After the night of snuggling and kissing in the hospital bed, I faced the new reality of knowing who I was dating. Now that there were no secrets, Jim O'Brien was everywhere.

He was in magazines and commercials, on the radio and TV. Also, in my heart and my thoughts pretty much all the time. 

Over the last week, we'd fallen into a comfortable routine where I would open the door to his condo with my key in the morning and let myself in. We'd have late breakfast together and settle on the couch, lying in each other's arms and talking.

We'd kiss a lot and explore each other's bodies through layers of clothes, and then, after lunch, I would go to work, leaving Jim in his apartment.

My official excuse was that I wanted him to rest and recover. Dad was clear about physical exercise, and, knowing Jim, there would be no middle ground with him. He was the all-in kind of guy. The moment we took kissing further, he wouldn't be happy with keeping still and making no physical effort. He'd be all over me, and although I craved him like a drug, I needed to ease into our new relationship little by little for my sanity's sake.

Jim was my calm and my solace, but he was also a force to be reckoned with, a hurricane that would easily sweep me off my feet if I'd let him. 

He was charming and insistent and very hard to say no to. Leaving him in his apartment wasn't easy. We did speak on the phone every night, and although a conversation was a poor substitute for physical closeness, I was looking forward to hearing his voice.

Today was the day Jim officially returned to his usual lifestyle and activities, and he'd reminded me of it at least three times via texts this morning, distracting me from my duties at the bookstore. I asked William to let me work the morning shift for once because of the date with Jim later.

I was perusing the new romance releases when my phone buzzed again. I expected another text from Jim, but it was Harper.

Harper: Guess what? I spent an hour listening to some colleagues gushing about Jim O'Brien. He signed their stuff when he was here. If only they knew my friend is dating the guy.
P.S. Can he sign something for me? 

My lips split into a grin. When I confessed the truth to Harper, the squeal she let out could've easily pierced my eardrums. She also supported my decision to take it slow at first and wait before making our relationship public. 

I didn't say much to the girls, just the crucial details. 

Tasha got banned from my social media and my life. It hurt me to think about the betrayal of one of my childhood friends, but maybe what they said was true — people did change, and very often, we lost some of them along the way. 

I'd rather have few friends I could trust than be surrounded by people like Tasha. Ivy and Isla promised to keep what I told them secret. I didn't doubt they would. Isla was loyal to the bone, and so was Ivy. 

I glanced at my watch and typed a reply.

Me: Of course, Dr. Lincoln. Meeting Jim soon. You'll have your autograph.

Harper's reply was fast.

Harper: Yay! Tell Mr. Coffee I approve. The guy is super talented. Lucky you.

A customer needed help choosing a gift for his wife. I shoved the phone back into my pocket and spent the remaining hour of my shift giving book recommendations.

When I was finally free, I drove to the address Jim had texted earlier. My brows bunched up when I parked next to one of the high-rises in the business area of the city.

Following Jim's instructions, I gave my name at the reception, and the girl called the elevator for me, saying what I needed was on the tenth floor. 

As I stepped out of the machine, I glanced around. My eyes paused on a door left ajar.

The sounds of a guitar mixed with some voices greeted me as I approached it.  When I opened the door all the way and stepped inside, I saw a tall, tattooed guy with dirty blond hair and diamond studs in his ears.

"Ava." He grinned. "Welcome to the cave. I'm Jay, that monk over there is Nicholas or Nick, you already met Fin, and your man went to pee."

Fin waved at me from the small couch where he was sitting with a dark-haired boy by his side. 

"Hey." I smiled, shifting my weight from one foot to the other.

"Come on in, don't be shy," said Jay. "I don't bite."

"You'd better not think about it, fucker." Jim's voice sounded from the doorway. As soon as I turned around and looked at him, he crossed the distance between us and enveloped me in a tight hug. His lips met mine, and after a brief kiss that succeeded in making me blush, Jim led me to another couch against one of the walls.

"Would you like a drink?" asked Nick. 

"Water, if you have some," I said. 

Jim kissed my forehead and went to take the bottle from Nick's hands to give it to me.

"Sit, relax, and listen," he told me.

