LAUREN

 

That night, after Gabe had made love to me for the third time and was sleeping soundly, I watched him in the light of the moon that seeped in through the crack in the curtains. His jawline was covered in blond stubble, and a dark freckle sat in the crease of the smile line that ran from his nose to mouth. In the pale light, his skin looked close to perfection. The dips of his muscles were shrouded in shadow and the smooth surfaces exposed to the moonlight glistened as if they were illuminated from within.

He was beautiful.

My chest constricted at the thought of him being mine, that somehow, in this strange world, he had chosen me to lay beside. I brushed the hair back from his face. He stirred and reached out, sighing contentedly as he drew me close. I huddled in and rested my chin against the bare skin of his chest. Nudging at him with my knee, he opened his legs and I slid mine between his.

“Careful,” he muttered, his voice drenched in sleep. “You’ll start me off again.”

I smiled against his chest. “You’ve got stamina, I’ll give you that.”

With his eyes still closed, he shook his head, the movement rustling the pillow. “Not stamina. I just recover quickly. I’ll work on the stamina.”

I stretched up so my mouth was close to his. “I like it when you tell me to be careful,” I whispered. “It’s almost a challenge.”

He moved his lips against mine and I felt him stir against my belly. “I have great difficulty containing myself around you, Mrs Robinson.”

As I pushed myself closer against him, he groaned. There wasn’t a more seductive sound in the world. The effect it had on me was instant, and the urge to feel him fill me once again throbbed intensely. I pressed my mouth fully and openly onto his, and reached down to wrap my hand around his growing hardness.

“You’re going to exhaust me,” he groaned in my ear.

“I’m sure you’ll manage somehow.” I pushed him onto his back, reaching down to grab a condom from the beside cabinet and then rose over him, sinking onto him as he sat up and jostled me until my legs wrapped around his waist. Joined together, he dipped his head to my breast and wrapped his arms around me while I clung to his shoulders, pressing him deeper and removing the last whisper of distance.

* * *

I was scared walking into work, afraid that Peta would take one look at me and know my secret. She didn’t though. She came over and hugged me, and for a while, I couldn’t think of a reason for her affection before remembering that it was only two days ago that Derek and I broke things off. Two days I had spent in the arms of another man. Peta chatted easily and I tried to act as if everything was normal.

When Gabe arrived, the look he gave me had the blood rushing to my head. And other places.

“Hey,” was all he said as he passed. But his eyes. My god, his eyes. They said the things left unspoken, and my heart skipped a few beats. Each time I looked up from my work, he was watching me, eyes alight, and a smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

“Stop it,” I whispered as I walked past him.

“I’m sorry?” he said loudly. “Stop what?”

I looked over to Peta, but she was restocking the flavour shot bottles and paying no mind to me at all. “Stop looking at me like that.”

He stepped closer and lowered his tone. “Like what, exactly?”

I moved away as Mark drifted through the doorway. “You know damn well, like what,” I hissed.

“I’m afraid I don’t.” His eyes shone roguishly. “Would you care to enlighten me?”

Mark narrowed his gaze. “What are you two whispering about?”

“Nothing,” I said quickly.

“Actually we were talking about the staff Christmas function,” Gabe said with his gaze levelled on mine. He cocked his head to one side. “Weren’t we, Lauren?”

I nodded and bent down to pick up some imaginary coffee beans off the floor.

“What’s the plan, boss?” Gabe said, turning to Peta.

“My goodness, who knows? We’ve got another month to worry about such things. But speaking of functions…” She left it hanging and I stood up to find her staring directly at me, arms crossed.

“What?” I said.

“Are we doing something for your birthday, or are you hiding from that, too?”

I laughed nervously.

“It’s her birthday?” Gabe asked, turning to Peta. “When?”

“Sunday,” Peta replied and I inwardly cursed her for letting him know. “The big three-o.” She grinned.

“Thirty?” Gabe sucked his breath in as a low whistle. “That’s getting rather old there, Lauren. Climbing that hill fast, aren’t we?”

I swatted him with the tea towel hanging over my shoulder and scowled.

“Since you’re not going home this year, Ren, we need to do something,” Peta said. “Why don’t you come over to my place for dinner, I’m sure Gabe and Jordan can handle the close that night. Can’t you, Gabe?”

Gabe cleared his throat. “Sure. No problem.” He looked sadly over to me and mouthed ‘your birthday?’ sticking out his lip and feigning a pout. I shook my head and hoped no one caught the exchange.

“It’s sorted then. Birthday dinner at my house. No excuses.” Peta put her hands on her hips and glared at me.

“Sounds lovely.” I smiled and stared hard at Gabe who was still pulling pleading faces.

Later, he cornered me in the storeroom when no one was around. “Birthday dinner?” he said, leaning against the doorframe as I tried to tug another sleeve of cups from a high box. “I want to come.” He crossed his arms and watched as I struggled.

“You can’t,” I replied and pulled harder at the thin plastic material encasing the cups.

“Why not?” He walked over and easily tugged the cups down and handed them to me. I couldn’t figure out how, with only being slightly taller than me, it was so much easier for him.

