CHAPTER 13 - Addicted.
Violet knocked on Steve's door. She arrived a little earlier than the time they agreed on. It didn't take her as long to get ready as she thought. She hadn't been on a date since her and Patrick first started dating. She was slightly nervous.
She didn't have to wait long before Steve opened the door, greeting her and pulling her inside. Closing the door behind her, he leaned forward brushing his lips against hers.
When he pulled away, he got her to sit on the couch as he went into the kitchen.
"Sorry if I'm a little early." She called out to him resting her hands on her lap.
"Better to be early than late," He called back to her. "Do you want anything to drink?"
"What have you got besides water?"
"Juice, beer, white wine..." He listed the beverages he had. "And milk but I'm almost out of it so milk is off the list."
Violet laughed. "I'll have a beer for now."
He came back into the living room seconds later holding two bottles and handed one to her before sitting next to her.
"So what's for dinner?" She asked turning slightly to face.
"After the long day we've had I thought we could order in." He said taking her legs and pulled them over his lap. "That way we can both relax."
"Sounds great. What are we ordering?" She asked leaning closer to him.
"Pizza okay with you?" His hand ran up and down her upper thigh. His touch felt hot against her skin.
"Yeah, pizzas good," she smiled.
Steve's hand went to the back of her neck and pulled her closer. He gave her a quick kiss before grabbing the phone.
"I need to use the bathroom." She said standing up as he dialed number to the pizza place.
"Okay." She heard him say as she walked towards the bathroom. After closing the door she leaned her hands on the basin counter.
She still didn't know why it felt so natural with him. It was like they'd been dating for years not less than a day. She was guessing it was the connection they seemed to share. She'd never felt so strongly about someone, not even Patrick.
Thinking about Steve's kisses and his touch, she felt her start to heat up. His touch did things to her no other man had been able to do. His kisses were electric. There was a spark every time their lips connected. She already loved the way he made her feel - physically and emotionally.
But she wanted to wait before it turned into more than kissing and touching. She had moved quickly with Patrick and even though Steve was nothing like her psychopath ex, she was still afraid of getting hurt, not physically but emotionally.
She didn't want to hurt him either. He was a sweet genuine man who's quickly became one of her best friends, her shoulder to cry on and now her... She didn't know exactly what to call them. They hadn't said anything about labeling what their relationship is.
Once she cooled off a little, she walked back to the living room. Steve had the TV on, watching some movie that was on. She sat in the same spot as before and slung her legs over his lap.
"What are we watching?" She asked making herself comfortable.
"I don't know what it's called but it's filled with terrible acting" he answered placing one of his large hands back on her upper thigh.
"Then why are you still watching it?"
"I was gonna let you pick something to watch." He said handing her the remote. She took and flipped through the channels, stopping on a channel that was playing one of her all-time favorite movies.
"The Breakfast Club?" Steve questioned.
"It's a great movie, one of my favorites of all time behind The Lion King."
" Really? The Lion King?" He looked at her surprised. "I never figured you as a fan of Disney's animated movies."
"I may not have wanted to be a princess growing up but that didn't stop me from enjoying Disney movies." She said proudly, unashamed of her love for the cartoon movies. "Snow White, Alice in Wonderland, Cinderella, Pocahontas, I loved them all."
"I'm always learning something new about you." He smiled at the childlike gleam in her eyes. He was quickly learning that this woman sitting on his couch with him is certainly one of a kind... And he didn't want to let her go. "My sister loved those movies too. She wanted to be a princess though."
Violet laughed. "I'm guessing you were into the movies about cops and GI Joes."
He laughed also. "I was more into football and the outdoors than movies but there are a few I like."
"The quarterback that still holds all the records." She smiled. "All the quarterbacks after you tried to break your records but no one could."
"Last I heard someone came close to it. They were off by one." He smiled. "And his last name was Greyson."
"My brother. He had a full ride to any college he wanted to go to with a football scholarship." She told him with a sigh. "He really wanted to be one of the best quarterbacks ever."
"Injury?" He asked.
"If you want to call that injury mom," She frowned. "Mom wanted us to do what she wanted us to do. He argued the point and she gave him an ultimatum, his inheritance or a football career."
"Your mom seems like she's a real piece of work." He said pulling her closer.
"You have no idea."
"I'm glad you're nothing like her." He smiled.
"I could still turn out like her."
"You won't." he placed a quick kiss to her lips. "You're sweet, funny, kind, everything your mother isn't."
"You're too sweet." Violet blushed at his compliments. She was about to say something else when there was a knock on the door.
Steve moved her legs and stood up. He grabbed his wallet and went to the front door. He was back a minute later carrying two pizza boxes. After putting them on the coffee table he went into the kitchen and came back with two paper plates and some napkins.
"I got you ham and cheese since you don't eat ham and pineapple." He said sitting down next to her.
"Thank you." She smiled as she moved to grab herself a slice of the ham and cheese pizza.
"You're welcome." He said grabbing a slice of his own pizza.
-x-x-x-
"That had to be the best pizza I've had in a long time." Violet said after swallowing her last bite. She'd managed to eat three quarters of her pizza before she felt full. If Steve had something planned for desert she didn't think she could eat it right now.
"They're really good." Steve agreed. "I'm still trying to talk Danny into going there."
"I can back you up now." She smiled. "I plan on going there for pizza now."
Steve returned her smile and placed a quick peck on her lips before, putting the leftover pizza into one box and took it to the kitchen, throwing the other box away. He came back with two bottles of beer in his hand and handed one to her.
"This will be my last one. I still have to drive home." She said taking it from him.
"Or you could stay the night." Steve suggested.
"Would that be such a good idea?" she asked unsure.
"I spent the night at your place last night." He pointed out.
"I'd found out my friend was killed. I was upset and you were comforting me." She said. "You didn't have to stay."
"I wanted to make sure you were okay and it was a good thing that I stayed because you I woke up to you screaming in your sleep."
"I'm okay now." She lied. She knew as soon as she left her mind would go right back to Donna and Patrick. When she was with Steve or at work it gave her that distraction. It sounded wrong but right now she thought she needed the distraction. But spending the night with Steve, aside from last night because he was comforting her, she didn't know if it was too soon or not.
"Liar," Steve saw right through her lie.
"With you or when I'm at work I'm fine but isn't it too soon to be spending the night together?" she asked. "And last night doesn't count."
"If you don't want to stay, it's fine. I'm not going to make you." He leaned forward to kiss her.
"It would be good getting a full night's sleep without waking up from a nightmare." She mumbled against his lips. The night before, when she was asleep in Steve's arms she didn't have one bad dream. "I'll stay."
Steve smiled against her lips, deepening their kiss. Violet was quickly losing her battle with wanting to take their physical relationship slow. His kisses were like a drug and she was addicted.