The Honeymoon Period (The Austin Series)

by Fallowfield, C. J.

‘Mia, a word in private please.’

  ‘No, I think you’ve said enough. Thanks for picking me up, it was very kind of you, but surprisingly I’m no longer in the mood for dinner with you. Please leave so Lexi and I can enjoy movie night in peace, on our own.’

  ‘Mia, not here,’ he growled angrily.

  ‘Why not? If you’re going to yell at me they’ll hear it anyway. Why not do it in front of them if you’ve more stupid accusations to make?’

  ‘Mia, I’m not going to ask you again, I’d like to speak to you in private.’

  ‘Then book an appointment when you’re in a better mood, now’s not convenient and you’re embarrassing Lexi and Doug.’

  ‘Then I’ll ask Lexi and Doug to give us the kitchen for a while please?’ He turned to fix them with a firm gaze and raised eyebrows. I watched as Doug stood up and shrugged apologetically at me and walked out, while Lexi grimaced at me with a please don’t stick me in the middle of this look.

  ‘Lexi, don’t you dare move a bloody muscle. I’m not in the mood for his unfair accusations of cheating.’

  ‘Sorry Gabe, but she’s my best friend, she wants me to stay in the kitchen, I’m staying,’ she sighed. I smiled sweetly at him and he glowered fuming and stormed off toward my bedroom.

  ‘Mia, you need to go and talk to him. It’s like defcon one in here,’ she exclaimed as she looked at me. I sighed and put my beer on the side.

  ‘Lexi, how dare he. He made out that I’d arranged lunch with Milo yesterday in secret and was seeing him behind his back.’

  ‘I was with you. Tell him.’

  ‘I did tell him, but it doesn’t seem to have made a difference. O shit, he’s coming back, please don’t go,’ I pleaded. She shook her head as he stormed in with a face like thunder, grabbed me and before I knew what was happening, I was over his shoulder screaming at him as he marched me out of the kitchen and across the hall into the bedroom. ‘Gabe Austin put me down this instant,’ I yelled and smacked his bottom as hard as I could and cursed at the pain radiating through my palm and wrist, and I ended up with a stinging slap back on my own bottom in return for my efforts. ‘Put. Me. Down.’

  ‘With pleasure,’ he hissed as he flung me down on the bed. He grabbed my hands and yanked them over my head and I felt coldness and heard two clicks.

  ‘You haven’t just handcuffed me to the bed?’ I uttered glaring at him, but already knew the answer before I even tried to move my hands and felt the cold metal of my old cuffs biting into my wrists. I pulled on them as I kicked my legs in frustration.

  ‘It’s the only bloody way I can keep you in the same place as me to talk,’ he shot back with a scowl as he pulled out my dressing table chair and sat down.

  ‘I don’t want to talk you, take a hint. I’m furious.’

  ‘Well so am I,’ he snapped back.

  ‘I apologised for being so thoughtless Gabe, so you don’t get to still be angry with me. I’ve done nothing wrong, I’m not seeing Milo and you’re over reacting, as usual. Let me out of these cuffs right now.’

  ‘Or what, Mia?’ he asked with a fake smile, just like I did to him when I was annoyed. I wriggled up the bed and looked at my hands, he’d been sneaky enough to thread the cuffs over two bars on my bedhead, so they were too far apart for me to try and undo them myself. I pulled at them again and swore.

  ‘Fine, I’ll just ignore you.’ I rolled onto my side, facing away from him and tucked my legs up and tugged a pillow down with my teeth to make myself comfortable.

  ‘You’re so fucking infuriating,’ he muttered and I heard him leave. I banged my head in frustration on the pillow a couple of times, then stared at my wardrobe until I heard him return. Suddenly he was in front of me with the chair, plonked it down and sat with my beer in his hands staring at me as he swigged some, so I closed my eyes. ‘Mia,’ he sighed. I ignored him. I was so tired I was quite happy to keep my eyes closed, block him out and go to sleep. I nestled into the pillow and sighed myself. Accusing me of seeing Milo behind his back, I thought we trusted each other. ‘Mia look at me, stop being so bloody childish.’

