New Leaves, No Strings (20 page)

‘Jesus, are you two at it again in
there? Like fucking rabbits. I’ve put some clean dry clothes outside the bedroom
door for you Gabe, they may be a bit small but they’re all I could find that
might fit the bill.’

Gabe smiled down at me and kissed
me. ‘She’s starting to like me,’ he said as he held my hand and led me out of
the shower.

We kept looking at each other as we
dried off and I knotted my damp hair in a pile on the top of my head and headed
into my bedroom. I found a pair of grey track suit bottoms and a navy sweat
shirt carefully folded on the floor. I handed them to Gabe and went back to rummage
in my drawers and dug out my favourite snuggling outfit. A small pair of cut
off black jersey shorts and a loose pink off the shoulder batwing mohair jumper
and some long black leg warmers, all of which I quickly pulled on. I sat at my
dressing table and removed my smudged mascara and turned to see Gabe bare chested
leaning against the bathroom doorframe surveying me.

‘Why not just wear full length
joggers? I don’t get it. You’re wearing, if you can call them that, the tiniest
pair of shorts that I’ve ever seen that don’t even cover your butt cheeks,
which I love by the way. Then you put on a pair of knitted things that only
come up to your knees.’

‘I feel sexy in this outfit. I
don’t like to walk around looking like a slob in trackies and a hoodie,
regardless of who may or may not see me.’

‘You look damn sexy it in, I just
hope you don’t wear those shorts out in public. Are you wearing any underwear
beneath any of that?’

‘No. I’m at home relaxing and I
find underwear restrictive. Wow, those joggers are really tight on your thighs.’

‘Hmmm yes. Lucky for me Lexi’s so
tall, if they’d been yours I may have burst them at the seams.’

‘Well I better get your clothes in
the washer dryer, I don’t want you wandering around in public with those tight
trousers, flashing your abs and flexing your pecs at everyone.’

‘Are you getting jealous and
protective over my body?’

‘While we are doing this thing I
think you’ll find it’s
my
body, booty call boy. What’s wrong with the
sweatshirt?’

‘I haven’t tried it yet, I was too
busy watching you get dressed.’

‘Has anyone ever told you that you’re
slightly creepy? Stalking me at college, watching me eat, sleep and dress, I
may have to reconsider this whole arrangement.’

‘You’d better not,’ he said as he
strode purposefully towards me. He scooped me up off the stool and spun me
around and around until I squealed with laughter.

‘Put me down Gabe, you’re making me
dizzy. I need to go and do some washing. A nice cold beer wouldn’t go amiss
either. Fancy one?’

‘Yes please. I’m not going to be in
yours and Lexi’s way am I? I’m not sure if I’ve overstayed my welcome?’

‘Of course not, if Lexi wanted you
out she’d tell you. Anyway it’s going to be a good couple of hours before your
clothes are ready, so you’re stuck here. I’ll be back in a minute, are your wet
clothes in the bathroom?’

He nodded and I went to collect
them. ‘Lexi, I’m going to throw our jeans in the washer, do you want yours
doing?’ I called.

‘No I’m good, I’ve put the fire on
so come on in when you’re ready.’ she replied.

I checked our jeans pockets and
removed Gabe’s wallet and phone and noticed he’d four missed calls from someone
called Davies and two condoms. We’d just used one so packing three showed he
was expecting a long afternoon. I loaded up the washing machine and grabbed two
bottles of beer from the fridge, which looked alien packed with some of the
food Gabe had purchased. I knocked off their lids and returned to the bedroom.

Gabe was standing facing my heart
shaped fabric noticeboard on the wall, it had come with me from home and had
dozens of pictures slotted into the tight white ribbons that were latticed
across it. Most of the pictures were of Lexi and I, on nights out pulling
stupid faces and sexy poses, but I realised I’d left one of Kai and myself in
there and Gabe was holding it studying it intently. Kai was hugging me from
behind and kissing the side of my face.

‘No good with the sweat shirt then?’
I observed, making him jump.

‘No, couldn’t even get my arms in
it.’ I held out the bottle of beer to him and he took it with his free hand. ‘Who’s
this?’ he asked as he waved the photo at me with the other.

