Getting There Ch. 06

"Oh God.........." Gemma's moan echoed around the bedroom as Ryan thrust himself impossibly deep inside her. He clenched his eyes shut as he felt her walls spasming around him. She held him in her vice and his head felt light. When he felt a final rush of wetness he spilled his seed inside her and she collapsed onto his chest. They had been at it for hours and the sun was starting to rear its head. Gemma rolled off Ryan's body and onto her side and Ryan scooped her up in his arms and held her against him as they both fell asleep.

...

Gemma's eyes fluttered open as she found herself tangled up in Ryan. Their fingers were laced in each others'. It was impossible to tell where her body ended and his began. She smiled with a sense of deep satisfaction. She gave Ryan a peck on the lips before extracting herself from the bed.

"And where do you think you're going?" Ryan asked, without even opening his eyes.

"Just to get a glass of water. Don't worry, I'll be back before you know it."

"Not so fast." Ryan sat up, his eyes adjusting to the light. He looked up at Gemma, her hair wild from the night before, and placed his hand on the side of her cheek, bringing his lips to hers. She accepted his kiss and let him pull her back on top of him. His hands began exploring again, his fingers finding their way to her pussy, sliding up and down her slit as if waiting to be invited into her warm centre. Gemma's teeth grazed Ryan's earlobe gently, as she kissed along his jaw. Her hand sought out his cock and she stroked it firmly.

"Hold that thought." Gemma teased, as she bounced up from the bed and towards the kitchen. Ryan walked into the kitchen after her, his erection bobbing up and down before him. Gemma sat on the counter drinking a glass of water. He stood in between her legs and she placed a hand on his chest as she set the glass down next to her. She kissed Ryan softly and he found himself lost in her moist and tender lips. When they at last pulled away from their kiss Ryan saw a sort of vulnerability in Gemma's eyes. Something about the look in her eyes resonated within him and he kissed her forehead.

"What do you think about spending the day in bed with me?" Ryan asked, tucking her hair behind her ears.

"I would love to but I need to get to the Thompsons' house. Check how things are going." Gemma reluctantly admitted. Her lips searched for his once more and Ryan wrapped his arm around her and carried her back into his bedroom.

...

Gemma's hair was still wet from her shower as she stood on the pavement with Ryan. "If you give me a minute I can drop you home and then take you to work." He offered again.

"No, no, don't be silly. I just need to get changed and then I'll go over there myself." Fortunately, she managed to hail a taxi just a moment later. Ryan opened the door for her and they shared a kiss. As the taxi drove away Gemma felt a smile spread across her cheeks. Last night was a dream. She caught a glimpse of her reflection in the rear view mirror; there was no denying the glow on her face. It was a dream come true.

...

"A Feng Shui consultant? Well of course, I can arrange for one to meet with us this week. I'm afraid that it might delay the date of completion, and we will have to budget for certain additions that she might recommend. Sure. Okay, will do. Bye." Gemma rolled her eyes as she hung up. Ryan sat on the plush carpet in her bedroom. "You never would have guessed I'd spent the last 8 hours with her, would you?"

"What's karate got to do with a nursery anyway?"

"Karate?"

"Well what was that you were saying?"

"Ohhhh. Feng Shui! It's an old Chinese art of managing the flow of energy in the room. There are rules and certain things to put in certain places for good health or for fortune or whatever. It's actually quite fascinating."

"Yeah, fascinating. That's exactly the word I was about to use." Ryan patted the carpet next to him and Gemma sat down. "Certain things to put in certain places, eh?" He said, his hands unbuttoning the shirt dress Gemma was wearing.

"That was terrible." Gemma laughed, swatting his hand away. "Besides, what makes you think you can just undress me whenever you want to?"

"I'm sorry, that was rather presumptuous of me." Ryan placed his hands on Gemma's waist and then slid them up her back. His thumbs made slow, lazy circles over her nipples. Even through her bra and dress, Gemma could feel her nipples stiffen in response. And although Ryan couldn't, her sharp intake of breath indicated that he was very close to having his way with her. His fingers returned to her buttons and he pulled the dress off her. "I've been thinking about you all day, Gem."

"Shut up."

And with that, Gemma pulled Ryan on top of her. She put on a fake french accent and breathily whispered into his ear. "Monsieur, I'm about to teach you another tech-nee-cal term." The words rolled off her tongue.

"Oh?" Ryan responded.

