By the time the summertime comes around, Boston is an explosion of energy. I inhale the sweet summer air on my way to the Football School site and I feel lucky to be alive.
Jesse greets me at the gate with a huge smile. He wraps his arms around me and lifts me up, twirling me around. When he puts me back down, his eyes are shining.
“It looks really good,” he says, nodding to the field behind him. “I can’t wait to show it to you.”
We wait a few minutes for the other investors, engineers, architects, and stakeholders that are needed for the final handover walk-through. Once our little troupe is assembled, we start walking across the field.
“Welcome to the Jesse Matthews Football School,” Jesse says, sweeping his arms across the freshly turfed field. “Thank you for coming.”
The sun is hitting his grey eyes, making them look almost blue. He’s wearing the biggest smile I’ve ever seen, and his skin is golden from the sun. He must have spent lots of time here in the past few weeks. His body looks bigger, too. It’s been a couple weeks since I’ve seen him, and I don’t remember him being this muscular. He’s wearing a white button-down shirt and dark pants that make his ass look nothing short of delicious.
I shake the thoughts away.
He is a client, and my ex-fiancé’s brother. He’s off limits.
We continue on the walk, and Jesse’s energy is magnetic. I can tell that he’s completely invested in this school, and that he believes in everything that he’s done. He answers every single question that the engineers and architects throw at him, and even has time to explain the programs that will be offered.
“We’ve had enough interest to have all-girls classes, too,” he looks at me. “Which will be a wonderful addition to the program.”
My heart hammers in my chest. He’s so incredibly happy, and it’s infectious. Other than a few minor details around the shower stall doors and the light switches in one of the offices, the walk-through is a complete success. The Football School will open on time, and will be ready for its first class of students by the beginning of September.
I hang back as everyone gets in their cars. Turning to Jesse, I put my hand on his bicep. Touching him still sends a thrill through my body, so I mostly avoid it. But today, I enjoy the feeling of his body under my hand. I smile.
“Congratulations, Jesse. You deserve it. I can tell that you’ve worked so hard for this.”
He smiles at me, and my heart throbs. Maybe it’s the sunlight, or the successful walk-through, or just seeing this beautiful man live out his passion. I don’t know what it is, but heat blooms in my chest. I feel happier than I have in months, and it’s all because of my new independence. Seeing Jesse work so hard for something so good makes me feel better than I can even describe.
He smiles at me, and my heart melts.
“I couldn’t have done it without you. You’ve been a constant source of support for this project,” he says. He bites his lip, and I squeeze my thighs together. My heart is hammering.
I thought these feelings would fade over time. I thought that I would learn to control my body around him, or that my infatuation would pass.
It’s only gotten stronger. My attraction to him has only grown as I’ve seen his passion and dedication grow over this project. Every time he looks at me, it sends a thrill running down my spine.
So, when he puts his hand on my lower back and stares deep in my eyes, I lick my lips. He glances at the movement and then clears his throat.
“You want to grab a bite to eat? It’s my treat, as a celebration for all this.”
I nod, and a smile floats over my lips. “Sure.” Mostly I just want his hand to stay on my lower back and I want him to keep talking to me with that sexy, growly voice of his. The project is over, but I’m not ready to let Jesse go.
We walk side by side until we get to a cafe. Jesse nods to it. “Been eating here most days,” he says. “Their muffins are unreal.”
I smile. “Perfect.” I don’t care about the muffins at all. I’d sit on the side of the street with him.
We sit across from each other as a waitress brings us some menus, and I hardly notice. I’m too busy getting lost in his dark, grey eyes. Jesse reaches across the table and puts his hand over mine.
“I wanted to say thank you,” he starts. “I know that you could have passed this project on to someone else after… you know. And I know that sometimes it was awkward. But you were dedicated and you worked long hours to make this happen. So, thank you.”
I shake my head. “I didn’t work nearly as hard as you did, Jesse. This is your victory, not mine. And it was never awkward.”
