Love & Loss (17 page)

‘Me neither, stop worrying.’ He announced us and we were handed some security passes then directed to the turnstiles and check point, then towards to the elevators and headed up. I looked at all the men packed in here with me in their three piece suits, none of them held a candle to Gabe. I smiled up at him and pursed my lips for a kiss, which he offered back with a raised eyebrow.

‘You look hotter,’ I whispered and he winked. As we reached floor thirty seven and the doors opened, Robert was waiting for us, hands tucked in the pockets of his tailored navy pinstripe suit. He looked so dashing and really happy to see us.

‘Dad, it’s so good to see you again.’ Gabe released my hand and hugged him tightly.

‘Good to see you too, you look much better. How are you doing?’

‘I’m much better thanks, the sessions are really helping as are this cocktail of drugs he’s got me on and being away helps too,’ he said stepping aside with a smile at me.

‘Mia, I’m so happy you’re here and it’s lovely to see the two of you together again,’ smiled Robert and pulled me into a big hug as well. I bit my lip as tears stung at my eyes, he’d been more of a father figure to me since we’d met than my own Dad. I wondered if Gabe had told him, as Robert held onto me a bit longer than usual and kissed the top of my head. ‘You’ve been to Carnegie’s I see. Pastrami?’

‘Of course Dad, your favourite,’ Gabe laughed.

‘Come on then, Megan will make us a drink and bring some plates.’ He led us down a wide corridor to a large glass corner office, again with floor to ceiling windows. A woman in her late twenties with a short blonde bob appeared smiling and Gabe went to kiss her on each cheek.

‘Megan how are you?’

‘Good thanks Gabriel, Mr Austin keeps me working hard. How are you?’

‘Not too hard I hope? I hear he’s a bit of a slave driver,’ he laughed. ‘I’m great thanks, recovering well. Megan this is my girlfriend Mia, Mia meet Megan, Dad’s right hand woman.’

‘PA is the phrase. Lovely to meet you Mia, Mr Austin’s told me so much about you,’ she smiled as she reached out and shook my hand.

‘All good I hope,’ I smiled back embarrassed to be in my jeans and beanie hat while she was all glammed up in an expensive looking shift dress and heels.

‘We were beginning to think Gabriel was never going to settle down, that or he was gay,’ she winked, which made Gabe roll his eyes and Robert guffaw. ‘Then he goes and finds someone as pretty as you.’ She leaned in and whispered in my ear, ‘I hear he’s smitten.’

‘I hope so, because so am I,’ I whispered back and she laughed.

‘What would you like to drink Mia?’

‘A white coffee with one sugar please. Can I help you?’

‘Thanks, but I can manage. Mr Austin don’t forget that you have that meeting at 2 p.m.’ she reminded Robert as she left and shut the door. We enjoyed catching up with him as we shared the two massive sandwiches between the three of us, still managing to leave some on the plate.

‘Antonio will be with you for seven thirty this evening. I’m so sorry I can’t put this meeting off, but I’ll look forward to seeing you both later. Mia, would you mind excusing us for a minute, I’d like a word with Gabriel in private.’

‘Of course not.’ I stood up and Gabe tugged on my hand and gave me a kiss before looking over at his dad puzzled.

‘Mia will be fine without you for a few minutes, I have something that I need to discuss with you.’ Robert advised.

I took the opportunity to go and ask Megan what gift I should get Robert to thank him for letting us stay and she gave me a few ideas, even offering to do the purchasing, but I declined. That would be a bit too impersonal to let his PA buy and wrap a gift for him. I looked back into Robert’s office and watched him talking to Gabe by the window with his arm around his shoulder, it looked like a serious conversation. Gabe shoved his hand through his hair, then frowned and it looked like they were arguing, or Gabe was disagreeing with whatever Robert was saying to him. I looked away, feeling like I was prying. When I did eventually look back I saw them hug briefly and Gabe strode over towards the door. I tried to work out what his mood was as he stepped out and took my hand, he looked solemn and deep in thought so I said nothing. He remained silent as we rode all the way down to the ground floor and stepped out onto Fifth Avenue again, pausing only to pull my hat lower on my ears and tighten my scarf around my neck, before tugging me along by his side.

