I shrugged it on and did up the black leather belt that it came with and looked in the mirror, it stopped mid-thigh, but looked as if I was wearing nothing under it, still it looked good and it was lovely and soft and warm. I headed down in the lift and walked through the double doors to the bar, he was sitting at it sideways on and again I was hit with a wave of desire for him. He was wearing his new grey jeans and black leather bomber, with a black shirt and his favourite square toed black oxfords. Add in his roughed up slightly gelled blond hair, well, he looked so sexy. I wondered if it was possible for me to love him any more, but when he looked up at me with his piercing blue eyes and his amazing, if slightly restrained smile, I realised that it was. His smile soon faded as he scanned down my coat and then looked back up at me and raised his eyebrows as I walked over.
‘You’re really working the bad boy in leather look, it’s incredibly hot,’ I smiled as I leaned in and kissed his cheek.
‘You’re really working the I’m not wearing any clothes under my coat look, Mia. Do you actually have anything on under there?’ he scowled.
‘Yes, what’s wrong? I thought you liked my legs and I’m wearing my lovely new coat you left out for me,’ I hopped up onto the barstool and crossed my legs and watched his eyes run up them. He frowned even more to see my coat had ridden up and he still couldn’t see any clothing.
‘I do love them, but do you need to show quite as much of them?’ he grumbled. I just smiled at him and turned to the bartender and asked for a double archers and lemonade, which earned me another dark look. Crap, if he was cross now what was he going to be like when I took the coat off.
‘Gabe, I’m only showing what hundreds of other girls my age show on a night out clubbing.’
‘I don’t care Mia, I don’t care what other girls do, I don’t like my girl going out with virtually nothing on,’ he snapped.
‘You’re out with me for goodness sake,’ I sighed with a roll of my eyes and he made an annoyed grunting 'hmphhhh’ noise.
‘Don’t get any ideas of going out looking like that without me, because it’s never going to bloody happen.’
‘Unacceptable Gabe,’ I sighed. ‘You don’t get to tell me what I can and can’t wear.’
‘Must you challenge every fucking request I make, Mia?’ he glared.
‘O my God,’ I groaned and took a deep breath. I didn’t want to argue, but it seemed like he wanted to pick a fight with me tonight and I’d no idea why. ‘You’ve been grumpy ever since you woke up tonight, Gabe. First about coming out, then my food selection, now my dress sense, drink choice and ability to make my own decisions. What the hell’s going on?’
‘Nothing.’ He lifted his pint and drank most of it in one go.
‘Gabe, even if I didn’t know you I’d know something was wrong. You have a crease in your forehead from over frown. Talk to me, we aren’t in a rush.’
‘I said I’m fine.’
‘Have I done something to upset you?’ I asked as I ran my fingers through the side of his hair. I smiled as he started to lean into it, but then he stopped abruptly and picked up his beer and finished it.
‘No. Seriously, are you wearing any clothes under there?’
I stuck my tongue out at him and was rewarded with a brief smile before he got up off his stool and announced he was going to the toilet. I thanked the bartender for my drink and asked for another one, plus another for Gabe and settled the bill. I quickly drained my first drink and passed the empty glass back so Gabe wouldn’t know I was on my second. I’d a feeling I may need a few more if he was going to stay so taciturn and moody for the rest of the night. I swivelled to face the toilets and watched him walk out, he really was an incredibly handsome guy and at six foot one, with his physique, he turned heads as he walked. I smiled, I loved that he drew so much attention and paid none back, usually it was focussed on me, but tonight it was on the floor.
I spun back around as he walked past and sat back on his stool. I uncrossed my legs and reached between his, grabbed his seat and pulled him closer to me so his legs were either side of mine, clasped his chin, leaned in and kissed him. I sensed some resistance initially, which cut me to the core, but I persisted nibbling his lower lip until I heard a gentle sigh. His hand went up behind my head and he opened his lips and let my tongue flit in and out. I ran my hand up his thigh and tested he was hard with the tip of my finger, before pulling away as he started to respond to my kiss more vigorously. I looked at his eyes and saw some of the heat and lust had returned.
