Chapter 3 Jesse
JESSE
Her body was . . . something else.
I gripped her ass harder, slowing our movements, determined to make it last even a little longer and cursing my damn impatience.
I should’ve waited until later, back at the ranch where we could do this in private, make it last more than the ten minutes I dared to give it out here, where anyone could find us.
There was too much to feel, to take in. From soft, full lips to the rounded, mouth-watering curves of her hips and thighs, to those piercing blue-green eyes that reached right into my fucking chest and squeezed my damn lungs every time she looked my way.
But it wasn’t just that. I’d known it from the instant she arrived, arching her brow and lifting my hat straight onto her head, tucking her arm into mine like we’d been friends for years.
Hestia might just be the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen, bar none, but that beauty carried right on inside.
Honest, funny, smart . . . and the filthiest fucking mouth I’d ever heard on anyone.
Her smile alone was enough to make me rock hard in seconds.
Cole was right.
I was fucked.
‘What’s the matter, cowboy? Can’t keep up?’ she whispered, lips brushing against my jaw, forcing me to grit my teeth as her voice and the breathy moan that followed almost pushed me over the edge.
‘Look at me,’ I growled, waiting for her eyelids to flutter open, her head tilting back as she arched against the truck.
The effect was too much, the image forever branded in my mind as the single hottest moment of all my twenty-eight years to date. The way her lips parted, moaning my name as her orgasm began, eyes still holding mine, lips curving as I had no choice but to follow her.
‘Hestia, fuck,’ I groaned, burying myself inside her as hard and deep as I could, claiming her, never wanting it to end.
She gasped as I came, eyes closed again, a smile of pure joy lighting up her face. My heart pounded, waves of intensity smashing into me from every side, but even then I couldn’t look anywhere else.
My eyes were fixed on her, as though if I stopped, my heart would too. The world was tilting, finding a new angle – a whole new fucking axis.
I’d felt it before, just for a second, in the kitchen – and I thought she had too, but this . . .
Fuck.
‘Jesse,’ she started as we finally slowed, my cock twitching at the sound of my name in her mouth, the way her accent shaped it, made it something else. ‘Are all line dances this good?’
I held her eyes for a moment, unable to suppress a chuckle.
‘Best one yet,’ I replied, now distracted by the rosy flush that followed her cheekbones, the way the floodlights turned her hair to glistening fire. I reached up, running my thumb over the colour in her cheeks, watching as her lips parted.
‘We should probably . . .’ she began after a moment, glancing over to our left as the sound of voices echoed across the car park.
‘Right, shit, sorry,’ I replied, startled by the realization that I’d completely zoned out to everything else, to the fact that we were outside, in a public place with only my truck between us and everyone else.
I had one hand on her hip as we gently disconnected, eyes meeting for a moment. That same expression as in the kitchen hovered in hers, an unanswered question. Forcing myself to focus, I lowered her down, reluctantly releasing her once I knew she had her balance.
‘Listen,’ she murmured as we adjusted ourselves and I wrapped and dumped the condom in a nearby trash can, trying and failing not to think of what it’d be like to fuck her without one. ‘This is just a physical thing, right? I mean, I’m not here for that long, and . . .’
Her voice was softer, the ball-breaking certainty fading for a moment to reveal something else. My chest squeezed tight and I resisted the urge to touch her again, wanting to bring her into me and hold her for a moment, maybe even kiss her, knowing what would start up all over again . . .
‘Whatever you want, Jessica,’ I replied, offering out my hand for her to shake instead, figuring this was the only way to touch her without pushing it too far. Her lips curled at the corners, eyes lighting up as she clearly imagined what she wanted.
‘Deal,’ she breathed, giving her slow smile as her fingers slid into mine and shook my hand firmly. I felt her hesitate as she looked into my face, my attention drawn to the goosebumps gathering down her arms, the now visible nipples hardened beneath her shirt.
‘Let me get you my jacket,’ I began, reaching into my back pocket for the truck keys, but before I could, she’d reached up to me, shaking her head with a small smile.
‘I’m not cold,’ she whispered, letting her lips graze my ear. ‘Now come dance with me.’
Even some four days later, the memory alone was making me shift in my jeans again. And given I was on my way to see my mom and sisters for Sunday dinner, I needed a distraction, like now.
I spent the rest of the drive with the music turned right up, windows down and my elbow resting on the door, humming along and running through a few issues I needed to iron out in roping practice this week ahead of the rodeo next weekend.
‘Howdy.’ My brother-in-law, Dean, opened the door to Mom’s apartment as I arrived, a troublemaking grin on his face. He took the pack of beers I offered up. ‘C’mon in! Although, with the line of questioning Clara’s got for you, I’d turn right around and—’
‘So who is she?’
Clara, my eldest sister, all but pushed her husband out of the way to get to me. Our other, more reasonable sister, Belle, was trying to call her away in the background, telling her to give me a minute.
‘Good to see you too,’ I smiled, giving her a patronizing pat on the arm and barging past her, chuckling as she called me an asshole under her breath.
In the tiny kitchen, Mom turned at the commotion, her face lighting up as I stepped inside.
‘Jesse, honey!’ she exclaimed, taking off her glasses for a second and turning to pull me into a hug. I returned it as hard as I dared, that shitty voice in the back of my head telling me I’d never know when it would be the last time. ‘Now, let me look at you. Is Lil working you too hard?’
‘Nah,’ I replied, picking up what looked to be her drink from the counter and handing it to her, swapping it out for the oven mitt in her hand.
Face flushed from the cooking, she gave a grateful nod and took a sip, watching as I dipped down to check on the chicken in the oven.
