New Leaves, No Strings (16 page)

‘Well there’d have to be a damn
good reason for me not to respond to a call like that from you, but I was
hoping that it wasn’t just all about this,’ he indicated his body with his one hand
as the other gently cupped my lower back, to make sure I didn’t fall.

‘So you’re saying that you’re not
just interested in this?’ I mimicked his gesture with my hand and body.

‘I’m
very
interested in all
of that Mia, but I also really like you and want to spend some time with you. It
can’t be just about sex all the time. Is that ok?’ he asked as he grabbed each
of my hands and held them in his own, caressing them with his thumbs. He wants
to spend time with me? I frowned as I mulled it over.

‘I guess so,’ I shrugged. ‘I like
you too, but I can’t rush anything Gabe.’

‘Bit late after last night.’

‘Not the sex side, I’d like plenty
more of that please. It’s the other stuff.’

‘Other stuff? You can’t even say
the words can you? Are you talking about “relationship” stuff?’

‘Yes, I don’t do well with that.’

‘I think we’ve already established
that. Can you tell me why?’ He looked up at me inquisitively.

‘No, we don’t really know each
other well enough for that conversation. I don’t even know your surname, where
you live, your favourite film or album or anything about you.’

‘It’s Austin, I live on King Street
and my favourite film is The Raid,’ he said as he lifted his head and raised my
hand to his lips and kissed it. ‘My current favourite album is Fall Out Boy,
like you. You know that I swim and work out. I love literature and reading, which
is I why I’m in the same lecture hall as you. I like to eat proper healthy food,
love black coffee and I’m obviously very into you. So what else do you want to
know?’ I inhaled sharply as he let go of my hands and slid his up my thighs to
clasp my hips. His thumbs were stroking my hip bones, sending a current through
my body. It was hard to focus on anything but his touch.

‘This isn’t a mastermind challenge
Gabe, I’m not just going to fire off questions at you to get another list of
answers.’

‘So you’re open to normal dates where
we can just talk and get to know each other, if I ask you out?’

‘Such as?’ I asked stiffening up.
This was supposed to be about sex, now he wanted dates and to talk about
ourselves?

‘Walks, meals out, movies etc.,
normal date stuff,’ he shrugged. I looked down at him frowning and bit my lip
and shrugged back. ‘Seriously, you want it to be only about sex?’ he asked,
looking amazed and slightly hurt and I felt his fingers tense on my hips.

I let out a deep sigh. I really didn’t
want another relationship, but I didn’t want to put him off either. Last night
had been amazing and even just sitting here with him this morning, I felt more
relaxed than I’d ever been with any of my boyfriends.

‘Fine Gabe, we can do more than
just have sex as long as it suits us both and you don’t pressure me or rush me
wanting more.’

‘Ok, so we keep communicating with
each other then and see how it goes. How does that sound?’

‘Perfect,’ I stated, then squealed
as he tipped me off him onto my side and lay facing me.

‘I think you just might be,’ he whispered
as he swept the hair off my face and gently kissed me. My insides ignited
again, god he could make me respond in a way no one had before. I heard the
front door open and put my fingers on his lips to stop him.

‘Mia, I’m back. Is it safe to come
in?’

‘Does she think I’m some kind of
axe murderer?’ whispered Gabe.

‘She doesn’t know you yet either,
give her a chance,’ I replied. ‘It’s safe, but I’m not alone, Gabe went out for
coffee this morning and just got back,’ I shouted back to her.

‘Do you want me to leave?’

‘No, don’t be silly. Give me a
second to throw something on and I’ll be out.’

‘Cool, I got milk. I need caffeine,
now. Can I get you both one?’

‘Yes please Lex, my usual. Gabe
takes his black.’ I looked at him and mouthed ‘
Sorry’
and he kissed my
forehead.

‘Don’t worry about it, much as I’d
love to lie here and take advantage of you over and over, I’ve some serious
catching up to. Some lectures clash with my swimming, so I need to put extra
time in if I want to keep up.’