I turn my hand over and interlace my fingers in his. He swallows, and I watch his Adam’s apple bob up and down. A flash of heat blooms in my stomach as his eyes darken. Why is that so hot? He brushes his hair back off his forehead. I wish it was me running my fingers through his hair.
I want him.
With the project over, the veil of professionalism between us is starting to fall away. Now it’s just him, and me. And this—thing—between us.
Finally, Jesse flicks his eyes up to me. He stares at me for a long moment and then clears his throat.
“Go out with me, Farrah.”
“What?”
“Give me a chance. I’m not my brother. I don’t even want to talk about him. Just… I can’t stop thinking about you. You’ve helped me build this school, and the thought of not seeing you is driving me crazy. One date. Just give me one date and then you can tell me you never want to see me again.”
“I’m never going to say that,” I say before I can stop myself.
His lips part and his eyes widen ever so slightly. I can feel the pulse in his hand, and my own heart is hammering.
Without the pretense of the school and professionalism to stop me, thoughts of Jesse and I flood through my brain. I see him as he was that night, naked, worshipping my body. I see him with his head between my legs, moaning as he tasted me for the first time. I see him buried deep inside me and the familiar ache grows between my legs.
No, I’ll never say I don’t want to see him. It breaks my heart that the project is over.
The waitress appears beside us to take our order. Jesse’s gaze never leaves mine. We’re quiet for a second, and then I turn to her.
“I think, actually, we’ve changed our mind. We’re not going to have lunch after all.”
“No problem.” She gathers the menus and walks away, and Jesse’s eyebrows draw together.
“You’re not hungry?”
I bite my lip. “Not for food.”
A smile stretches across his lips and he nods to the door. “Let’s get out of here.”
26
Jesse
This is a dream. It has to be. It’s one of the many, many dreams I’ve had of Farrah over the past few months, and I’m about to wake up. Any second now, this will be all over and I’ll be in my own bed, as usual, with a rock-hard erection and Farrah’s name on my lips. Lord knows it’s happened before.
Not this time, though.
I don’t wake up.
I intertwine my fingers in hers and lead her back to my car.
“My apartment is just a few blocks away,” she says when we get in. I glance at her, and my voice is gone. I nod and start the engine.
When we get there, we get out of the car without saying a word. My hand is on her lower back as we walk up the steps to her front door. Her hands tremble as she tries to get the keys in the lock. She laughs nervously, glancing at me.
“Sorry.”
“If you don’t want me to…”
“No! I do. I’m just… I’ve just thought of this a lot in the past few months…” The key slides in the lock as she bites her lip, glancing at me. “I want you here.”
She drops her purse at the door and sweeps her arms out. “Here it is, in all its glory,” she laughs. “Not quite as nice as your place, but it’s all mine.”
I take in the stylish apartment and I smile.
This place is so Farrah. It’s simple, and elegant, but still comfortable. She has a big black-and-white photo of New York City on the wall, and a long, low couch in front of a fireplace. To the right is the kitchen, and I can see a stack of clean dishes next to the sink.
My eyes swing back to her, and I slide my hand over her hip. She exhales, putting her hands on my chest and closing her eyes.
“You have no idea how many times I’ve thought of you, Jesse.”
“I have some idea,” I grin. “I’ve been thinking about you too.”
“I kept thinking it would go away. I kept thinking it would pass, and what happened between us would just be a… blip, I guess.”
“I know. But it wasn’t.”
She opens her eyes, looking up at me. Her fingers touch my jaw, and she runs them along the stubble that covers it. Her hands run into my hair and I groan.
It feels so good to have her in my arms. I pull her closer, resting my forehead against hers. We stay like that without moving for a while. Her hands tighten around me and I feel her heart beat against mine.
Farrah tilts her head up and brushes her lips against mine. A shiver passes down my spine, and I run my hands down her back, pulling her close. I’m so hard it’s making my pants feel tight. Farrah lets out a little moan as she feels my hardness against her stomach.
