CHAPTER 18
Lara lifted her bag onto the conveyer belt then walked through the metal detector.
She was just buying a cup of black coffee from a small café near the boarding lounge when she felt a hand settle lightly onto her waist. She didn't even have to turn to know who it was. There was just something so distinctive about the way he touched her; as though she were the most fragile thing in the world.
"You sir, are late!"
She heard him chuckle before he answered. "I'm not late, you're early"
Lara took her cup from the counter and turned with a smile to give him a quick kiss. He was smiling widely.
"You're late!" she insisted as she moved towards the seating area, she looked up at him as he sat down next to her. "You're grinning like a fool! What's wrong with you?"
His grin widened even more "nothing's wrong with me. I'm just smitten with a gorgeous woman"
"Ah," Lara nodded as she sipped her steaming coffee "that waitress seemed to like you too"
"Ha, Ha! Not funny. You know exactly who I'm talking about"
"Oh," Lara held the coffee out to him keeping hold of the cup as he took a quick sip "do I really?"
"Don't play dumb Lara; I know you better than that."
"But Riley, darling I have no idea what you mean" Lara was playfully mocking him as they waited.
"Shall I spell it out for you My Lady?" he teased back
"Hmm, please do sir"
"Ok then. Y-O-U"
"Erm, 'You' what?" Lara was enjoying herself as she watched Riley taking her bait and becoming inpatient.
"No, I meant 'you'!"
"Me? What have I done?"
"I meant that I.. oh never mind! Just forget it" he turned away slightly and looked across the other side of the lounge.
Lara rolled her eyes as she took another sip of her coffee, she took too much and the hot liquid burned her. She placed the plastic lid on the foam cup and placed it by her foot to let it cool slightly. Slowly, she moved to whisper into his ear.
"I'm rather smitten with you too"
Riley's head turned, his eyes were still slightly annoyed. "do enjoy playing me like that?" he was trying his hardest to give her a hard time about it but the truth was he didn't really mind.
Lara only leaned back and pouted, "Riley," she placed the tip of her index finger against her lower lip. "I burned my mouth!"
The look she gave him, melted away any irritation that was left, and he smiled as she said the next part.
"Would you mind kissing it better please?"
Riley faked a heavy sigh and turned to her fully. "If I must" They were both smiling as they moved closer together, meeting in the middle.
Eventually, they separated. Riley leaned back in his seat and placed his arm around the back of Lara's as she picked up her cup. She was removing the lid again as she leaned against Riley. He was stroking her hair as she drank.
Lara had never been good at showing affection to men, but with Riley it was different, it seemed to come naturally to her, and she had to admit that she liked it a great deal.
"Are you going soft man?" the voice came from behind them. Riley turned his head and Lara saw his jaw tighten as he set eyes upon the owner of the voice.
Lara lifted her bag onto the conveyer belt then walked through the metal detector.
She was just buying a cup of black coffee from a small café near the boarding lounge when she felt a hand settle lightly onto her waist. She didn't even have to turn to know who it was. There was just something so distinctive about the way he touched her; as though she were the most fragile thing in the world.
"You sir, are late!"
She heard him chuckle before he answered. "I'm not late, you're early"
Lara took her cup from the counter and turned with a smile to give him a quick kiss. He was smiling widely.
"You're late!" she insisted as she moved towards the seating area, she looked up at him as he sat down next to her. "You're grinning like a fool! What's wrong with you?"
His grin widened even more "nothing's wrong with me. I'm just smitten with a gorgeous woman"
"Ah," Lara nodded as she sipped her steaming coffee "that waitress seemed to like you too"
"Ha, Ha! Not funny. You know exactly who I'm talking about"
"Oh," Lara held the coffee out to him keeping hold of the cup as he took a quick sip "do I really?"
"Don't play dumb Lara; I know you better than that."
"But Riley, darling I have no idea what you mean" Lara was playfully mocking him as they waited.
"Shall I spell it out for you My Lady?" he teased back
"Hmm, please do sir"
"Ok then. Y-O-U"
"Erm, 'You' what?" Lara was enjoying herself as she watched Riley taking her bait and becoming inpatient.
"No, I meant 'you'!"
"Me? What have I done?"
"I meant that I.. oh never mind! Just forget it" he turned away slightly and looked across the other side of the lounge.
Lara rolled her eyes as she took another sip of her coffee, she took too much and the hot liquid burned her. She placed the plastic lid on the foam cup and placed it by her foot to let it cool slightly. Slowly, she moved to whisper into his ear.
"I'm rather smitten with you too"
Riley's head turned, his eyes were still slightly annoyed. "do enjoy playing me like that?" he was trying his hardest to give her a hard time about it but the truth was he didn't really mind.
Lara only leaned back and pouted, "Riley," she placed the tip of her index finger against her lower lip. "I burned my mouth!"
The look she gave him, melted away any irritation that was left, and he smiled as she said the next part.
"Would you mind kissing it better please?"
Riley faked a heavy sigh and turned to her fully. "If I must" They were both smiling as they moved closer together, meeting in the middle.
Eventually, they separated. Riley leaned back in his seat and placed his arm around the back of Lara's as she picked up her cup. She was removing the lid again as she leaned against Riley. He was stroking her hair as she drank.
Lara had never been good at showing affection to men, but with Riley it was different, it seemed to come naturally to her, and she had to admit that she liked it a great deal.
"Are you going soft man?" the voice came from behind them. Riley turned his head and Lara saw his jaw tighten as he set eyes upon the owner of the voice.