“What’s for breakfast, detective?” I ask curiously, lifting myself up onto Jon’s counter, crossing my legs.

“What do you feel like, Melek?” He asks, pulling his head out of his fridge and checking me out. “Comfy?” he teases.

“Quite,” I wink at him as I grab a cherry from the fruit bowl next to me and suck on it.

Jonathan shakes his head at me and resumes the search in his fridge for brekky. I giggle as I chew on the cherry, knowing what I just did to him.

“You’ll be the death of me, Melek,” he says, closing the fridge door and placing some bacon and a carton of eggs next to me.

“Probably,” I tease as I hop down off his counter. “Can I help?” I ask, placing my hands on his waist and leaning against him. 

“No, Melek. I’ve got this.” He turns around, and both hands pull my head towards his lips as he kisses my forehead. “Go relax,” he whispers.

“Ok,” I smile up at him as I turn and head to the dining table. Hearing my phone ping on Jon’s side table, I change direction and walk over to his bed. Crawling across it, I grab my phone, and, laying on my stomach, I unlock it and see it’s Kay.

I roll onto my back and rest my phone on my chest. I begin rubbing my forehead in frustration.

Kay was just getting back to herself, and now Gabby is trying to reel her back in, I think to myself.
“Urgh,” I growl out, throwing my phone to the side.
“Are you ok, Camilla?” Jonathan calls from the kitchen.
“Yeah… No,” I answer back.
“Let me plate this food up, and we’ll talk, ok?”
“Ok,” I sigh, sitting up and walking over to the table.

He meets me at the table, pulling the chair out. He says softly, “sit, Melek.”

I smile up at him as I sit down, bringing one knee up and resting it against the table, the other down beside me.

“I made freshly squeezed orange juice. Would you like some?” He holds the glass up, and it looks unbelievably delicious.

“Yes, please,” I smile at him.

He places the glass in front of me, kisses me on top of my head then heads back into the kitchen to collect the food. I take a mouthful, and it tastes like heaven. I’ve never had freshly squeezed orange juice before.

Is there anything this man can’t do? I think to myself, eyeing him up from behind.

I stand quickly and take my leggings off. They are irritating me to no end. I drape them over the chair next to me and sit back down just as Jonathan walks over and places the food down on the table. He slides into his chair across from me. Leaning to the side, he notices I’m no longer wearing my leggings.

“No pants at the table?” He looks at me, smirking.
“They were pissing me off. I can put them back on if you want?”
“No, no, by all means, keep them off, Melek. I want you to be comfortable,” he winks at me.
“Is that right?” I tease.

He puts his hands up in defence. “I said ‘comfortable’, Camilla. If I wanted you naked, believe me, you would be.” A cheeky smirk pulls at the corner of his mouth.

I break a piece of my toast off and throw it at him, hitting him in the chest.

“Hey!” He shouts playfully, picking it up and throwing it back at me.
“Didn’t your mother ever teach you not to play with your food?” I tease.
“You started it, Melek,” he winks at me.
“Touché detective,” I smirk at him.

We both laugh. It’s a welcome relief from my frustration at Gabby messaging Kay and Kay potentially meeting with the witch.

“So what’s got you upset, Melek?” He asks, picking up his cup and taking a sip.

“Kay and her ex,” I mumble while stuffing bacon in my mouth. “This bacon is heavenly, Jon,” I close my eyes and savour the taste.

“Good,” he smiles. “Hmm, the ex, always a hot topic.” He leans back in his chair, watching me.
“She’s a witch,” I reply icily.
“Maybe I can help?” He raises an eyebrow in silent inquiry.

I let out a sigh. “Her name is Gabby. She and Kay had been together for three and a half years when I met Kay. She was funny, pretty, and outgoing—a perfect match for Kay. Or sol I thought until one day she walked into Kay’s café and dumped her. No reason, no emotion, just coldly said, ‘we’re over and walked out.” I take a mouthful of my juice. Talking about her left a bad taste in my mouth.

