CHAPTER 21

The green orbs stared at her right in the eye while his face was covered  in some unreadable expression. Anna did not break her eyes away from Raven, she just could not. He looked dangerously tempting with his wet hair sticking to his forehead and water running down his face while his jaws clenched every now and then.

This little interaction felt so intimate to Anna that she felt her cheeks burning under the running water. The way he was holding her pinned closely against the cold wall, arms firm around her and his warmth that never failed to creep from his body to hers.

The water ran down their already wet bodies, soaking their clothes which were now sticking to their skin. The small space was growing warmer by every passing minute as they were staring at each other intently but with no words exchanged. The only sound in there was of the shower water running and hitting the tiled floor.

Raven's eyes dropped down to her lips when they had had enough of her eyes and Anna gulped visibly. He gazed at her lips like he was about to devour his favorite dessert while Anna's stare never broke away from his eyes, not once.

His lips parted when he started leaning towards her face and Anna's breath got caught in her throat as she refused to take in air. She did not move or shake in fear that their lips might collide against each others. She did not ever imagine to have her first kiss in the shower and she would probably not even regret if it happened right now.

Anna could feel her heart thumping hard against her chest when he stopped just an inch away from her lips. She inhaled his hot breath that was fanning her lips and his eyes locked with hers again. She was already staring at him, waiting to see what he wanted to do or was about to do. The green orbs dropped down again to his meal and he licked his lips before slowly filling the gap between them and suddenly everything halted when the loud noice echoed in her ears.

She jolted when she heard the door bell go off and her eyes went wide open when she realized what was going to happen and quickly pressed her hands against his chest before he could press his lips on hers. He pulled away a little, looking at her calmly.

They almost kissed, she almost gave her first kiss to the man she did not love, at least not yet. Her mind was jammed with multiple thoughts of disappointment and relief when the bell went off again.

She pushed Raven away slowly, who was just watching her intently. He did not look disappointed nor angry, just blank. She stood up from his lap and messily tried to fix her clothes which were glued to her skin. She did not spare another glance to the man who was still on his knees before her, looking up at her like a lost kitten.

She walked past him and directly out of his room. The water dripping down from her clothes and hair made trail of droplets behind her as she walked into her own room, opposite from his and shut the door. Pressing her back on the wooden door, she tried to calm her raged breathing.

'I...I almost....' she held her head in her hands.

"Almost..."

Her inner mind taunted with an eye roll and Anna grumbled more. She paced back and forth in the room, one hand on her hips and the other covering her mouth and she tried to steadily breath. She did not even know what she was so overwhelmed about and that deepened her frown. She looked down at herself, her top was stuck to her body so well that the outline of her bra was clear through the thin fabric.

Her cheeks turned crimson immediately.

'Did he see me like this?'

Anna suddenly felt cold and wrapped her arms around herself. She recalled how vulnerable she was in front of him and she felt embarrassed about it but then the thought again struck her. He did not look like the innocent or puppy eyed Raven but so cold and blank that it almost seemed like he was someone else.

——

Anna woke up the next day with a bad headache. She had hardly got any sleep the previous night, thinking about the 'almost kiss' and when she was finally stepping into her dreamland, the mean alarm clock went off. She pushed the covers off herself and made her way into the bathroom. She stared at her reflection for a moment and sighed at the light black rings under her eyes.

After finishing her morning routine and changing into a loose top and pants, she came out of her bedroom and went straight into the kitchen. The old Grandmother was sitting at the table, not alone but with Raven. Anna stopped at the door when she spotted the man beside the old lady. He was having breakfast and her grandmother was talking something to him which Anna could not quite hear.

"Annie, Come and have breakfast" she snapped out of her thoughts when the old lady called her name. Anna managed to put on a smile as she walked towards them.

"Come, Sit. I'll get your plate" the granny patted her head as she walked behind the kitchen counter to bring Anna her breakfast. Anna stood awkwardly facing the counter, avoiding the pair of eyes which were staring up at her. She could feel his burning gaze on her and a light color crept up her cheeks.

She pushed a strand of hair behind her ear and turned around to finally look at Raven who was munching his food lazily. As soon as their eyes met, he flashed his signature smile to her which reached up to his eyes. Anna blinked at his adorable grin and unknowingly smiled back but dropped it almost immediately.

She turned away from him, biting on her lips. He was acting so calm, as if everything that happened yesterday was normal, but it wasn't, not for her at least. She was about to walk towards the counter to her grandmother when he grabbed her wrist. Anna stiffened at his touch, his hands were so warm that goosebumps erupted all over her skin.

He slowly pulled her closer and she walked back, not turning around at all and stopped when the back of her leg brushed his knees.

"Noonaa. Look at me. Are you mad at me?" He cooed in his deep ass voice and Anna closed her eyes for a moment. His voice could it self give her chills and that was exactly what she was feeling. He pulled her by his wrist more towards himself and she squealed when she landed in his lap.

He put his hands around her, trapping her in his firm grasp. Her cheeks were burning and she gulped when his thighs flexed beneath her. She could feel his muscles through the thin fabric of his T-shirt and also somethings she should not feel. She squirmed in his arms trying to get out but he just tightened his grip.

"Talk to me Noona. Please" he whispered almost pleadingly.

Anna sighed, "Okay, but first let go off me" she tried to get off his lap again and succeeded this time because he loosened his hold on her. She stood straight and looked down at him. His lips formed a pout as he looked up at her with his doe eyes.

"Don't... Don't do that again" she said sternly referring to him pulling her on his lap which he seemed to understand and nodded.

"Annie.." The grandmother brought a tray with Coffee and Anna's breakfast and set it down om the table. Anna smiled at her and took a seat beside Raven, who was still pouting for God knows what reason.

"What happened to you Sweetie?" The old lady patted Raven's hair and Anna's eyebrows shot up.

'Sweetie' she repeated in her mind.

"Sweetie" her inner mind giggled.

Raven looked at Anna and said, "Noona is not talking to me" he deepened his pout and the Granny chuckled before turning towards Anna.

"Annie..."

"It's not like that" Anna defended herself.

"It is like that Grannu" Raven interrupted.

"Hey, she is my Grannu"

"Mine too"

"Okay, Stop" the old lady raised her hand in mid air, stopping the argument. Both Raven and Anna folded their hands across their chest and turned away from each other.

"Comm'on both of you, stop fighting. Be good to each other, I'll be gone for quite a time" She said and patted both of their shoulders simultaneously. Anna just realized that it was the day her grandmother was leaving to visit her sick aunt. She turned to face her and Raven did the same.

"How long Grannu?" Raven asked as he let his head fall on the old lady's shoulder.

"3 weeks"

"What?"

Anna's loud voice echoed in the whole room as both Raven and the old lady stared at her blankly. She quickly covered up her shock and smiled awkwardly at them. She was going to spend three weeks with Raven, alone. However normal it would sound, it sparkled some sort of feeling in her. A feeling of nervousness and excitement, to know what the next three weeks held in stock for her.