Chapter 9

                                                 

Disclaimer: No copyright infringement is intended. The title is based (like I really need to tell any of you this...) a song written by Harry Styles. All rights reserved. Bex and original characters are mine...One Direction...not so much. Enjoy!

ALIVE

                                      Chapter 9

Morning

April 1, 2015

I wake to my phone blaring “I’ll Tell Me Ma” and sweating my ass off.

Before I can answer the phone, I have to untangle myself from the octopus with the mop of curls I’m pinned to.  I’m able to turn over and face him, but his grip tightens.  The phone stops and I take advantage of the silence to look at the man next to...nope, make that wrapped around me.

Sometime during the night, the black t-shirt has been removed. I move slightly and can feel the cotton material of his basketball shorts on my thigh.  I’m relieved and mildly disappointed.  His hair covers his face in a mass of dark ringlets.  I reach up and gently brush a few back so I can see him.  He lets out a small groan and nuzzles his cheek into the pillow.  His eyelashes are thick and dark lying against his cheeks.  There’s no furrowed brow or clenched jaw.  He looks serene.  I lift my hand to move another curl from his face,but he flips quickly onto his back, his right arm lands on the pillow next to his head. The left is still wrapped around my torso. All of his tattoos are now on display.  Two small crosses with the initials M & K beneath them are the first things I see.  My eyes travel over the sparrows and things decorating the top of his chest. He sighs heavily and scratches at his belly in his sleep.  I look at the strange butterfly just below his pecs. I kind of want to trace it with my finger, but I’m afraid to actually touch him.

“Stop staring at my nipples...” He croaks.

I lift my head in surprise, “I...I was looking at your butterfly.”

“Yeah, that’s what everyone says,” he laughs and pulls the sheet up over his chest.  He tucks it under his chin and grins at me.  All sleepy face cute.

Fucking Dimple.

“Your nipples are up here,” I say pointing at the sheet. “Why did you put a butterfly on your chest?”

“I don’t know...seemed like a good thing to do at the time,” he runs a hand through his hair.  “Possibly to draw attention away from the other set of nipples I have.”

“What are you talking about?” I ask pulling on the sheet.  He grips the material tighter.

“No...they’re mine. I’ll share when I’m ready!”

“You can’t throw out information like that and not let me see, Styles!” I laugh and sit up.  I tug on the sheet harder.  It comes down just a little, but he yanks it back up.  I reach for it with both hands, but he’s quicker.  With my wrists firmly in his hands, he flips me over on to my back.  

“Not gonna happen, Bex,” he laughs as he looms over me.  

“H?”

“Bex? Are you up?  Have you seen Harry?”

The two of us look at each other in complete horror as Cal calls our names.  Before we can separate, Cal is standing in the room.

“What in the hell ?!?!?”

We both look over at our mutual friend. He’s not happy. At all. Harry releases my wrists and sits up.  

“It’s not what it looks like, Cal,” I say holding up my hands.  “We were goofing around.”

“Get dressed. I’ll be out in the living room,” he says walking out.

“Oh shit...”

“Fooking hell...”

I scurry off the bed and rummage around for something to wear. I throw on a pair of yoga pants.  Finding a t-shirt on the floor, I turn my back and rip off the tank I was wearing.  

“What happened to your back?” Harry asks.

“Goddamn it,” I say under my breath as I turn, pulling the shirt down all the way.  “Can we talk about this later? I’m pretty sure Cal already thinks we’ve done the deed. We don’t need to keep him waiting.”

“Were you burned?” He asks as he walks over and spins me around.  He lifts the back of the shirt up, “Jesus...who did this to you?”  He pulls the back of my pants down and surveys my scars.

“Please?” I plead softly, not looking at him. He sighs, as I turn my head and look at him.  His green eyes meet mine.  There’s a mixture of emotions behind them.  Anger, fear, confusion...but not the horror I expect. “I’ll explain later.”

He looks back down one more time before gently putting my clothing back in place, “Okay.”

I head for the door, but stop as Harry yells, “You’re wearing my shirt!”

I scamper back to my suitcase and pull out the first shirt I can find, “Here!”  

“Cool...the Stones...” He says as he pulls his arms through my favorite t-shirt.

“Just don’t ruin it!” I point my finger at him. “It’s my favorite.  Come on.”

We hurry out of the room to find Cal pacing in front of the couch.

“Cal...” Harry says quietly as we approach. He sounds like a scared boy meeting a girl’s father for the first time.

