The Honeymoon Period (The Austin Series) (10 page)

‘That’d
ruin the surprise.’

‘I just
need to go freshen up and splash on some aftershave.’

‘You don’t
need any, you always smell good.’

‘You too. What’s
the dress code for tonight?’

‘Smart
casual, no jeans.’

‘Ok, we’d
better move then Mia,’ he sighed and I prised myself off him and held out my
hand to help him up. He stood up in front of me and wrapped my hair around his
wrist and pulled, tilting my head up to look at him. ‘Thank you,’ he whispered
and planted a gentle kiss on my lips.

‘What for?’

‘For being
you, now get in that shower before I dig out that paddle.’ He let go of my
hair, took my hand, and I followed him through the dressing room to the
bathroom and had my shower while he cleaned himself up and left. I dried my
hair roughly to give it volume, applied some light grey eye shadow and thin
black liner and lengthening mascara and a pair of crystal chandelier earrings.
I’d not long had my belly button re-pierced and took out the standard one and
put in the stunning white gold and diamond bar one Gabe had purchased for our
one month anniversary that I’d not yet been able to wear. I left my bangle from
him on and slipped on a silver ring with a large round section of black lava
crystals which glinted in the light. I’d prepared the night before and had
already done my finger and toe nails in sparkling black.

I opened
the bathroom door and went into the dressing room and picked out the expensive black
and electric blue ribbon underwear, black suspender belt and lace top stockings
and pulled on my black FMB’s and an electric blue knee length wrap around dress
which I tied at the side and made sure was covering my cleavage. I grabbed my
classic satchel bag in black and filled it with bits and pieces and opened the
bedroom door. He’d put the bedside lights on and all the candles were
extinguished. I could smell all of the roses and breathed them in before
grabbing my phone and heading downstairs with five minutes to spare for the
taxi I’d pre-booked.

‘Gabe?’ I
called. I walked toward the lounge and heard a noise behind me and turned
around and did a whistle when I saw him. He had on a pair of dark grey
trousers, matching jacket and a black shirt undone at the neck.

‘Wow, you
look like sex on legs. Is there anything your body doesn’t look good in?’

‘Funny, I
was thinking the same about you. That blue looks good on you, nearly as good as
your eyes. You’ve surprised me.’ He grabbed my waist and I put my arms around
his neck.

‘How so?’

‘I thought you’d
go for something short for some X-rated pda.’ He grabbed my buttocks and
squeezed them, making me laugh.

‘Xpda, eh?
No, I figured we needed to go slowly as we’re starting again. Damn, you look so
hot, Gabe,’ I kissed him and pulled back as the doorbell rang.

‘I’m locking
the gates when we get back tonight, nothing’s going to interrupt us.’

‘Come on,
I’m starving.’

‘What have
you eaten today, Mia?’

‘Half a
muffin so I plan on stuffing my face. If I’m going to be orgasming all night, I’ll
need the energy.’

‘I give up
with you and looking after yourself.’ He locked up as I reminded the taxi driver
where I wanted to go and I waited for Gabe to open the taxi door for me, I’d quickly
learned that he hated when I opened any form of door for myself. He gave me one
of his smiles as he held it open and took the opportunity to smack my bottom as
I ducked in. I automatically sat on the left, out of habit since his accident,
so he could put his good arm around me.

‘So will
you tell me where we’re going?’ he asked.

‘No, not
until we get there, but I’ve done some research and found it’s the best of its
kind in the city. Before we have any arguments, I invited you out for our eight
week anniversary first, so the evening’s on me, ok?’ I gave him one of my looks
and he frowned.

‘Mia, you
know how I feel about that and given it’s a no jeans affair that means it’s expensive
and I’m not comfortable with that.’

‘I was
prepared for you to try and negotiate so I’m willing to make one concession and
that’s it.’

‘Being?’

‘You pay
for the drinks. Everything else, including the surprise, is on me.’

‘I thought
the meal was the surprise.’

‘Not the
main surprise, no. So we’ve a deal?’

