“But seriously, Sarah. Are you sure? Because you have your own things to worry about, and this is a big party, and it’s in the middle of the week, and—“
“Stop. We’re partners. We take care of each other. When I got divorced, who was there for me? And when Graham died, I was happy to do anything I could do to help you. Now...” Sarah trailed off. “This man loves you, Jessi.”
Jessi waved vaguely. “Oh, I don’t know about that. We’re just...together. It’s not something we’ve defined.” She knew that wasn’t quite true, but she didn’t want to get into the mechanics of a D/s relationship with her true-vanilla friend.
“I do know, hon. And I couldn’t be happier for you. Does Judd, by any chance, have a brother who’s single? Cousin? Uncle? Young-at-heart grandfather?”
She laughed and Jessi did, too. “Well, thanks for...you know. I appreciate you.”
Sarah waved her arms dramatically. “My day will come, you know. And when it does, I’ll be counting on you to help me land my own Prince Charming.”
“I’m yours to command,” Jessi laughed, heading back to her office.
“YOU LOOK BEAUTIFUL, Jessi.” Judd eyed her short blue dress admiringly.
“Thank you. You look very handsome yourself in your suit and tie.”
“It’s not every day I get to introduce my Angel to my friends.” He winked at her and offered her his arm as they walked into the lobby of the Doubletree. A marquee directed them to the proper ballroom, but Jessi knew the route by heart. She’d been there much of the day arranging seating, putting together the floral arrangements, decorating tables, and running through a few last-minute changes to the menu.
She’d run home to shower and change, and Judd had insisted on picking her up. Now as they entered the ballroom, the place was beginning to fill with guests. Big band music played softly in the background. Jessi resisted the urge to check in with the kitchen, still saying hello to a couple of servers she recognized. She spotted Sarah across the room and waved. Sarah nodded toward Judd and winked, grinning broadly.
“Mrs. Crenshaw, everything is absolutely lovely.”
Turning, Jessi saw Capt. Marshall and his wife, whom he introduced.
“Did I tell you, Cap? Jessi’s the best,” Judd said proudly.
As the captain and his wife moved to greet other guests, Jessi took Judd’s hand. “Come with me. I want you to meet Sarah.”
The pair made their way across the ballroom to where Sarah was directing a group of servers. She turned as Jessi and Judd approached, wrapping Jessi in a huge hug. “You look beautiful, sweetie.”
Jessi flushed pink. “Thanks. I want you to meet Judd. Judd, this is my partner and best friend, Sarah.”
Judd beamed his most charming smile. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Sarah. Thanks again for letting Jessi play hooky tonight.”
“I’m happy to do it. Especially when she has such a hot date.”
“Sarah! Geez,” Jessi blushed profusely.
“What? You don’t think he’s hot?” Sarah grinned at her friend’s embarrassment. “Maybe you can get her to loosen up a little, Judd. Jessi could stand to relax a bit and just let go.”
Judd grinned happily. “I’m working on that very thing, Sarah. I think you and I are kindred spirits.”
Sarah gave him a sideways glance. “Well, I know you’ve made Jessi happy. So you must be doing something right. I’m very pleased to meet you.” She wrapped him in a tight hug.
“Now,” she said, stepping back, “if you’ll excuse me, I have a party to run. Enjoy!”
Judd and Jessi made their way to their assigned table. Tiny calligraphy place cards denoted which guest sat where. When they got to their table, Alex was already seated with Trish to his left. As Judd and Jessi approached, Alex stood, reaching to shake Judd’s hand before pulling him into a brotherly embrace.
“How’s it going my brother?” Alex turned his attention to Jessi, a huge grin splitting his face and revealing bright white teeth. “Jessi! It’s great to see you again.” He hugged her gently, lightly kissing her cheek. “I want to introduce you to my fiancé, Trish.” He indicated the beautiful brunette beside him.
“Hello, Alex. Good to see you.” Jessi turned to the woman. “It’s nice to meet you, Trish.”
Trish stood and embraced Jessi. “I’m so glad to meet you, Jessi. Alex can’t stop talking about Judd’s new girlfriend.”
