All Strings Attached

by Miss Merikan

“We were,” said Dan.

  “We weren’t,” Anna said in the same moment, and she groaned, clenching her fingers on Gavin’s arm. “Dan, you kissed me. I wasn’t participating.”

  She exhaled, looking into Dan’s eyes with a slight shake of her head. “I’m sorry.” It almost felt like a really bad déjà vu.

  Dan watched her with Gavin for the longest few seconds before putting his hands in his pockets and turning away. Without another word, he began walking down the street, leaving Gavin and Anna in silence.

  Anna looked at their feet, squeezing her fingers on the fabric of Gavin’s shirt because the touch of his flesh burned her with the intensity of that sensation. Her heart was beating as fast as if it wanted to break free through the front of her ribcage. She was sad for Dan, but he needed to sort some things out in his head before they could talk again. The food seemed to be a far easier topic to stomach.

  “The curry smells great.”

  Gavin pulled his arm out of her grip and put his hand over his face. “Fuck, I messed up.”

  Anna followed the gesture, staring at the fine bones of his hand and the dark silver earrings Gavin always wore. “You?”

  “I came at you like a rabid dog. I don’t know what I’m doing anymore.” He shook his head, not daring to peek out from behind his fingers.

  “It’s fine.” Anna swallowed hard, smoothing the crumpled fabric of Gavin’s shirt. His chest was so hard it made her throat ache with need. “This was so embarrassing.”

  “What did he do?” Gavin sighed and walked over to get the food he dropped, despite blood still dripping down his elbow. Anna couldn’t watch it anymore and pulled out a fresh tissue, which she used to wipe off the blood, and as an excuse to touch Gavin’s hand again. She traced the dark hairs on his forearm with her fingertips.

  “He wanted to go out for a walk, and then it quickly changed into this weird situation where your best friend confesses his feelings for you, and you are too stunned to say anything.”

  “I know, right? Happens to me all the time. What are these people thinking?” Gavin smiled, looking down at her. Sparks between their bodies were so charged they were almost visible.

  Anna exhaled, still holding on to his arm like a lovesick puppy. “You’re jealous.”

  The smile dispersed from Gavin’s lips, and he took a deep breath. “I’m sorry, I flipped. I don’t want to be some possessive creep, but when I saw you with him out of all people. You know I still like you. I don’t wanna make it weird.”

  Anna stepped closer, her body stiffening with tension. “I like you too,” she whispered, completely focused on his handsome angular face.

  “Would I be just as creepy as Dan if I kissed you now?”

  Anna rushed to the pavement for extra inches and got to her toes, pressing her lips to Gavin’s. She kept herself up with her feet uncomfortably bent by grabbing him at the hips, and as Gavin’s mouth opened, letting her sense their warmth, Anna fought a shudder trailing down her spine. It was as if every time she dreamed of this for the last three months culminated into an explosion of emotions. The way Gavin smelled, the way his hand slid to her back, they were all so familiar and so new, all at the same time. Gavin deepened the kiss, holding her close and exploring her mouth with his tongue, each lick and kiss going straight to her clit.

  “Oh, God, that’s so good,” she whispered against his lips, hugging him tight against her. “Missed you so much.”

  “I missed you too. I’m spoiled for anyone else now.” Gavin took a deep breath and kissed her lips once more. “You wanna give it another shot?”

  Anna nodded and smiled so broadly it had to look silly, but she didn’t care. “Yeah, I really do. We can make it work.”

  “No confessions, just one day at a time, how about that?” Gavin hugged her close, and she could hear his heart thudding behind the ribs.

  Anna put her head on his chest and smiled, listening to the rhythm. “Couldn’t be more perfect.”

  “You wanna go somewhere? It might be weird if Dan’s gone to the motel ...” Gavin entwined their fingers, and it felt like everything in Anna’s life was falling into place. She grinned at him.

  “We could eat that curry and then find someplace for dessert. What say you?”

  A silly smirk appeared on Gavin’s face. “I know what I want,” he said and pulled her along the street.

  Anna leaned against him and rubbed her cheek against his arm, drunk on being so close again. “I think I want the same thing.”

