CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Grace

I try to eat my pasta, knowing that we have to get going soon but I can’t, my tummy is fluttering like crazy. It’s no secret that I’m a total romantic at heart and nothing like my mother. I drive Meaghan crazy with all my hearts and flowers bullshit because she is nothing like me - we are total opposites, maybe it’s why we work.

“Is your pasta okay?” I nod and put another forkful into my mouth so I don’t have to answer. I feel like a right twat at the moment. I dread to hear what he has to say but I’m happy he wants to see me more. Ella is so cute but I’ve also never had a relationship with anyone that has kids, what if I do something wrong - oh my god what if I can’t do this? What if I’m too immature - then he’ll dump me. “Grace, I can see your mind going a thousand miles a minute.”

“How?” My head snaps to the side as I ask.

“Because it’s written all over your face...? Your forehead creases then your eyebrows go up it’s like you’re having a whole conversation in your head.” His thumb smooths across my brow. Swallowing hard, I don’t think my heart can take all these little innocent touches. “Are you finished?”

“Hmm...what?” I feel a small smile broach my face. He laughs, a deep gruff kind of sound but it resonates through me. Picking up my napkin I wipe my mouth and take a drink of my wine.

“I asked if you were finished... with your food?”

“Ohhh, sorry. Yes, I am, thank you.”

“Shall we go?” I nod as he stands and reaches out to me. I take his hand as he pulls me up and we walk over to the cinema.

 

While Owen runs to the toilet I get us a coke and a large tub of popcorn, at least this way he can’t tell me no, then I put it all on the table while I wait for him to come out. “Hey, what’s this?”

“This is me taking advantage of using my own money while you slip out of the room. Now hold on I’m going to get ice cream.”

“You know what I tell Ella when she doesn’t eat her dinner?” I turn around with a smirk. “No dinner, no dessert.”

Poking my tongue out I head to the ice cream counter and buy some cookie dough Ben & Jerry’s, my favourite in the whole world.

I take a small scoop from the ice cream and put the plastic spoon in my mouth, I make sure there’s nothing left on it before sticking the spoon back into the ice-cream and hold it in one hand while I pick up my pop with my free one. We head inside and take a seat near the back. Owen puts the popcorn between his feet on the floor and we rest the cokes in the seat cup holders, relax and wait for the film to come on. “You don’t mind sharing the coke, do you?”

“No, why would I?”

Because well, I don’t know you well enough to just assume. Also, I didn’t want one for myself because they’re too big.” His arm goes around my shoulder as I move my head forward for him and rests his palm on my other shoulder.

He smiles but this one shows in his dark eyes as he leans into me. “You could have got a smaller one?” His face is inches from mine as I poke my tongue out at him again, then laugh as he shakes his head. I twist slightly into him as the trailers come on. Before long the film comes on and I’m starting to wish I hadn’t picked this one.

My head gets buried into Owen’s chest more times than I actually watch any of the film, bad idea. “The next time I say we watch a horror movie please talk me out of it.” Every time I hid my face into his chest I could smell him, it was a spicy and woody kind of smell and my senses heightened, wishing we weren’t in a packed-out theatre.

“Oh, I will, don’t worry. I’m not a big fan myself.” He tells me as he pulls me closer to him.

We suffer through the last thirty minutes of the film, then I breathe with a sigh of relief when it’s time to get out of there.

“Sorry I used you as a cushion to hide my face.”

“Don’t apologise.” he grins as he takes my hand again as he leads us out of the cinema and back to the car. “I kinda liked it.” He seems to have been a lot more at ease tonight, I don’t know why though, maybe he feels more comfortable with me.

 

His thumb strokes down my cheek until it reaches my lips once we’re in the car.

“It’s been a long time, I may mess this up, Grace.” He breathes my name gruffly. His thumb carrying on its trip across my lips as my tummy flips yet again. Owen smoothes his thumb over my cheekbone gently, the other hand pushing the loose hair from my face, my eyes close at the feel of his hand on me, he’s so gentle and soft.