‘Shopping?’ he asked.

‘Sure.’ I looked up at him, but he looked distracted, I decided to give him some time to open up to me, rather than push him to find out what was wrong. He guided me into Bergdorf Goodman and again I felt severely underdressed.

‘Anything in particular you want to get?’ he asked as he studied the floor plans.

‘I need to have a bit of time without you please, a couple of surprises I want to get.’

‘I’m not happy leaving you on your own in here Mia,’ he frowned.

‘Gabe, it’s a massive security patrolled department store, I’ll be fine. We could meet back at the main entrance in a couple of hours.’

‘
Hours
?’ he exclaimed.

‘Yes, there’s that many floors it may take me a while. Please baby, I need to get some things without you seeing,’ I pleaded with a pout. He smiled at the endearment and reluctantly relented.

‘Fine, but you’re back here by four on the dot or I’ll be really pissed Mia,’ he warned. I rolled my eyes, like he wasn’t already on the way to really pissed already?

‘I mean it Mia, four. Keep your phone on you and you don’t step foot out of this store ok?’

‘Thank you.’ I tiptoed up and kissed him and went to walk away and found he was still clutching my hand. ‘Gabe?’ He pulled me back to him, tipped my head back and kissed me like he was never going to see me again.

‘Be careful,’ he sighed as he broke away.

‘I will, I promise. I know it’s hard for you, but it’s the first of many baby steps in giving me some of my own space.’ I ran my fingers down his cheek and he closed his eyes and sucked in through his teeth before sighing again and watching me walk away. It suddenly struck me that Robert must have told him about his new girlfriend, that was why he was quiet and upset. I decided to stick to my shopping plan and let him have time to process it on his own. I’d talk to him about it when we met up later, he had to see reason, he couldn’t expect Robert to stay alone for the rest of his life. I headed first to the lingerie section and tried on lots of items and picked out a couple of flyaway baby doll negligees, one in black and the other in red with matching G-strings and a black lace off the shoulder long sleeved dress, which was pretty much see through, and very sexy looking, and some black marabou high heeled slippers. I winced as I handed over my credit card, he’d better like them all and not rip them at that price.

I headed to the men’s underwear section and got Gabe a pair of black silk boxer briefs for his anniversary gift and then the jewellery section and got Robert a solid silver tie bar, Megan had said he’d lost his and was really annoyed to be without it. I put both items on my card again, that was pretty much the last of my savings gone, I’d spent the rest on Christmas presents. Peppers really was my only option now to save up again. That wasn’t really a conversation that I was looking forward to having with Gabe while we were on holiday, I was hoping we’d avoid a fight this time, unlike Edinburgh.

I decided to spend the rest of my time browsing the ladies section and saw a dress that would really suit Lexi, she kept complaining she couldn’t do sexy, well this would do it for her. I was pleased to see it was in the sale and checked my phone as it was being wrapped. Shit it was after four, how the hell had that happened? I hopped on my feet impatiently as the lady finished wrapping, and then put it in a bag and did some curled ribbon around the handles before taking my card.

‘Has your watch broken,’ snapped an annoyed voice from behind me. I groaned and turned around to face him, not even bothering to ask how he’d found me so quickly. He still had the GPS tracker on my phone.

‘I’m so sorry this was a last minute purchase for Lexi and it took longer than I thought. Please don’t be mad at me, I’m fine.’

‘You need to stop doing this Mia. Do you know what it does to me to think something’s happened to you?’

‘Gabe please, it was a few minutes that’s all. Can we agree on a ten minute window in future in case something crops up?’ I put my hands on his chest and looked up into his eyes. He towered above me as I was in my flat boots, but when we locked eyes I saw him relent, he nodded and kissed me, letting me turn to settle my bill and grab the bag.

‘Are you ok for money?’ he asked as he took the bags off me with one hand, adding them to a few of his own and clutched my hand with the other.

‘Yes thanks.’

‘I’m happy to buy anything you need while we’re here Mia.’

‘That’s very sweet, but I have everything I need now thank you. Where next?’

