A Twist of Fate (Complete)

Ch. 15 - Live a Little

"Keaton, I ummm. I would really like that kiss now," Everly said quietly.

Keaton slowly raised his head and when his eyes locked onto hers, it made her heart skip a beat. He studied her face, looking down at her lips and then back up at her eyes, hesitating for a few seconds before finally leaning forward slowly. She could feel her heart rate picking up as he got closer and slid a hand behind her neck. She held her breath as he got close enough that she could feel his exhale against her lips and she closed her eyes right as he softly pressed his lips against hers. 

This kiss felt different than his other kisses had. It was sweet and intimate, slow and gentle. It felt like he wasn't trying to seduce her with his kiss this time, but that he genuinely just wanted comfort. He pulled back and looked into her eyes for a couple seconds before cupping her face and leaning in to kiss her again, running his hands down her arms, before resting them on her hips. Her insides exploded with butterflies and goosebumps popped up on her arms as his lips smoothed over her mouth, his tongue softly toying with hers.

He pulled her over onto his lap so that she was straddling him and wrapped his arms around her waist and nuzzled his head into the crook of her neck, holding her for a minute and rubbing her back without saying a word. She could feel his heart beating  and his breath against her neck as her held her. Finally he sat up straight and looked into her eyes and she looked back into his. Neither of them spoke or broke the eye contact for what felt like a long time.

She was feeling an ache in her chest and that's when she knew without a doubt that she was in love with Keaton. She hadn't known him long but she knew what she felt was real. She didn't love him like she had loved Brad. This was different. At the time she had thought she was madly in love with Brad, but that's just because she didn't know what real, passionate love felt like. She had never experienced it before, but now she had, with Keaton. She knew without a doubt that she was head-over-heels, madly, truly, deeply in love with Keaton Ashcroft and that thought scared her to death because she also knew he didn't want anything serious. 

"Will you stay with me tonight Everly?" Keaton asked softly, running a hand over her hair and looking into her eyes. "I'd just like to hold you in my arms tonight and fall asleep with you next to me. I promise I won't try anything on you. I got my kiss and you have my word that I won't do anything else unless you ask me to."

It was Friday so there weren't any classes to get up early for. She couldn't think of any reason why she shouldn't stay and for some reason she actually believed him when he said he wouldn't try anything. She looked down at her hands and softly said, "Yeah, I ummm. I'd like to stay," she blushed, giving him a hint of a smile. 

He leaned forward and laid his forehead against hers and closed his eyes, whispering, "Good, because I really like having you here with me." 

She took a deep breath in and let it out, closing her eyes too. Being here with him in his arms just felt right.

After a minute of silence, her stomach rumbled loudly and she felt embarrassed, laughing awkwardly. 

He pulled back and asked, "Are you hungry?"

"I'm starving." she laughed. "If you couldn't tell by my angry stomach. I think it's cussing at me." 

He laughed and said, "Well I haven't eaten yet either. Do you want me to take you out somewhere or we could have some Chinese food delivered and stay in and watch a movie?" 

"Hmmm. Chinese food and a movie sounds perfect," she smiled.

He got up and fished around in a drawer for a Chinese takeout menu and called in their order before sitting at his desk, saying he needed to send a few work emails while they waited.  She got her laptop back out and tried to work on proofreading their English Lit assignment but all her mind could focus on was Keaton and that kiss. She kept sneaking peeks at him, thinking about how gorgeous he was sitting there across the room in his suit pants and dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up. She couldn't get her mind off how much she wanted to be his, to be in a committed relationship with him, to give herself to him completely.