I feel the tip of his nose rub against mine, I daren’t open my eyes in case this is a dream because if it is I don’t want it to end. Our lips touch, tenderly, softly, my heart picks up speed as he applies some pressure against them, his warm hand cupping my face as I lean into it. My eyes open on instinct to find his brown eyes looking back at me, I’m not sure what I see there though. I swallow hard as my hand rests on his chest, deciding to take a little initiative, I press back against his and open my mouth letting him take the kiss further, the tip of my tongue touching his lips as his both hands cup my cheeks and tilts my head to the side. His tongue enters my mouth and slides against mine. A groan releases from me when he takes what he wants and controls the kiss. Pulling away an inch he stares into my eyes, “Grace? Open your eyes.”

They slowly open, soon finding out that it indeed wasn’t a dream. My teeth bite down onto my lip capturing in between my teeth as I breathe out, I lick my lips but his gaze doesn’t shift. “Sorry, couldn’t help myself.”

“Don’t apologise.”

“I don’t know why I’m apologising, I’ve wanted to do that for a while now.” He shrugs. It’s quite adorable. A smile sneaks onto my face but once it’s there I can’t shift it. I actually don’t want to. “So where to?”

“Well, Meaghan should be out, we could go back to mine at least it’ll be quiet and we can have a coffee and chat for a bit, if you want to do that is?”

“I’d like us to spend some time together, yes.” He kisses my cheek then puts the car in gear and pulls away. His hand rests on my thigh, his heat travelling through me all the way home.

 

Opening the door of my flat, we go in, there’s no one in the living room, I’m not sure what Meaghan was doing tonight after the bomb she dropped on me Thursday night and the fact she isn’t seeing Ross anymore. “Take a seat.” I check her bedroom and she’s on the bed fast asleep. I quietly close the door behind me and enter mine. Taking off my heels, I leave them in my room then go back through to the living room. “Coffee?”

“Yes please. Black, two sugars.”

“Easy enough.” I smile and go to the kitchen. Once they’re made I take them both through and place them on the table, sitting on the settee with my feet tucked under my bum. My tummy starts doing those annoying flips again but I just think it’s Owen himself, every time I’m near him it happens.

“You know you don’t have to sit all over there I won’t bite, I promise.” he holds his hands in the air in front of him as his raise and cheekily grins. I love his smile, I didn’t see it much really - only when it was aimed at Ella but seeing it pointed at me makes me all tingly. I edge across the seat until I’m sitting next to him, my knees just touching his thighs as I sit facing him. “I’ve really enjoyed tonight Grace.”

“So, have I.” I whisper.

“I don’t know how we’re going to work this. I would like to see you more though.

I clear my throat because it seems I’ve lost my voice. “Well, you see me three times a week now.”

“You’re funny. I mean alone. Just us. You and me.”

“I know what you meant really, I was just kidding.” He taps the tip of my nose with his finger and smiles. He grips my chin and pulls me towards him until our lips touch again. His kiss goes a little deeper this time though, his hand makes its way around to the back of my neck pulling me closer. His voice is gravelly as he groans pulling away from me as he rubs his lips together.

“I suppose Ella could have a permanent Saturday night sleepover at my Mum’s so we can go out together, but there’s always going to be a time when I can’t get a babysitter. How do you feel about that?”

“So, we deal with it and we see how it goes, yeah? You and Ella are a package deal and as much as I’m dying to try whatever this is, we don’t really know each other yet, but I’m willing to try.”

“Grace, it’s hard for me to talk about but…

I cut him off, “And that’s fine, really. Let’s just take it one day at a time, I really like you, Owen.” God, I hope I haven’t totally messed things up! “When you’re ready to talk to me, we can talk.”

“I’m not about to rush this, Grace. I have a four-year-old that already thinks you’re pretty great. That’s without her thinking you’re my girlfriend and I really don’t want to confuse her.” My eyes turn downcast, “Hey? Just because I want to keep Ella out of this for now, doesn’t mean I don’t want to try with us first, it’s just a little complicated I don’t want to her hurt if we don’t last.”

“Owen, I get it.”

“I don’t think you do. Grace.” He moves away from me and edges to the end of the seat, puts his elbows on his knees and puts his face in his hands. I place my hand softly on his back, he stands abruptly letting my hand slide from him and land back on the cushion.

“You can tell me anything, Owen.”