It wasn't long before the weather started to change. The autumn breeze transitioned into the cool winds of winter. The heat was long gone, and the mornings and evenings were crisp.

But things were just starting to heat up for Jake and me.

I was surprised how readily I'd been able to accept the dynamic Jake and I had created, and just how much happier I was for it.

As I stared at myself in the mirror one afternoon, I couldn't help but notice how healthy and happy I looked. I had managed to sleep for a week straight without experiencing the fiery nightmares. I didn't think it was a coincidence that they disappeared when Jake was nearby. I felt safe knowing that he was just one room away. He was like an antibiotic, the cure for the disease that had afflicted my life since the fire.

Jake seemed to feel a similar sense of relief. Since our "no commitment" revelation, he was no longer the distant and hesitant man who avoided me like the plague. With the burden of obligation was off of his plate, he was a different man- a man who couldn't seem to keep his hands off of me.

As the weeks passed, Jake and I started to get to know each other on a deeper level. We spent all of our free time together, and when we were apart, we texted constantly. We were also back to our routine of having dinner together at night. Laughing over a warm, home-cooked meal was the best cure for any dispute.

Despite the caveats of our agreement, I quickly felt closer to Jake Lucero than I had with anyone else. We let each other in, little by little. Perhaps it was breaking the rules of our imaginary contract to get so emotional vested in each other's lives, but it was hard not to. It was so effortless to talk to one another, that it was almost unnatural not to discuss our thoughts. Our relationship continued to grow each day. Jake was quickly becoming my best friend.

Once the sun went down each night, our dynamic shifted, and we moved forward to the "benefits" part of the friendship. The dinner table was hardly cleared before his lips were on mine, working their way down to my most intimate areas, exploring my body in ways no one ever had before.

The truth is that I had never really cared for sex. It wasn't something I ever yearned for- not until I met Jake. It came naturally with him, like we were two jagged puzzle pieces that fit perfectly to each other, and left me yearning for more. My need for him was insatiable. When we weren't sleeping together, the idea was constantly at the back of my mind. I found myself distracted, longing for the night to come. Jake probably thought I was a sex-crazed lunatic.

There was something about this man that ignited my libido like never before. It blazed through my body like a wildfire, and only Jake could extinguish the flame. To watch Jake's muscles ripple as his skilled fingers pleased me, or to see the way his face scrunched up whenever I made him climax, it made me want him more than and more.

Each night I would lie in his arms for as long as he would allow it. But after a few minutes, the companionship always became more than he could handle, and I could sense his need to be alone. The inevitable time always came when I had to go back to my own room, leaving me feeling empty without his touch.

As time passed, I discovered more about Jake than I thought possible. I learned that he likes his coffee black and that he gets temperamental when he loses at Monopoly. I knew that he couldn't sleep without the ceiling fan on, even in the dead of winter, and that he cared about the environment, so recycling was a requirement in his house. 

Most of all, I learned how to please him in the bedroom. I had never been assertive when it came to sex. In the past, I usually took the backseat and allowed my partner to take the lead. But Jake made me feel like a sexual goddess, and in time, I quickly took the reins. There was no greater sense of control and confidence than when I was on top of Jake, staring down into his kind, chocolate eyes as I used my body to please him. For the first time in my life, I wasn't sitting on the sidelines but was in the heat of the game.

I was happier than I had been in a very long time. Regardless of this game of yo-yo that we seemed to be playing, I knew Jake had been brought into my life for a reason. Still, I couldn't help but to wonder about Jake's past. I sensed there was more to it than a marriage gone wrong.

But Jake didn't want to divulge any more information than what he already had. I was curious, but I didn't want to prompt him to open up. Things were going well with us, and I worried if pushed him too far, too quickly, I could risk losing him altogether. Still, I was curious about what had happened that had damaged him to the point that he couldn't form a relationship with another woman.

As time passed, I realized that it didn't matter that Jake and I weren't exclusive. Though the idea of him potentially sleeping with other women made me want to scream, I knew the connection that Jake and I had was one that couldn't be replicated. Even if we didn't make things official, I was confident he wanted no one else but me, and that made me happier than anything else could. I had all I needed in Jake. Things worked well this way. For a little while, anyway.

But things took a turn one afternoon in early December, one that forever altered mine and Jake's path.

We had woken up early and were coming downstairs for our morning cup of coffee. We were wearing nothing but our undergarments and were oblivious to anything but each other. But Harley caught my attention as he started growling softly at my side. The hair on my arms raised at the malice in his voice. I glanced up, fighting a scream when I saw the outline of a stranger sitting on the couch.

"Jake," I muttered, grabbing his arm.

He turned toward the living room, his muscles tensing when he saw the shadow. He pulled me behind him, his arm covering me in a protective stance. He tiptoed toward the light, flipping the switch.

"Good morning," the figure said, causing me and Jake to jump. Who needed coffee when we were wide awake now?

A woman sat on the couch, making herself at home as she smirked at the two of us. She was young, no more than twenty-five, and breathtakingly beautiful. She was dressed to the nines, her incredible figure accentuated by a black bodysuit. She had Gucci sunglasses on top of her freshly styled hair, and Louboutin red bottoms propped up comfortably on the coffee table.