“I’m going to say this once...” Cal starts, pointing between the two of us. “You’re both adults. It’s none of my business what you do...but...If you hurt her in any way...I will hurt you ten times worse, Harry.”

“Cal!  STOP! Nothing happened,” I say stepping towards him.. “I was upset. He helped me and was an absolute gentleman.  And even if there was something going on, you are not my father. I am a grown woman and I’ll decide whom I get involved with.”

“I promise you, Cal. Nothing happened. It’s not gonna happen.  We’re just friends,” Harry says matter-of-factly.  The tone strikes a chord.  The feeling of rejection catches me off guard. I gasp involuntarily causing him to look at me.

“Um...okay... uh...now that that’s settled...” I try to hide any disappointment in my voice. “What did you need?”

“Breakfast meeting in twenty in the other suite,” Cal says gruffly and walks out.

A weird sadness sits in the pit of my stomach.  I feel the sting of Harry’s declaration, despite the signals he was sending out last night. I also fear that I’ve given Cal a reason to doubt my morals.  

“Rebekah?” Harry’s voice sounds miles away.

“I’m...I’m just gonna...” I stutter as I point to my private portion of the suite. “You can go ahead. I’ll...um...I’ll be there soon.”

“Rebekaahh...” He calls after me as I make my escape.  I shut the door quickly, before he can follow.  Emily’s favorite Irish song plays through the room again.  I hurry up on to the bed and retrieve my phone from the nightstand.

“Hey...”

“What’s wrong, Hun?” Emily’s soft irish brogue makes me miss home.  She knows me too well.

“It’s nothing...what’s up?”

“Are you coming home soon?” She whines into the phone.  “I need a drinking partner!”

“I should be flying home on Sunday,” I say checking to see if I need to shave my legs. Deciding I don’t, I shimmy into a pair of shorts while trying not to drop the phone.

“Yes!  First thing we’re doing...going out dancing!”

“We’ll see, Em. You know I’m not much of a dancer.  Is there anything else you needed?  I have a meeting in about fifteen minutes.” I pull the black t-shirt off and toss it into my suitcase.  

“Is it okay if Soph uses your room? She’s staying for a few days. What do you think about flying to England with Gray?  I told her I could meet you two,” she says quickly into the phone.  

While trying to clasp my bra, I drop the phone, “Hell! Hold on, Emily!”  

Once I get it on and a new shirt in place, I pick the phone back up, “Sorry... yeah,  Sophie can use my room. You’ve got the baby shower right?  You know Gray’s family parties are always a riot.”

The last one we were invited to ended with her brother-in-law knocking down a wall just because her mother, Susannah, decided she wanted an open plan...right then and there.  

“Hopefully there won’t be anymore home renovation at this one. It was more like Home Destruction though,” Em laughs.

A tentative knock on my door makes me jump, “Hold on, Em...Yes?” I call out.

“Are you ready? Do you want me to wait?” Harry calls through the door.

“No, go ahead. I just received an important call.  I’ll be there as soon as possible,” my voice is void of any emotion.

“Okay...”

“Soo...something tells me things are not alright between you and the roomie, Bex.  Tell me what happened?”

“It’s nothing...we’re friends. That’s it...no issues.”

“Ahh...I see,” she says in her “doctor”  tone.

“Don’t use that tone on me, Emily,” I growl as I pull a brush roughly through my hair. “There’s absolutely nothing going on that you need to analyze.”

“Uh huh...sure.  Go to your meeting.  When you feel like talking about what is really going on...call me, my dear.”  She says before hanging up quickly.  She always does that and it pisses me off.

I growl in frustration and jam the phone into my back pocket. Looking at myself in the mirror, there’s nothing I can do with my hair but pull it up.  I grab a hair band before pocketing my key card.

I grumble to myself the entire fifty or so odd feet between the suites.  

“Morning, Bex...how are ya?” Niall asks as I knock on the door.

“Just fucking peachy...” I answer as the door opens.  Liam’s eyes nearly fall out of his head at me.

“Morning, Love...Irish,” he says as I push past him. “Who took a wee in her porridge this morning?”

I head straight for the coffee as Niall answers, “My guess is probably Harold...”

The room is quiet, which has me to looking around for everyone else.  Harry, Cal and Dale are off in one corner talking.  Paddy and Basil are nursing cups of coffee at the conference/dining table and Louis is nowhere to be found.