Jessi looked uncertainly at Judd. She’d never considered being a ‘girlfriend’ so the comment threw her a bit.
Judd just winked. “I am a very lucky man. Gomez, what say we go order a few cocktails before this shindig starts? Jessi, would you like a margarita?”
She nodded, taking her seat beside Trish. “That would be great, thanks.”
“Make that two margaritas, Alex,” Trish said. “We’ll just stay here and get acquainted.”
“Two margaritas for the ladies, and a couple of beers for the men, coming right up,” Judd laughed as he and Alex strode off in the direction of the bar.
“So, I finally get the meet the mystery lady,” Trish said.
Jessi frowned a bit. “Am I a mystery?”
“Alex says Judd won’t tell him where you two met or when you started dating.” She glanced sideways at Jessi. “All I know is, Judd is happy. I’ve never seen him so happy. I mean, for years, I’ve been trying to set him up, but he never likes the women I match him with. I never thought to pick a redhead.”
Both women laughed in a friendly way. “Judd was a friend of my husband’s. When he died, Judd started coming by the house and helping me out. One thing led to another, and now...here we are.”
“Oh, my God, that’s so romantic! I love that!”
Seeing the sparkle, Jessi reached for Trish’s left hand, peering at the diamond that glittered in the light. “This is beautiful. Congratulations. Have you set a date?”
Trish sighed. “No. Not yet. I’m thinking maybe the end of summer. But trying to find a venue is hard, and our budget is kind of small.”
“I’d be happy to help. I plan parties and events. Weddings are my specialty.” Jessi smiled kindly.
“That’s what Alex said, but I didn’t feel comfortable asking. I mean, we just met,” Trish said sheepishly.
“You know what? We’ll get together and look at your budget. Sometimes if you’re flexible about location and date, you can find some really great deals.”
Trish’s eyes widened and she gripped Jessi’s hand. “Really? You’d look into it? That would be so amazing. I have all these ideas, but the money, you know?”
“I know. You’d be surprised. We’ll plan a beautiful wedding.”
Trish leaned over, wrapping Jessi in a hug. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!”
“Here you go, ladies. Margaritas! Now let’s get this party started,” Alex joked.
Judd slid into his seat beside Jessi, planting a kiss on her cheek. “Miss me?”
Jessi smirked mischievously. “Nope. Just doing a little girl talk. I didn’t even know you were gone.”
“Is that so?” Judd reached beneath the table and slid a hand between her thighs, pinching her labia.
She gasped lightly and chewed her lower lip. “Maybe I missed you a little.”
Judd lowered his voice and looked out across the room as he continued his assault at her core. “You’re not going to miss me later tonight when I clip your nipples and tan your ass.”
“Holy...” Jessie breathed.
“Um-hmm.”
Chapter 32
Jessi gasped as ice slid between her breasts and down her belly. Blindfolded, she was tied spread eagle across Judd’s bed. As promised, he’d affixed a pair of nipple clamp bars to her tight pink points, and stimulated by the ice and the pressure on her nipples, Jessi writhed against her restraints on the razor-thin edge between pain and pleasure.
“How are you doing, Angel?” She heard the smirk in his voice.
“I’m—“ She gasped as he popped her pussy with
a wooden spoon. “I’m great, Sir.”
The wooden spoon popped her again. “Great is not a color, Angel.”
“Green. Very green. Any time you want to fuck me would be fabulous.” Jessi pulled against the cuffs on her wrists.
Judd laughed softly. “I thought I might just leave you here for a while. There’s a ballgame I was wanting to watch, so...”
Jessi’s head popped up. “Are you kidding me? You’d leave me here all...”
She could hear the smile in his voice. “All what?”
“All, you know! Hot and bothered. My nipples are on fire and my pussy is about to explode.”
“Hmm. Is that so?” Jessi felt the mattress shift as Judd straddled her. He’d been dressed when the blindfold went on, but judging by the raging hardness she felt against her inner thigh, that was no longer the case.
She felt his breath against her ear. “So maybe you’d like me to do something like this,” he whispered.
