Chapter 229 - Step By Step
Chapter 229 – Step By Step
Nate had long since realised that human women didn't function like female wolves. He couldn't use his charm alone, and he couldn't expect her to accept what her instinct told her to do.
Also, he knew how much Lara valued anything related to affection. He couldn't just spend the rest of the day imagining her naked body and waiting for the night. He had to think about how to approach her.
In the end, he did create a plan. It was perfect in his mind, but he was grown-up enough not to expect it to flawlessly go through.
After dinner, Lara sent the pups to sleep early. They were going to school the day after, and they weren't expecting any move from Nate since he had been so calm for two days. They didn't know the danger and just reached their beds and fell asleep after their mommy kissed their head and talked with them a little.
Then, she could finally have some time for herself.
She walked to Nate's room later in the evening, after showering and getting dressed. She even combed her hair and thought about applying some makeup. But then, realising she was going there to spend the night, she chose not to. She didn't want to leave lipstick stains on Nate's pillows!
She looked at her reflection one more time before getting up.
Maybe, she had been a little hasty to agree. It was the first time she felt like that, but it didn't mean she couldn't resist a bit longer. The Black Moon was behind the corner, after all. It was a couple of days, and her body would have calmed down.
Still, the electricity travelling through her belly felt nice. She was a little worried, about what she was going to do and also about herself. But it was worth it. She felt safe next to Nate, and they spent enough time together to know he wouldn't take advantage of her heart.
Every time, she had been the first to step forward because he was trying to respect her boundaries and fears. It was sweet, and she liked that they were taking it slow, but she also wanted to move forward. Yet, every time, she hadn't had the chance to bring their relationship further.
They had kids together, which meant they needed to be extra careful. Breaking each other's hearts at some point was out of the question because the option to just part ways wasn't feasible.
Her legs quivered when she stood in front of Nate's door, and the turmoil in her stomach intensified. Her heart started beating stronger and faster until the sound covered even her worries.
It was not just excitement but also nervousness and anticipation. As if she had waited long to take that single step.
She knocked, hoping her body would calm down if she moved. Yet, it didn't help one bit. Her heart went crazy, and she closed her eyes, trying to keep at least her breathing in check.
Nate could feel her body signals, after all. She had to calm down. She needed to look proper, happy, and relaxed.
When the door opened, she found him on the other side. He was smiling back, apparently calm. Nothing in the way he moved aside to let her enter made her think he was as nervous as her.
«Popcorn!» she exclaimed when the aroma of butter reached her nose. There was a giant bowl on the table, next to a pair of soda cans and a bottle of fruit juice.
«At first, I thought we could drink a glass of wine. But then you might have disliked it, so I came up with a less… with ehm… With popcorn and fruit juice.»
«Awesome!» she said. «It's not that I don't trust you, Nate. But I'd prefer to remember whatever happens today… Do you understand me?»
«Yes,» he said. «It's the reason why I chose popcorn. I also want you to remember.»
His words, even though innocent in his mind, made her blush to the tip of her ears.
«You can choose the movie,» he added, moving to the sofa and opening the bottle to pour two glasses. His brain had over-thought during the day to come up with the right idea; he had no more neurons left for chatting. Moreover, Lara's scent in his room made it even more difficult to connect two words into one sentence.
She sat on the sofa, observing him with a curious look. She was a little nervous, but she didn't seem frightened by him. It was a good sign, wasn't it?
He made the chosen movie start, and he sat next to her.
To his surprise, it wasn't a romantic story. Rather, adventure. Oh, not that it would have made any difference to him. He wasn't going to focus on the screen either way.
A couple of minutes later – just the time for Lara to focus on the plot – he was already moving forward with what he assumed were the steps of gradual approaching. His arm leaned on the sofa, on the backrest, right behind Lara's head. There was no skin contact yet, but he knew he couldn't just hug her. He had to go by steps!
He relaxed on the sofa, reaching out to the popcorn Lara was holding on her lap. She was eating one after the other, hypnotised by the movie. Her eyes didn't miss a single detail of it, so much that Nate started feeling a little annoyed.
Maybe, they could just drink wine and talk after all.
However, even though the movie took her attention far from him, her expression was cute. Just like Scarlet, she would lose herself in the scenes and stop eating when there was something going on. She would wait for the action to finish, her hand midway to her mouth, before returning to eat once the tension was over.
Nate sighed. He could spend his life watching her like that.
Without even noticing, his arm had reached her shoulders. He wasn't planning to move so fast, but it just happened. Like many things in their relationship.
«This story is awesome!» Lara commented, turning to him. «I have wanted to watch it forever, but I've never had the time… And, well, I had other priorities.»
Oh, but he didn't need any dumb plan to get to her.. He could just let things flow their own way.