A World Unknown

Chapter 10 Things are Heating Up

As I heard the door creak open, my heart skipped a beat. I tried to open my eyes, but the blinding light was too much, causing them to flutter shut again. I could feel SJ's presence as he moved closer to the bed, the air around me growing heavier with anticipation. I made another attempt to open my eyes, but the brightness was overwhelming, and I let out a groan as I squeezed them shut, trying to adjust to the sudden light sensitivity.

"Oh," I heard him murmur softly. I felt the bed shift as he moved away, followed by the distinct click of the light switch. A warm, orange glow began to seep through my closed eyelids, replacing the harsh glare. It was calming and inviting.

With renewed determination, I tried to open my eyes once more. This time, I was greeted by the gentle illumination of the bedside lamp, the ceiling light now mercifully off. As my eyes adjusted, I gathered myself together, ready to apologize for my earlier reaction.

But before I could utter a single word, his lips met mine, silencing any thought of apology. The kiss was gentle yet filled with an intensity that made my heart race. In that moment, the world around us seemed to fade away, leaving only the two of us in a bubble of warmth and connection.

Pulling away from the kiss, his eyes widened, the yellow sunburst around his blue irises glowing with intensity. The corners of his mouth curled up into a smile. "I made you a plate of leftovers from dinner my mom had fixed. I know you said you were tired, but I didn't think you were exhausted," he said with a hint of amusement.

"I'm sorry," I mumbled as he handed me the plate of food. I was starving, but feeling shy with him watching me, I hesitated to eat too much. He giggled as I shoveled the last bite into my mouth and reached for the cup of soda he had brought with the meal. Taking a drink, I looked back at him and let out a slight chuckle. I started to apologize for dozing off, but he interrupted me mid-sentence, assuring me it was okay.

"I take it you're ready for bed?" he asked, pulling back the covers and motioning for me to lay down. Nodding, I moved toward the bed, stopping just before it. I slipped off my pants and placed them on my pile of stuff, glancing at him as I climbed into bed, taking the spot on the inside where I always felt safer. He looked slightly surprised as I pulled the covers up to my waist.

As he stood up, I watched him strip down to his boxers and turn off the lamp. I felt the warmth of his body as he lay next to me, and with one swift motion, his arm went around my shoulder, pulling me closer to him. His lips met mine as I wiggled into his body heat.

He keeps kissing me not trying to push me to go any farther than i am wanting. As i start to deepen the kiss he pulls away feeling hin looking at me i hear him whisper "are you sure your ready for more" Before i push my lips to his i nod, not sure why i felt he could see me i feel his desire growing for more. I start to trace my fingers around his neck and up to his hear pushing myself into him and i feel his arms around my his fingers making sparks as they move freely feeling all parts of me. I pull away for a moment to look at him, Yes im ready i whisper as his grabs me rolling on top.

Once finished, we lay there holding each other. I listened to the steady beat of his heart as his body heat lulled me to sleep. Suddenly, I woke abruptly to my alarm. Feeling me jolt awake, SJ rolled over to shut it off.

"s**t," I heard him say as he turned to me, gently shaking my arm. "Lizzy, you have to get up. We overslept. It's 6:45."

Knowing I had to be at work by 7, I jumped out of bed, hurrying to grab my clothes and get dressed. He asked where my keys were so he could start my car while I finished getting ready. My cheeks began to heat up as I remembered how my night had ended, causing me to oversleep.Rushing out the door, I nearly collided with him, almost knocking myself over. "Oh, sorry! I didn't mean to bump into you," I stammered, stepping to the side to let him pass. To my surprise, he gently grabbed my hand and walked me to my car. As he opened the door for me, he stopped me from sitting down. He tucked a strand of hair behind my ear and, in the sweetest tone, told me how much he enjoyed my company and asked if we could hang out again after work. His words left me stunned, and all I could manage was a nod.

He leaned in and kissed me goodbye, and I headed to work with only five minutes to spare. I didn't have any service to call my manager, so I pressed the gas pedal, turning a 15-minute drive into an 8-minute dash, only arriving six minutes late. My manager was acting a little strange today. At first, I thought it was because I was a bit late, so I went straight to work, trying to tackle all the chores that the last shift had missed. Having completed my manager training, this weekend marks my first shift as manager on my own. As I went through the usual tasks, I kept running through the manager's duties in my head, making sure I was prepared for the big day.

I didn't see much of my manager, as she stayed in her office most of the day. The hours seemed to drag on slowly, each minute feeling like an eternity. Every time I glanced at the clock, I was lucky if an hour had passed since the last time I checked. To make matters worse, there weren't as many happy customers as I was used to, which made the day feel even more sluggish.

As the time to clock out approached, I could feel the weight of exhaustion settling over me. The lack of sleep and the extracurricular activities from the previous night were taking their toll. My body felt heavy, and my eyelids grew increasingly difficult to keep open. Just when I didn't think I could last much longer, I saw the girl for the second shift come in. I'm so glad she hadn't called off. I knew her home life wasn't that good, causing her to miss work more frequently.

After the shift changed, I couldn't wait to go home. I wanted to stop and see SJ, but I thought it would be best if I went home first. I had the next day off, so a quick nap to rest myself up wouldn't hurt. The more I thought about it, the more I agreed with my decision to go home first. I didn't want to rush into things too quickly with SJ. There was a thought in the back of my mind that I might have jumped the gun by sleeping with him so soon. I just couldn't help it; the two nights I spent at his house, where we only kissed and cuddled, almost drove me crazy with wanting more. Then again, maybe that was enough to make him crave a little more too. Either way, a little bit of space for us both to think about it would be for the best. Plus, I could hear my bed calling for me, inviting me in for a short nap.