The next moment, he was flicking his tongue against her tortured nipples and again she writhed, moaning out loud. He divided his attention equally between her breasts before leaning down to invade her mouth with his, claiming it, and her breath, as his own.
Breaking away from her lips, he moved down her body, and she prayed he’d zero in on her begging, needy core.
“Or maybe, you’d like me to do something like this.” He placed light kisses on her mons and she shuddered, forcing her pelvis upward, willing him just a bit lower.
She heard his husky chuckle. “What is it you want, Angel?” He dipped his head and licked along her seam, spread wide to him with her ankles tied to the bottom corners of the bed.
“Yessss,” she hissed, as he began his oral assault on her sex, first licking languidly from back to front, then zeroing in on her sensitive button. He used the tip of his tongue to flick her clit, before drawing it into his mouth. Jessi held onto the rope that connected her cuffs to the bedframe and pulled with all her might. Abandoning her clit for the moment, Judd ventured further down, using his tongue to fuck her as Jessi pressed against him as much as her restraints would allow.
Just as she reached her peak, Judd stopped. “Not so fast, Angel. You don’t have permission to come just yet.”
Jessi blew out an exasperated breath, and Judd laughed softly. “Always in such a hurry.” He moved up her body once again claimed her mouth. She could taste herself on him, and that brought a new rush between her thighs.
Unexpectedly, he removed the blindfold. Blinking, Jessi looked up into his soft brown eyes. “I want to see you, Angel. I want to see your pleasure.”
He leaned down and blew across her left nipple, still trapped in the bar clamp. She saw the gleam of mischief in his eyes. “This is going to smart a bit,” he said as he quickly removed the clamp. Jessi cried out, but he just as quickly covered the nipple with his mouth, massaging it with his tongue, soothing the sting, and the heat in her sex grew. He repeated the process on the other side, and Jessi thought she might come right there, with or without a cock being involved.
“Now,” Judd propped himself over her, positioning himself at her sopping entrance, “eyes on me, Angel.” Maddenly slowly, he slid his length into her as far as he could go. Jessi caught her lower lip between her teeth, keeping her eyes on Judd’s. The intimacy of the moment took her breath away. He stopped, leaning down to kiss her passionately, then held himself above her again, withdrawing his cock and slamming back into her again. His pace picked up as she felt herself squeezing around him, and he pistoned back and forth, the sound of flesh slapping against flesh echoing in the room.
“I’m almost there, Angel. I want you to come with me.”
Relief flooded Jessi as she let go, allowing the orgasm that had been building to crash over her in waves. Judd’s own climax was only a moment behind hers and he stilled, balls deep, grunting with release.
Arms shaking, he continued to lean over her until her own spasms quieted, then he lowered himself, kissing her gently before slipping out of her pounded core. He reached over her head to remove the restraints on her wrists, then collapsed onto his right side, pulling Jessi to himself.
“Jessi, you are something,” he murmured into her hair. They lay together for a few minutes, then he felt her shiver. He gently kissed her temple and got up, heading to the foot of the bed to untie her feet. Free from her bonds, Jessi curled up on her side. Judd picked up the grey throw and covered her.
“I’m going to get us something to drink. Be right back.”
The clock on the microwave blinked 1:14 as Judd retrieved a pair of glasses from the cupboard. Topping the glasses with ice, he carried them to the sink. As he filled them with water, he looked up, catching his reflection in the window. He had to smile at the sated look on his face. Jessi was amazing. Everything he ever dreamed of in a submissive lover.
His gaze turned pensive. When they’d left the retirement party, they’d stopped by Jessi’s to pick up Buddy, who was presently sound asleep in what was now his corner of the living room. They could have stayed at Jessi’s, he realized. No real reason to go all the way to his townhouse on the beach.
The Judd in the reflection shook his head. There was something unsettling to him about Jessi’s house. The thought of making love to her there in the home she’d shared with Graham left Judd cold. He wasn’t too keen on following that line of thought too closely. So far, it hadn’t come up, so it was probably a topic best left alone.
Shaking off uncomfortable thoughts, he headed back upstairs to Jessi.
Chapter 33
Two weeks and one open water dive later, Jessi was just one dive short of her certification.
