[ROXANNE IVY REED]

Rox awoke slowly, a frown already adorning her forehead as her first waking thought was that her alarm hadn't gone off. She rarely worked weekends if she could avoid it - she used to, but it had started her on the path to burn out too often and wasn't worth the hassle. She still liked to get up early though, to make the most of her days whilst she could. No alarm though, and she wondered for a moment if it was ridiculously early. She yawned quietly and then squeezed her eyes before opening them.. and nearly jumped out of her skin as the body lying next to her and the unfamiliar sheets. A quick moment of what the fuck panic and then it all came rushing back. Oh. The couples valentine's ball, and then Rafe inviting her back to his for a drink, and her accepting... and then never leaving. Her cheeks flooded with a blush - despite her age, this young man had one hell of an effect on her. Plus, she had to say, young men certainly were better than those her age - or maybe it was just Rafe.

She bit her lip and slowly lifted her head. She should probably go, she knew that their situationship was a strange one. He had never pushed her once, never pressured. They had met by chance a handful of times, it felt like the universe was trying to tell her something - if she believed in that shit - and then they had been on dates. Rafe had proved time and time again that he was sweet, that he was patient, had a wise head and wasn't looking for a fling, like everyone else Rox seemed to sodding meet. Add to that his very good looks and ridiculously insane body and somewhere it didn't seem to add up. But she had been the one to seduce him last night, and she knew she had feelings for him mingling beneath the surface of the confusion. It was just a few things holding her back; not even just the age, but also her previous history with men who appeared to be good for her, and turned into complete assholes. This night over was absolutely blurring the lines, and though it had been 100% worth it, she carefully made to sit up, the covers sliding down her bare shoulder as she decided slipping out was the best option.

RAFE XANDER CALLAHAN

[RAFE XANDER CALLAHAN]

Rafe stirred at the movement of the mattress when Roxy sat up, rolling onto his back and stretching his arms over his head with a soft yawn. He blinked his open his eyes and saw the blonde next to him. Memories of the night before flooded his mind. They’d had a good time at the ball, had a few drinks, had a little dance and he’d ended up invited her back to his for a night cap since they lived in the same building. Much like the previous night only this time it involved more than just kissing. He’d implied plenty of opportunities for her to leave if she felt the need but she’d been persistent. Normally he’d have made an excuse but the alcohol that still coursed through him fought his resolve. Of course he enjoyed the night; she was gorgeous and definitely had the experience his previous girlfriends hadn’t. He gave her a sleepy grin and lifted a brow ”You seduce me then leave without saying goodbye? Ouch.” He joked.

[ROXANNE IVY REED]

She felt the shift of the bed behind her and knew it was too late to sneak out, she'd woken Rafe. She wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing, her mind still stuck on getting out quick before he could get his mind together, but now running felt underhanded and harsh. She didn't want a one night stand, as much as Rafe surprisingly didn't. She had been there, done that and was looking for long term, it was why she'd been so reluctant to go too far with Rafe, making unfair assumptions that he wouldn't want what she did. But maybe she was wrong.

Rox turned her head, peering over her bare shoulder at him and seeing his sleepy grin. ”You seduce me then leave without saying goodbye? Ouch.” She wrinkled her nose with a guilty expression. "You caught me," She admitted, unable to look away from how damn handsome he looked sleepy eyed and with his hair mused. Her heart gave a traitorous squeeze and she mentally cursed it. "But now you're awake, I can say a proper goodbye," One side of her lips quirked up and she turned to face him, bending down to give him a kiss.

RAFE XANDER CALLAHAN

[RAFE XANDER CALLAHAN]

"You caught me," He smiled at her stating the obvious. Red handed. "But now you're awake, I can say a proper goodbye," His brow lifted curiously ”hmm?” He mused as she leant forward to kiss him. He pressed his weight into his right hand as he propped himself up slightly to kiss her back, using his left hand to cup her face. He reluctantly broke the kiss with a smile ”Well that didn’t feel like a goodbye. .” He sat up properly and leant his back against the pillow. ”You really have to leave so soon?” He wasn’t sure if she regretted last night and wanted to just make a quick getaway but she didn’t seem like the type. Usually he would have waited to get to know her more, taking her out on a few dates while he did but he didn’t regret anything.

