A/N - Thank you so much for all the praise on that last chapter. It really means a lot to me when people take time to leave reviews, and I'm so glad you guys are enjoying this!

"Jacob, what are we doing?" Cassandra asked as she finally managed to pull away.

"What do you mean?" Jake looked at her in confusion. He dropped his arms from her waist as she took a step back, creating a bit of distance between the two of them.

"You know I want this," she assured him. "If you're sure this is what you want then I'm all in. But what is this? Are you sure I should be staying? Isn't this too fast?"

"Cassandra," Jake said with a soft smile. He reached out and took her hand in his own, thankful that she didn't pull it away. "Darlin', I don't know what this is, but I know I want you here while we try and figure it out...together."

He lifted their joined hands and placed a gentle kiss on her knuckles. Cassandra smiled softly at the gesture.

"You don't think that'll complicate things? My being here?"

Jake shook his head and used their joined hands to pull Cassandra back close to him. Then he released her hand so that his was free to cradle her head. His other arm wrapped around her waist and he brought her in closer, placing a kiss on the top of her head.

"All I know is that things make more sense when you're around," he murmured into her hair.

Cassandra couldn't help but return the embrace, her arms wrapping around Jake's middle in a tight squeeze. She let out a soft, contented sigh before they finally pulled away.

"So what happens now?" Cassandra asked, her hands moving from Jake's waist to his hands as she swung them gently between them.

"Now? Are you hungry? I'm not sure what sort of food my uncle has in the house, but I'm sure I could find something to cook for us."

"That sounds perfect," Cassandra said. "We never did stop for dinner."

Jake smiled down at her one last time before releasing her hands. He quickly headed around the back of the truck, scooping up both their suitcases before leading the way into his house.

Cassandra had never been inside Jake's Portland apartment before, but the inside of his farmhouse was exactly what she expected. It had the same rustic appeal as the outside, and appeared quite cozy. The front door opened up into a den of sorts. A staircase leading to the second floor was on the left side of the room, and Cassandra could see a small hallway leading to the kitchen in the back.

Jake set the suitcases down just inside the door and then, with a hand on the small of her back, escorted Cassandra down the hallway and into the kitchen. He started rifling through cupboards and the fridge, looking for something worthy of showing off his cooking skills.

"My uncle didn't leave us with much…" he mumbled, though it was hard for him to feel annoyed when he had Cassandra standing nearby. "I mean there's eggs in the fridge, but we probably wanna save those for breakfast...there's some pasta in here. Ravioli...or spaghetti...either of those sound alright with you?" He asked, peeking his head out from the cupboard in which he was searching.

"Spaghetti!" Cassandra said, a little too quickly and a little too loudly. Jake was still too excited about her being there in his kitchen to even notice.

"Spaghetti it is," he said excitedly, grabbing the bag of pasta from the cupboard.

"What do you want me to do?" Cassandra asked, feeling useless just standing there.

"You," Jake said, coming closer and placing his hands on her shoulders so he could guide her backwards toward the table and gently push her down into one of the chairs. "can sit here and relax. I got this." His hands lingered for a moment before he turned and headed towards the stove.

"You don't have to do that, Jake," Cassandra smiled at him. "I don't mind helping."

"I know ya don't," Jake looked over his shoulder at her. "But I want to do this for you. Can I getcha something to drink?"

"Just water's fine, but really Jake. I can get it."

Jake had a glass out of the cupboard and was filling it up before Cassandra could even think about standing up. He brought it over to her and placed a kiss on her cheek. "I got this," he repeated, and Cassandra gave up. She had a feeling she would have to get used to this sort of treatment if she was going to be a guest in Jake's house.

Cassandra had to admit she was enjoying watching Jake run around the kitchen and getting everything prepared. He was so excited to do this for her, and it was adorable to watch.

A short while later Jake placed a plate of the finished product in front of Cassandra, and sat down with his own plate. He looked across the table at her and flashed her a wide, dopey grin as he watched her take the first bite.

"Jacob, this is delicious!" Cassandra said enthusiastically.

