticising my outfits and he’d also thrown a tantrum last Tuesday when I got ready to go over to mine for movies with Lexi. He’d demanded she come to his house instead, not wanting me to be out traveling alone. I’d refused to change our plans, as I’d wanted to go there to recharge and talk to her in private about how hard I was finding him at the moment, so he’d blown his top and I’d had to stay in to keep an eye on him in case he did something stupid. I was furious as I’d really needed a break and missed Lexi terribly.
Lexi and Doug had started a proper relationship and were sleeping together. Even she was in shock that it had lasted this long and she wasn’t pissed off with him yet. The four of us had spent a lot of time hanging out together, which took some of the edge off Gabe’s varying moods, even Doug had picked up on it and was texting me regularly to make sure I was ok. He’d tried pointing it out to Gabe and had gotten his head bitten off too. Gabe seemed fine when I was with him, it was the second we were parted, or the threat of me spending time away from him that set him off.
Finally, I’d fitted in twelve lengthy dance lessons with Cindy at Peppers, she’d squeezed me in on a Tuesday evening and a Friday morning as well, as she said I had real promise. She made it look easy swivelling on that pole, it was a bloody good work out and we’d a very sexy routine down pat. I suddenly felt nervous, as in a moment of madness I’d decided it’d be a good idea for me to do the audition tonight, live on stage with Gabe in the audience as a surprise for our two month anniversary to cheer him up. I slapped my forehead and groaned. I’d a feeling it was going to backfire on me. Either I’d freeze, screw up, or he’d be in one of his moods a
nd go mental. What the hell had I been thinking?
‘You ok baby?’ Gabe asked as he gestured for me to leave the edge of the bed where I lay on my side. I moved over to him and he kissed my forehead.
‘Yes, just thinking how much we have to do today. I’ll get breakfast sorted, head to History, come back and take you to Physio and then get us both ready for our date tonight.’
‘Doug’s offered to take me to Physio so don’t worry. Where are we going tonight? You’ve being very secretive about this date.’
‘I’m not telling you. What would you like for breakfast and I’ll go and sort it.’
‘I’m not hungry for breakfast,’ he grabbed my hand and put it on yet another solid erection.
‘You’re a machine, Gabe Austin. I’ll sue you if I end up with repetitive strain or need a brace to realign my bloody jaw.’ I pulled the duvet back and sighed at the sight in front of me. We were playing daily, I tried to relieve him as often as I could to try and keep him in a good mood and he’d started using vibrators on me, but I missed having him inside me and on top of me. I used my hands on him until he was ready and then took him in my mouth.
‘I wonder how many calories I’m taking in swallowing you every time. I swear my stomach looks bigger,’ I said sitting up and wiping my lips.
‘It’s about seven calories a load, I googled it.’
‘You googled it?’ I asked laughing.
‘Mia, you’ve no idea how bored I’ve been without you here and your stomach’s not bigger, you just seem to have gained some extra muscle and toned up all over. I’ve noticed it the last few weeks. What’ve you been doing differently with your exercising?’
‘I’ve been in a very tight lycra outfit, doing all sorts of stretches and positions that would blow your mind if you were to see them.’
‘Maybe you could give me a demonstration,’ he groaned with a big smile.
‘O don’t worry, I will.’
Little did he know how soon that would be. I leaned over, kissed him and ran my fingers over his ribs. The bruising had finally gone and it wasn’t hurting him to breathe now and I was so happy that I could finally put my arms around his waist when I felt like it. His stitches had been removed from his shoulder and his scars, like mine, had turned from an angry red to a hot pink. X-rays showed his collarbone fracture was knitting together nicely and it seemed that the rotator cuff repair had gone well. At last week’s Physio he’d been told to start weaning himself off the sling, only using it when he got tired, but he’d still been advised to sleep on his back and ideally still no sex. He’d not been in the best of moods when he’d come out of that session. There again minor things seemed to set him off lately, so a sex ban extension was the last thing he’d needed.
I kissed him again and hopped out of bed and had a quick shower and grabbed my jeans, trainers and a sweatshirt and blew him a kiss as I ran off to grab my books and wait downstairs for Doug, who’d offered to pick me up and drop me at Uni before coming to spend the morning with Gabe. Lexi had declined a lift saying it was out of his way and she’d meet me there. Doug’s house was only a few further down the street, but Gabe wouldn’t even let me wait outside his gates, let alone walk, he was still insistent on me not walking or running alone until the person responsible for the two murders had been caught.
He was still on strong painkillers and a tablet to help him settle at night, the combination of which meant he slept fairly heavily when he did drop off, so he was unaware that I’d been getting up and having a swim or run in the morning and sneaking back into the en-suite before he woke up. I mean, I couldn’t put my life on hold, even if this killer weren’t on the loose, there would be other sicko’s out there. The police seemed no further forwards with the campus murders and they’d also closed their files on Gabe’s accident, much to Robert’s disgust, but what more could they do? I heard a car pull up and headed out to see Doug waiting for me.
‘Morning, Doug,’ I beamed as I got in the passenger seat and buckled up. He was such a nice guy and I was so fond of him.
‘Morning Mia, how’s our non-patient patient doing?’ he asked as he pulled out of the drive.
‘Injury wise getting better by the day, temperament wise exactly the opposite.’