[ROXANNE IVY REED]

”hmm?” She didn't bother to give him a verbal response, and she felt the light touch of his hand cupping her cheek, the sweetness of the gesture warmed her heart. Damn. How the guy could even still be single she didn't know. ”Well that didn’t feel like a goodbye. .” She gave a sleepy laugh as she pulled back and then she copied him, pulling herself into an upright position and resting back against the board. "I guess not," It felt like a reluctant one to her, and she could quite easily pull the covers back up and hide from the world with his arms wrapped around her, but her niggling voice at the back of her head warned her what had happened last time she'd let a man in so easily.

”You really have to leave so soon?” She glanced at the time and then looked back to him and shook her head. "Not really..." She hesitated, not something she was used to doing. She had always been direct and confident in herself and with people, but Rafe had her questioning things and feeling like she was a teenager again - in some aspects anyway. "I don't know why I just... I'm not really sure what this is and I think I was about to do the cowardly thing." She admitted.

RAFE XANDER CALLAHAN

[RAFE XANDER CALLAHAN]

"Not really...I don't know why I just... I'm not really sure what this is and I think I was about to do the cowardly thing." He ran a hand through his bedridden hair and smiled softly. ”Ouch. . ghosting me after a one night stand?” He joked. In all fairness that could have been what she was doing but he didn’t think she seemed the type to do so. ”I don’t know what it is either. . it’s new. All I know is that I fancy you like mad and I’d like to see how things go and take you on some dates.” He wasn’t looking for something casual, when he dated someone, he liked to take his time to get to know them. ”Can I make you breakfast before you leave?”

[ROXANNE IVY REED]

She felt stupid and suddenly her thirty-odd years didn't seem to count for anything. It was like being a teenager again in that moment, and she didn't think she liked it. She was always so self assured, so confident, knowing what she wanted - both in life and in the bedroom. She wasn't much for one night stands and rafe kept surprising her by being so unlike what she expected; admittedly she was being judgmental and that wasn't fair - but she needed to get some kind of handle on herself. His soft smile gave a nudge at her heart and she found herself smiling in response without even thinking about it. ”Ouch. . ghosting me after a one night stand?” She winced and pulled a face, "Uuurgh, you're not going to let it drop are you?" It had only just happened but she thought he might keep bringing it up for a while considering her embarrassment. "I wouldn't ghost you though, just slip out and run into your awkwardly later to apologise and wish I could take it back?" She joked, she didn't think she'd be able to hold off contacting him again.

It wasn't just that he was ridiculously good looking, in every way, or that he'd been good in bed, but the fact that he was sweet, and able to hold a decent conversation; he clearly had intelligence - and he was funny, and considerate. And he didn't seem to want to screw around. So refreshing. Why was she ruining it all again? Someone needed to remind her. ”I don’t know what it is either. . it’s new. All I know is that I fancy you like mad and I’d like to see how things go and take you on some dates.” She blew out a breath, figuring that summed it up fairely well. She peered at him, hoping she was not going to regret this, as she had in the past. "So... dating? We date?" Rox suggested, figuring it would be better than 'just casual'. ”Can I make you breakfast before you leave?” Food sounded good, and she half grinned, "Depends, how good of a cook are you? Are you likely to poison me?"

RAFE XANDER CALLAHAN

[RAFE XANDER CALLAHAN]

"Uuurgh, you're not going to let it drop are you? I wouldn't ghost you though, just slip out and run into your awkwardly later to apologise and wish I could take it back?" Rafe lifted a brow ”Nope. .Oh the whole awkward thing? Ugh. . hate that.” He said with a grin. There was nothing worse than an awkward encounter. He watched as she processed what he’d said, smiling when she agreed with him. . "So... dating? We date?" He half shrugged before nodding ”Yeah? See what happens naturally?” He asked. It had been a while since he’d dated someone properly and he was excited at possibly finding someone he actually liked enough to want to try to date. He smiled as he pushed back the covers, getting out of bed. ”I make a decent omelette if you’re interested. .poison you? Never. ” He gave her a cheeky grin before disappearing into the kitchen to put the kettle on and grab the ingredients from the fridge.

