Destined - The Austin Series Prequel (8 page)

After another
frustrating dream where I’d woken up before I’d managed to have sex
with her, I lay in bed looking at her canvas again. I smiled, at
least I could finally put a name to that face,
Mia
. I still
couldn’t believe I’d found her, let alone held her in my arms, even
if she was passed out at the time. The way her body had fitted
perfectly against mine, the smell of her hair and skin, her cheek
rubbing against my chest … I groaned and closed my eyes and tried
to relive each second of it again.

Once out of the shower, I stood
looking at my clothes frowning, wondering what I should wear for my
first official meeting with her this morning, where she’d at least
be conscious for it all, I hoped. I’d been awake for hours, feeling
ridiculously excited at the prospect of just seeing her again, let
alone talking to her. I decided to play it casually smart and
choose my pair of really dark navy jeans and a fitted white shirt,
leaving it loose over the top of them, with a pair of navy
converses. I didn’t want it to look like I was trying too hard to
impress her, which of course I was. This was just a fact finding
mission, I reminded myself as I slapped on some aftershave. I
needed to find out what her situation was, if she was single and
interested.

Much as I didn’t want to hurt
Julie, I’d end it immediately if Mia made it clear she was open to
dating me. I chuckled to myself, I wanted to date her,
really
wanted to date her and not just because I thought it
was what I should be doing. I wasn’t even thinking of her as a
score, or working out how fast I could get her into bed. I mean I’d
love to, the sooner the better, I had a feeling that sex with her
was going to blow my mind, but if she wanted to take it slow I’d do
it. I’d do anything to avoid her slipping through my fingers again.
Even if she wasn’t available, I wanted to try and let Julie down
gently, she deserved to be treated better than I’d treated her. I
was going to end our relationship, even if Mia said she wasn’t
interested in me. Though Mia didn’t know me, even if she was seeing
someone, I wasn’t going to give up. I was going to keep trying for
as long as it took to make her mine.

I made it to campus half an
hour early, determined to not leave anything to chance and waited
with Doug, my eyes fixed firmly on the main gates as we talked.

‘What time is it?’ I asked.

‘You have your own watch.’

‘That means not looking at the
gate.’

‘Dude, this is unprecedented.
You’re actually nervous aren’t you?’

‘Don’t be stupid,’ I muttered,
fully aware Doug knew me well enough to see right through me.

‘What are you worried about?
You’re tall, handsome, charming, you have a
seriously
good
body and you’re hung like a donkey.’

‘Are you trying to express
your
interest Doug?’ I laughed with a quick flick of my eyes
to him.

‘Can honestly say it’s never
crossed my mind Gabe, seriously though, has any girl you wanted
ever turned you down?’

‘No,’ I replied, but I
frowned.

‘So what’s the deal?’

‘There was no pressure with all
of them, it was all just about sex which I’m great at, this is …’ I
blew out a deep sobering breath. ‘This is a relationship I’m
talking about here, the one area I don’t excel in. It’s not just …
not just fucking I want with her. I don’t want to come off as some
cocky arrogant arsehole in case it puts her off me.’

‘You
are
a confident
cocky arsehole, better you find out now if she likes you for you,
than some fake Gabe that you thought she might want. You need to be
yourself dude, sex or no sex you’ve never struck out with a woman,
unlike me.’

‘Suppose so,’ I nodded with a
sigh.

‘Besides, you might talk to her
and find out she’s a lesbian, or she has an irritating squeaky
voice. Shit, she could sound like Joe Pasquale.’

‘I don’t see it, Doug,’ I
laughed. ‘On either count.’

‘I see it, her and her hot
friend getting extra hot together, with
me
in the middle,’
he groaned.

‘You’re going nowhere near
Mia,’ I growled with a scowl.

‘Chill dude, I’m teasing. She’s
not my type, too clean cut. Her friend though, that’s a whole
different story.’

‘What time is it now?’

‘See, you’re that nervous you
didn’t even notice that I hadn’t answered you the last time. It’s
twenty to nine, I’m going to leave you to it and get to practice.
See you shortly, you don’t want to be late captain,’ he smirked
with a salute as I finally looked at him properly and nodded.