Seeing the puzzlement on my face made the guys chuckle. They got their instruments, and in barely a couple of minutes, I was enjoying my private concert. 

They played some of their most famous songs, which I luckily recognized now. As Jim sang, his eyes were on mine, warm and full of affection.

I blushed like a fool when he looked at me intently, singing some of the lines with the deep voice of his. 

The guys had fun; Jayson and Nick played their guitars, and Fin was sitting behind the drum set, biting his lip as he focused on the rhythm.

When the impromptu concert was over, I clapped my hands, grinning at the smile on Jim's face.

Slightly breathless, he plopped down on the couch next to me and wrapped me in his strong arms, keeping me pressed to his side. 

"Did you like it?" he whispered.

"She'd better, man," said Jay. "Cause your ass spends way too much time doing this shit. Your lady needs to know what you do when you're not with her."

"I loved it. Thank you," I said, pressing my lips to Jim's jaw. 

His eyes darkened. He caressed the side of my face with his knuckles. "I'm glad."

"It would've been more special if we'd done it at the arena," Nick said. "That was the plan after our show, anyway."

"That was what you had planned?" I looked at Jim, wide-eyed.

He nodded. "I asked the manager of the arena to let us stay there longer and play just for you. I wanted you to meet the guys and see us on the big stage."

"I loved it, anyway." I snuggled into Jim's warm hug, relishing in the familiar heat that emanated from his strong body.

Jason exited the room and returned with sandwiches and coffee. We had lunch together and chatted for an hour before Jim, and I left the building and strolled to my car.

"Let's go to my place for a change," I offered. "You've only been there twice."

"Okay," said Jim. "Are you home alone?"

"Dad's at work. It'll be only us."

The grin on Jim's face made my cheeks flush. I knew what he was thinking, and when I parked in the driveway of my house later, and we strolled to the porch, my suspicions were confirmed.

Jim barely waited for the door to close behind us to scoop me up in his arms and carry me upstairs. Once in my bedroom, he flopped down on my bed, still holding me. I clung to him with my legs wrapped around his waist and my arms circling his neck.

"Hey, baby," he whispered, leaning in for a kiss.

"Hey." My voice was low, barely above a whisper, and a second later, I couldn't speak at all when Jim's lips latched onto my neck. 

"God, I missed you," he uttered, pressing wet kisses to the column of my throat and then licking a path down to my collarbone.

I squeezed my eyes shut. My head fell back, and heat spread in my lower body. Having Jim's excitement beneath me didn't help my hormones. I moaned, rocking my hips to get some friction.

"You're gonna kill me," Jim said, biting me softly. His palms slid under my shirt, caressing my back, moving to glide over my waist, and then my stomach.

I sought his lips and kissed him hard, with one of my hands buried in his hair and the other one making its way under the cotton of Jim's tee.

His breath hitched when I touched the smooth skin of his abs. Tentatively, I grazed them with my fingertips, moving toward the waistband of Jim's jeans.

He didn't waste time undoing the button of my pants. "My hand or my lips, baby? What do you want?" Jim asked softly, sliding his fingers under the band of my panties, dangerously close to the spot I wanted him to touch.

"Both."

Jim hummed his approval and kissed my neck once more, making me whimper. The anticipation of his touch made me crazy with want. 

"More. Please," I whispered in his ear. 

Jim pushed himself off the bed, making sure I held on to him as he stood with me in his arms and then turned around to put me on my comforter.

Desire swirled in his eyes, and as he covered me with his muscular body and kissed my lips, I made sure to show him I wanted him just as badly by deepening the kiss and stroking his tongue with mine.

"Playing with fire," Jim said, sliding the fingers of one of his hands into my hair.

"I wouldn't mind the burn," I said against his mouth, rocking my hips to feel him.

"My cute little thing is eager," Jim murmured, placing a string of kisses on my jaw.

His hand moved to my hip, gripping it as he assaulted my neck with his wet lips.

"Pumpkin!

I stilled. Jim lifted his head off me and stared into my eyes. 

"You said he was at work," he whisper-yelled, his green irises full of panic.

"That's what I thought!"