I deepen my kiss. I swipe my tongue across her lower lip, urging her lips to let me in. My arms wrap around her more tightly and I feel her body melt into mine. It’s like we were made for each other. Every touch burns into my skin until I feel like her body and mine have fused together.
When she tangles her fingers into my hair and kisses me harder, my body thrums. I respond by sliding my hands down her thighs and picking her up. She giggles, wrapping her legs around my waist and kissing me fervently.
I pull my head away, looking over her shoulder.
“Where’s the bedroom?”
She laughs, nodding her head. “Right through there.”
With a grin, I carry the woman of my dreams to her bed. I lay her down and cage her under my body as I continue to kiss every inch of her. I lift her shirt up, covering her stomach in kisses. She whimpers. I slide my arm under her arched back and pull her closer, kissing down lower until I get to the waistband of her pants. I unbutton them with my teeth, looking up at Farrah and wiggling my eyebrows.
She laughs, shaking her head.
“You’re ridiculous.”
She helps me with the rest of the fly of her jeans, finally pushing them down to her thighs. I rip them off the rest of her legs and toss them aside. When she spreads her legs and I see her lacy pink underwear, I groan. I feel like I’m going to explode just being here beside her. I lay a soft kiss on her mound, moving down to kiss the underwear that covers her beautiful pussy.
She moans, rolling her hips toward me. I slide my fingers under her panties and push them to the side. When my mouth touches her slit, Farrah shivers. She tangles her fingers into my hair and pushes my face further into her.
I tease her slit, running my tongue up and down and twirling it around her bud. I can feel her getting closer to the edge. When I slide two fingers inside her, she whimpers again. I let my tongue dance over her clit as my fingers work in and out of her, and I don’t stop until her whole body contracts. She screams my name, and it’s the sweetest sound I’ve ever heard.
When I sit back on my knees, with my hands still on her thighs, Farrah’s eyes drop down to the bulge in my pants.
I grin.
I can’t wait any longer. I use her legs to flip her over onto her stomach as she yelps. She giggles, looking over her shoulder. I strip my pants off and fish a condom out of my wallet, and then position myself behind her. Farrah bites her lip.
With her back arched, she pushes herself back against me. I groan. This is what I’ve imagined for months. When I roll the condom onto my rock hard cock, her eyes darken. I can see the desire burning as her eyelids drop to half-mast. I swear I almost explode right then and there. Somehow, I regain control over my body and drag my fingers through her wetness.
She arches her back at my touch, closing her eyes and letting her lips fall open. Then, I position myself behind her and I push inside.
Inch by inch, she stretches to accept me. We both exhale together as I push deeper and deeper inside. When I’m buried to the hilt, Farrah shifts her hips and moves to accept even more of me.
I groan.
I try to start slowly, but soon, my movements become more fervent. I can only hold back for so long. She feels so much better than I remembered. She feels incredible.
Farrah yelps when I smack her ass. My palm leaves a pink handprint on her skin, and I wrap my hands around her waist. My head is spinning.
Farrah is pushing back into me faster and faster as I slam my hips against her. It’s dizzying. She sits up on her knees, leaning her back into my chest. I warp my arms around her and cup her breast. I thrust deeper, and kiss her neck as my head spins.
I inhale the scent of her skin as our sex becomes more animalistic. She pushes back into me as I hold her close to me. It’s intoxicating. It’s magic. It’s too much for me to handle.
When I feel Farrah’s body contract, and I hear her let out a moan, I can’t help but smile. I pinch her nipple as she comes on my cock, thrusting myself deep inside her slick opening. She convulses against me, sinking her fingers into my forearms as her orgasm soaks us both.
