Chapter 24 #2
His face relaxed at that, and he grinned. Before she surmised his intent, he peeled the blanket from her lap and scooped her up, repositioning her on his lap. Mags was so shocked that her mouth opened, but not so much as a peep emerged.
“Good. Now we can finish our conversation while you remember how to be comfortable with me again.”
“And sitting in your lap will make me comfortable?”
“What better way to bridge the chasm between us than forced proximity. Plus, I have to prove to Mom, Raven, and Rowan that I am capable of wooing you without their help.”
Her spine straightened, and her palms flattened against his chest, pushing her further away. “What do you mean your mom and aunts…their help,” she spluttered. “What?”
Jonathan smiled one of his easy smiles, the one she hadn’t seen in forever, clearly enjoying her shock. “As much as I hate to admit this to you, and I will deny it fully if you so much as breath it to our friends, especially Daniel, I was forced into a Byrne sister intervention.”
“Oh my God, no way,” Mags laughed.
“Apparently, they felt I needed help admitting my feelings for you and getting you to forgive me. I cannot stress enough how absolutely painful it was.”
“And have you admitted to having feelings?” Why did she ask that? “Forget I asked,” she shook her head in chagrin. Their conversation had gone from zero to one hundred without obeying any of the traffic signs like speed limit, stop, yield, and especially caution.
One of Jonathan’s hands rubbed circles over her back. It felt so good, she couldn’t bring herself to stop him.
“I know what I feel, and I’m trying and clearly not succeeding in telling you. Give me a chance, Mags,” he pleaded, bending close enough that his breath fanned over her lips. “Give us a chance.”
She could have easily put distance between them, but she wanted to give them a chance. She wanted his commitment. She wanted him to touch her and taste her.
She wanted him.
Slowly, she pivoted on her hips until both her knees straddled his thighs. His strong hands rested at her waist. “Mags,” he breathed, not moving a muscle, probably afraid she’d change her mind.
“You know me, Jon, probably better than my parents and friends. Regardless of how you’ve hurt me in the past, if you truly mean what you’ve said today—”
“I do,” he cut in.
“Then, I’m willing to see where this goes. But slowly,” she amended.
“Anything, Christ, Mags, anything,” he implored.
And maybe because she’d survived dead animals, falling down stairs, and a hit and run, living her life to the fullest had become paramount. Having the love of her life looking at her with such abject devotion made her want to throw caution to the wind and be reckless with her feelings.
“I think we should seal this pact with a kiss.”
“Thank, Christ,” he all but shouted, his hands sliding from her waist to her back and neck, bringing their lips together, slowly and soft at first. The first moan that left her throat triggered Jonathan to plunder.
Tongues dueled, teeth scraped, and hands explored. Mags was helpless to still her hips, thrusting, rubbing, and finally grinding against the part of his anatomy that had remained a complete mystery even in her dreams.
Under his pants, he was hard, thick, and long, basically the trifecta of every woman's fantasy. Somewhere in the hazy, lust fields of her mind, she knew she needed to put the brakes on.
Slow! Slow! Slow!
“Mags! Fuck, Mags! We’ve got to stop. I’m going to—”
“I’m there! Oh, God, Jon.” The mother of all orgasms seized her body, screaming and pulsing. Fire. Jonathan shouted a second after her final moan, his body shuddering under hers.
She pulled back. They stared at each other in what must be identical shocked expressions. “That was…”
“Unexpected as fuck,” he finished.
“We just…” she left her scattered thought hanging.
“Came in our pants. Mine probably has more noticeable consequences,” Jonathan said, grimacing as he adjusted his jeans.
Mags couldn’t help it. She started giggling, the crazy interlude something she’d never expected. Her dreams over the years had them in similar positions, but reality had long since been a wet blanket, cold and smothering.
Now, her optimistic self saw only potential.
She showed him to the guest restroom to…clean up. They were now circling each other at the front door. Jonathan needed to get to work. She decided to work from home, having plenty of projects in her bag that had thankfully been completely salvaged after the accident.
Her roommate and the man who kept saving her ass asked her to stay home and rest. She decided it wasn’t a fight worth having and acquiesced.
Finally, Jonathan pulled her into his arms and held her tight. “You won’t regret this, Mags. I swear, I’ll never give you a reason to regret me.”
“You know I can be difficult. I’m not perfect, Jon. If we try this, don’t put me on a pedestal.”
“Not if or try. We are doing this, and you’re perfect to me, for me,” he emphasized. “I hate leaving you, but I still have to stop home and change. Someone helped me make a mess.”
“We got carried away,” she smirked. “My guess it that it won’t be the last time.”
He kissed her chastely once and then twice more. “It can happen a million more times, I just want it to be when we’re both naked, and I’m buried deep inside your body.”
She rested her head on his chest and sighed. “I never thought we’d,” she hesitated, “be here. I thought our first kiss was our last.” She had to bite her lip to stop it from quivering.
“I have a lot to atone for. Just promise me that if pressed, you’ll give the Byrne sisters a glowing report of my efforts.”
She couldn’t stop the burst of laughter. It felt amazing to laugh again with Jonathan.
“I don’t want to ruin this moment, but I also don’t want to get blindsided later,” Jonathan started hesitantly. “You’ve agreed to try…us. Will you please not kiss or do anything with Eze or anyone else?”
She considered letting him sweat, but no matter what happened between her and Jonathan, at the end of it, they would always be in the same circle of friends. Eze was a part of that circle now, and she wanted them to be friends too.
“We matter to each other and have become close, but we’re only good friends. The kiss we shared was to make Nasir jealous.” At his surprise, she added, “They have history.”
“So, you didn’t feel anything when he kissed you? He didn’t feel anything?”
Mags smiled and kissed the corner of his lips. “I never said that.”