Jake beamed at the compliment. "It's nothing, really. Normally I'd make the sauce from scratch. Sometimes even the pasta."

"Well, if this is how good you do with canned, I can only imagine how amazing your homemade sauce tastes," Cassandra said affectionately.

Jake smiled again before starting in on his own dinner. The two ate in silence, both starving after their day of driving. When they were finished, Jake took both their plates to the sink, rinsing them off but leaving the actual washing for later. Then, he offered a hand to Cassandra, helping her to her feet.

"It's still pretty early. You wanna watch TV or something?" he asked her, his arms once again wrapping around her waist. Now that he had her, Jake had no intention of letting Cassandra go. She nodded at the idea, and he led her out to the den where the two settled onto the couch together.

It should have been more awkward than it was. They had barely even begun to define their relationship, or whatever this thing was. But after spending three days stuck in a truck together, and after their rather intense kiss outside, it only seemed natural for Cassandra to snuggle up to Jake's side and for him to wrap his arm around her.

Jake flipped through the channels on the TV, finally stopping at a movie that Cassandra said she liked. He set the remote down and settled into the couch even more, subconsciously tracing his fingers up and down Cassandra's arm.

"I like your place," Cassandra told him when the first commercial break started. "It's cozy."

Jake smiled down at her. "It ain't the house that makes it cozy, darlin'," he said. "It's the people. This place feels more like a home now than it ever did."

Cassandra smiled back at him, then leaned in even more, resting her head on his shoulder as the movie started back up again.

Jake was having a hard enough time concentrating on the movie, the newness of whatever this was between them was more exciting to him. He found himself focused more on their closeness than the TV, so Jake really didn't mind when Cassandra didn't wait for the next commercial to start up a conversation.

"Jacob, are you really sure it's a good idea for me to stay?" She spoke quietly, but with her head on his shoulder, her mouth so close to his ear, it was easy for him to hear.

"Cassie, my answer ain't ever gonna change," he persisted. "Are you having doubts about this?"

"No. Not exactly," Cassandra started. She sat up and turned to face him, Jake dropping his arm as she did so. "It's just, two nights ago you were about ready to leave me behind. I know that's not really how you feel, Jake. But I don't want that to happen again. Are you sure this isn't too much too soon?"

"You're worried I'm gonna get sick of you?" he asked his eyes narrowing. "That if I keep you around you're going to get on my nerves and I ain't gonna want you around no more?"

Cassandra nodded.

"Oh darlin', that ain't happenin'," Jake reached out and gently stroked her cheek with his thumb. "That guy two nights ago, that ain't me. Not anymore, at least. I haven't seen that guy in months. Funny actually, I think meetin' you is what scared him off in the first place."

At that Cassandra smiled and leaned in, placing a gentle kiss on his lips before settling back down and getting cozy in Jake's arms again. They went back to watching the movie in comfortable silence. Eventually Jake could hear Cassandra's breathing start to even out, and her head began to feel heavier against his shoulder. He looked down at her and smiled at her sleeping figure.

"Cassandra?" Jake whispered softly. "Cassie?" When she didn't respond he gently scooped her up, the hand that was around her shoulders supporting her back and his other arm supporting beneath her knees. He couldn't help but notice that she fit perfectly in his arms as he carried her up the stairs and into the guest room.

As much as Jacob wanted to spend the night with Cassandra wrapped up in his arms, he wanted to make sure she felt comfortable. It didn't seem right settling her down in his own bed without her knowing it. Instead, he lay her down on the guest bed, pulling the covers up around her and placing a gentle kiss on the top of her head.

Jake tiptoed out of the room and headed back downstairs for their suitcases. He set Cassandra's on the floor just inside the guest room then quietly shut the door on his way out. He brought his own suitcase to his room, and took a few minutes to unpack. Having brought so few items with him, it really didn't take long.

When he was done, Jake got himself ready for bed and then climbed under his covers. He was exhausted, having driven the entire day without accepting help. It wasn't long before he drifted off into a deep sleep, visions of Cassandra and her sweet kisses filling his head.