“What do you mean she’s not flying with us?!?!?” Cal yells.

“Jesus...day keeps getting better,” I mutter and take a spot at the table.

“Rebekah...what the hell are you doing?”

“Having a cup of coffee...you?” I answer Cal like a smart ass.

“You’re flying out Friday? That’s a terrible idea. Right now, you’re my employee...you’re technically an employee of the boys...we’re responsible for your safety...”

“Oh for god's sake...I’m staying an extra night or two...I’ve traveled the world, in some very dangerous places I might add, by myself.  It’s no different. If you’re worried about the concert, I’ll be there Saturday morning bright and early.”  I stand in anger, pushing back the chair a bit too hard.

“Rebekah, I’m not worried about the concert. I’m worried about you,” Cal says looking at me with more disdain than I’ve ever seen.

I glance at the snitch on the other side of the room, “Thanks for this.”  

Without saying goodbye, I leave the suite.  I can hear Cal and Harry calling after me as the elevator doors close.  I walk straight out the front door of the hotel.  There’s a group of girls in one direction paraphernalia at the entry gate. I turn to my left and walk away from everything going on in that damned place.

I’m angry.  Angry at Harry.  Angry at myself.  Angry at Cal.  

I’m not some teenage girl who has no life experience. I’ve done and seen more things than anyone my age could ever dream of.  So why am I letting a twenty-one year old man turn me upside down?  Why am I suddenly being treated like I’m ten by a man I consider a mentor and friend?  I’ve been traveling for years on my own.  I’ve always made it home safe and sound. Except for that once.

My mind races back to mine and Harry’s exchange this morning.  I knew in the elevator the other night that his hand skimmed the scar on my lower back. I didn’t think when I changed shirts in front of him. I’m usually very careful about it.  I always make sure my clothing covers it.  Dresses, like I wore to dinner,  are chosen with absolute certainty that my lower back isn’t on display. Bathing suits too.  The day I was injured was the one and only time I left an assignment not of my own volition.  

I hadn’t even told Cal or Ben of the incident. I can only speculate that my father may have told Ben. He’s never brought it up to me. I’m not naive to think that Harry may have mentioned what he saw to Cal.  

The anger at Harry intensifies as I think about all that has happened in the last few days.  The almost kisses...comforting me when I was upset. He talked a good game last night, telling me he was intrigued by me.  Rejection is a bitter pill to swallow, even when you don’t think it’s a good idea to be involved with someone.  Or when it’s by someone you love.

As I laid there last night, I almost talked myself into giving him a chance.

Almost.

                                                       ~</3~

After roaming the grounds for a few hours, I return to the hotel.  I’m hungry and sweaty from my walk.  I order a burger from Reuben's and find a table in the shade. Pulling out my phone, I dial Emily.  

“Hello, my dear...calling back so soon?”

“Please...I’m not in the best mood at the moment,” I groan into the phone.

“Sorry.  What’s going on?” Emily says.  I can hear her heels on the wood floor of the house.

“Are you just getting home?” I ask realizing the time difference.  It’s four in the morning there.

“Yeah, I helped Mick out with a private party.  We just finished cleaning up.”

“Long party.  How’s Uncle Mick?”

“Good, but you’re not getting out of telling me what’s going on...” Em laughs.

“Well, Doctor Delaney...you see...I don’t think I made the best decision coming here,” I sigh.  “Cal’s upset with me. I’m developing feelings for a twenty one year old and I made a promise to a child that has caused everyone to think I’m incapable of taking care of myself.”

“That’s a lot going on...let’s deal with Cal first. What happened?”

“All three go hand in hand, actually.  He found Harry and I in a...compromising position this morning. Then...” I answer as the server places my burger in front of me.  “Thank you...anyway...”

“Back the trolley up, my dear...You slept with Harry?!?!?!?!”

“Yes...no...Jesus. I slept with him in a bed, not in the biblical sense.  Cal came in at just the right time when we were goofing around and thought we were bumping uglies.  We were not. Harry has made it clear we are only friends, which to be honest kinda stings. I met them for the meeting this morning and Harry told him I wasn’t traveling to Dubai with them,” I explain.

“Alright...I’m with you...”

“Cal is now pulling this ‘I’m your employer’ bullshit and he’s responsible for my safety.  I’m perfectly capable of handling myself, thank you...” I spit out as I smash the bun down on the burger with a little more force than needed, mayonnaise squirting out the side.

