Gem in the Rough

Chapter 14

I bring the phone to my ear and mumble a "hello".

"What's going on in that room, Gemma?!" Alice whisper-yells to me through the speaker.

I sit up straight, Kieran's arm falling to my lap. I look at the phone and see it's 7pm. Holy shit. We had fallen asleep for a few hours.

"Umm, sleeping?" I scratch my head and look to Kieran on the floor. His eyes slowly open as he smiles sleepily up at me, his dimple showing.

"That's boring. You've been in there for ages. I saw shoes here that I know aren't yours. Is Mr. Mysterious in there with you? Don't tell me only sleeping has been going on. I taught you better than that!" Alice isn't whispering much anymore, so Kieran is hearing her whole rant.

"Mr. Mysterious? Is that me?" He laughs as he sits up next to me, lifting his arms above his head in a stretch causing his shirt to rise. A small sliver of skin is exposed and it's enough to make me hot and bothered.

This guy just bared his soul to me and I'm only thinking about fucking him. Classy, Gemma.

"Alice, you're not making me look too cool here. Are you in the apartment?"

"I may or may not have been waiting in the hall trying to listen to see if you're doing the nasty."

I groan and hang up the phone. "Sorry, Kieran. She has no boundaries."

He laughs again and shakes his head. "No worries. She seems fun."

"Yeah, something like that," I grumble, lifting myself off the floor. Falling asleep in jeans is not something I'd recommend. I unzip my pants, not even thinking of Kieran sitting right behind me. "Shit, sorry. Is it okay if I change?"

I turn around and notice Kieran's eyes are dark, lustful. "I'm not complaining." He's still sitting on the floor, at eye level with my front.

I'm glad our nap calmed him down. Maybe it's a good thing that he's distracted. I stare into Kieran's eyes while I put my thumbs in the sides of my jeans, slowly bringing them down my thighs. Lower and lower I go until they're at my feet. I try not to think about the imprint of a button on my stomach.

His hands reach out for me to take, assisting me in stepping out of my jeans. I stand to the side while Kieran throws them in my laundry hamper across the room. His hands leave mine, looking to me for permission before sliding them up my thighs. I forget in the moment that I'm wearing a thong, so my full ass is completely bare behind me.

"You are so beautiful, Gemma."

My face heats up, a breath escaping my lips. "So, what are you going to do about it?"

Kieran's eyes turn darker, which I didn't think was possible. "Oh, I'll do a lot about it. But not right now. Right now, I just want to touch you and tell you how sexy you are."

I shiver in response, Kieran's hands gliding up to my large hips and going around to my backside, squeezing lightly. He pulls me to him, his lips kissing my thighs up and down, inch by inch. I rest my palms in his hair, tousling it softly. I could finish right now, I swear.

I feel Kieran chuckle against me. Shit, did I say that out loud?

"Yes, you did."

"Well, that's embarrassing."

"No. I like it. Now, finish changing while I watch. I promise I won't stop you anymore."

I pout, pushing my lip out farther than needed. "Awh."

We both smile as I grab a pair of leggings, sliding them on. I bring my shirt above my head, exposing the bra and tank top I have on underneath, quickly snatching an oversized shirt from a drawer. I slide it over my head and put my hair back up in a messy bun.

"Still as cute as ever," Kieran smiles, brushing a stray hair from my face.

"I know," I wink. "Before we go out and face Alice, I want to say thank you. For talking to me. I promise I'll return the favor."

Kieran smiles shyly and squeezes my hand. "Let's go."

I lead him by the hand, out to the living room where Alice is sitting, pretending to watch TV with a bowl of popcorn in her lap.

"Oh. Hey guys," she chokes out, stuffing a handful in her mouth. "Didn't know you were here."

I roll my eyes and motion for Kieran to sit on the couch opposite of Alice. He did so, giving me a strange look, as I go to the kitchen to grab some water. "Want any popcorn, Kieran?"

"Yeah, that'd be great."

I put a fresh bag of popcorn in the microwave and set the timer when I notice Alice come up behind me.

"Oh my god, he's scrumptious. Please tell me something happened. You obviously changed. Did your other clothes get ripped off? Did they smell like jungle sex?" Alice whispers all of this excitedly, hopefully quiet enough where Kieran can't hear her, but her whispers are never that quiet.

I smack her arm and tell her to shut up. "Stop, Alice. Nothing happened. Well, something did, but not what you think. I'm feeling optimistic about this, okay? We can talk more later."

I know Alice is a little wild, but beneath that exterior she wants what's best for me and wants to make sure I'm happy.

The microwave beeps, notifying me that my buttery popcorn is done. I take the bag out and empty it into a plastic bowl, dropping a few onto the counter. I pick them up and put them in the bowl, throwing away the packaging. I go to grab the popcorn and bring it out into the living room when Alice's hand hits my chest, her palm out in a 'stop' motion.

"Uh, Gemma. Are you not going to clean that butter up off the counter? Or wipe out the microwave?"

I guess I didn't even think to do that right now. I just want to get back to Kieran in the living room. I typically would get anxious about the slightest mess, like the butter on the counter, but apparently Kieran is a distraction.

I smirk to myself, "I guess not."