New Leaves, No Strings (4 page)

‘How do you and Gabe know each
other?’ She was looking me up and down and I knew I was being vetted. How was I
going to explain our encounter without getting him into trouble? He’d obviously
not told her how we’d met. Scooping up random women probably wouldn’t go down
to well with the girlfriend. I looked to him for support and he jumped in.

‘Julie sorry, Mia and I take
English together and she passed out in our lecture yesterday.’

‘O dear how awful. I hope you’re
feeling better now?’

‘Yes, yes I am thank you. I was
very well taken care of.’ I flashed Gabe a quick smile of gratitude and was
rewarded with one in return.

‘I’m sorry Mia, but we really have
to go. We’re both on the swim team and we agreed to get as much practice in as
possible before our first competition this week. Come on Gabe,’ she said as she
tugged on his arm. He seemed reluctant to follow her, or was it just my hopeful
imagination? I watched as she pulled Gabe away and I heard her say ‘
She’s
pretty’
to him, in an all too accusing tone.

Gabe shook off her clutch and
glanced back and mouthed ‘
I’m sorry’
at me. I stayed there, using the
tree for support, as I watched him stroll away by her side. Why was I
surprised? Why
wouldn’t
he have a girlfriend when he looked like that?
There again, I didn’t just imagine the serious flirting with me and the sexual
tension between us. I’d seen it in his eyes, he fancied me as much as I did
him. God damn it, bloody men. I rang Lexi immediately and filled her in.

‘He’s seeing someone? What a jerk.
He flirts with you, gets all manly and protective with you and he already has a
girlfriend? O well, I guess it just makes things easier.’

‘Easier? How?’ I asked as I started
to head to the main building.

‘Well you’re just using him to get
in the game so to speak. If he has a girlfriend it’ll make it so much easier
for you to walk away once you’re done. This is just about lust, passion and sex
remember? It’s not like you’re looking to marry the guy.’

‘Don’t be so stupid Lex, trust me it’s
all about the hotness. You know me, I don’t do getting serious with guys, no
matter how long I date them. Anyway, it’s all moot. I’m not going to go for a
guy that’s already seeing someone. That’s just not fair.’

‘Well he wouldn’t be flirting with
you if things were all peaches and cream with her would he? He wants you, so
just get in there Mia. Swim team huh? I totally get how his body’s that good.
He must put in lots of hours of practice, bodes well for his stamina in the
sack.’

‘Ok ok enough,’ I groaned. ‘I’m
getting all hot under the collar thinking about him again. What about you and
English guy? Are you planning anything for when you see him next?’

‘Yeah, I just bumped into him and
found out his name’s Andrew. I think he fancies me. I get the impression he’s
not very experienced with woman, so I may have to make some moves of my own.’

‘When have you ever not Lex?’ I
chuckled as I hung up and headed to the library. I pondered over whether I
should reply to Kai and decided it wouldn’t be fair to give him false hope, so
I deleted his message and whispered ‘
I’m sorry’
to make myself feel a little
better about it.

After a few hours of studying I
took a break, heading to the cafeteria. When I returned the library was packed.
I found the last completely empty desk towards the back and started to unpack
my bag.

‘Is this seat taken?’ a deep male voice
asked.

‘No it’s free,’ I replied as I
straightened up to look at my new companion.

‘Hi, I’m Milo,’ he smiled,
extending his hand. ‘Nice to meet you.’

‘Mia,’ I replied, shaking his.
‘Nice to meet you too.’

‘I think we have English together.
Aren’t you the girl who fainted yesterday and had to be carried out?’

‘Great, just great,’ I sighed.
‘That’s going to be my legacy isn’t it? I’ll forever be the girl who fainted on
day one won’t I?’

‘At least people won’t forget you
in a hurry.’

‘True, very true. Maybe it will
work to my advantage after all, see I now have a new friend just because of
it.’

He smiled again as he sat next to
me and unpacked his bag. He was about 5’10”, slightly built with glossy black
hair, very dark chocolate brown eyes. He was really good looking, though came
in second place to Gabe, Gabe was top of the premier league. Two attractive
guys in two days, I
was
doing well.

‘Milo, is that Spanish?’

‘No, Italian on my mum’s side.’

‘Ahhhh, that’s where the dark good
looks come from,’ I smiled as I twirled my hair around my finger.

‘If you’re flirting with me, I’d
better warn you my girlfriend Jenny’s the jealous type and rather feisty,’ he
grinned.

