Hal removed his hand, and Jesse whimpered, her eyes snapping open to look at him, confused. Hal said nothing but gave her a smirk and then sank two fingers into her hot wetness.
Jesse moaned and scooted even further off the couch so that the only part of her body really resting on it was her upper back and shoulders. Her back was tightly arched, and Hal was once again taken aback by the image of her hardened nipples prominently displayed against his white shirt. As one of his hands gently pumped into her, the other moved to slide inside of her shirt, trailing up her stomach and between her breasts, then moving to the side to gently massage one of them.
Hal relished the feeling of her soft flesh and the contrast of her hard nipple pressing into his palm. He diverted his attention to the nipple and twisted it between his thumb and forefinger. He heard Jesse release a soft gasp, and he felt her knees buckle for a moment, driving her deeper into his hand, which in turn inspired a cry from her.
Hal quickly took his hand away from her breast and rested it on her hips, gently pressing her to rest them on the couch, resituating her so that she wouldn’t have to strain so much. Still, though, Jesse kept arching her hips into his hand. Hal could feel the hot tightness of her channel, and he could feel the slight throbbing that revealed just how close she really was to her orgasm.
Hal knew it would be over far too fast if he kept up this pace, and he wanted to drag it out at least for a good while yet.
So, with a devious smile, Hal withdrew his fingers from inside of her and prepared to adopt a new tactic.
Chapter 67
Jesse
Jesse looked up at Hal in confusion for a moment as he took his fingers from within her and could see a dark gleam in his eyes. She knew just what the look was for as she felt Hal shift his hand, press against her mound and pull up the hood of her clit with his thumb.
Jesse felt a sharp spike of anticipation as Hal gathered up some of her wetness with his fingertips. She knew that the feeling of his fingers against her exposed clit was going to be intense, almost painful. She also knew that it was going to grant her extreme, blinding pleasure.
Jesse waited, her mind spinning as she tightened every muscle in her body. Her breathing quickened, and she felt her body begin to shake from the tension in her muscles. She didn’t dare break contact from Hal’s eyes, hoping that some part of his expression would give away his next move.
All the while, Jesse couldn’t ignore the way her core was aching and throbbing. His fingering had been intensely pleasurable and had served to relieve her of her need for touch but then only pushed her closer to an orgasm that she could not quite reach. When he withdrew from her, she nearly groaned in disappointment.
Now, though, Jesse could not decide if she wanted to beg him to touch her or not to touch her. Hal seemed to be an expert, and she felt helpless under his touch. She felt her muscles beginning to twitch, and she knew she couldn’t keep her muscles so strained for much longer.
Hal turned his head, keeping his eyes on hers, and Jesse flinched a little as he pressed a kiss to the inside of her knee. Hal laughed lightly at her reaction, and Jesse blushed, feeling foolish.
“Relax,” he whispered to her.
Jesse was reluctant to follow his instruction, but when several more moments passed without him touching her and growing quickly exhausted from her exertion, her whole body seemed to loosen of its own accord. Finally, Jesse broke her eye contact with Hal, her head dropping back onto the cushion of the couch and her eyes drifting closed.
No sooner had she done so, she felt one of Hal’s slick fingers drag slowly over her clit, and her entire body was once again as taut as a bow string.
Jesse was quickly reduced to a trembling mess as Hal ran his fingertips over her clit. He kept his touch feather light, sending tiny shockwaves of sensation through her sex. He moved at a quick pace, making the sensation intense but guaranteeing that she would not orgasm.
Jesse could feel her inner walls beginning to clench rhythmically, hungry for something to grip. She knew that it would not take much to send her over the edge, and she knew that Hal was keeping her there deliberately. She imagined how it would feel if Hal were to slide his fingers inside of her, if only for a moment.
