The Honeymoon Period (The Austin Series)

by Fallowfield, C. J.

  ‘I guess,’ I nodded. ‘So you want to start this now?’ I shut my eyes hoping he’d say when we got home, so we could at least spend the day in bed enjoying each other before the unbearable drought commenced.

  ‘Yes,’ he sighed. ‘Otherwise, there’ll always be an excuse for one more time baby.’

  ‘Gabe,’ I stifled another sob as I opened my eyes and looked at him hurt. He jumped up and climbed into bed and pulled me to his chest and cradled my head.

  ‘Talk to me baby, what are you feeling? Why were you so upset last night? What’s going on in that head of yours?’

  ‘I’m tired Gabe, I’m so tired and stressed after the last few months. I’ve been so worried about you and I think I’ve been running on pure adrenaline just focussing on you getting better and to suddenly have this wonderful weekend away with you, to see you nearly back to normal, I just … I …’ I buried my face in his chest again, I didn’t want to cry again. I couldn’t believe I’d have any tears left inside me to cry again.

  ‘It’s ok Mia, I’m fine, I’m going to be fine and I’m sorry I’ve put you through so much and for what I said last night. I know how hard it must have been for you to see me like that and to look after me the way you did,’ he whispered as he kissed my head. ‘You were my rock, you are my rock, I hate that I’ve put you through so much.’

  ‘It’s not your fault Gabe, I’d do it all again because I love you, I just didn’t realise how much it had taken out of me until last night.’

  ‘Is it all related to me and my accident?’

  ‘No, it’s not just you,’ I replied with a shake of my head as my fingers ran over the taut chest muscle and strong ribs holding in his heart. ‘It’s what Lexi went through, my not spending time with her, lack of sleep and my … my health issues. Then I woke up having a panic attack last night and it was all too much.’

  ‘Why were you having a panic attack baby?’

  ‘I had an awful nightmare.’

  ‘About what?’ I felt his hand stroking my hair still and I kissed his bare chest and rubbed my cheek against it.

  ‘You left me,’ I whispered as I shuddered recalling the total panic I’d felt.

  ‘Mia, I told you I’m not going anywhere. This is why I need to prove to you that we’re good together even without the seriously mind blowing sex.’

  ‘Really? It’s that mind blowing for you too?’ I asked tipping my head back to look up at him with a small smile.

  ‘O yeah,’ he nodded with a large one. ‘You promised it to me from the start and you didn’t disappoint, Mia. I’ve never had sex like it, I’ve just gone hard thinking about it, but I’m not going to do anything about it. I love you Mia, you’re stuck with me baby.’

  ‘I love you too, so much that I don’t want this weekend to end.’

  ‘Neither do I baby. I can always change the flights and we could stay longer.’

  ‘No,’ I sighed heavily. ‘I only have a couple of weeks of classes left and then we have three weeks off. We can spend it at home instead of you spending all this money, besides I want to see how the apartment’s getting on and I really miss Lexi and can’t wait to see her tonight. What time do we need to leave the room?’

  ‘Not until the driver comes at one-thirty, I made sure we could stay in the room longer.’

  ‘Thank you, other than the arguments last night it’s been a magical few days,’ I kissed his chest again and ran my fingers over his heart, feeling my core clenching, desperate to do more.

  ‘You’re welcome baby and it really has, but we can have more holidays together,’ he said as he kissed my hair and suddenly pulled away and got up. I watched him walk to the lounge and then return, my eyes were instantly drawn to his erection, tenting his boxers. ‘Here Mia, cover your lustful eyes with these chilled spoons while I go and order food and then have a cold shower to calm myself down.’

  ‘Thanks,’ I smiled and sighed and lay down and held them as instructed and tried to put the image of his wet, naked, perfect body out of my mind.

  We spent the rest of the morning in bed. We ate breakfast and then lay on our sides facing each other and holding hands while we talked, before reluctantly packing and heading back to the airport. I fell asleep on his shoulder during the flight and he woke me up just before landing, playing with my stack rings on my fingers.

  ‘Hi,’ he smiled.

  ‘Hi, sorry have I been out long?’

  ‘Since take off, I enjoyed watching you sleep. You need more of it baby to recharge. No more late nights until you’re feeling better, ok?’ he said and I nodded. ‘I notice that you wear these rings a lot, what do you like so much about them?’