[ROXANNE IVY REED]

She peered up at him as he raised a brow. ”Nope. .Oh the whole awkward thing? Ugh. . hate that.” She gave a small laugh, a smile spreading over her face as she saw his grin. "You better not make fun of me," She warned, feeling like he was on the cusp of making a joke about her terrible attempt to run out on him. It was funny, but he made her feel younger. It wasn't like the age difference was dramatic, not compared to some she'd known of, but she was inching her way toward 40 and she felt it some days - she liked to go out for a drink but not to go out and club anymore, she didn't do well at sleeping in or late nights, she didn't have endless excitement for life. But Rafe's energy and his vibrancy just brought her to life that little bit more - maybe that was slushy and she was glad she kept that kernel of information to herself.

”Yeah? See what happens naturally?” Roxanne nodded, watching his face - he seemed sincere, open. It didn't feel like he was trying to pull any wool over her eyes. "Okay, we'll date." She gave him a smile and then went to sit up probably, mulling over what she did and didn't want to happen. "This makes us exclusive, I don't divide myself between other people when I date." Not that she was seeing ayone else anyway. She glanced at him. This wasn't something they'd talked about, and she didn't know if he was seeing anyone else - in any capacity. She had been cheated on before, and let down by several men - two had made a very good impression on her in particularly, one being an ex husband which she guessed she should tell Rafe at some point - and whilst it wasn't necessarily cheating to date more than one person at a time, it wasn't her style, and she wasn't a fan of it.

Rox watched him get out of bed, unable to help but let he gaze linger on him indecently - hell he was one good looking man, it was hard to draw her eyes away. ”I make a decent omelette if you’re interested. .poison you? Never. ” She grinned as she watched him walk away, raising an eyebrow, "my very own naked chef." She teased, but not wanting to be left behind, she pushed back the covers and rose, giving her fallen dress a look and then grabbing his discarded shirt from last night instead, slipping it on and buttoning it up half way. Rox padded bare foot after Rafe, tucking her blonde hair behind her ears as she went to lean against the worktop. "Are you in need of a sou-chef?"

RAFE XANDER CALLAHAN

[RAFE XANDER CALLAHAN]

"You better not make fun of me," His face broke out into a cheeky grin as he shook his head. ”Me make fun of you? Oh never.” He said jokingly. "Okay, we'll date. This makes us exclusive, I don't divide myself between other people when I date." He shrugged his shoulders with a smile. ”I don’t date multiple people at once anyway so that’s fine.” He’d always been a one girl kind of guy, even during the talking stages. Rafe pulled out two pans from the draw and placed them on the hob with a little oil in then cracked open the eggs and whisked them all together in a bowl while he waited for the pans to warm up. "Are you in need of a sou-chef?” He glanced at her as she came out of the bedroom and smiled. ”Sure, you can make the coffee if you want?” He said as the kettle boiled. Once the pan was hot enough, he poured in the eggs, letting them cook slightly before adding in some cheese and diced ham & tomato to one of them. ”What filling do you normally have?”

[ROXANNE IVY REED]

”Me make fun of you? Oh never.” Roxanne raised a brow at him, "I get the sense that you're being sarcastic," She teased, though she had no issue with being the brunt of a joke - as long as it was in good humour. She was a smart woman, and had had plenty of times over the years where men had tried to talk down to her or make her seem like a joke to make themselves feel better about being the lesser intelligent. She didn't think Rafe would do that though, with everything she knew about him so far he seemed like a decent guy. She watched his reaction at her exclusivity deal, testing waters to see how he felt about it. ”I don’t date multiple people at once anyway so that’s fine.”

A pleased smile played on her lips, perhaps for once she had found the right person. "Glad to hear it," She said softly, feeling better for having said it, a little more settled than before. With such a tough shield, people never saw her vulnerable side - it was tough to show it even now, but that had been a hint. ”Sure, you can make the coffee if you want?” Rox pushed away from the counter, "That's quite a tough task," She teased, reaching up into the cupboard to pull out two mugs for them both as the water boiled. ”What filling do you normally have?” Roxanne glanced over to Rafe and tilted her head in thought. "Hmmm... surprise me? You can't go wrong." She promised, there wasn't much she wouldn't eat.

