WILD THING (18+) - COMPLETED

HER

'Home' was a charming mid-Victorian townhouse that was much larger and more modern on the inside than it was on the outside.

"Our parents bought this place before Jonah was born," Matthew said as he ushered Cara into the spacious living space. He'd been very courteous, friendly even, the entire drive home. No sign of animosity on his brother's behalf.

That was a good thing, right? I mean, they'd picked her up at the airport and were letting her stay in their home instead of a hotel. And they hadn't even asked her when she'd be leaving.

"It's very beautiful," Cara said, smiling faintly.

Matthew stopped at the bottom of a gently winding staircase and took her bag from Jonah, who'd been following them quietly.

"I'll show you to the room you'll be sleeping in," he said. "Jonah, why don't you order some food? I'm sure Cara is famished."

Something passed between the two brothers, and Jonah mumbled a 'fine' before walking away. Cara turned to watch him leave for a moment before following Matthew up the stairs.

The room Matthew led her to was simple, unremarkable. White beddings on a double bed, a small vanity against the wall facing the bed, and a door leading to what Cara assumed was the en-suite bathroom.

"Wow," she breathed, walking deeper into the room. The window view was absolutely breathtaking – the most remarkable thing in the room. It looked out into a beautiful garden that was green and every other color of the rainbow, dotted with flowers and orange trees.

"I'm afraid I couldn't have the two of you sharing a room," Matthew said, leaning against the door jamb with his arms crossed over his broad chest. "You understand, of course."

"Yes, yes I do," Cara said, turning to face him with a hot blush of embarrassment in her cheeks. Looking at Matthew properly like this, she could see that it would be obvious to even a stranger that he and Jonah were brothers. He looked like a more honed, more polished version of his little brother, a little taller, a little broader, with a groomed beard and green eyes.

"You know you hurt him really badly," he said quietly.

"I know," Cara said, dropping her gaze in shame.

"I am only letting you stay because it looks like you want to fix things, and he wants the same thing," he continued. Then, the even tone fluctuated to give Cara a glimpse at the steel underneath when he added, "I won't let you hurt him a second time though."

"I know," Cara repeated, her heart in her throat.

The steel disappeared from Matthew's voice, and he straightened with a bright smile.

"Well then, that's it for now," he said. "Don't be tempted to sneak into Jonah's room at night. The walls are quite thin."

***

The rest of the day was uneventful. After a heavy meal that tasted bland under the current of anxiety running through her body, Cara made her excuses and retired early to her room. After the high of seeing Jonah again had worn off, her fatigue was unmasked. The flight and her anxiety had really worn her out.

The moment she dove under the sheets after a long hot shower, she was out like a light, almost immediately after her head hit the pillow. When she opened her eyes, the morning sun was streaming in through the windows, cutting through the tapering drizzle she could see outside.

Birds chirped their morning song from the trees, and apart from that, there wasn't much else in the form of noise. It was a delightful change from the noise of the student dorms and the occasional rush of traffic on the road in front of Jonah's apartment.

She could almost forget she was in London to fix a relationship she had almost damaged beyond repair, instead of an idyllic vacation. After a few big stretches, she climbed out of bed, feeling very rejuvenated, and headed for the shower. She had a long day ahead of her.

Matthew found her in the kitchen, making pancake batter from the ingredients she'd found in a very well organized and sizeable pantry. He was wearing a suit, and looked surprised to see her there.

"What are you doing up so early? It's just a little past 7am," he said, peering at his watch.

"Making pancakes?" Cara said, suddenly wondering if she'd made a misstep. Matthew raised a dark eyebrow at her.

"Trying to sneak back into his heart through his stomach, huh?" he teased, then he nodded toward the pantry door. "He likes vanilla in his pancakes. Third shelf on the right. And if you're making bacon, don't make it too crispy."

"Thanks," Cara said softly. Matthew chuckled with a shake of his head, then made his way outside the house.

When Jonah came down the stairs, he didn't look nearly as polished as his brother had. He looked decidedly sleep-rumpled, his hair a mess, the sweatpants he wore riding low on his hips and doing a poor job of hiding anything.

Down, girl, Cara said to her errant vagina, feeling her body react, against her will, to Jonah's gorgeous half-nakedness.

"Cara?" he said, his voice deeper as it often was in the morning. "You're up early."

Cara smiled awkwardly. Things weren't quite as easy between them as they used to be yet. She'd have to do a lot of work, both outwardly and inwardly, to fix that.

"I made breakfast," she said, gesturing with her hands at the bastardized version of an English breakfast she'd prepared.

"You don't really like breakfast," he said, coming around to the other side of the kitchen island to sit at one of the stools.

"You do, though, so I thought it'd be nice if I cooked for you, for once," Cara said, wincing as she heard the words leave her mouth. It was true – he did most of the cooking, and when he didn't, they ordered out.

Jonah raised an eyebrow at her – he looked so much like his brother when he did that – and said, "Should I be worried?"

Cara laughed, unable to stop herself. "Oh my God, Jonah, I can cook. Not as well as you, but it's still good."

She watched him cut into the pancakes and raise a piece to his mouth, her heart in her throat. If he hated it, she'd probably impale herself on one of the many knives in the kitchen and end it once and for all.

He chewed slowly, his face expressionless, then pleasure seeped into his eyes, and he smiled, and Cara felt her heart settle back into place with a heavy sigh of relief.

"Vanilla," he said.

"Matthew might have helped a little," Cara admitted. "With the bacon too."

"Mmm, keep this up, and we'll have to put you on breakfast duty when we get back home," Jonah said, digging into the rest of his breakfast.

When we get back home. Tears pooled in Cara's eyes. God, he was obviously trying to make things easy for her. To make things feel normal again. And she hadn't even apologized yet.

She must have been an amazing person in a past life to get him in this one. And she'd do whatever it took to keep him in this life, and all the ones that came after that.