The next morning when Emma emerged from the bathroom after her shower, she nearly ran into Ruby, who was twisting around to look at herself in the full-length mirror.

"How do I look?" she asked.

Emma scanned her friend head to toe, taking in the low cut white blouse, very short jean shorts and high heels. "What are you going for exactly?"

"I already told you last night what I'm going for - to have my way with a sexy Irishman."

"How do you expect to go shopping all day in four inch heels? I can't believe you even packed them."

"One should always pack a pair of heels, Em. You never know when you need to make your calves look fantastic!"

"It won't matter how fantastic they look, if you can't walk by the end of the day."

"Then Graham will just have to carry me, I guess!"

Emma threw her hands up in resignation. "Whatever! I have to get ready. We should leave for breakfast in about fifteen minutes."

Laying some clothing choices out on the bed, she cursed herself for not packing a couple of nicer outfits appropriate for a date. Of course, she hadn't been planning to go out with someone when she packed. Was this a date…and could yesterday technically be considered a date?

She finally selected a red sleeveless blouse and tan walking shorts with black flats. Once she was dressed, she styled her hair in a messy braid that fell over her shoulder and carefully applied some light makeup.

"Ready?" she asked Ruby, who had just finished painting her fingernails with a fesh coat of red polish.

"Yep! You're gonna have to get all of my food for me so I don't mess up my nails."

"Will I have to feed you, too?"

"Possibly. I'll be like a baby bird and you can just drop it into my mouth," Ruby grinned mischievously.

Emma couldn't help smiling at her friend's antics, but she tried to hide it as she slung her small crossbody bag over her head. They left the room and Emma led the way down the hall to the elevator, while Ruby followed, waving her hands in the air to dry her nails. Their usual healthy appetites were a bit off due to their excitement of meeting the guys, but with all the walking they would be doing, they knew it was important to get plenty of protein and calories to fuel the day's adventures.

Their Uber driver delivered them to Disney Springs at 9:50 and they headed straight to the Lego Store. When they reached the appointed meeting spot, they saw Killian and Graham already waiting. Taking in Killian's tight gray T-shirt and navy cargo shorts, Emma felt a flutter in her chest, which intensified when he reached up to slide his sunglasses down to look at her over the top of them. It was the same move that drew her attention the day before, and she still thought it was sexy as hell.

He approached her with a dimpled smile. "You look stunning, Swan."

"Thank you," she replied, feeling a blush creep into her cheeks.

Ruby showed no restraint, running up to Graham with a squeal and throwing her arms around his neck. He caught her with a beaming smile on his face and started to swing her around before realizing it was too crowded, opting to lift her off the ground instead.

Emma reached down to tangle her fingers with Killian's. He glanced over at her with a surprised, but happy look on his face and gave her hand a squeeze. "Would you like to see all the sculptures they have outside first? Maybe take some pictures?"

"Sure. How many are there?"

"Besides this one," he said, gesturing toward the giant display of Sleeping Beauty's prince fighting the dragon, "there's Frozen and Star Wars characters, Mickey Mouse as the Sorcerer's Apprentice and Brickley the sea serpent in the lagoon."

The four of them stayed on the walkway in front of the store, marveling at the life-size Lego figures they saw and taking lots of pictures of each other posing in front of them. Emma was the most intrigued with the sea serpent out in the middle of the water. "Do you think they built it and then filled the lagoon with water? And is it a complete dragon or did they just make the parts you can see above the surface?"

"I've wondered about that myself," Killian said. "We could probably Google it to find out the answers."

Once they entered the store, Graham gravitated toward the Star Wars and Marvel area. Ruby was right beside him, his arm slung over her shoulder and her hand in the back pocket of his shorts.

Emma and Killian wandered around, looking at the different displays and Lego sculptures. She took his picture in front of the Hulk and he took hers beside Baby Yoda. "Are you a Star Wars fan?" she asked.

"I've watched the movies, but I'm not nearly as big a fan as Graham. He's probably over there geeking out over the newest sets. Wait until he sees that the one of the Millenium Falcon is $850!"

"Wow! Who would pay that much for a Lego set?"

"Some people are avid collectors; it's an expensive hobby."