"Shit." Jim looked down at himself, and so did I.

I pushed him off me lightly and buttoned up my jeans. "Closet, fast."

Jim narrowed his eyes. "I'm a big boy; I'm not gonna fit in your closet."

"And I don't want my dad to meet Jim Junior." I pointed to the front of Jim's pants.

Amusement danced in Jim's eyes. "I can deal with it like a man, baby. Your first man."

"Closet, caveman," I whispered. "Please."

"Okay," Jim grumbled, sliding the wooden door open and getting inside. "It'd better be full of your panties, Beautiful. Jesus, I'm gonna die in here," Jim said, cramming himself into the tiny space.

"He must've left something at home," I said. "It's for a little while, so hold on."

I gave Jim an apologetic smile and closed the door to my personal Narnia, making sure to leave a tiny gap for Jim to breathe.

"This shit is surreal," Jim complained, undoubtedly trying to make himself comfortable between jackets and coats. 

My dad's footsteps resounded in the hallway. I smoothed my hair and straightened my comforter before sitting on it and grabbing a book from my nightstand.

The door to my room opened. Dad leaned against the doorframe, holding an apple. 

"Thought you had a date," he said, biting into the fruit.

"Earlier," I said. "Thought you had to work."

"Not in the afternoon." Dad smiled and then chewed louder than ever as he bit off another chunk of the red apple.

My eyes widened. What the hell happened to his manners?

Unfazed, Dad sat next to me on the bed. 

"Hendrix, get out of Pumpkin's closet. The house reeks of Old Spice," he said, much to my horror, struggling to keep a straight face.

"It's not Old Spice, Sir. I believe it's Dior," answered Jim's muffled voice. The closet door slid open, and Jim peeked out from behind one of my winter coats. "Thank you for rescuing me. It was rather stuffy in there."

"Come here if your pants are on, rockstar," said Dad. "If not, I'll wait."

"They didn't have time to come off, Sir. You have perfect timing."

Dad shook with laughter, watching Jim struggle to make his way out of the closet. "You must really love her," he said, wiping at his eyes. "How the hell did you even fit in there?"

Jim straightened his tee and sat next to me on the bed, chuckling at my crimson face. "I'd do anything she wants," he said, running his knuckles along my jaw and kissing my cheek afterward. 

Dad shook his head, smiling. "Did you two have lunch?"

I cleared my throat. "Yeah."

"Okay." Dad went on to eat his apple, looking at the two of us. Jim kept his arm around my shoulders and smiled at me as if my father hadn't watched him crawl out of my closet a minute ago. The chill of my boyfriend would never cease to amaze me.

"We can have some coffee," offered Dad. "Caffeine is good for frustrations of all kinds." He winked at Jim.

"Thanks for the pointer, Sir. I appreciate it," Jim said. "I'll help you make the coffee. Come on, cute little thing." Jim patted my thigh and rose from the bed. 

"He's so whipped, Pumpkin." Dad sighed. "I feel a bit sorry for the guy."

Jim shrugged. "Don't be. I'm happily whipped."

"Oh, I almost forgot," Dad said when we were in the hallway. "I wanted to invite you to our puzzle night tomorrow. Are you free?"

Puzzled was a good way to describe the look on Jim's face. He glanced at me and refocused on my dad. "Puzzle night?"

"That's right," Dad said. "I love puzzles. My friends and I meet twice a month to do one together. None of them works a night shift this Friday, so we're gonna meet here at around eight p.m."

"So, you meet and do puzzles," Jim glanced at me again, although the question was meant for my dad.

"That's what they do," I said. "I gave Dad some puzzles for Christmas, and he has to do one still. Am I right?"

"Yeah, the biggest," Dad said. "It's gonna be Leo, Cooper, and me. Well, and Jim as of now."

"Leo is my godfather," I clarified.

Jim scratched the back of his head. "Okay. Thanks for the invite, Sir."

Dad gave Jim a broad smile. "You're welcome. Let's have that coffee, and…" Dad paused. "I guess puzzle up, Buttercup."
 

Hope you laughed cause I did. Nothing can puzzle that guy, except for the puzzles, maybe🤭