‘Story of my life Milo when I met
an attractive guy. Well we’ll have to settle for friends then. Italian huh? See
its kismet, as I love pizza and pasta. Plus I don’t do attached guys, not my
style. I hate it when girls fight with all that wrestling and hair pulling and
stuff.’

‘Now
that
I wouldn’t mind
seeing, especially if skimpy swimwear were being worn,’ he said with a twinkle
in his eye.

‘If you’re now flirting with me, I
better warn you that I too have a feisty girlfriend.’

‘Hot, brunette, sharp witted and a
lesbian? All of my fantasies rolled into one.’

‘Noooo,’ I laughed. ‘She’s just my
over protective best friend and roommate. I’m most definitely into men.’ I
liked Milo, he seemed fun.

‘Good to know. Well as we’re being
so honest, if I wasn’t attached you’d be just my type.’

‘Then as you’re unavailable, maybe
we should agree to be each other’s back up plans.’

‘You’re on, backups we’ll be,’ he
pronounced and we shook on it.

‘Sssshhhh.’ The girl in front scowling
at us didn’t look happy at all. I decided that there were a lot of serious
people here at Uni and I sighed, flirting time was over.

I filled Lexi in on my new friend
as we microwaved some popcorn for our dinner. It was the most action the
kitchen had seen since we moved in.

‘I am impressed Mia, two in one
day. We’ll be popping your cherry before the weeks out,’ she grinned.

‘Lex,’ I giggled as I shoulder
bumped her. ‘So what film have you chosen for our Tuesday movie night?’

‘I’m thinking “You’re gonna make a
terrific character Nick.”’

I answered without hesitation, ‘Basic
Instinct.’

‘O she shoots, she scores in one.
An excellent choice to get you started and into the mind-set of a conniving
seductress.’

‘I want to sleep with the guy, not
flash him my snatch then ice pick him to death. Ok how about … “Wood or Wire,
they have both?”’

‘The bloody Graduate?’

‘Damn it you’re good, I’ve been
saving that quote for ages. What’s wrong with The Graduate?’

‘Besides being so old it’s
prehistoric, it’s the wrong way round. You’re the innocent virgin and he’s the
experienced seductor. Ok let’s go with – “Bring the dog. I love animals … I’m a
great cook.”’

‘Too easy, Fatal Attraction and
talk about old,’ I said shaking my head.

‘It’s not that old, besides there’s
a reason Fatal Attraction’s a classic.’

‘That’s two Michael Douglas movies
in a row Lex. Do we have a bit of a crush?’

‘Mia, he’s still a dish, but he’s
old enough to be my grandfather,’ she said looking horrified.

‘Anyway it’s the death theme again.
I don’t plan on turning psychotic over a few encounters with the guy.’

‘Ok – “How did you know? How did
you know I’d respond to you the way I have?”’ Lexi said clutching her heart
dramatically.

‘9 ½ weeks and it was my turn to
quote you cheat, so you forfeit and I win this week’s round.’ I grinned
triumphantly.

‘Damn it,’ she moaned. ‘Well 9 ½
weeks seemed an appropriate topic, man corrupting woman with erotic passionate
sex.’

‘Where they both end up bloody
miserable and alone.’

‘Well they haven’t released Fifty
bloody Shades of Grey yet you obsessive and I refuse to watch Pretty Woman yet
again, just because you love apparent insurmountable odds, or The Notebook so
you can cry.’

‘You cried too.’

‘Did not.’

‘Did so. You tried to pretend you
weren’t, but I saw you. Everybody cries at The Notebook it’s an amazing film,
plus Ryan Gosling’s so hot. He had my vote to play Christian Grey, I’m so gutted
he’s not doing it.’

‘Hmmmm well I didn’t like it, I
hate love stories.’

‘Well I’m not renting vampire porn
for you again Lexi. The Goth sex shop check out guy back home followed me for
weeks after that thinking his luck was in. Let’s go for a Fast and Furious, but
not Tokyo Drift, I like the ones with more Vin in.’

‘What is it with you and Vin?’

‘Hello? His voice, that and his
body too. He could hold me up against a wall to do me, while he growled sweet
nothings in my ear anytime.’

‘I just don’t see it.’

‘It’s the masculinity, voice and
firm muscle thing. You stick to your RPatz, I’ll stick to my Vin.’