‘So you’re heading back to your digs?’

‘I don’t live in digs, I live at
home,’ he said looking amused.

‘Sorry, I forgot you were a local.
You live with your parents?’

‘Just my dad, but he works away a
lot so I’m pretty much on my own there.’

‘Where’s your mum?’

‘I thought this wasn’t going to be
a mastermind quick fire round? Come on, I need to get this formal meeting with
Lexi under my belt, last night didn’t count.’ He kissed me again and swung
himself off the bed and headed out of the bedroom.

I watched him go and wondered if he
was brave, or just plain stupid to face her alone. I hopped out of bed and
quickly pulled on my jeans and ran my fingers through my matted hair, piled it
up again and padded barefoot to the bathroom to brush my teeth. My toothbrush
was lying next to the one he’d used last night and I smiled to myself as I
remembered us standing here naked brushing in unison. I could vaguely hear
voices coming from the kitchen, but couldn’t make out what they were saying. I
wiped my mouth and headed out to rescue him.

Lexi was sitting with her back to
me at the table, both feet up on her chair, hugging her knees with her coffee
balanced on them, staring right at him. Gabe was leaning casually against the
kitchen sink, ankles crossed, facing us both. I raised my eyebrows in question
as I entered the room and he smiled back.

‘There’s no need to do the look,’
said Lexi without looking round at me.

‘What look?’

‘The “
are you ok?”
look. Honestly
have I ever upset any of your boyfriends before?’ she asked turning to look at
me.

‘You already think of me as her boyfriend?
Interesting,’ smirked Gabe as he grabbed his mug off the counter and took a
swig of his coffee.

‘He’s
not
my boyfriend Lexi,’
I said as I flashed him a warning look. ‘But yes you’ve upset some of them
before. I never heard from Pete again after you had words with him.’

‘He was a shithead, I knew straight
away he was no good for you. You do know how to pick them.’

‘So I take it that as Gabe’s still
standing here, you’ve decided he’s ok for me to hang out with?’

‘Hmmm. Not quite decided yet, but
we’ve had the talk.’ She turned to stare at him. She was still sussing him out,
but he held his ground and didn’t flinch.

‘Which of the talks?’ I sighed.

‘You know the one. Hurt my best
friend in any shape or form and I’ll bitch slap you and bad mouth you around
town, or possibly kill you talk.’

‘Jesus Lexi, we’ve only just met. It’s
a bit early to lay the talk on him.’

‘It may seem early to you, but you’ve
never gone this far with a guy before so this is way beyond early for you. It’s
so beyond early … they need a new name for early.’

‘I’m going to leave you both to
your debate and head off,’ interrupted Gabe as he put his mug back in the sink.
‘Lexi, thanks for the coffee and the chat. Mia, walk me out?’

‘Sure.’ I glared at Lexi’s back as
he passed me, but she turned and caught my stare and stuck her tongue out.

‘Bye Gabe, see you soon,’ she
called out all sweetness and light.

I followed him out to the hall,
opened the front door and gestured with my head to follow me out onto the
landing.

‘So I’m
not
your boyfriend?’
he asked examining my face, making me sigh.

‘No. We agreed sex with dates, I’m
not ready for labels Gabe.’

‘So I can’t call you my girlfriend,
but I can do this?’ He pushed me back against the door frame and gently cradled
my face again with his hands as he leaned into me and explored my mouth with
his tongue. I moaned and responded, wrapping my arms around his neck. I felt my
nipples stiffen as they rubbed against his chest.

‘You can do that as often as you
like,’ I sighed as I sagged against him and kissed him back again.

‘Hmmm minty fresh,’ he murmured as
he broke away.

‘Hmmm coffee,’ I replied. We kissed
some more and as my hands made their way up to nest in his hair he groaned and
pulled his head back.

‘O no you don’t.’

