A/N: A little time jump to move them along :) Also, adding the NC17 rating to this chapter. Enjoy! Thank you for your votes and comments, please keep them coming! Xo

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It had been a whirlwind couple of weeks since we'd returned from Ohio. My parents had mixed feelings about my future plans. They were mildly upset I'd chosen to decline the position at NYU, but my mom assured me they understood and wanted me to pursue career happiness. My dad didn't have much to say about it and I prayed he didn't hate me for turning down the opportunity he'd tried to get for me. It was slightly liberating though. Between a savings account set up by my late grandfather and parents, they'd paid for my education, car, and the apartment Jamie was currently moving into. Not taking the job was the first step in declining their assistance in my adult life. The second was Jamie taking over my lease with permission from the landlord. I honestly thought my dad would try to fight him about it, but he was surprisingly willing and excited for us to take the next step. My dad, of all people, was happy his little girl had decided to move in with a man. My mom and sister must've had some say in his approach. Everything around me seemed to be changing, and I felt like a new Kelsey was coming to life.

"Fuck!" Jamie's loud curse word from the other room startled me out of my thoughts.

I pried myself off of the couch, every muscle in my body on fire from carrying boxes and furniture, and made my way into the bedroom.

"Everything all right?" I asked.

He was grimacing and holding the ends of his fingers. "Just smashed my bloody hand between the dresser and the wall."

"Poor baby." I walked to him, taking his hurt hand into mine and kissing the tips of his red fingers.

He sighed. "Whose idea was this to move my shit over here?"

I chuckled. "My mom's. Blame her."

He smiled, shaking his head. "Gee thanks, Karen."

"Are we done for today?" I pouted, sitting down on the edge of my bed. Or was it our bed now? My heart pounded loudly at the thought.

"Actually I think we might be totally done. Leo was doing one last sweep before handing my keys over."

He plopped down beside me, laying back against the mattress and staring at the ceiling. I joined him, resting my head on his shoulder.

"Let's take a nap," I muttered.

"As amazing as that sounds, I'm starving," he replied.

Truthfully I was, too. However, I had zero desire to get up, and barely any energy to change to go somewhere or cook, whichever he wanted.

"Order take out," I said.

"Great idea."

He kissed the top of my head as we laid there in silence for the longest time; my eyesight moving up and down with the rise and fall of his breathing. The sound of his heartbeat lulling me into a trance.

"What sounds good?" he mumbled.

"Literally anything."

I smiled when his laugh vibrated beneath me.

"If you let me choose, it'll be pizza and beer," he said.

I sat up on my elbow. "Okay. That sounds amazing."

"A pizza and beer kinda gal. Another reason to love you."

I moved to leave a quick kiss on his lips before sitting up and dragging him with me. He whined when I pulled him by the hand to his feet.

"We still have some unpacking to do while we wait," I said.

"Okay fine."

He followed me out into the kitchen as I opened a drawer I'd filled with various restaurant menus from the neighborhood. I retrieved the pamphlet for my favorite pizza place and handed it to him.

"Order whatever. I'm not picky."

"Anchovies it is!" He smiled widely.

I raised one eyebrow. "You say that as if you assume I won't eat them."

His smile faded. "Seriously, you want anchovies?"

"I'm from Ohio, babe, remember? We eat the deer and fish we kill ourselves."

He shrugged. "If that's what you want."

I laughed. "I'm kidding. Please don't get anchovies."

"Thank fuck," he replied. "I was afraid I'd have to refuse to kiss you the rest of the night."

I playfully gasped and held my chest. "You wouldn't dare!"

He nodded as the corner of his mouth curved into a mischievous grin.

"Try me," he said.

Game on. I stepped into him and held his face between my hands, giggling as I moved mere inches from his lips. His eyes were playful, holding my gaze, challenging me like he loved to do. I leaned forward to kiss him, but before I could he grabbed my wrists, freeing his face and moving it to the side, causing me to miss.

"Are you kidding?" I huffed.

"Nope. I'm ordering anchovies just for you, and no kisses the rest of the night."

"You're impossible." I rolled my eyes, which caused an eruption of laughter from him. He loved seeing me frustrated.

