In the end

Chapter 24 - For me too

A/N
This ones really short but I was struggling just to get it done. The next chapter will be way longer I promise

~ Jared POV ~

I didn't remember falling asleep but the rising sun peeked through the curtains and pulled me back to reality. For once it was better than my dreams. I turned on to my side and gazed over to the woman beside me. She was fast asleep on her side, facing away from me. I didn't want to wake her for the world, perfectly content to just lay here and look at her. When I invited her over this was the last thing I had expected to happen. The sex had been amazing but deep down it felt like something else. That's how it may have started, but I knew with every fibre inside me that's not what we did. It was so much more. If I was being honest with myself it actually scared me a little. How intensely I was felt drawn to her.

We were only half covered by a sheet, I didn't remember when the comforter had gotten thrown to the floor. She shifted and the sheet slid lower down her body exposing a tattoo on her hip that I didn't remember seeing earlier. I've never really had a preference one way or the other about tattoos but on her, like everything else, it was beautiful. It was a Phoenix rising from a pile of ashes amidst a swirling halo of fire. Even now, I felt like I couldn't control  my urge to touch her. Trying not to wake her I tentatively reached out and with the lightest of touches, traced the shape of the tattoo, surprised to feel a deep scar underneath. She groaned and rolled onto her stomach, burying her face in the pillow. I laughed softly and ran my fingers down her back. She shivered lightly and turned to look at me.

"Hey." "Hi." I'm not sure how long we lay there just looking at each other. "That was..." She trailed off and looked away. I took her hand, threading my fingers through hers. "I know." Her eyebrows came together in an expression of worry. "What's wrong?" She kept her face turned and I knew she was embarrassed. "Bree. You have nothing to be embarrassed about. I want you to tell me what you're feeling." "It's just that it was... I mean don't misunderstand me because it was amazing, but it just felt like, I dunno." I knew exactly what she meant. "It was different. For me too." I spoke her thoughts and she looked at me in surprise. "Hey, come here." I rolled into my back and opened my arms to her. "It was different for me too." I shifted closer to her and she lifted herself enough to rest her face on my chest. "What time do you have to go?" I rubbed my hand in slow circles across her back. "Not until tonight, around 10." I could feel her lips spread into a smile. I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her face to mine ending the conversation.

"Mmm. This is so good." We were sitting beside each other at the breakfast bar in the kitchen with half the contents of the fridge spread out before us. "So I started watching the show." She was spooning peanut butter on to a stalk of celery. "Oh god." Thinking about that first season we did, it felt like a lifetime ago. She laughed and pinched my cheek. "C'mon, you were so adorable with that baby face. And the hair was just-." "Ridiculous, I know." She moved her hand to my hair and played with the back. "I'll admit I like it better now, longer." She dragged her nails across my scalp and I felt it in my groin. "Are you still hungry?" She thought for a moment before answering. "Nah, I'm good, why?" "Cause if you keep doing that I'm taking you back to my room." She just laughed and kissed the side of my face. Then my neck. She purposely started dragging her nails down my back and I growled. Spinning around I scooped her up in my arms and all but sprinted back to my bedroom.