So...it's been a while, hasn't it? Finishing school, job searching, job obtaining, and working 40 hours a week (sometimes more) hasn't helped my desire to write in the past 15-16 months. The first 1500 words or so of this chapter were written about a year ago, and the rest was written in the past week. It turns out having an old friend begin to write again can do wonders for the inspiration (thank you Shenigma/BrodieBlue!). So for anyone who used to read this story and are still interested in it, or for anyone who may be new to my erotic rom-dramedy, welcome (back) and I hope you enjoy!

"Do you want this, Lana?"

The raspy bass in his voice lit a fire in me. The moisture of his breath mixing with mine as our lips barely touched. At that moment it felt as though I'd never wanted anything more in my entire life.

"Yes…yes…I'm ready…I want it...I want you."

His mouth curled into a sly smirk and I felt myself begin to get wet.

"You know what I love to hear you say," he purred.

I leaned over to whisper in his ear. "I want to fuck you, Jon."

He slid his hands along my waist. His lips finally pressed against mine, and...

...that's all I clearly remember.

I woke up naked and alone in my bed. Had last night just been a dream? Had the past few days just been a dream? No…it was too vivid and real for that. I had hazy memories of what had happened after everything went blank last night. I remembered Jon carrying me upstairs...I remember him taking my clothes off...but that's all I really remember. Everything that happened before was crystal clear. We must've had sex, I guess...but where was he now?

Probably out being athletic and in shape, Lana. No need to get yourself twisted up.

I suddenly realized I had a bit of a headache. I must be dehydrated from the drinking last night. I was about to get up to go find some ibuprofen and water when I noticed that there were two tablets and a big glass of water on my bedside table. Did I leave that there last night? No...Jon must've put it out for me knowing I'd need it when I finally got up. I smiled at that small gesture. It seemed so...boyfriendly.

I swallowed both tabs and guzzled down the water. I took a deep breath in through my nose. I already felt a little better just from the water.

..wait. Did I just smell something? I sniffed the air again. Yeah, I definitely smelled something, and it was burning.

I jumped out of bed and hastily grabbed my robe, flinging it around me as I rushed out of my room. I found Jon opening the window in the living room and trying to waft the smoky air outside. I should note that he was wearing an apron...and only the apron.

"What's going on?" I exclaimed.

"Oh, hey babe. I was trying to make you breakfast, but I guess I had the heat on too high."

He continued to wave his hands in the air, trying to clear out the smoke. He soon gave up and began to flap the bottom of his apron to air out the room. If only his fans could see him like this. Just, you know, with less nudity. He's not Seth.

I headed over to the kitchen area and looked inside the still smoking pan. I couldn't quite figure out what he'd been trying to make.

"Were these supposed to be…hockey pucks?" I poked one of the small, charred circles with a fork. How had it taken me so long to smell that something was burning?

"Uh...those were pancakes. I told you before that yours taste better," he said, coming up next to me and giving me a good morning kiss.

"Clearly. Had you ever made pancakes before?"

"Uh...no, not really. I honestly don't cook very much. When I was coming up in wrestling, I'd eat tuna and ramen and shit, and now I'm on the road most of the time. Even when I am at home, I tend to not cook. I have, like, one pan. Anyway, I was trying to do the dishes while they were cooking so they didn't have to be done later, and I guess I didn't check them soon enough."

"I'm just glad everything is okay. I was afraid the building was on fire or something."

"Nah, just me. Sorry for making you panic, babe."

"I forgive you. Let me help you with the dishes and then I'll make you breakfast."

"You really don't have to..."

"It's the least I can do to thank you for last night." I ran a finger down his jaw. His stubble felt rough against my skin.

Jon stood there looking perplexed. I walked past him to the sink.

"I mean clearly you fucked me into a sex coma, because I don't even remember it."

"You don't remember it because we didn't have sex."

"Huh?" I turned around. Now it was my turn to look perplexed. "I remember things were getting steamy, I told you what you wanted to hear, you carried me upstairs, and took my clothes off, so…?"

"You fell asleep."

"What?"

"Yeah. I went to kiss you and, you know, other things, but you fell asleep with your face on mine. I laughed about it for a good two minutes."

"Why didn't you try to wake me up?"

"Because clearly you were drunk and tired. You may have thought you consented to sex, but I didn't want to risk you regretting it this morning since you were avoiding it just hours earlier.. I love you and I will wait as long as you need before we have sex again. As you know, I have very strong hands, so I can take care of myself."

