Wicked Things We Crave

Chapter Sixteen

It surprised Astrid to find out that Jonah had any candles in his house, but when he presented her with a bubble bath, soft music and the dark room lit by candlelight, the surprise was a welcome one, as was him joining her in the bath.

His libido relaxed, and now he was just holding her in the bath, seeming completely at ease. There were so many more facets to this man than she ever imagined or realized, and Astrid was enjoying getting to know every one of them. She wasn't sure which main two were her favorite; sweet or sour Jonah.

"You happy?" He asked, nuzzling into her neck before placing a soft kiss against her skin.

The simple answer would be 'yes', but there were so many damn words that described what she was feeling in that moment, and she somehow had forgotten every one of them. "I'm happy."

"But you're still thinking about it, aren't you?"

Although she hadn't been thinking about it, she knew exactly what 'it' he was referring to, making it once again fresh in Astrid's mind. "How's this going to work between us?"

Behind her, Jonah sucked in a breath, long and slow, and took his time releasing it a few seconds later. "On Monday, I'll visit a lawyer and find out what I have to do to transfer my part of the business over to your dad. Then I'll head over to the real estate office and see about putting the house on the market. There's only a few houses for sale right now in this town, so it should move quick since it'll be the only affordable one that isn't a one bedroom shack.

"You and I can look at places in the nearby towns; ones that need a repair shop, and I'll come clean with your dad. It shouldn't take more than a month. Two tops. When it's time, I'd love for you to come with me."

Despite the warm water surrounding Astrid, she watched as the hairs on her arms stood up from his serious comment delivered in such a casual tone.

"Are you asking me to move in with you less than twenty-four hours into the relationship?"

Jonah let out a soft laugh behind her. "I mean, by the time you actually move in, it'll be a more reasonable timeline."

While she supposed that was true(ish), he wasn't asking her a month or two from now; he was asking in that moment for her to move in once the time came. It was all happening so quickly, Astrid had trouble believing any of this was real.

The sexual chemistry seemed to have come out of nowhere, but was undeniable. What also came out of nowhere and appeared in an instant was the love she felt for Jonah. Astrid didn't believe in instant love, but also knew that all the things that built love they'd mostly already experienced through their years of friendship. So was this really an instantaneous love, or had they only now just opened their eyes to see something that'd been years in the making?

Jonah said she was made for him, and Astrid couldn't help but feel like he was made for her. He seemed to be forever in her head, knowing exactly what she wanted and pushing Astrid to her limits without bulldozing through them.

It was like two instruments with unique sounds coming together to create perfect music without rehearsal. And fuck if he didn't play her like a fiddle.

"What are you thinking?" Jonah asked behind her. Astrid turned her head to look up at him. "You got this real serious look for a full minute, then it turned into this goofy smile."

The thought had only just formed before the smile must have taken over. "How many orgasms have you given me so far?"

The question seemed to have taken him aback, but a leery smile slowly tugged at his lips. "Assuming you haven't faked any of them?" Astrid nodded, despite every inch of her wanting to screw with him. "Six or seven. Why?"