by M. Malone
Experimentally, she tightened her muscles around him. His groan was the sexiest thing she’d ever heard.
“Fuck! Your pussy just clamped down on me.”
JJ looked him in the eye, holding his gaze as she deliberately tightened her muscles again. His jaw clenched and he closed his eyes in an expression that was a cross between agony and ecstasy.
“You are fucking perfect, you know that?”
His low sexy growl in her ear sent her flying and everything splintered into fragments of light and color.
chapter 11
Matthias could see the bloody writing on the wall. The way Jonas and JJ were going, things were hitting a fucking tipping point. And the way Jonas had gone in that room after her, followed by silence and then, well yeah, Matthias had had to put on his noise canceling headphones once the moaning started.
Granted, the two of them had been circling each other for God knew how long now. It was bound to happen. He just prayed that they wouldn’t be nearly as disgusting as Noah and Lucia. Those two could barely keep their hands off each other. Even when she was pregnant.
You thought she looked gorgeous pregnant. All glowy skin and tits to—
He shoved the thought aside. For the most part, he managed to keep the wayward Lucia thoughts to himself …deep down, hidden in the dark. But sometimes he couldn't help it. They had a much more appropriate relationship now. Not that they'd had any kind of inappropriate relationship.
Oh bollocks. He had much more appropriate feelings about her now. But every now and again, he would wish for someone like her for himself.
As if that was ever going to happen. What normal girl was going to want a twenty-five year old virgin with a pierced dick? Yeah. There was that.
No, he'd just stick to his computers for now and try and ignore the people coupling off around him. At the very least, he had the rest of the guys.
An alarm chimed, alerting him that someone was accessing his restricted files. He frowned and immediately opened up the server access window. He kept the personnel files in a separate server, hidden under lock and key, under a mountain of shit. They were completely encrypted, and even if someone was able to decrypt the files, everything was in code. So what the hell? Who was in here?
He peeled off one of the headphones only to hear a distant moan again. Damn it. The two of them were going to become a problem. But he had bigger fish to fry right now. He pulled out his phone and quickly tapped out a message to Noah.
This was too urgent to fuck with their usual clandestine methodology. In seconds his phone was ringing.
"What's the problem?"
Noah was at Lucia's grandmother's house. They’d taken Isabella over there for a family dinner. Usually Nonna came to the penthouse and cooked for everyone, but the family needed some alone time.
"Someone just tried to access personnel files."
There was a beat of silence. "What do you mean someone?"
"Not sure exactly. Access codes were attempted. But I've closed off whatever opening they tried to use. I didn’t know if it was deliberate though. I was hoping it was you trying to get in and that you just forgot to let me know first."
"Fuck.”
“I might be wrong.” It was unlikely that he was. “Might've been a system error or something. But I don’t like to fuck around with that kind of stuff. So figured I'd call and check. You're the only other one who has access."
"Not me. Lock it down if it's a system glitch. But what is your gut telling you?"
His gut told him all hell was about to break loose. But he wasn't telling Noah that right now. The guy was with his wife, trying to have some much needed family time. "Gut tells me trouble. But I've got an eye on it; the data is locked down and nearly impossible to read. If it is someone trying to break in, they'll have to try again. And I'll be waiting."
"With a machete and a hacksaw?"
Matthias smirked. "Too bloody right." In his field days, when he’d been an agent for ORUS, his weapons of choice had been knives. Knives were personal. Knives conveyed a message.
But you're not that person anymore.
No, no he wasn't. Now he didn't kill people because someone told him to. And that was a balm to his soul. But if he did have trouble, he would fight like the devil to protect his newfound soul. And to protect his family. The family he'd made for himself.
Next time someone came knocking, they were going to get a nasty surprise.
The next night, JJ pushed aside the heavy glass door and stepped out into the balmy spring evening. She knew the rules. Get directly into a cab and go straight home. She’d gotten an earful from Noah after the last time. And Matthias. Even Oskar had found a way to tell her that she needed to be more careful. She was just about to hop into a cab when she saw the black SUV parked at the curb and recognized the driver.
Unable to help the smile, she slowly strolled over to Jonas, making sure to emphasize the sway in her hips. When he rolled the window down and leaned over, her heart caught just a little. You should not be feeling this way. You are going to get hurt by feeling this way. This is dangerous. Don't you understand that?
She did understand. But the knowledge didn't stop her from feeling. When he leaned over, his smile was rakish. "You should get in the car with me."
"My mother warned me about guys like you. You're going to drag me off somewhere and do all sorts of debauched things to me."
He raised a brow. "Is that an invitation?"
She shook her head and giggled. "Possibly."
"Get in. We’re going to go eat."
"I love how you just dictate these things."
Jonas shrugged and said, "So you're not hungry for a home-cooked, classic Spanish meal?" Her stomach rumbled. And he chuckled low. "Your stomach knows what’s up. Get in."