"So the vague memories of you bringing me upstairs and undressing me were you putting me to bed." I took a deep breath and smiled. "I love you, too."

I looked at the mess of a kitchen he'd left and chuckled. "We still need to clean this up. How about this? We deal with this together, and then I'll teach you how to make French toast?"

"Congratulations. You've finally made an actually edible breakfast that isn't cereal." I laughed as he victoriously threw his hands up in the air. "Now it just needs some maple syrup, if you'd like the honor."

He unscrewed the cap and poured the syrup, somehow managing to get it all over his fingers as well as the plate.

"Damn, that shit comes out fast!" He reached for a paper towel to wipe off the syrup.

"No no no! Don't do that! That's the good stuff!"

Without thinking, I grabbed his wrist, brought his hand up to my mouth, and put my mouth around his index finger. The taste of the delicious sweet syrup soon gave way to the taste of his skin. The innocence of trying to get every last drop of syrup gave way to the eroticism of sucking on his rough fingers. I looked up at him to gauge his response. He seemed rather amused.

I slowly took his finger out of my mouth, hoping I hadn't interrupted breakfast too much. He smiled and gestured to my mouth.

"You got a little on your cheek." He leaned down and gently licked the syrup off.

I turned my head so that our lips touched and he kissed me. The kiss was far less innocent than the one he greeted me with when I first woke up. He pulled away and smiled again.

"That is the good stuff."

I dipped my finger into the pool of amber liquid and smeared it on his neck.

"I know, right?" I stood on my toes and licked and bit at his neck. I let out a noise of pleasure at the salty sweet taste. "It tastes great on everything."

I could feel the heat rising in my body. I could tell my face was rosy, and that he noticed too. I glanced down and saw that his apron was beginning to tent up. I felt ready.

I opened my robe and dipped two fingers into the syrup. I ran them across my chest, then sucked the rest off of my fingers.

His tongue desperately ran along his bottom lip as he stepped forward. He swiped everything off of the counter with his arm. The plate of French toast fell onto the floor with a crash, but neither of us flinched. He grabbed my hips and lifted me up on to the kitchen counter. I leaned back while he licked and sucked the syrup from my breasts. I ran my fingers through his hair. He pulled back and gave me that amorous look I knew all too well.

I nodded and whispered yes. I braced for what was to come.

His face disappeared between my legs. My muscles tightened when I felt his warm mouth touch the skin of my inner thighs. His lips lightly glided up toward my pussy. His arms wrapped around my legs and his hands gently stoked my thighs. I held my breath, releasing it in a gasp when I felt his tongue slip between my lips. His mouth knew exactly what to do, like it was working from muscle memory.

Still, there was something different about how he was going down on me right now. Just a little slower. Just a little hungrier. Like he was famished and my pussy was a source of nourishment. It felt fucking fantastic.

I tugged at his hair and raked my nails against his scalp. My tiny whimpers grew in volume, becoming moans and pleads for mercy. My toes began to curl as I felt myself nearing orgasm. When I finally came, my thighs squeezed against his head. I only released my hold when he tapped his hand against my hip, bringing me back down to Earth.

He finally emerged and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. A smile crept across his face as I caught my breath. I looked down at him and stared into his eyes.

"Bedroom. Now."

"You don't have to fucking tell me twice," he said as he picked me up off the counter and carried me into my room.

He placed me down on my bed, taking a moment to throw off the apron and dig a condom out of the pocket of his discarded jeans. I smiled as I watched him. The man who could work my heart like putty. I was so turned on by him. I was so amused by him. I was so in love with him.

After sliding the condom on, he turned back to me, then stopped. He was just standing there, staring at me. I looked into his eyes for a brief moment, but suddenly found myself glancing away like a middle schooler with a crush. I felt my skin become flushed as he stared at me. It may have only been a few seconds of awkward silence, but it felt like an hour.

"You're so goddamn beautiful."

I suppose I should've felt bashful and started to tell him he's wrong and not accept his statement but… Screw it. I was going to take the words he said and brand them into my soul, never to let them go. They were mine now. I was beautiful to him, and for once in my life, I believed I was beautiful. My grin was so big that my face was starting to hurt.

"Stop being so sentimental and get over here so I can fuck you," I laughed.