  *

  They had their food in a small park. The nighttime picnic was only fitting a prince of darkness like Gavin. Anna was surprised that she even forgot Fiona for a while, too enamored with her new-old boyfriend. It felt good to squeeze his hand as they walked along the dark streets, through the shadows cast by streetlights. It was slowly getting colder, but Anna didn’t mind, too focused on the warmth streaming to her through Gavin’s arm. It was around four, maybe five in the morning, but she was past caring at this point, popping chocolate into their mouths every now and then. It was such a shame they couldn’t stay out here, but they both needed sleep eventually, and Fiona wouldn’t save herself either.

  Anna could only hope that the few hours would be enough for Dan to cool off. Gavin leaned down for yet another kiss. “You wanna take the metro?”

  She nuzzled his nose, pulling Gavin into a tight hug. “Yeah, I’m tired.”

  They walked down the narrow staircase, holding hands, and they waited for the first subway service on a completely deserted station. They even played around with the echo for a while.

  “Gavin?” Anna massaged his thumb, completely at ease even with the scary question she was going to ask.

  “What’s up?” He smiled and looked up at the clock on the wall.

  Anna turned her face to kiss Gavin’s shoulder and gently poked his boot with her foot. “You spend so much time at my place, we work together ... maybe we could rethink, you know, living arrangements?” she asked. It was not a confession. They hadn’t agreed to those.

  Gavin’s smile widened. “I suppose that makes sense. And you know I’m all about the logical. Never lose my cool. And you can keep the dolls if you want. I’m at ease with them now.”

  Anna blinked, moving even closer. “Really? You’re the best,” she whispered, petting Gavin’s neck. Both dolls and a boyfriend were good on their own, but having them both in one room was perfect.

  “Yeah, really.” Gavin sniggered. “It kinda turns me on, you know? All those glass eyes watching me naked ...”

  Anna snorted and swatted his thigh. “Oh, my God, you’re such a perv! Next thing I’ll see will be a doll-sized sling and a bunch of miniature dildos mixed up with the other furniture.”

  They could already hear the subway rattling on the tracks as Gavin raised his hand. “It’s none of my business what they do when I’m not there.”

  Anna got up from the bench and pulled Gavin toward the tracks. They weren’t even near the city center, and they were in fact moving away from it so hope was the car wouldn’t be crowded. There was a small crowd waiting for the other train while Anna and Gavin sat alone on their platform. It was a good sign. “Sure. You just lend them your credit card.”

  “What can I say? I’m not one to deprive dolls.” Gavin patted her ass, urging her into the empty car.

  Anna’s whole body reacted to the touch. After three months of deprivation, just the suggestion of a sexual connection with Gavin was enough to open up all the necessary doors in her brain. “I’m the one who forces them to stay innocent.”

  Gavin stood behind her even though the car was empty. “You just wanna do all the dirty things yourself, Annashi?” he whispered into her ear, prompting a series of explosions all over Anna’s skin. She hardly drew another breath as she slowly walked through the empty car, all the way into the corner. Gavin was following her, a dark shadow reflected in the windows to their side, menacing and exciting all at once.

  “I ... no ...”

/>   The metro rolled along the tracks, and she lost balance, bumping into Gavin. He didn’t say a word, but reached out to grab onto the back of a chair as his body aligned with her back. He rubbed his crotch against her ass through the thin dress she wore. She knew something like this was gonna happen, but pleasure still hit her with the impact of violent sensation that centered deep between her legs. Oh, God, would he do what she thought he would?

  The real Anna would give Gavin a kick in the shins, but right now, they weren’t Gavin and Anna, and the person Anna was at this moment would be too embarrassed to even voice a complaint in a train car full of people she imagined all around them.

  Gavin’s hand slid away from the back of the chair and Anna got goose bumps when a slight breeze of air tickled her buttocks. He lifted her skirt, exposed her in public.

  A low mewl escaped her lips as she squeezed her legs together and pulled away, wiggling her ass away from the intrusion. But there was nowhere to run. Gavin’s fingers gently nudged her buttocks, and then lower, the back of her pussy lips, which were already getting hot.

