The Next Best Thing: Part II

Forty-Two

I ran upstairs to grab a few things for my sleepover with Eoin. It was the first night we were going to spend together as a couple; although we'd promised to wait for each other, I was very nervous.

"Goodnight, Zoe. Have fun, okay? You deserve it," Min whispered into my ear.

I couldn't bring myself to leave her alone but she managed to persuade me to do something for myself for once. I did deserve it, and I deserved some alone time with my unofficial boyfriend. I kissed her goodnight and made her promise me to be safe; I would never stop worrying over her.

"Ready to go?" Eoin chirped behind me. My bag already over his shoulder, he appeared very eager to go.

"She is," Min responded on my behalf. "Goodnight, you two."

We got to his apartment before midnight. He took my hand and led me into the house, our fingers intertwined and my head rested on his shoulder. I was freezing; it was raining outside, a cold chill sweeping through the sleeping city, accompanied by a light drizzle.

"Zo, you're freezing. Would you like to take a shower?"

"Yes, please," I shivered.

"Lemme show you to your room first, okay?"

"My room?" I said in a small voice, confused. What was that all about? This was our time together, time we were supposed to spend as a couple doing couple things.

"Your room, Zoe," he repeated slowly. He now sounded agitated, frustrated even. Maybe he didn't trust himself with me.

But we're both grownups, I thought.

Grownups with pheromones flying around in the air, my subconscious reminded. He claws at your skin, Zo. You can't take your hands off of him. You wouldn't last a night without reaching a breaking point and breaking your promise to each other. Have your own room, Zoe. Please.

I was shown upstairs to what I assumed was one of the guest rooms: it was welcoming and much warmer, a large bed in the middle of the room, and long drapes elongated the windows and cascaded gracefully onto the floor.

"The bathroom's behind that door," he indicated to a closed door to the right of the bed. "Make yourself comfortable and please take a shower. I wouldn't want you to catch a cold."

He walked up to me and merely smiled, his eyes grinning up at me. He was, he is, beautiful. His blue eyes betrayed yearning, his lips in that semi-smirk blush thing he used to torture me. It could make me do anything he wanted; that's how much he affected me.

"Thank you for coming." I was kissed longingly, appreciated and adored. "Get out of these wet clothes, okay? I'll be downstairs if you need anything."

I was amenable - I did as I was told. It was lonely, with only the glass walls to vent my frustrations. I wanted to be with Eoin, even if it meant we'd just cuddle and rock each other to sleep. I didn't mind. I just wanted to be with him.

Before long, I was out of the shower and hastily brushing my teeth. I grabbed a large fluffy towel neatly folded on a wooden bench and wrapped it loosely around my body.

In the steamy haze temporarily blinding me and my mind occupied by thoughts of Eoin, I didn't notice that I'd made a mess of his bathroom until I was on the floor, my ankle gradually swelling and blood rushing to my throbbing skull.

Eoin was upstairs in a beat, running into the room asking if I was okay. I was shouting his name in agony, almost on the verge of tears.

I was crying because I was embarrassed and angry at myself for being so accident prone; I was always the damsel in distress, and Eoin was my designated knight in shining armour. Here he was now, in all his valor, carrying me in his strong manly arms to lay me down on my bed.

He propped my ankle on a pillow and kneeling beside the bed, he ran his fingers anxiously through his hair. "Zoe, what am I going to do with you?"

"The real question is what am I going to do without you," I corrected bitterly.

"Hey, Zo? It's fine. I like saving you," he smiled.

"I don't know why I always need saving. I'm always so vulnerable and I'm so susceptible to danger. I don't want to have to be saved," I retorted.

I was very upset with myself as a whole, especially for endangering my life on multiple occasions for a man to rescue me. Maybe I was too vulnerable, and maybe that's why Eoin was keeping his distance.

"Zo, I love that you're vulnerable. You're very open and honest with me because of that. You know that I like that. I like that a lot," he whispered.

His breath hitched and he bit his lip, frustration etched across his face. "And because you're so vulnerable, I want to be your saviour. You affect me, so much more than you'll ever know. You're affecting me right now."

Really!

I then remembered that I was literally naked under the towel draped loosely around my body. I really was affecting him, and it felt good.

"I'm affecting you?" I whispered back coyly. "You're the one with the hold over me."

"I'm addicted to you, remember? I'm hooked on you." He sucked hungrily on my bottom lip, his hands moving to my waist. "You see what you do to me? This is what you do to me."

My blood danced in my veins, doing the salsa to Eoin's beautiful words dripping with sexual innuendo. I never knew I was capable of doing that to anyone, especially him.

He affected me much more than he knew, but I wasn't about to let him in on that secret. I had the hold over him now. This was so much fun.

"Eoin, come here, please? I want you to hold me until I fall asleep. Can you do that?" I breathed.

"Zoe, you know we can't..."

"Can you do that?" I slowly fluttered my eyelashes, concealing and revealing my doe-eyed expression. Today, I had the hold over him. I was going to use it.

"I'll cuddle with you," he caved.

He tucked me into bed and rolled in beside me, pulling my body towards his, careful not to unhook my towel. He rested his head on my shoulder, and his arms were protective and possessive around my waist.

I smelt him, felt him, and I wished to kiss him.

"Goodnight, Zoe," he breathed into my hair. "Thank you for coming."