  I gasped and went to snap something back and stopped myself, biting my lip. He was goading me into fighting, so I scrunched my eyes closed a little bit more. I heard his chair move back and smiled to myself, he was giving up. I suddenly felt him grab my ankles and yank them down, pulling me onto my back before I felt his body weight on top of me, his fingers weaving into my hair as his lips pressed down to caress mine. I tried to twist my head, but he held it still as he kissed me again and again, his erection flexing against my pelvis. I tried so hard to fight against him, but the more I did the more turned on I got.

  I opened my eyes and gazed into his boring down into me, giving away how he was feeling. I couldn’t help myself and opened my mouth and let him slip his tongue in and I gave into it and moaned into his mouth, pushing my breasts against his chest for some friction against my aching nipples and hooking my legs around his hips. I wanted him to do what his face was telling me he wanted to, to rip off my clothes and fuck me aggressively. As I surrendered to him he pulled away panting, swore and rolled off me onto his side of the bed.

  ‘For fucks sake, Mia. You run away from me, won’t look at me or talk to me, but the minute my tongue’s inside you and you feel my need to fuck you, you let me get close,’ he snapped. I sighed knowing he was right. We could break each other down with our lust and passion, but it never solved the problem that lead to these heated exchanges in the first place.

  ‘You hurt me, again,’ I whispered as I stared at the ceiling. ‘You made unfair accusations.’

  ‘And I came upstairs to apologise and you wouldn’t give me the chance to do that in private.’

  ‘I don’t want you to keep apologising Gabe, I want you to stop mistrusting me. Deep down do you really think I’d give up what we have for anyone else? We’re moving in together for God’s sake.’

  ‘I trust you Mia, but I’ll never trust any of your ex’s or him when it comes to you.’

  ‘But I’ve done nothing wrong, so why are you so mad at me?’ I asked as I turned my head to look at him. He was lying on his back looking up at the ceiling too.

  ‘Because you don’t get it, you just don’t get how devastated I’d be to lose you baby and you leave yourself vulnerable all the fucking time. To other guys who want you, meeting up with people without me knowing where you are, walking around on your own in the fucking dark. Damn it Mia, I need you to be more careful.’ He covered his eyes with his hands and massaged his temples with his fingers.

  ‘I thought you could track my phone.’

  ‘I can, but that’s a last resort, for if you were drunk or hurt and I needed to find you. I don’t want to go invading your privacy by checking where you are every five minutes of the day. I need to trust that you are where you say you are.’

  ‘I can’t always tell you that, Gabe. What if I want to do something as a surprise for you? Like the pole dancing? I need some freedom without worrying you’re going to freak out on me. You’re being too restrictive.’

  ‘Then you take Lexi, you take Doug or you let someone know where you are. I’m sorry Mia, I know it’s a lot to ask but this is me, this is how I am and if we aren’t going to keep fighting all the damn time I need you to accept that and work with me.’

  ‘You tell me what your acceptable boundaries are Gabe and I’ll try my best. I’m a work in progress when it comes to relationships and you need to accept that.’

  ‘I know that baby,’ he sighed and rolled onto his side to look at me. ‘You’ve given me so much more than I ever expected of you and I’m trying as well, but he’s a real issue for me.’

  ‘Gabe there are a couple of hundred women out there who’ve all been with you and I guarantee still want you. I don’t lay down rules for you not speaking to them, or having a drink with them. I can’t even have a fit after the event because I don’t even know who they are. If I bump into a friend and they ask me to join them for cof
fee or lunch and I don’t have plans with you, then I don’t see what’s wrong with that.’

  ‘I’m fine with anyone but an ex or him, Mia.’

  ‘Gabe, regardless of what you think Milo may feel for me, I don’t feel that way towards him. I’ve never even kissed him, let alone screwed him, so you really need to back off.’

  ‘I don’t think he feels it, I know it, Mia. I’ve seen his face while he talks to you and I know the look.’ The anger had gone from his eyes, now it was just concern and love that looked at me from those deep black pools in the vivid blue. ‘There’s just something about him, I get a really bad vibe off him and I don’t trust him.’

  ‘Then trust me to tell him to back off if he ever makes a move, which he never has, Gabe.’

  ‘I would if I knew you could protect yourself baby, but you won’t even stick to my request for you to go to classes, which you agreed to do. You want me to trust you in all areas, then you need to show me that I can.’ He reached over and ran his finger over my lip and I felt the crackle of electricity from his touch.

