Chapter 12
Phoenix
Several long hours later, I touched down in RDU.
Since I just had my small duffel bag, I didn’t have to waste any time in baggage claim.
I ordered an Uber and was off to Brooklynn and Jonas’s apartment in no time.
When the driver approached the apartment complex, he gave me a look of suspicion because I wasn’t sure which building I needed.
I’d only been here the one time, and it had been dark when we’d arrived.
A quick text to and a reply from Brooklynn cleared things up, and then I was jogging toward the stairwell that would lead up to their apartment.
When I got to their floor, I walked to the door and pressed my ear to it.
It sounded empty. I used Brooklynn’s key and quietly let myself in.
The place smelled familiar. Like family and very much like Jonas.
It sent a wave of excitement and longing through me.
I gave my pits a quick sniff test. “Jesus, Phoenix,” I spoke aloud to the empty room. “Let’s not scare him away before we even get a chance to talk to him.”
I headed for the hallway to find the bathroom, duffel bag in tow. After a two-minute shower, I changed into one of the few clean outfits I had and brushed my teeth. As I was throwing all my shit back into the bag, the front door unlocked and opened.
“H-hello?” Jonas called out from the front room.
I’d left the bathroom fan on to help with the steam.
It was probably what he’d heard and likely had him spooked.
Oops. When I rounded the hallway and headed for him, drying my hair off with a towel, I heard, “Stop! Don’t come any closer or I’ll…
I’ll shoot.” I froze in place and slowly lowered the towel.
It slipped from my fingers and dropped to the floor.
Jonas stood before me, holding up what must have been the closest thing to him—a spray bottle of laundry stain remover.
He lowered his arms and let the bottle clank down to the floor.
It landed beside the partially empty laundry basket near his feet.
“What the hell, Phoenix!” He did not look pleasantly surprised.
He looked like he was five seconds from passing out.
Brooklynn had better be prepared to shell over five hundred dollars because it seemed she’d been overly confident in how this would play out.
Jonas pressed a hand against his chest and was breathing hard.
“You scared the shit out of me. How the hell did you get here before me?”
I took a few steps toward him. “I flew.”
He set the rest of his things down beside the basket and toed off his shoes, but didn’t come closer. “And how did you get inside the apartment?”
“Brooklynn,” we said in unison.
“Of course,” he added.
“I’m sorry I scared you, Pickles. Thank you for not pretreating me to death. What a way to go.” I gave him a lopsided grin, going for cute, but it garnered me no smile in return. His brow dipped, like he was pondering or concentrating hard.
“I thought you were on your way back to New York. Why are you here?” He took a cautious step toward me.
“I decided I was not okay with you leaving when we have a bunch of things still unsaid between us.” His eyes widened, and he opened his mouth, possibly to ask me to get the hell out, but I held up a hand.
“No, please listen.” I gestured toward the living room couch, and he sat down.
I took a seat beside him. He didn’t run away in disgust, so I took that as a good sign.
“I need to clear the air about a few things,” I began.
“I’m crazy about you. In a non-creepy way.
” I smiled when his eyes lit up. “And, yeah, I like sex. I’m twenty-six years old.
I had a lot of sex while living in New York.
It was all meaningless. For a while now, I’ve been stuck in that revolving door of men because I was trying to get you out of my brain.
But it didn’t work. I’m crazy about you,” I repeated.
“I don’t really know what I thought would happen this week after we jumped into bed about three seconds after seeing each other again.
But I know what I wanted to happen. I’d like to date you, Jonas. Not bang and move on.”
He looked cautiously optimistic, but his brows furrowed. “We don’t even live in the same state, Phoenix. How would that work?”
“Right.” I nodded. “That is true. But, as it happens, I co-own a business, and my partner and I can really work from anywhere. We do have to travel a lot when we have an active client implementation, but I don’t have to be stationed in New York.
I’ve been missing North Carolina anyway.
It’s my home. And I care about you a lot.
” He scooted closer until he was practically sitting in my lap.
I wrapped one of his hands in mine. “I’ve cared about you in some way ever since I met you.
Even though I know you helped Brooklynn get all those frogs into my bed back in the day.
” I gave him a pointed look, one eyebrow raised.
Jonas snorted and shrugged. “Not even gonna try to deny that, are you? I knew it.” I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.
“We could be good together, Jonas, great even. All I’m asking is for you to trust me and give this thing between us a try.
And I’ll try not to be too much of a jealous idiot. ”
Jonas reached up and cupped my cheek in his palm.
“I’d like that. And I’d like to apologize for flying off the handle, and up and leaving.
I’m sorry, Phoenix.” His mouth slipped into a frown.
“You didn’t deserve any of that. I freaked out and let my thoughts twist and poke at my insecurities.
And I did what I do best in those situations.
” His hand fell, and he looked down. “I not only created a problem, but I also avoided dealing with the problem. And that’s not fair to you.
” When he raised his head, his expression was grim.
“I owe you so many apologies, Phoenix, that I could start now and go until the end of time, and it still wouldn’t be enough. ”
“That’s not—” I began, but he interrupted.
“I ran into Marcus on my way out of Asheville this morning. He kissed me.”
I plopped back against the cushion. Of all the words in the English language, I had not expected that combination to come out of his mouth right now.
“Ah, I see,” I said slowly. “And, uh, what happened after that?”
Jonas’s mouth pulled into a small smile. “I shoved him away and yelled at him.” Relief flooded my chest, nearly dizzying in its effects. “I should have been more open to what you and Brooklynn said about him yesterday. I’m sorry.”