‘Don’t what? Kissing’s on the
agreed list, as is sex. The more of both the better,’ I sighed as I tried to
pull him back to me.

‘I can see where this is going. The
no bra thing, the kissing, the messing with my hair, all of which really turn
me on. I can’t afford to, I’ve got stuff to do and you need to rest.’

‘I slept fine, more than fine.’

‘I’m not talking sleep, I’m talking
about down here,’ he said as he placed a protective hand gently between my
legs.

‘You do fuss over nothing,’ I said
sulkily.

‘It’s not nothing to me Mia. Are we
ok?’

‘We’re fine Gabe.’

‘Good. So what are your weekend
plans?’

‘I’ve got catching up to do with
Lexi and studying from my missed lectures, thanks to my fainting episode and
your little water leak scam, then a quiet night in. I’ve no idea about Sunday.’

‘How about meeting up? I can show
you around your new neighbourhood and we can do lunch?’ I hesitated for a
second and he picked up on it. ‘For christ’s sake, I’m hardly on one knee
proposing, its lunch and a bloody walk. I’m not asking to spend today or tonight
with you, which I think I deserve some serious credit for as I desperately want
to.’

He was right, I needed to chill out.
‘Ok that’s fair. Thanks for not crowding me.’

‘Great, I’ll come here for ten then.’
He kissed me again and turned and started to make his way down the stairs and I
leaned over the bannister to watch him.

‘Bring plenty of condoms,’ I
called.

‘Seriously?’

‘Seriously, it’s all about the sex
remember? And by tomorrow afternoon its nearly two days rest, which is more
than enough don’t you think? Why are you smiling again?’

‘I can see right up your top and
your gorgeous nipples are erect. Go back in before I change my mind and come
straight back up there now.’

‘Bye Gabe.’

‘See you tomorrow Mia,’ he blew me
a kiss and vanished out of sight. I smiled and let myself back into the flat
ready for my grilling from Lexi. I’d barely closed the door behind me when she
appeared.

‘Spill already.’

‘Hang on a minute, I didn’t get to
drink my coffee. Let me make another one first.’

‘Well get your skates on, I’m dying
here. I’ve waited a long time for this discussion. I’m getting changed and
you’d better be ready to talk when I get out.’

I opened the fridge to find the
milk, not hard as it was the only item in there. Gabe was probably right, we
really ought to try and eat a bit better. As I stood waiting for the kettle to
boil and watched the steam escaping from the spout, it reminded me of the haze
of the club and flashes of the evening came back to me and made me smile.

‘Lex, let’s do this,’ I yelled as I
passed her room and headed to the lounge. Two weeks in and we already had our
favourite spots. Lexi liked to stretch out and hog one side of the sofa with
her tarantularous legs and I liked to curl up on the recliner. And that was exactly
where I was heading, with no intention of moving for an hour or two. Lexi’d been
right, it was like I’d done a few sessions of Pilates back to back and I was
beginning to feel the burn. As I settled in and inhaled the scent of my coffee,
she hurtled in and threw herself over the back of the sofa, landing perfectly
outstretched.

‘What the
hell
are you
wearing?’ I exclaimed in disbelief.

‘It’s a panda onesie.’

‘Well I can see that, it’s got
bloody ears and little pink paws and everything. Lex, seriously?’

‘It’s warm and snuggly, besides you’re
the only one who’ll see it.’

‘You look a complete tit. What
happened to my uber cool, hard as nails friend?’

‘What happened to my virginal
prissy friend? Fucking in nightclub bathrooms and god knows where else.’

‘I told you we never did it in
there.’

‘May as well have from the noise
you were making. Made me blush and that takes some doing. So come on and don’t
spare the details.’

‘O Lex it was absolutely amazing, he
was amazing. I had about five orgasms before any penetration. He was so
attentive and he never once pushed me or asked me to do anything to him.’

‘I hope you did? Give and take
remember.’

‘O I did, I remember chanting “
gummi
bear no teeth
” to myself as I went down there.’