‘Kai,’ I said as I took it off him
and shoved it in my dressing table drawer.

‘Have you heard from him since that
text?’

‘Which one?’

‘The one I saw when you met Julie.
Why has he sent more?’

‘Yes, he’s sent a few messages. I
don’t think he’s ready to let go.’

‘Are you?’ he asked as he looked at
me concerned.

‘O my god, how can you ask me that?
Is this because I have some stupid old photo up on my board?’

‘You have history together.’

‘As do you and other women Gabe. I’m
not questioning you as to whether you’re over them. We end relationships for a
reason. I didn’t want to continue seeing him and I ended it, there’s really no
story there.’

‘He’s going to keep trying to get
you back,’ he said as he put his beer on the table and pulled me into his arms.

‘What makes you think that?’

‘Because I would if I was stupid
enough to have let you get away.’

‘Well he can keep trying, I’ve
moved on, as should you from this unattractive jealous streak of yours. Lexi’s
waiting for us in the lounge. Should I start having a freak out that she may an
uncontrollable urge to steal you away from me and jump your bones as she can’t
resist your bare torso?’ I asked sarcastically and frowned when I saw him
smiling at me. ‘Why are you smiling, I’m mad.’

‘I can tell, but you said “steal
you away from me.”’

‘So?’

‘I like that you think of me as
yours to be stolen, I’m already under your skin Mia Page.’

‘Smugness doesn’t become you Gabe
Austin, now move that delectable arse of yours into the lounge before I get
really,
really
mad,’ I said as I pecked his lips, pulled out of his
embrace and turned to leave the room.

‘You’re so adorable,’ he said as he
smacked my bottom and hustled me out.

Lexi was in her usual position,
stretched out across most of the sofa, thank god she wasn’t wearing her panda
onesie.

‘Sweatshirt didn’t fit huh?’ she
said as she glanced up at us.

‘No, but I’ve just about squeezed
into the joggers thanks. Hope they’re not your favourite pair? I don’t think
they’ll shrink back and I’ve had to go commando.’

‘Thanks for sharing that,’ she
grimaced, screwing up her face. ‘I definitely don’t want them back now. Are you
two on the beer?’

‘Would you like me to fetch you
one?’ Gabe asked. Lexi nodded and put her thumbs up and he headed out to the
kitchen.

‘
OMFG’
she mouthed at me.

‘What?’

‘He wasn’t joking when he said he’d
squeezed into them. You lucky bugger his body’s
insane,
’ she whispered.

‘I am lucky aren’t I? Keep your
eyes in his facial area please,’ I grinned.

‘He’s too blonde, pretty and smiley
for me anyway Mia, you know I like dark haired moody guys.’

Gabe returned and handed Lexi her
beer. ‘Sorry if I’m cramping your style, I need to wait for my clothes.’

‘No cramping, I was just playing
call of duty on the xbox.’

‘Black ops?’

‘Yeah, you play?’

‘Do I play? Hell yeah.’ He looked
over at me and bit his lip.

‘What? You don’t need my approval
Gabe, I’ve got to keep on top of the washing and I need to call home, go for it.’

I sat and watched them until I
heard the washing machine finish and left them to it, shoot them up kind of
games were not my scene, but Lexi loved them. I was more into seek and find
games and could spend hours on my mobile in the recliner while Lexi would be
yelling at the TV screen playing her violent ones. I put the jeans in the dryer
and stuck the whites in the washer.

I reopened the fridge and examined
our new contents. Turkey mince, beef strips, Parma ham, fresh pasta, vegetables
and dairy products. He’d even purchased granola and organic muesli which had
been stacked in the cupboard, along with basmati rice and a variety of herbs
and spices. Balanced in the middle of the dining table was a large melon, some
apples and bananas. Christ, how much did he think we ate? Who was going to bloody
cook all of this? It must’ve cost him way more than lunch, I’d have to give him
some more money.

