Chapter 66

**Bella-Rose POV**

Have you ever had those favorite pajamas that you couldn't part with? The one that hangs on your frame threadbare with tiny holes scattered all over it.
The one that looks more like a beggar's costume than nightwear. Yes? Well, I have one too.

It's only 6 years old. Don't scoff. If you open my Nana's wardrobe some of her clothes are even 20 years old. Compared to that number, mine is just a baby. Of course, her clothes are in mint condition while mine is in a shabby state.

But it's just a perspective. In the end, what's important is that comfy feeling when you wear them.

And here I'm, in my faded, threadbare Pajamas (tank and shorts) with a hole in the middle of my tank-top that is big enough to let two of my fingers pass through when I hear the knock on my door.

I thought nothing about my attire or the timing (it was 8 in the morning) when I shouted to whoever was on the other side with a "coming!"

I held the mason jar that had some homemade strawberry jam (made by me) in my right hand and the spoon with which I was scraping the jam in my left hand as I skipped towards the door.

These last few spoons are really hard to get when it is at the very bottom of the jar. What? As if you haven't tried to clean the bottom of your jam jar. Priorities, my friend.

My rule is to never leave a single drop of jam. I attacked the jar with all my might as I said loudly, "I will not rest until I lick every drop out of you. Come on baby, I know you have more in you"

I scrunch my face in concentration as I continued, "Yes! Just a little bit more. Almost there...Aha! There. Yes! Yes! That's the right angle. A little bit on the side...ah yes! Ohh ya baby"

And huzzah! I got a spoonful. I was licking the jam off my spoon and praising, "umm...that hit the right spot. Never tasted better...it's pure euphoria". I smacked my lips together at the taste of it when I opened the door unceremoniously.

I was immersed in my licking session to look up at who might be knocking at 8 in the morning. Instead, I prompted between my licks a bored, "yes?"

"Little red", said a voice huskily as if it's in pain.

That word... tilted my axis for a second. My body locked in an emotion akin to disbelief as I slowly raised my head.

My jar dropped on the floor and thankfully did not break from my abuse. While I, on the other hand, stood still like a statue, gawking at the figure standing before me as clumsy butterflies took residence in my stomach.

James, my mail guy, is standing on my porch. The one with whom I teased ...with whom I chatted ...with whom I danced...with whom I fell in love. He is here!
And I was gaping at him with a spoon in hand.

I was left with 3 options here-

1. I could say I'm not her
2.
3. I could pretend I have contracted some brain disease that wiped out all of my memories
4.
5. I could close the door on him and hideaway in the dark abyss until my embarrassment dies down.
6.
I choose the option any sane person will choose. I slammed the door hard enough to get my owner a heart attack if he had watched my abuse.

However, I couldn't move a muscle as I stood rooted to my spot, my back to the door. In my haste to escape, I didn't register the fact that I saw his face. I saw his face! I mentally groaned at my idiotic behavior.

"Bella, open the door", James knocked lightly on the other side of the door.

"What are you doing here?" I asked breathlessly

"Open the door, Bella. I want to look at you", James said his voice rough.

My heartbeat picking speed, I turned to reach the door handle when I looked at myself. Wait! I'm wearing my ratty old pajamas! Ahh! I groaned loud enough to be heard by James as he asked from the other side, "Bella?"

"Can you give me a second? Don't...don't leave", I shouted and scampered towards my closet at lightning speed.

"Bella! Open the door, little red. It's only me", James knocked again louder this time.

"Yes...just a minute", I shouted as I changed my tank-top with a decent-looking top.

Before I could change my shorts too, James knocked on the door again. I looked at myself in the mirror. With my hair in a messy bun, my face scrubbed free of any makeup, I really look like a little red, he likes to tease me with, before him.

"Maybe he won't notice", I said to myself feigning the confidence I don't feel, as I skipped to unlock the door feeling almost breathless.

"Hi!", I said with a throaty husk once I laid my eyes upon him.

He is...magnificent. If his stature is humongous then his face is charismatic. No Hollywood star can look handsome before him.

A 5 o'clock shadow grazed his square jaw as if he was in a hurry today to shave that off. My mind conjured up the scenarios where that shadow can leave red marks on my body.

With a deep flush that's creeping up my neck, I gazed at his emerald orbs. His face is handsome...not pretty, handsome. He looked all-male...roguish even with his sharp nose.

While I was absorbing him, he also did the same to me. His eyes slowly scanned me starting from my feet to my head in a leisurely fashion, taking extra note of the length of my shorts and my breasts.

"I like the previous one better", James said pointedly looking at my top.

If possible, my blush intensified.

"You never answered my question. What are you doing here? How do you know my address?" I asked to lessen the impact he has on my body. I quickly looked down on the pretext of lifting the jam jar to check if my breasts are not peeping to say any hello to him.

No pebbled nipples. Phew. Now I understood why he liked the previous one better.

"Do I have to answer your questions standing on the porch?" James questioned as he scanned the driveway.

Of course, what was I thinking? But... "There is no one in the home except me"

"I hope there is no one in there. Otherwise, I might have to drag out that guy to punch him. Those sounds you gave while licking... they are reserved for only my ears. No one else's", James said with a glint in his eye.

"James!" I said loudly, color rising in my cheeks at the mention of obscene sounds I was making.

"It's the truth Bella moi. You better accept it. Now will you let me in?", James said as he leaned to one side of the doorway.

"Umm...I'm not...I'm not ready for that yet. We met just now", I said all the while blushing and imagining what he must be asking of me.

"I like the fact that you believe that I will jump your bones at the first sight. However, I'm not here for that", James said with a hint of regret costing his voice.

"Oh...you don't want to jump my bones?" I was confused. Why wouldn't he want to do that? All the lectures of Amanda point out the fact that men like to do the tango given every opportunity. Then why is James’s hesitating?

"Little red, you can't even imagine how much I want to. It's just l understand some matters take time. I want to savor while I devour you completely. And rushing these things is not my style. Now will you let me in?", James said with lustful eyes.

"Umm...yes. Yes, please come in", I pushed the door wide open to let his frame fit through. Even with that gap, our chests grazed as he walked past me. I sucked my breath at the contact.

"I...I... have you had your breakfast? I can whip out something in a few minutes", I said as I tried to put some distance between us for my sanity's sake.
"You want to feed me red?", James asked in surprise

"Only if you are hungry," I said gazing into his eyes as I tried to compose myself.

"I'm always hungry in your presence Little red. But if it won't trouble you much, then I will eat whatever you make", James said with innuendo that made me want to hide my face in shyness.

All this flirting is kind of new. In fact, talking to a guy this long is new to me. Of course, there were guys who tried flirting with me in the bakery but I always shied away from in such encounters. So, having the full attention of James on me is making me super nervous and jittery.

"Umm... you can sit on the chair in the kitchen while I make waffles", I said turning towards the counter giving myself some reprieve from his intense stare.

I rubbed my palm over my stomach to steady the flutters happening inside it. How will I manage if my body reacts to him every time my eyes land upon him?