“Wow! That’s cold.” Jonathan places his cup back on the table and leans forward, crossing his arms on the table in front of him.

“That’s not even half of it. She changed her phone number that day and had her best friend come to collect her things a week later. Kay was destroyed. She didn’t leave the house for months. She wouldn’t eat, and as a result, her weight dropped dangerously low.”

“Camilla-“Jonathan pauses, “I’m so sorry Kay had to go through that. It must have been so hard for you to see her like that,” he reaches over, takes my hand, and rubs the side with his thumb.

“Gabby messaged her this morning and wants to meet up with her,” I sigh.
“What does Kay want to do?”
“I know, Kay. She wants to see her,” I roll my eyes.
“What do you want her to do?”
“I want her to tell that witch to fuck off and die,” I snarl.

It goes silent as Jon studies my face intently. 

He’s probably choosing his words wisely—my inner voice giggles.

“I understand that you are protective of Kay, you have every right to be, but if you try to stop her, she’ll meet with Gabby and just not tell you. I think Kay is looking for answers and closure. Wouldn’t it be better if she has her best friend’s support?” His tone is quiet and cautious.

I know he’s right, but I can’t bear to see her break again, and just the sight of Gabby could do that.

“I know, Jon. I know,” I sigh.

“You love her, and she knows that and I’m sure she knows that if this doesn’t work, you will be there for her,” he smiles at me sweetly.

“I will,” I reply softly. “Thank you, Jon, for listening,” I lean forward and kiss the top of his hand.
“Of course, Melek. I’m always here for you, no matter what,” his words filled with sincerity.

“Could you drop me at home after breakfast? I need to talk this out with Kay sooner rather than later.”

“Absolutely,” he winks at me.

I watch him intently and smile to myself. I’m not sure how I got so lucky to have him knock on my door that night, but I’m glad he did because I genuinely love this man.

LOVE! Do you love him? My inner voice shouts.

I choke on my egg and grab for my drink. Jonathan jumps from his seat and begins patting my back as I gulp down the orange juice.

“Christ, Camilla, are you ok?” His voice panicked.
“I’m- I’m ok,” I cough out.
“Are you sure? What happened?” He pulls my face to him, searching my eyes.
“I choked on a piece of egg,” I clear my throat. “I’m ok, Jon, honestly.” I fake a smile.
“Jesus, you scared me, Melek,” he wraps his arms around me, hugging me tightly.

“I’m sorry, it’s just your eggs are so good that I wanted to store them in my lungs,” I giggle through coughs.

“Camilla, it’s not funny,” shaking his head.
“It is a little bit,” I pull back and smirk at him.
“What am I going to do with you, hmm?” He rolls his eyes, chuckling.

I shrug my shoulders at him, laughing. He shifts back to his seat, never taking his gaze off me.

“Jon, honestly, I’m ok,” I reassure him.
“Mmmhmm” 

I grab a napkin and wipe my face, Jonathan still watching me like a hawk.

He’s so cute when he’s all worried, my inner voice giggles.

“So,” I pause, “want to tell me about Angel?” My tone, blunt.
“What would you like to know?” He grabs a piece of toast and leans back in his chair.

“Did anything happen between you two?” I try to ask so that it sounds like I’m playing it off like I don’t care.

“What makes you think something happened between Angel and me?” He leans forward, tilting his head slightly, trying to read my expression.

“I dunno, it just seemed like maybe there was something there,” I look down and begin fiddling with the hem on my top.

“We went on a couple of dates, but it didn’t go any further than that because her heart belonged to another man. We parted ways as friends,” He pauses, watching me awkwardly fiddling with my top. “Believe me, Melek; there is nothing and never will be anything between Angel and me. I have my eyes very much set on you, ok?” His tone is reassuring.

