Gillian crumbled down on Taylor's chest as he threw his arm around her back, both of them too busy catching their breath. Then she flopped herself to the side and lay flat on her back, eyes on the ceiling, a hand to her chest. Taylor rolled over, following her motion, and his arm came to rest on her belly.
It was a hot summer afternoon, and they were both sticky wet in sweat. But Gillian didn't bother to mention it, because in under a minute Taylor would kiss her shoulder, say something and go take a shower. And he did. Once alone, she rolled over again, turning her back to the rest of the bed and the bathroom, and pulled the bed sheet up to her chest.
When Connor said he'd stay over at Tim's, she planned an easy, quiet Saturday. Clean up the house, call the delivery, watch a movie. Then Taylor called and she just couldn't say no. They'd hardly seen each other over the last weeks. And allowing him through her door wasn't that big deal, right? Not like she was accepting a diamond ring or something.
Good thing she got to do some cleaning before he arrived. She was having a long, lazy bath as soon as he was gone. And then order dinner and watch a movie. Maybe two, why not. She could sleep in all she wanted the next morning.
She didn't notice she was falling asleep while Taylor was on the shower. His hand sliding gently along her arm woke her up. Then she felt his soft lips on her neck. And his chest sticking to her back.
No way. Again? The two previous rounds hadn't been enough? Please. That man was like a frigging teen, always ready.
"Man, you need to get a girlfriend," she muttered, forcing a smile to soften her tone.
"Don't I have one already?" he whispered, his lips rubbing her ear.
She scoffed. "And you didn't introduce me to her? Not nice."
Taylor chuckled, sliding his arm beneath her side, and held her close as he sat up. Gillian allowed him to pull her up along, but her smile vanished when he pointed at their reflection in the mirror.
"That's her. D'you like her?" he said.
Gillian frowned, then rubbed her face, using those seconds to command herself to take it easy and don't go hard on him. She turned to Taylor with a little smirk.
"I'm not your girlfriend," she said, plain and simple. "Never was, never will be."
He raised his eyebrows, taken aback. "You're not?"
She swallowed a sigh. It had to be some kind of biological clock or something like that. Date a guy for more than six months and he automatically takes it all for granted. She just hoped this wouldn't push him away, because she'd grown fond of him.
"Nope," she replied, keeping her voice low and soft.
"Then what are you?"
Gillian shrugged. "Your friend, your lover, your sex buddy? Whatever you wanna call it, but definitely not your girlfriend."
He narrowed his eyes. "Are we discussing wording, Reg?"
Geez. Like words weren't important at all. "Maybe."
Taylor leaned back to lay on his side and sank his elbow in the pillow, his head resting on his hand. And that mocking little smile like a neon sign: man being lenient about woman's silly kink.
"And what's wrong with the word girlfriend?"
Gillian leaned back like him, covered herself with the sheet again and mirrored his smile. "The commitment, Taylor."
He didn't even blink when she addressed him by his last name in that situation. "What commitment?"
"Exactly."
He frowned—playing games now?
"I ain't taking any. No names, no commitments, no promises, no expectations." She pointed at her bed. "This is all there is to it."
He frowned deeper, his lenient mask cracking to show a hint of concern. "Really? This is all you want from us?"
"From you. There's no us."
"Really."
She nodded.
They just couldn't believe it. And it was somehow funny, the way they always expected her to expect more from them. The way they always felt disappointed, sometimes even betrayed, when they found out she didn't. All of a sudden they felt objectified. In their eyes, she turned into an evil witch who had charmed them into her bed to use them, poor helpless things.
She'd always thought Taylor was better than that. She was about to find out if she'd been right.
He breathed in, held his breath for a moment, arched his eyebrows again, let the air out. And shrugged.
"Okay. Fair play is important."
Gillian almost threw her arms around him to hug him.
Taylor scoffed at her grin. "What."
She didn't answer. She just kissed him and pulled him closer. Taylor chuckled when her leg bent around his hip. Anyway, his hand came up to keep it in place, just in case she changed her mind.
"Thought I needed a girlfriend if I wanted more."
"Oh, this is just so you don't get bored till you find one."
"I like that."
She kissed him again, smiling.