"I don't want to kiss you anyway. You're not supposed to shack up with your roommate."

He walked away, shaking his head. "We'll see about that."

I occupied myself with unloading a box in the living room while he phoned in our order. My breath caught in my throat as I pulled out various pictures of him with his daughter, and old photos of a woman I only assumed was his mom. One of them was in black and white; she wore a flower headband across her forehead with a white, flowing dress that grazed the grass below her. She was barefoot with a smile, her long wavy hair falling over her shoulders. The sun was setting behind her, illuminating her like an angel.

I felt him approach as he knelt down to look at the photo in my hand.

"That was taken the summer before she graduated. She was 17, I think. Loved daisies and hated shoes."

I smiled up at him. "Where do you want me to put it?"

He stared at her image for a long moment before answering. "I'll put it in my dresser."

"You mean on the dresser?" I corrected.

He looked at me, his expression somber. "This is still your apartment, Kels. I don't want to take over."

It occurred to me that maybe he didn't want to look at her photo every night before he went to bed. I wasn't a therapist, but I was certain he still thought about her constantly, even if he avoided the topic most days. I had to somehow break the wall he'd built years ago and let him know he could be free from his ghosts.

"It's a beautiful picture," I said.

"It is," he whispered.

"May I?"

He wrinkled his forehead, confused on what I was asking his permission for.

I smiled and stood, carrying the frame to my mantle and setting it next to an old family photo of Emily and me with our parents on vacation.

"Is this okay?" I asked.

He walked over to inspect the location before turning to me. "Are you sure?"

I ran my hand up and down his arm. "Babe, you live here now, too. Absolutely."

He stepped closer, pulling me into his arms and searching my eyes. "I was really hoping you'd find a different picture first."

I furrowed my eyebrows. "Which one?"

He led me back to the box, kneeling down to retrieve another frame. He smiled widely before handing it to me.

The butterflies came to life when I saw the photo. It was a selfie he'd taken of us with his daughter while we were in London. She'd placed her favorite tiara lined with pink and silver stones on my head, and Jamie wore a pink boa around his neck. She sat between us, her cheeks rosy with the blush she'd painted on herself, and the red lipstick of mine that she'd asked me to put on her. We both had her little lip print on our cheeks. It was my favorite picture in the world; I even had it set as the background on my phone, but I had no idea he'd printed it out.

"Aww," I whispered. "I love it."

"Me too. The two most important girls in my life."

I met his stare. I wasn't sure how much harder I could fall for this man. Didn't he know he already had me body, mind, and soul?

"Well, I won't tell your sisters," I said.

He laughed. "They know where they rank. May I?" he repeated my earlier question.

I handed him the picture and he took it over to the mantle, setting it beside the one of his mom.

"Perfect," I said.

He walked back to me, capturing me in a sweet kiss before I had time to protest. I melted into him, grunting when I heard a knock at the door.

I broke our embrace. "Thought you weren't kissing me the rest of the night?"

He winked, stepping away to answer it. "You haven't eaten your anchovies yet."

"You better not have ordered any!" I made my way into the kitchen to grab napkins and plates.

He chuckled as he opened the door, taking the pizza from the guy and handing him a tip. "Thanks, mate."

He kicked it shut, meeting me at the counter. I grabbed two Coronas from the fridge, also retrieving a couple of limes to garnish them with.

"Bon appetite," he said, flipping open the lid.

The aroma of pepperoni and grease filled the room and I took in a deep breath. New York really did have the world's best pizza.

Jamie and I both took a slice when his phone began ringing. He sighed loudly, wiping his hands on a napkin.

"Let it go to voicemail," I said.

"Can't, it's my boss."

He answered it. "Yes ma'am."

I ate my pizza and drank my beer while I listened to his one-sided conversation.

"Yeah, that should be fine," he said into the phone. "Wait, in New York, right? Okay, good. See you then."

He hung up, taking a long swig of his drink. I didn't ask what it was about. I wasn't used to him receiving work calls when we were together, but now that we'd be attached 24/7, I guess it'd become the new norm.

"I have a table read and script sign-off meeting next Friday," he said. "I probably won't be home until late. Those things take forever."

"What kind of script?" I asked.