“Mmmhmm,” I look up at him and smile nervously.
“You have nothing to worry about. Trust me?” He smiles at me.
“Ok.”
“Can I ask you something?” He takes a bite of his toast.
“Of course,” I bring my knee up and rest it against the table.

“Since my crazy ex showed up yesterday in spectacular fashion,” he says, rolling his eyes, “Do you have any crazy ex’s?” He teases.

“I do, but they are all in Australia. I haven’t dated at all since I’ve been here.”
“Why? If you don’t mind me asking?” He puts his toast down and rests his elbow on the arm of the chair, resting his chin on the back of his hand as his index finger flicks over his lips.

Tell him about Sterling; my inner voice chimes in.

We didn’t date. There’s nothing to tell; I snap back.

Mmmkay, it’s your funeral. My inner replies sarcastically.

“Camilla?” He leans to the side, meeting my eyes, and brings my mind back to him.
“Sorry, what did you say?”
“Why haven’t you dated?” He repeats.

“My ex’s were probably some of the most toxic people you could meet. They did a lot of damage that’s taken a while to undo,” my tone cold.

“I’m sorry, Camilla. I didn’t mean to upset you,” he slides back into the seat next to me, placing his arm on the back of my chair and using his thumb to lightly rub my back while his other armrests in front of me.

“You didn’t upset me, Jonathan. It is what it is,” I shrug my shoulders.

I lean forward and push what’s remaining of my breakfast around on my plate. I can feel Jon’s gaze on me, watching and probably wondering if he should ask another question or stay quiet.

“They were physically, mentally, and emotionally abusive. Almost all of them except for one cheated on me with either close friends or a family member.” 

Jon inhales a sharp breath. I can feel the anger radiating from him, but it instantly turns to sadness.

“I don’t like to talk about them or what happened because it just reminds me of how stupid I was,” I look at him and then at my hands. “I’ve ruined breakfast now, haven’t I?” My words are shaky.

Jonathan gets up from his chair, shifts my chair to face him, and crouches down in front of me. Placing his fingers under my chin, he lifts it slightly, bringing my gaze back to him. He leans forward and lightly kisses my lips before leaning back and looking me in the eyes.

“I’m sorry they did that to you. They all betrayed you in the worst possible way, but I need you to know that their actions are not a reflection on you, ok?” He slides his hand up the side of my face, rubbing my cheek with his thumb. “You are unbelievably beautiful, funny, kind, and strong, Camilla. They were boys that didn’t know what they had, and they made the mistake of throwing it away. I won’t make that mistake, I know what I have, and I want nothing more than to make you happy and treat you the way you deserve.”

I slide off my chair and onto his lap. He sits back, his legs now out in front of him. Straddling him, I wrap my arms around his neck and pull his lips to mine. Sliding my tongue into his mouth, his grip around my lower back tightens, pulling me closer into him. My lips are devouring his with pure love, passion, and need. I want him to feel what his words did to me. I want him to know what it meant to me to hear him say those things. He picks up on the message I’m sending him and matches my kiss with the same intensity and emotion, causing me to let out a slight whimper. One of his hands leaves my back, slides up the side of my face, and, using his thumb; he lightly rubs my cheek. His touch on my bare skin burns into me, causing my entire body to light up. I have never in my life experienced a feeling like this. Every time he kisses me, every time he touches me, it erases all others before him. 

“Camilla,” he breathes out between kisses.
“Mmmhmmm?” I murmur into his mouth.
“We- we-” he attempts to say. “we need to stop.” He pulls away from me.
“Why?” I look at him, confused.
“I want you. You have no idea how much I want you right now, but-“

With those words, I pull him back to my lips, running my hands through his hair, pulling his hair tie out. 

He pulls away from me again.

“Oh my God!” I sigh.

Jonathan chuckles. “I don’t want our first time to be on the floor of my kitchen, Camilla,” he brushes my hair off my face, resting his hands on the sides of my face.

