10. Jesse
JESSE
M y head is spinning by the time Adrian finally texts me that he’s home. What is it about this guy that makes me lose my mind?
It’s a question I’ve been trying to answer since he walked into the room at Mountain Side Salon and Spa. A part of me is scared that we could be something more—that I’d be an idiot not to dive in headfirst with Adrian, consequences be damned.
But the other part, the safer part, is sure it’s just because he’s so good in bed so I know he’ll give me exactly what I need.
And that’s the part I’m choosing to listen to.
I’d been out the door the second that he texted me, my truck starting with a roar as I threw it in reverse and all but raced toward his apartment. The winding roads are the only thing keeping me from driving like a maniac, the twists and turns relaxing me with their familiarity.
I love it here.
I love the land and the way getting up every day never feels like work. My family is big and loud and despite our problem with boundaries, I wouldn’t have it any other way. Because when Harlan fucked up and hurt Reid, he knew he needed to make it up not only to Reid, but to all of us.
Or when Indie ended up in the hospital when she was pregnant and Beau was out of his mind with worry, we dropped everything to get him to her. Harlan, Reid, and I packed up her apartment and moved her to Wintervale without a second thought.
A hundred other things come to mind, but they all float away as I pull into Adrian’s driveway and kill the engine. The light is on in the front window, the outside clean and tidy but otherwise unremarkable.
But then the door swings open and there’s nothing unremarkable about the way Adrian stands there shirtless with a pair of gray sweats slung low on his hips. Even from here I can tell his hair is still damp, the dark strands almost black in the low light.
He looks fucking delicious.
Dangerous.
It’s the latter part that has me pushing out of my truck, my boots crunching on the gravel as I close the distance between us, my heart racing as he steps aside to let me pass.
The turn of the lock only ratchets up the anticipation as I take in the white walls, dark wood floor, and the oversized gray couch in the open kitchen and living room.
“Take your clothes off,” Adrian growls, the hair on the back of my neck standing on end as I turn to face him. I could be defiant, but I asked for this and I love the way his eyes rake over my body as I pull my shirt over my head and toss it to the ground at his feet.
“Are you still good?” I ask, licking my lips as I start on my belt, sliding it through the loops and letting it fall with a thunk.
“I haven’t been with anyone since you.” He says the words, and I believe him. We’d done the safe sex talk when we hooked up before—both of us on PreP and diligent about getting checked regularly—but I like knowing he hasn’t been with anyone else.
“Me either,” I tell him, popping the button on my jeans before kicking my boots off. There’s a flicker of surprise in his gaze, my cheeks heating under his scrutiny. “It was hectic with my nephew being born and wanting to spend time with him and help out.”
“I didn’t say anything.”
He didn’t and I hate that I felt the need to clarify, that I’d offered that piece of information so freely. He doesn’t care about any of that.
The problem is that he probably does.
And I can’t have that.
With more force than necessary, I shuck my jeans and boxer briefs before discarding my socks and standing to my full height, completely naked.
And hard.
“Get on your knees.” His voice is low, the command full of gravel, and despite him being too far away to touch, I obey. “Good boy. Now crawl to me.”