Going Up | ✓

Date Night - (14)

Date Night.

It's late when either of us stir the next morning. As usual, I wake first and it's gone ten o'clock before I even consider getting out of bed.

Groaning, I nestle further into Ivan's bare chest, wishing I didn't have to get up yet, but I promised Mom that I would return so I could take Oliver out for lunch again. Last week we had both enjoyed it so much and I decided that it should become a regular thing when I stayed over at Ivan's the night before.

Of course, Oliver isn't stupid. He knows I'm going out and seeing somebody and spending a lot of time with them but he hasn't said anything negative about it at all, something I'm seriously grateful for.

After a few more moments of glorious rest, Ivan shifts slightly and his eyes slowly open. He glances at me and something flickers in his gaze, something like pure male satisfaction.

'Morning,' I greet him lightly, not bothering to move anywhere.

He smiles lazily and adjusts himself so he can lean down and give me a kiss. 'Good morning, darling,' he responds.

'I don't want to get up,' I moan, burying my face into his neck.

He chuckles lightly. 'We don't have to if you don't want to,' he offers. 'I've got all day.'

I sigh ever so slightly. 'I don't,' I tell him. 'I promised my mom I'd go and see her by lunch time.'

There's a pause, before he finally speaks. 'Okay.'

I frown, turning my head to look at him properly. 'Okay? You're not going to fight me on that?' I ask, surprised. He always fights me when I can't stay.

Ivan grins easily at me and his eyes sparkle. 'So long as you come out to dinner with me tonight.'

My frown only increases as I think about his half-request half-order. I am going out to lunch with Oliver today, so it's not like I wouldn't be spending time with him. But I've already spent last night and this morning with Ivan, as well as potentially tonight.

His expression is completely blank but he regards me with curious eyes.

'Would I spend the night with you?' I ask carefully.

He raises an eyebrow at me, still giving nothing away. 'Only if you want to. If you have a problem with that, then you don't have to.'

I narrow my eyes suspiciously. 'Why?'

He looks confused, sitting up so he's looking down at me. 'What do you mean?'

I shrug, doing my best to look nonchalant, despite the fact his gorgeous chest is now on blatant display. 'I don't know, I guess I thought you would have wanted me to stay.'

'Don't you want to?' he asks, curious.

I don't meet his eyes. 'No, it's not that, it's just that...' I trail off, unable to tell him why I feel guilty spending the night here again.

After a pause, Ivan exhales. 'Poppy, if you're reluctant to spend tonight with me then you really don't have to. You... I.... This,' he gestures at the two of us, frustration evident in his voice, as though he can't quite articulate exactly what he wants to say to me. 'Is so much more than just sleeping together now. Well, it is to me. I don't mind if you don't stay over tonight but I would like to go to dinner with you.'

I look up at him, biting my lip. I'd be an idiot to say I wasn't expecting him to admit something like that. Every aspect of his behaviour has pointed towards that and we both admitted to each other last night that we care about each other.