by Ashlee Price
She nodded and told me that I was close. I wasn’t going to ask her precise age. It really didn’t matter. With a face like that and the way she cooked, it just didn’t matter at all. Nothing really mattered, now that she was going to say yes. I had to think of a way to sweep her off her feet so that she would never want anyone else. I had one date to make her fall for me. Before I wouldn’t have thought that it would be a hard task, but Jesse was different, and that wasn’t always a good thing. If she’d been like all of the rest, I would have already had her in my bed days ago.
***
We had agreed to a date and had agreed to a place, but I wasn’t sure if Jesse was ready for me to come down the same night. When Jesse had asked me when, I could only think of the closest possible time. I wanted her to want it soon as well, but she didn’t. Jesse was more worried about getting things ready. I knew that part of it was just who she was. There was also the question of the loan, but I’d had the bank manager deliver a copy for her to sign before the end of the business day. I hadn’t left any i’s un-dotted or t’s uncrossed. Everything was in place, but when I knocked on the bistro’s door later in the evening, Jesse was not as prepared as I was.
When she finally got downstairs to answer the door, I could tell that she wasn’t ready for me. Jesse was too polite to say anything, but I had a feeling that if she’d been raised differently she would have told me to bug off. I just wanted to see her, so I pretended like I didn’t spot the obvious. I wanted to pretend that she was happy to see me. It was easier on my ego.
“You look beautiful.” Jesse wasn’t even really dressed for dinner, but she still looked the way I described. There was nothing that she could put on that would diminish her beauty. When she realized what she was wearing, though, she got a look of horror on her face and ran back up the stairs without saying a word.
I couldn’t stop the chuckle that came to my lips. I was forced to follow her and the smell that was coming from her apartment. Jesse was never what I expected, and this date was going to be no different. I liked that she was so nervous to see me, but at the same time I wanted her to relax. How was I going to get to know the real her if she was running around like a chicken with its head cut off?
“Jesse, whatever you wear is fine, really.”
“No, I didn’t realize that I hadn’t changed yet. It’s been a crazy day and I just got finished with writing out a bunch of checks. Thanks for that, by the way.”
She’d popped her head out from the bedroom, and I could see bare shoulders. The sight made me want to move closer to her, but she was not having it. She giggled fetchingly when she stopped me with her hand.
“I’m not dressed yet. I just thought I should remember to tell you thanks before the date started.”
“It hasn’t started yet?”
“Nope, it doesn’t start until dinner is on the table. You’re just early, like always.”
“You know what they say about the early bird…”
“Yeah, too bad I’m not a worm. Now stay out there and be good.”
I wanted to promise her that I would be good. I would be so good that she would never forget me and never be able to deny me again. I wanted to make it where she thought about me as much as I thought about her. It was a shame that I couldn’t get her off of my mind, but it was far worse that she didn’t seem bothered by me at all. She was more worried about the money, and a small part of me wanted to leave. This wasn’t what I wanted, not truly. I didn’t want to have to basically bribe her to get her to go out with me. I wanted her to want me like I wanted her.
“So how does this look?”
Now she was breathtaking, and all I could do was swallow hard and nod my head. What did it really matter why she was with me, when she looked like that?
The black dress was short and left nothing to the imagination because of how form-fitting it was. She made me want to pull her to me immediately and ravish her. But this was just a date, and I’d made promises. Promises that I now wished I could forget. Now I didn’t want to be held to them. Not when Jesse was looking like that.
Chapter 3 – Jesse
As soon as I saw his face, I knew that I’d picked the right dress. I wanted him to see me differently, and while I was adamant that it was only a date, it was clear to me then that I wanted him to want me. What was so wrong with the idea of him choking a little because of how hot I was? I didn’t see anything wrong with that – and it was not out of the realm of possibility now that I’d seen his reaction.
“Do you like it?”
He nodded his head so fast that locks of his shoulder-length brown hair moved out of place. I had to stop my hand from wanting to right the rebellious strands, but I didn’t think that it was a good idea. He was looking at me as if he wasn’t going to be able to control himself if I pushed him any further. The look in his dark blue eyes was hard to take, but I forced myself to meet his gaze anyway.
“Yes. God, Jesse, you’re…”
“Beautiful? I think you already said that.”
I liked having Scott off of his game for a moment. It felt like he was always getting the best of me, and there was something to be said about having the upper hand. I liked it more than I should have. My eyes swept over his suit, which looked much like the one he wore every single day. I’d never seen him in anything casual, and I had to wonder if he even could be casual. He was always so serious that it was hard to see a lighter side of him.
“Do you want me to take your coat? You’re going to start burning up in here with the oven going.”
Scott smiled at me, but didn’t answer me one way or another. When I moved towards him, he finally started to realize what I was doing and let me take the jacket. I hung it up on the coat rack by the door, and when I came back into the room, I could tell that he was still staring at me. He hadn’t moved from his spot. Maybe the dress was too much?
“So I hope you’re hungry. I figure if you’re going to cosign for such a large amount of money and only wanted a meal for it, it better be the best, right?”