We smiled at each other. Our banter
was our trade mark, which others often didn’t get at all.

‘Ok I’m calling it on sexy movies,
as I can see I’m not going to win and I can’t be doing with you lusting all
over Vin again. Every time I had a sleep over at your mums on movie night and
you watched Vin, it was guaranteed that you’d get out your vibrator out and I’d
have to turn up my iPod to drown it out.’

‘Shit are they that loud?’ I
exclaimed.

‘You’re that loud. Hello
they
?
How many vibrators do you have?’ she asked astonished.

‘Only four,’ I replied blushing.

‘Only four’ she snorted. ‘I don’t
even have one.’

‘You don’t need a vibrator, you
have sex Lexi. I’m a single, sexually frustrated 18 year old virgin. What else
am I supposed to do?’

‘Shag a guy that’s what. You and
your bloody insistence on waiting to do it with someone who makes you swoon. You’ve
just been delaying losing your virginity. You need some real cock inside you,
not silicone vibrators Mia.’

‘Why do you have to be so crude
Lexi?’ I scowled. ‘Anyway, don’t you dare forget your promise. If I die, you
grab that box from under the bed and burn it, mum would be mortified.’

‘
I’m
mortified. TMI. Can we
get back on film topic?’

‘So no erotica and no Vin?’ I asked
with a heavy sigh.

‘No.’

‘Ok let’s go for laughs instead.’

We looked at each other and said in
unison ‘Stepbrothers.’

I spent the morning in the library again, but this
time with Lexi. There was no sighting of Milo, or even more disappointingly
Gabe, but we’d got English after lunch. I’d decided to play it casual, with my
hair down, jeans, my high tops and a wraparound black ballet top to hug my
breasts. As Lexi and I walked down the corridor I could feel the men’s eyes on
us.

‘Hey Mia looking good, hey Lexi,’
nodded one as we passed by him.

‘Who the hell was that?’ I asked
Lexi, as I did a double take.

‘I think you snogged him in
freshers’ week, but who cares? We can afford to be choosy if they’re going to
throw themselves at us,’ she grinned.

‘I’m too bloody choosy,’ I
muttered. ‘The only two I’ve got eyes for are already hooked up.’

As we turned into the lecture hall
there Gabe was, seated at his desk opposite mine. He looked me up and down
before smiling and winking at me again.

‘God damn it Lexi. I’m going to
have to start wearing Tena Lady liners if he keeps doing that, he gets me
really horny and wet,’ I groaned as I took my seat. She smiled and turned to
talk to Andrew, who looked surlier than ever, classic Lexi fodder.

I sat up straight and looked around
the room and finally spotted Milo and waved. He smiled and waved back and I saw
Gabe frown. It was too hard to concentrate, I could feel him from across the
room, his eyes boring into me, undressing me. I drank swig after swig of water,
as I tried to keep the heat building up inside me at bay, but I felt all light
headed again.

‘Sir, please may I be excused for a
minute?’ I asked in Mr Jenkins direction as I stood up. I caught Gabe’s gaze
and stumbled as my legs went weak, just catching the table in time to hold
myself up.

‘Miss Page, you’re no longer at
school. You’re an adult and are free to come and go as you please, as long as
you don’t keep disrupting my lectures. You also seem to have a problem
remaining upright each time I see you, so please watch your step. I also prefer
Mr Jenkins, not Sir.’

‘Thank you Mr Jenkins,’ I answered
as I quickly glanced at Gabe again, before swaying out of the room. My legs
felt like jelly and it was a long way to the nearest bathroom, I trailed my
fingers down the wall as I walked to keep myself steady. I took one of the
dextrose tablets that the Nurse had recommended I carry and sucked it whilst I
clung onto the bathroom sink. What was he doing to me? I’d never had such a
physical reaction to anyone like this before, excluding Tyler, I was only
twelve after all. Even though I fancied Alex, he didn’t turn me into this
quivering bloody wreck every time I saw him, or make me wet with anticipation.
Damn gorgeous Gabe and his bloody gym sculpted girlfriend. I splashed lots of
cold water on my pink cheeks and threw open the bathroom door.

There he was, propping himself up
against the wall outside. He looked so sexy in scruffy faded blue jeans. He had
on a pair of onyx converse trainers and a fitted black shirt that hugged his
form and showed off his muscular broad shoulders. His chest tapered down to his
slim waist and I was looking back down at his crotch again before I knew it. I
inhaled sharply, his body looked
insane.
I was already getting visuals
of how he would look without the clothes … lying on top of me … all hot and
glistening,
wow.