  I looked down at the four rings on my right hand that he was swivelling around my finger. ‘I don’t know, I like that they have really thin bands and I just love that they’re so sparkly.’

  ‘You love sparkly things?’

  ‘Of course, what girl doesn’t?’ I smiled as I looked back at him. ‘Sparkly jewellery, makeup, fairy lights, Christmas trees. Sparkle’s just magical.’

  He laughed and hugged me to him as we touched down. I looked up at his handsome face, we’d not even kissed on the lips since last night and I was finding it really hard.

  Riley was waiting for us with a warm welcome and loaded the bags in the car and whisked us, at Riley’s version of whisking, which was actually below average speed, back to my apartment. Gabe and I stood on the pavement and looked up at the building, the scaffolding was still up, but the yellow tube and skip had gone. He squeezed my hand tightly and smiled at me and we headed in and slowly made our way upstairs dragging our cases behind us.

  ‘Shit, I’ll be glad when I can use both arms again,’ he moaned as we reached the top. ‘You ok baby?’

  ‘Yes thanks, I packed light.’

  ‘Come on then, let’s go in and unpack and say hi to Lexi, then I want to look at the apartment and see what’s happened.’

  ‘Ok, then I’ll need to have a shower and get ready.’

  ‘You’re still going out?’ he asked and I could hear the bristle in his tone.

  ‘Yes, please don’t start,’ I said giving him a look as I unlocked the door. I was nearly bowled over by Lexi hurtling from the lounge and launching herself at me. ‘Lex,’ I laughed as she clutched me.

  ‘What? I missed you.’

  ‘I missed you too. I have a present in my case for you.’ I hugged her back tightly and was surprised when she let me go and went and gave Gabe a hug too. He looked equally surprised as he hugged her back and looked at me over her shoulder.

  ‘You ok, Lex?’ I asked as she let him go.

  ‘What, I can’t miss both of you? He’s here most of the time and I’ve not had a decent meal since you went away, Doug can’t bloody cook either. I’m so looking forward to catching up, Mia. We’re still going out tonight, right?’ she asked looking at me. I looked at Gabe and Lexi looked around at him too. ‘Right Gabe, she’s still coming out with me?’

  ‘Yes,’ he sighed. ‘But you keep your phones on, stick together and let me know when you’re ready to come home and I’ll pick you up, ok?’

  ‘Deal,’ she grinned and grabbed my case off me and took it into my bedroom.

  ‘Thank you,’ I tiptoed up and kissed his cheek. ‘What are you going to do?’

  ‘I’ll drop you in then go back to mine and take some of my stuff back.’

  ‘You aren’t going to stay with me?’ I asked dreading the answer.

  ‘Of course I am, try stopping me,’ he replied making me smile again.

  We unpacked and I loaded up the washing machine, amazed to see the laundry basket was empty, it seemed Lexi had actually done some, then Gabe and I went to have a look at the new apartment. The windows had been removed and boards put over the holes and the stud walls were up creating the bedroom, dressing room, bathroom and the utility and larder. It cheered me up to walk around and have Gabe holding my hand, talking excitedly about where our furniture was going to go. I left him
making notes and went to shower and get ready to go out.

  I left my hair in loose waves and just put on some mascara and very thin eyeliner. My eyes were still a bit swollen so I didn’t want to draw too much attention to them, so I put on a tightly fitted, short black shirt dress leaving the top buttons daringly low, a wide brown buckle belt, my black over the knee socks and my black leather ankle military boots and a brown trilby and knocked on Lexi’s door.

  ‘Ready when you are, Lex.’

  ‘Ok, give me five,’ she called. I headed into the lounge and found him on the Xbox.

  ‘Hi, we’re nearly ready to go if that’s ok with you?’

  ‘Sure.’ He turned around and stood up really quickly and put his hands on his hips. I tensed up knowing what was coming. ‘You seem to have forgotten some trousers and lost some buttons, Mia,’ he scowled.

  ‘No, this is my going out outfit,’ I said firmly.

  ‘If you think I’m letting you out dressed like that without me, you’ve got another think coming.’

