||Just One Breath Away-AN FF~VM pg 122|| - Page 62

They stole secret glances at each other in the car, turning away with a blush when the other caught them. Nikki shyly tucked a stray lock of her hair behind her ear, and pretended to look out of the window, while actually peering at his faint reflection in the glass.

It was 8 in the evening and he was dropping her home. It had been just a few hours after they had confessed their feelings to each other, and the aftermath still remained.

She bit her lip slightly when he stopped the car and she realised they'd reached her house. They hadn't spoken one word to each other throughout the whole journey. She didn't get out, but simply turned to look at him.

He gazed at her, smiling softly. She felt as if she was dreaming, for she had never seen such tenderness in his eyes. He appeared so young, almost unreal. If she guessed by how relaxed he looked, she would say he was just about her age.

"You look like you're 24", she blurted out suddenly.

He blinked at her, the comfortable silence broken between them. As she began to steadily turn red, he threw back his head and laughed.

She had never seen him laugh so freely either. She just wanted to watch him, happy in his unburdened and relaxed state. She suddenly had an insane urge to ruffle his hair.

"Why're you laughing?" she mumbled.

"You", he tried to sustain his laughter.

"I just said what I felt…what's there to laugh at?" she pouted. "Laughing like that, you do look 24."

"Oh?" he raised his eyebrows amusedly. "Then how old do I look when I don't laugh?" he asked soberly.

She bit her lip, fuming mentally.

"That's not the point", she muttered.

"No, tell me. How old do you think I am?" he asked.

"I…dunno", she replied, kicking herself mentally. He was right, she had no idea about his age. She had just assumed he would be somewhere in his late twenties. "Erm…26?" she guessed nervously.

Grinning, he shook his head in the negative. "29", he laughed at the shocked expression on her face.

"What?"

"Yeah…I'm 29. Never thought I'd be that old, huh?" he pretended to think hard.

She shook her head vigorously, not wanting to admit that his thoughts were going in the right direction.

"Yeah, unfortunately I'm a relic", he turned to her. "So are you planning to ditch me and run to someone who's not 5 years older than you?" he asked tongue-in-cheek.

"You idiot", she hit him on the chest as he grinned.

At a loss for what to say, she asked him the first thing that came to her mind.

"Why were you arguing with me in your office?"

"What?" he looked confused.

"You know, when you were…carrying me", she blushed. "And suddenly you got mad."

He sighed, and leant back on his seat, turning his face to her. "Well, I thought it might distract you and you were driving me nuts anyway."

"What do you mean, 'you were trying to distract me'?"

"You were hurt and since fighting with me is your favourite pasttime I just thought that you might forget the pain while arguing", he shrugged.

She smiled at him softly, her heart melting.

"You know, you can be really cute at times", she said.

He stared at her blankly, and when she pinched his left cheek he yelped and glared at her, rubbing it.

"See, I told you!" she laughed, enjoying his grimace and his horrified expression.

"What was that for?" he asked her angrily.

"For being so sweet."

"Then please remind me never to be sweet again."

She laughed at him and he made another face.

"We've been sitting here in the car outside your house for the part half hour. Don't you think you should go?" he glared.

"Yeah…" she nodded, and still chortling, opened the door to get out.

As she gingerly raised her injured foot and attempted to put it on the ground, he lightly touched her arm and told her to wait. Getting out and walking to her side of the car, he bent and picked her up bridal style.

Smiling as he did so, she twisted her arms around his neck and teased, "I could have walked, you know. You just wanted an excuse to hold me."

"Guilty as charged", he replied solemnly, his eyes twinkling with mischief.

She giggled and placed her head on his shoulder.

"Take me to my room and make me a cup of coffee", she ordered.

"Yeah right", he snorted. "I'm your new personal help, eh?"

"No…you're my new personal boyfriend", she said blushingly.

"And your old personal boss", he reminded her grimly, his eyes still twinkling as he pushed the car door shut with his foot and started walking to the main door of the house.

"I don't care, boss", she said tongue-in-cheek. "You're making me coffee."

"I'm not making you anything…there's no way I'm entering that kitchen of yours", he told her.

"You're talking as if cooking is torture."

"It is."

"It's just coffee."

"Doesn't matter. I still have to go in there to make it, and I refuse to oblige."

And their arguing voices trailed away into the night as they entered the house.