After leaving the Lego store, they stopped at Starbucks before going to the World of Disney store. Emma and Ruby were drawn to the area where clothes for babies were on display. "Remember we told you our friend couldn't come with us because she's pregnant?" Emma reminded Killian. "We have to take something back to her from the trip."

Killian picked up a tiny pink onesie that said 'Disney Princess in Training' as he asked, "Do you know if she's having a boy or a girl?"

"She's not that far along yet," Ruby answered, checking the price on an infant sized set of Mickey Mouse ears. "I'm betting it's a boy."

"I'm not making any predictions yet," Emma countered. "M's is gonna be a great mom no matter what."

"Yeah, she did a good job raising us," Ruby smirked.

Both women left the store with a large shopping bag of souvenirs, including several things for Mary Margaret and the baby. They bought toys and clothing for both a boy and a girl, just to cover their bases, including the 'Princess in Training' onesie that Ruby declared was too cute not to buy. They continued on through several more stores, buying things now and then, but mostly enjoying the atmosphere of Disney Springs.

When they went into Disney's Days of Christmas, Emma found herself looking at tree ornaments with Killian. "Do you do a lot of decorating for Christmas?" he asked.

She shrugged. "Not a lot. We had a sad, little tree we put up in our apartment at college, but that was about it. Ruby and I inherited it for the apartment we live in now. I'd like to get a bigger one this year."

Killian was quiet, pondering whether he would still be in contact with Emma by Christmas. He certainly hoped so.

"Did you have any special Christmas traditions growing up?" he asked.

She was silent for so long, he thought perhaps she hadn't heard him. As she slowly placed a Donald Duck ornament back on the tree, she quietly said, "I, um, I didn't have a conventional childhood. I was taken away from my parents by CPS when I was three and never went back to them, so I grew up in foster care. I wasn't in one place long enough to know if they had any Christmas traditions."

He put his arm around her and squeezed her shoulder. "It seems we have some things in common, Emma."

"Not very pleasant things."

"Perhaps, but we both made it through and are doing quite well, wouldn't you say?"

She turned her face up to him and met his eyes, a soft smile lifting the corners of her mouth. "Yeah, we are."

He leaned down and brushed his lips across hers, happy to see her smile when he pulled away. "I'm assuming you'll need more ornaments for your new Christmas tree?" he asked softly.

"That would be nice. Will you help me pick some out?"

"It would be my pleasure," he grinned.

They spent the next thirty minutes discussing options and finally settled on a replica of the Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse statue from Magic Kingdom, Mickey and Minnie Mouse dressed as Santa and Mrs. Claus, Belle dancing with the Beast, and Rapunzel threatening Flynn Ryder with a frying pan, since Emma told Killian her favorite Disney movie was Tangled.

By the time they left the Christmas store, it was nearly two o'clock, so they began making their way back down the walkway toward Raglan Road Irish Pub. They arrived fifteen minutes early, checked in with the hostess and went next door to the Shop for Ireland, where Emma and Ruby teasingly held kilts up in front of the guys to get an idea of how they would look in them.

"Have you ever worn one?" Emma giggled.

"I haven't, but Graham has, haven't you, Humbert?"

A flush spread up Graham's neck all the way to the tips of his ears. "Aye, I've worn one on a couple of occasions. They're actually quite comfortable…and freeing."

Ruby laughed and ran her hands up his chest, locking her fingers together behind his neck. "I would love to see you in a kilt, Wolfman."

"Wolfman?" Emma questioned.

"Mmhmm. I'm his Little Red Riding Hood and he's my Wolfman," Ruby explained, nuzzling into his neck.

They left soon after to check on their reservations, and were seated in less than five minutes. Their table was very close to the main stage, where men and women were performing traditional Irish dances while a live band played.

Emma and Ruby asked the guys' advice on what to order as they pored over the menu. When their food arrived, each couple sat close together to share from each other's plate. The entertainment and food were both excellent and when they emerged back outside, they were all groaning from eating too much.

"Where should we go next?" Emma asked.

Graham and Ruby shared a look before she spoke. "Actually, we're planning to go back to the hotel now."

Emma's eyes widened as they shifted between the two people in front of her. "Already? But I thought we were going to be here until well into the evening. We were planning to go to Ghirardelli's for dessert later."