"Mais, oui. In my field we call this..." Her fingers combed through the rug "...a 'shagpile'"

...

"Oh, Gemma you've outdone yourself! It looks superb! In fact, I love it so much I don't care what that stupid Japanese zen lady says we should do! Oh it's wonderful!" Mrs. Thompson, who looked fit to burst at any second, looked delighted with the nursery. It was a Thursday and Gemma had finished a day before schedule, all that had been left was for the Feng Shui consultant to stop by the next day.

"Alright, I'll cancel the appointment then. I do hope everything goes smoothly with the little ones, and enjoy the nursery." Gemma smiled. She had taken some photos with her little digital camera and was ready to leave.

"Here's the cheque, I trust it is in order?"

Gemma's eyes scanned the piece of paper in her hand. "Perfect. Thank you."

As the door shut behind her, Gemma skipped to the car that was waiting for her. She leaned across the centre console and greeted Ryan with a kiss. "Thanks for picking me up, babe."

"I think my new career should be as your personal chauffeur." Gemma looked lovingly at Ryan, a look that didn't go unnoticed. "What are you looking at?" He teased.

"You." She was seeing him in a new light these days, and not just as a lover instead of a friend, but as something so much more profound than that.

"So, I hear you told Rachel and Phoebe about us..." Ryan began.

"Where did you hear that?" Gemma asked nonchalantly.

"Phoebe told Sam." He shrugged. Gemma rolled her eyes and muttered how nothing was sacred anymore. "Well, to be fair, I was calling Sam to tell him the same thing." Gemma couldn't help the smile that spread across her face.

"So what did you say?" She asked him, reaching for his hand as they stopped at a red light.

He looked over at her and hesitated for a moment. She was hanging on to every word he was saying and he was scared to say the wrong thing. "I may have suggested to Sam and Chris that you were potentially..." He moved his eyes back to the road and fixed his gaze on the car in front of him. "My girlfriend."

The lights changed and Ryan was worried because it meant that he hadn't seen the look on her face when he said it. As he pulled up outside her flat, she leaned towards him again and whispered, "Would my boyfriend like to come upstairs?"

...

"WAHEYYYYYYYY" a loud voice boomed as Gemma and Ryan walked into the pub hand in hand.

Ryan and Gemma looked sheepishly at the floor as their friends celebrated their first entrance as a couple.

"Stop being so coy and tell us EVERYTHING!!!" Rachel shrieked. Gemma looked at Ryan and could see the twinkle in his eye still. She'd teased him mercilessly in the taxi on the way over and he had begged her to stop. Of course, she hadn't. And now both of them were flustered and struggling to keep their composure.

"I think we're going to need a lot of drinks." Ryan whispered to Gemma as she slid into the booth.

The friends bombarded them with questions and Ryan and Gemma were good sports and answered them all. Suddenly, quite out of the blue, Rachel interrupted the inquisition. "For god's sake. The only thing I care about is the sex! Is it any good?"

"It's decent." Gemma grinned. "Passable." Under the table, her hand creeped up Ryan's thigh. He cleared his throat in response. "You know what they say, though. It's not the size of the boat, it's the motion of the ocean." Ryan's cheeks reddened as he started to get hard. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

Sam, Chris, Phoebe and Rachel were in fits of laughter as the lighthearted banter continued.

"Are you okay darling? You don't look well..." Gemma asked, putting on her best baby voice as she caressed his cheek with the back of her hand. Her other hand continued stroking him under the table.

"Yeah, you're a little quiet mate. Sure you're okay?" Chris asked him.

"Maybe some fresh air would do you good." Phoebe suggested.

"She's right you know. Here, let me come with you." Gemma stood up and held out her hand to Ryan. He followed her to the back of the pub, hiding the bulge in his jeans from the people around him. As soon as they were outside he picked her up and slammed her against the wall, pulling her underwear to the side as he slid two fingers inside her. His lips attacked hers as their tongues dueled. She wrapped her legs around his hips and he unbuckled his belt and pushed his jeans down forcing himself inside her. He pinned her against the wall with her hands over her head and they found themselves locked together.

Moments later, as they were both coming down from their respective blisses, Ryan grinned from ear to ear. "You're the best."

"Wish I could say the same..." Gemma teased, straightening Ryan's collar as he helped her fix her hair.

By the time they got back to their table there was no denying what had just happened. Their group erupted into cheers and Ryan embraced the applause, proud to finally have Gemma on his arm. "Since we're being so honest and open with each other, I really don't want to stay for another drink. I want to take my girlfriend back to my house and..."