  Anna curled her shoulders, cooling the boiling skin of her face with her hands as she allowed this to happen. There was nothing she could do. People would see her getting groped if she only allowed herself a sound. And so the fingers of a stranger touched her through her pants, slowly forcing out arousal, even pinching her labia. Gavin pushed his finger and the fabric of her underwear between her wet lips, and he rubbed at the entrance to her pussy. She tried to move away slightly, but his fingers followed, only managing to slip further between her thighs and tease her clit.

  She was so sensitive to touch it was embarrassing. She couldn’t let herself utter a sound, and he was so persistent, so intent on making her the laughing stock of the entire car. Her breasts rubbed over the wall with each breath she took, only adding to the unwanted excitement. When would he go away?

  But he didn’t. He pulled at the waistband of her panties and shoved them down all the way underneath her buttocks, exposing her nakedness to anyone who’d notice. She clenched her ass cheeks together, but it was no use, the probing hand was back there, this time moving to the front of her pussy, sliding between her wet folds and teasing out little moans as Gavin’s hard-on kept grinding into her naked buttocks.

  She moaned into her hand and raised one of her legs, trying to get his hand away from there, but it was no use. With that hard cock fitting into the crack between her buttocks, she was afraid what else he’d do. Would he put it in? Fuck her in the corner with people watching? She’d die out of embarrassment.

  Gavin slipped his fingers in further and nudged her wet opening with his fingertip. She couldn’t believe this was actually happening to her. What would people think if they knew? A stranger on the train shoving his finger up her pussy and fucking her with it, while all she could do was bear it in silence and wait until it was over, hoping that hard dick wasn’t about to push in next.

  She shook her head, trembling with each move of his fingers. She was so close. So close. And she couldn’t scream. Couldn’t let anyone know. Just a few more movements of those strong fingers, and she shook with a violent orgasm, holding onto a metal bar on the wall. As embarrassing as it was, she couldn’t help herself and humped his fingers like a bitch in heat, like she had actually wanted this.

  His fingers slipped out of her all too soon, and she heard a zipper opening. Gavin’s cockhead slid over her buttocks, already damp with pre-come. His whole body pushed her into the wall, and it was followed by the violent sounds of jerking off. She imagined that stranger masturbating behind her, nudging her ass with his cock until he would coat her ass in spunk that would drizzle down into her pants. It was so freaking hot she could hardly stand still, and she pushed her ass out in hope he’d come sooner once his slick cock ventured between her ass cheeks. A pervert like him would find that exciting, wouldn’t he? He’d come all over her, and she’d have to endure having his come on her, underneath her clothes, until she got back home.

  And it worked like magic. Gavin came with a low grunt, unloading between her ass cheeks and on her buttocks. She felt the hot spunk trickle down to her underwear as he panted, trapping her against the wall. She’d never been so wet. Her juices dripped between her thighs and soaked into her cotton undies.

  Slowly, she leaned back against Gavin and pulled his arm around her, still shivering with the aftershocks. She missed this more than she could express. “You’re so hot.”

  “You’re so sticky.”

  She sensed the smile in his purr and turned her head to catch his mouth in a kiss. “Time to deal with that,” she said, slowly rolling her cotton panties all the way off.

  “You’re gonna go commando?” Gavin snorted, still out of breath as he tucked his cock back into his pants.

  Anna chuckled, and with a smile that wouldn’t leave her face used the underwear to roughly clean herself up. “What other choice do I have?”

  “Wear your spunk-stained panties like a banner of shame?” He grinned and kissed her again, but then backed away, pulling his tongue along the fingers that had been in Anna’s pussy not so long ago.

  She blinked. “Oh, my God, and I didn’t even get to swallow yours,” she muttered with a nudge to his ribs. “That’s just cruel.”

  Gavin chuckled and sent her a kiss in the air. “That’s me. Prince of Darkness, Monsieur Cruelty.”

  Anna pulled down her skirt and leaned against him, completely safe and happy. When her phone buzzed, she didn’t pick it up at first, convinced it was some bullshit network message, but in the end, she had a look at it.

