Authors: Lesley Jones
Ga
briel pushes up from the table and says “Ladies...I think you’re pretty safe for the rest of the night.... At least from any MEN banging down the door... But any problems call me”
He
nods in my direction
“
Lauren”
“
Oooh what you’re going?” I ask sarcastically. His eyes pierce mine and hold my gaze. I blink repeatedly to try and stay focused. I actually feel ridiculous, my behaviour is that of a child, I really don’t want to be horrible to him or my girls. I feel slightly or even alotly if that was such a word…out of control.
“
I'm sorry about what's happened to you Lauren and I hope you feel better soon, the offer of the rental is still there, let me know, if you’re still interested, good night”
“
Oh....and eat something and stop drinking, you are going to make yourself very sick and by the looks of things, you have already been through enough and I would hate to see you in any more pain”
How
does he do this to me? I convince myself he's one thing and he immediately proves me wrong, leaving me confused and liking him just a little bit more....
I
stand up, my head is spinning, my heart is pounding in my throat and my stomach is in knots, without really thinking too much about it first, I blurt out
“Don’t
go ... Please...don't go” I hold out my hand to him. “Please... Stay with me?” I almost beg, I almost cry.
I’ve
just invited a man I only met last night to stay with me, stay where, in Jo's bed? I am in no fit state for sex... Mentally or physically.... Well maybe I am ... Will he expect it?
He
pauses for what seems like minutes, just staring at me with those amazing blue eyes and I know that I've hurt his feelings... and I hate myself for it, Shit, what was that little outburst all about? He steps towards me and places his hands either side of my face and surprises me by kissing me so, so gently on the mouth, despite everything I have whirring round in my head, my response is instant and my hands go straight up into his hair at the back of his neck and I force his mouth harder on mine, forgetting for a moment my nicely split lip.
“Owww”
I moan ... He pulls swiftly away “Shit, sorry, sorry, did I hurt you?”
“No,
no it was me, it’s my fault, you was ...it was. Don’t stop”.... What am I saying?
He
looks at me, with eyes much gentler than I deserve. “Don’t be a bitch Lauren, it’s really not nice”
“I
know, I’m sorry, I don’t know what that was all about, sorry”
He
gives me a long kiss on my forehead and we stand for a few moments in silence, just holding onto each other.
“Err Hmmmm” Jo clears her throat as Jemma says “Take it to the bedroom perlease you two”
I
turn and look at them, slurring
“
Sorry for being a bitch, can he stay Jo please? We need to talk”
Talk....
I can't string a bloody sentence together right now, let alone hold a conversation. I know I'm swaying slightly and feel quite unsteady on my feet, looking back at Gabe I ask “Will you stay?”
He
looks over at Jo,
“Go,
go... But remember we practice safe sex only in this house... I have condoms if you need them... All flavours....”
We
ignore her...
I
lead Gabriel by the hand or is he holding my hand, so as to hold me up? I’m not sure.... I stagger into the bedroom. He kisses me gently again and says
“I
think you need to drink some water and then, I would like you to tell me exactly what is going on... Get into bed, now”
I
attempt to take off the hoodie while Gabe gets me some water but I'm still struggling with it when he returns. He laughs and shakes his head at my efforts.
“Stay
still, let me help you”
He
pulls the top over my head. My vest rises up with it and I feel embarrassed as I know he's just got a glimpse of my forty five year old, wobbly belly ... Great! I giggle when I think about the state I must look.
“
Glad you find yourself so amusing, you won’t be laughing later when your hangover kicks in….drink and drugs do not mix Lauren, they are dangerous, did your mother teach you nothing? Get into bed, before you fall over” He orders
“No
actually, my mother didn’t teach me much at all…nothing of any use anyway…what did your mum teach you?”
“Even
less than yours if you must know. Now drink this” He holds out the glass as I fall back on the bed.
“
You’re so bossy Gabriel ....Angel Gabriel.... Are you an angel? I'll tell you what I think...I think you are really the devil... You are bad like the Devil”
I
giggle again... Yeah I know, like a schoolgirl I giggle!
“
Oh you've seen nothing yet Lauren...now will you please just fucking drink this, then talk and tell me what is going on and what fucker did this to you?”
He
orders, so I pout…
“Are
you getting into bed with me?” I ask in my best whiney voice.
“
Do you want me to?”
“Well fuck yeah
… Of course I do, it's not every night a girl has a sex god surfie dudie, typie blokie in her bedroom, I might as well make the most of it. But no sex, no, no sex, I don’t do sex on the first night, mind you, it’s been awhile since I had a first night, it’s been a while since I had a first anything”
Apparently I’m hilarious because I can’t seem to stop laughing at my own jokes.
He shakes his head and for the first time tonight he gives me THAT smile and I light up from inside.
“Don’t forget Suntannedie sex god” he corrects me as he kicks off his converse and unbuckles his jeans. Memories of my dream pop into my head and my expression must change, because he suddenly stops.
“
Is this... Okay?” he motions to his jeans and all I can manage is “Hmm hmmm” As I swallow hard. I shift over and he slides in, giving me just the slightest glimpse of his long muscular, tanned (of course) legs and tight boxer trunks. Drink, drugs, him, I'm not sure what is causing it but I am suddenly so hot and embarrassingly, I fall straight off to sleep.
