Katie almost had to sit on her hands once Kieran sat down next to her. She itched touch him, all of him, all over his body. It was a good thing his dad was in the house, otherwise self-restraint might have been impossible.
Kieran had no idea the kind of fire he'd ignited inside her. The feeling of his erection pressed against her stomach was burned into Katie's memory. Even through the fabric of his jeans, she'd been able to tell how hard and long and thick it was.
She couldn't wait to see the real thing, but now was not the time. It was a delicious agony, the waiting, but it was necessary. Just now Kieran was still in a raw emotional state. If I made the move now, if I told him what I want, what I want him to do to me, he'll run for the hills. I need to comfort him and make him feel at ease again.
And, she admitted to herself. He's such a sweetheart. I don't like seeing him so upset.
It was true. Kieran was a a genuinely good person, a kind-hearted young man who didn't view women as sex objects first and people second. His embarrassment and shame at the way his body reacted to her closeness proved he was raised to treat women with respect, that he wasn't a slave to his baser instincts. Katie deeply appreciated and respected that. Of all the things I like about him, that's probably the top of the list.
She offered him some popcorn and he accepted with a nod of thanks. Katie's eyes flicked to his hand as he took a great handful of the greasy, buttery snack. It was a worker's hand, the hand of someone who knew the value of honest labor. Calloused and rough. Strong too, strong enough to break bones and batter down locked doors. But Katie wasn't afraid. Kieran was physically much stronger than she was, but he'd never use that strength to hurt her. She was as certain of that as she was of the sun rising tomorrow morning.
I definitely made the right decision when I chose him. She snuck a glance at Kieran when he turned back to the television screen, felt a warm wave of affection for him wash over her. It will be an honor to give you my virginity and bear your child.
I should probably say something. If I stay quiet for too long he'll think he offended me, no matter what I told him earlier. Hmmm...
The movie showed a scene of one of the main characters traipsing through the jungle. Katie decided to seize on that. "Have you ever wanted to travel, Kieran?"
He nodded. "I've thought about it, yeah. I'd love to see places like the Grand Canyon or Yosemite, maybe visit Edinburgh one day. Have you seen pictures of it? All those spires and Gothic architecture...it's like something out of a fantasy movie."
"Really?" Katie dug her phone out of her pocket and opened the web browser. "Let me see. You've made me curious."
A second later, the search results popped up. Katie whistled. "Wow. You weren't kidding."
"Yeah."
"What about theme parks? You ever want to visit one of those?" She was careful to keep her voice casual, but inwardly, Katie felt her heart beat faster. What if he doesn't like them? How will I get him to go with me then?
Kieran, oblivious, put her concern to rest. "Absolutely. I never got to visit one as a kid, and they seem like so much fun. I've never been on a roller coaster before. Not once, can you believe that?"
Katie stared. "You're kidding? You've never been on one at all? Not even, like, at a county fair or something?"
"Nope. The last time we had a county fair my dad needed me to help in the shop, and we don't have the money to travel out of state." The admission was clearly hard for him, but his eyes were bright with fierce determination. "When Dad retires and I take over the shop, though, that's going to change. You wait and see, Katie."
"I know." She smiled. "I believe in you, Kieran. I know you're going to do great things with it." It wasn't just flattery. There was no doubt in Katie's mind that Kieran would take his family business to a new level of prosperity. I should come by and visit once I've had the baby and gotten settled in at my new job, she thought. I don't want to just drop Kieran once he's knocked me up.
And, she admitted, if he hasn't just given me the perfect opening to make the offer, my name's not Katie Petersen.
"It's...well, it's funny you should say that," she said carefully. It was a struggle to keep her voice calm and casual. She knew what she was about to do was risky, and she hadn't planned on doing it so soon. But even though she'd only met Kieran a few days ago, she already felt a strong bond with him. Something in Katie's heart was telling her that this was the moment, and she always listened to her heart. This was the time. This was her chance. She had to act now while the iron was hot.
