"So you are going to do it." Barry could tell from her expression.

  "I think I am." She nodded.

  "Let me know how it goes."

  "You could do so much better, though. Did you notice how much attention you garner?" she said as they got into the car.

  "I have been told that I chase girls who don't like me and remain oblivious to the ones who do. Why?" He looked over at her.

  "The waitress couldn't keep her eyes off you. You're just a masochist, I suppose." He laughed.

  "What can I say? Chains and wh.i.p.s excite me." She gave him an odd look.

  "Too much information." He grinned.

  She would be calling Ray when she got him. Even if nothing came from the conversation, she would discard her pride for a time and just talk it out. If it didn't work out, she would just have to move on.

  Closure——

  [Back to Present]

  She grinned at him.

  "What is it?" His voice was husky and it made her want to kiss him. She couldn't control the urge. She pecked him on his cheek and then moved back.

  "I want to spend time with you. As long as I can. What do you want to do?" he asked, carefully looking at her smiling face.

  "I have some ideas," she said with a wink.

  "Whatever do you want to do to me, Miss Austen?"

  "Bad things, obviously," she said smugly. "Do you remember what we planned on doing when we meet?"

  He remembered the promises of steaming s.e.x, but what else was there? He had to think fast so that he didn't look like the total hornball that he was.

  In her mind, she wanted that date with him. The original plan was to spend their time playing games side by side, but now that she had actually met him, she couldn't help but think of all the things she wanted to do with him.

  She giggled at his confused expression. Clearly he didn't know what she was talking about.

  "You'll need to remind me, love. I think I have a short term memory loss." She threw her head back in laughter.

  She was beyond excited. "You wanted to play with me."

  "Oh, didn't I want to do that with you all the time every day?" he smiled. "What do you want to play?"

  She thought about it for a moment. "Let's play our usual game and blow everyone's head. It's been a while since I have played like a couple with you."

  A couple. That sounded really nice to him.

  "Instead of playing over chat, we can now do it face to face!" He was equally excited. That was good to know. "Let's kick some ass, love." Life was so crazy. He had thought he would never see her, but here they were doing things that couples did.

  She really wanted him, but everything in her screamed for her to take things slow. She had imagined that they would jump into bed immediately, but after that massive misunderstanding, it was harder for her to go back to when everything was just okay. The cheating scare was something that she needed time to heal from. No, she didn't think he had cheated or played her. She understood the situation, but she was shaken.

  "Hey, Cage?" she called out, chewing on her lip as she tried to come up with a way to break the news to him. He was already looking at her. He hummed in acknowledgment. "I really want you and I don't want you to misunderstand," she started. He seemed confused. "I just……"

  "I know. We have lots of time and we both need to truly be comfortable with each other's identities and how we function. Our lives are different when we are together. Let's not jump into things." That was reassuring. "For now, let's just play some games, watch a movie and let me hold you in my arms."

  "I'll allow you to kiss me, too." That was exactly what she wanted to do. "That's exactly what a date is about. Being close, making a move… maybe coping a feel," she joked.

  He laughed. "I've heard that people do that, but I have never experienced it for myself. You'll have to teach me."

  "Of course. I'd rather I teach you than you coming with all the knowledge in the world. I can be very possessive, you see." It was absolutely unbelievable that this guy had never had a proper relationship in his life. Was she lucky or what?

  "Ah, so are you the good girl who will help me graduate?" She looked at him with confusion before it dawned on her.

  "Oh god. Did you just quote Arianna Grande and Bang Bang?" He snickered. "You're a fan."

  "I have a thing for her ponytail. It's just too beautiful," he admitted.

  "Do I need to be worried about this? Or do I need to learn how to make that bun?"

  "I'll call her and ask her to teach you over a skype call or something." What a kinky guy. And resourceful too. Then she remembered that she was really uncomfortable in her dress. She had to get out of it.

  "Okay, I am going to change into something more comfortable." She glanced down at herself, wondering if her outfit would make him think that she was really interested in Barry. It was a rather nice dress. "I don't wear such clothing usually," she clarified even though he had not asked.

  "You look wonderful, Katherine. But it's more important that you are comfortable."

  'He thought I look good?' She couldn't imagine that someone like him could think her remotely attractive. It was hard for her to even look at him without swooning. The fangirl in her was screaming. But this was Ray. That was the main point.

  She grabbed a nightshirt and some pants that she wouldn't normally wear. It was too fancy for her, but this was a special occasion. She would usually just wear an oversized t-shirt with just her panties, but she knew what would follow. She would be screaming for him to touch him and if he was anything like he spoke on the phone, he wouldn't stop himself from jumping on her.