Wicked Things We Crave

Chapter Twenty-Four

For the entire day, it seemed all hope was lost.

The first house had a couple who lived next door. At first they seemed overly welcoming until Astrid noticed the husband's eyes never left her breasts.

The second house seemed nice enough, but dull, and neither of them felt any spark or connection to it.

The third house had chickens and one obnoxious rooster living next door. The rumor where they only crowed in the morning was heavily exaggerated.

The fourth was a foreclosed home, and one that belonged to owner's who were angry at the bank and took it out on the poor house. As a fixer upper, it probably would have made a great home, but they didn't want one they'd have to work on tirelessly before moving in.

Once they parked in front of the fifth house, Astrid's hope was restored. Cute neighborhood with children biking in the quiet street. A white picket fence surrounding the property. Two-car garage. They painted the house baby blue with red shutters. It looked like something out of a home magazine, only less grand in size.

A smile took over Astrid's face as her eyes wandered over the perfectly manicured lawn toward the house. "This is the one. I can feel it."

Jonah laughed beside her. "You think so, huh?"

When her head turned in his direction, Astrid's eyes found his. "I know so."

Once they left the car, the realtor trotted over to them and began spouting facts and selling points about the house. Astrid wasn't about to interrupt and say she was sold as soon as they parked the car.

Jonah linked their fingers together, flashed her a smile, then walked with her behind the realtor; a woman she'd spent the last three hours with and still couldn't remember the name of, no matter how many times Jonah called her by it.

When the doors to the house opened and they stepped in, tingles rushed up and down Astrid's skin, confirming the feeling she had before was indeed true.

"I don't even need a tetanus shot for this place," Jonah quipped beside her.

No loud noises coming from the neighbor's properties. No fixer-upper. No shady neighborhood.

Natural light flooded the open concept space. Built-in bookshelves, a stone fireplace, walls painted in pale blues and grays. The kitchen was divine, not that either of them had any skills in that area, with a large walk-in pantry, six burner stove, and small breakfast nook.

"Small bedroom and bathroom down the hall, and upstairs there are two additional bedrooms. The master bath has a jacuzzi tub and walk-in shower, and the master bedroom has a small walk-in closet. Were you two planning on starting a family? Because this is an excellent school district and a very safe neighborhood."

Astrid's eyes found Jonah's once again, only to find a slight glimmer in his eyes with the smallest of smiles playing on his lips.

They hadn't spoken about it since it was still early in the relationship. The first night they'd slept together, she'd joked about him finding the woman of his dreams at the bar, being married within a year and having a baby on the way within two.

Jonah may have been older- quite a bit older than her- but he was still in great shape and forty-two wasn't too old to start a family. They'd rushed so much of their relationship that Astrid was in no rush to get married, but also didn't want to move too slowly if he wanted to start a family. 

Astrid herself hadn't really thought about children before. She was still young and hadn't been serious enough with anyone to visualize that future with them. Not until I Jonah stepped out of the shadows.

Maybe adoption was the way to go. They could have time to themselves to build the relationship and not rush into marriage. When they were ready, they could find a five-year-old who was looking for loving parents.

"We're not really at that stage yet," Jonah finally answered for them, "but it isn't off the table." It was his way of telling her he was open to it if she was.

Astrid squeezed his hand and followed the woman through each room, becoming more mesmerized by the space with each passing minute. Even the backyard was perfect, with an enormous deck and a small pool. The upstairs was even better, with the most beautiful master bedroom she'd ever seen, with an upstairs balcony with a hot tub on it.

"I want it," she said to no one in particular. "This is our house."

The realtor nodded. "It's about forty thousand more than the range you were in, but I'll see if the sellers can meet you halfway."

Jonah looked down at her, his expression an unreadable one, until his eyes moved to the woman standing in front of them. "She wants it, so we'll make it happen. My realtor back home doesn't think it will take long for my house to sell, and I should have enough for a down payment in savings."

"So, we're really doing this?" Astrid asked, her stomach tying up in knots. Every move she made with Jonah took the number one spot in craziest things she'd ever done, the next always out-ranking the last.

"You want it, right?"

Astrid nodded. Already she was imagining new furniture in the house, decorating every room in her mind.

"We'll take it," he told her.

Astrid wasn't sure if she was going to melt or burst into tiny pieces. They just bought a house.