Eating Her Heart Out

She was a riddle that I couldn’t solve. The only thing I knew for sure was that I couldn’t get her off my mind. And my desire for her had only grown stronger.

Irritated, I threw off the covers and yanked a T-shirt over my head before quietly opening the door to my room. It was nearly one in the morning, and I didn’t want to wake anyone, so I silently crept down the hall to the kitchen. I didn’t know what I wanted, so I wandered around, rummaging in the refrigerator and cupboards, hoping to find something that appealed to me.

Suddenly, the kitchen light turned on, making me wince from its brightness.

“Oh, sorry, I didn’t know anyone else was awake.” A soft, husky voice floated to my ears, and my eyes were drawn to its owner like a magnet.

Katie stood at the entrance to the room in a T-shirt and sleep shorts. I’d seen women walking around in far, far less clothing, but for some reason, I wanted to order her to change into something that covered more. The thought of anyone seeing all that leg, the way her full tits strained against the slightly tight shirt, the sliver of her soft belly that peeked out from between her top and bottoms…pissed me the fuck off.

I opened my mouth to say something caustic but caught it before I could spew undeserved anger at her. It wasn’t her fault that I couldn’t get her off my mind, couldn’t stop thinking about what it would be like to taste her, to be inside her, couldn’t help from wanting to tear out the eyes of any man who looked at her.

In fact, I wasn’t sure she felt even a glimpse of what churned inside me. I often thought I felt the chemistry spark between us, but she never said anything or gave me any indication that she’d noticed. It kind of irritated me to think that I might be suffering alone.

“I couldn’t sleep,” I told her gruffly.

“Me either,” she murmured with a sweet smile. “I was going to make hot chocolate. Would you like some?”

I swallowed hard when she walked by, and her scent filled my lungs. “Yes, please,” I managed to rasp. In an attempt to hide my body’s reaction, I padded over to the kitchen table and took a seat.

I watched her as she puttered around retrieving the mugs and putting on the kettle. Her silky hair was loose, and the pink highlights shined under the lights. The color was subtle, but it had been something else I’d chalked up to immaturity when we first met. Eventually, I realized that they were just an outward extension of her happy personality. Not excessive, just fun and beautiful. After a while, they’d just added to her sexy allure.

“I know I said it before but thank you for the earrings and necklace. It’s an adorable set.”

That had been a serious lapse in judgment and had almost blown up in my face. I’d gone with Jesse to pick up a last-minute present, and while he was waiting in line, I’d wandered over to the jewelry counter. I’d wrapped all of our presents, so I knew that Jesse had chosen a set of earrings, small hearts made of rose-gold.

Why I thought it would be a good idea to add to the present still escaped me. But as I scanned the display case, not really paying attention to what I was looking at, something caught my eye. It was a necklace. A delicate, rose-gold chain with two hearts hanging at the bottom. One of the hearts looked as though it had been made to go with her earrings. The other one was a complementing dark brown—similar to the color of Katie’s eyes. Upon closer inspection, it looked like a chocolate heart, but what sold it for me was that there was a chunk missing as if someone had started eating the heart.

I knew it would make her laugh—a sound I’d quickly become addicted to—and I liked the idea of her wearing something I’d given her. So I bought it. When she opened it on Christmas Day, and Jesse saw that I’d added the necklace, he looked at me with suspicion for a moment. Until Katie burst out laughing and showed everyone the silly charm.

Even though I’d almost burned my relationship with Jesse to the ground, I wouldn't have regretted the necklace. The joyful expression on her face, her laughter, and my silent stamp of ownership around her neck were worth it.

“You’re welcome,” I said quickly when I realized she was giving me an odd look. I’d obviously been silent long enough to make things awkward.

“I imagine you’re excited to see your family,” she murmured with a smile as she approached the table with two steaming mugs.

“Yeah. It was easier to survive the holiday without them by being here, but I missed them.”