Rayne was rushing around the kitchen trying to put the finishing touches on the meal. She had gotten home a bit later than planned - stupid traffic. She pulled a dutch oven out and stirred the chicken and dumplings. The salad was chilling in the refrigerator along with a cherry pie. She wasn't sure why she felt the need to fix comfort foods tonight but it seemed appropriate. She knew better than to argue with her intuition. She scanned the room quickly to make sure nothing was out of place.
She quickly changed into a mid-length cotton summer dress with halter straps, and braided her hair into a loose knot braid. She began setting the table when she heard a knock at the door.
She opened the door with a smile to see Liam standing there and a pair of blue jeans and a crisp white button-up shirt. He had a bouquet of wildflowers in his hand and a bottle of sparkling apple juice. Hmm, she talked to herself, I guess that intuition was right. She took the flowers from his hand, kissing him on the cheek and welcoming him into the room. "Please come sit down. I'll just put these in some water and put the juice on ice."
"I hope it's alright that I didn't bring wine," he said. "I just felt that a home-cooked meal might be better with something more casual."
She smiled, turning to him, "Well we must be on the same wavelength because I made you some of my favorite dishes." As they ate and talked he marveled at the meal asking her how she learned to cook like this. "I spent most of my childhood with my grandmother, and she didn't believe in buying anything from the store unless you absolutely had to. I would spend summers in her garden picking fruit and vegetables learning how to cook, bake, make my own canned goods and so much more. Those summers were magical. I miss them very much sometimes."
Liam was mesmerized as he watched her talk. He could see the passion and emotion and her expression when she spoke of her grandmother. She had a far-off look in her eyes, with just a hint of sadness. "She sounds like an amazing woman."
"She was. She left this world 5 years ago." Rayne paused for a moment, pulling herself away from those memories. "Sorry about that."
Liam stood up and started helping to clean the table. "I wanted to thank you again for the book today. My customer was thrilled. I even recounted your story to help with the sale," he grinned as he spoke. "You really would make a great salesperson in my line of work. Your knowledge is priceless."
"It was no trouble. Besides, I liked getting to see that mischievous smile. It helped make the day go more quickly." Rayne replied as she shut the dishwasher door. Good grief, Did I just say that out loud? "Would you like to move into the living room and we can have our dessert while we watch a movie?"
Liam folded the kitchen towel and set it neatly on the counter. "So what shall we watch? What are your favorite kinds of movies?"
"Oh now that's a dangerous question," Rayne laughed. "I'm a very eclectic type. I can watch just about anything."
Liam flashed that smile and then stopped, locking eyes with her again "Yes, but what is your favorite? Here you made me all your favorite foods, so now, show me your favorite movie." While she looked around for the movie, he brought two cups of coffee and two pieces of cherry pie and then set them on the table. She put the movie in and grabbed some large pillows and blankets and fluffed them up on the couch so that they could become comfy.
"So what did you choose, darling?"
"My go-to movie is Ever After. It's a Cinderella story." Rayne answered, blushing slightly.
"Hmm," he laughed, "I didn't have you pegged for a Cinderella girl. When we first met, you struck me much more as a Brave or Elsa kind of Disney princess."
"Hey," she joked, slapping his arm, "I told you that was not a normal thing." He grinned back at her, loving her exasperated tone. "Now hush, this is an important part." She snuggled into his arms as they watched the movie. She thought he would make some smart comments about how happy it was, or how silly she was at the parts when she would tear up like when Cinderella's father died and when she almost lost the prince, but he just watched her. The movie was almost over before she realized he had undone the braid from her hair and was running his fingers through it. She shifted looking up into his eyes, they seemed to hold her in a trance. Liam leaned forward to kiss her, his lips softly brushing against hers. It was different than that first time, this wasn't a kiss from need or passion, this was something entirely different. She felt his hands around her bare shoulders pulling her into him, his lips pressing against hers again.
Liam could feel her pulse quicken when they kissed. He felt entranced by her. He wanted to hold her, to comfort her. She had given so much of herself already just in conversation.