‘Still?’ he exclaimed as he looked over at me.
‘O yeah,’ I nodded with a heavy sigh. ‘He even brought up my hair again last night, it’s been two weeks and he’s still not over the fact that I had a few inches off without his permission.’
‘Unbelievable,’ Doug laughed, then sighed and glanced at me looking all serious. ‘It’s not normal for him you know Mia, he’s not usually like this, I just don’t know what’s got into him lately.’
‘Me neither, but hopefully if he can ditch the sling today. That should cheer him up a bit.’
‘That and if sex is back on the menu, that’ll cheer him up no end,’ he chuckled.
‘Doug,’ I objected, with a tinge of crimson on my cheeks.
‘Come on, guys talk sex as much as you girls do and it’s killing him, Mia. I don’t think I’ve known him to go this long without since he started having it and us guys … well we don’t handle it as well as you girls do, not to say he’s not handling “it” himself, or you either, I know you’ve been helping him out a lot with … shit, I’m going to stop talking right now,’ he uttered as he looked at my horrified face.
‘Well handling of anything aside, fingers crossed he’s given the all clear for all our sakes. He pissed off Lexi by not letting me go over last Tuesday and when she had a go at him about it, he nearly took her head off. I’ve never seen Lexi intimidated by anyone, but he even had her speechless.’
‘Yeah, she did say and when I brought that up and asked him not to drag my girlfriend into it, he gave me both barrels as well. Listen Mia, probably none of my business and tell me to back off if I’m out of order, but do you really think your plan tonight is a good idea when he’s like this?’
‘You don’t think we should go out for our anniversary?’ I was surprised.
‘No. Well, I mean, yes to the date portion of the evening, that will do him the world of good, I mean he’ll be with you so he’ll be happy. I’m just a bit worried about the dancing portion of the night.’
‘You don’t think he’ll like it?’
‘O I know he’ll love seeing it Mia, what guy doesn’t like seeing a hot girl gyrating in underwear …’ his eyes glazed over and I lost him for a moment.
‘Doug? You were saying?’
‘Sorry, it’s been a while since I went to Peppers and all this talk has me itching to go back, but I don’t think Lexi’d approve.’
‘No, I don’t think she would either, Doug. Back to Gabe please.’
‘Well he’s going to love seeing you doing it Mia, for sure, I’m just not sure how much he’ll love other guys seeing you do it as well.’
‘He’s always said he’s fine men admiring me Doug, as long as they don’t touch and there’ll definitely be no touching. It’s a pole dance on a stage, not a lap dance. You don’t think he’ll cause trouble, do you?’
‘If you’d asked me that before he started dating you … I’d say a big no, he wouldn’t have cared with any other women, but you …’ Doug blew out and shook his head. ‘He’s different with you Mia, and with his moods the way he is at the moment, I dunno,’ he shrugged.
‘O shit Doug, don’t put me off. I’ve worked really hard on this and I can’t let Cindy down, I promised.’
‘Sod it, do it. Even if he has a fit he’ll get over it. I could always come as back up to restrain him if he gets too jealous.’
‘Doug,’ I laughed. ‘That would be so wrong, I couldn’t do it at all if I thought you were in the audience.’
‘Yeah,’ he sighed. ‘Lexi wasn’t impressed when I suggested it either.’
‘Well I’ll just have to trust that I’m not wrong about him and he’ll take it the way it was intended, as a gift for him to make him smile and enjoy himself.’
‘I will, thanks Doug and thanks for having kept it quiet, I know that can’t have been easy for you.’
‘I could be insulted at the constant insinuations that I’m crap at keeping secrets you know.’
‘Well you are by all accounts,’ I objected.
‘Yeah, well there is that,’ he laughed.
‘So how did you manage this one?’
‘The threat of Lexi having a fit, or you. Bloody feisty females you two are, no one in their right minds would cross either of you.’
‘Damn right they shouldn’t. Lexi’s like The Bride from Kill Bill and I could be … who could I be.’
‘Lara Croft,’ Doug answered without hesitation.
‘Wow, take a bit longer to think about that Doug,’ I laughed.
‘Sorry but it’s the hair and tits,’ he shrugged. ‘Gabe’s already mentioned it to me too, she’s his number one hot female superhero.’
‘Who’s your favourite?’ I asked, flattered that Gabe thought of me like that.
‘Damn it, Mia,’ he moaned. ‘That’s a question with far too many answers. They’re all hot.’
‘Even Gangsta Granny?’ I giggled.
‘Well no, not her,’ he laughed. ‘That’s just gross. Ok, if I had to narrow it down to a top three, don’t ask me to go lower than a top three as that’s an impossibility, third place would be Melinda May from Agents of Shield, seriously hot leather outfit, then Lara Croft, but top has to be Xena Warrior Princess. I know she’s old school but my dad loved the show and made me watch all the dvd's with him when I was old enough. That leather and metal outfit is awesome. Wow, the teenage wet dreams I’ve had about that you wouldn’t believe, I even got wrist strain, she’s serious wank material,’ he groaned with a shake of the head and I laughed.
‘Ewwwww. How do you and Lexi put it, Doug? O yes, way T.M.I.’
‘Sorry, used to sharing info in depth like that with Gabe, forgot it was you for a minute.’
The Honeymoon Period (The Austin Series) Page 6