“Anything you make will be fine. I’d be happy if it was a bologna sandwich, as long as you made it.”
I couldn’t help but laugh. More than anything else I was shocked that he even knew what bologna was. I’d only had it a few times when my father would lose his job and money was tight, and a man like Scott knowing about it was surprising.
“When have you ever had bologna? If you’d had it before, I would bet that you wouldn’t be so quick to accept that for your dinner.”
“Do you really think I always had all of this money?”
“Yeah, I think so. You kind of act like you’ve always had it.”
Scott didn’t take my words as a compliment, and although I was being a bit sarcastic, I was a little surprised at how he responded to me. It was like he didn’t want to hear it. I think I pissed him off a little bit, which was surprising because I’d never seen the fast temper that he was displaying then.
“I didn’t mean any offense, really.”
“No, you’re most likely right. I do act like I was born into it, but I wasn’t. I was raised by a single mother. I knew who my dad was, but he was never around and he didn’t help out financially. It wasn’t until a year ago that I ever had more than a five-minute conversation with him. But I think he only gave me the business because of what I had going on. He knew that he could drop it in my lap and walk away.”
It was more than he’d ever said about himself, and I wasn’t sure what to do with the information. I couldn’t see him as a poor kid who wanted love from his father. It was a hard image to relate him to, but for a second, I could see that same little boy in his eyes. Scott made sure that the look was gone before I could say any more about it. It was gone so quickly that I had to wonder to myself if I’d actually seen it or not.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to assume. I would have never thought that about you. You seem to have it all together.”
He chuckled. I wasn’t sure that I saw t
he humor in it, but it was clear that he did. What was so funny about the poise that he had?
I could smell a little bit of something burning, and it reminded me that I was supposed to be cooking for him, not making him upset because of thoughtless questions and comments. He made me feel guilty for being so callous, and I told myself that I was going to be more careful with my words. I didn’t want him to think that I didn’t care about him. I did.
Going into the kitchen, I turned off the pan that was searing some meat and turned it over. It wasn’t black, just a darker brown than I would have liked, and it was all that I had, so I was going to make do with it. He wasn’t going to know the difference, I assured myself, not if he would have been happy with bologna. That didn’t really set the bar very high at all.
“What are you making?”
“Lamb with roasted potatoes, veggies and homemade ice cream.”
“So you’re going all out.”
“Well, I thought I was dealing with a rich man. I thought I was going to have to do better than hot dogs and cornbread.”
Laughing at me, he assured me that the menu that I just told him sounded better. “I wouldn’t mind hot dogs, but I’d much rather the lamb. It’s one of my favorites. How did you know that?”
“I didn’t. I’m glad that you like it, though. I should have asked you this morning what you wanted me to make, but you would just tell me to make whatever, so I didn’t even bother asking.”
“Yeah, I’m happy whatever you want to make. As long as I’m with you, Jesse, nothing else matters.”
Chapter 4 – Scott
I shouldn’t have told her that about my past. I don’t know what I was thinking, but she gave me this look of pity that I never wanted to see again. I know that she didn’t mean to, Jesse wasn’t condescending in that way, but that was how it felt. I never wanted her to feel sorry for me. I hated the sentiment from anyone, but from Jesse it was unbearable.
She didn’t bring it up again, instead talking about how much better she felt now that everything was paid for. It was good that her debt was all in one spot and the payment was going to be a lot lower. I didn’t want to talk about finances, but she was nervous, and I’d said enough about myself for one day. She now knew more about me than most people ever would.
“So what are you going to do now? Take some time off and close the place up on a regular basis?”
Jesse shrugged like she hadn’t even thought that far. “I don’t know, I guess. Melissa is going to want to start getting a day off every week or so. With the coffee sales going crazy, we are still looking to hire a couple more people. Sorry… I can’t stop thinking about work.”
“I know the feeling. Sometimes I don’t think I would have a life at all if it wasn’t for going to the office every day. That’s all I do now, and I can’t say that I know how to change that. I miss the days when I worked when I wanted. I still worked as much, but it was when I wanted to and not when someone told me to. There is a difference.”
“But I thought you were the CEO? Doesn’t that make you the boss?”
“Yeah, but there is a board that my father is on. All big decisions have to be approved by the board, so I’m really just a glorified figurehead.”
“Well, I’m sure that it isn’t so bad with what you get paid.”
I wondered how she knew how much I got paid. There was a magazine that had done a cover on me a few months back, but I didn’t know if she’d read it. I liked the idea of her checking me out, but there were other stories out there that were not so flattering to me. I hoped she hadn’t seen those.
“You can’t always believe everything that you read about me, Jesse. The media like to sensationalize everything. That’s why I stay far away from them now.”
By the look on her face, she had read something unsavory about me. I was glad that she wasn’t going to judge me for it. It was most likely true, but I didn’t like to think about what she would think of me if she knew the whole truth. Maybe it was good enough that she knew I had a dark past. She didn’t necessarily have to know how black it was at some points. No one needed to know, but Jesse was a person I never wanted to see me that way.
