There was perfectness to Colin Griffin that Nia suddenly found unsettling.
His consistency, punctuality, thoughtfulness, charm, overall reliability and their sexual chemistry - it was a lot for her to take in.
They weren't turn offs, but rather, a laundry list of turn ons and boxes checked.
It almost made Nia nervous that they were so compatible. She realized this late the night prior while meditating over her near misdemeanor with Malcolm. An epiphany within an epiphany. Like a turducken of insight.
Clearly, she was having difficulty trusting that Colin was who he said he was and was resisting spiraling into him by spiraling away from him. It was a classic case of cold feet. Duh.
They were approaching four weeks of growing 'relations' and Nia realized she should take this time to pour herself into Colin. She needed to water their garden of romance. Tend to the seeds that had already been planted, and simply help whatever was budding between them bloom.
And though she could have predicted it, Nia was still surprised when he arrived half an hour early to game night on Friday to help her set up. His small effort to show up - early at that too - made her feel good, happy even, and Nia knew that she was in no position to shy away from that.
"Hey Ni." Colin smiled as she opened the door. He filled up her door's frame wearing a fitted knit olive green t-shirt that clung to his arm's muscles, dark jeans and white Nikes.
"Hey babe." Nia hadn't ever planned to start using adorable pet names until seeing Malcolm and Zora last night compelled her to bring out the big guns. It wasn't that she necessarily suddenly wanted a relationship, but seeing them... made Nia remember how badly she loved security.
Above sex, stability and her schedule.
"Babe?" Colin grinned.
"Is it too much too soon?"
"Not from you." Colin said as he ran a thumb across her lips, gently rubbing off a bit of her gloss' soft pink pigment, subtly inspecting its transferability before kissing her softly. Nia silently thanked Colin for making whatever they had so easy.
There was no thinking, no second guessing, no doubts and Nia used those comforting thoughts to distract her from the absence of the usual sparks she felt flying between them.
"What do you need help with?" He asked after they broke away, as he was wandering around her apartment.
"Not much." Nia's eyes followed him as she adjusted her outfit. She was wearing a strappy white halter top, light denim jeans with a fringed hem and fuzzy brown house slippers. "I mean, I've got snacks and drinks out. Music's on, pizza's on the way. I think we're just missing the people."
"Oh, so I get you, unoccupied and undistracted, all to myself, right now?"
Maybe it was the way Colin spoke or the way or the way he was looking at Nia, but the tingle of sparks returned. Nia exhaled at her body's delayed reaction and settled into fanning the small flames of flirtation.
"Like you'd even have to ask." She grinned as he took a step towards her.
"I just wanna make sure I have time to kiss you the way I've been dying to since I got here."
"We have a bit of time." Nia said just before she relaxed into Colin's kiss, one of his strong hands firmly holding Nia's throat. Relief swept over her after heat blossomed in her chest, scorching over whatever dulled his effect on her earlier. Nia slipped her hands underneath Colin's shirt and wrapped them around his broad waist. Her fingertips played between the waistband of his jeans and boxers.
YOU ARE READING
The List that Lead the Logical Nia Birch to Fall in Love
Romance"Nia." Her name softly fell from his lips and she soaked in his sweet breath like a pancake to syrup. Her eyes were low and she was watching his chest rise and fall. She couldn't look at him just yet. She was frozen in place. With just this brazen...