She was pleased with her progress, and said so in her journal. While at first, she’d been a little annoyed at Judd’s requirement, she’d come to look forward to committing her thoughts and feelings to paper. And Judd, to his credit, had been completely open to whatever she wrote, never once judging her intimate words when he read over the journal about once a week.
“Nicely done, Angel. I can’t wait to take you diving in the Bahamas.” He handed Jessi’s journal back to her, kissing her lightly. “Now, I’d better head out back and get the steaks going on the grill. Our guests will be here anytime.”
As if on cue, the doorbell rang. “Okay, you go take care of man business, I’ll let them in,” Jessi laughed, pausing to put her journal back in its drawer.
She and Judd had invited Alex and Trish to dinner at Jessi’s. Later, they’d walk down the block to Biba, a funky boutique hotel which was hosting its annual Showtel, an arts event in which artists set up installations in the various guest rooms.
Jessi swung open the front door, wide smile in place. “Hello! Welcome, come on in.” She hugged Trish and Alex as they stepped into the entryway.
“Jessi! How are you? Where’s that knucklehead partner of mine?” Alex grinned.
“He’s outside starting the steaks. Come, let’s get you a beer and you can join him.”
The trio headed to the kitchen where Jessi retrieved a pair of Blue Moons from the fridge. “Judd’s just outside. Watch out for the beagle. He’ll love you to death,” Jessi laughed.
Alex headed out the French doors to the pool deck. Jessi turned to Trish. “There’s plenty of beer, but I have wine if you’d rather.”
“Wine sounds great,” Trish answered.
“I’d rather have wine myself,” Jessi laughed. She opened a cupboard and took down a pair of white wine glasses, then busied herself finding the corkscrew.
Trish wandered to look out the back doors. Then she turned and surveyed the kitchen and den. “You have a lovely home.”
Jessi smiled. “Thank you.”
She handed Trish a glass of sauvignon blanc and took one for herself. “Before we join the boys, I have something to show you.” She climbed onto a stool at the kitchen island and patted the one beside it. Trish sat as Jessi fired up her laptop.
“Now, I did a little poking around, and I think I might
have come up with a solution for your wedding.” She clicked a few links and an image of a luxury yacht appeared. A few more clicks revealed the deck set up for a wedding, and an enclosed room with round banquet tables all decked out with flowers, candles, and white linens.
Jessi looked to Trish. “What do you think?”
Wide-eyed, Trish looked from the screen to Jessi. “We can afford this?”
Jessi grimaced. “Well, not usually. However... If you’re open to having your wedding on, say, a Wednesday rather than a Saturday, this can be very affordable. August is not their busiest time. It’s hot, and it’s before season. And again, if you’re not talking about a Saturday, this is completely doable.”
“Really?” Trish’s voice was a whisper.
Jessi nodded. “It leaves from the dock in Ft. Lauderdale, makes a slow cruise down the Intracoastal and back again, you have your ceremony at sunset, then treat your guests to dinner and dancing below deck. It’s a beautiful, intimate celebration.”
“I love it! It’s amazing! You’re amazing!” Trish squealed, hugging Jessi tightly.
“Hey, what did we miss?” Alex held open the back door as Judd came in carrying a plate of steaks.
“Jessi has the perfect idea for our wedding.” Trish explained the plan to Alex, who nodded, smiling.
“That does sound perfect. And what the hell do I care if we get married on a Saturday or a Wednesday?” He wrapped his arms around Trish. “As long as I’m marrying my baby, nothing else matters.”
Judd winked at Jessi, who flushed with pleasure. “I’m glad you like the idea. I’ll go ahead and reserve the boat, and we’ll move forward from there.”
Following dinner, the quartet walked to the hotel and meandered from room to room, taking in the various art installations. Trish and Alex chattered excitedly about wedding plans while Judd and Jessi followed behind them, hand in hand.
When the other couple moved a little bit ahead, Judd pulled Jessi aside. “I’m proud of you, Angel. You made them unbelievably happy.”
For Sparrow (The Dream Dominant Collection Book 3) Page 18
