They were still sharing sweet kisses when she drew back, surprising them both.
He stared at her, his eyes filled with the familiar concern as his chest rose and fell while he attempted to catch his breath. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong, Sweetheart. There's just something I need to do. Something I should have done long before now."
When his face registered surprise, she kissed him softly, ensuring that his expression wasn't that of fear and she kissed him again, leaving no doubt about how she felt about him. "Don't worry. It's not what you're thinking. I love you, Niles."
He grinned and she was amazed at how easily the words left her mouth as though she'd been saying them forever. And in a sense she had, if only in her mind.
"I love you too, Daphne… But may I ask-."
"Would it be all right if I used your phone?"
He laughed out loud. "Of course you can! I meant what I said, Daphne. I want you to think of this as your home, whenever you need it."
Her heart fluttered and she kissed him once more. "Thank you. I won't be long. I'll just use the phone in my-I mean your room."
"Of course. You can have all the privacy you need. Use the phone in the study if you like."
"Niles, I can't thank you enough for letting me stay in your room. But now that I know, I think it's only fair that you reclaim it."
"No, Daphne. You're still my guest here and I insist that you keep it. I'll remain in the guest room. I don't mind at all."
"But I do!" She replied.
"Daphne, really…. It's fine. It's not any-."
She placed her palms flat on his chest and kissed the cleft of his chin; a feature she'd always found so handsome.
"I know it's not any trouble, but you've done so much for me already. More than you could possibly know. I want you to be comfortable."
His mouth curved into a slow smile that was almost mischievous. "All right. I'll take my room tonight. But only on one condition."
"And what condition would that be?" she laughed, trailing kisses down his neck. He smelled so good; the faint hint of his cologne was a mixture of musk and sandalwood. It made her senses ignite even further.
He pulled her into a kiss that left her breathless. "Stay with me, Daphne. Tonight. Please."
She looked at him in disbelief. "What?"
"I want you to spend the night in my room tonight. With me."
She was no stranger to spending the night with a man; she and Donny had been together a number of times in their relationship, but now she felt a bit of unease. Her hands once again on his chest, she gently pushed herself back. She wanted to spend the night with him, God, how she wanted to. She'd imagined it, dreamed of this moment oh, so many times. But the reality of it was that she simply wasn't ready. And she wasn't quite sure how to tell him.
It was when she felt his hands gently massaging her shoulders and his lips on her neck that she realized she'd turned in the other direction. "Daphne?"
Slowly she turned around and smiled shyly.
"Is everything all right?"
She took his hands and squeezed gently. "I love you, Niles. I do. And I always will, but-."
"But what?"
"I just don't think I'm ready."
As she feared his smile disappeared. "What?"
"I'm afraid it might be too soon… Us… tonight."
He sighed deeply and ran his hand through his hair; a gesture that worried her. "I'm sorry, Niles. I want to ...make love to you, but right now-."
"Daphne, I would never take advantage of you in any way or make you do something that you're not ready for. When I asked you to stay in my room with me, I meant for sleeping. I don't think I could sleep tonight knowing that you're alone in the guest room. It was hard enough when you were sleeping in my room."
She looked at him with worry, but he took her hand, as though reading her mind. "Please don't feel bad. I didn't mean it that way. I wanted you to have it. After all, you are my guest. But if I had only known how upset you were… and that I was the cause of it, I-."
"Stop." She said silencing him with a kiss. "No more apologies and no more blaming each other. It's time for new beginnings."
He drew her into his arms and held her; making her feel more loved than ever before. "You're right. This is a new beginning for us and I intend to do everything possible to make sure this… our love… lasts forever. I love you so much."
"I love you so much too, Niles."
He was staring at her now, his eyes searching hers for an answer to his question. "So… does that mean-."
"Yes. I would love to spend the night in your room with you tonight, Niles Crane. Thank you."
"I love you, Daphne."
"I love you, too Niles."
As they kissed, her heart fluttered at the thought of spending the night in his arms. It was like a dream come true.
