A Step Closer to Love

Arabella waited a minute before she saw Kieran coming towards her. He opened the car and she got in and locked the door before he could do it for her.

“You are angry, Why?” he asked as he closed his door.

“It’s nothing,” she said sulking. She had thought it over and the reason she was angry at him was not viable enough.

“What is it?” he asked turning to her. He hated how he felt since she was sulking. He felt like he had done a lot of trouble and it was only his first day of dating her.

“It’s nothing, let’s just go” she said giving him a forced smile.

“How can we just go? We would not have a good time if we just went and I would be uneasy thinking about what I did wrong” he said tapping the steering wheel gently. “We are not leaving this place until I hear the reason you are angry with me”

“Is it because I discussed it with Aurora without first asking you?” he asked trying to run down the activities of the day in his head to see what wrong he might have done.

“No”

“I don’t want you to think I just did it, I only did that so she does not bully you anymore, I know how much of a bully she can be and I don’t want her troubling you so I just spoke with her and the truth came out” he explained.

Arabella could not lie she was touched by his gesture. He had thought that far and even gone the extra mile to achieve his goal. She wanted to say thank you but remembered that she was still sulking. “I already said it’s not” she let out crossing her hand over her chest.

“Then what is it?” he asked and the car fell silent. “Can you please tell me? I feel uneasy”

“Fine,” she said biting the inside of her mouth. “I guess the reason is stupid”

“Just tell me, I don’t think it’s stupid,” he told her touching her hand gently. It was as though he was afraid to touch her so his touch lingered only for a second before he recoiled his hand.

“I just thought we would have lunch together but it turned out that way”

“That was beyond my control but I guess I should have explained and apologized”

His response made her feel all the worse, why did she have to bring it up? She should have just let it go and acted like a big girl.

“I should not have brought it up” Arabella said trying to dismiss it.

“I am sorry,” he said reaching for her hand again. This time the touch was longer.

“I am also sorry, I don’t know why I was sulking” she confessed. “I guess this new feeling is overwhelming” she added.

“I understand, I feel the same” he said reassuring her as his fingers made circular motions on the back of her hand.

“Can we go now?” he asked and she nodded.

“Next time, tell me straight away and I will fix it” he said taking her hand up and leaving a small kiss on the back.

“I will”

“Do you have anywhere in mind?” Kieran asked Arabella as they drove out. Now that she was no longer sulking she was radiating happiness with the smile on her face.

“I know nowhere in this city” she said shaking her head. “Anywhere would be just fine”

“Okay then I would pick it,” he said tapping into the GPS and then allowing it to lead them. “Want some music?” he asked when the silence became too much.

“We could talk instead..” she trailed off.

“About what?” she shook her head for lack of ideas.

“I want to talk with you but I don’t want it to be forced” he said and it made sense to her. She would also prefer it if all the conversations they had were not born out of the need to talk but because they wanted to share with each other.

“Music it is then,” Arabella said.

“Connect your phone then” Kieran said setting it up for her as he tried to keep his eyes on the road.

“Eyes on the road, I can do that” she said tapping his hands away. She connected successfully before she began to shuffle through all her music to find a perfect one for the mood.

She was an emotional and romantic girly so everything on her playlist was the same mood.”This should do” she said finally when she got something that did not move her to tears.

They got to the restaurant and had a good meal. “I must confess the meals here are really good,” Arabella said as they walked back to the car.

“They are” Kieran nodded in agreement. They were so close that their hands were almost in contact. He was so tempted that he wanted to slip his hands into hers and hold it tightly but did not want to creep her out or seem forward.

“You know usually when people go for dates the man holds the woman’s hands like he has no intention of letting go” Arabella blurted.

Kieran gave her a strange look as she tried to look ahead and not at him. “I did not want to creep you out” he said and she gave him a puzzled expression.

“Creep me out? I thought we were dating” she asked and he nodded. “We are” he mouthed slipping his hands through hers.

“I think I have the perfect idea” she let out as he helped her into the car. He closed the door and rounded the car to the driver’s seat.

He got in and bent over to help her with her seatbelt. She felt her breath hitch in her throat as his cologne filled her nose.

“What’s your idea?” his voice broke off her thoughts and she looked at him blinking multiple times.

“What?” she let out.

“You said you had an idea” he reminded her.

“Oh yeah, my idea, since you are from here and you seem to know a lot of great restaurants. Let’s have a date every day and you get to take me to eat in every great restaurant here” she said gleefully.

“I would even take you to the restaurant out of the city,” he said with a wink before putting on his seat belt and then starting the car.

Arabella was tempted to tell him how hot and sexy she found what he just did but she decided against it. The rest of the car ride back home was filled with occasional small talk from both of them.RêAd lat𝙚St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only