How to Liv (25 page)

I woke up smiling, not only because I was in love
and
my boyfriend loved me back, but also because I was woken with said boyfriend’s head between my legs.

“Oh-my-god!”
I called out, barely able to open my sleep filled eyes as Joel plundered me with his fingers and tongue until I was crashing, falling from the edge, with a massive orgasm.  Seconds later, he had a condom on and was lifting me to sit on his lap.  Wrapping my legs around his back, linking my ankles behind him, I let him guide me up and down in a fast pace.  I held his head against my chest while he kissed, licked and sucked at my breasts.

We were both sweating as my bedroom started heating up with another hot morning.  I was gasping for air and my thighs were getting shaky.  I pulled my arms from around Joel and he turned his head upwards.  I could see the strain on his face, he was holding back, allowing me to chase my second orgasm.  The look in his eyes was intense.

“Liv, I love you baby, but I can’t hold it much longer.”

The desperation in his voice and the tension in his breathing, his commitment to giving me pleasure first and the fact that those words had rolled off his tongue so easily, made me fall in love with him a little bit more right then.  I leaned backwards, holding myself up by stretching my arms out behind me.  He moved his hand to my clit and lightly rubbed it and I came for a second time with Joel following mere seconds later.

“I love waking up next to you,” he said between shallow breaths before we repositioned ourselves next to each other on the bed.

“It has some benefits,” I agreed between pants, then giggled.  We lay beside one another, catching our breath in silence for a moment.

“Shit.  I’m gonna be late!”  Joel said sitting up.  He turned to me, “Are we good?”

“Huh?” I opened one eye to look at him.

“Are you…
satisfied
?” he asked with a wink.

“
Mhmm,” I mumbled with a smile, shutting my eye again.

“Good ‘
cause I don’t want a repeat of yesterday,” he said seriously.

“Huh?”  I blinked at him.  “I
though you said it was hot!”

“Let me rephrase that, I don’t have
time
for a repeat of yesterday.”  He leant forward and slapped my thigh, a mischievous look on his face.  “And I don’t like leaving my girl…
needy
.”

I burst out laughing at that. 
My heart also bursting again at the words ‘my girl’.

“I’m good.”  I assured him.  He gave me a devilish smile before jumping from the bed to get ready for work.

I vaguely remember him kissing me with a whispered goodbye before he left, as I dozed.  When my alarm woke me later, I slid out of bed with a smile on my face, threw on some clothes and shuffled my way to the kitchen, needing a juice.  The sunshine, which was already beating through the window, momentarily blinded me.

I opened the fridge just as a flash of colour caught my eye causing me to shut the door again.  I gasped when I saw what it was.  In the middle of the door were alphabet letters, the coloured plastic magnets that kids play with.  I was surprised to see them there, they weren’t mine, but reading them I knew exactly who put them there.  They were an assortment of colours and the ‘e’ was actually a lower case ‘m’ on its side.  Tears stung my eyes when I read the words, ‘I love you.’

“I love you, too,” I whispered to the empty room.

The idea struck me that Joel must have had those magnets when he came over last night, with the intention of surprising me with his message on my fridge.  His fore-thought and romantic nature again outweighed my expectations.  Would I ever get used to that?  In some way, I hoped that I wouldn’t; I loved how he continued to surprise me and I didn’t want to ever take that for granted.  I grabbed my phone to give him a quick call.

“I love what you’ve done to my fridge,” I said when he answered.

“Oh, yeah?
  I’ll tell Chelsea; she lent me the letters.”

“I figured she might have.”

“She made me promise to give them back, too,” he said with a chuckle.  “She said Aunty Liv has to look after them and not lose any.  Mind you, she didn’t even have an ‘e’ so she’s one to talk.”  I heard a muffled voice through the line.  “Liv, I gotta go, but I’m glad you liked your surprise.”

“I loved it!”

“Good, because I really do love you,” he said more seriously.  I heard more muffled voices.  “And now I’m gonna get shit all day from my work mates it seems.”  He laughed.  “Well, they can all suck it,” he said loudly for their benefit.  “Yeah, you heard me, I’m crazy about this chick!”  I heard more chuckling and ribbing muffled in the background.

“I can’t believe you just did that!” I giggled.

“Why not?  It’s the truth.”

“Are they really
gonna give you shit now?”

“Yeah, probably, but you’re worth it babe.”

“I love you Joel.”

He sighed happily in my ear.