"Well, we plan to indulge in a different kind of dessert, along with dinner, a midnight snack and tomorrow's breakfast," Ruby said, with a huge grin on her face as she looked up through her lashes at Graham.

Killian smirked, but the smile faltered as soon as he saw Emma's face. "What's wrong, Swan?"

"Where am I supposed to stay tonight?"

Killian's head dropped a little and he scratched behind his ear as he fully realized the predicament Ruby's plans put her in. Suddenly, his gaze intensified as he stepped in front of her and took both of her hands in his. "At the risk of being too forward…"

"Says the man who snuck his name and number into her phone," Graham chuckled.

Killian shot him a look before continuing, "You're welcome to stay at our apartment. You can sleep in Graham's bed or I can take the sofa and you can sleep in mine."

"Or she can sleep there with you in it," Ruby threw in.

"Ruby…" Emma warned.

"I'm just saying, there are lots of options."

"I won't have any pajamas to wear…"

"I don't plan to wear pajamas…" Ruby interrupted again.

"Seriously, Ruby? I'm trying to solve a problem here."

"Why is it such a problem, Em? You're surrounded by stores. Buy something to wear or hell, borrow one of Killian's T-shirts. I'm sure he won't mind, will you, Killian?"

"Not at all. You're welcome to borrow one, if you like," he affirmed.

"You bought some new clothes at the Disney Store that you can wear tomorrow," Ruby went on. "I know it's an inconvenience to you, Em, but Graham and I only have a couple of nights together and we want to make the most of them."

Emma seemed to sag a bit when her friend said that. She knew Ruby had a point and she didn't want to deprive her of a chance to be with a guy she genuinely seemed to like. Turning back to Killian, she asked, "You really don't mind if I stay at your place?"

"Would you be comfortable doing that?" he queried.

A shy smile crossed her face. "Yeah, I'm good with it. If you were a serial killer, I think I would have figured it out by now."

His brows shot up. "You thought I might be a serial killer?"

"Well, you have to admit it was a little…weird for you to get my name and number from my phone."

He scratched behind his ear again. "Aye, it wasn't exactly my finest hour."

She reached out and took his hand. "No big deal. I think it worked out pretty well for both of us."

"Actually, for all of us," Ruby pointed out. "Well, if that's settled, we're gonna call for an Uber. You kids have fun!"

Emma gave her friend a hug. "Be careful, Ruby. Oh, do you still want to go to the water park tomorrow?"

Ruby turned to look at Graham. "We haven't talked about tomorrow yet. Do you have to go back to work?"

He stuck his hands deep into the front pockets of his shorts and rocked back on his heels. "I'm supposed to, but I, um, I think I'm going to call in and take the day off." He looked over at Killian. "What are you planning to do, Mate?"

Killian rubbed vigorously between his ear and sideburn with his index finger, his eyes on the ground. "I already called this morning to put in for the day off." He glanced up at Emma. "I hope I wasn't being too presumptuous, but I was hoping to spend more time with you."

HIs quiet admission made her breath catch and she took a step closer as she said, "I'm glad you did. Another day with you sounds like fun."

"Excellent!" Ruby exclaimed. "Are you guys good with going to a water park?"

Killian and Graham looked at each other before nodding in unison. "Sounds great!" Graham said. "Did you have one in mind?"

"Which one do you recommend?" Emma asked.

"We get a discount and free parking at Volcano Bay, since we're employees of Universal. We would be able to get discounted tickets for you, too," Killian answered.

"That's the one we were leaning toward, so I guess it's settled," Ruby said definitively. "Do you know what time it opens?"

"Nine o'clock, and it's best to get there early so we can find a spot to put our towels," Graham informed them.

"Emma and I will meet you at the hotel," Killian said. "I'll bring you a pair of swim trunks and anything else you need, Graham."

"I'll have to come up to the room to get my swimsuit and other things I need for the day," Emma told Ruby. "Give me a time when you'll be ready so I don't walk into an awkward situation."

"Whatevah could you be talking about?" Ruby teased, speaking in an over-exaggerated Southern belle accent and fanning herself with her hand. Graham laughed and looked at her adoringly as Emma rolled her eyes. Ruby grinned before giving Emma an answer, "Let's see - if we need to get there early, how about eight-fifteen?"