“Don’t worry. It wasn’t that bad, but it did make you out to be a playboy. That part of it I think I’m inclined to believe. You have a way about you that tells me that you haven’t heard the word ‘no’ that much.”
I chuckled. I felt like she knew more about me than I’d intended. Why did she look right through me?
“I guess you could say that I haven’t, although you’ve said it many times since I’ve met you. Why are you so hard on me, Jesse?”
She was plating the food and stopped to look at me. “I’m not hard on you. I don’t think I am. I just – well, the first time we met, I was not very happy with you.”
The smile on her face was contagious. I was enjoying myself too much. I shouldn’t be having this much fun with my clothes on. “No, you weren’t were you?”
“Well, it was the way you were walking around like you owned everything. I’ve known men like you before, and it never ends well.”
“Men like me?”
“Yeah, you know, rich, handsome and aggressive.”
“I haven’t been aggressive. I’ve been more patient than I’ve ever been in my whole life. I’ve waited for you for so long that I’m sure I’m going to explode soon.”
She giggled at me and told me to come to the table. The table was set beautifully, and the first thing I noticed was the wine. I needed something to drink, something to slow down the mind that was only thinking about her underneath me.
“I haven’t known you but a couple of weeks and we’re already going out on a date. To me, that’s pretty fast.”
“If you were any other woman, you would already be in my bed.”
I regretted saying it as soon as I saw her reaction. She blanched and looked at me as if I’d lost my mind. Maybe I had, but there was a bigger part of me that didn’t think I’d gone far enough. I wouldn’t have gone far enough until she was in my arms and in my bed.
“Yeah, I made that kind of mistake once before. But I learn from my mistakes. That’s why I almost didn’t agree to this date. Men like you are dangerous, Scott, and I don’t need any danger in my life.”
The smile had faded, and I was really hearing what she said. I had to wonder who it was who’d broken her heart and ruined my chances of being with her. Who was it that she thought was a man like me?
“I don’t think that you’ve ever met a man like me, Jesse. I don’t think that I’ve ever met a woman like you, Jesse, nowhere close. Maybe that’s a sign.”
“I wouldn’t go that far, but I do wonder why you’re still hanging around. You could have anyone, Scott. Why are you worried about me?”
“Because you’re different. You don’t dress to impress anyone, just yourself. You don’t spend all day in front of a mirror to make yourself something you’re not. I think you may be the realest women that I’ve ever met, and I don’t know why, but I’m drawn to you. How could I not be, Jesse?”
I moved towards her and pulled her to her feet. I wanted her to know what she meant to me. She meant more than I was willing to admit to myself. I cared for her more than I should have. I didn’t really understand it, but there was something between us. Something inside of me was never going to be fulfilled until I had her.
“Scott, this is just supposed to be a date.”
“I want to kiss you. That’s all. Just one kiss.”
I moved to touch my lips to hers before she could give me an answer I didn’t want to hear. I was too afraid that it was going to be no. I couldn’t take another one from her, not again. Not when I was so close to what I wanted.
She mewled when our lips finally met and made the sweetest sounds when I pulled her into my arms. It was where she was supposed to be, and the touch was the very last assurance that I needed. Pushing my tongue in between her lips, I tasted her sweetness and a surge of need ran through me. I pul
led away from her before I wouldn’t be able to stop myself. I wouldn’t have her tonight. Tonight was just a date.
To be continued in Part 5…
Served Part 5: Heat
By: Ashlee Price
Prologue
After Jesse’s date with Scott, she starts to look at him differently. While she tries to tell herself that she only went out with him because she had to, Jesse enjoyed herself far too much for that to be true. The truth is that she had a great time, and like always, Scott was full of surprises. Not only was he more forward with his flirting, he shared parts of his past that left him vulnerable. Scott wasn’t at all what Jesse had first thought him to be.
When Scott comes to her rescue yet again, Jesse wants to repay him for his kindness. All Scott wants from her is another date, but this one is different. This time it’s Jesse who takes things to the next level, and after that, she knows that it will never be the same again. Scott has changed her, and there is nothing she can do about it. Jesse can’t refuse him anymore. The heat is too much and she’s scorching with need.
Chapter 1 – Scott
I was still smiling. My face was actually hurting from smiling so much after getting back from my date with Jesse. It had been everything that I’d hoped it would be, and maybe a little more. I was enchanted with her, and after the small taste that I got of her lips, I was even more convinced of how much I needed her in my life.
Now I just had to figure out how to convince her of the same. She was so sure that I was the wrong kind of guy that I was just going to have to show her that I was the right one. I didn’t know how to do that or what that was going to look like, but the only time frame that I had was my own needs, and they were pushing me to do more and more. I hadn’t even secured another date with her before I left. I was too into what was going on and hadn’t even thought about it. What if she wouldn’t see me again? It wasn’t like me to worry about that kind of thing, but I hadn’t ever had the same confidence with Jesse as I’d had with other women. I was on eggshells with Jesse, because I actually cared.