  ‘You may be my boyfriend Gabe, but as an individual in my own right I get to choose what I wear, not you, and I’m not going to have another argument about it. Just because we’re dating, I’m not going to stop dressing the way I’ve always dressed. I promise you that men will look at me, men may even chat me up, just as I’m sure women try to do to you when you’re out without me, but I won’t do anything about it because I’m in love with you, so end of discussion.’

  ‘Mia,’ he growled, the anger showing in his eyes. ‘I want you to go and change.’

  ‘Or what? You’ll ground me, lock me in the house and banish me to my room?’ I replied, with a roll of my eyes.

  ‘Don’t bloody tempt me.’

  ‘Ok I’ll make you deal. I’ll go and put some jeans on to hide my legs and do up a few buttons on my shirt if you promise to wear a full wet suit every time you go swimming so women can’t see your legs or chest either. How does that sound?’ I gave him a fake smile, knowing he’d have difficulty in arguing that logic. His eyes flashed and I heard him mutter something under his breath. ‘So do I need to book a taxi if you’re going to refuse to take us?’ I asked. He just stood looking at me and I could see he was trying to breathe slowly to calm himself down as he ran his hands through his hair.

  ‘No, but if I find out one fucker has laid a finger on you, Mia … so help me God, I’ll … I’ll … fuck, you infuriate me sometimes.’

  ‘So can we go then, please?’ I asked with a sweet smile. He stalked past me and grabbed his case.

  ‘I’ll pull up at the front,’ he snapped and marched off.

  ‘Great,’ I sighed. So much for the no arguments agreement. The bliss of Edinburgh and my happy relaxed Gabe seemed well and truly behind us. I smiled as Lexi came out in her tight black jeans and an emerald green shirt that really set off her eyes, which she’d done really dark. ‘You look good, Lex.’

  ‘You too. The skimpy shirt, eh? Pulling out the big seduction guns. Didn’t you get enough sex all weekend?’

  ‘So much I’m amazed I can still walk Lex, but we’ve some serious catching up to do. We’d better go down, he’s pulling up the car and he’s seriously unhappy about us going out, let alone my outfit.’

  ‘O my God,’ she gasped as she clutched my chin and lifted my face to hers. ‘What’s wrong with your eyes? Have you been crying?’

  ‘All night. You’ve only just noticed?’

  ‘I was too excited to see you before to notice. What’s happened?’

  ‘That’s the serious catching up part, Lex. Do they look that bad?’ I asked with a nervous nibble of my lower lip.

  ‘Probably not to someone who doesn’t know you. Do I need to punch him?’

  ‘No,’ I laughed. ‘We just had a big fight and I was just as much to blame as him, so no punching required, but he’s not in the best of moods so please don’t antagonise him.’

  ‘Fine, but I want the whole story as soon as we’re alone.’

  I could feel the tension all the way to Princes Street where he dropped us off. Lexi walked further up the road to give us some privacy and I turned to look at him as he shut the passenger door.

  ‘I can get a taxi home if you need a rest, Gabe? You’re obviously tired as you’re exceptionally grumpy again.’

  ‘I am tired, tired and bloody frustrated, Mia. Why not just go out in your nipple tassels and crotchless knickers and let everyone know you’re available?’ he grumbled, looking like a sulky child.

  ‘Gabe, I’m not available, I’m yours. You’d prefer I go out in a sack and feel bad about myself?’

  ‘I’d prefer you don’t go out at all Mia, but you never listen to anything I tell you.’

  ‘Please don’t start,’ I sighed. ‘Am I allowed to kiss you goodbye or is that breaking one of your new rules?’

  ‘Cheek only.’

  ‘Seriously?’

  ‘Yes, you look hot and I’m stiff so I’m already frustrated enough without you kissing me into a frenzy,’ he said with another glare at me. I sighed shaking my head and kissed his cheek and he pulled me to him tightly, burying his face in my neck.

  ‘Gabe, I’m only out for a few hours, I’ll see you later.’

  ‘No going off on your own Mia, you ring me if you need me and you …’

  ‘Gabe, I know the drill, ok,’ I interrupted. ‘I’m going to be fine. Lexi and I need a long overdue catch up so we’ll probably hunker down somewhere comfortable to talk. I’ll ring you when we’re ready to come home, ok?’

  ‘I love you,’ he said as he looked at me sadly. At least some of the anger had gone.