Gemma elbowed Ryan in the ribs and stopped him from finishing his sentence. The friends all agreed to call it a night.

...

The phone rang as Ryan and Gemma lay in his bed on yet another lazy Sunday morning. There was something soothing about the little routine they'd fallen into. They'd been together for two months now and despite conflicting work schedules, things were going wonderfully.

"Hello? Oh hi Mum!" Ryan said, sitting up in bed. Gemma, who was now awake, couldn't help but to eavesdrop on the conversation. "When are they coming down? For how long? There's another thing though. Something I wanted to tell you..." Ryan looked over at Gemma. She clamped her eyes shut and pretended to be asleep. She must not have been too convincing because he slipped off the bed and stepped outside into the corridor. Try as she might, she couldn't hear what Ryan was saying to his mother on the phone, so she rolled over and fell asleep again.

Gemma looked at the man in bed with her, flicking through the morning papers. "Good morning, Ryan." She smiled sleepily.

"Good morning, beautiful. I ran out and got some pain au chocolats for breakfast."

"Mmmm. To what do I owe that pleasure?"

"I have a favour to ask you. You don't have to say yes, but it would mean a lot to me if you did."

"Then yes." Gemma smiled.

"Just like that? You don't even know what it is."

"If it matters to you then I'll do it." Ryan smiled. He opened his mouth as if to say something but decided against it, instead settling for a kiss. It was the sort of kiss that spoke volumes, and Gemma's body responded in kind.

An hour or so later while they were eating breakfast downstairs, Gemma asked "So, what exactly did I agree to?"

...

"Meeting the parents!!" Phoebe and Rachel squealed over lunch on Wednesday.

"Hardly!" Gemma laughed. "I've known them forever."

"They LOVE her, let me tell you." Rachel declared.

"So why are you nervous then? Sounds like you've got this one in the bag." Phoebe finished the last of her sandwich and Gemma thought about what was bothering her.

"He hasn't told me he loves me yet..."

"WHAT?!" Phoebe and Rachel exclaimed, incredulous. "But it's so obvious..."

Gemma nodded and shrugged her shoulders. "He's always had trouble saying it. It's usually the reason his relationships fail..."

"Try not to think about it, it'll happen eventually." Phoebe offered, but even she didn't understand quite what Ryan was playing at.

...

"What should I cook for lunch on Sunday?" Ryan asked, as he opened the fridge for a bottle of cold water.

"How about a barbecue?" Gemma replied, painting her nails on the bathroom floor as she precariously perched the phone on her shoulder.

"Hmm.. well that'll be a lot of work."

"That's okay, we'll manage."

Ryan smiled. "I love being a 'we'."

The phone slipped off Gemma's shoulder and landed in her lap, causing her hand to jump. "Shit." She muttered as she picked the phone up again. "Sorry, what did you say? I missed that."

"Nothing. I was just counting how many people are coming... there's the two of us," Ryan started, closing the fridge and having a seat on the sofa. "My mum, my dad, Sophie, Mark and of course little Oli."

"I'm excited to finally see him!" Ryan's sister Sophie was the mother of a gorgeous two year old boy, Oli. Ever the doting uncle, Ryan relished the chance to spoil his nephew. "So, what brings Mark and Sophie down from Edinburgh?" Gemma asked as she inspected her handiwork.

"It's easier for Soph to disturb the peace if she's closer to all of us." Ryan laughed. He was only half joking. "She and Mark are supposed to be going away on another little trip next month, so I think this is just a test run to see if they can travel with Oli."

"Oh." Gemma responded. Sophie and Mark's 'little trips' had gained infamy. They had some issues in their marriage that they'd been working through for some time, and these holidays were usually last ditch attempts to salvage the remnants of their relationship. "Pick me up tomorrow after work and I'll spend the rest of the weekend at yours."

"Okay. Sound's good." Ryan closed his eyes as he lay back. "So, babe. What are you wearing....?"

...

The doorbell rang and Ryan laughed as Gemma sprinted up the stairs. They had spent the morning messing around in the kitchen and she needed to freshen up before greeting the Lewis family. She heard Lizzie and Tim's voices greeting their son as she checked that she looked presentable.

"Oh Gemma darling it's been forever! You look lovely!" Ryan's mother called as she noticed her walking down the stairs.