  ‘Then I’ll ring tomorrow and book them in, please don’t stay mad with me,’ I begged. He sighed, closed his eyes and opened them again as he ran his finger along my jaw line.

  ‘Leave it until after we move in, you’ll only have more excuses not to go with everything else going on, but then I’ll expect you to attend every single one.’

  ‘Agreed, but I’ll be having words with Doug. He didn’t need to rub it in about Lexi, Milo and I having lunch when he knows how you feel. It’s his fault you got all riled up.’

  ‘It wasn’t Doug.’

  ‘Then who?’

  ‘Just one of the other guys from swimming, I asked him to keep an eye on you while I was off. He rang me earlier and mentioned it.’

  ‘You’ve someone I don’t know watching me?’ I snapped. God, this insecurity or over possessiveness or whatever it was eating away at him was getting out of control.

  ‘It’s not like he follows you around all day like a PI Mia, but yes, he checks on you now and again,’ he nodded. I groaned in disbelief.

  ‘Are you and I really that fucked up?’ I whispered as I looked at him.

  ‘I don’t know, Mia. Do you think we’re fucked up?’

  ‘You’re irrationally jealous and possessive, have a tracker on my phone and a mystery stalker reporting back to you. We fight all the time and if we don’t fuck it out, you have to handcuff me to a bed and kiss me into submission to make us talk, so I’m thinking yes, we’re pretty fucked up.’ He looked at me surprised and then burst out laughing and I joined him shaking my head.

  ‘When you put it like that then yes, we sound very fucked up.’ He reached up, undid the cuffs and grabbed my hands rubbing and kissing my wrists before crushing me into his chest and kissing my hair. ‘Fuck. Thank God I’m seeing that bloody head specialist next week. You bring out the best and worst in me, Mia. I can’t see or think straight when it comes to you. I’ve never been this jealous or possessive with anyone before.’

  ‘I understand you wanting to protect me Gabe, but you take it too far sometimes.’

  ‘I know I do. Shit, sorry for screwing up dinner plans and your movie night. Do you still want me to go? I will if you’d rather be alone with Lexi.’

  ‘No, it’s too late now anyway,’ I sighed. ‘Besides Doug’s turned up, I never had a chance to ask her if it could just be the two of us so it’s unfair to kick him out. I was all ready for hot make up sex, so I’m all frustrated and still sore after my wax in these tight bloody trousers, can we just lie here like this?’

  ‘I was so ready for it as well,’ he smiled. ‘It’s my first instinct when you make me mad, to bend you over and take it out on you by pounding you until you beg me to stop. I’m happy to lie here with you, but take your trousers and knickers off first, I’ve something that will help ease the sting.’ He kissed my hair and let go of me and went to the bathroom. I sat up and wriggled my trousers and knickers off and shrugged off my jacket, dropping them onto the floor at the side of the bed and saw him return with a bottle and some cotton wool. He came around to my side and opened it and soaked a cotton pad. ‘Lie back and open your legs for me,’ he said gently. I did as I was told, propped up on my elbows and moaned as he carefully ran the cotton pad and the cold liquid over my mound, stroking it down in sections.

  ‘What’s that?’ I asked. It was cold and tingled and was making me even hornier than I was already.

  ‘Witch Hazel, I use it as well if I’m irritated, which doesn’t happen often now. Do you have any rash cream?’

  ‘Yes, I had a tube for my tattoo.’

  ‘Where is it?’

  ‘My bedside table.’ I nodded in its direction. He leaned over, rummaged and pulled it out and squeezed a load onto his fingers, applying it as he looked at me. I felt my cheeks flame at the same time as my pelvis responded, clenching and getting ready for him.

  ‘You’ve turned on face,’ he smiled.

  ‘Yes,’ I whispered as I tilted my hips pushing myself into his fingers and the palm that was cupping me.

  ‘Much as I’d love to do something about that baby, we’re going to have to wait until at least the morning before reassessing,’ he advised as he gently rubbed in the cream.