He climbed down onto the bed and placed his body against mine. I wrapped my legs around his waist and he pressed his cock between thighs. I grabbed his head with both of my hands as I pulled him into a kiss. Long, slow, sensual. The kind of kiss that took restraint and discipline. The kind of kiss that was still full of carnal desire, but was mature enough to know that we had all day to enjoy each other. I broke the kiss and brought my mouth over by his ear. I could feel his warm breath against my neck.

"And you do realize I had to 'fucking tell you twice', yeah?" I whispered.

He threw his head back and looked at me with a face that said are you for real right now?.

"You really want me to punish you, don't you?" he asked, one eyebrow raised.

"Do your worst."

With that, he pushed his cock into my pussy and together we exhaled a breath we didn't realized we had been holding. It's not like it had been that long since I'd last had sex with him - especially when compared to how long I'd gone without sex before I had met him - but this was something we both had clearly missed. It was like reuniting with an old friend. And having sex with them.

His hips slowly thrust in and out, with each thrust in having just the right amount of weight behind it to hit the exact right spot. His lips caressed my neck, his teeth occasionally raking against the delicate skin there. I could hear him laugh softly in between my rather loud moans. He knew how to play me and was going straight to the hits.

My hands couldn't quite figure out where they should be placed. One hand wanted to thread its fingers through his hair while the other wanted to squeeze his shoulder. Then the first one wanted to scratch its nails down his back while the other wanted to hold his hand. Then they both wanted to grab his ass and pull his dick even deeper inside of me. Such greedy hands.

I could feel everything building to a climax. A really big one. I knew I was going to be loud on this one, and given the time of day, I really didn't want to piss off my neighbors. I buried my face into Jon's neck and shoulder, bracing myself for orgasm.

"Hey, stop that." He knew exactly what I was trying to do. "I want to see your face. Eyes open."

I threw my head back and stared into his eyes as my body tightened and a rush of sensation flowed from between my thighs. My back arched and I let out a loud guttural noise. Jon just smiled, continuing to thrust.

When I finally calmed down, I grabbed Jon's face and pulled him into a kiss. "Thank you, that was fantastic," I said breathily.

"Oh, I'm not done with you yet," he growled.

He roughly grabbed my hips and flipped me over onto my stomach. I happily moaned and grabbed at the bedsheets while I pushed myself up onto my hands and knees. He rubbed the tip of his cock between the lips of my pussy, brushing against my clit and sending a shiver through my spine. He then slid back inside of me until I felt his skin against my ass. I ground my hips back against him and rubbed his dick right into my g-spot, moaning again as I did.

"Have I ever mentioned that that is the greatest sound in the world?" he asked.

I chuckled softly and turned my head to the side. "Probably. But you're wrong. The greatest sound in the world is when you speak all low and raspy into my ear."

"Oh yeah?" He leaned down and wrapped an arm around my chest, grabbing one of my breasts and giving it a squeeze. His mouth was also conveniently placed right behind my ear. "You mean…like this?" His voice was like a husky purr. I could feel myself starting to drip down my leg.

"Oh god, baby...just like that..."

He lifted me up in his arms so that we were both upright and I was sitting on his dick with my weight supported on his strong thighs. One hand stayed on my breast, playfully teasing my nipples. The other hand traced its fingers down my stomach, finally nestling between my legs. He gently stroked a finger against my clit, my legs twitching with every touch.

He slowly rocked his hips back and forth. The pleasure that I felt was unlike any I'd felt before. The sex Jon and I typically had was hard, fast, and rough. The orgasms came quick and intense. This, however, was a slow build. The subtle movements of our bodies coupled with his handiwork, it felt like an orgasm marathon rather than a sprint. The sound of his breathing by my ear. The sound of him moaning by my ear. I could have probably climaxed from the audio alone.

I lost track of time as we moved together. It was just me and Jon.

He must have realized that my body was becoming more tense as I neared finish, because he brought my senses back to the moment when he softly spoke into my ear.

"It's okay to let go, Lana. I've got you."

Something about his comforting words let my body release its tension. Wave after wave of sensation came over me as my whole body shuddered. The strangest thing about it all was that I was completely silent, and, as you all know, I can be quite loud. I suppose my mind just didn't feel the need for it. This moment, this experience, was just between him and me. No one else needed to know.

I felt Jon's arms tightly hold onto my body right before he let out a long deep sigh as he came.

"That...that..." He seemed to be struggling to find the right words as he caught his breath. "That was the greatest sex I've ever had."

I smiled as I picked his hand up off my breast and kissed it. "I really have no words to describe it right now."