‘Who said we’ve
finished negotiating, Mia? I haven’t even warmed up yet,’ he laughed.

‘I can
withhold certain activities this weekend, which would lead you to deeply regret
not accepting my final offer.’

‘I really
don’t see you being able to stick to that threat, Mia,’ he chuckled. I looked
at him as he raised his eyebrows in amusement.

‘O Gabe,
you really should know me better after two months together. I managed for five
weeks and now I’ve my own stocked toy chest. I think I’ve more than enough to
keep me occupied for at least a few months before I get bored.’ I smiled as he
studied my face trying to work out if I was being serious.

‘You’re
bluffing, you wouldn’t dare.’

‘Be my
guest, pay for anything but alcohol tonight and don’t say I didn’t warn you.
Monday’s a long way off.’ I leaned in and whispered in his ear, ‘How will you
cope seeing me walking around naked, my nipples pert, my bottom …’

‘I’ll get
you back for this Mia, trust me,’ he said quickly cutting me off with a scowl
on his face.

‘So we’re
in agreement?’

‘It’s not
like I have a choice is it?’ he grumbled. ‘You really should learn to play
poker because you play me like a bloody professional.’

‘I’m happy
to learn strip poker,’ I grinned.

‘Now that I’d
love to teach you,’ he said finally cracking a knicker soaking smile. I ran my
finger over his eyebrow scar and kissed him softly. ‘Mia Page, you have me
wrapped around your little finger and you know it,’ he murmured as he grabbed
the back of my head and pulled me in. We continued kissing until we heard a
cough and realised the taxi had stopped. I blushed and paid him and heard Gabe
sigh in frustration as we stepped out.

‘So, I
don’t know if you’ve been, but I discovered that The Golden Lotus is the best
Cantonese in the city.’

‘It is baby,
and it’s mine and Dad’s favourite Cantonese, so it’s a great pick, thank you.’ We
headed upstairs to the restaurant which looked so cosy decorated in red and
gold dragon wallpaper with hundreds of tiny Chinese lanterns on the ceiling to
give a soft glow. We were led to a corner table with black leather padded high
back benches so we sat at right angles next to each other. ‘What would you like
to drink, Mia?’

‘Actually,
would you mind if I had a bottle of Tsingtao beer instead of wine?’

‘Are you
determined to keep my spending to a minimum tonight?’

‘No, I just
love it and why pay for a really expensive bottle of wine when I’m happy with a
cheap beer that tastes really good?’

‘Have I
told you that I love you?’

‘You’re not
cross?’ I asked, surprised.

‘No. I
should be providing for you, so it hurts my ego a little bit when you won’t let
me, but I quite like that you don’t care about all that expensive stuff,’ he
said with a shrug.

‘Hold on a
minute. You should be
providing
for me?’ I exclaimed, shocked and a
little affronted. ‘I’ve no ring on my finger, Gabe Austin.’

‘Not yet,’
he smiled.

‘GABE,’ I
glared at him.

‘What?’

‘I’m not
with you to snare you for your money and to become some dutiful wife who lets
you pay for everything and keeps me looking pretty on your arm at functions,
and talking of rings on fingers is way out of order and you should know better
after our recent discussions. Honestly, you’re such a chauvinist sometimes,’ I
said angrily.

‘You
mentioned rings first. Take a breath or you’ll pass out again, then I’ll have
to scoop you up into my arms and carry you out as only us male chauvinists can
do,’ he winked, smiling at me.

‘I’m going
to the toilet before I’m tempted to slap you in public.’ I grabbed my bag and
stood up indignantly. ‘Don’t even think of smiling at me like that, I’m mad.’

‘You’re so
sexy when you’re mad baby.’

‘Whatever.
Order me a beer with your millions, I’ll need it to get through this bloody
meal with you.’ He laughed so I scowled at him and he mouthed ‘
So hot’
at me, before I stormed off to the toilets. I was determined to still be mad
with him when I got back to the table, but when I saw a Tsingtao cardboard
carry box, with six bottles of beer sitting by my place mat, I burst out
laughing. He grinned and winked at me, making me want him even more than I
already did. ‘You’re so out of order, Gabe,’ I said shaking my head. ‘I can
knock back six no problem, what are you having?’