  ‘Will you come back on the bed and just make out with me instead then?’ I asked. He stood up grinning, shuffled his jeans down and pulled off his shirt and I made a noise of satisfaction as I looked as his insane body, encased in those tight blue trunks that matched his eyes. He walked around the bed and moved up to lie next to me and we faced each other. I felt excited, kissing with no sex wasn’t something that we often did. Especially not after arguing, we usually went straight for hot, crazy, furious sex. I reached up and ran my fingers through his hair and he pulled me to him, arms tight around me, but careful to keep his hips away from mine. He leaned in and started to kiss me really softly, making me sigh and clutch his hair.

  ‘You really like me kissing you,’ he murmured, sounding all proud.

  ‘I love you kissing me Gabe, you’re the best I’ve ever had.’

  ‘You too baby.’

  ‘Then shut up and get on with it,’ I teased. We spent about ten minutes snogging before we both started getting too hot and heavy. He was squeezing my breast over my t-shirt and kneading my bare bottom with his other hand and I was running my fingers along his hip, edging towards his erection. He pulled away and rolled onto his back and clutched me against his side and we fell asleep.

  It was nearly ten when I felt him stroking my cheek telling me to wake up. We got dressed and headed out to the kitchen, our stomachs rumbling. I’d not eaten since breakfast and he’d only grabbed a small burger on the way to his wax. He poured us two glasses of water and went to inspect the fridge.

  ‘You’re speaking now then? I was about to send in search and rescue it went so quiet in there.’

  ‘Hi Lexi, yes sorry, we fell asleep. Gabe apologised, I apologised and we’re all good now. Thanks for staying when I asked you to.’

  ‘Sorry Lexi, didn’t mean to put you in the middle of it and certainly not to ruin your movie Tuesday with Mia.’

  ‘Sure, just don’t make a habit of it. I miss my best friend, Gabe.’

  ‘Is Doug still here?’ he asked her.

  ‘Yeah, he figured you’d be going at it for a while so … not going at it as in fucking, I meant with the arguing not the … I’m shutting up now.’

  ‘I’d better go and apologise to him, then I’ll do us a ham and cheese omelette baby. Is Doug in the lounge, Lex?’

  ‘Yes, watching some God awful film that I so don’t get is one of his favourites. Don’t tell him I said that, will you?’ she asked. Gabe smiled and kissed me and headed off to see him. ‘Wow Mia, do you two fight like that a lot? It was so hot the way he threw you over his shoulder and marched you into the bedroom. Did you fuck it out?’

  ‘No, I’m a bit sensitive after my wax. He handcuffed me to the bed so I co
uldn’t leave, kissed me into a better mood before we talked it out and yes, arguing like that’s common for us, but we usually end up having steamy sex and getting nowhere.’

  ‘Handcuffed you? Wow,’ she shook her head looking enviously dazed. ‘You’re ok now though? What set it all off?’

  ‘We will be. We agreed we both need to be more considerate of what rubs each other up the wrong way.’

  ‘Milo?’

  ‘Best we don’t discuss that until we’re properly alone, but yes for some reason Milo’s a big issue for him.’

  ‘I guess I’d better go back to pretending to love the shitty film,’ she sighed.

  ‘Lexi, you’re pretending an awful lot.’

  ‘Nag bloody nag. Get your own house in order before you lecture me, Miss Page,’ she said, pulling her tongue out at me as she left. I started preparing our omelette dinner and poured the mixture into the frying pan, prodding it as it sizzled and felt hands on my hips.

  ‘I thought I was cooking?’

  ‘I can do an omelette thanks to your expert tutelage, Gabe.’

  ‘I’m hungry.’

  ‘Me too’

  ‘What did you have for lunch?’

  ‘You.’

  ‘Mia.’

  ‘Gabe, chillax and get the plates and forks.’ I served up to find he’d done some crusty bread and butter for me, just bread for him which made me smile. We polished it off and had some greek honey yogurt with granola and fresh blueberries for pudding. I looked at him astonished as he yawned. ‘I’m trying to remember if I’ve ever seen you yawn? Are you ok?’

  ‘I’m tired. I haven’t had a day time sleep since Friday, until just now. I also had to satisfy my girl in the middle of the night and fuck her hard at lunch time and it’s taken it out of me.’

  ‘Hey, I didn’t wake you begging to be satisfied, you came up with that all on your own. You’re still feeling tired from your injury?’

  ‘A bit yes, getting a bit better each day if I pace myself.’

  ‘Well throwing me over your shoulder wasn’t pacing yourself, you need to be more careful. Did you feel any pain?’