"Lizzie! You look well! Did you enjoy the cruise? You must tell me all about it, from what Ryan tells me it sounds like it was wonderful!" Gemma was overcome with the warmth of Lizzie Lewis' embrace. She really did adore Ryan's parents. It was the sort of closeness that one can only harness in childhood. Lizzie was a mother-hen type through and through. Her small, stocky build meant that her husband Tim and her son always towered over her. Her maternal nature was extremely endearing and Gemma thought back to the many hours she'd lost chatting to her over endless cups of tea.

"Well, well. What do we have here?" Tim bellowed, rubbing his hands together. Ryan and his father had a wonderful relationship. Tim was something of a silver fox. Salt and pepper hair, more salt than pepper now, Gemma thought to herself. But his grey hair made his bright blue eyes come alive. Seeing Ryan and Tim together felt like getting a glimpse into her future.

"Hello, Tim!"

"Now son, what are you using to keep this one? She's far too good for you!" Tim was always a favourite amongst his children's friends growing up. With a sense of humour that never failed to amuse, he lit up the room with his very presence.

Another car stopped outside the front door and the doors slammed shut. Sophie walked inside and gave her brother a hug, her sandy blonde hair looking dishevelled. Mark soon followed, carrying Oli and a bag seemingly crammed with every toy conceivable. "Here, let me take that." Gemma offered, taking the bag.

"Driving holidays with toddlers are a terrible idea, we've now resorted to bribery..." Mark offered, by way of explanation. Gemma introduced herself and cooed over Oli for a bit.

They retreated to the garden where Gemma and Ryan had set out some tables and chairs. Gemma brought a tray of glasses outside and set them on the table while Ryan poured the drinks. Sophie hadn't seen Gemma in years, and watching her float around her brother's house now reminded her of why. Something about Gemma made her feel eighteen and inadequate again.

Gemma gritted her teeth as she passed around the carrots and humous again. Sophie once more refused to eat anything she was offered. Gemma persisted in trying to make eye contact with her, but to no avail. Instead, she settled for catching up with Ryan's parents and getting to know Mark. He seemed to be an interesting and good-natured man, and Gemma found herself silently wondering how the couple had lasted this long.

"Right, I better fire up the barbecue." Ryan declared, jumping up from the table.

"That's my cue to toss some salads!" Gemma laughed, enjoying the charms of domesticity.

"If you'd like some help I'm sure Sophie wouldn't mind lending you a hand." Lizzie suggested, in a way only a mother can. She'd obviously sensed some tension between the ladies and she gave Sophie a stern look.

"Oh, don't worry. I've got things under control. Although, I'd love some company at any rate." Gemma responded, diplomatically.

Sophie contemplated staying in her seat, but as she looked around the table she was met by glares from her parents and husband. Instead, she picked her son up and carried him into the kitchen with her. She placed Oli on the bar as she sat at a stool. Gemma attempted to make small talk as she organised herself.

"Well you've certainly made yourself at home here in the past two months, haven't you?" Sophie said, without batting an eyelid.

Gemma was unsure how she was supposed to respond, if at all. Ultimately, she didn't have to make a decision, as Sophie was far from done.

"I mean, you really know your way around the place. Don't you?"

"Well, I did design it, after all. Can I get Oli anything? Some juice?" Gemma tried to change the topic.

"It's pretty pathetic, you know. I can see right through you. You aren't a special as you think, are you? You're still alone. I know you never were the brightest bulb in the box, but it's taken you long enough to realise you can't sustain your lifestyle by rearranging furniture for the wealthy. Don't think I don't see you taking advantage of Ryan now because he has what you want." Sophie spat.

Gemma was stunned. She could feel the tears well up in her eyes and she mustered up every ounce of self will and smiled. She opened the fridge and took out two cartons of fresh juice. "Apple or orange?"

...

Sophie had returned to the table outside, and her glum expression was now transformed into a plastered on smile. Gemma was still spinning. She tossed the salad and served it at the table, while Ryan stood over the barbecue having a beer with Mark. She resumed her place at the table, sandwiched between Sophie and Tim. The usual conversation fluttered around the table, what one might expect when a family is reunited for a meal after some time, but Gemma sat in silence. She was, of course, polite, and responded whenever she was spoken to. But she was scared the lump in her throat would give her away.

After Ryan and Mark had joined them at the table, she felt a little better. A little less vulnerable. "So Gemma, Ryan was saying you're working on a new project?" Mark asked.