The Honeymoon Period (The Austin Series) (2 page)

‘Mia, your
hands are frozen. Get your shoes off and get into bed and I’ll put the blanket
on you.’

‘I’m ok.
Are you? What’s happening?’ I sat on the edge of my bed facing him and he
insisted on me wrapping the blanket around myself.

‘Dr.
Hancock’s happy to discharge me, I’m waiting for my painkillers and your
tablets and then we can go. Are you sure you’re going to be ok driving my car?’

‘Gabe, I’ve
passed my test, I can drive. Did Doug give you the keys when he dropped it off
last night?’

‘Yes, and Dad’s
had an extra set of house keys done especially for you.’

‘That was
nice of him. It was great having him calling in every lunch time and at night,
it was a shame he couldn’t stay longer.’ Robert had worked from the Westhampton
office for the last four days so he could be close to supervise Gabe’s recovery
and liaise with the specialists.

‘Not much
more he could do Mia, why stay? I’m close to being able to dress myself, now I
can move my arm a fraction.’

‘Speaking
of clothes, do you mind if we swing by my place? Now I’m staying with you
longer to help out, I could do with some more Uni appropriate clothes and some
extra toiletries and things.’

‘Of course
I don’t mind.’ He looked at me frowning and then down at the floor and sighed.

‘Gabe,
what’s wrong?’

‘Do you
need time away from me, Mia? We’ve gone from no strings to spending all this
time together and I’ll understand if it’s too much for you. You shouldn’t have
to look after me like this, not so early in a relationship.’

‘How could
you think that, Gabe? You did it for me, I’m doing it for you. You really think
I want time away?’

‘It’s just
a lot to expect Mia, I won’t be offended if you need a break. I can pay for
private care at home.’

‘And have
another nurse touching your hot body when you’re sexually frustrated? No way,’
I said with a firm shake of my head and a smile. ‘And of course I don’t mind,
especially not after …’ I was on the verge of saying
asking you to move in
and thought better of it, he’d made it clear he wasn’t ready to finish that
conversation.

‘After
what?’ he asked as he looked up at me, the relief evident on his face.

‘Everything,
you ... your accident. I need to feel close to you, closer to you and I hate
that I can’t even put my arms around you and hug you,’ I sighed.

‘Says who?’

‘Gabe come
on, you still have badly bruised ribs and your shoulder’s going to take weeks
to heal.’

‘I don’t
care Mia, I need to feel you next to me too. Come here, lean on my left side
and just be gentle when you do it.’

‘
Gabe.’

‘Mia
please, I miss touching you, feeling you against me. I know we’ve gotten closer
to each other this week in other ways, but physically I miss you and not just
the sex, although that’s a bloody killer.’

I smiled,
he was right, not being able to have sex had meant that we had nothing to do
but talk. We’d discussed my fears of relationships falling apart. He’d told me
about his teens, getting into trouble and using sex as a way of dealing with
the anger and guilt over his mum’s death. It had helped me feel more connected
to him, as well as helping us understand each other’s insecurities a little
better. I got up and walked over to him, gently tucked myself onto his left hip
and put my arms around him, low on his waist and laid my head on his chest as
he put his left arm around me tightly and let out a soft groan.

‘Are you ok?’
I tried to pull off him, but he wouldn’t let me go.

‘Yes, it
just feels so good to feel your body against mine and your tits digging into
me.’ He nosed my hair and kissed the top of my head.

‘God, you’re
hard again aren’t you?’ I laughed.

‘Yes,’ he
whispered almost apologetically.

‘Gabe
Austin, I’ve lost track of the number of hand and blow jobs I’ve given you
since Monday, you’re insatiable. Do we need to go to the bathroom now?’

‘I’d rather
wait until we’re at yours or mine, where I can actually lie down and enjoy it
without worrying about a nurse or doctor walking in. I promise I’m going to
make it up to you baby.’

‘I’m not
keeping score, Gabe.’

‘You
haven’t let me touch you all week, Mia.’

