Joshua's Grace

Chapter 15 (1)

He drove down to Hamilton on Friday and they went to the cinema. "I was expecting Sasha to be here." Grace flashed him a speaking look. He laughed.

"She's gone surfing with her mates this weekend. Whangamata. Feel in need of a chaperone do you?"

Joshua hesitated, "Yes. But the cinema is pretty public, that should keep you safe." He took her arm, "What would you like to see?"

"I'm not sure." She closed the door behind her. " Anything romantic on at the moment?"

Joshua groaned. "I suppose science fiction is out?"

Grace shook her head, "No, I can cope with a scifi movie. Though I should warn you I cried at ET."

"ET?"
Grace nodded, before continuing, " I won't go to a horror movie." 

"Ok, horror movies are out. What about comedy?"
"Yes. But subtle humour rather than slapstick."
"Picky."
"You asked." 

An ordinary date. He bought the tickets, she bought the popcorn. They talked through the ads and then settled to watch a comedy that neither of them was really interested in. But for appearances sake they sat through it, their fingers laced, their eyes on the screen.

Coffee was an automatic next stage. Coffee made, and drunk, Joshua asked if he could stay the night. He asked nervously, she agreed shyly, and fortunately, for both of them, he stayed.

A shaft of light tickled her eyelids until Grace sleepily forced her eyes open. But she was reluctant to wake up. She burrowed deeper, snuggling against the body beside her. A warm male body to cuddle up to. She closed her eyes and drank in the intimacy, revelling in the fact that they had gone past the stage of coyness.

"You keep that up, and you and I are going to be exercising early." Joshua whispered against her skin.

Grace tipped her head back and turned toward the voice. Firm warm lips teased at her ear lobe before kissing her cheek. His tongue tracing faint circles as he moved his lips along her jawline.

"I like exercising." She told him impudently. The hand that was stroking up and down her spine moved higher to hold her head whilst he kissed her soundly.

"Me too." He whispered then rolled her. "Lots of exercise."

"Perfect." The smirk in her voice was swallowed as his lips retraced their path back to her face and her parted mouth. That was the end of lucid conversation that early Saturday morning.

It was way past mid-morning when Joshua finally made it into the kitchen. He'd showered and as the kitchen was between the shower and the rest of the house, he had to walk through the kitchen to get back to the bedroom and his clothes. As he sauntered past, with a towel around his hips, Grace couldn't help voicing the question that had been revisited in her thoughts for days. 

"Why exactly did you suggest marriage?" The question had been with her ever since her talk with Sasha. She needed to know. But she wasn't sure how to ask. And she wasn't sure when would be a good time? Before sex? During? After? Time to be bold. Enough of this guess work. Now seemed like a good time. They'd been great in bed, they were always great in bed.

It was the last thing Joshua was expecting to be asked, so his response was semi-automatic. "Lots of reasons." He shrugged not realising just how important his answer was. What a crazy question to ask after such a fantastic night. It was obvious, surely.

"Like?" She questioned bluntly. She was going to wait this out. She needed to know. Joshua looked her over, frowning in genuine puzzlement. What had brought this on, he wondered. How ready was she for the truth?