  ‘I love you too, now go, and no lifting your case with your right arm, ok?’ I kissed his cheek again, pulled away and caught up with Lexi and waved as he drove past.

  ‘Ok?’

  ‘I need alcohol Lex, and lots of it,’ I replied as I linked arms and we headed into the nearest cocktail bar. We found a small booth and Lexi ordered a pint of beer and I ordered a jug of Pina Colada. I updated her on my weekend, including the argument and sex ban.

  ‘You’re joking, right?’ she spluttered through her second pint.

  ‘No, he’s deadly serious. We haven’t even kissed since last night.’

  ‘How the hell does he think he’s going to manage that? I mean you had sex about twenty times in three bloody days and then that’s it? Nothing until he says it’s time again?’

  ‘I know,’ I shrugged and shook my head as I huffed out, exasperated.

  ‘I give it one day, at max, no way he can keep it in his pants,’ she said shaking her head.

  ‘Don’t, you’re just depressing me even more. I mean, I know why he’s doing it. I’m the one panicking it’s all about sex so he’s taking it out of the equation. I get it, I just don’t like it. Talk to me, where are you at with Doug?’

  ‘Well since we started fucking we’ve virtually done every position in the Kama Sutra, on every surface in the apartment, with the exception of your bedroom,’ she added quickly, ‘but still no orgasm without stimulation.’

  ‘Really? You’re not still faking it are you?’

  ‘Of course I am. It’s been a whole month of sex, I can’t not fake it.’

  ‘O God, Lexi.’

  ‘It’s so bloody frustrating. We get on great, I really enjoy spending time with him. Kissing’s amazing, foreplay and oral’s great, but nothing during.’

  ‘Is it his size?’ I asked as I emptied my jug.

  ‘No, I told you he’d be an eight on cock spot, I mean he’s no Gabe from what I’ve seen, but he’s not small either. I just don’t know what it is.’

  ‘Are penetrative orgasms that important?’ I asked.

  ‘You are bloody joking, right?’ she gasped with a look at me.

  ‘What? Well I don’t know, do I?’ I have no one other than Gabe to compare it to.’

  ‘Maybe not, but you’re telling me that coming with external stimulation is as good as when he’s powering into you with his cock a
lone?’

  ‘No,’ I groaned at the thought of it. ‘I guess not.’

  ‘Well there you are. I need cock stimulated orgasms as well as the others, Mia.’

  ‘So what are you going to do?’

  ‘Go to the bar and get us more alcohol that’s what. Another jug?’

  ‘Yes please, may as well just get me a straw too, save all these glasses,’ I grinned. She laughed and headed to the bar. Being with her had lifted my mood, taken the edge of this simmering re-emergence of tension with Gabe. I checked my phone and found four messages from him, asking if I was ok, each expressing more urgency for a response than the last. Christ, this was getting ridiculous, I’d only been out for two hours.

  I’m fine Gabe, I’m having a lovely time catching up with Lexi. Please stop worrying. Ring you later x

  I looked over at the bar and saw her chatting to an older guy, I watched her carefully and sighed, I knew the signs, the change in her stance and the way she rubbed the back of her neck as they talked, she was flirting. I saw them exchanging numbers and she returned with our drinks.

  ‘Seriously?’ I said with a scowl.

  ‘What? I got you a straw,’ she replied as she brandished it under my nose.

  ‘Don’t play all innocent,’ I replied as I grabbed it off her. ‘You just pulled and took his number to hook up.’

  ‘So what if I did?’

  ‘You’re seeing my boyfriend’s best friend, one of our friends. Doug doesn’t deserve that Lexi, he’s a really nice guy. If you want to fuck someone else, finish with him.’

  ‘But I don’t want to finish with him. He’s fun.’

  ‘Is that all you think it is for him Lex, fun?’

  ‘I don’t know, we’ve not had the “where is this relationship going” talk and I’m quite happy about that.’

  ‘Well I think he’s serious about you Lex, so please don’t hurt him unnecessarily.’

  ‘Going to tell on me?’ she asked, giving me a look.

  ‘No, but if the shit hits the fan I won’t lie for you either. My relationship’s fucked up enough without adding that to the mix. Speaking of adding to the mix, I was asked to have a foursome including some girl on girl on Saturday night.’