Like she was really going to say no to a home-cooked meal. From what she'd heard, he was an amazing cook. She would eat pretty much anything the man put in front of her right now. She was starving.
"You know, you didn't have to come pick me up. I was going to behave and take a cab.”
"I know. I wanted to."
As she climbed into the car, his slow perusal of her body told her everything she needed to know. He was thinking about the other night. Of them in bed. Of the way he’d made her scream with just a few simple touches. The way he’d made her heart race. He was thinking about every touch, every movement, every breath. She knew that because that's exactly what she was thinking about. Just being next to him, her skin hummed with anticipation and awareness.
She cleared her throat. "So, Mr. Castillo, tell me, where did you learn to cook?"
"Well, my mom only had me. So there was really no one else to pass her secrets on to."
"So you became the daughter she never had?"
Jonas grumbled that sexy, low laugh, just as she’d hoped he would. "Something like that. I'm glad she taught me. Now I use the skill to impress beautiful women."
JJ shook her head and grinned even though she tried not to. "Seriously. I do appreciate the ride."
"You're welcome. But you know it's nothing. If you call any one of us, we’ll come get you."
When they passed the boutique where she’d gotten the blast from the past, she couldn’t help the small shiver that came over her. "I know. And I should use it more. I just, I get caught up in being independent, you know? I had a spook the other day. It reminded me that with everything we’ve had going on in the last year or so, maybe I should take advantage of the big burly security team I have at my disposal. One guy in particular."
Jonas gave her a knowing smile. When they reached his apartment, she noticed a couple of little changes and additions. He’d added a purse hook right next to the door. That hadn’t been there the last time she'd been here. And when he turned on the lights, they immediately went dim and were far more subdued than she remembered. Music started to play faintly, a low and sexy sound that sounded like Trip Hop or something. "Mr. Castillo, something tells me that you planned all
of this."
He shrugged out of his jacket and then hung his holster next to it. "Who, me?”
"Yes, you. This looks like mood lighting."
"That's because it is mood lighting,” he said with a laugh before leading her into the kitchen. "Here, you chop the onions."
"Oh man, how come I get the dirty job?"
He chuckled low and throaty, a familiar sound to her now. He made that sound when he was happy, truly happy and relaxed. Yeah, like when he’s inside you.
"No one eats for free. All the jobs are dirty if they’re done right. And that's the way we like it," he said with a wink.
For the next hour, they worked side by side. Chopping, cutting, stirring. He made her laugh. He danced with her a little and regaled her with the happier memories of his mother.
She told him about the places she wanted to visit, the things she wanted to see. Her last trip to Europe as well. It turned out they knew a lot of the same people in the fashion industry. How he knew people in the fashion industry confused her though.
"Let me guess, you dated a model or two?"
He grinned. "A gentleman never tells."
"Come on. If you have dated a bona fide model, I'll be disgusted, and then I will also be insanely jealous."
"How would you feel knowing that I'd walked a runway or two myself when I was on holiday visiting my grandmother?"
Oh, she believed him all right. He had the looks, the body. Lord help her, the face. And he was just crazy enough to do something like that on a whim. This also explained his ridiculous love of clothing.
"Of course you were a model."
He rolled his eyes. "Like you couldn't be yourself."
JJ snorted. "Come on. I'm just Jessica Jones from Queens. Not a model."
"But you easily could've been. You're not super tall, but the face … and I will attest to the magnificent body."
A flush crept up her neck, and she ducked her head as she stirred the sauce. "Jonas Castillo, flattery will get you everywhere."
"Right now, I'll settle for flattery getting me a kiss."
He wrapped an arm around her waist and slid his hand along her arm, gently caressing until they were stirring the pot of sauce together. And then he kissed her neck.
For a moment, JJ couldn’t believe that this was her life. It was all so wonderfully normal. Like Jonas Castillo was just this hot guy that she was interested in. And they were just standing here stirring sauce like any other normal couple would do.
You can’t have this. Because even though this is great for now, your past will ruin it.
She couldn't let herself get too close. Because if she did, she was going to get her heart ripped out.
chapter 12
It took about an hour to finish cooking and JJ had never had so much fun making a meal. It was strange because she'd never been much of a cook, but being with Jonas made everything fun. For the next hour she decided to put away all her worries and just live in the moment. After all, what was life if she couldn't enjoy a good meal with a handsome man?
"This looks delicious," she said.
They worked together bringing dishes over to the small dining room table. JJ looked around curiously. It was a nice apartment, altogether too fancy for a single man living alone. She remembered the tarnished police badge on the bookshelf. There was so much she didn't know about him. Was it so hard to believe that perhaps he’d had a family in another life? Maybe he hadn't always lived here alone.
Jonas shrugged. "My mom taught me to enjoy good food. So I try to keep up my skills. She’s looking down on me. Got to make her proud."
There was something about the way he said it that made JJ pause. After the day he’d confided about his mother’s murder, she’d tried hard not to pry. She enjoyed giving Jonas a hard time because he was pompous, annoying, and way too sexy. But she never would have guessed he had so much going on underneath the surface. The badass exterior was deceptive. He was really a sweet guy.