I rummaged in our existing snack
drawer and pulled out a couple of chocolate digestives and took them with my
beer back to my room. As I passed the lounge door, I heard them shouting at the
screen together and smiled. He was really going to earn big points with Lexi
for this. It was already five o’clock, well after the time I’d promised to call
home each Sunday. My family liked routine and mum in particular panicked if I didn’t
stick to it. I realised I hadn’t even looked at my mobile all day and when I
checked it there were three missed calls from her. Bugger I was going to get an
earful I thought as I pressed the call button and lay back on my bed.

Thirty minutes later after
profusely apologising and assuring her I hadn’t been mugged, got addicted to
drugs or got kicked out already, she finally calmed down and caught me up on
the happenings at home. I filled her in on my Uni lectures, the neighbourhood,
but left out the part about Gabe. It was way too soon.

‘Have you spoken to Kai?’ she
finally asked.

‘Mum, will you let it drop it’s
over.’

‘He adored you and you treated him
so badly. He hurting, he really misses you.’

‘You’ve seen him?’

‘He rang me to ask if I’d heard
from you and we had a long chat. He could be good for you Mia, you don’t want
to end up alone.’

‘I’m 18, it’s hardly as if the
sands of time are working against me mother.’

‘I just want to see you happy. I
know your father’s hurt you, but not all men are like him. Kai really loves you.’

‘But I don’t love him mum, you
really need to let this drop.’

‘Sweetheart sorry I’ve got to go. Mr
Biggles has just thrown up on the carpet. Take care, give my love to Lexi and
hope to see you both soon.’

‘Bye mum.’

Mr bloody Biggles, I thought as I
put the phone down. That bloody yappy little Yorkshire terrier was a nightmare.
I was so glad to have gotten away from him. He knew I didn’t like him and used
to follow me around the house nipping my ankles, shredding my clothes with his
scarily sharp tiny teeth or pissing in the corner of my bedroom trying to show
me who was boss. No sorry Mr Biggles, I didn’t miss you at all. It was a good
job I’d moved out, as if it came to a choice between me and him I wasn’t entirely
convinced mum would’ve chosen me, he was her pride and joy. I rubbed my ear
which was red hot, over half an hour on the mobile wasn’t ideal.

I went back to the utility room and
emptied out the white washing hanging it on the interior airer. Our jeans
needed longer in the dryer, so I hung his white shirt over the radiator. I
could still hear them cursing at the game, I figured they could be some time
and wouldn’t miss me if I went to have a lie down. I wasn’t sure if it was the
move, the excitement of the last week or all the orgasms, but I felt completely
drained. I climbed on top of my duvet and hugged a pillow to me and closed my
eyes.

The light was dimming as I woke. I
was lying face down on the bed and Gabe was kneeling over me kissing the back
of my neck.

‘Hmmm what a nice way to be woken
up,’ I murmured. ‘Did she kick your arse?’

‘Yes and I feel totally humiliated
and emasculated,’ he replied as his hand slid under the jersey of my shorts to
caress my bare bottom.

‘Don’t feel bad, other than movies,
sex, cigarettes and alcohol, it’s all she does. She puts a lot of time in.’

‘Well I’d like to put some time in with
my non-girlfriend now, if that’s ok?’ His thumb had followed the crevasse of my
butt and had made its way down to my clit which quickly responded.

‘Are you needing to prove your
manliness?’ I giggled as I turned my head sideways to try and look at him.

‘I have to prove it now do I?’ he
asked as his thumb moved quicker and quicker. I began to grind my hips down
into the bed until he slid it up inside me. He bit and sucked the back of my
neck, before moving around to my mouth, kissing me aggressively as his free
hand positioned each of my hands above my head, securing them in position. This
was obviously his signature move. ‘Jesus you’re soaking wet already,’ he
whispered in my ear.

‘You seem to have that effect on me,’
I groaned.

‘So do you want me to make love to
you, or fuck you again? Your choice,’ he murmured as he lay a trail of kisses
down my jaw line. I felt utterly under his control, he had me pinned down on
all sides as his tongue and thumb invaded me in unison. I could sense a primal
need in him, he really wanted to fuck me again without any pleasantries and the
thought of it turned me on even more.