‘You’re
sharing those with me, my millions can’t stretch to another crate. You do
realise that people make money by not spending it?’ He pulled me to him and
kissed me.

‘Then
you’re failing miserably lately, Austin. I hate that you can stop me staying
mad at you,’ I sighed as I broke away.

‘I love
that you try to, it’s adorable, like you.’

‘So I’m
going to choose the starter and you can choose the main as I know we’ll have to
have the same,’ I advised as I scanned the menu.

‘I love
when you’re bossy too.’

‘Shut up
and pick something, I’m hungry.’ I flashed him a smile and grabbed his hand and
held it as I studied the choices. I ordered pork yuk sung to start with some
steamed wild mushroom dumplings and Gabe ordered us stir fry rib-eye beef in
black bean sauce with Singapore rice vermicelli and water chestnuts. We fed
each other with the spicy pork mince and crispy noodles wrapped in crisp cold
lettuce leaves and he laughed at my attempts to use a pair of chopsticks on the
dumplings very unsuccessfully.

‘Here, let
me.’ He picked one up with his and popped it in my mouth.

‘Seriously,
you’re good at everything.’

‘I spent a
lot of time in Hong Kong. I’m going to have to teach you before we go.’

‘You like
to plan things, don’t you?’

‘Yes,
especially with you. I’m looking forward to our trips coming up.’

‘You’re
looking forward to meeting my parents and being dragged out around my hometown?’

‘Yes. I
want to hear stories about you and I need to make a good impression on your
parents. Now we’ll be living together they need to like me.’

‘Gabe, no parent
could fail to like you, but please don’t tell them anything, it’s too soon. I’d
rather wait until I feel they can handle it.’

‘You’re
seriously not going to tell them?’ He seemed surprised and a slight flash of
hurt flickered across his face for a second.

‘Not yet no,
it’s been a lot for Mum having me leave home, let alone falling in love and
having sex. I’ve also got to break it to her that I’ve had an operation and
have a condition. I think there’s only so much she can take in two months.’

‘I thought
we didn’t lie, Mia?’

‘We don’t,
we just don’t volunteer information that might freak them out, like my
operation, or us moving in together so quickly.’

‘Hmmm, I
hope you don’t employ that tactic with me?’ he asked as he brushed my hair
behind my ear and looked at me quizzically. I smiled with relief as our dishes
were cleared, giving me an out from answering his question. The mains were put
on the table and another bottle of beer was opened for each of us.

‘Happy
Anniversary, Gabe.’ I clinked his bottle, kissed him and took a swig, thinking
how nice it was to have happy relaxed Gabe back, and I could only hope it was
the start of better times for us.

‘Happy
Anniversary, avoidance Mia. You have a guilty face, what are you hiding from
me?’

‘Hello! We’re
on a surprise date, I’m hiding the surprise to follow,’ I advised. He narrowed
his eyes as he studied me, then leaned in and kissed me, before using his
chopsticks to fill my bowl and smiled as I picked up my fork. I talked him
through my plans for our trip home as we polished off the food and beer and
ordered an Irish coffee.

‘You keep
checking your watch, is this surprise time sensitive?’

‘Yes, the
taxi’s booked for quarter to eleven so we don’t have long. Excuse me a minute.’
I went and handed my card over to make sure I paid before Gabe tried to and
then headed to the toilet, grabbed my stuff from my bag and brushed my teeth,
reapplied my gloss and looked at myself in the mirror, wondering how he was
going to take this. I was more nervous at the thought of his reaction than
taking most of my clothes off on stage. It was amazing what a few weeks with a
man who adored my body, plus a professional dancer who taught me how to move it
even better, could do for a girl’s confidence. With all this exercise I’d been
doing, I’d never been in better physical shape. Gabe had finished his coffee
when I sat down next to him and took a sip of mine.