‘You ok? You didn’t faint again did
you? I didn’t hear the toilet flush,’ he asked looking concerned, snapping me
back to reality.

‘You stalking me now? Bet your
girlfriend will be really happy with that.’ I tried desperately not to look
into his stunning eyes, but it was futile, I just couldn’t help myself. I
crossed my arms as I stood facing him, to cover my stiffened nipples. Why did
they keep doing that around him?

‘Ermmm yes. Sorry about that, that
was awkward.’

‘Why would it be awkward?’ I
shrugged. ‘It’s not like we’re anything.’

‘It’s not like you could fit me in
even if I was single, what with ex-boyfriend Kai texting you and that Ian
Somerhalder lookalike waving to you in lectures,’ he snapped. He sounded
annoyed and scowled at me. Christ he was even hotter with that scowl.

‘Presumptuous much? Even if you
were single, who says I’m interested?’ I bit back. If only he knew how
interested I really was. I’d never been so physically attracted to someone,
never had the desire to rip off someone’s clothes, but he was doing things to
me, things I’d never felt before.

‘I think we can both stop
pretending and admit what’s really going on here, don’t you?’ he asked running
a hand through his gorgeous blonde locks.

‘And what do you think’s going on?’

‘You’re as attracted to me as I am
to you. I knew it the first time we looked at each other.’

‘Ok I’ll admit that you’re easy
enough on the eyes,’ I replied feeling myself blush as I blatantly lied. He was
so much more than easy on the eyes. I could feel a magnetic pull to him, I
wanted him to grab me and press his body against mine while he kissed me
fiercely.

‘Easy on the eyes? Is that all you
think of me?’ He looked shocked, stunned even.

‘Attraction’s not all just about
looks for some women you know.’

‘Ok, so what do you look for in a
man?’

‘Well a nice body helps.’ I scanned
him quickly again, super confident his was amazing, I’d love to run my hands
over it. O god he had another erection, was he ever soft? I reluctantly tore my
eyes away, he looked big, very big and I felt my core clench at the thought of
it inside me.

‘Well you’ve already told me that
you find my butt amazing. Trust me, you’ll be happy with the rest of the
package,’ he responded with a big grin on his face.

‘You’re pretty confident aren’t you
Gabe?’

‘I work out a lot for swimming, so
a good physique comes with the territory,’ he shrugged. ‘Don’t take my word for
it, come and see for yourself. I have practice 6 ’til 8 Monday, Wednesday and
Fridays and I may as well be naked for what protective cover my speedos give
me. I’d welcome the opportunity for you to inspect me thoroughly. What else?’

‘What else what?’ My mind had
drifted again at the thought of his naked body glistening with water, with a
tiny piece of material straining to hold his substantial package in. I went all
hot again and was sure my knickers were getting wet.

‘We’ve established you like the
look of me, but what else are “some women” attracted to?’

‘A nice smile, kind eyes and
someone who’s respectful of women.’

‘Check, check and check,’ he
responded with a grin.

He definitely had that whole nice
smile thing down. ‘Funny,’ I said with a half-smile of my own.

‘I can be funny too. Anything else?
Money?’

‘Why would money be on the list?’

‘Isn’t it? It is with most women.
Aren’t they attracted by rich powerful men?’

‘I like confident self-assured men,
but attractions about so much more than how much they earn or spend.’

‘So if I drove a Porsche you
wouldn’t be impressed?’

‘I’m not denying I like nice cars,
who doesn’t? But if I had to choose between a really nice guy who only had a
push bike, I’d chose him over an ok guy with a Porsche.’

‘Ahhhh, but I bet the fact that he
drove a Porsche would mean you’d notice him before the guy with the push bike.’
He stood up straight, seeming excited at our banter. I’d not realised just how
tall he was, until now. What was he? About six foot? Six foot of prime real
estate that I was seriously interested in having a number of viewings of.

‘When I met them for the first time
in say a club, or here at Uni, how would I know whether they had a Porsche or a
push bike? It’s all about the person and in this case bike man would win.’ I
could feel myself heating up sexually even more as we sparred, this was another
new and unexpected feeling.

‘Hmmm interesting. So we’ve pretty
much established that I tick most items on your list, as I also own a push
bike.’