When I wake, Gabe is sitting up in bed watching the telly; I'm curled up on my side, with my arm across his abs. I look up at him.
He’s
watching me, of course he is….
“You
okay?” he asks quietly. I stretch and nod
“Thirsty
though”
“Would
you like a cup of tea or a coffee?”
“Would
love a cup of tea”
It's
ten fifteen; I've slept another three hours. The effects of the pain killers and the alcohol seem to have worn off and I feel less groggy. My head is sore where it’s glued but it doesn't ache like it did earlier. Gabe slides out of bed, saying only “milk, sugar?”
“No
sugar, just a little milk, I like it strong, like my men”
He
walks away shaking his head... Giving me a good long look at that tight little arse of his and I wonder if Jo and Jemma are still in the kitchen...
He
returns with my tea, some toast and a beer for himself, laughing and shaking his head as he comes through the door.
“Your
mates have very dirty minds Lauren; you really should reconsider who you knock about with. I don’t know if I approve of your present choice”
I
can only begin to imagine what my girls would have said, seeing him walk into the kitchen, wearing just his jocks, giving them an eyeful of that banging body; I feel a little pang of... Jealousy? I think you might call it... Oh well, it’s my bed he's coming back to, well technically its Jo's but you get my drift.
He
slides back in beside me and passes me my tea and toast. He waits for me to take a sip and a bite and orders...
“
So, talk, tell me everything”
I
take another sip of my tea and begin...
It
takes me an hour to tell him everything from first meeting Jason, to the events of last night... I tell him how in love I have always been with my husband and how this has possibly clouded my judgment, in so far as doing something about his violent actions towards me sooner. I also add, right at the very end of my story that what I'm doing right here, right now, with him, I have never done in all my years of marriage. I want to make that point clear. I’m not some trashy whore bag who constantly cheats on her husband!
He
hasn't said a word the whole time but I've felt him fidget as I've talked about mine and Jays sex life and then about the events of last night.
“
Let's get one thing clear Lauren” he says
“
If I thought for a second, you did this on a regular basis, with other men; I would have fucked you down an alley or over the bonnet of my car last night”
He
gets out of bed and panic washes over me, was he leaving, was it all too much?
“
I need another drink. Do you need pain killers?” I shake my head
“
No, I don't like the way they make me feel, I'd rather have a glass of wine, please”
“
Wine? ..... I don't think that's a good idea, I'll get you some more tea if you want but no more wine”
He's
so bossy and domineering and hot, so, so hot.
He
walks out of the room and leaves me sitting up in bed feeling nervous, excited and like I'm thirteen again, what is that all about, why? Why all these feelings? I've just met this man, quite literally, just met him, is it events with Jay and is this my revenge or is there really an attraction there for Gabe? I think I already know the answer to that and I think it's the answer that's causing all these emotions and feelings not the questions. Does that even make sense? I know for sure that we most definitely have a connection on some level and I'm pretty sure it's more than physical. The way he's got me to open up and tell him stuff that I've told no one, ever, has been quite liberating and the fact that he's so far said nothing, only listened and hasn’t laid anything other than his lips on me, has put me at ease .
He
returns with a bottle of bourbon, a tumbler and what looks like a glass of wine for me.... Ha he's backed down and let me have my own way.
He
pours himself a drink and I can’t help looking at him, all of him. Even his feet are sexy and tanned of course. He really is gorgeous, the sort that is described in every crappie erotic novel I have ever read but that I’ve always thought didn’t really exist and if he did, he wouldn't be interested in me and yet, here he is, in his trunks, sliding into bed, beside me ... Pinch me now ... No wait, don't , I'm already in enough pain .. Oh fuck!!
He
passes me my drink and I take a sip “What is this?” I ask, pulling a face. “It’s a compromise Lauren”
“A
compromise? Yuk, I asked for wine... I don't like the taste of a compromise ... What's in it?”
“White
wine and soda, it’s that or tea. You chose?”
Pffff....
I take another sip, this will have to do!
Then
the questions start... My life, my loves, my children, my work. On occasion I laugh and he laughs with me but then, when I talk about the implications of the end of my marriage and how I'm actually feeling about it all, I start to cry and he is so good and so sweet he just holds me, saying nothing, just letting me cry.
I
wake in the morning and he's still there, holding me, my head on his chest, his arm around me. My leg is over one of his and his other leg over mine... A tangle. My hand is palm down on his belly; I can feel a smattering of hair. I don’t want to be obvious and turn my head to look, so I run my hand up to his chest, where I can feel more hair.... I look up at him and blink as I realise he’s watching me, of course he’s watching me, he’s always watching me. And I love it…. With a glint in his eye and a smile on his lips
“Hey
” he says
“Hey”
I reply…embarrassed at being caught.
His
smile turns into a full on grin as his head motions to where my hand is on his chest.
“Feel
nice?” he asks
“Very”
“Well I'm just glad you moved your hand up and not down because then, I would not be responsible for what my reactions or actions might have been” He wiggles his eyebrows up and down as he speaks. I frown, then smile as I catch on and lift up the doona and peer down at his trunks. I can see that he has a sizable erection. I feel my pulse throb between my legs instantly and sigh “Ahhhh fuck Gabe” as I pull away from him and lay flat on my back against the bed, feeling completely inadequate.