‘She’s over in London, anyhow. Lottie’s in charge right now, doing a fine job. ’
‘Uh-huh,’ Mom hummed as Clara stood in the doorway, her tall frame filling most of it as she narrowed her eyes at me. ‘You gonna answer Clara’s question?’
I turned back to catch them grinning at each other.
The relief at seeing Mom have one of her good days, of their tag-teaming me again, was almost enough to persuade me to say something. But frustrating my busybody sister was too tempting.
‘Who do you mean?’ I asked, reaching over to the fridge and taking out a beer, angling the cap under my canines to pull it off, then flicking it at Clara with my thumb and forefinger as if tossing a coin.
Dean laughed from behind her in the corridor as she caught it in her right hand.
‘The redhead, smartass. I heard from three different people about my brother dancing the whole night with one girl, a redhead with tattoos and an accent, ignoring just about everyone else.’
I shrugged, smiling to myself as I caught Mom’s eye. She studied my face thoughtfully.
‘Chrissy was kinda pissed, from what I heard,’ Dean added, ducking under Clara’s arm to stand inside the kitchen. ‘Aren’t you guys—’
‘We’re done,’ I clarified, refusing to feel guilty. ‘I’ve told her, and we’ve talked about it. I can dance with whoever I like and so can she.’ I shrugged again. ‘And I’m not sure why it’s any of your business.’
Clara dead-eyed me, and I returned it. She sighed.
‘Why won’t you just tell me, before I have to hear about it from everyone else?’ she complained. ‘It’s—’
‘Clara, would you set the table?’ Mom asked, an edge to her tone that we knew all too well from our childhood – not so much a question as a command.
Clara nodded, rolling her eyes and tossing the beer cap into the trash, her parting glance a promise that she wasn’t about to let up any time soon.
‘I received a huge box full of meds this morning,’ Mom said after a few moments, the silence having settled between us.
She waited for me to turn to her, her head tilted to the side, arms folded.
‘Now, I didn’t have time to add it all up, but I’m pretty sure there’s at least two or three thousand dollars’ worth in there.
And given Belle can’t save for shit, and Clara and Dean have just paid the down payment for their new place . . .’
Smiling, I shrugged again.
‘I don’t want you worrying about it,’ I said, trying to ease the frown gathering on her brow. ‘It’s my money to spend how I like, okay? Lil pays me well, and I don’t much care for shopping. You know that.’
She shook her head slowly, letting out a deep breath.
‘I don’t know what I did to get a son like you,’ she said, reaching out to squeeze my arm. ‘But I don’t want to be the reason you can’t live your life because you’re paying for my bills.’
‘Mom, stop,’ I replied, pulling her into another hug.
It was hard to give back to her, to express my thanks for her years of sacrifice for us, without it becoming emotional for both of us.
I still couldn’t imagine what it must have been like to care for three kids as a single mom, with no help from anyone.
‘I want to do it, okay? I’ve got you. And those two assholes out there, if they need it. ’
I dodged her half-hearted attempt to slap my wrist as she tried not to laugh, defending my sisters, who had never, and would never need defending.
‘Okay, well, there’s one other thing I need you to do,’ she said, turning back to check on the progress of the pans on the stove.
I nodded, ignoring the undercurrent of worry, wondering if there was another complication, another diagnosis from her latest doctor’s appointment.
‘. . . Tell me why your face changed like that when Clara mentioned the redhead.’
She was studying me the way she’d always been able to do. About to brush her off, I hesitated as I caught her eye, that same worry reminding me that she might not be around to have this conversation in a few years’ time. That my honesty now might bring her a little happiness – even a little hope.
‘She’s . . . just visiting, from the UK. Lottie’s best friend, Hestia. I don’t know her that well, we’re just, you know, hanging out, having fun.’
She raised an eyebrow, gaze still trained on my expression.
‘Then, honey, if I didn’t know better,’ she began, glancing over to the door to check we were still alone, ‘I’d say you’re in trouble. Because I’m not sure I ever saw you look that way with Chrissy, and she’s about the most serious you’ve ever been about someone.’
I swallowed, about to shrug it off, but the image of Hestia’s mischievous smile, the way her words could cut me down and make me laugh in the same breath . . .
‘She’s pretty special,’ I admitted, keeping my voice low and smiling at Mom’s satisfied expression.
‘And just about the most beautiful woman I’ve ever met,’ I added, offloading the thoughts I’d had to keep to myself for the past couple of weeks.
Cole had guessed quick enough and given me shit about it briefly before backing off, either because Lottie told him to or because he saw something in it. Maybe the same thing Mom had seen.
‘Well, then,’ she said, straightening up and putting her glasses back on, ‘I want to meet her.’
Surprised, I opened my mouth to object, not knowing how I’d even broach that with Hestia, especially after agreeing to just keep things physical. But I could also picture them talking. I knew Hestia’s big heart and quick wit would win Mom and my sisters over in minutes.
‘I . . . well, we’re not exactly . . .’ I began, stopping as she chuckled under her breath.
‘Jesse, darlin’ – are you blushing?’
I ran my hand through my hair, looking up at the ceiling for a moment and trying to laugh it off.
‘Whatever,’ I answered after a beat. My turn to shake my head at her. ‘I’ll ask her, as a friend.’
She dipped her chin in a nod, turning to the oven.
‘You do that,’ she agreed, stifling a smile as Clara and Belle appeared again in the hall, tentatively edging closer. ‘Just be warned, honey, I’ve got a feeling those two are gonna be working overtime to get you blushing all over again right in front of your beautiful friend.’
I sighed, resigned, as all three of them started cackling, Clara already whispering something in Belle’s ear.
Fucking kill me now.