A soft knock came from outside my door.
"Annie? Can we talk?"
Silence.
"I know you can bloody..." Jack took a mental step back as his audible sigh reached my sensitive ears. "Come on baby- uh-I mean Annie!"
He then added a 'fuck', which I clearly heard even though it wasn't meant for my ears. But wait, what had he just called me? Baby?
I threw my cry pillow to the side and slipped off the bed. Without any audible footsteps due to my bare feet, Jack couldn't possibly have heard me walk to the door, before gluing my right ear on the wooden frame.
"Open the door Annie!"
Silence.
"Goddammit!" Jack cursed under his breath. I only heard it because of the ear on the door.
"Okay then, I'll give you some...space. Come down for dinner in an hour." That was all he added before it fell grave silent outside.
I stepped back, feeling torn and confused. My eyes were swollen and itchy from all the crying I had done. What was I signing up for?
Maybe it's time you get Frodo back?
Yes, maybe it was time.
And if I took an Uber to the vet, I'd be back for dinner just in time.
I ran back to the bed and grabbed my phone and the black sling bag.
But when I was walking past the mirror, the sight of my eyes slipped questions in my mind. What will people think if they see them? How can I go out looking like this?
And that was enough to have me abort the mission. Frodo could wait another night. He was in good hands after all.
***. ***. ***.
The aroma of baked chicken caged my nostrils before moving down to capture my buds as they initiated a little drooling in my mouth.
If his idea of an apology is cooking for me what I loved to eat most in the world, then apology accepted baby. I'm all in.
I stopped by the kitchen doorframe as my able eyes studied the husky male in a white and black bib apron. He was so busy dashing from one end of the kitchen to the other that he missed me.
There were vegetables frying on one pan while something else was cooking in a second pan. I couldn't see clearly due to the distance between me and the cooker positioned against the wall.
Another soothing aroma made way in my smelling buds...rice. It was somewhere in there alright, but my focus was solely on Jack.
He looked so damn attractive with his serious face and the chef aura radiating from him. How could I, of all the women in the world, think for even a second that I could have him all to myself? To be his and his only. For him to be mine and never have eyes for anyone else?
He suddenly put down the oven gloves then jerked his eyes up and straight at me.
I gasped hauling my body out of his sight and against the wall outside the kitchen. But it was too late.
"The least you can do is help me since you're already here!" Came his voice from inside.
Come on Annie. Pull on your tough girl face. You can handle him. It's Jack after all.
Yes. And that was the main problem. It was Jackson Raynatt. My crush. My guardian. My housemate.
"Um... what's with all this?" I asked walking inside.
"I'm having someone over."
I almost froze in place. Keep walking. Good girl.
My legs made it to the left side of the L-shaped counter and leaned against it. "Who...who are we having?" There was a trace of tremble in my voice. Not from fear...but, envy.
Who would have Jack prepare such a meal? And whoever it was must have been quite close to him, he never invited guests for dinner...ever.
"Don't worry, she won't be a bother to you."
"She?" I echoed surprised.
Our eyes collided, and I think I caught a sly smirk stretching his lips.
Jack abandoned his work station and started walking towards me. I couldn't handle the cage in his blue eyes, so I whirled around and flipped the tap to let the clear water gush into the sink.
I grabbed the nearest object without much thoughts and put it under the running water. Appear busy! That was exactly what I intended to do.
An arm from behind me reached out, the hand flipped the tap to cut the water. His movement had been slow and calculated. And he had intentionally plastered his veiny forearm on mine, making me feel things I didn't want to at that moment.
"Why on earth would you wash my timer?" Jack asked in a deep sexy voice. I swear to God he had used that manly voice just to get in my sexual nerves.
Timer?
I almost dropped my jaw on the floor upon laying eyes on the smiling blue egg, Jack's timer.
Oh boy! You finally done it.
My devil side mocked.
"I..."
He brought his other hand and used both of his to loosen my grip on his little egg. And he did it so sensual, sending heat in places in didn't want to. The air felt as if it had been asked to warm up. I needed to escape from his arms but fuck me, I didn't want to.
I felt warm and cosy between those strong biceps and other parts of his arms, but mostly the strong biceps.
Looking down at the veins running down them and onto the back of his hands, I bit my lip to subdue the soft purr forming in my throat.
There was a satisfying vibration going on between my thighs, and it grew deeper the more Jack lingered near me.
But it was quickly vanquished when he pulled away.
I frowned to myself.
Fuuuck! That was so hot Annie.
"You better pray it's still functioning."
"I...I think it's um...waterproof!" I said lowly while turning around.
Jack chuckled placing the artificial egg on the counter before darting me a side eye. I was not ready for that at all. It pushed me over the edge. Made my body feels like it was shuttering in pleasure. I doubled over holding my lower abdomen, where that sudden feeling had attacked from. It made my body shake and my knees weak. So damn weak.
"Annie!" Jack yelled running back to me.
"What the hell is wrong with you?"
I squeezed my eyes shut and hard from the embarrassment swirling in every part of my body. How would I explain to him that I might have possibly had an orgasm from a mere look of his beautiful eyes?
"Cramps?" I wheezed in an act.
"Aren't they supposed to be coming next week?"
Silence!
Suddenly, whatever was happening in my body was pushed out of my brain to welcome this new unprocessed information.
My eyes popped open and my head whipped upwards to face the male who was squatting next to me.
His entire face turned pale, and the glimmer that was in his eyes dimmed to the mortification spreading densely in them.
At least I could defend my lie with biology. How would he explain his knowledge of when I was to have my periods?