‘Back home, I’m in the mood to fuck,’ he replied. I had to walk at flat out pace to keep up with him and noticed he hadn’t even asked if I was in the mood.

As soon as we stepped out of the elevator he dropped the bags and grabbed me kissing me as he pulled my coat off and backed me up against the sofa. He spun me around and put his arms around me to undo my jeans as he bit my neck. I braced myself for a rough ride, he definitely wasn’t in sweet love making mode like he had been all night. I felt him yank my jeans and knickers down and gasped as he pushed me down, folding me over the top of the sofa and smacked me really hard on each cheek.

‘That’s for not doing as you’re told,’ he growled and then did it again but even harder.

‘
Owwww
, what was that for?’ I yelped as I quivered with anticipation.

‘Because it turns you on and I need you turned on to fuck you the way I want to.’ The thought of him being rough was already enough to turn me on and I groaned as I heard him unzip his combats. He pulled my legs apart as far as he could and thrust a finger inside me to check I was ready for him. I was breathing too fast, we hadn’t done rough sex with him in a mood like this since Edinburgh.

‘Give me your hands,’ he barked and I quickly put them both behind me and felt him secure them with something soft, tightly. He pulled off my beanie and tossed it, grabbed my hair and wrapped it tightly around his wrist, pulling my head back as he slammed into me, shunting the sofa forwards as he grunted like a wild animal.

‘O my God, this is so
hot,
’ I groaned as he rammed into me again, making my body shudder. Gabe Austin was built to fuck rough and I loved that he wanted to do it with me.

‘Don’t. Piss. Me. Off. Again. Do. As. You’re. Told,’ he growled between thrusts that threatened to rupture my insides.

‘Yes,’ I gasped.

‘You love it rough don’t you?’ he groaned. ‘You’re so wet.’

‘Yes.’

‘Who gets you wet Mia?’

‘You.’

‘Louder,’ he barked as he thrust on and smacked me again.

‘YOU,’ I cried out as my eyes rolled back in my head and my back arched. ‘It’s you Gabe. You Gabriel Austin, you get me wet, you make me come. Make me come, please Gabe make me come for you, fuck me harder I can take it,’ I panted.
I shouldn’t have made a promise like that
I thought as he ramped it up a gear, my senses were on overload as I shattered into a million pieces as my climax hit me. I cried, I screamed and I pleaded until he finally roared and collapsed on me emptying himself again and again.

‘I love you baby,’ he moaned in my ear as he tried to catch his breath.

‘I know,’ I sighed. I knew if I’d told him to stop he would have done, but he needed that and I’d actually enjoyed it as well. I loved him tender and I loved him rough as well and all adjectives between. I felt him unwrap and release my hair from his hand, undo the restraint, then pull out of me and I couldn’t be bothered to move and just lay there face down, with my bare, probably pink tinged, bottom in the air. I felt him lift me up, carry me and gently set me down on the bed. He undressed me as I flopped back in post orgasmic haze. When he got me in the bed and climbed in to snuggle next to me I finally opened my eyes. ‘Feeling better?’ I asked.

‘Hmmm much. I wasn’t too rough was I?’

‘No, I love all flavours of Gabe, but I’d like to talk about what brought it on.’

‘He’s seeing someone, my Dad’s seeing someone,’ he sighed. I was impressed it hadn’t taken any prodding or arguing to get him to admit it. We were both being more open with each other and I felt my stomach warm at the thought.

‘And?’

‘I’m not sure how I feel about it.’

‘Do you want him to be alone for the rest of his life?’

‘No, but …’ he stopped and shook his head.

‘But what?’

‘If it was you … if I’d lost you … I just couldn’t Mia. I couldn’t ever love someone else again, my life would be … over,’ he said quietly, staring at the ceiling. I rolled over to prop myself up on his chest and tilted his head towards me.

‘You say that now Gabe, you feel that now, just like he did, but it’s been eleven years. However much you love someone or something, at some stage you have to let go or what’s the point in living? It doesn’t diminish the relationship he had with your Mum, or the love he still has for her in here,’ I whispered as I put my hand over his heart.