Chapter's song: Spirits by the Strumbellas

The moments our lips touched, I was completely stunned. For a fraction of a second, my eyes were wide as I repeated inside my head: Holy shit! Bryan is kissing me! Bryan is kissing me!

Then, my mind went completely numb as I literally melted into the kiss. It was sweet, soft and tender and oh so amazing. When he pulled away, his eyes seemed darker. They roamed all over my face once more and his lips curved up in a small smile.

"Good night, Jessie," his tone was deeper than usual. My heart was thumping so loud that I thought it might burst out of my chest at any second. I couldn't utter a sound. I just bit my lip relishing on the way my lips were burning from his kiss.

Smiling, he hopped on his car and started it before his eyes were on me, secretly telling me to go back home. A shaky breath left my lips before I stepped towards my front door. Only turning around when I heard his car's engine roar to life. As he drove away, I touched my lips.

Bryan kissed me.

I smiled as a warm feeling washed through me. I couldn't think of anything else. I kept replaying it on my head, over and over. It was awesome. Gentle, soft, full of warm feelings.

It was my best kiss ever.

I couldn't sleep that night. I touched my lips and smiled like a moron and thought about Bryan, playing in my mind how his gaze was smoldering as he leaned closer to kiss me. My stomach was in knots, especially after midnight, when I though: now what?

I had no idea what this was. If there was a this to begin with. Bryan was my boss, and even though we were both adults, it felt somewhat illegal to date your boss. Ugh. Andrew was right. I'm such a two-goody shoes.

One thing was for sure, I wanted to kiss him again. And again. And then some more.

And whatever this was, I didn't really care. This felt amazing.

Sun rays streamed through my window when my eyes fluttered open. I'd barely slept two hours at most. I kept tossing and turning all through the night. And the stupid fluttering in my stomach was making me feel queasy and sort of sick.

Trying not to freak out that it was nothing but a good night kiss, I rubbed a hand across my face, and stumbled around the room gathering my things to get ready for the morning.

When I crossed the hall to the bathroom, Seth was already in it. Juno's voice was heard all the way from the kitchen to the hall upstairs. She was singing loudly a Beatles song. With a small smile on my face, I shook my head before going through her room to use her bathroom.

My eyes widened as I stared at my reflection. I looked like crap. My long hair was all over the place and I had dark circles under my eyes. My first thought was that I couldn't let Bryan see me like this. I rolled my eyes. I was not changing who I was for him.

One quick shower later, I put on some makeup to conceal the dark circles. Even some blush. I fixed my hair in a fishtail loose braid and finished my look with dark skinny jeans and a white patterned blouse. By the time I'd finished getting ready, Juno had stopped singing. Thank God. I really loved her but she couldn't sing for the life of her.

I trotted down the stairs in time to see Seth being grilled by Juno. "How was your date, Seth?" her tone was friendly but her eyes weren't. I figured he was home later than usual. I stepped inside the kitchen carefully, trying not to make much noise.

My little brother scrunched his nose at Juno. "I'm sorry. I kind of lost track of time," he trailed vaguely trying not to look too much at our grandmother. Her eyes narrowed as she glared at him.

"Good morning, Jessie, dear. Did you sleep tight?" her whole demeanor changed when she spoke at me. Instead of menacing, a mischievous glint played in her eyes.

Oh no. She knew. I didn't know which was worse. Nagging Seth or teasing me. Neither of the options were pleasant.

"Hi?" I glanced at her while rubbing my neck.

She studied me for a moment. "You look pretty."

My cheeks felt warm before I turned away, walking to the nearest cabinet to get the cereal out. "Thanks," I mumbled embarrassed. I took a bowl and the milk out before grabbing a spoon.

"What happened here?" Seth asked in an almost suspicious tone of voice. I looked up in time to see him cross his arms, assuming the male-alpha posture.

Shrugging, I avoided his inquiring stare while placing a spoonful of cereal in my mouth.

"Not much. Bryan came over for dinner, he made pasta and then he kissed Jess before he left." Juno said nonchalantly as she took out the orange juice from the fridge.

Seth's eyes almost popped out of his sockets. "He kissed you?" I kept chewing my cereal. I figured Juno would pull up a stunt as this. She was incorrigible. "Do you mean like a movie-theme kiss?" he sounded grossed out. I coughed slightly as my blush intensified. Raising a palm, Seth shook his head. "I don't think I want to know..."

Juno chuckled. "Kisses don't have to involve tongue all the time, Seth." I totally choked at that while Seth stood up groaning.