Jesse released a whimper and an incoherent stream of words just at the thought as a wave of pleasure shot through her. Jesse bit her lip and moved her hands, dragging Hal’s white T-shirt up her body to expose her breasts. She took her breasts in hand and began to massage them, tweaking at her nipples, desperate for any sensation that might push her over the edge, or at least distract her from the soft, torturous sensations at her clit.
Jesse also harbored the hope that Hal might be distracted from his calculated caresses by the image of her fondling herself. It seemed, though, that her strategy was largely ineffective, as Hal simply continued at his own pace and intensity.
Jesse was finally unable to bear it, and she attempted to pump her hips up into his touch. Hal kept her still, though, pressing harder against her mound to keep her still. Jesse let out a soft sob and opened her eyes to look up at Hal. He locked eyes with her and smiled devilishly.
“Is there something you’d like to ask me for?” Hal purred out smoothly, the mere sound of his voice sending another wave of aching pleasure through her body.
“Hal, please …” Jesse panted out, her voice rough and ragged. “I need to come, please, I need to ...”
“Almost,” Hal assured her softly. Jesse cried out as he pressed harder against her clit and began to move in slightly slower circles.
“Hal!” Jesse whined out, her voice much higher than she was accustomed to.
Jesse could feel her inner walls begin to twitch as her orgasm slowly approached. She could feel herself inching closer and closer, and she longed for the feeling of her completion. Jesse let out a moan and began to struggle under Hal’s strong hand.
“Just a little more for me, Jess,” Hal whispered encouragingly, but Jesse could hardly hear him. Her mouth moved ceaselessly, and a tear rolled down her face as she pleaded with him in words she couldn’t even hear.
“Okay, okay,” Hal said comfortingly, his voice low and smooth. “Here you are …”
Jesse cried out as she felt Hal’s finger move away from her and then released a loud, heavy sob as he pressed three fingers into her and slid his thumb over her clit.
In an instant, Jesse exploded, her inner muscles clamping down hard on his fingers. She was silent as she came, her throat completely closing, preventing any sound from escaping. Her entire body jerked with each contraction of her inner muscles, and she felt sure that she had never experienced anything so intense in her life.
When her contractions finally began to subside, Jesse’s body finally collapsed entirely, her muscles still gripping at Hal’s fingers.
Chapter 68
Jesse
Jesse opened her eyes, and her vision came into focus. She looked up at Hal, who was watching her carefully as he withdrew his fingers from within her.
“Jesse?” he asked her, and Jesse couldn’t help finding it odd that he was using her full first name.
“Yeah?” she responded, her voice more than a little rough.
“Are you okay?” he asked her, genuine concern in his voice.
Jesse looked up at him and gave him a nod and a smile, and she felt her usual blush creep into her face.
“I’m good,” Jesse nodded, and she sat up. She winced slightly as she sat, becoming aware of just how sore her nether regions really were.
Hal frowned and searched her face, obviously noticing her discomfort.
“Sorry.” Jesse laughed lightly. “I just haven’t been in the scene for a while.”
“Don’t apologize.” Hal shook his head and moved to sit on the couch beside her. Jesse arranged her shirt so that it was once again covering her body.
“I really did enjoy it, though,” Jesse said. “I mean, you’re amazing.”
Hal laughed.
&nbs
p; “Thanks,” he said. “It’s always nice to be appreciated.”
Jesse smiled, and she snuggled into his side. They stayed there for several moments, and Jesse looked out of the windows into the woods outside of the cabin. She felt incredibly sated and content, and she reveled in the warmth that was filling up her insides.
There was some part of her, though, that was not full, and the sound of her stomach growling once again met their ears.
“Oh, shit, Jess,” Hal said, seeming more than a little alarmed. “I’m so sorry. I forgot about breakfast!”
Hal immediately hopped up off the couch and moved back into the kitchen. Jesse could only smile to herself as she watched him move and then rose to follow him. She leaned in the doorframe and watched as Hal turned the stove back on and returned to the mixing bowl that he had been distracted from earlier.