‘No, that wouldn’t be a great
start would it?’ I smiled. Yesterday had been an amazing day, not
only had I found Mia, but I’d been offered the swim team captain
position. Dad had been so proud when I rang to tell him. He was
still finding it hard to accept that I was pursuing Sports Science
and English as my chosen subjects, instead of getting a Law degree
to join his firm and follow in his footsteps. So proving to him
that I had what it took in an area I loved was really important and
made his praise all the more appreciated. ‘See you in a while,
Doug.’

‘Good luck, try and reign in
bigging yourself up and focus on her. Women love a guy who’s
interested in them.’ Doug slapped me on the back chuckling and I
punched his arm.

‘You’re loving this way too
much.’

‘
Please
, God’s
self-proclaimed gift to womankind is actually nervous a chick will
turn him down? I’m going to live off this and take the piss for
years mate, whatever the outcome. Later.’

‘Yeah,’ I nodded as I looked
back at the gate. I actually felt slightly sick. Doug was right,
I’d never been nervous around girls, or women. I
was
confident and borderline cocky, but I had the track record to back
it up. There was just something about Mia which made this meeting
so much more important than all the others put together. I ran a
frustrated hand through my hair and checked my watch. I looked back
up and felt my heart skip its steady beat again. There she was,
walking through the gates with Lexi. Shit, this was it, moment of
truth. I went to walk towards her but found my feet weren’t
listening to my brain and cursed under my breath to realise I’d
sprung an erection already. One bloody glimpse at her was all it
took, but in fairness she looked extra amazing today.

I took opportunity to observe
her while I pulled myself together. She was dressed for this
unusual heat wave we were having in September. She was wearing an
outfit that flattered her curves and showed me some of her skin,
without looking sleazy, there again I doubted she could look sleazy
in anything, she looked almost innocent and angelic. Her long
glossy hair was loose and the sunlight bounced off it. I could
imagine pulling on it, to make her look up at me as she knelt
before me with her lips around my cock, those big blue innocent
eyes looking up at me in awe. Christ, the way she walked, swaying
her hips so sexily, was doing nothing to alleviate the throbbing in
my jeans. I felt myself biting my lower lip nervously as she looked
around and went to stand under a tree, shaded herself from the sun.
I took a deep breath and made my way over, smiling to myself as
Lexi backed away and threw her a double thumbs up. So they’d
obviously talked about me, that was a good start. Come on, look at
me baby I pleaded. I smiled as she did and watched her cheeks go
pink as she took a gulp. I was happy to deduce that no further
affirmation was required as to whether she found me attractive.

‘Hi, nice to see you upright
and with your eyes open today. I bet everyone tells you that
they’re the most amazing blue? I’m Gabe, by the way,’ I smiled as I
stretched out my hand to her. I cocked my head as I watched her
face, she’d just frozen, staring at me again, though I could tell
her mind was working overtime. ‘Hi, anyone there? Mia, isn’t
it?’

‘Sorry, yes it’s Mia,’ she
nodded and placed her hand in mine. I squeezed it firmly and nearly
groaned as I felt a surge of electricity pass from her hand to
mine, making my cock flex in my jeans and I heard her inhale
sharply. Had she felt it too? ‘You must be the guy my friend Lexi
told me about, my knight in shining armour. I hear you carried me
to the nurse when I fainted?’

‘Well a beautiful damsel in
distress, how could I not?’ I gave her my best smile as I wallowed
in the sexiness of her sultry toned voice and I frowned slightly,
as I felt that really weird sensation in my stomach again as I
looked at her.

‘Gabe, you’re still holding my
hand.’

‘Sorry.’ I slowly let go and
watched her bite her lip and lift her right hand and tuck her hair
behind her ear. She’d gone even more flushed. I recognised the
signs, she was nervous and turned on and hell, I was right there
with her. She’d left a few buttons undone on her shirt and, with my
height advantage, I could see the swell of her perfect porcelain
breasts spilling over the cup of her bra. I lost my train of
thought and had to pull myself together. ‘So, you got a clean bill
of health from the nurse?’

‘Yes, I did thanks. She told me
it was probably a combination of low blood sugar and too much
heat.’