After swallowing hard, I cleared my throat. "Can we talk about something else?"

"Yes please!" Seth said at the same time Juno looked at me. "There's nothing to be ashamed. I thought it was a really sweet kiss, Jess."

Oh my God. Please, Earth, swallow me.

Groaning, I ignored them completely as I finished my cereal. Juno was smirking as I placed the empty plate in the sink and Seth left as soon as he was able.

Sighing, I took the stairs, two at a time, to brush my teeth before I left the house. As soon as my brother heard me, he stepped out of his room. "How are you feeling?" His eyes were concerned as he crossed his arms.

I shrugged. "I'm happy...and worried?" I bit my lip as I looked to the side. Talking to my brother about guys seemed awkward.

"Why? Bryan is lucky to have you pinning after him."

Frowning, I glanced at him. "Pinning is not—" Seth raised an eyebrow, "—whatever." I rolled my eyes. "I should get going." I patted him roughly on the chest, "You need to tell me about your date, mister!" My little brother blushed and I so wanted to pinch his cheeks. I tried to, but he swatted me away.

When I got to the school's building, I took a deep breath before I pushed open the front doors. My stomach was in full fluttering mode as I took the stairs toward the kitchen lab. I left my backpack and slowly walked towards the office hallway.

My heart clenched when I noticed that Bryan's door was locked and he wasn't anywhere in sight. Feeling down, I returned to my small office to finish setting everything for next weekend.

Half an hour later, Tom peeked inside my office. "Good morning, Jess!" He might not be my favorite chef now, but that British accent of his, was still my favorite.

I smiled at him. "Hi Tom!"

He stepped in. "Bryan's out for the day, so I'm going to change the schedule." He placed a list on my desk. "Could you please get this ready for me?"

"Sure." Bryan's not going to be here? I tried to mask my disappointment with a fake smile.

"Thanks, you're the best," he said before walking away.

Grimacing, I took the list and shut down my computer to get everything ready for the day.

Tom's classes were quite different from Bryan's. He taught us how to make pasta in different ways, but he also recited the stories behind each recipe.

For example, I didn't know Fettuccini Alfredo doesn't exist in Italy. It was created by an Italian dude hoping to make something easy and delicious for his pregnant wife. He didn't have much money, so he created a sauce with butter and parmesan. Then, he came to America and opened his own Italian restaurant and named the dish after his name.

He also talked about how beautiful Italy is, describing different places from the times he'd been there. By the end of the day, I wanted to go to Italy. Not only would you eat deliciously, but the whole culture sounded beautiful.

The building was empty as I finished drying the last dishes I'd used. Several plastic containers were waiting for me at my counter. Seth would be delighted to see how many food I was taking home. We'd never made so many dishes. Each student took three containers with them. I had twice as many, as I worked alone.

"Hey," Bryan's deep voice sounded behind me. My heart almost leapt out of my chest. I didn't expect anyone to be there, especially Bryan. Tom never said where he was and by now, I was used to the idea that I wouldn't see him today.

Placing a palm on my chest, I turned around, "Hi."

His gaze was intense. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." He was looking totally dreamy with an untucked dark blue shirt and faded jeans.

"It's okay." His eyes looked down to the plastic containers.

"Tom outdid himself, didn't he?" He raised an eyebrow as he opened the lid on the first to his right. He leaned over and smelled it, closing his eyes. "This smell good, did you do it?"

Nodding, I stepped towards the counter and opened the rest of the containers. "Yes. Fettuccini al burro ─I blushed because I was sure my Italian accent sucked─ Spaghetti a la carbonara and alla Matriciana...or something like that."

"Smells good." He walked to one of the cabinets and took out a bowl, "May I?"

"Of course." I cleaned my hands on the towel, as he served from all three pastas.

Looking at me, his lips played a faint smile as he added, "Did he also tell you stories?"

He walked to the microwave to reheat his meal. "He did! Italy sounds like the best country ever!" Bryan chuckled at that. "He told us about Rome and Sicily, and even about Verona. He also talked about the Nonnas and how he had to trail quite carefully at them when he was filming his TV show there."

The microwave beeped. He took out his food and sat on my kitchen's station counter, but far away from the food containers. He shook his head. "I knew he was going to change my whole class for his stories." He brought a forkful of fettuccine to his mouth and chewed for a moment before adding, "This is good, by the way."

"What had you planned for us?"

"Croissant making." He smirked. "But it's even more complicated than puff pastry."

I huffed, before crossing my arms. "I liked how he tells the stories and how he makes you fall in love with the country."

