Rash decisions - Chapter 3

The Keira and Daniel saga continues

Chapter 3

 

Keira chewed the inside of her lip for the hundredth time that afternoon. She must have been high on something last night in order for her to have agreed to this.

 

She looked across the car at Blake as they drove to Trisha’s house. He’d arrived to pick her up looking pleased with himself and actually kissing her when she got close enough. She didn’t protest at the kiss although she didn’t kiss him back.

 

“So, who is this Daniel?” Blake asked as they pulled into Trisha’s driveway. She recognised Trisha’s car but not the other car parked up on the road.

 

“Just an old friend from school” Keira muttered, getting out of the car. She walked to the door with Blake beside her and almost chickened out at the last minute before forcing her finger to ring the bell.

 

She felt Blake’s hand slide into hers and squeeze. She unconsciously squeezed back just as Trisha opened the door.

 

“You’re 15 minutes late Keira!” was Trisha’s opening line.

 

“Sorry that was my fault, I needed to fill up the tank” Blake replied smiling politely at Trisha.

 

Trisha managed a forced smile back but it quickly dropped “Come inside then, dinner is almost ready”

 

Keira followed Trisha into the house her stomach completely in knots, her face a mask of indifference.

 

“It’s just going to be the 5 of us tonight, Maggie cancelled on me at the last minute” Trisha explained as they entered the dining room where Keira saw Daniel and Sophie, Trisha’s friend, sitting together.

 

“Blake this is Sophie and Daniel. Guys this is Blake, Keira’s friend. Dinner will be ready in 5 so please make yourselves comfortable” Trisha spoke at her usual speed.

 

Daniel noticed that Keira didn’t even make eye contact with him as she sat in the seat opposite Sophie. He hadn’t missed Trisha introduce Blake as her friend.

 

“Hi Daniel, nice to meet you” Blake spoke extending his hand out to him. Daniel took it and smiled politely as he took the seat facing him.

 

“Hi Blake. I don’t think we’ve ever met before” Sophie smiled at him then looked at Keira expectantly. “I’m confused though, because I could have sworn Trisha mentioned you before...were the two of you..?”

 

“Hi Sophie. Haven’t seen you in a while. How are things?” Keira asked quickly.

 

It was the first time he’d her speak whilst looking at her. He couldn’t help notice her lips were even fuller than they had been when they’d been younger.

 

“Great thanks. The modelling is going great and Daniel here was just telling me about how I should be investing the money I get” Sophie looked at him and he could have sworn he felt a brush of her hand on his thigh. Or did he imagine that?

 

It was the first time since Keira had come into the room that she’d even acknowledged his presence by looking at him. Her face was completely devoid of any real emotion asides from mild curiosity and he willed his face to be the same.

 

She opened her mouth to make a comment but was beat to it by Blake who said “Really? So Daniel, are you in investment banking then?”

 

Daniel looked briefly at Blake before directing his answer at Keira. She had averted her gaze and was busy looking around the room.

 

“Yes I am, it’s why I had to move back actually. The company needed someone to run a London based project and unfortunately they chose me” he was looking at Sophie and Blake. Keira was still busy not looking at any of them.

 

“You’re only here temporarily then?” Sophie asked, with what sounded suspiciously like disappointment.

 

“Well that depends, I’ll have to see how it goes” Daniel replied smiling back.

 

Trisha came into the room at that point with both arms full of dishes. Before he could offer to help she beat him to it.

 

“Daniel come and help me get some of this in from the kitchen please” she asked, depositing the plates she had onto the table.

 

“Keira could you please come and help me with the dessert, I need your advice on something”

 

Trisha had to be the most obvious person on the planet. He paused at the door.

 

“Trisha, I’m sure Sophie here is a much better baker than me” he could detect a threatening note in Keira’s voice.

 

“Oh no, I couldn’t bake to save my life” Sophie giggled, oblivious to the mental war that was going on right now between Trisha and Keira.

 

Daniel left the room and made his way into the kitchen. Why was Trisha forcing something that was never going to happen? He and Keira were like chalk and cheese, Even when they’d been friends they’d disagreed about everything, from politics to food.

 

What surprised him the most though was the spurt of jealousy that burst through him when she’d arrived with her boyfriend. The one who’d been declaring his love for Keira last night.

 

He forced the unwelcome feeling deep down. She had clearly didn’t have any feelings left for him so why should he be jealous?

 

He picked up the dish of lasagne with a little more gusto than necessary and when he turned towards the door he spilt some Keira’s very white top. God hated him.

 

“Aaargghh” Keira moaned moving her top away from her chest. The sauce was hot.

 

“Hang on” he said as he reached for a table cloth, soaked it in cold water and started to wipe down her top. She clearly was not keen on having him touch her.

 

“Stay still will you!” he said in what came out as a growl. She couldn’t even bare him helping her?

 

She froze for a moment, caught unawares by his tone “Forget it, it’s ruined” she muttered turning away from him and pulling the top over her head. Suddenly Daniel felt the temperature in the room rise as she turned back around.

 

Daniel stared at her chest before he realised she was looking him angrily.

 

“Get an eyeful?” she asked angrily although he could tell she was more embarrassed than angry. Daniel wasn’t stupid enough to respond but unfortunately his body was reacting to her.