Killian looked at Emma, who gave him a slight nod. "Sounds good," he said.

They said their final goodbyes and Emma and Killian watched the other couple working their way through the crowd. Turning toward him, she asked, "Well, what now?"

"There are still a few shops at this end we haven't seen yet," Killian said. "We can check them out and then go back to Ghirardelli's to have our dessert, if that's what you still want to do."

"Is that what you want to do?"

He took her hands again and looked into her eyes, imparting the sincerity behind his words. "Your heart's desire, Swan. I promise that's all I want you to have."

She gave him a sweet smile and pushed up to her toes to press her lips to his. "I like your plan, Killian. Let's go."

They strolled down the sidewalk hand-in-hand toward the bridge crossing a small stream of water.

xxxxxxxxx

It took them two more hours to explore everything the west side of Disney Springs had to offer. By that time, they were ready for something to eat and made their way back to Ghirardelli's Ice Cream and Chocolate shop. They lingered over hot fudge sundaes, realizing as they sat there how much their feet were beginning to hurt.

"I can understand why Ruby wanted to leave early. Her feet had to be killing her in those heels!" Emma exclaimed.

"I don't think that's really the reason she wanted to leave," Killian grinned.

"Yeah, well, I would rather not think about what they're doing back at the hotel right now." She pulled out her phone and brought up the Uber app. "I'm gonna put in a request for a car."

"Let me do that, Emma."

"No, you're letting me stay at your place. The least I can do is pay for the Uber."

When he opened his mouth to argue again, she gripped his forearm. "Please, Killian. I feel bad enough for imposing on you tonight."

"It absolutely is not an imposition, but if it makes you feel better, go ahead." He recited his address and she made the request.

"It'll be here in less than ten minutes," she said, gathering up her shopping bags. He threw away their trash, then relieved her of the bags in one of her hands so he could hold it, interlacing their fingers.

They made small talk during the twenty minute ride to his apartment, recounting their favorite parts of the day and discussing the rides and attractions they liked at the Universal and Disney parks.

When they reached his place, she took in the surroundings. It was a very large apartment complex with at least a dozen buildings, all of them seven or eight stories high and nearly identical. They seemed a little shabby with some peeling paint around the window and door frames and weeds growing along the sidewalks.

He noticed her perusal and said, "It's nothing fancy, but the rent is reasonable and we don't spend a lot of time here anyway. Plus, despite appearances, it's pretty safe. No serial killers live here as far as I know…unless you count me," he joked, quirking an eyebrow at her.

She gave him a side eye glare. "Very funny!"

He chuckled and took her hand, leading her to the second building on their right. Taking his key out, he unlocked the entrance door which opened into a small lobby. "Our apartment is on the third floor. Do you want to take the stairs or the elevator?"

"My feet vote for the elevator."

Grinning, he led her straight down the hallway, punching the button when they reached the doors. They both fidgeted during the slow ascent, their nerves beginning to show as they thought about being together all night.

As they exited and started down the dimly lit hallway, Emma said, "I really am sorry about this. Ruby should have made other arrangements to be with Graham."

He turned to face her, bringing his free hand up to brush his knuckles against her cheek. "It truly is no problem, Emma. I enjoy your company very much and am quite happy to be able to spend more time with you."

"In all honesty, I'm glad it turned out this way, too. It will be nice to get comfortable, relax, talk a bit and get to know you better," she said, biting her lip with a shy smile.

He returned her smile with a soft one of his own before unlocking the door and ushering her inside. Flipping on the light, he said, "Apologies for the mess. Like I said, Graham and I aren't home very much, so we don't do a lot of cleaning."

Emma looked around the space, taking in the kitchen where they were standing. There were a few dirty dishes in the sink, but the countertops were clean and uncluttered. The living room just beyond also appeared to be fairly tidy. "It looks good to me. I swear I can't find our couch half the time under all of Ruby's clothes."

"What can I get you to drink? We have beer, rum, Coke, Mountain Dew, milk or water."

"A rum and coke sounds good. I thought about getting one last night when you were drinking them, but I didn't think it would mix well with those tropical drinks I had."

"No, probably not. Go ahead and make yourself comfortable."