‘Your
recovery’s more important than me right now.’

‘Have you
masturbated?’

‘
No
,’
I exclaimed. ‘Besides you told me you didn’t want me to without your
permission.’

‘Good
girl,’ he replied with a kiss to my hair. ‘But I don’t mind if you do while I’m
like this baby, I won’t be offended.’

‘Thanks,
but it’s not the same.’

‘As what?’

‘As having
you do it,’ I mumbled, embarrassed.

‘Then you
better pack some of those vibrators for me to use on you this weekend, Mia. I’m
not sending you back to lectures all sexually frustrated, not when guys are lusting
after you and I’m not there to protect you.’

‘I think I
proved the other night I’m more than capable of protecting myself,’ I reminded
him. I think I’d broken Adam’s nose when he’d been too aggressive in coming
onto me the other Saturday.

‘I still
want you to take self-defence classes Mia, these two murders have got me
worried and I’m not going to be back for at least another five weeks to look
out for you.’

‘I’ll look
into it on Monday, ok? I’ve caught up on my studies and assignments while we’ve
been sitting here, so I can go in my free time. I’ll drag Lexi along as well if
it makes you feel better.’

‘It will,
thank you. Now kiss me, please,’ he ordered. I let go of him and put my arms up
and over his good shoulder and he turned his head to kiss me gently at first,
then increasing in intensity. I ran my hand across the back of his neck as my
tongue slipped in and out of his mouth and he groaned and pulled back. ‘Fuck, I
want you so badly Mia,’ he whined.

‘Well, you’re
just going to have to be patient, like I’m being. You think it’s not hard for
me too?’ I grabbed his hand and led him back to his bed and made him lie down. ‘You
need to rest.’

‘Go and move
your bed so you can tuck up next to me.’

‘No tucking,
you’ll just get all aggravated and horny. Shut your eyes for me.’ I kissed his
forehead and stroked his hair gently and he smiled at me and did as he was told.
I examined his face and jaw, as they’d finally removed the dressings this
morning. He’d some bruising and scabs still, as well as pink shiny patches
where his face had been scuffed, but they’d told us those wouldn’t scar, unlike
the gash over his eyebrow held together with those stitches. We’d been advised
that scar would remain, but should fade considerably. 

He was so lucky
that he’d had quick enough reflexes to throw himself out of the way of the car
and landed on the kerb instead, even though his shoulder took most of the
impact. All he could remember was that it was a silver car and having examined
the road, the police seemed to think it may have been at a standstill and had
accelerated, nearly hitting him as he was crossing. The thought that someone may
have done this deliberately to him made my blood boil.

The only
people we could come up with as having any potential grudge against him were Julie,
who Gabe insisted wouldn’t do such a thing, Kai, who had an alibi and Adam.
Police were still trying to track him down from CCTV footage and the testaments
of the bar staff that he’d been a regular, along with my observation that he
was possibly also a regular at Peppers strip club. They said it was feasible,
but highly unlikely that he’d followed us home that night and waited. Even
though I’d assaulted him, I was convinced it was him. Gabe was convinced it was
an accident and that the driver had panicked and left the scene.

I smiled when
I realised he’d gone to sleep. His full, perfectly formed lips were slightly
parted and I couldn’t resist giving them a gentle kiss. I pulled a blanket over
him and went to lay on down on my bed and sent Robert a text in New York, to
let him know Gabe was being discharged and I closed my eyes. I was exhausted
myself, I stayed awake when he was, so I could watch over him to make sure I
could stop him from doing anything he shouldn’t. He wasn’t the most patient of
patients and I was determined he wouldn’t set himself back by trying to use his
arm, which needed to stay in the sling for another four to six weeks. I was
even finding it hard to have a decent night’s sleep. I’d learned to try and
sleep when he slept, but even then I’d become hyper-vigilant, every time he
made a noise I would sit up to make sure he was ok, so I took the opportunity
to curl up and close my own eyes.