“To be fair, I agree with both points. You’re capable. But...You’re doing a job for him, Bex. He is responsible for you. If something should happen, god forbid, he will feel it was his fault for not making sure you were with them,” she answers in her doctor voice.  Its all calm and soft.  I hate when she uses that voice on me.   

Emily clears her throat, “ I woke Grace, we’re both here. I have you on speaker so she heard everything.”

“Rebekah, I know that you pride yourself on your independence...but I agree with Cal. You are technically doing a job for him. He is responsible for your safety,” Gray mutters sleepily.  

“Bah!  Why do I bother!” I respond, pushing the plate away from me.  “I promised a little girl at this project Harry and I visited yesterday that I would come back to see her. Her home life isn’t the best and I believe she thinks adults leave and don’t ever come back. I can’t break her heart by breaking my promise.  If that damned man hadn’t said anything, I could have told Cal myself and explained everything.”

“And Rebekah Oliver never breaks a promise,” Grace sighs. “It’s one of your faults, to be honest.”

“While I understand why you want to go see the child, is your safety worth the risk?” Emily asks.

“I’m perfectly safe! Unsafe is photographing troops in the middle of an attack in Tikrit,” I reason.

“Or trying to climb through debris and mud during a natural disaster. And I’ve done both.”

“Which both of us believe you’re a bloody loon for doing!” Gray laughs.  “We understand that it’s part of your job.  This right now is your job...think about it for a minute. And it’s not Harry’s fault, he’s caring about your safety.”

“Yeah...he cares about my safety,” I mumble.

“Don’t mumble under your breath, Bex. You’re dually upset because you feel rejected by him. Which you never explained...so tell me what happened...” Em responds, cool as a cucumber.

“I really hate when you’re in doctor mode,” I whine.

“You called me...”

“Yeah, and I probably shouldn’t have,” I snip.

“Don’t be like that, Rebekah. Being nasty won’t get you anywhere,” Gray snips right back.

“I’m sorry.”

“I know, Love. Now what is going on?”

“Ugh...where do I start?” I huff.  “After dinner the other night, we went on a walk.  It was nice.  We were heading back to the hotel and it started raining. We almost kissed...” I say thinking back on what happened.

“Every fans dream...” Gray muses.

“He’s just...nice,” I laugh.  

“Yeah, nice to look at,” Emily jokes.

“Well, that too. I honestly didn’t remember him when I saw him. There’s just something about him that keeps drawing me in.  It’s more than the way he looks. We went to this Lalela project and he was talking with these kids and doing art with them. You should have seen him with this little girl...it was adorable. I was upset by her story and sobbed all the way back to the hotel. He was so sweet and comforted me. Which was surprising since I shunned him that morning...”

“What do you mean didn’t remember him?  And shunned him how?” Em cuts in.  

Have I mentioned I dislike it when she does that doctor voice?

“Remember how I told you I interned with Cal while finishing my degree? Well, the first time was photographing them. I totally forgot about meeting them. They all look so different. I did kind of remember Louis though...”

“How in the world do you not remember meeting One Direction?” Gray all but yells into the phone.

“I don’t listen to that stuff, Gray. I was barely functioning as his assistant, too afraid to screw up.”

“Shunning him...what happened?” Em gets us back on track.

“Right...Cal had to go to the stadium and Harry wanted to go to the project. Cal practically offered me anything I wanted if I’d go and document it for him. Harry went to hug me in thanks and things were just... awkward from the almost kiss the previous night. I shrunk away when he went to touch me.  That, of course, hurt his feelings.”

“Okay. Go on...there has to be more that happened than just not wanting him to hug you.”

“I was pretty upset when we got back and holed myself up in my room.  Around midnight, I came out and was dancing around the suite...”

“You dance?!?!” Gray laughs.  “The award winning photojournalist, Rebekah Oliver does not dance.”

“Yeah, not without being pissed as hell!” My Irish friend cackles.

“Fuck off!”

“Sorry,” Gray laughs even harder.

“I just wanted to get out of the crap mood. Harry was out having dinner with Cal and he came back and caught me. We ended up dancing together and then Louis came in...”

“Were you dancing around naked? I’d dance around naked with him,” Emily interrupts.

“I bet you would, minger!”

“Can I finish?” I laugh at the two of them.

“It’s the truth, but go on...”

“We almost kissed again...”

“Seems like an awful lot of almosts, B.”