“Because no one knows about us,” I explained.

“What if I want them to?” He stepped forward and tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear.

I reeled back from him and looked at the door. “Gabe,” I warned. “You promised.”

“I’ve changed my mind,” he said and tugged me to him, kissing me urgently. I pulled away, knowing that being in such close proximity to him caused my thinking to become unhinged and he laughed, fully aware of the effect he had on me.

“No,” I said firmly.

He smiled and chewed his bottom lip. “Do you know what I was thinking that first day I found you in here?”

I frowned. “That I wasn’t tall enough to reach the top boxes?”

“What a glorious backside.” He pulled me close before I could register what he was doing and gripped my cheeks. “That was the exact word. Glorious.” He bent down to whisper in my ear. “I just want people to know that this backside belongs to me and no other. That isn’t too much to ask, is it?”

I pushed away from him, petrified that someone would see, and he let out an irritated sigh.

“What about Peta, then? Surely you would be alright with telling your best friend?” He stood, eyebrows raised and arms crossed, waiting for my reply. “Let me come to dinner. Please?” He battered his eyelashes playfully and I had to laugh. “Just Peta and Shrek, that’s all. I promise I won’t ask for any more. I just want to be there with you on your birthday. Surely that’s not too much?”

I couldn’t resist him. “I’ll see what I can do.”

Gabe glanced out the door, checking no one was around and kissed the tip of my nose. “Then, I’ll behave.”

* * *

Later that evening, Gabe sat beside me on the couch, my feet resting on his lap while we watched another episode of Blood Too Sweet.

“Did you talk to her?” he asked.

I looked over at him, amused. “When would I have had the chance?”

“You will, though, won’t you? I know you don’t want to be the subject of gossip, but surely you can tell Peta.” He hesitated a moment then said, “My flatmates know.”

“They do?”

He squeezed my feet. “I hardly ever stay away from home, they knew something was up. Don’t worry, they know you don’t want anybody knowing anything. They’ll keep their mouths shut.”

“I’ll talk to Peta tomorrow, I promise,” I assured him.

Gabe tugged my feet so I fell down on the couch and he moved over me. “You won’t regret it, Mrs Robinson.” Then his mouth was on me and I forgot anything else existed.

* * *

I woke the next morning with Gabe sound asleep and breathing heavily beside me. I nudged him but he didn’t move. “Gabe?” I asked and he grunted. “What time do you have to be at work?”

He sat bolt upright, throwing the blankets off and exposing us to the cool air. Goose bumps prickled over my skin. “Shit!” he said. “I’m late.” He bounded out of bed and walked towards the ensuite, his backside pale compared to the tanned skin of his torso. “Okay if I shower?” he asked, sliding the door open. I smiled mischievously and ran my eyes down his body.

“Hey, Mrs Robinson,” he said grinning. “Eyes up.”

He left the door open and I lay back and watched as he stepped into the shower. He had his back to me and the glass walls gave me full access to watch him as he lathered the soap and rubbed it over himself.

“Shit, you’ve done it again,” he cursed.

“What?” I called out.

He didn’t answer and instead stepped out of the shower dripping wet, and fully erect. “Care to join me?”

I had lost count of the times we had made love, and if I was perfectly honest, I was beginning to feel a little tender. But at the same time, it seemed a waste to refuse him. I knitted my brows together.

“It won’t take long.” He raised one eyebrow and grinned suggestively as he walked over and stood in front of me. The sight of him glistening wet had me reaching out to him just as a droplet of water ran down his body and got caught by the fine trail of hair that ran down to his pelvis. He led me back to the shower and my skin tingled as the warm water ran over my skin. He grabbed me from behind and I felt his hardness press against my backside. The water ran over us as he kissed me urgently and groped at my body before pushing me against the wall. I sucked in my breath as he flattened me against the cold tiles and nudged me open with his knee. He entered me quickly and held my arms out wide as he moaned in pleasure. He was true to his word and came quickly, grunting with satisfaction and sucking the curve of my neck.

Pulling away from me, his eyes shone cheekily. “I promise to tend to you later.” He washed quickly and stepped out of the shower while I stayed under the warm stream and watched as he dried himself and pulled on his jeans and his work t-shirt. “I really need to bring a fresh change over when I come,” he muttered. “And a tooth brush.” He looked up at me hesitantly. “That is if you don’t mind.”

I had become distracted watching him. His attention in the shower only served to awaken a part of me, not satisfy it. “You’d better leave.”

He looked over, a little concern carried on his expression as he ran my hair brush through his hair. “Why?”

I let my eyes fall over him and, as realisation dawned, he grinned wickedly. “Oh, don’t you worry. I won’t forget I owe you one.” He pulled open the door and leaned in to kiss me, but dropped his head when I tried to meet him and instead ran the width of his tongue across my breast. My nipple swelled immediately and I breathed in sharply.

“God bless you, Mrs Robinson,” he muttered as he walked out the door and down the hallway.

“That song doesn’t even mention anything about an older woman and a younger man!” I yelled after him.

“But I’m pretty sure the movie did!” he yelled back.