Afflicted

"I'm hanging up."

"And then he-"

I hung up on her and I looked up at Ryan, feeling my cheeks heat with embarrassment.

"What was that about?" he asked, pointing at my cellphone.

"Just Lacey checking in. She was teasing me about... getting caught out in the rain." I finished lamely.

"What was the sharing body heat thing about?" he asked with a half smile.

"Oh you know, survival one oh one, staving off hypothermia, she was just winding me up for going out without a coat." I shrugged.

"Why did you come out without a coat?"

"Well I left in a kinda hurry. I'd had a row with my folks."

"Oh." Ryan looked a bit uncomfortable and ran a hand over his fair hair before continuing. "So do you think you might have hypothermia?" he asked as he joined me on the bed.

"I doubt it," I laughed, wondering why he hadn't asked me what the fight had been about.

"Maybe I should warm you up to make sure." He leant forward and kissed me and I tried to cover my surprise at the sudden turn in the conversation as I kissed him back.

He moved forward pushing me back down onto the bed and kissed me again. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him closer as I willed butterflies into existence in my belly.

Ryan's breathing hitched up a notch as he kissed me with more urgency and his hand traveled to my bare thigh before starting to slide upwards.

I pulled back suddenly and caught his hand.

"Um Ryan, I'm not ready for that," I said gently, hoping not to piss him off.

"Right. Sorry, I just got a bit caught up," he replied with a grin as he sat back, leaving a small space between us on the bed.

"Maybe I should get my clothes from the dryer?" I asked. Covering up would probably help to drive the message home, although he didn't seem to be too upset by my rejection.

"If you have to," he agreed as he glanced at my legs.

"I'm sure you've seen me in much more attractive clothing than

your old t-shirt," I joked as I tossed a pillow at him and climbed off of the bed.

"Possibly, but I haven't gotten you in my bed before."

"There is that," I agreed as I headed for the door. He joined me and led the way downstairs to grab my clothes from the dryer.

I pulled my jeans on as he left me in the utility room and quickly swapped his shirt for mine. The clothes were warm from the machine and I wrapped my arms around myself hoping to preserve the heat for as long as possible.

I found Ryan back in the kitchen, searching through the cupboards. "I wasn't sure if you wanted anything to eat?" he asked.

Thunder crashed so loudly overhead that I could have sworn the window rattled. I leant forward to get a better look out at the pounding rain. The sky was so dark it almost seemed like night had fallen.

My cellphone buzzed loudly on the worktop and I answered it without checking the caller ID.

"Kaitlyn?" My mom asked anxiously. "Where are you? Please tell me you've taken cover somewhere?"

"I'm fine Mom," I sighed, wishing I'd checked who was calling before I’d answered. I geared myself up for round two of why I didn't want to stay in the city with them.

"This storm is turning nasty. They've put a warning out, can you get to a shelter?"