I was woken
up by a gentle knock on the door and looked up to see one of the younger nurses
with some bags of medication. She ignored me and stood looking at Gabe who was
still asleep. I smiled, I was getting used to the effect he had on all the
nurses, even when he wasn’t awake. I got off my bed and walked over to her.

‘Are those
our prescriptions?’ I asked quietly.

‘O yes,
sorry, Gabe’s free to go. Dr. Hancock will send him a letter for his follow up
in the post and he’ll also get a letter regarding his Physio appointments.
Until advised otherwise he needs to keep the sling in place, even sleeping,
quick breaks for a shower and back on.’ I took the bags off her and smiled as
she lingered. ‘Would you say goodbye to him for me, Mia?’

‘Of course I
will. Thanks again, you’ve all been very good with us.’ I took a step forward
to show her to the door and she looked at him again, sighed and left and I
quietly closed the door.

‘Were you
protecting me from man eating nurses, Miss Page?’ came Gabe’s voice. I turned
to see him smiling at me, both eyes wide open.

‘That was
mean, she only wanted to say goodbye and good luck.’

‘If it’s
the one that always does this time shift, she’s been fawning over me all bloody
week.’

‘Can’t say
I blame her. Despite the amount of times I’ve made you come, you’re giving off
some very strong male pheromones. Even old Agnes is feeling it,’ I teased.

‘If I could
throw a pillow at you I would,’ he grinned. ‘
Please
tell me we can get
out of here?’

‘I’ll get
your trainers and we’re good to go.’

‘I’ll ask
for help with the bags to the car.’

‘Gabe, I’m
fine.’

‘Mia. You
only had surgery yourself a little over a week ago, you aren’t supposed to be
lifting,’ he said giving me a frown.

‘Well,
that’s all very well until we get back to yours. How do we get the cases out of
the car on our own genius?’

‘Shit, I
didn’t think of that. Ok when we’re ready to leave yours I’ll ring Doug and ask
him to meet us at home and help. Come on, get my trainers on and lace them
wench, I need to get out of here.’

‘I’ll give
you bloody wench,’ I laughed as I bent down and put his converse on and tied
them for him. He took the opportunity to fondle my bottom making me laugh even
more.

Nurses were
fighting over who was going to come and help with the bags when I asked, so I
just left them to it and took Gabe’s hand as we left the room. Neither of us
looked back, I hoped we wouldn’t have to see it again for a long time, if ever.
They loaded up the boot for us and I climbed into the driver’s side as they
passed the seat belt under his left arm and over his waist and I carefully
plugged it in. I saw him bite his lip and quickly close his eyes, so I ran my
fingers through his hair and kissed his forehead to soothe him as they closed
the door. They stood in the main doorway, all nudging each other and giggling
and I shook my head in amusement while I positioned myself. I took a deep
breath before I started the engine and it purred to life. It was a bit
different to Mum’s VW Beetle that I’d learned to drive in, bigger and with so
much more under the hood. I adjusted my mirrors and looked over at him to see he
had a smile on his face.

‘What?’

‘You look
so hot behind the wheel baby.’

‘Now you
know how I feel every time you drive, I just want to mount you right there.’ I
put it in reverse and pulled out of the space, waving goodbye to the giggling nurses
and pulled up to the junction. Nothing was coming so I put my foot down and the
car zoomed out so fast I shot back in my seat.

‘Fuck Mia,
gently,’ he groaned, wincing.

‘Sorry, it’s
more powerful than it looks. It felt like g-force on my cheeks,’ I giggled as I
made my way down the main road towards the dual carriageway and opened up the throttle
a bit.

‘I haven’t
seen you this excited since our date last Saturday,’ he observed.

‘It’s fun,
I’ve missed driving. It’s even better with a fast car and the knowledge that
it’s a minimum six weeks before you can drive again. What a drag that I’m going
to have to be your personal chauffueress,’ I smiled.

‘Is there
such a word?’

‘There
should be. You’d better give me directions, this city’s still new to me.’