We stayed there for a moment, frozen, and everything was perfect.

Jon finally pulled out and kissed the side of my neck. "Don't go anywhere."

I fell down onto the bed and rolled onto my side. I wish I could take these feelings and bottle them for later. After a minute, Jon returned and lied down beside me. I rolled over and greeted him with a kiss.

"I don't know about you, but I think we need a nap."

"That sounds like a great idea," I yawned.

And just like that, we fell asleep in each other's arms.

I woke up to Jon's sleeping face drooling in front of me. He never looked sexier. I brushed the hair away from his forehead and kissed the skin underneath. He stirred a bit before his beautiful eyes fluttered open.

"Hi."

"Hi," he replied, smiling. "How'd you sleep?"

"Great. You?"

"Like a fucking drunk baby. I came so hard that my legs almost didn't work when I went to clean up."

"I'm glad I didn't get up because I'm certain I would've crumpled to the floor. I could barely move," I laughed.

"I think I get what Roman was telling me all along. Sex is sooo much better when you really give a shit about the other person."

"Hey! Are you saying you didn't give a shit about me before now?!" I laughed.

He playfully rolled his eyes at me. "Nah, but for real. Every person I've been with has either been a stranger and I was mainly looking to cum, or a friend with benefits and I cared about their pleasure, but I knew it was just for fun and afterward we'd go get a sandwich or some shit. But with you, right now...now that I've accepted what I'd been trying to fight for so long, and now that I finally grew a fucking pair and let go of the goddamn baggage I've been carrying for over ten years…it's like I've opened a door to a whole new world. This whole…romantic love…thing."

I rolled over and he wrapped his arms around my body. We spooned together quietly for a while, just enjoying each other's warmth.

"…So why me? Why now?"

The silence that followed my question formed a knot in my stomach.

"You know…I've thought about that a lot. I've thought about that since the second time the boys and I visited downstairs. Do you remember that night? You dressed as a prim school teacher, handcuffed me to the bed, and fucking left me there while you grabbed a drink at the bar."

I bit my lip, reminiscing about how bold I had been.

"That was pretty hot, by the way. I mean don't get me wrong, I love being the dominant one, but that's hot."

"I do love when you're the dominant one," I whispered.

"I know you do," he growled, nipping at my ear and making me squirm. "Anyway, that night was when I think I started feeling something for you. Nothing huge, just…I knew I liked you more than the randoms chick I had sex with when I was in town, even more than my friends with benefits. I had felt that same twinge that I felt as a teenager with Becky…and given everything I told you the other day, you know that I knew I had to fight that feeling as hard as I could…but also I hadn't felt that twinge with any of the other woman I'd been with."

He began to stroke my hair as he spoke. It felt relaxing.

"That twinge never went away. Roman made fun of me a lot for the fact that I was torn between wanting to be with you and not wanting to open myself to the chance of being shat on again, which was why I said we should be a couple even as I was continuing to sleep with other woman and encouraging you to hook-up with other people. He told me he could see right through my bullshit. Of course, I denied it. I don't like feeling vulnerable, and admitting to the very thing I was trying to get rid of was out of the question."

He laughed softly before he continued. "It's kinda hilarious that the moment I truly realized that I was in love with you was while I was watching you fuck another dude. Then when given the chance to tell you, I chickened out like a little bitch. And…well, you know the rest from there."

He took my hand in his and laced our fingers together.

"In the end, though, this feels right. You feel right. I feel comfortable and secure with who I am when I'm lying here beside you. I definitely made a shit-ton of mistakes along the way…but they were my mistakes and honestly…I don't regret a single one if they led me to you. I love you, Lana, and it took me searching through hundreds of women around the world, but I found you. The one who makes me truly happy."

I sighed and squeezed his hand. I knew he had slept with a lot of women, but it was still difficult to hear him say hundreds. Though when you really think about it, it shouldn't matter. It didn't matter, because he was here with me now, in my room, in my bed, in my arms. He had clearly opened up a lot to me over the last few days, and I felt that our connection was stronger for it. As scary as it felt, I realized that I should really do the same.

"I think I'm ready now," I stated firmly.

He shifted in bed, propping his head up on his hand. "Huh? Ready for what?"

I turned over and looked straight into his eyes. "You managed to work through your past issues…even if it wasn't through the healthiest of means…but you sure as shit did it. It's time I did that, too."

I swallowed hard.

"I'm ready to talk to you about Scott."