"Oh, it's for the third series for a show I'm on called The Fall."

"Sweet. What's it about?"

He raised his eyebrows. "Um," he paused, "I play a serial killer."

I met his gaze, a little taken aback. How could someone so incredibly loving and sweet play such a sick, twisted character? I suppose that's why it was called acting.

"Wow," I said, "that's pretty cool."

"Cool, crazy, both," he replied.

I chuckled. "Definitely not the type of character I envisioned you as."

"Me neither." He smiled, taking a bite of pizza. "But it's the role that has gotten me the most attention within the business. It's helped launch a lot of other jobs I likely wouldn't have gotten otherwise."

"Aw, damn," I cursed. "Next Friday is when I told Carrie we'd meet her for dinner."

He took a drink of his beer. "I'm sorry, babe. We can reschedule, or you can go out and enjoy yourself without your annoying boyfriend."

"Oh, please," I huffed. "I'll see if she can do a different night."

I wiped off my hands and retrieved my phone from the counter, typing in a message.

Hey Carrie! My bf has to work next Friday. Any chance we can do another night?

Before I could take a bite of my pizza she answered.

Bummer! I wish I could but I have tickets to shows and other plans the rest of the trip. Does this mean I can't see you at all?

"She can't reschedule," I said.

He shrugged. "Go anyway. Have some fun with your old friend."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course. I'll be jealous of your freedom, though."

I smiled. "I'll be patiently waiting for you to get back home."

"Home," he repeated. "I like the sound of that."

I redirected my attention to my phone as I tried to calm my racing heart at the realization that we lived together. This really was our home now.

I replied. I can still meet you.

Yay! I'm glad!

Maybe if you have time another day the 3 of us can get together.

That'd be fun!

Great, see you next week!

Jamie walked past me to dump his plate into the trashcan. I set my phone down when he wrapped his arms around my waist from behind, pressing his lips to my neck.

"Can we call it quits for the day? I can't unpack another thing."

"Yes," I replied, leaning back into his torso.

He moved his mouth to my ear. "So if we live here together in New York, does that mean we live together in London, too?"

I turned on the barstool to face him. "I suppose that's what that means. Wherever you are is my home."

"Are you stealing my phrases now?" He winked.

"Well, we live together so we share everything. Beds, showers, each other's sentences."

"Showers? Now I'm intrigued."

"You know what sounds better than a shower?"

"Bed?" He wiggled his eyebrows.

"I was thinking a long, hot bath, but if you're too old and need sleep I'll understand, gramps."

He threw his head back in a roar of laughter and it made my heart leap that I'd caused that magnificent noise.

"I'll show you old," he replied before pulling me off of the barstool, dragging me through the kitchen and down the hall to our room.

"Wait here," he said.

I smiled as he disappeared into the master bath. A moment later I could hear the water running. I waited a few minutes for the go ahead before he reappeared in the doorway wearing nothing but a towel around his waist. My heart caught in my chest at the sight.

He rested his arm on the doorframe. "Care to join me?"

I couldn't help the giggle that escaped my throat as I practically sprinted toward him. He flipped off the light when I approached, and I noticed he'd strategically lit the candles I'd never used. I stepped past him to see a tub filled with bubbles, and the calming smell of lavender filled my nose.

"The only thing missing is a glass of wine," I said.

"I can change that."

I thought about it for a moment, but decided I needed a couple ibuprofen more than I needed another drink. "No, this is perfect."

"It's not perfect yet," he corrected.

Before I could question him, he was lifting the hem of my shirt over my head. I smiled as he untied the drawstring of my sweatpants. They fell to a pool around my ankles, causing me to step out of them and kick them away. His hand moved around to my back, expertly unclasping my bra and tossing it to the side. I followed his gaze when he knelt in front of me, linking the thin fabric at my waist in his thumbs and pulling my panties down my legs.

"There," he whispered, "perfect."

When he stood back up I felt the towel that he'd had wrapped around him fall onto my feet. Before I could decide my next move he pulled me toward the bathtub. I eyed his flawless frame as he stepped in and sank into the liquid, leaning against the tile waiting for me to join. I held onto his hand as I also got in the steamy water, slowly moving my limbs around his, facing him.