‘Well it was hot, though not as
hot as today.’ I ran my eyes over her stomach, fuck, she had a
seriously sexy piercing, but my eyes went back up to her breasts
again. ‘How’s the forehead?’ I reached out to brush her fringe out
of the way, to inspect where she’d hit it on the desk, and watched
her flinch and take a step back bumping into the tree behind
her.

‘Fine, a bit tender, but fine,’
she stammered. She
was
nervous, clumsy girls didn’t normally
do it for me, but on her it was adorable. Christ, she was so
beautiful and I could tell from the way she acted that she had no
idea just how gorgeous she actually was.

‘Good, I thought you might’ve
bruised it, but I can’t see anything.’

‘You’re not looking hard
enough,’ she replied as she looked up at me.

‘I’m looking pretty damn hard,’
I shot back and felt my stomach twist again as her cheeks
flamed.

‘I’m told it wasn’t very
elegant, you must’ve found it very funny.’

‘I didn’t find you fainting
funny at all, I was rather concerned. On the other hand you and
your friend tumbling to the floor and then Mr. Jenkins’ comments,
that I found very amusing. Was the male posterior you were drooling
at mine by any chance?’ I couldn’t resist teasing her.

‘Well you were bending over
right in front of me, with a very tight pair of trousers on and in
my defence you’re, how do I put it, pretty toned in the arse
department,’ she scowled. I nearly laughed, and felt my cock jerk
again. She wasn’t intimidated by me, which was refreshing, but I
was more focused on how happy I was to know my body met with her
approval.

‘I’m glad you noticed.’

‘Bit hard not to when you’re
waving it in my face like that,’ she bit back. She seemed
embarrassed that I knew she found me attractive.

‘You know that’s not the only
area I’m toned, I like to keep in shape.’

‘I can tell,’ she nodded and I
could have sworn I heard a slight sigh as she looked at my stomach.
She was pretty toned herself, without being all muscle, I hated
that look on a woman, I much preferred soft curves.
Her
soft
curves.

‘It appears you do too.
Yoga?’

‘Pilates.’

We stood staring at each other
for a moment, I could feel the heat between us and nearly let out
my own sigh as I saw her chest starting to rise and fall rapidly.
Damn it, her nipples had just peaked and all I could think about
was taking one between my teeth and sucking it until she felt apart
and begged me to fuck her. Her lips had parted and swelled and as
she looked up at me again her pupils dilated. She was totally
primed for me, just like I was for her.

‘You’ve gone rather flushed
Mia, are you feeling faint again? Do I need to pick you up now,
just in case?’ I grinned, trying to put her at ease. She gulped
again and jumped as her phone blasted out Fall Out Boy’s “The
Phoenix.” Nice, she had great taste in music too.

‘Shit, sorry,’ she
muttered.

‘F.O.B fan?’

‘Yes, I love this album,’ she
responded as she turned the volume down and looked at the text that
had come in. I quickly read it upside down and stiffened.

Mia, I miss you so much. We
really need to talk, call me please. Kai xx

‘Who’s Kai?’ I demanded,
feeling a surge of jealousy course through my body.

‘Wow. Are you majoring in
reading upside down and being nosey?’ she exclaimed as she quickly
stuffed it in her bag.

‘Sorry, you should’ve read it
in private if you didn’t want me to see it. So is Kai your
boyfriend?’ I asked with a frown. This was the moment of truth.

‘Yes … I mean no … I mean … we
just broke up.’ She seemed on edge, but I was more focussed on the
relief I felt to hear that they were no longer together.

‘How come?’

‘That’s a bit of a personal
question given that I’ve only just met you, Gabe,’ she frowned, as
she looked up at me through her long lashes.

‘You’re complaining about
getting personal now? You openly objectified my arse and quite
happily snuggled into my chest as I carried you for over five
minutes, I didn’t hear you complaining about getting personal
then.’

‘I could hardly complain, I’d
passed out and I’ve no recollection of snuggling,’ she shot
back.

‘But you’ve already admitted to
the ogling. That’s personal, so you owe me one.’

‘Fine, I apologise for staring
at your arse and that it may in any way have made you feel devalued
as a human being, but don’t tell me that you didn’t enjoy touching
me up as you carried me.’

‘Touching you up?’ I was a bit
taken aback by her fast response, she was fiery and I liked it. ‘I
had my hands rather full at the time.’ I shot back.