"Tom is good at that. That's why he's in a TV show." He had almost finished his bowl by now.

"Do you want more?"

"Nah. Thanks. I'm sure Seth will appreciate it." My lips curved up at that. He knew my family already.

He pushed himself off the counter. "Do you want a ride?" He stepped to Andy's station and left the bowl in the sink. I almost roll my eyes at that. I'd probably wash the bowl early in the morning, anyway.

"Yes, thank you." My voice was shy but I so wanted to do a happy dance because I was spending more time with him.

"Did you finish everything for next week's camp?" He grabbed two containers from the counter.

I stepped closer to my kitchen station for the last one. Bryan hadn't moved as he was waiting for me. "Yes, everything is ready."

We were going out of town. We were supposed to learn how to fish and do the whole camping thing. Tents, fires, all of it.

"Thank you, Jess." His eyes were powerful as he stared down at me. My mouth went dry.

Clearing my throat, I grabbed the last dish.

"You look pretty, today."

My cheeks flushed immediately. The way he said something so random made my heart flutter like crazy. His lips twitched as he suppressed the smirk I was almost certain was about to play on his face.

"Come on, I'll take you home." He bobbed his head while waiting for me to walk in front of him.

The ride home was silent, but not in an uncomfortable way. It was more like a I-want-to-talk-to-you-but-I-don't-know-how silence. Which was unsettling. For me, at least. Bryan didn't seem to be nervous or fidgeting like I was.

He parked in front of my house and shut off the engine before turning to me. "I'll see you tomorrow, Jess."

I bit my lip. "Do you want to come inside?" I missed him too much, and I wanted to spend more time with him.

His lips tugged up in that breathtaking smile of his. " I'll walk you to the door, okay?"

I looked at my house, a frown set on my face. "You don't have to."

"I want to," he said before opening his door and hopping out of the car. He opened the trunk to take out the containers.

My stomach was churning uneasily as I stepped out of the car and walked towards him. He wasn't holding any dish as I reached him. His eyes roamed all over my face as I approached him. He took a step closer to me, stealing my breath away as his right hand brushed a strand of hair off my face.

The thumping of my heart was fast, so fast that I couldn't hear anything but those bumps as he leaned closer and locked his kiss on mine. I felt dizzy and breathless, but I also felt like I was flying, especially when his arm circled around my waist, pulling me to him and deepening the kiss.

And Oh. My. God.

I barely registered the fact that his heart was racing as fast as mine. My knees wobbled as an electrical current shot through our lips to my stomach and in that moment, it was just us. Our breaths were like one, where one began, the other ended.

It lasted a moment, but it felt like a lifetime, and I knew that no other kiss could compare to his.

After we pulled away, I couldn't open my eyes for a moment. I was still reeling on the swirl of emotions he made me feel. When I did look at him, my lips parted at his scorching eyes. He swallowed hard before leaning closer and pecking me on the lips once more.

I felt like I was on fire. I wanted more. I needed more. My hand was trembling as I reached out to grab one of the containers, but I couldn't. I turned to him and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and pulled him to me. His lips tugged up as I pressed my lips against them and he passed both arms around my waist.

We made out. One. Two. Three more times. It was beautiful. So raw, so real.

Eventually, our kisses slowed down and I knew it was time to stop. We were in the middle of the street, and my grandmother was probably behind the window, eating popcorn and enjoying the show.

"I should go inside," I said breathlessly as I let go the collar of his shirt.

His eyes had never looked so blue dark, so hungry as in that moment. "You should." He swallowed hard, before pulling away.

He ran a hand through his hair and grabbed two containers. I got the last one. We didn't say anything as we stepped through the stairs. I was about to fish down for my keys in my purse, when the door opened. Seth held the door. "What took you so long? I was about to go out when Juno told me not to." Of course. My whole face burned. Seth's smile faltered until he gazed at the containers in our hands. "You brought goodies!"

Chuckling, I handed him mine. "Different pastas." Bryan placed the other two on top. Seth looked like a little kid with candies.

"I should go," Bryan murmured by my side as my brother turned around towards the kitchen.

Nodding, I bit my lip. "Thank you." I didn't know why I was thanking him for. The ride, the kisses, or the fact that he showed up at the office. I guess all three.

Bryan stared at me for the longest of moments. "No, thank you, Jessie." A smile curved on his lips before he walked away. 

More than 50 comments on last chapter! Now I know that I have to leave you hanging to get them! LOL

I'm loving this story. Thank you so much for your votes and comments!