In Your Corner | ✓

Thirty-Four

I rouse sleepily the following day, twisting around to find Josh splayed out beside me across the bed. Our legs are still a little tangled together, but he's sleeping with his back to me, face turned away.

My cheeks warm at the memories of last night at the party and then back here.

Almost as though he can hear my thoughts, Josh stirs, letting out an unintelligible grumble as he twists round, his arms reaching for me.

Opening his eyes slowly, he tugs me towards him so that I'm pressed right up against his chest and a sleepy smile spreads across his lips. "I can't believe I get to wake up like this now," he sighs contentedly, brushing his lips across mine.

"Mm," I mumble, reaching up to push his hair from his forehead, because despite the fact it only stays off for all of half a second, I like doing it.

He adjusts our position so that I'm straddling him and cranes his neck up, kissing me again.

I lean into the kiss, more than happy to comply, not even slightly bothered by morning breath. We're both completely butt naked and I can feel his arousal pressing against me. It feels just right like this.

Josh reaches one of his hands up, burying it in my hair. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure," I nod, smiling.

"When did you know? That this was what you wanted?" he asks curiously, chewing on his lower lip, as though he's afraid of the answer.

I chuckle, resting both of my arms on his chest, propping my face up on my palms and gazing at him. "It's hard to tell, really. Somewhere along the way. I mean, I've thought you were attractive and sweet and just generally pretty great for ages now, but I guess it was when you called me after going back to work for the first time, that I started to feel something properly. Probably didn't admit it to myself for a while, though."

It's funny. Not long ago, this conversation would have made me feel so awkward. But he's looking at me like I hung the damn stars and moon. He makes me feel so comfortable.

"You think I'm attractive, sweet and generally pretty great?" he grins smugly, the hand not caught up in my hair drifting from my waist to squeeze my ass.

"No, I just have a habit of getting into bed like this will all my guy friends," I snap back sarcastically, suddenly feeling a little self-conscious.

Josh raises a single eyebrow. "I should hope not. Not sure how I'd feel about that."

"What makes you think you've got any say in that?" I shoot at him, not because I mean it, but just because I want to make him squirm like he's making me right now.

He chuckles, his eyes alight with humour. "Well, I suppose you're right. Guess I'll have to find a really creative way to ask you to be my girlfriend, then, and hope you'll say yes."

I soften, because I can't really help myself, and plant a kiss on his jaw. "Guess I'll say yes, then."

His smile is kind of heartbreaking. It's so big and goofy, like he's won the lottery or something. Although, I kind of feel like it's me who has won it.

"When did you know?" I ask inquisitively, because it's only fair to ask him too.

Josh laughs again, lowly and quietly. "Oh, Nat, I've known for ages."

"Yeah, but since we actually got to know each other a bit better," I frown, even though his words have my stomach doing backflips.

He looks pensive for a moment. "Uh, I think it was the morning after. I mean, I wasn't really in the headspace for that kind of thing, but you handled it so perfectly and I just knew that you were everything I'd always thought you were, but even better. I was so comfortable around you, despite what had happened and I knew that meant something, I guess I just didn't really have much of a capacity to do anything about it or feel it properly then."