*Steamy scene at the end*
***
I pushed my front door open later than usual Tuesday evening.
Feeling like a zombie, I shuffled into my house and locked the door behind me but stopped dead in my tracks when I smelled the overwhelming aroma of something cooking, something good.
This wouldn't have been alarming if Elaina could cook. But Elaina Jones couldn't cook for shit. When she'd offer to cook, I'd joke that we'd have to call the fire department in advance in case of an emergency.
She'd either end up forgetting about it and burning the food or adding too much or not enough of an ingredient. Either way, she was not gifted in the kitchen department.
Then it dawned on me that I hadn't even seen her car in the driveway.
My blood ran cold at the thought of someone breaking into my house.
I didn't know which was worse, the breaking and entering or the breaking and entering in order to cook a meal in my house.
I very cautiously padded down the hall past my stairs and into the entryway of the kitchen and nearly had heart failure when I saw Jonas' back turned to me as he stood in front of my stove.
Somehow, he hadn't sensed my presence yet. I took that time to watch his muscles move and contract as he continued to cook whatever it was he was cooking. I let my eyes wander from gray beanie to his broad shoulders to his slim waist until they stopped on his firm behind covered in black sweatpants. Whether he was wearing underwear underneath or not was something I found myself longing to find out.
Suddenly, being outside in the forty degree weather seemed a whole lot more appealing than being in my tiny kitchen with my ex-boyfriend from high school.
I slid out of my jacket and dropped it on the floor along with my purse. The sound of my belongings hitting the ground was loud enough to make Jonas freeze and slowly turn around.
"I hope you realize breaking and entering is a serious crime."
Our eyes met for a split second, but it felt like an eternity before he looked away.
He turned off the stove, got two plates from my cupboard, and set them down on the table. "Is that so?"
When did he get so comfortable with my kitchen?
"Yes, that is so. And how the hell did you get in here?"
He wordlessly brought each pan to the table and sat down, ignoring my question. "I cooked your favorite."
I curiously surveyed the table and grimaced when my stomach growled obnoxiously loud.
He'd cooked baked salmon with a vegetable medley, baby potatoes and brown rice. It was still my favorite even after all these years, and it all looked so good.
I remembered Jonas learning how to make it for Valentine's day when we were together instead of taking me out to eat. I always preferred to stay home with him anyway because it felt much more private, more intimate.
It warmed my heart to know that he still remembered. But it also made me sad because he wasn't mine to keep anymore.
I lifted my chin, stubbornly. "You have no idea what my favorite is anymore."
He filled his plate with a piece of salmon and a spoonful of vegetables and rice and began eating. "Have a seat."
I sat down. "How'd you get in here?"
He finished chewing before answering. "Most people I know lock their doors so as to not welcome intruders into their homes."
Elaina must've forgotten to lock the door before she left the house. Damn her.
I crossed my arms and leaned back into my seat. "You still came into my house without my consent."
He wasn't amused. "Seriously, Ella," he said, "the food is getting cold."
"I'm not hungry."
"I think your stomach would disagree."
His eyes dropped to my stomach and lingered a bit too long on my chest, that was barely covered by the low cut top I was wearing, as they came back up to my face.
I shifted in my seat and pressed my legs together, feeling the familiar burning between them. His gaze alone could ignite the fire in me that's been dormant for a decade. No one else had that effect on me.
The night we had shared together had been a dream, and I wanted nothing more than to have him touch me the way he had just last night. But I couldn't allow myself to get tangled up with him again.
I cleared my throat. "I'm going to shower."
Before he could get another word in, I ran upstairs, closed my bedroom door and cursed when I remembered that it didn't lock.
I got undressed and showered longer than normal, letting the hot water wash away all the dirty thoughts I had with the hope that maybe he'd be gone when I got out.
I really shouldn't have been thinking about him. I had just been on a date with Owen only a few hours prior.
The date had gone well.
We ordered our food and ate and talked about various things, but it wasn't as easy as it had been the last time. My mind was a million miles away, or maybe it was still in bed with Jonas at that point during the day. But I tried my best to stay focused on our conversation.
We got to know each other a little better in the short time that we spent together. Even with the absence of an undeniable connection between us, I still thought he was a very nice guy and I could see myself getting comfortable with him.
But ultimately, I was unable to stop myself from comparing Owen to Jonas, and trying to seemed nearly impossible with him downstairs in my kitchen.
Feeling guilty and confused I stepped out of shower and wrapped a towel around me before heading back to my room.
I came to a screeching halt when I saw Jonas sitting on the edge of my bed. His beanie was missing and his blonde hair was free, looking as if he'd ran his hand through it a few times.
"What are you doing?"
He got up and walked past me.
When I heard the soft click of my door closing, my heart starting beating so fast I could hear the pounding in my ears.
I let out a shaky breath, shivering as I felt the cold air against my wet skin. "This is an invasion of privacy."
He stood in front of me, so close our noses were almost touching. "Yeah, I don't really care."
With one hand, he yanked on the bottom of my towel until it dropped onto the carpet before I could even blink.
I squealed in the surprise as he grabbed my hand and pulled me forward until my bare chest was pressed up against him, barely giving me time to process what was happening.
My hands flew to his chest in an attempt to steady myself.
"This is so wrong on so many levels," I said through clenched teeth.
He cupped my ass and all but growled, "Did he touch you like this?"
"Jonas—"
His grip tightened. "Answer me."
I gasped. "No."
I bit back a moan when I felt his soft lips press against my neck.
Somewhere in the heat of the moment, the guilty feeling crept back in. It just wasn't fair to Owen no matter how far we were into a relationship. I knew what I was doing was wrong, but the last thing Jonas would want to hear was me talking about how I was interested in another guy.
I searched my mind for some kind of excuse to make him stop.
"Jonas, stop," I tried. "Elaina could come home at any second."
I felt his hand wiggle between us and ventured lower until I felt his fingers at my entrance.
My lips parted in pleasure and any thoughts of Owen slowly disintegrated into little pieces of dust as one of Jonas' fingers entered me.
With his mouth just inches away from my ear, he whispered, "Look me in the eyes and tell me you want me to stop."
I let out a strangled groan of frustration when he started to pull his hand away.
"Please."
He swiftly and effortlessly lifted me and tossed me on the bed.
I laid on my back and waited patiently as he got undressed, watching his every move until he was completely naked in front of me.
This time wasn't like last night. We'd been deprived and eager to taste each other again. It'd been rushed and frantic. This time, we would explore each other's bodies and memorize every nook and cranny, every scar, every imperfection.
I could hardly contain my excitement when he got on the bed and hovered over me, putting a knee between my legs.
With the one arm he wasn't using to hold himself up, he touched my cheek, running his thumb over my bottom lip. "Did he tell you how stunning you are?"
"I don't want to talk about him right now, Jonas," I muttered.
"You are absolutely stunning."
Feeling uncomfortable with his complement, I draped my arm over my stomach and averted my eyes. I hadn't heard anyone say something like that to me in a long time.
"Hey, look at me."
I looked at him.
And those green eyes were dark and serious.
"Don't ever cover up in front of me, Ella. Hear me?"
"Okay."
"The lights stay on tonight."
He leaned down and kissed my stomach.
"How's that for an invasion of privacy?"