Liberated ° Steve Kemp °

▪︎° Chapter Four °▪︎

Riley almost groaned, her feet ached and her head pounded like someone was going to town with a jackhammer inside it. She knew it was due to her lack of a decent night's sleep and the lack of food she had consumed. But whenever she thought of her date with Steve and the kiss they had shared, she found herself lacking any regret. If anything, she felt it was worth it.

Even, after dealing with rude customers and arguing with her manager about her turning up to work late for the first time in her four years of working there. She still left work with a smile on her face and a warmth in her heart.

She walked out into the street with an exhausted sigh and a hand lifting to shield her eyes from the sunlight. Her hair, though freshly washed the night before, stuck to the sides of her face from the stress of her work day.

Meanwhile, across the street, Steve watched her with a charming smile. He leant casually against the side of his car with his hands tucked in his pockets and his heart racing excitedly. Just seeing Riley from afar made him instantly happier and any residual stress from work fade away.

It took all his will power not to just run across the street and scoop her up in his arms, especially when she turned her head and caught sight of him with the most sincere smile he had ever witnessed.

"What are you doing here?" she asked him after crossing the street and stopping just a few short steps in front of him.

Steve smiled and reached out, curling his fingers in the material of her coat on either side of her and tugging her body against his. He lifted a hand and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear while holding her gaze. "Well, you mentioned in your messages that you had a headache and hadn't eaten, so..." he turned slightly to reach into the open back window. Then, with one smooth motion, he pulled a takeout bag and some aspirin into view. "I picked these up and figured we could have a nice night in at your place. Put my medical training to some use." he smirked.

Riley chuckled and shook her head, "You're a surgeon. I'm pretty sure carving into my head wouldn't relieve me of this headache."

Steve also shook his head, amused by her comment before he spoke up once more. "So, what do you say?"

She hesitated, unsure whether allowing Steve into her private life further was sensible. Her apartment was hardly impressive, in fact, it was the complete opposite of that. She didn't want to scare him off so soon. What if his opinion of her lessened? Then she would be alone and unhappy once more.

"Riley?" he tilted her head up to look at him, which surprised Riley given she hadn't even realised that she had lowered it in the first place.

"I don't know..." she said thoughtfully, "my apartment isn't exactly impressive or big, and my neighbours are all drug..."

"Riley," Steve interjected while placing his hands on either side of her face comfortingly and holding her gaze. "I'm not suggesting we go to your place so I can judge where and how you live. My only intention and interest tonight is spending time and taking care of you."

His words broke through her self conscious wall, her doubt seeped between the cracks and faded away. And so, she nodded with a growing smile, her tense figure relaxing completely. "Okay," she said.

Steve grinned, "Yeah?"

Again, Riley nodded. Steve felt his heart skip an excitable beat as he leant forward, pressing his soft lips to her plump ones. This time, Riley barely hesitated. Her lips worked in passionate sync with his and her hands slipped to rest on his hips, gripping his coat tightly as though he and the moment would slip between her fingers and disappear completely - taking all the fresh light he had brought into her life with him.