CHAPTER 9
"Welcome to my humble abode" Troy joked as he set his keys down and brought Gabi in "Oh that's right, you've been here before" he smiled at her
She spotted a teddy bear on the sofa and graduated toward it "Aw is this your teddy?" she asked as she picked him up and cuddled him
Troy came over "Gabi, I'd like you to meet Pirate" he said sagely
Gabi looked at him and thought how adorable he was having a teddy and that he actually talked to it.
"Hello Pirate" she said to the bear, then sat down with him
"You want some lunch?" Troy asked
"Sure, sounds good" she smiled
They ate their sandwiches, Gabi curled up on the sofa and leaning into Troy's chest as they finished eating. He wrapped his arms around her and she looked up to him, reaching up to kiss him and he responded eagerly, taking her into his lap, wrapping an arm around her legs and running his hand down her thigh gently.
Gabi placed her hands on his chest, feeling the heat flush across her skin, but holding back, her mind still on thoughts of her late mother.
Troy sensed her lack of response and pulled back "Everything okay, babe?" he checked
She nodded "Can you just hold me for a bit?" she asked nervously, looking into his blue eyes and hoping he would understand.
He pulled her against him gently, his hug tight and his muscled body hard against hers.
"I'll hold you forever if you need me to" he murmured and Gabi felt tearful at his declaration
"I love you" she said, clinging to his shoulders as he rubbed her back gently
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Gabi woke up with a start, knowing she wasn't in her own bed and she looked around, realizing she was asleep on her side, in Troy's bed, in her clothes, and he was spooning her from behind, his arm gently around her waist.
She looked for his clock and found it was almost 6am and she had to get back to her flat to get ready for work.
She turned in the bed, looking at Troy as he slept soundly and marveled at him, his long lashes against his high cheekbones, his cute little freckled nose, his to-die-for body which was half naked in boxers.
She didn't know whether she should wake him to ask for a lift. He might be upset if she didn't
"Bunny?" she called gently, rocking him by the arm
"Mmm" he groaned, but didn't wake
"Bunny, I have to get home" she said, rocking him again
"Mmm" he said again, his hand reaching out to snake around her hips, stroking her lower back
"Troy!" she said, pushing against his chest as his lips curved into a slow smile, opening his sleepy eyes to her, showing her the shining blue depths that lay beneath his lids
"You are beautiful first thing in the morning" he said, leaning up on his elbow to kiss her mouth, her cheek and then her neck
She eyed him appreciatively "I suppose you'll do" she returned sassily and he grinned, making Gabi's heart flutter at the sight of it
"I gotta get up?" he checked
"Please, unless I get a cab?" she suggested
"No way. I wanna take you" he said, rolling out of bed, his hair crazy
"Okay, thank you" she said
"I'm up!" he said and Gabi threw him a look as she rounded the bed
"I hope you're not being crude" she smiled
"Crude? Baby you do crude things to me all day every day, but I try and keep it to myself" he quipped, pulling her into his lap and Gabi gasped at his arousal.
"You WERE being crude!" she accused, stroking his muscly arms and Troy smiled
"You like my arms huh?" he murmured, lifting one up, flexing his biceps
Her dark eyes met his, under her lashes and she blushed at the instant desire that she felt on feeling his biceps. "Maybe" she said shyly
"Maybe?" he flexed again and she kissed him, hotly, moving to push him back on the bed so she could lay body-to-body on top of him, straddling him as his legs dangled off the bed
He cupped the back of her thighs as she pulled away "Okay I do" she admitted
"You know what I like?" he asked, a hand coming up to gently brush her hair away from her face
She shook her head, wondering which part of her body he liked best
He squeezed her behind and brought his hands round to caress her hips.
"Your amazing ass" he smiled up to her from the bed and she smiled back, leaning down to kiss him again, pulling away almost as quickly
"I have to go to work. It's only my second week" she chewed her lip
"Okay, well, look, if you could just keep your hands off me for five minutes, we might make it out the door" he teased and she swiped at him playfully, then held out a hand to help him up off the bed
"I'll shower later" he said, throwing on some clothes and grabbing his keys, heading out to the car park with messy hair, Gabi in tow.
The paps took some pictures through the windscreen but they made it back to Karen's flat without any further intrusion.
"There's something I want to ask before you go" Troy said, looking to Gabi nervously
"Oh?" she looked at him
"I'd like to spend Christmas with you…" he hedged "I wondered if you'd like to join me and my family?" he asked
Gabi looked at him again and swallowed "Oh gosh, Troy, I'm so sorry but I can't, me and Karen have talked about having Christmas together since we started working at the club together" she sighed, feeling stuck
"Oh, it's okay" he said, but he was clearly a little hurt "I just thought you know…seeing as we were back together…" he trailed off
Gabi placed a hand on his thigh in the car "I'm going to be with you Christmas Eve. And I can see you after. Karen's my only family" she urged
"Okay" he nodded, but his blue eyes told a different story "Maybe I can give you your present on Boxing day" he shrugged
"I've got to go…" she smiled painfully
"I'll call you tonight" he said and she kissed him before waving goodbye, dashing up to the flat to get ready for work.
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Gabi headed straight to Joe's diner as she finished at the studio that afternoon.
She had been teaching Jazz to three pupils who were aged between 11 and 12 and they had filled her with energy because they had been so enthusiastic about learning dance.
She hadn't seen Bea since she had broken up with Danny and she wanted to know how the baby was.
Luckily, she hadn't noticed any photographers around today but she knew they still followed her occasionally and even more so if she were with Troy.
She was pretty sure they would get fed up of pictures of her in sweat pants trekking to and from work.
"Hey Bea" Gabi said as she came in, then squealing as Bea turned and Gabi saw how much her bump had grown "Oh my god, baby is BIG" she cooed and she went up to the counter
"Hello stranger" Bea smiled "You are looking really well. You really are so pretty" she complimented and Gabi blushed
"Flattery gets you everywhere" she joked
"How's the man?" she asked of Troy
"Oh you know, gorgeous" she smiled becomingly
"You are so in love" Bea accused
Gabi nodded "I'm going to a ball next week"
"Wow, that sounds amazing. And spending Christmas with the hunk?" she guessed
"No…" Gabi trailed off "But I'll see him after" she added
"Aw okay. What can I get you?" she asked
"Hot chocolate please, and one of those iced buns" she pointed at the pastry in the glass case on the counter
"That's my girl" Bea smiled as Gabi tucked into her food, glad to see her with some colour in her face, and weight on her bones.
"Not long now" Gabi said of the baby
"Yeah, Dylan's coming to all the classes. He wants me to finish up here already, but I'll work till Christmas" she shrugged
"You better call me when you have the baby" Gabi warned
"I will. After my parents, his parents…" she smiled
"Okay." She agreed, checking her watch "Oh I better go, I got a tonne of washing to do that I didn't do the weekend"
"Cos you were out with Troy" Bea nodded knowingly
Gabi frowned, but smiling as she did so "How did you know?"
"The paper. I saw you on the beach hugging up together" she explained
"Oh!" Gabi blushed, not realizing pictures had made the paper of their outing "Damn"
"It's okay, you looked beautiful together" she said kindly and Gabi nodded
"Okay, see you soon, Bea"
"Bye honey"