Rayne pulled away, sitting up next to Liam. She took a deep breath, willing her pulse to slow. Slow down she thought to herself, even though everything inside of her wanted him to touch her. Her mind momentarily flipped back to that night at the club. Everything about that night had been so raw, so intense. She was trying to remember what he said to her. She was pulled back from her ponderings by Liam's hand on her cheek.
"Darling, what's the matter? Did I do something wrong?" He had a look of concern on his face.
"No Liam, like I said the other night in the restaurant our first encounter was not normal for me. I've not been very successful in relationships. I'm sorry if I'm sending mixed signals. I like you, I really do."
He leaned over his hand still on her face, kissed her gently on the forehead, and then gently on the lips. "I don't mind. I have no doubt that you are worth the wait. If it's not too late, would you like to watch another movie? Maybe I can pick this time." He asked with a devilish grin on his face.
"Do you already have a movie in mind?" she asked, giving him a side-eye glance.
"Of course! I spotted it on your shelf when I first got here, it's absolutely perfect. He walked to her movie cabinet and pulled out The road to El Dorado, the cartoon version. Well, that was completely unexpected, Rayne thought to herself.
He quickly put the movie in and as she started to ask him why he liked the movie so much he shushed her and said, "Hang on wait for it." Much to her surprise, Liam sang along with every single song. At one point he even got up and acted like Tulio himself. She was laughing so hard that tears began to run down her face and she couldn't breathe. He fell back on the couch beside her laughing at himself and at her.
She didn't know why she did it, but suddenly Rayne leaned over and kissed him passionately. Liam paused for a moment, but then leaned in and kissed her back. For a few moments, they sat arms tangled around one another exploring each other's mouths. Liam began kissing her softly on her neck and ear trailing down to her collarbone, her hands intertwined in his hair much like that first night. A soft moan escaped her lips.
Liam shifted her onto his lap, and she could fill the bulge in his pants hard against her cotton panties. She felt his hands run over her bare shoulders and back. She instinctually leaned into him. Liam's hand traveled over the triquetra tattoo on her back. Rayne felt a sensual electric sensation making her gasp and pull away.
"Rayne," Liam said quickly, "I'm so sorry. Here I just told you I would take things slow and now look at what I've done."
"No, it wasn't you. I kissed you first. But, I do think it would just be best if we took a few breaths and calmed down." She moved over to the other cushion on the couch and began to absentmindedly fidget with her ring, avoiding eye contact with Liam.
"I think maybe it's time for me to leave," he said standing up. A voice inside her head said, Don't let him leave. She didn't understand it but she knew she had to say something.
"It's late, why don't you just sleep here? I can make up the couch for you."
"Are you sure?" he asked, "I don't want to impose."
"You're not imposing, I would like for you to stay." She went to the hallway closet and grabbed another blanket and pillow. "Let me show you where the bathroom is," she said.
She opened the door across from her bedroom door and turned on the night light inside. "There are towels here in the hallway closet if you'd like to take a shower tonight or in the morning. Just be careful the hot water is a little temperamental."
He quietly laughed, "I'll remember that. I'm going to run down to my car if you don't mind and grab some things. I'm actually in town for a business trip, and my carry-on is still in my car. Please don't think I was being presumptuous, I just tend to carry it with me rather than leaving it in the hotel in case I ever have any spills or need to do a quick change before meetings."
She nodded and he left to go grab his overnight bag knocking as he returned. She opened the door and said, "You didn't have to knock, I was expecting you," as he grinned sheepishly.
He stepped into the bathroom and got changed into shorts and a t-shirt to sleep in. She couldn't help watching him as he tried to get comfortable on the couch. His body was perfectly sculpted. Poor guy was almost too tall for the couch; he was well over 6 feet tall.
Rayne turned out the hallway light and headed towards your bedroom. "Good night, Liam. Thank you for tonight."
"Good night Rayne and thank you."
She softly closed her bedroom door and changed into her nightgown. She wasn't sure what was going on, but she knew it was something. She knew she needed to pay attention.
Author's Notes: Predictions? Suggestions?