She took the shopping bags from him and went into the living room. Sitting down on the sofa, she looked around, taking in the sparse furnishings and lack of decor. He had said they were just finishing out a lease for a friend, so it made sense that they didn't have any personal touches in the space.

Killian soon joined her, handing her a drink in a plastic cup with the Florida Tech logo on it. "We don't have any glasses," he explained.

"No problem. I know how it feels to be a poor college student." She accepted the drink and took a tentative sip. "Nice. Not too strong."

He sat down beside her and picked up the remote from the arm of the sofa. "Would you like to watch something?"

"What are the choices?"

"We have YouTube TV, AppleTV+ and Netflix."

"How about a movie?"

He flicked on the television and asked, "Comedy, adventure, horror, romcom…?"

"You would watch a romcom?" she giggled.

"I'm not ashamed to admit that I do enjoy a good romcom now and then, Swan," he said with a raised eyebrow.

"What's your idea of a good one?"

"Um, let's see… The Proposal, You've Got Mail, While You Were Sleeping, Miss Congenialty, The Lake House…"

"I honestly wouldn't call The Lake House a romcom, but I love that movie and haven't seen it in a long time. Is it on Netflix?"

"Let's take a look." He brought up the menu and began typing letters into the search bar.

"There it is!" Emma said, when he had entered the first five letters. He scrolled down and clicked on the title. "Oh, good! They do have it! I'll be able to get my Keanu fix."

"And I'll get my Sandra fix," he countered.

She almost spat out the drink she had just taken. "Touché. Seems we both like watching pretty people."

He turned to look at her fully. "I certainly do, and I've been lucky enough to look at a very pretty person for two days now."

"Are you talking about Ruby or Graham?" she teased.

He set his drink on the floor, then took her hands in his. "I'm talking about you, Emma. My first thought when I saw you yesterday was that I've never seen anyone as beautiful as you, and the more time we spend together, the more convinced I am of that fact."

She blushed and dropped her gaze, but he used his fingers to lift her chin. When she raised her eyes to meet his once again, she was nearly floored by the soft sincerity she saw within the brilliant blue depths. He leaned toward her and she readily met his lips, sighing into the kiss contentedly.

He scooted closer and enveloped her in his arms, sliding his mouth along her jaw and down her throat, darting his tongue out to taste her silky skin. Her hands spread out across his back as she craned her neck, desiring more of his hot, open-mouthed kisses. "Killian…" she gasped.

"Mmhmm?" he hummed, sucking gently on her pulse point.

"We…we should probably…s-slow down a little bit."

His tongue swiped lightly over the mark he just made, before he pulled back reluctantly.

"I'm sorry, Swan…"

"No, no. Don't be sorry. I…I really like you, Killian, but…"

"But we've only known each other a couple of days and it's moving a little too fast?"

She caressed the nape of his neck with her fingertips. "Yeah, something like that. I don't want you to get the wrong idea."

"About you or about what's happening between us?"

She chewed her lip as she contemplated. "I guess a little of both. To be honest, I don't date very often. I got burnt by a guy I was with for a few months my Freshman year in college, and it made me pretty leery of men in general. With you, though, I don't know, it feels…different. Like there's something there I haven't felt before, and it's…in a way it feels good, but it's also a little scary."

He wrapped his arm around her and eased her against his chest, nestling her head under his chin. "I don't want you to be scared, Emma. I don't date a lot either, and I know none of this has been conventional, but I'm glad you gave me a chance. I don't take that lightly. You could have considered me a stalker and blocked my number after what I did, and I wouldn't have blamed you at all; so having the opportunity to get to know you has been a privilege for me. I just wish we had more time together."

They sat quietly as the seconds stretched on, his hand running soothingly over her back as she closed her eyes and breathed him in. When she finally spoke, her voice was so soft, he had to strain to hear her.

"I…I have something to tell you, Killian."

The hesitance he heard made his heart pound. Licking his lips nervously, he asked, "You, uh…you're not going to tell me you're married or something, are you?"

The sound of her giggle helped him relax a little. She pulled back just enough to look up into his face. "No, nothing like that. Remember when you said your brother and uncle work at Boston Harbor?"

"Yes."

"Well, Ruby and I…we actually live in Boston."

He blinked several times as realization set in. "Are you bloody kidding me?"