  It was from Dan, and stated: ‘Sorry for this mess. Don’t hate me. I didn’t mean for it to turn out the way it did. I’ll still help with Fiona, and get us back to London. I still think you’re an amazing person.’

  Anna sighed, relaxing. That was something that was constantly drilling the back of her head. She showed it to Gavin. “I hope you guys will learn not to be at each other’s throats.”

  Gavin frowned. “I doubt he’ll ever stop hating my guts.”

  Anna sighed and put the phone into the pocket of her jacket. “He’ll have to learn to live with it, or we’ll have to move out.”

  “Just remember I only have a million in the bank. Don’t go all crazy.” Gavin snorted and put his arm over her shoulders right in time for their arrival at the right station. Anna blushed, realizing there might have been people who saw them when they briefly stopped at another station, there could be a camera in the car, but she decided to just ignore the embarrassment poking at her brain.

  “Stop boasting,” she chuckled, pulling him out into the station.

  “Just sayin’.” Gavin gave her a kiss on the cheek.

  Chapter 18

  Anna was woken up by a rough shaking to her shoulder. “Anna, wake up. You won’t believe this shit!”

  She blinked, pulled out of a dream all too soon, sleep keeping her under the covers like medical restraints. “What’s going on?” she mumbled, looking from Dan, who was all dressed and almost dancing in front of his computer, to Gavin, who was only peeking out from underneath the comforter with one smudged eye.

  “Dollmother! The crazy woman posted a massive photo shoot of Katyusha, dedicating it to you. Listen to this shit!” He sat back in front of the laptop. “‘I hope that it can cheer up Annashi to at least look at the sweetness of Katyusha. It’s such a wonderful, kind doll, always with an open heart and that hint of a smile in her eyes.’”

  It was like a bucket of icy cold water poured over Anna’s head. She jumped out of bed with her heart beating like crazy. Anger pulsed in her veins so hard her gums hurt. “That fucking bitch! I’m gonna kick her in her fucking vagina!”

  “This isn’t everything, Anna.” Dan had that serious, focused expression he would get when he was taking photos. “I looked at all the pictures and magnified them. Look at this.” He pointed to the doll’s hand, and magnified it to show the tiny chip on her finger. It was Fiona. Ann
a dropped her on the day she arrived and caused that damage. Though it was so tiny that someone who didn’t know about it wouldn’t notice.

  Dollmother posed four of the Katyushas next to each other, fucking pretending that she only had four of them.

  “This is proof. The fucking thief,” growled Anna, walking around her computer. Her fingers itched to write a rant, to expose Fairy Dollmother for what she really was, but with the comments already so polarized, she knew she couldn’t do it. The doll world was her place of work. She couldn’t act out like a madwoman when many people would simply not believe her. “I hate her so much I want to set fire to her freaking doll chateau!”

  Gavin didn’t say a word before, but he was already getting dressed. “We’re going there. Not to set fire, of course. We’ll get Fiona back. Look at those photos. You can see that they’re by the garden window.” He pointed to the screen. “Very bad place for the dolls by the way, the resin will quickly yellow.”

  Anna looked at him, her heart melting. She wanted to kiss him. “Yeah, very bad.”

  Dan cleared his throat. “I think it will take two hours for us to get to her house. I suggest we go in after dark.”

  “Good, let’s do that. We can find the trees that feature in the photos and try to enter from that side.” Gavin nodded.

  “What about those pugs though? We don’t want them to smell us,” muttered Anna, folding her arms across her chest. “Would it work if we smeared ourselves with grass?” She was ready to do all it took to get her baby back. It was now the only thing her life lacked.

  “Yep, and let’s buy some sausages on the way.”

  *

  They arrived in the town closest to Fairy Dollmother’s home shortly after dark. Tension was itching beneath Anna’s skin, but she knew they needed to wait instead of just confronting her, so they ended up between the trees on a nearby hillside, with Dan watching the chateau through his telephoto zoom lens. Anna bit into a croissant, pacing around the car. The air was cool and fragrant, but she couldn’t enjoy it.