‘Regardless of you telling me that
you meet my list, and not letting me decide for myself Gabe, I don’t like to
get in the middle of complicated.’

‘Complicated? How’s it
complicated?’ he asked looking puzzled.

‘You’re seeing someone,’ I said
with raised eyebrows, thinking damn you.

‘What if it was uncomplicated?
Would I have to deal with Kai and the Italian stud?’

‘Interesting, so you think he’s a
stud?’

‘Well you obviously do the way you
were waving and smiling at him, pushing out your breasts,’ he snapped.

‘I don’t need to push, unless you
hadn’t noticed I think they stand out perfectly well on their own,’ I said
indignantly. He seemed jealous of Milo, was he really jealous?

‘O don’t worry, I’d noticed, it
just seemed like you wanted him to as well.’

‘Jealous are we?’ I teased.

‘And you weren’t when you met
Julie? I saw your face when she said the word girlfriend. You’re avoiding,
you’ve not answered my question.’

‘Which one? I feel like I’m on
University Challenge,’ I said as I turned and started walking back to the
English hall, it was too much being around him, bantering, the sexual tension
was unbearable. I’d sensed that playing hard to get would make him want me more
and was glad of the opportunity to spar without consequence. Kai would get into
a temper and all the others were too willing, too keen to try to please me,
which bored me. I figured the harder I made it, the more he’d want me, but not
much chance of anything happening. Not with me and my bloody morals standing in
the way.

‘God you’re infuriating,’ he said
as he caught me up and walked by my side. ‘Are you seeing either of them?’

‘No, I’m not seeing either of
them.
’

‘So someone else then?’

‘No, not at the moment, but I’m
quite enjoying all the attention I’ve been getting since I moved here. I might
want to keep my options open.’

‘Options open?’ he gasped,
momentarily thrown.

‘What’s wrong Gabe? Used to having
your pick of women? Do they usually throw themselves at you?’ I teased.

‘Yes, they do,’ he said in all
seriousness. He looked surprised that I’d even questioned the fact that he was
hot property,
seriously hot
property I thought.

‘O, so now I can add cocky and
arrogant to your list of characteristics. They’re such attractive qualities
Gabe. Sign me up, add me to your groupies list, I desperately want you now.’ I
heard a frustrated sigh and I looked at him running his hand through his hair
again, this seemed to be his frustrated tell. ‘Are you ok Gabe? You’ve gone
very red.’

‘I’m just not used to having to
work so hard for a result.’

‘Hmmm, that doesn’t bode so well
either. Mental note, no staying power.’ I slowed down as we approached the
lecture hall door, I wasn’t quite ready to walk away quite yet, I was enjoying
myself.

‘I can assure you that I’ve no
problems in that department,’ he snapped. His eyes had gone a stormy blue as he
glared at me, he was annoyed. Annoyed and so damn hot.

‘That you know of.’

‘That I know of?’ he uttered,
looking completely shocked again.

‘Woman are very good at faking at
it. Have you never seen When Harry met Sally?’

‘I think I’d know the difference
between faking it and the real thing Mia. Trust me, no one has ever had the
need to fake it with me thank you. Now answer the question.’

‘Which one?’

‘If I were single are you
available?’

‘But you’re not single, so why does
it matter?’

He sighed again and did that thing
with his hair ‘Jesus christ Mia, you’re seriously hard work. Ok,
hypothetically
,
if I were single are you available?’

‘In what capacity?’

‘What do you mean in what
capacity?’

‘I’m not looking to be someone’s
possession Gabe.’

‘Then what the hell
are
you
looking for Mia?’

‘No strings attached mind blowing
sex.’ I surprised myself at how easily it came out, Lexi would’ve been proud of
me. She’d told me to be direct, to make it clear and I just had. He stared at
me, his mouth wide open for once.

‘No strings attached mind … blowing
…’

‘Sex,’ I finished his sentence for
him as I felt my cheeks burning. He just stood looking at me with a stunned
expression on his face. Stunned and very turned on. I flicked my eyes down
again and saw he was still hard, if anything it looked even bigger, if that was
even possible. I smiled to myself, it seemed I affected him, the way he did me
and I liked that.

‘You expect me to end a
relationship for no strings attached?’

‘I don’t expect you to do anything
Gabe. You’re the one pursuing me and pushing me for answers. You asked me what
I wanted and I’m telling you, as I might be interested if you were single, it’s
not my problem that you’re not. I’m sure I can soon find someone else who is.’