“Jonas, it’s okay. No more apologies necessary.”
His shoulders raised and lowered as he exhaled slowly. “Okay. I’d like to try this ‘us’ thing, if you’re willing to be patient with me. I’m going to make a lot of mistakes.”
I dropped his hand and cradled his face in my palms. Our lips met in a kiss so simple it was nearly chaste, and yet it was one of the best, most meaningful kisses I’d ever had the pleasure of experiencing.
“Neither of us is perfect,” I reminded him. Then I summarized the most important part. “So, it sounds like we’re going to let this be what it will be and enjoy the adventure.”
He nodded. “And the sex.” He pecked my lips with his. “Going to enjoy that too.” Jonas brushed his mouth against mine. “A lot.” He licked my neck. “Like, so much sex.” Another kiss. “So much.”
“I like the sound of that.” I pulled him into my lap and settled us on the couch. I kissed along his skin as I removed each piece of clothing I could get to. “Brooklynn will disown me if she finds out we defiled the couch.”
Jonas put a finger to his chin like he was pondering. “It’s not technically defiling the couch if you fill me up with your cum and none of it gets on said couch.”
I drew his mouth to mine and mumbled against his lips.
“I love the way you think.” We kissed slowly, our tongues stroking and exploring each other.
The slow speed didn’t last long. I stripped while Jonas ran ass-naked to his room, retrieving his lube.
I sat on the couch again, and he straddled me as soon as he returned.
I kissed him hard while I got him ready for me.
“Listen,” I said between kisses. His lust-glazed eyes met mine.
“One of these times, we really will go slow. I will romance you so slowly you’ll be crying and begging me to cut the slow burn and get to the fucking.
But today is not that day. I’m gonna fuck you hard and fast right here on this couch until your legs are shaky and you forget how to talk.
Then I’m gonna lay you on your stomach over the back, watch my cum drip from your pretty pink hole, and fuck it back into you. And start all over again.”
Jonas squirmed around, grinding his ass down on my fingers.
“Those are big promises, Kennedy,” he panted.
“You better deliver, or else I’ll have that snowman shipped here and use him to get off instead.
” He ran his fingers through my hair and down my neck, looping his hands around me.
“Thank you for coming after me. It means a lot,” he whispered, and then kissed the tip of my nose.
I added another finger to the mix, and he shuddered in my arms. “You’re worth it,” I said. “Now, come—”
He leaned back just enough to reach up and shush me with two fingers pressed against my lips.
“I have to say one more thing. Well, two.” I nodded, and he withdrew his fingers slowly.
“First is a question.” He flushed, and I was very intrigued by whatever had caused it.
“Did you, um, happen to travel here with your cowboy hat?”
I smiled and shook my head. “’fraid not, babe. I left in a rush in my hurry to get to you, and forgot to grab it. I’ll have to give you a raincheck on the cowboy fantasy.”
“Okay, sure. I’ll hold you to it.”
“And I’ll be sure to deliver on it.” I kissed him on the mouth, then sat back. “So, what’s the second thing?”
In the most serious tone ever, he said, “I’m so relieved I finally got the chance to find out you’re uncircumcised. The mystery was killing me.”
I huffed a laugh and pointed to my slathered-up dick. “Shut up and ride my pickle.”
He grinned and slid down my cock, slowly impaling himself on me. “Great news, Phoenix,” he said, panting a little as he adjusted to me. “I’m no longer the most awkward one in this relationship. Call it an attitude adjustment, or something.”
“Oh yeah?” I asked.
“Yeah.” He shrugged. “Or maybe an altitude adjustment. Because of, you know, the mountains. Get it? Altitude… Not that we’re still there, but…
Okay, yeah, it’s still me. Most awkward right here.
” He tapped his temple. “But anyway, I think we’re going to work out just fine.
” He nodded and flashed me the goofiest smile I’d ever seen.
I let out a loud bark of laughter, shaking the both of us. “Yeah, we will.” He shimmied around a bit, getting comfortably seated on me before we really got to it. As Jonas began to rise again, I put a hand on his shoulder. “Wait a sec. Tell me about this article you’re writing.”
Jonas arched an eyebrow sky high. “You want to know about the article right now?”
I nodded. “Humor me.” He gave me the twenty-second rundown on his “Hiking for Dummies” idea, shared the tips he’d come up with so far, and then, unable to hold out any longer, began to ride my dick.
“You’re a little writing genius, Jonas,” I said, struggling to keep my voice steady as his ass squeezed around me. Waves of pleasure rolled through me, lighting a fire in every corner of my body. “I’ve got a tip for your article.”
“Oh yeah?” Jonas asked. He threw his head back as he slid up and down my length.
I wrapped my palm around his cock and gently rubbed his dripping tip with my thumb.
Jonas collapsed against my chest and shuddered.
He pressed a soft kiss to the underside of my ear.
“I’m going to come if you keep that up,” he whispered.
“That’s kind of the idea, sweetheart,” I whispered back.
Wrapping his arms around me, he pressed his forehead to mine and smiled. “So, what’s the tip?”
I kissed his nose. “If you lose your way, don’t panic.” Jonas leaned back slightly so he could better see my face as I spoke. “We’ll always find our way back to each other.”
Jonas stroked my cheek with his fingertips and kissed me, pouring all of his thanks and emotions into it. “Always,” he whispered against my lips.