“You suck,” I pout.
“I know, Melek, but I want our first time to be perfect and memorable. Not a quickie on the kitchen floor after an emotional conversation. Ok?” He says softly, looking into my eyes.
“Fine!” I huff out
“Don’t pout, beautiful. You’ll get your quickie,” he winks at me.
“I’ll hold you to that,” I reply sarcastically.

Jonathan chuckles as he lightly kisses me before lifting me and setting me down on my feet. I watch as he gathers the plates up and takes them to the kitchen. 

I need to cool down, I think to myself.

“Can I take a shower?”

“Of course. Melek. I’ll grab something for you to wear.” He brushes past me and over to his draws in the corner.

“Thank you, Jon.”
“Not a problem,” he kisses my forehead as he hands me a white shirt and shorts.
“Oh, I’ll put my leggings back on, but I will borrow your shirt; mine smells like a trash bin,” I giggle.

“Ok, but for the record, you smell incredible,” He winks at me as he opens the bathroom door and gestures for me to go in.

I step into his bathroom as he softly closes the door behind me. I place the clothes down next to the sink and get undressed. 

“Oooff, it smells amazing in here,” I say quietly to myself, looking around.

Stepping into his shower, I let the cool water run down my body. It feels amazing but does nothing to relieve the heat in my lower area.

You could just do it yourself, my inner voice purrs.

Nope! No! I snap back at her.

Party pooper! My inner voice pouts.

Washing myself down, I run my fingers over all the areas Jonathan has touched; the feeling causes my body to tingle all over. He’s created a map of my body that I can follow, and I love every spot he has touched.

Turning the taps off, I reach for one of his towels.

Urrrrgh, so soft, I think to myself as I wrap it around my body.

Stepping out of the shower, I head over to the mirror. The first thing that catches my eye is his cologne. I can’t resist picking it up and smelling it. Taking the lid off, the scent hits me immediately. I press the nozzle to my nose, breathing it in. My entire body shudders, and my core heats up again. 

“Damn it!”
“Are you ok, Melek?” Jonathan calls from behind the door.
“Oh, yes, I’m fine, thank you, Jon,” I reply nervously, as I quickly put the top back and set it back down in its spot.
“Ok,” he calls back, his voice moving away from the door.
“Get your shit together,” I scold myself quietly.

I quickly dry myself off and slip his shirt on. It’s way too big, so I tie a knot in the front under my bust line, slip my undies and leggings on, give my hair a quick brush and head out. Opening the door, I see Jonathan in the kitchen, loading the dishwasher. I see he’s changed; his hair is pulled back into a neat bun. He’s now wearing a long sleeve black collared shirt that has a few buttons at the top that he’s left undone; Black and silver rosary beads and a long horseshoe necklace hangs around his neck, a silver and leather bracelet on his left arm, and a solid silver bracelet on his right, and black pull-on boots with a slight heel.

That arse! My inner voice purrs.

I internally roll my eyes. Dirty bitch, I think to myself.

“You look incredible in my shirt,” Jon says, striding up to me.
“Thank you, it was a little big, so I hope you don’t mind me tying a knot in it,” I nervously reply.
“Absolutely not, Melek,” his arm snakes around my waist while his other hand slides up the side of my face.
“That shirt is now my favourite,” he looks down at me, smiling.
“And why is that detective?” I look up at him coyly.
“Because it’s on you,” his eyes dark with lust.
“Well, you know, the rules of dating say I now own this shirt,” I reply suggestively.

“Oh, I do, and I’m more than happy for you to keep it,” he smirks at me as his hand slips down and wraps around the back of my neck.

My body shivers as his smirk turns into a devilish smile. Leaning in, he whispers, “I can’t wait to peel this shirt off you slowly as I devour every inch of your beautiful body with my mouth,” he pulls back, pinches my nose between his fingers before letting me go and grabbing his keys.

“Shall we make a move?” He stands there, smiling at me cheekily.