I blushed, and he patted the space beside him. I sat down, and he glanced at the television.
“Horror?”
“Oh, I was just browsing.” I said, leaning forward to choose a different genre.
He stopped me, by reaching for my hand. He seemed to be doing a lot of that lately. I turned to face him with question, and he gave me a warm smile.
“Do you like horror movies?” He asked.
“They're my favorite.” I admitted.
“Why do you do that?” He asked, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear.
“Do what?” I asked, my breath hitching.
“Try to please everyone?”
I shrugged, casting my head down.
“It's easier.”
“What's your favorite movie?” He asked, as he used his finger to tip my chin.
“Mostly the classics. Psycho, The shining, The exorcist. Things like that.”
“Let's watch one.”
“Are you sure?” I asked skeptically.
He chuckled. “Afraid you'll get scared?”
“Please.” I scoffed, before leaning forward to browse the horror section once again.
After a few minutes I settled on Shutter. I'd seen it a handful of times, but it never failed to give me the creeps. Just as a good horror movie should of course. Owen stood to grab the food, and brought the bag back over to the bed.
“I hope you like Chinese.”
“Who doesn't?”
He smiled before pulling the contents from the bag, and divvying it up between the two of us. We decided to eat our meal before we started the movie, so we made our own little picnic right there in the center of my bed. He'd brought soda to drink, and when we finished our meal, he took care of the mess. I was feeling a bit awkward watching him scuttle around the room, and when he sat back down on the bed again, it only increased.
Should we sit on the end of the bed? Move towards the headboard? As if he could read my mind he stood.
“Why don't you get comfortable, and I'll hit play.” He said.
“OK.” I agreed, as I pulled myself up the length of the bed.
I was sitting on the left side now, with my back leaning against the headboard. When the movie queued up, Owen came to sit beside me in the exact same way. Even though we were in a queen sized bed, his broad shoulders had us so close that we were nearly touching. I tried to slow my breathing, but every time I thought I had it under control his masculine scent would waft over to me.
“Relax.” He said, reaching for my hand. “I won't bite... unless you want me to.”
I let out a nervous laugh, and he squeezed my hand lightly. I tried to focus on the movie then, even though I was very aware of the man laying beside me. I could feel my hand getting sweaty in his, and I prayed that he didn't notice. We laid there in silence, watching the movie for a while until a scene that I hate came on. There was something about the Asian ghost sitting on the shoulders of the male character in the photograph that gave me the willies every time.
I shivered, and Owen must have felt it because he released my hand, and placed his arm around my shoulders. I had to lean up a little to accommodate him, and then he pulled me closer so that my head was resting just below his shoulder. If his scent wasn't intoxicating before, it sure as hell was now.
He ran his hand up, and down my shoulder softly as I continued to try and concentrate on the movie. I could hear his heart beating, and feel the warmth from his touch. I couldn't help myself. I closed my eyes, and relished in the way that he made me feel. Just being around him woke things inside of me that I never even knew existed.
I don't know how long I laid like that, but when I opened my eyes again he was staring down at me with a smirk on his face.
“You're missing the movie.” He said, his voice low.
“I uh- I wasn't sleeping.” I said, as I tried to leave his embrace.
He pulled me closer, and I smiled up at him taken aback.
“Don't you like the movie?”
“To be honest, I'm a little distracted.” He said, before using his free hand to lift my chin like he'd done earlier.
“Why?” I whispered.
“I think you know.” He whispered back.
This was it. The moment I'd been waiting for. He was finally going to kiss me. I lifted my chin towards his, and our noses touched. I could feel his breath mingling with mine, and just when I thought that our lips were about to meet, he pulled away leaving me nearly panting in his wake.
I gave him a questioning look, and he returned it with a look of his own. A hint of sadness washed over his face. Sadness, and regret? I couldn't be sure without asking him, and honestly right now I wasn't sure that I wanted to know the answer.
“Maybe we should just finish the movie.” He said kissing the top of my head, before turning away from me.
I laid there for a minute just staring at the television, wondering what the hell had gone wrong this time. He said I wasn't ready before, but how the hell did he know what I was feeling? I certainly wasn't thinking about Derek just now. I've been thinking about kissing Owen Foster since the first time I met him. What more did he want from me? Written consent?
“I think you should leave.” I said as I slipped away from him, and stood beside the bed.
“Leave? Why?” He asked, as he stood as well.
“Whatever game you're playing... I'm not playing back.” I said, defensively.
“I just don't want to rush things.” He said, earnestly.
“Rush things?” I asked with exasperation. “It's only a kiss, Owen!”
“It's more than that.” He said cupping my face in his hands.
“It doesn't have to be.”
“If I kiss you right now Ronnie, I don't think that I can stop.”
My