It’s too much for me. The sounds she’s making, the sensation of her orgasm, the smell of her skin. I can’t hold on any longer. With one last drive, I fill the condom with my seed. I groan, sinking my teeth into her skin as I come. Farrah reaches back and tangles her fingers into my hair as I moan into her shoulder and empty myself inside her.
She milks every drop from me until I feel completely spent, completely empty, and completely happy.
27
Farrah
Jesse and I slip into a new normal. We spend evenings and weekends together, and I come with him to the Football School to kick off their first season. Watching him interact with the kids makes my heart melt.
During the first day of the Football School, Jesse stands in front of a rapt audience of kids and shows them pictures of his football career. He talks about the pride of walking out on the football field, and the chills that he gets before every game.
I watch the kids as they lean forward to get closer to him, and I have to smile. Jesse is a natural with them. When his speech is over, he fields the excited children over to the coach he’s hired to teach them, and they’re split up by age. Soon, they’re dressed in different colors and are running back and forth across the field.
Jesse meets my eye from across the field and starts walking toward me. He’s accosted by half a dozen mothers and I see the hungry look in their eyes. One of them reaches over and strokes his bicep, and a flame of jealousy flares inside me.
But then, Jesse disengages with her and strides toward me, and I’m reminded of how different he is from his brother in every single way.
He wraps his arms around me and lays a soft kiss on my lips before turning to the field. Whistles are blowing, coaches are yelling, and parents are watching with keen eyes as the first day of Football School officially starts.
“Congratulations, Jesse. This is incredible.”
“I can’t believe it’s finally happening. It’s exactly how I imagined it.” He smiles and turns to me. “No, actually, it’s better.”
We stay for the entire first day of the Football School, and Jesse beams with pride. He already knows most of the kids’ names, and they adore him.
Bailey, a little girl who looks to be about seven or eight, comes running up to him.
“Mr. Jesse, a boy in my class at school told me that girls don’t play football, but I told him I was coming here and he didn’t believe me! But I’m here! Why doesn’t he believe me?”
“Oh no,” Jesse said, crouching down to be at eye level with her. “Well, listen, Bailey.
Don’t worry about people like that. They’ll keep telling you that you can’t do something and you’ll keep on doing it.”
Bailey smiles wide and nods, and then Jesse ruffles her hair. My heart melts.
I try to stop myself from comparing him to his brother, but I can’t help it. He’s so much more considerate, and loving, and tender than Elijah was. Elijah hated kids.
Jesse hooks his arm around my shoulder again and kisses my temple. “I have a pre-season meeting tonight. You want to go out for dinner afterwards? It might be later, around 8pm.”
“Sure,” I smile. “Sounds great.”
When the football season starts, Jesse gets busier, but somehow he still makes time for me. The Football School becomes our second home, and I start doing some of the administrative duties. Between that and the Angel Investment work, I’m busy, but I finally feel like I’m doing something worthwhile. I’m happier and healthier than I’ve been in years.
One evening a few weeks later, I’m home alone. Jesse and I have decided to take it slow, and I still stay at my own place most evenings. He’s at practice, and I’m on the couch watching an old romantic comedy when my phone rings.
It’s an unlisted number. I frown.
Usually, I’d let it go to voicemail and forget about it. It’s probably some telemarketer.
But they don’t leave a voicemail, and the phone rings again. I pause my movie and pick up my phone again, staring at the screen.
My heart starts thumping. I sit up straighter, pressing the green button on my phone to answer it.
“Hello?”
“You’re a hard woman to get a hold of,” my ex-fiancé’s voice comes over the phone. A shiver runs down my spine. A year ago, that voice would have made butterflies explode in my stomach. But now he just reminds me of the pain he caused.
“Maybe I don’t want to be reached.”
“Now, now. Don’t be so mean.”
“Mean?! Please. Why are you calling?”
He sighs, and I imagine the pained look on his face. He was always a master at making me feel sorry for him. “Listen, Farrah, I… I miss you.”
Mr. Right: The Complete Fake Engagement Series Page 30