‘So I’ve just established that you’re still turned on by me, so are you going to tell me why you’re all grumpy and cold?’
‘Cold?’ he asked, looking puzzled as he picked up his beer.
‘Yes, yesterday you looked at me like you wanted to rip off my dress and take me on the bar, tonight nothing until I just kissed you into showing some positive emotion toward me.’
‘That’s unfair, Mia.’ His brow creased heavily with a serious frown.
‘Is it?’
‘If you’re saying I show no emotion toward you then yes, it’s fucking unfair,’ he snapped talking a number of glugs from his pint glass.
‘Well I guess you getting angry is better than you being indifferent all night,’ I replied as I picked up my drink.
‘Indifferent?’ he choked. ‘Are you deliberately trying to piss me off?’ he asked. I drank half of my drink as I watched him over the rim of the glass and saw his eyes blazing.
‘I’d rather fight with you Gabe, than have you sit there telling me everything’s fine, when I can clearly see that it’s not.’
‘Maybe I’m just not in the mood for talking, Mia,’ he sighed as he ran his hand through his hair, exasperated.
‘What happened, Gabe? We were fine earlier, I turn up down here and you've turned all miserable. ’
‘Christ, what is it with women and needing to talk all the damn time?’
‘Are you in the mood for clubbing or would you prefer to go back to bed?’
‘Bed,’ he replied without hesitation and gave me a look that said he wasn’t talking about going to sleep. Well if he thought he could shut me out, ruin the night out I’d been looking forward to, then fuck his annoyance out, he’d another think coming. I knocked back my drink and stood up as he called for the bill. Shit, that would get him even more cross. I started walking toward the hotel lobby, but with his long strides he caught up with me in seconds. ‘You paid the bloody bill, Mia? Jesus, you’re really pushing my buttons tonight,’ he grabbed my hand and pulled me quite roughly toward the lifts until I dug my heels in and snatched my hand out of his. He snapped his head around to look at me.
‘You wanted to go to bed Gabe, I never said I was coming with you. I’ve been looking forward to going out all day, I’m dressed up and I’m going. Go and sleep off whatever’s eating at you, because I give up if you’re not going to talk to me.’
‘If you think for a minute I’m letting you out without me, let alone dressed like … like …’
‘Like what, Gabe?’ I stood with my hands on my hips, he was really rattling my cage now and I could feel the steam building up. We’d just had an amazing couple of days with no arguments and now he was like bear with a sore head. ‘Go on, say what you really think. Please, I’m dying to hear exactly what you think I look like.’
‘Don’t make a scene, we’re in public,’ he hissed.
‘Too late, you started it. What’s wrong? You embarrassed your girlfriend looks like a hooker?’
‘I never said that, Mia.’
‘You didn’t need to, Gabe. So it’s fine for me to be dirty and sexy when it suits you, but when you aren’t in the mood I have to toe the line and reign it in?’
‘Mia, not here, please,’ he snapped. ‘Up in the room, now.’
‘No, I’m going clubbing.’
‘Mia,’ he snarled and I saw a warning flash across his face.
‘No, you’re angry and I can see you’ve got a hard on. You’ll try a
nd give me one of your punishment fucks and make me forget I’m mad with you and distract me from whatever’s going on with you. I thought we were over this, I thought you were over whatever had been bugging you at home. Unless you talk to me and tell me why you’re so upset and angry with me then I’m not going up there.’
‘Yes you fucking are,’ he growled. He grabbed my arm, yanked me to him and before I knew it I was over his bloody shoulder again, kicking my legs as he strode to the lifts and pressed the call button.
‘Put. Me. Down,’ I shouted slapping his bottom ineffectually with my bag. ‘How dare you,’ I hissed. We were in a posh hotel lobby, which was littered with well to do people and he was man handling me like a sack of potatoes. He walked forward as I struggled and only set me down as the lift doors closed, I was so angry I whipped my hand back and slapped him across the face. I don’t know if I was more shocked at doing it, or him as he glowered open mouthed at me and rubbed his cheek. I gulped at the look on his face, it scared me. I retreated to the opposite corner, looking down at my feet until we approached the top floor and he grabbed my arm, steered me into our suite and slammed the door.