“I know, Em.”

“Did you not want him to kiss you?”

“In those brief moments, I did...but I don’t think it’s a good idea to get involved,” I say, a touch of sadness creeps into my voice.

“Why not?!?!?!”  They both yell.

“I’m never around. Plus...he’s only twenty one.”

“He’s legal,” Gray says seriously.

“Barely.”

“Think about it this way, he’s on tour. He probably understands, better than anyone, not being able to see someone as much as he’d like to.  Six years isn’t a huge age difference, Bex. You can’t live your life alone and you have to put aside the past,” Em states hitting a sore spot.

“I’m not.”

“Pish posh...you are.”

“My advice to you,” Gray sighs heavily. “Don’t let what happened before color something that might be good. You can’t hide behind your job.  You don’t know what could happen. Harry could be the one.”

“I agree. And how did you end up in bed with him?” Emily asks. I can hear the keurig dispensing behind her.

“After Louis came in, I was very embarrassed and upset.  Harry came in to apologize and he let me have a good cry. We ended up discussing why I was so upset after the project.  We talked about the near kisses...our ages. He seemed interested at that point. I told him I didn’t think it was a good idea. I felt better after the conversation. He was so tired, we just snuggled up and fell asleep. We were goofing around this morning and that’s when Cal saw us. He basically told Cal that nothing was going to ever happen between us...friends only.”

“Ms. Oliver?” Dale says as he taps me on the shoulder.

“Listen girls...I gotta go. I’ll talk to you later,” I say looking at him.

“Just think about what we said. Have a good day, Love,” Gray says. I hear Emily yell her goodbyes in the background before she hangs up.

“What can I do for you, Dale?”

“We’re packing up and getting ready to go to the stadium. Harry and Cal asked me to come down and get you,” he says as he looks around a bit uncomfortable.

“I need to pack my camera and things.  Where are we meeting?” I ask as I stand, throwing some money on the table.

“We’re meeting by the elevators,” He answers as he walks slightly behind me looking around.

The suite is quiet. There are no traces of Harry at all.  Not even a hair tie. I pack up my camera, extra lenses, one of my extra batteries and a few empty memory cards in my case.  I shove it and my laptop into my backpack.  I brush my hair quickly, slipping a hair tie onto my wrist. The nights have been chilly, so I pack a pair of jeans, a long sleeve t-shirt and my denim jacket in with them.  Grabbing a water before I head out the door, I notice an envelope on the entry table addressed to me.

                             Bex,

                                  The suite is yours until you check out Friday.  Hope everything works out.

                                   We’ll see you at Sevens on Saturday.

                                   Niall.

I fold the note up and shove it in my backpack.  I wonder if they thought I wouldn’t be working the show tonight.  I check for my key card and close the door behind me.  As I make my way toward the elevator, I see Dale board it and the doors close.

“Hey!  Hold the door!” I yell to him. He smiles just as the door closes.

“Damn it, Dale!”

I hit the down button a few times, cursing him in my head, as I wait for it to come back up.

“Didn’t think you were going tonight...”

I curse the person behind me too.

“I’m here to work, aren’t I?” I snap as I look at him.

“Good.  Then come back to the suite. There’s a few fans coming up,” Harry says before he turns around.

“A few fans?”

“Yeah, there were some waiting outside the hotel earlier after I got back from an errand.  I invited them up for a meet and greet.  You can take some pics,” He says as he slides his key card back in his pocket.

“Where’s your security? Surely they aren’t gonna leave you alone with a group of fans!” I say following him back into the suite.

“Guess you’ll have to do double duty then, won’t you?”  

I drop my backpack on the couch and turn towards him, “I don’t think that’s a very good idea.”

“You’re military trained.  What’s a few teenagers against a deadly photojournalist?” He smiles.

The dimple causes me to smile and forget my anger at him, “Dale’s on his way back up, isn’t he?”

“Yep.”

He calls the butler service for some traditional South African snacks and extra water.  A moment after he hangs up, Dale enters the suite with three girls and a boy.  Harry greets them with hugs and “Nice to meet you, I’m Harry.”

He’s dressed in his usual black jeans and a yellow shirt with black polka dots on it.  I must admit, he looks damn good.  The group begins to talk and mingle around the suite. Deciding it’s best to avoid any questions, I quietly move toward my room and shut the door.  As I return to the living area, the older blonde girl is flirting heavily with Harry.  