RAFE XANDER CALLAHAN

[RAFE XANDER CALLAHAN]

"I get the sense that you're being sarcastic," He let out a soft laugh and smiled in her direction. ”Maybe just a little. .” He teased back. He turned back to the stove and kept an eye on his omelette, turning down the heat so it would stop cooking but stay warm. "That's quite a tough task," He moved his head slightly so he could see her. ”I think you can handle it.” He said with a small grin. "Hmmm... surprise me? You can't go wrong." He nodded, looking back to the second pan and pouring in the same ingredients as the first omelette. While he waited for hers to cook, he put the food back in the fridge and grabbed out the milk for the coffees, placing it down next to the mugs for rox to use then pulled out two plates and cutlery for them both. Once the omelettes were done, he placed one on each plate then carried them over to his small dining table.

[ROXANNE IVY REED]

”Maybe just a little. .” Rox rolled her eyes, but it was in jest as she watched him turn back to the stove. She took a moment to watch him whilst she could, the lean lines of his muscles, the easy concentration on his face as he cooked - his relaxed and easy going aura. Yeah, she was definitely in trouble. He was young, and she knew that, but he had a surprisingly mature head on his shoulders and he was ridiculously attractive. It was his personality too - some would raise their eyebrows and go 'mmm sure it is', but Rox wasn't all about looks. Looks were trouble, and people thought they could get away with having a shit personality just because they were hot. That wasn't the case with Rafe though.

She stopped staring as she was given a task, and he turned to look at her. ”I think you can handle it.” Rox chuckled, "I guess so, after all there are some things I handle very well." She teased, as she worked on getting everything set for coffee. She was an adult that could actually look after herself, unlike some, so cooking and coffee making were in her repertoire, it just depended on time for her. She smiled a thanks as he put down the milk, pouring in the hot water as the kettle finished boiling and finishing off their coffee. She headed over to the table with him, a mug in each hand, and placed them on the coasters. "It smells lovely, thank you." She said as an inhale brought the smell of delicious food and her stomach rumbled.

RAFE XANDER CALLAHAN

[RAFE XANDER CALLAHAN]

He could see out of his peripheral that the blonde's gaze was lingering ever so slightly which made him smile. Maybe she was feeling the same way he was, he hoped she was anyway. He had an knack for falling quickly and in return would have his hear broken. It had taken him years to get over his ex and when he finally let someone else in, they upped and disappeared. He needed rox to be different. "I guess so, after all there are some things I handle very well." He half smirked, nodding in agreement. "I guess so, after all there are some things I handle very well." He set the plates down then turned to grab the salt and pepper from the side, placing them in the middle of the table. "Hopefully it taste just as good" He smiled, sitting down in his chair. He took a quick sip of his coffee before cutting into his omelette. "Have you got any plans for today?"

[ROXANNE IVY REED]

Her smile widened as he smirked at her words. She might be a first class business-woman with a lot on her plate, known to be a bit of a ball buster in the office, but a firm but fair hand, Rox actually did like to have fun and had a decent sense of humour; she just only let her hair down with the right people. It surprised her how easy it felt with him, how she slipped into being relaxed around him, not having to put on a front. She settled into the chair opposite him, going to reach for the salt and adding a little, before doing the same with the pepper. She trusted his cooking to be good enough, he hadn't poisoned her yet, but she liked a bit of seasoning.

"Hopefully it taste just as good" She chuckled, "If not, I'll be sure to let you know." She teased, not one to beat around the bush for saving someone's feelings. She took a swig of coffee, and then another for a decent hit of that caffeine drug before she dug into breakfast. Two bites in and she smiled with a nod, swallowing before she spoke, "Okay, it's good enough." She complimented, taking another swig of her coffee and glancing over to Rafe when he asked, "Have you got any plans for today?" She considered her schedule and gave a small sigh. "Alas, working this afternoon. I've got a couple of meetings I pushed back so I could enjoy my morning. And you?" She asked.

RAFE XANDER CALLAHAN