Jesse sauntered into the kitchen and sat down on a barstool at the island in the middle of the kitchen, content to watch him work.
As she watched him busily cooking their breakfast, she couldn’t help replaying in her mind the events that had unfolded the previous night. Not only had they finally given into their physical desires for one another, but Hal had confessed that he loved her and that he wanted to be in a real relationship with her.
Jesse was elated, and she watched Hal with a small smile on her face. She felt a sense of elation at the fact that such an important man, or really any man at all, was interested in being in a relationship with her. It defied her notions that she wasn’t good enough to be in a relationship at all.
Jesse never could have imagined just how uplifting it was to spend her time with someone who cared about her and took pains to make sure that she realized just how much he cared about her. After all, he had secreted her away to his cabin in the woods just so that they would be sure to be out of the public eye.
As she thought of that, though, Jesse frowned a little. She thought of just how much she would be in the public eye if she were Hal’s love interest. Especially since he had not admitted to having any relationships in his career at any point until then. The press would certainly be all over them, eager to get answers about their situation, how they had met, and all the details of their lives together.
That made Jesse more than a little anxious. She worried that it would impact her professional reputation. She was still interested in getting a job, after all, and she knew that if she were the subject of interest of all the tabloid magazines in the city, she would not be taken seriously to any extent.
Jesse frowned a little, studying the swirls of marble on the countertop of the island. It seemed that all her life she had sacrificed her personal life for her professional life. She had not dated much, and she had very few friends. Maybe, just maybe, it was time for her to take a break and enjoy herself before she buried herself in yet another all-consuming job.
That idea, though, didn’t account for her everyday living expenses. She still had to eat, and pay her bills and rent, and you didn’t pay for any of those things simply through personal fulfillment.
A small voice in the back of her head chimed in, reminding her that Hal was rich, and he could likely take care of all her needs for the rest of her life. No sooner had the thought crossed her mind, though, than she felt guilt wash over her. No matter how rich he was, she couldn’t expect him to simply take care of her.
He had asked her to be his girlfriend, not his child. The reminder of their relationship status once again sent a rush of warmth through her body.
Still, the knowledge that she needed money did not change, and she scowled as she looked down at the counter, anxiety slowly creeping through her body.
“Uh-oh,” she heard Hal’s voice and looked up to see Hal moving toward her with two plates of food. “You look upset. Is everything alright?”
Jesse shook her head, having been pulled from her thoughts.
“Yeah, just thinking about some things,” she said.
Hal set the plate of food down in front of her, then set his own plate down in the place beside her and strode toward the fridge. Jesse’s mouth watered at the array of food on the plate before her.
“What kind of things?” Hal asked as he set down a glass cup beside each of their plates and then placed a pitcher of orange juice and a jug of milk in front of them.
“Just like my job,” Jesse said with a sigh. “And … about us …”
“Well,” Hal said, reaching toward the glass of orange juice and pouring himself a glass before offering it to Jesse, who gratefully accepted. “Why don’t we start with your job?”
Jesse nodded, taking a sip of the sweet orange liquid in her glass.
“You’ve already put in applications all over the place,” Hal pointed out positively. “It’s really only a matter of time until someone contacts you.”
Jesse nodded again, taking what he said into account. He was right, after all. She had some good references and quite a bit of experience as well, so her chances were good to at least get an interview with some of the places at which she had applied.
“Besides,” Hal went on, “if you don’t get called back from any of those places, I will introduce you to Liza, and she can help you pick up a job somewhere really soon.”
“Okay.” Jesse nodded and released a sigh. “That sounds good. Thanks.”
“No problem.” Hal smiled.
For a moment, they both sat there and ate their breakfast. Jesse was amazed at the sheer quantity of food that had found its way onto her plate. There were scrambled eggs, a couple of pancakes, bacon, a biscuit, toast, hash browns, and even a small bowl of fruit. Jesse highly doubted that she was going to finish, but she was at least going to put forth a solid effort.