"Hello, Jake. Long time no see," she said, showing her pearly white teeth. "I hope you don't mind, but I let myself in."

After the initial shock, Jake's eyes widened in recognition. His mouth formed a smile.

"Mariana?" he exclaimed, grabbing the woman into a tight embrace and spinning her around the room as she squealed. "What are you doing here? Are Mami and Papi okay?"

Mami... Papi... I repeated in my head, letting out a sigh of relief when I realized this was not another of Jake's lovers, but his baby sister.

"They're fine, Jake. The home nurse is staying with them for a few days. My firm is having a company conference at Lake Oroville this week, and attendance was mandatory." She rolled her eyes. "Since I was in the area anyway, I figured I would drop in on my big brother. I didn't mean to, umm, interrupt anything," Mariana said, her eyes flashing to me. 

Jake's face reddened when it dawned on him that we were both half-naked. Mariana tried to hide her giggle as Jake grabbed a towel from the linen closet and tossed me one, both of us covering up. I felt awkward being naked in front of this stranger. I couldn't seem to pull the towel around me tightly enough.

"Don't get me wrong, sis, I'm happy to see you. But you could have called before just lurking around in the dark like a scene from The Conjuring," Jake joked, walking into the kitchen and putting a pod of coffee into the Keurig.

"I did call. Eight times to be exact, but who's counting," Mariana laughed. She followed him into the kitchen and gathered three coffee mugs from the cabinet. She handed one to me with a wink, and I smiled bashfully.

"I was starting to get worried because I hadn't heard from you in a couple of weeks. But I can see now that everything was fine. You were just... busy," she smirked, taking a sip of her coffee, her eyes dancing with humor as Jake and I turned various shades of red.

                       * * * * * * * * * *

I found Jake's sister to be lovely as I got to know her throughout the morning, not just in her impeccable appearance, but also because Mariana had a bubbly personality that made her immediately likable.

Mariana was the opposite of Jake in many ways. They looked almost identical in their facial features, almost like they were twins, but that's where the similarities ended. Their personalities were completing different.

Jake was reserved and didn't like to share his personal life, whereas Mariana had no filter. She was an open book. Whether you wanted to hear the details of her life or not, she was going to tell you.

If Mariana didn't like something, she would let you know. Though her bluntness could be off-putting at times, I found her straightforward personality charming. There were no secrets with Mariana, and it was like a breath of fresh air. I'd had my fill of secrets lately.

Watching the dynamic between Jake and Mariana made me fall for him even more. It was the first time that I had seen Jake completely let his guard down. The two of them joked and laughed like they didn't have a care in the world. I found myself feeling a little envious, wishing he could be that way with me. I would have loved to see Jake that way more often.

At the same time, I was thankful to Mariana for letting me see this side of her brother. The fact that she brought out the best in Jake made me want to be her friend, and it seemed that Mariana felt the same way about me. She was determined that we bond, much to Jake's chagrin.

"Catalina, you and I must go shopping," she said, her brown eyes full of excitement as she grabbed my hands in hers. "I need to get to know the woman my brother has fallen for, after all," she grinned.

I could tell by the determination in her eyes that Mariana wasn't requesting my presence, so much as demanding it. I glanced at Jake, silently asking his opinion on the matter, but he just shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He gave me a shrug that said, 'it's your funeral' before walking out the door and leaving me at Mariana's mercy. 

Mariana was important to Jake, and I wanted to get to know her. Shopping was her favorite thing to do, so I had reluctantly agreed to the trip. It didn't lessen the irritation I felt knowing that I voluntarily signed up for the torture I was enduring.

Being in the mall with Mariana was like being with a kid in a toy store. She felt the need to touch every article of clothing within arm's reach and was constantly holding frilly and shiny fabrics up to my body, muttering about finding hues that matched my skin tone. Mariana was in her element.

I was not as entertained as Mariana was. I had never been much of a 'girly-girl' and had always found clothes shopping to be more of a chore than a delight. I bought most of my clothes from Amazon for the convenience of staying home. I always sought comfort over style, which was why most of my clothes were a size too large. I would much rather be hiking with Harley or jogging at the park than browsing the racks at Nordstrom's.

Besides, shopping was something that I needed to do anyway since I'd lost most of my clothes in the fire; I couldn't wear the old sweatpants and t-shirt I'd found in my car forever. So instead of fighting it- not that Mariana would let me if I tried- I stood by quietly as she loaded my cart with various dresses and blouses. I didn't utter a single complaint- aloud. 

Despite the hours of anguish spent doing what Mariana called 'retail therapy', I found that I had a good time. Mariana was an extremely laid back person, and I felt almost as at ease with her as I did when I was around Jake. The time seemed to go by effortlessly as she sent me to the dressing room to try on clothes time and time again.

I had been enjoying myself so much, I had lost track of what Mariana was putting in my shopping bag. At the end of the four-hour shopping trip, we went to the register to pay. I had to bite the inside of my jaw when I saw the total that popped up on the screen.

The cashier gave me a pitying look as I handed her my credit card with a shaking hand. I reminded myself that this was necessary; I desperately needed to replenish my non-existent closet, anyway. It may take me three months to pay the credit card bill, but at least I would look good doing it.

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© Dawn Norwell