Every Rose has it's Thorn.

Chapter 12 - Unexpected.

An Hour Later;
Jeremy Irvine...

The savoury aroma of the lasagna migrated through the air and I felt my tummy rumble desperately. God I was hungry, and I don't think it was entirely for the food. I really like this woman. Really, really like her. There was just something different about her. Something vulnerable yet incredibly strong. Something innocent yet maybe a little reckless. I have never met anyone quite like her if I am being honest and it has thrown me through a loop. I feel all kinds of tangled up in her.

Standing at her side, I took the pan that she had just washed and dried it, putting it back where she had taken it from - it struck me how domestic this all felt. Being here with her - cooking with her, talking to her and laughing with her - it all felt more right than I had expected it to feel.

I hadn't, been prepared for her. Although to be fair - I don't think that you could ever truly prepare for someone like Shayne. How could you? She was this whirlwind that crashed into my orbit, and I ached to keep her right here. I ached to keep feeling this way. I have this indescribable need to shield her from the harshness of the world. To protect her from what Jonah was doing. Hearing what Jonah was doing and saying, I had a bad feeling. The type of feeling that had me on edge.

All those voicemails and texts - that was excessive. I mean, I could understand not wanting to let go. Hell, I could, understand, feeling consumed by her, but he had to know that he was scaring her. Was that his plan? To keep her in a constant state of fear that she'd never be able to truly move on.

"Ready for the movies now?" She asked me as she drained the sink of the water and wiped down the counter really quickly while I dried the last of the cutlery and placed it back in the drawer.

"Definitely!" I nodded, as I hung the towel back on the hook.

"Alright," rubbing her hands together she smiled at me, and it was hard not to smile back - there was just something addictive about her that I couldn't quite put my finger on just yet. I would figure it out though. I had to figure it out because she was quickly seeping under my skin, "drink?"

"Sure," I watched as she moved to the large American-style refrigerator and pulled the door open.

With her back to me, I took the opportunity to let my gaze roam over her form appreciatively. The way her red and black hair was piled into a tight bun at the crown of her head - a few strands hung loosely from the tie, the way her top hung from her shoulder, exposing smooth looking tattooed flesh - what would it feel like to kiss along those shoulder blades? Would she shiver? Would she moan? The true definition of her frame was hidden under the baggy top, unsure whether it was a vest or sports bra that she had on underneath, I assumed a sports bra because she has an extremely generous chest and support would be the natural conclusion to make. The way her legs appeared longer and more defined in the 3-quarter length leggings was a distraction that felt all consuming. What would those legs feel like wrapped around me?

Fuck me - I am almost entirely submerged in her already. I have tried to deny it. Hell, I even stayed away as long as I could but when she looked at me with those large doe-like eyes - my resolve weakened even more. At this point, everything I had been through as of late, just faded into the background until all that existed in me was her. Admitting to myself how I felt was freeing in a way that I hadn't truly expected.

"What would you like?" She glanced back at me, and that bright heart-warming smile tugged on my heart desperately.

You, I told myself silently. Nothing about Shay and the way she made me feel was expected and that was exciting in a way I couldn't have ever imagined. "I'll just have what you are having," I replied instead of saying what was on my mind.