She flinched slightly, not sure whether he was angry or just surprised. "Um, no. We live in South Boston."

A grin slowly spread across his face. "Liam and my uncle Nemo live in that area of the city, too," he said excitedly.

She breathed a small sigh of relief, then realized the implications of what he just said. "When you visit them, we will be able to see each other!"

His smile got bigger. "I'll do you one better. I'm moving there the second week of August to attend Boston University for my master's program."

She jumped to her feet. "Killian, that's…oh my gosh! Seriously?"

"Yep, and Graham is moving there, too. He's going into training to become a park ranger."

"Ruby is gonna be ecstatic! I wonder if Graham will tell her tonight?"

"I could be wrong, but I doubt if there will be a whole lot of talking going on between those two tonight."

Emma laughed and sank back down to the couch. "You're probably right about that." She picked up her drink and took a sip. "I bet you'll be happy to live closer to your family."

"Aye, and to my best friend and his girl, who also live in Boston. I expect them to get married before too long. They just found out a month or so ago that they're expecting a baby. David is beside himself with excitement. He and Mary Margaret are like the perfect couple."

Emma drew back to look at him with wide, disbelieving eyes. "David Nolan and Mary Margaret Blanchard? You know them?"

He looked puzzled. "Well, yes? How do you know them?"

"Mary Margaret was our roommate at college!"

It was his turn for his eyes to bug out. "Wait - she's the one you keep calling M's?"

"Yeah! We've always called her that! Mary Margaret is way too much of a mouthful to say, especially when we've had too much to drink!" Emma laughed.

He ran a hand through his hair. "This is incredible! I can't believe we have so many connections to each other!"

"I know!" They stared at each other, absolutely dumbfounded. Emma grinned in delight. "As the song goes, it's a small world after all."

He groaned, rolling his eyes dramatically. "Please don't get that song stuck in my head!"

She giggled, her eyes sparkling with mischief, and began singing it teasingly.

"Swan…" he growled, lunging for her. "I just told you not to sing that!"

She laughed and spun away from his grasping hands, scooting to the far end of the couch. "Why don't you come over here and make me stop?" she challenged, before continuing to sing.

He finally caught her in his arms and tried to cover her mouth with his hand, but she batted it away without missing a note. Then he began tickling her, but still she kept singing through her laughter. "Now you're asking for it, Swan," he warned before his lips covered her mouth.

The singing stopped as she sighed with pleasure instead, her fingers running through his hair. His tongue explored the warmth of her mouth for many long moments before he briefly pulled away. She took a second to catch her breath, then started to sing again. "I guess I'll just have to keep your mouth occupied," he murmured, his voice low and gruff. Dipping his head, he sucked her bottom lip into his mouth, prompting a moan from her.

"Are you going to stop?" he whispered.

"I will if you keep kissing me," she promised.

She felt him grin against her lips. "I think that can definitely be arranged." Where his kisses had been playful just moments before, now they were soft and sensual, his tongue sliding against hers sending shivers of pleasure down her spine.

He had his hands planted on either side of her on the couch, trying to keep his weight off of her, and she ran her hands up the strong cords of his forearms and past his elbows to his biceps. The combination of feeling his toned muscles under her fingertips and his talented tongue working its magic had her yearning for more than just kisses.

When her brain caught up with where her body was headed, she gathered every bit of her self-control to break the connection between their lips. "M-maybe we should…watch the movie?" she stammered, her voice sounding wrecked to her own ears.

He dropped his forehead to rest against hers. "I did it again, didn't I?" he mumbled remorsefully.

Placing her hands on both sides of his face, she encouraged him to look at her. "Please don't be sorry, Killian. You…god, you're very good at kissing! I just…I've got to keep myself from doing something I might regret later. I don't want to ruin what seems to be the start of a good thing and I…I…just really suck at explaining things, don't I?"

He sat up and took her hand to pull her to a sitting position beside him. "Emma, I don't want to do anything that would make you feel pressured or uncomfortable, and I apologize for pushing things too far. You're just…irresistible."

"It wasn't your fault. In case you didn't notice, I was kissing you, too."