“I’ll speak to you later.”

“Bye,
Liv.”

I floated through my day at work on cloud nine.  I needed to go grocery shopping after work but instead found myself rushing home to meet Joel.  I beat him by about ten minutes and was twiddling my thumbs, staring at the letters on my fridge with a giddy smile on my face, anxiously waiting to throw my arms around him when I heard his car pull up.

“Honey, I’m home!” he called dramatically when he walked in the front door.  Spotting me in the kitchen, he added cheekily, “What’s for dinner?”

I threw myself at him planting a big, wet, sloppy kiss on his lips before answering, “Nothing, the cupboards are bare.  I have Tim Tams?”  He gave me a glorious smile, squeezed me tight and kissed me again.

“Shopping?”

“Yeah,” I grumbled.  I’d much prefer he take me to bed but my stomach was growling so I reluctantly grabbed my bag and allowed him to pull me to his car.

When we entered the store where we first met, I showed him my long shopping list but the look in his eyes had me wanting to get this over with as soon as possible.  I just wanted to go home and let him give me what his look was promising.

“How about we just get the bare essentials?” I suggested, grabbing a hand basket instead of a trolley.

“In a hurry to get home are we?” he asked with a raise of his eyebrows.

“You know I am.”

“Me too.”

Joel put his arm around me and pulled me into his side, giving me a quick and passionate kiss.  I wrapped my arm around his waist and he took the basket from my hands. 

“What do you feel like for dinner?” he asked when he removed his lips from mine and started walking with me tucked under his arm.

“I dunno.  What do you feel like?”

“I asked first.”

“Well, I asked second,” I countered.

He squeezed me closer and gave me a sexy smirk.  We made our way to the frozen section and aimlessly wandered up and down, looking in the freezers.  I wanted something quick and easy, I really didn’t feel like cooking.

“How about pizza?”
I suggested.

“Sure, which one?”
Joel asked as we stood in front of rows and rows of frozen pizzas.  His hand wandered into the pocket on the back of my jean shorts and I leaned into him.

“You choose,” I replied before giving him a kiss on his neck.

“No you.”  He turned to capture my lips.  His tongue invaded my mouth and he stole a moan from me before pulling back and giving me a cheeky grin.  “You know who we’ve turned into?”

“No. 
Who?”

“That couple.”

“What couple?” I asked, genuinely confused.

“Don’t you remember? 
When we first met.  I saw you eyeing a couple that were walking these same aisles doing exactly what we’re doing.  I saw you rolling your eyes because they were mauling each other.”

My eyes widened. 
He’s right.  I was disgusted by them.
 

“Where is your hand right now,
Liv?”

I squeezed his arse hard causing him to yelp. 
Yep.  That’s where my hand was
.

“You were so cute watching them, scrunching up your nose and now look at all the PDA you’re showing!” he teased.

“Shut up!”  I pushed him away.

He laughed loudly then opened the freezer door.  He grabbed a pizza box and held it up for my approval.  I gave him a nod.

“What’s next on the essentials list?” he asked placing the pizza in the basket then wrapping his arm around my shoulders.

“Uh, juice and laundry detergent.”
 
I can get the rest another time.  I really want to get him home.

When we made it around the next aisle Joel stopped in front of the laundry detergent reaching up to the top shelf and grabbing my favourite brand, in pink.

“You remembered?”

“I remember everything about that night,
Liv.  It changed my life.”

Just when I thought I couldn’t love him any more than I already did, he had to go and say something like that.

J
oel didn’t sleep over that night because he had to go home to feed Ruby.  The next night, when he called, I told him not to come around because I had a headache.  I lied.  I didn’t have one, I had my period. 
I know it sounds pathetic, I’m a grown-arsed woman unable to tell her boyfriend she has her period, but I haven’t been with Joel very long and it just feels… awkward.

Friday night.  When everyone went to the pub after work, I headed straight home and curled up on the couch.  I knew it was only a matter of time before Joel called me.  I was desperate for an excuse not to see him because I couldn’t face him.  I was being lame I know, but how am I supposed to be around Joel and
not
have sex?  Joel and sex just went together.  And to think I’d used the lie of having my period to
avoid
sex with Craig!  My how things have changed.  The last thing I wanted was to turn Joel down, even if it was for a legitimate excuse.  It had been two whole days and I was having withdrawals. 
Being a woman really sucks sometimes!

I thought I’d get in first; ring Joel and let him know I’d just see him tomorrow.  While lying on the couch I pulled up his number, he answered on the second ring.

