I chuckle. I haven't told her much about myself. The French just poured out of me in the park. It's a language of love, and it always helps to impress women.
I walk to her open plan kitchen. "Do you want coffee?" I ask.
"Please." She fiddles with the remote, putting on the DVD while I make coffee in the kitchen. I rummage through her cupboards, trying to find coffee and sugar. I knew where the cups were after my first night here.
When she has the movie ready and the coffee is made, I walk back to the living room and hand her a cup. I sit down next to her. She moves against me, pressing her body against mine. This is a surprise, although a pleasing one. It feels like a big step for her to make physical contact with me now so easily.
In the beginning, she’d held back so much. As difficult as it was for me to take things slowly with her, it's clearly working. I need to let her make the first moves. It isn't easy for me, considering it's so different from the way I do things with every other girl. But that's Nicole in a nutshell. She is different. Better. Worth it.
I sip my coffee and stretch my arm out on the couch behind her. I want to put my arm around her shoulders and pull her close to me, but not yet. I'll wait just a little, until the movie has been running for a while.
I like being with her. Lately, everything is different. I want to spend time with her, going on dates that are different or just spending time together doing nothing at all. I want to get to know her as a person. I can't remember feeling like this with anyone else.
I'm starting to fall for her. That has to be it. Out of all the girls I’ve been with, she has changed me. The worst part is the timing. I know it isn't supposed to be this way. I'm leaving in fourteen days. All I have left are two weeks. I can't just forget about her, though. I want to spend every possible minute with her that I have left.
When I leave, I'll get over it. I'll get over her. Right now, and until that happens, I won't even think about it.
The movie is interesting, but I can't focus. When I finish my coffee and her cup is empty
on the table, I put my arm around her shoulders and pull her closer against me. Her body is warm. I rub her shoulder with my hand and kiss her hair.
She looks up at me, tilting her face so I can kiss her on the mouth. I don't waste any time taking the opportunity.
She kisses me with abandon. It's nothing like before. She’d been so careful and hesitant before this. This time, it's as if she’s just waiting for me to make a move. She turns toward me, shifting on the seat. I put my hand on her cheek and kiss her deeply. The kiss turns from gentle to urgent quite quickly. Our lips mash against each other, almost like we're making up for lost time. She's breathing hard. My sex throbs in my pants, eager for release. I don't know if it's going to come, though. I don't want to get my hopes up too much. I want to savor whatever happens between us, and not be disappointed because things didn’t work out like I wished they would.
"God, Nicole, I want you," I say against her lips. Maybe it's too much, telling her that I want her. It wouldn’t be too much for other girls. Hell, it's fairly tame compared to what I’d normally say. But Nicole is different. She's delicate. One rough touch, and she’ll pull away from me. She'll reject me again.
I want her to know, though, and this is the lightest touch I can use. I want to be with her. I want all of her, not just the little bit she’s been giving me until now.
She hesitates just a moment before kissing me again. The urgency returns, and I'm relieved.
Nicole breaks the kiss and looks at me. Her eyes are the color of slate, deep and dark, not pale as they usually are. She swallows. She's breathing hard.
"I have to talk to you," she says.
My stomach tightens. When women stop kissing for a sentence like that, it's never good. I nod and loosen my grip on her. She doesn't move away from me. It's a good sign.
"What is it?" I ask.
She looks nervous. She won't make eye contact with me. She twists her fingers around each other in a way that can't be comfortable. I will her to get it out, but she hesitates.
"You’re driving me crazy, here," I say. The sentence has a double meaning to it. I just want her, and she keeps stopping me. The added suspense is about as much as I can handle.
"Okay," she starts. "I know that we haven’t really seen that much of each other. I mean, compared to some other people who know each other for a long time." She takes a deep breath. "Even though we haven’t spent that much time together, I feel like… well, we know each other. You know?"
I nod. I feel it, too. I keep quiet, waiting for her to keep talking. If I fill the silence, she might never unburden herself with whatever is bothering her.
"I guess, well, what I’m trying to say to you… I like you. I mean, I really do. I’m starting to fall for you."
She says the last part of her sentence fast, like getting it over quickly will make it easier.
A smile spreads slowly over my face. I brush her hair out of her face and trace her profile with my fingertips.
"You scared me there," I say. "I thought you were going to kick me out of the house again."
She shakes her head. "I didn’t kick you out. I didn’t mean it like that."
"I’m joking," I say softly. "Relax."