He pushed me down onto the sofa and I landed sprawled on my back and quickly scrambled up into the corner and looked up at him, wishing I hadn’t. He had the same furious face Kai used to have, when he flew into a rage. He stood over me glaring with both hands on his hips and I looked down at the floor. I wasn’t apologising, he was out of order, he could apologise first. I heard him throw himself in the armchair and sigh and we sat in silence for ages before he got up and helped himself to a drink from the minibar and headed into the bedroom. I made an on the spot rash decision and bolted to the main door, shutting it quietly behind me and called the lift, cursing as I watched the numbers slowly climbing up as I glanced back at our door. I hopped in when it arrived, pressed for the lobby and quickly strode to the main door, just in time to see a black taxi dropping someone off and asked the driver if he’d take me to Obsession. I jumped in and leaned back on the seat and closed my eyes and exhaled heavily.
‘All right love?’
‘I will be with a few drinks and a dance in me,’ I sighed as I opened them and smiled at him in the rear view mirror. I pondered sending Gabe a text, but I was so upset at him I decided to let him stew, it wasn’t like he couldn’t find me if he really wanted to anyway. I paid the cabbie and joined the queue outside the club and looked up at the dark sky. What the hell was I thinking, coming to a club on my own, in a strange city? I wouldn’t even go out on my own in my own small home town, let alone Westhampton, but to do it here? I pondered getting a taxi back, but when faced with the prospect of either sitting in seething silence with him or having a blazing row, neither option seemed preferable to having a few drinks and dancing out my frustration so I decided to stay.
I checked my watch, it was nearly midnight and I wondered if it was too late to call Lexi. I dug my phone out and saw seven missed calls from Gabe and it started ringing again as I looked at it. I swore and pressed ignore and rang Lexi’s mobile, but it went to answer machine, so I hung up without leaving a message and turned off the ringer. I shivered as I worked my way up to the door and smiled as I was let in and felt my stomach twist in nervous knots at how Gabe was going to react. I shrugged off my new jacket and left it with the cloakroom attendant, carefully zipping up the receipt in my wristlet. I could feel my skin starting to vibrate with the noise of the music and gasped as I made my way in and it hit me. At least I no longer felt cold as I joined the throngs and made my way to the bar. I leaned on it lifting up one heel after another as I waited patiently for my turn. A young guy on my left looked at me and smiled, so I smiled politely back.
‘Hi, Dylan,’ he said, outstretching his hand.
‘Ermmm, Mia,’ I replied holding out mine. What was it up here with all the handshaking with strangers?
‘Can I get you a drink, Mia?’
‘No, I’m good, thanks.’
‘You’re not good. You don’t have one and you’re queuing at a bar,’ he smiled. ‘Let me get you one.’
‘Honestly it’s ok, I can get my own. I don’t want you to feel taken advantage of when you realise that I’m not available.’
‘Now I’m definitely getting you one. A girl who’s honest and doesn’t want to take a guy for a free ride is a rarity in this club.’
‘That bad?’ I laughed.
‘Like you wouldn’t believe, most girls flirt and get you to buy them drinks and then bugger off.’
‘That’s awful,’ I uttered, shocked.
‘So unavailable Mia, who are you here with? Boyfriend? Or the girls?’ he asked as he signalled the bartender that we were still waiting. I studied him and decided to go with the easy option and lie to put him off. I didn’t want him to know I was alone, but equally I didn’t want to be mean, he seemed quite sweet.
‘Actually I’m here with my partner and her name’s Lexi.’
‘Wow,’ he gasped as he coughed and choked.
‘You’re getting a visual right now, aren’t you?’ I laughed. What was it about men loving the idea of two women together? When I thought of two men together it really didn’t do it for me.
‘Yes, yes I am,’ he nodded vigorously. ‘Sorry. Seriously you’re a … a …’
‘Lesbian rug munching muff diver? Yes, that’s me,’ I nodded.
‘O my God,’ he replied with a slight groan. ‘Have you always been?’
‘Yes, just never seen a guy that made me want to swing the other way, Dylan.’