 

“Sorry about your top. I didn’t hear you come in” he said turning back towards the lasagne on the table and wiping the sauce from the outside of it. The last thing he needed was her to notice she’d affected him.

 

“Damn it, this top has sauce on it too” she muttered to herself causing him to turn back around to face her. Keira chose that precise moment to pull the top away from her body, giving him a very close view of the top of her breasts.

 

She looked up and her eyes locked with his. She released her top, letting it snap back into place. Caught again.

 

She must have seen something in his eyes because she didn’t look angry this time. If anything he saw her eyes glance briefly at his lips and he could have sworn he’d seen arousal in her eyes. She was aroused?

 

Without thinking through what he was about to do, he took the wash cloth he had in his hand and wiped the front of her tank top. He pressed it slowly over her chest, all the while keeping eye contact with her. She was definitely aroused. Somehow both their faces had moved closer and their mouths were barely an inch apart when someone entering the kitchen forced them apart.

 

Keira practically jumped away and bumped into Trisha who had the biggest grin on her face. He kept his face neutral and picked up the lasagne.

 

“Did I interrupt something?” she whispered conspiratorially.

 

Keira left the kitchen and headed straight back into the living room. Would they have gone through with it? Would they be kissing right now if Trisha hadn’t interrupted them? Daniel watched her retreating form before answering.

 

“I spilt some sauce on her, that’s all. Stop reading into everything” he replied, angry with himself for his lapse of judgement, angry at Trisha for her meddling and angry at Keira for...for everything.

 

Keira sat down at the table next to Blake

 

“What happened to you?” Blake asked concernedly. She couldn’t take his kindness right now, not when she’d almost kissed Daniel in the next room.

 

“Daniel spilt some sauce on me by accident” she replied in a voice which sounded hoarse, even to her own ears. Damn it, why did she still feel so physically attracted to him even after 8 years? She hadn’t been this physically affected by someone since....since Daniel kissed her 8 years ago.

 

She watched as Trisha came back into the room, her eyes on her asking all sorts of silent questions. Questions she didn’t have the answer to herself. What she didn’t realise until it was too late was that Trisha had sat in Daniel’s seat, which had been the furthest away from her. Which meant that only left the seat beside her.

 

Before she could even try to swap seats with Blake, Daniel was sat beside her, sitting at a right angle to her.

 

“Sophie, did you know Blake here is a geologist?” Trisha began, purposefully keeping her and Daniel out of the conversation. Well she wasn’t going to force her to speak to Daniel no matter what she thought.

 

Keira adjusted her seat slightly so she was facing away from Daniel and towards Bake. In the process her leg brushed Daniel’s and she involuntarily bumped her leg against the table leg in her rush to move it away from him.

 

“Calm down, or people will think there’s something going on” Daniel whispered sarcastically.

 

“There’s nothing going on” she replied back, surreptitiously looking at Blake from the corner of her eye.

 

“No? Why are you breathing so erratically then?” he asked amusedly

 

She realised she was. Damn him and his snide comments. Why couldn’t he just leave her alone? Why did her body ache for his? In defiance of her body and Daniel she reached out her arm and circled it around Blake’s waist. The only person not surprised by this was Sophie.

 

Katie looked angry. Blake looked surprised but happy. Daniel’s face was devoid of any expression at all. She felt a moment of satisfaction

 

“So how long have you two been going out?” Daniel asked, directing his question to Blake. She felt herself stiffen before she moved her arm away from Blake.

 

“Daniel that’s none of your business” Trisha replied angrily which surprised Daniel.

 

“We’re still working things out” Blake said looking into Keira’s eyes, which made her feel all the more guilty. Damn Daniel. Damn him to hell.

 

The rest of the dinner went relatively uneventfully, with Keira completely ignoring Daniel. She did however have to sit through Sophie and Daniel’s outrageous flirting which had her practically grinding her teeth. At one point she felt Sophie’s leg rub against her own.

 

“Oops, sorry Keira” Sophie said giggling. So the two of them were playing footsie under the table? She didn’t care. She wouldn’t.

 

“Sorry Trisha I have to leave now. Thank you for the amazing dinner but I have an early flight to catch tomorrow” Blake said getting up

 

Keira stood up to go with him “No Keira, you should stay. I’ll call you after I land in Rome” Blake said, his hand on her arm

 

“Yeah Keira, stay a little longer, please” Trisha pleaded. Keira looked at Daniel but he was looking at Sophie who was in the middle of a story. What had she expected? That he’d plead for her to stay?

 

“Okay I’ll stay a little longer. Let me walk you out” she said leaving the room and the site of Sophie’s hand on Daniel’s arm.

 

Daniel knew he was supposed to be listening to Sophie’s story about her ex boyfriend but he was too busy trying not to watch Keira leave the room on the arms of Blake. He knew he was just asking for more pain but he moved in his chair pretending to stretch his arms.

 

He could see her standing too close to Blake who was talking to her in a low voice. She was smiling. She hadn’t smiled at him like that in a very long time. Now he was leaning forward and they were kissing.

 

The site of Blake’s arms wrapping around Keira and her kissing him back had Daniel fisting his hands. Just under an hour ago she had been about to kiss him and now she was...

Author's Note

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