“Hey, I’ve just knocked off work and was about to call you.  Do you want me to pick you up?  We could grab a bite to eat.”

“I’m not hungry,” I lied, feeling stupid about it.

“Okay, did you want me to come pick you up anyway?”

“You know, I’m really tired.  I just
wanna stay in.  I don’t feel like doing much and now that Ally’s finally moved out, I kinda just want to enjoy hanging out at home.”
  Well, that part wasn’t a lie.

“Oh, okay.”  He sounded disappointed and I did really want to see him.

“You can come over if you like.” 
Idiot!
  I smacked myself on the forehead for caving so easily.

“I’ll head home and have a shower, feed Ruby then come over.  Did you want me to bring you anything?”

“A cheeseburger?”

“Sure, anything else?”

“Some fries and a sundae?”

“Wait.  I thought you weren’t hungry?”

“I wasn’t feeling well before,” I mumbled, hating getting caught in a lie.

“And you suddenly recovered?”  Joel chuckled.

“Yep.”

“Alright then.
  I’ll see you soon.”

When Joel arrived, about an hour later, I’d barely moved.  My cramps were really bad and I wasn’t in the best mood.  When he knocked at the door I yelled out for him to come in because I couldn’t be bothered getting up.

Catching sight of his handsome face, his broad smile directed at me, I found it really hard to remember why I was in a bad mood at all.  I pulled myself into a sitting position and turned the volume on the telly down with the remote.  He put the takeaway bags on the coffee table and leant over me, placing a lingering kiss on my lips.  Instantly I was wanting more. 
Not good.

He gave my thigh a squeeze when he sat down beside me and started pulling the food out.  I tucked in straight away.  I hadn’t realised how starved I was until I smelled the food.  Joel talked all about the last couple of days at work and I listened while I ate, polishing off my food almost as quickly as he did.

He stuffed his empty sundae container back into the bag and leant back on the couch eyeing my dessert.

“Get your eyes off my sundae, you’ve had yours!”  I said to Joel as he moved to rest his head against my shoulder, his face inches from my ice cream.

“Pretty please.”  He turned his head up to face me, stuck his bottom lip out and pouted.

“One spoonful,” I relented, shoving the spoon towards him.

He slowly and sensually sucked the ice cream off it and I felt my insides clenching.  I tried to distract myself by concentrating on scraping the last of the ice cream from the cup.  Joel took the empty container from my hand when I was finished, placed it on the coffee table, then turned to capture my lips in a soft kiss.  Pushing me back against the couch his tongue entered my mouth with a gentle sweep.

“
Mmm you taste delicious, like chocolate sundae.”  He again put his tongue in my mouth and I couldn’t help but return the kiss.  A moment later, I pushed him away.

“What?”

“I just can’t.”

“Can’t what?”

“I don’t feel very well.”  I shifted uncomfortably on the couch trying to discreetly move away from him.

“What?  How can you say that after you polished off all that food?” he asked me with a sly grin.  “
Liv, what’s wrong?  You’re not sick, are you?”

“No… I…”  I lowered my voice so it was barely audible, heat burning my cheeks.  “I’ve got my period.”

“Oh babe, is that all?”  He put his arm around my shoulder and pulled me into his side.  “You had me worried there for a moment.”  He gave me a kiss on top of my head.

Joel surprised me again.  Craig was always grossed out if I ever even brought it up.  He would cringe away from me, like I had the plague or something.  Instead, Joel brings me closer.  I lifted my head to meet his gaze and it was like his eyes were smiling, the little laughter lines at the sides showing more as his lips curled into an even larger, sexier smile.

“What?”

“I really, really like you,” I said, smiling back at him.

“Good to know,” he murmured, bringing his lips down to mine for a passionate kiss that ignited my entire body with desire.  I pulled away with a moan.

“Joel,” I said with a warning tone.

“Sorry, you can’t, I get it.  Actually, I’m kinda relieved, I was beginning to wonder if maybe you were pregnant.”

“Pregnant?”

“Yeah, well you were acting weird and you remember our first time together, right?”

Oh yeah, we forgot to use protection.

“Not that I would have minded if you were pregnant, I’d just like more time for it to be just the two of us first, you know?”

“Joel, what- so you’re saying…?”

“That I want you to have my babies?  Fuckin’ oath!  I’d thought we’d established that already?”