‘I take it she’s the butch one then as you’re … obviously not.’ His cheeks were scarlet as he ran his eyes over my outfit, which I found quite amusing.
‘No, she’s not butch either, tall and very attractive.’ I signalled the bartender again and when he caught sight of my cleavage as I leaned on the bar he headed straight over. ‘An Archers and lemonade please and another bottle of whatever he’s having,’ I said as I nodded at Dylan, who was still standing with his mouth open, gawping at me. I got my purse out and as I paid I asked for another for me and knocked back the first and shook my head as the alcohol burned my throat. I pocketed my change and smiled at Dylan as I picked up my second drink.
‘It’s so not my night. A hot girl who drinks and talks to me and she turns out to be gay?’
‘Keep trying Dylan, you seem sweet. It’ll happen one day.’ I knocked back my second drink and kissed him on the cheek, which earned him a round of cheers from his mates and I headed off for the dance floor, feeling a little tipsy with a warm belly. I blushed as I saw some of the guys checking me out and just headed straight onto the floor, found a space and started to dance, closing my eyes and feeling the beat. Within a minute I felt a hand rub over my backside and spun around and glared at the dark haired guy trying to gyrate behind me, he held up his hands and moved away and a girl dancing next to me laughed.
‘Wow, you need to show me how to pull off that scowl, I’m so sick of guys trying it on without me giving them the green light,’ she shouted as she carried on dancing.
‘I know, just because you’re dancing sexily it’s like they think you’re up for it,’ I shouted back.
‘Great outfit.’
‘Thanks,’ I smiled. I carried on dancing and as the alcohol started taking its effect and became slightly less inhibited and more pissed off as guys tried to come and grind on me. By the time I’d given a fifth one a mouthful, I was beginning to think I needed to pack it in and head back to the hotel and face the music. As I felt another hand run along the small of my back I lost it, spun round and slapped the guy and stepped back covering my mouth, horrified. It was Gabe, who stood teeth gritted rubbing his face, again.
‘Is this going to be a theme of the evening, Mia?’ he growled.
‘Shit, I’m so sorry, I thought you were another pervert,’ I yelled over the music.
‘Another?’
‘Yes,’ I grimaced. ‘How mad are you?’
‘About what, Mi
a? At you slapping me, twice, running off without telling me where you were going, or ignoring my phone calls?’
‘Hand me a number two pencil and I’ll answer D, all of the above. I’m still mad too though you know, you shut me out, called me a hooker and threw me over your shoulder in public.’
‘I didn’t call you a hooker.’
‘You implied it.’
‘You didn’t let me finish, I was going to say like sex on legs.’
‘Really?’ I asked with my hands on my hips as I scowled at him.
‘Yes, but I need to upgrade that now I see what you’re actually wearing.’ He stepped forward purposefully and grabbed me by the waist, yanking me tightly against him. I sighed as I breathed him in and felt this toned body under his tightly fitted black shirt pressing against me. He ran a hand up my bare back and lay his cheek against mine and I felt my body go to jelly. ‘I’m so sorry baby, I was an ass. Please forgive me and dance with me.’
‘No, happy as I am that you’re here, I don’t know what I’m forgiving, Gabe. What did I do?’
‘Nothing baby, it’s me. Don’t be mad at me,’ he begged as he looked at me and smoothed my hair back behind my ear.
‘You shut me out Gabe, again, then you embarrassed me and scared me with your temper and I still don’t understand why.’
‘Because I love you so much, Mia. I’ve just loved having this time alone with you and the thought of it ending and me taking you back somewhere that’s not safe, where I can’t protect you twenty-four-seven has really hit me hard. I was watching the news in the bar before you came down and they showed the latest murder at home and it has me really scared.’
‘So instead of enjoying our last night together, you decided to get all grumpy and controlling?’
‘Yes,’ he said in a low voice looking sheepishly at me.
‘You are an arse, Gabe. How can we live together if you can’t even talk to me when you’re having a freak out? You agreed we’d share stuff and you were dragging me back up to that room to fuck me into submission to try and avoid that, that’s not playing fair. You have a go at me when I try and do that.’
The Honeymoon Period (The Austin Series) Page 42