Jesse took her first several bites, being sure to try a little bit of everything on her plate. She let out a soft groan through the food in her mouth.
“This is amazing,” she told Hal. He laughed lightly.
“Thank you,” he said with a faint smile, seeming to Jesse a little embarrassed. “Breakfast food is sort of my forte.”
“I believe it,” Jesse said with a smile. “This is really great. I haven’t had a breakfast like this in years.”
“Well, eat up,” Hal encouraged her softly.
And so Jesse did. She focused all her energy on clearing the plate in front of her. It took quite a deal of concentration and some discomfort with the stretching of her stomach, but she was finally able to finish the food.
“Wow.” Hal blinked as he looked over at her empty plate. “I really didn’t expect you to finish all that.”
Jesse released a laugh.
“I didn’t either.” She shook her head and rested a hand on her extremely full belly. “But it was just so good, I didn’t want any of it to go to waste.”
Hal shook his head, standing and taking both of their plates before heading toward the sink. Jesse watched him start the water and then got up off the stool, following him so as to offer him some help cleaning up after the wonderful meal he cooked.
Chapter 69
Hal
Hal headed for the sink and put their plates, knives, and forks in the bottom of it, then flipped on the hot water.
“Here,” Hal heard Jesse from behind him, and he turned to face her, raising an eyebrow. “Let me do that.”
“No, you don’t need to do that.” Hal shook his head and did not move from his place in front of the sink.
“Please, it’s the least I can do,” Jesse protested. “You cooked, so it’s only fair that I clean up the mess.”
Hal scowled, but he could tell by the look on her face that she wasn’t going to back off until he let her do what she wanted. In all honesty, it amused him more than anything else, and her insistence on not letting him spoil her was part of what attracted him to her in the first place.
“Alright,” Hal relented with a sigh. “There’s the soap and sponge.”
Hal backed away from the sink and let Jesse take care of the dishes. He watched her for a moment
, letting his eyes linger on the calm, happy expression on her face. He felt warmth inside of him at knowing that she felt so peaceful. It was much more relaxed than the slight tightness that she carried in her expression whenever they were out in public together.
Hal had his suspicions that that was what was weighing so heavily on her mind. He knew that she was likely extremely worried about always being in the public eye. Hal had to admit that he didn’t have much of an answer for that. And if he was perfectly honest with himself, it made him a little afraid that Jesse would change her mind about being in a relationship at all.
Hal tried to keep himself calm, and he set about cleaning the various things off the island and putting them back in the fridge. He took a paper towel from the counter behind him, wet it in the sink on the island, then cleaned off the counter.
When he was done, he tossed the damp paper towel into the trash and leaned against the counter as he watched Jesse dry the last of the dishes. When she had finished drying the last of them, he moved over and started to help her put them away.
“Hey,” she scolded him, frowning playfully up at him. “I can do that.”
“You don’t know where any of it goes,” Hal returned, smiling down at her. “And I don’t think you’re tall enough to reach the cabinets.”
“What?” Jesse scoffed, seeming a little outraged. “Of course I can.”
“Well,” Hal shrugged and let out a sigh. “My mistake then. Maybe you can get it next time.”
Jesse huffed. In the time it had taken for them to have their disagreement, Hal had already taken care of putting the dishes away. He smirked down at her, and she rolled her eyes. Hal leaned down, placed a kiss on her cheek and then wrapped his arm around her, holding her tight to his body.
“Come on,” he said. “Let’s go sit in the living room.”
Jesse nodded and allowed him to lead her out of the room. Hal couldn’t help noticing that she was still dressed only in his white undershirt. While it was certainly distracting, he had already spent himself quite a bit, and while it was certainly alluring, his arousal did not manifest itself in an erection.
Bedroom Rodeo: A Billionaire Romance Page 64