"God, this feels amazing," I said.

"I could probably fall asleep right here," he replied.

I laughed. "I'm glad you don't have to leave."

He smiled. "Me too. Now you'll never be able to get rid of me."

"Good. I don't want to. I hate falling asleep in this big city alone."

"I hate falling asleep without you, period," he said.

He still managed to make me blush. I was fairly certain I'd never get used to hearing him fawn over me.

"You live here," I deadpanned. "We live together, so crazy. Who knew Starbucks would lead us to this?"

"I don't think it was Starbucks doing the leading, but that's a whole other conversation. Right now all I want is a welcome home gift."

I laughed loudly and splashed him. "What gift? Christening the bathroom?"

"You read my mind."

He lifted me up and pulled me onto his lap. I momentarily got lost in his greying eyes as the desire to make love to him overwhelmed me. The idea of this place being mine was fading quickly and being replaced with the fact that he truly was my home, whether that was here or in London or on another planet, as long as he was with me, I was right where I wanted to be.

I leaned in to kiss him, but he dodged me again, causing me to moan. "Don't!"

He chuckled, his hands holding me at my waist. "I'm kidding, baby."

My mouth fell to his as I devoured his lips, sucking and licking at him feverishly. He brought a hand up to the back of my neck to hold me in place as his tongue danced with mine. I was already breathless, allowing my fingers to fall between us and graze his wet muscles. There was no way I'd ever get tired of touching and kissing every inch of his body. He gasped into the kiss when I took him in my hand, gently stroking his already hardened member.

Without missing a beat he moved his mouth to my neck and his other free hand to my warm center. He ran his finger in dangerous circles as the back of our hands grazed one another's while we pleasured each other. His lips continued their southern path, snaking his tongue out to lick at my nipples. I threw my head back when he removed my hand and began moving his hips, teasing my center.

The water was warm as it splashed between and around us. My entire body was on fire from just feeling his skin on my skin.

"I could get used to coming home to this," he said breathlessly.

"I already am," I replied.

He smiled as he shifted me so that he could position himself. I moaned, slowly sitting down onto him.

"Baby," he groaned.

I moved my hips up and down his long, perfect length as he lost himself in the sensations. He guided my hips, lifting his own to meet mine in a perfect rhythm as the water furiously crashed over my skin and onto the floor. I didn't even care about the mess around us. The candles could literally catch the building ablaze and I'd stay like this, getting lost in the feeling of our bodies together in flawless harmony.

My orgasm was quickly approaching as I sank on him deeper and deeper, both of us climbing to our peak. He dropped his hand between us again, encouraging me to meet him. Every fiber of my being was tingling.

"Mmm, Kels," he breathed before pinching my aroused core.

I yelped as I rapidly fell apart, spilling myself onto him. He bucked his hips a couple more times before he grabbed me tightly, filling me deliciously as his own orgasm hit him. I continued to circle my hips, not wanting to lose our contact. He rested his forehead against mine, looking into my eyes from under heavy, lust-filled lids.

"Don't move," I whispered.

He smiled, kissing me quickly. "I didn't plan on it."

I reached behind him, still sitting on his lap, feeling him loosen inside me, and grabbed my loofa. I picked up the nearest bottle of soap, squirting some of the sweet smelling liquid onto it. He watched as I lathered up his chest and shoulders, leaning down to kiss him every few seconds.

He silently took it from me and returned the favor. I moaned as he ran it up and down my back. I could feel my muscles loosening under his caress.

He cupped his hand in the water and let it wash the suds away from my skin. I soaked the loofa, letting the drops run down his torso, leaving small trails as the water took the soap with it. He pressed a sweet kiss to my lips after I wiped him clean.

"I don't think I could go an hour without kissing you, let alone a whole night," he said."

"Yes, you've clearly demonstrated that." I smiled.

"Let's dry off and pick this up out there." He gestured toward the bedroom.

He held my hand as I slowly lifted myself off of him and stood. I grabbed two towels, handing him one and wrapping the other tightly around myself. He kissed my shoulder, following me out of the bathroom.

If this is what life with him looked like, then every bad decision I'd ever made before had been erased. I was starting over with the man of my dreams. The kind of love I'd always deserved.