I stared at him with my mouth wide
open, he reached over and pushed my chin upwards so that I shut it.

“So no sex, what are we going to do instead?”  He smirked at me and I felt like slapping him but I was, too much, in awe to move a muscle.

“TV?” I asked, though I wasn’t really interested.

“How about some Buffy?”
  That got my interest.

“Could you be any more perfect?”  I asked him incredulously.

I agreed to go back a couple of seasons to watch the episodes he was up to and we settled in on the couch for the night.

Two episodes in and Joel was distracting me from the TV by trailing his fingers haphazardly across my leg.

“What are you doing?”

“Joining the dots,” he replied, concentrating on his finger.

I groaned.

“What?”  He gave me a sexy smile.

“I hate my freckles.”

“Well, I happen to love them.  That first day I saw you, damn you looked so sexy with these long legs,” he lightly ran his fingers down my thigh, “and work boots… I spotted a freckle or two and wanted to do this so badly.”  He grabbed my ankle, from where it rested on his lap,
then moved his head down to kiss a freckle on my calf.  Moving onto the next one, he licked it.  “Mmm, I could do this every day.”

“Hmm, and I could let you... if it were any other time of the month.”

He groaned and released my leg.  “Just watch the damn TV,” he scolded me and pointed to the TV as if
I
was the one misbehaving.

I laughed loudly and tried desperately to concentrate on the telly instead of the man beside me.

The man who wants to have babies with you!

Walking into Eric’s party the next night, I wasn’t surprised to be greeted by Jess at the door.

“Hi, guys!”  She gave me a hug and then Joel.  “The birthday boy is right over there,” she said, pointing into the crowded kitchen where Eric could be seen pouring wine.

“Wow, this place is packed,” I said, dodging elbows as I made my way toward him.

“Tell me about,” Jess threw over her shoulder, walking in front of me.  “I hardly know a soul here.”

So it turns out Eric has a large group of friends.  His apartment was small and full to capacity.  There were at least fifty people crammed in the kitchen/dining/living area.  It was a cocktail party and everyone was dressed to the nines.  I was wearing a short black t-shirt sleeved cocktail dress and matching black high heels (well high heels by my standard anyway, basically flats with a little bump).  Joel kept one of my hands entwined with his as we made our way through the mayhem.

“Olivia!  So glad you could make it!” Eric bellowed, giving me a squeeze.  Joel’s hand was still threaded with mine, so I gave Eric an awkward one armed hug in return.

“Happy birthday Eric!”
  I gave him a peck on the cheek.  “You remember Joel, right?”  I pulled back and motioned to Joel who was standing close behind me.

“Of course!
  How you doin’ man?”  He put his hand forward for Joel to shake.

“Great!  Happy birthday mate,” Joel replied, letting my hand go, giving Eric a firm shake before snaking his arm back around my waist and squeezing my hip.

“Oh good, we’re all here now.  Time to bring in the pressie!”  Karen hollered over to Daniel before coming to stand beside me.

“Hey
Kaz, you’re looking gorgeous!”  I ran my eyes up and down her outfit a couple of times.  She was wearing a long, emerald green flowing evening gown which brought out the red highlights in her hair.  She had a bright smile with rosy cheeks.  “And you’re glowing!  How much have you had to drink?”

She leaned into my side and whispered in my ear, “Not nearly enough to get me to go home with
him
yet.”

“Him who?”

“His name is Trevor.”

She nodded her head over to a handsome looking, tall, blond man in the corner of the room who was eyeing us curiously.  She tugged on my arm and pulled me away from Joel and further away from the mysterious man.  The look on her face was priceless - a cross between a deer caught in the headlights and a giddy high school girl at her first school dance.

“Oh god, Olivia, I have no idea what I’m doing,” she whispered as I hunched closer.  “I’ve only been here like an hour and this guy…
this guy
is doing all sorts of crazy things to my insides.  He started flirting with me from the moment I stepped in the door.  He’s been topping up my drinks and saying the sweetest things.  I’m so out of my element!”

I felt like jumping up and down and squealing with excitement for Karen but I didn’t want to cause a scene so instead I managed a muted, “I’m so happy for you,
Kaz!”

“Well, don’t get too carried away, I haven’t sealed the deal yet.”

“Sealed the deal?  Just what kind of deal are you thinking of sealing?” I teased and she blushed more.

“Do you think I could do it?  Like a,” she paused and lowered her voice even more so that I had to strain to hear her next words, “one night stand?”