"Why would you think she isn't proud?" JJ asked. From everything that she'd seen, Jonas was a perfect son, the kind that any mother would be proud of.
“I’m sure she is,” he replied. But he wouldn’t meet her eyes. “Can you grab the wine?”
Jonas kept his eyes down as he set the table. Okay then. That was a clear sign he didn't want to talk about it. Noted.
JJ went back to the kitchen to grab the bottle of wine they’d started working on earlier. By the time she got back, Jonas was already dishing the tapas they’d made onto plates. The fragrant scent of seasoned chicken, vegetables, and cheese filled the air.
JJ stomach growled. "I can't wait to dig in.”
And just like that Jonas’s smile was back. “That's what I love to see. A woman with an appetite.”
“Well if that's what you like, get ready for a treat. I don't miss meals.” JJ picked up a plate with a big smile. “I'm sure my ass tells the true story.”
“Your ass torments me, that's what it does,” Jonas muttered.
JJ paused in the act of loading the soft corn tortilla on her plate with meat. She bit her lip and glanced over at Jonas. He held her gaze, not backing down. Oh Jesus. Blood rushed to her face and she hurriedly threw toppings on her plate, not even looking at what she was getting.
“That’s right, eat up. You’ll need your energy later.” Jonas grinned as she added another tapas on top of the two she already had. If the man was going to make erotic promises like that, she wasn’t going to discourage him.
For a moment, all was quiet as they enjoyed their food, but it was a comfortable silence. JJ tried not to stare at him but it was hard. He was handsome, yes, but more than that, he was kind. She’d never thought she could have this sort of easy, comfortable routine with a man, where she was completely fine just hanging out doing nothing. For so long, she’d thought of men as always having an agenda. The thought of trusting any man had been incomprehensible. No man would have ever been able to get that close anyway.
But somehow Jonas had snuck past every single one of her defenses and become an essential part of her everyday life. With her living at the penthouse and him over so often, he’d quickly become an integral part of her life.
She couldn’t imagine waking up in the morning without seeing him in his workout clothes, sweaty from a long run in the penthouse gym. And now it was even harder to imagine her evenings without him. Who would she talk to or rant to about the crazy stuff that happened at work? Who could she call that would drop everything just because she felt uneasy and needed to hear a familiar voice?
Lucia would drop everything for you. You know she would.
JJ felt an unmistakable rush of sadness at the thought. Because even though it was true, Lucia had a family now that had to take precedence over anything else. Including her friendship. And that was the way it should be. The circle of life. The bubbly girl she’d grown up with was now a wife and a mother.
JJ had no part of that. Lucia had created a new family and JJ was only on the outskirts looking in.
I’m jealous, she realized. Not in a bad way, she was thrilled that her best friend had found the love she deserved. But there was no denying that she missed her place in Lucia’s life and longed to find that kind of love for herself.
“You’re quiet. Whenever you’re quiet it’s either because something bad happened that you don’t want me to find out about or because you’re plotting something you don’t want me to find out about.”
JJ smiled at his attempt to cheer her up. “Neither this time. I was just thinking about work.”
He narrowed his eyes at the obvious lie. “What’s going on at work? Has anything else strange happened?”
Now she felt bad. She’d just been trying to throw him off the scent of her melancholy feelings about her best friend, not worry him.
“Nothing like that. It’s actually about this charity event I’m working on. It’s to benefit victims of domestic violence. Working with them has been intense. Brings up a lot of old memories.”
That actually wasn’t a lie, JJ conceded. It had been intense working with Alison, planning the makeup seminars that they’d finally decided to do once a week. JJ pushed the last bits of chicken around her plate with her fork. When she thought back to how reluctant she’d been to get involved in the beginning, she was ashamed. It had brought up some bad memories, of course, but it had also been cathartic in a way. When Alison described some of the women she was currently working with, JJ recognized herself in their stories. She understood their fear, their hesitation to take a chance and trust someone to help them.
It was incredibly daunting but also humbling. Maybe they weren’t the only ones in need of healing.
“Old memories?” Jonas’s mouth flattened into a thin line and JJ knew the moment he got it. “Someone hurt you.”
JJ swallowed, her throat suddenly dry as dust. “It was a long time ago. It doesn’t matter now.”
“It matters,” Jonas rasped, his jaw working furiously. “Everything about you matters to me.”
It was such a simple statement, but it meant the world to JJ. She closed her eyes and willed the damnable tears back. Her emotions had been dangerously close to the surface lately, but that was a line she couldn’t cross. She’d already screwed up and cried in front of him once before.
“I was really young. Really insecure. And he made me feel special. Even when things escalated, when he hit me or threatened to kill me, he always made it seem like he did those things because he was so desperate to keep me. Because I drove him to it. It was overwhelming for a teenage girl.”
His hand covered his mouth. “You were that young?”