A knock on the door saves me from hurting her.  I let the butler in and wait with Dale as he carefully sets out the array of food.  The five of them sit down and continue their conversation around it.  

“That blonde is hitting it pretty hard, isn’t she?” Dale whispers as he leans toward me.

“Hmmm?” I’m distracted by the way she is talking to him.  

"Ms. Oliver, go take some photos. Remind him you’re in the room,” Dale laughs as he pushes me toward my camera bag, which is wedged between the blonde and the arm of the couch.

I pull my hair into a messy knot at the top of my head.  I walk over to the group and smile.

“Excuse me, may I?” I ask Blondie as I point at the bag.  She looks at me like I’m dirt on her shoe, but slides over a little.  “Thanks.”  

I unload everything and snap a few pics of Harry with the two young girls on the couch.  As I look at the images quickly, I notice he doesn’t look comfortable.  

“Hey, H?  Why don’t you get any pics out of the way now? We need to leave soon,” Dale says rather loudly.

“Yeah, yeah...let’s do that,” Harry stands and smiles at me.  “Where do you think will be best?”

I look around the room for a good spot.  The sun is shining in through the glass doors so I decide that’s probably not best, “How about over here by the room divider?”  They’re all dressed in dark colors except Harry.  The white in the background will offset all their clothes.

The little brunette, in the leather jacket, wants a pic alone. Harry smiles and steps in front of the divider.  I shoot a quick shot to check lighting.  She steps in and wraps her arm around his waist. They laugh about something and look away from me toward the ceiling.  The third girl gets in the picture and they all smile at me.  She quickly steps away.  

Blondie snidely says, “Here...make sure you get a good pic.”  She throws her phone at Dale and slides in smoothly next to Harry. She tries to get his attention in her cut off t-shirt and her perfectly ripped-at-the-knee, black jeans.   

I growl a little too loud, which causes Harry to smirk in the photo.

“What’s the matter, B?” He asks as she moves in a little closer.

It’s the first time, since they’ve entered the room, that he’s identified me in any way.  

“Nothing, Mr. Styles. Shall we take another, Miss?” I ask with a little bit of venom in my voice.

This causes him to chuckle.  I take a few more and she moves off of him.

The lone male of the group steps in. It seems like he and the brunette are related, possibly siblings.   Harry crosses his arms and makes fists as if he wants to fist bump them.  The boy touches Harry’s left hand with his, while his little sister ignores Harry’s other hand and joins the fist bump with her brother. Harry looks down at her like ‘ Um...I’m over here.”  The brother laughs and I snap the pic.  In the next pic, Harry gives double thumbs up while the girl displays peace signs.  She steps away and the boys do a classic ‘tough guy’ arms crossed pose.

“Sorry, H...we’ve gotta cut this short. There’s some traffic issues and we’ll be late if we don’t leave now.  Come on guys, I’ll escort you back down,” Dale says while he herds the group together.

Blondie takes the chance to corner Harry.  She gets right in his face, whispering to him as she hands him a piece of paper.  He smiles politely.  

“Alright, time to go...” I say roughly as I move closer and closer, pushing her toward Dale.  “Hope to see you at the show.”

She sneers at me as Dale closes the door.  Harry cackles loudly.

I ignore him and pack up my equipment, “You heard the man...time to go, Mr. Styles.”

“Didn’t care too much for her, did you?” He asks as he moves to take my backpack.

“None of my business,” I say curtly.

“Rebekah,” He scolds as I pull the bag over my shoulder and look at him. “I prefer the green of your eyes. Not the green of jealousy.”  He tosses the piece of paper into the trash can before opening the door.  “After you...”

We walk silently to the elevator and wait.  And wait.  And...wait.

“What the hell is wrong with this thing?” I ask, jamming my finger on the down button.

Without any warning, Harry grabs my arm and pulls me toward him.

The kiss is soft against my lips. Out of shock and surprise, I inhale quickly through my nose.  His hands hold my face as he takes my bottom lip between his.  

Okay...why didn’t I let him kiss me earlier?

Those lips are better than I may have imagined.

The elevator dings and he places a soft kiss to my forehead. My hand immediately finds my lips as I stare at him in shock.  As the door opens, he reaches up with one hand and releases my hair from its knot.

“Much better ...”

Author Note: 0.o  Well then...I guess that wasn't an 'almost'...what do you think? Should she still be mad at him?  Leave me some love...~ Lady H. xx