"Oh, I noticed, believe me," he grinned, then grew serious again. "I agree that this feels like the beginning of something good, Emma, and I don't want to mess it up either. How about if we get into our pajamas, grab a snack, watch the movie, and go to bed?"

"Sounds good."

"Would you like to borrow one of my T-shirts to sleep in?"

"If you don't mind. You wouldn't happen to have any yoga pants, would you?"

"No," he chuckled, "but I can give you a pair of my athletic shorts. If you pull the drawstring tight enough, they might work."

Killian hopped up from the couch and headed into what she assumed to be his bedroom. He emerged a few minutes later wearing red shorts and a plain white T-shirt, and carrying a band T-shirt and a pair of black shorts, which he tossed to her.

She held up the shirt to read it. "The Eagles?"

"Are you mocking my choice of music, Swan?"

"Not at all. I love the Eagles!"

"Alright, then. You're allowed to stay," he said with a smirk and a lifted brow.

She rolled her eyes as she got up from the couch. "Where can I change?"

He led her in the same direction as his bedroom, but pointed to the room across from it. "This is Graham's room. I can't guarantee how clean it is, but he's not usually too messy. As you can see, the bathroom is straight ahead. The towels and washcloths are in the cupboard above the toilet if you'd like to take a shower tonight or in the morning."

"Thanks. I'll go ahead and take one now, if you don't mind. I want to make sure I shower before going to a waterpark, and there's no guarantee I'll wake up in time to take one in the morning." She went into Graham's room and shut the door, while he collected their cups from the living room and took them to the kitchen to refresh their drinks.

He was just pulling a bag of popcorn out of the microwave when Emma joined him after her shower, dressed in the shirt and shorts. "I appreciate you letting me borrow your clothes, Killian."

He nodded his head in acknowledgement. "No problem. I must say, they look far better on you than they do on me."

She gave him a lopsided smile and plucked a piece of popcorn out of the bag, tossing it into her mouth. He poured the rest of the contents into a large plastic bowl and asked, "Do you think this is enough, or should I fix another bag?"

"I'm not terribly hungry after the ice cream we had, so that should be enough."

"Okay. Can you grab the drinks, please?"

They settled onto the sofa, sitting close beside one another, and Killian started the movie. Midway through, the popcorn and their drinks were completely gone and Emma was snuggled into his side, his fingers playing with the end of her braid. "I should have taken that out," she remarked.

"May I?" he asked.

"Um, sure." She leaned up and turned halfway so it was easier for him to reach.

He gently pulled the elastic band from the end of the braid and handed it to her, then began sliding his fingers between the strands of the plait. Working slowly, he carefully untangled all the snarls.

"Your hair is so beautiful," he commented, continuing to comb his fingers through it, "like waves of gold."

"Thank you," she said, color tingeing her cheeks at his compliment. She leaned into him and he stopped his ministrations to wrap his arm around her, kissing the crown of her head.

When the movie ended, Emma stood up and stretched. "What time is it?"

He checked his phone. "Almost eleven."

She yawned, then bent down to collect their empty cups. "I think I'm gonna go to bed."

"Yeah, me too," he said, picking up the bowl and pushing to his feet. "I can take those to the kitchen. If you want to brush your teeth, there should be an extra toothbrush in the right drawer. You can use the toothpaste that's in there, too."

"Thanks," she said, placing the cups inside the bowl in his hands.

When she was finished in the bathroom, she opened the door just as he was coming out of his bedroom, colliding with him. "I've really got to be more careful when I'm coming out of the bathroom," she laughed.

He took the opportunity to wrap her up in a hug. "I can't say as I mind."

"Mmm," she hummed. "I don't either."

Their lips met in a tender, languid kiss. His hands moved into her hair, tilting her head to allow him better access. Hers slid around his waist and up the planes of his back, the soft fabric of his T-shirt tickling her fingertips.

Neither was in a hurry for it to end, but the necessity to take a deep breath finally drove them apart. "Goodnight, Killian," she whispered against his lips.

"Goodnight, Emma. Sleep well."

She pulled away from him and turned to go into Graham's room. Before closing the door, she stopped to look at him over her shoulder with a sweet smile on her face.

He stood there for several moments, staring at the closed door with his fingertips tracing his lips, remembering the warmth she had sent through him with her kiss and how very right she felt in his arms.

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