Rob gave a low groan and pulled away. He sat cross-legged beside her on the bed and looked at her expectantly.
She took a deep breath and gazed back at him. "When I asked us to go on a break, it was because I wanted you to be sure you really want to be with me. The thing is, you can have any woman you want and sometimes I still wonder why it's me you chose."
Rob opened his mouth to say something but she put a finger on his lips. "Let me finish." She gave him a quick peck on the lips to soften her request.
"I was missing you so much and I wanted to call you but I wanted to give you that time. I was moping around, waiting for that week to end when I got that call from Andrea."
Rob's face darkened but he kept silent.
"She told me you met her at Bondi and she was practically giggling like a schoolgirl when she mentioned how much she loved the waffle she shared with you. She said she wanted to make friends here in Sydney, starting with your friends. That really hurt me, Rob. I thought you took your first opportunity to date other women and the fact that she was your ex made it even worse for me."
"I'm sorry about that, baby. I didn't go out with her to have fun. She was bugging me and I thought seeing her might remind me why I didn't want commitment. I needed to clarify that for myself, too. I didn't see that as a date at all."
She gave him a smile that told him she understood. "I was really upset so when James asked me out I said yes but not before I informed him I just broke up with you. He said he accepted that I'm only interested in friendship but it became obvious he was trying to woo me."
"Fucking idiot," Rob muttered.
She rubbed his thigh. "I will put him in his place but I need to do it tactfully. His firm is still one of our biggest buyers of advertising space."
"I wanted to land my fist on his mouth when he kissed you, Jess."
"It didn't mean anything to me. It was supposed to be a friendly kiss on the cheek by a guy who agreed to be just my friend." She visibly cringed as she remembered how James pretty much nuzzled her cheek.
Rob gave her a crooked smile and leaned to kiss her on that cheek.
"I wanted to gouge Andrea's eyes out when she kissed you." Her voice was tight as an image of the two of them kissing - or rather Andrea kissing Rob - flashed in her mind. "But the feeling that won was fear. She was just so … stunning that I didn't know how I could compete. So I ran away instead," she said in a low voice.
"That's the craziest, stupidest thing I've ever heard you say, Jess. As far as I'm concerned she has nothing on you. I don't want one inch of her, baby. But I want all of you."
Her heart sang in glee. She lunged at Rob and toppled him backwards on the bed. "You're so sweet, Rob Granger," she said as she settled herself on his chest.
"Only because I love you, Jessa Allen."
Her eyes misted again. Her heart was bursting with love for this man. "I love you, too. And you better believe that."
"Well, it would be great if you could show me just how much," he said huskily as he ran his hands down her bottom and squeezed her butt cheeks. His eyes blazed with love and passion that had her heart pounding hard and fast.
Jessa placed light, feathery kisses on Rob's eyelids then ran her lips on his jaw. She moved to his mouth and tasted his bottom lip with the tip of her tongue. Rob's tongue poked out to meet hers. She captured it and sucked on it in a way that drove him crazy. Rob moaned and in one swift movement, he rolled them and she was under him.
Her fingers moved to unbutton Rob's shirt, her fingers fumbling in her haste. Impatiently, Rob pulled his shirt from over his head and went for her buttons. His burning lips explored the smooth skin he exposed from undressing her. His mouth eagerly nibbled her neck as his fingers busily unzipped her skirt. She lifted her hips off the bed to help him.
Rob pushed her bra straps down her arms one at a time to display her aching breasts, making her pant in anticipation. He placed soft kisses on her shoulders and neck before straightening next to her on his side and putting a hardened nipple in his avid mouth, sucking on it gently.
She mewled as pleasure and desire raced in her veins.
Rob's hand moved downwards and crept inside her panties. He teased around her folds lightly before parting them to feel her wet entrance. "You're so wet, baby," he said against her erect nipple before hungrily continuing to lick and suck it as his finger found her swollen clit.
"Rob!" she cried as her hips moved to perfectly match the rhythm of his stroking finger. Shifting slightly, her hands found his fly and she freed his iron-hard erection. She tugged and stroked him as he continued his lavish attention on her nipples and sensitive nub.
She tensed. This was going to be quick and she didn't want to come this way, not after they just confessed their love for each other. "Baby, I want you, please."
"You have me, sweetheart," Rob panted.
"I want you inside me now," she moaned.
Rob lifted his head. "Do you now?" he murmured seductively.
"Mmmm," she begged wordlessly, her hips still arching against his hand.
"You're so hot," Rob whispered fervently as he sat up to divest both of them of the rest of their clothing.
She parted her legs and Rob settled himself in between them. Slowly, he rubbed his cock on her clit, driving her wild with need. Rob first did this to her when they made love without a condom for the first time, after she'd taken responsibility for birth control. He loved her reaction so now he always teased her like this before giving her what she craved the most. He just loved to drive her crazy.
But she couldn't wait anymore. She reached down, grabbed his throbbing shaft and positioned it on her waiting core. Rob grunted and pushed slowly, stretching her and filling her deliciously. Their gasps and love sounds filled the room as Rob moved inside her unhurriedly. He leaned down and kissed her on her lips, on her neck, on her nipples as his aroused member moved in and out of her with just the right rhythm and at just the right angle. With each thrust, they spiralled up into the stars and soon reached their heaven.
"Oh, god, Rob … baby … ohh!" she cried with sheer pleasure as her body gripped his hot cock repeatedly.
Rob joined her in ecstasy. "Oh, Jess … love you … ahhh!"
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
ONE AND A HALF MONTHS LATER…
Jessa stared at the red brick, one-storey house with a beautifully maintained front garden as Rob parked their rental car in front of it.
"You look more nervous that I do, baby," Rob commented.
She bit her bottom lip and did not attempt to get out of the car even after he had turned off the engine.
"Well, this is the first time I'm bringing a boyfriend home to my parents," she reasoned.
Rob took her cold, sweaty hand in his. "It'll be fine, baby. I'm sure it wouldn't be so different from last night when I introduced you to my brother and his family. It was my first time introducing a girlfriend to them, too."
"Siblings are different from parents," she contended. "And your brother and his wife were really cool and fun."
"They loved you. But then, who wouldn't," Rob said softly.
She smiled at him. "I loved them, too. And their kids are wonderful."
"Do you think your parents would like me?"
"Absolutely. They'll probably just faint with surprise."
"Why?"
She shook her head as if to banish some unpleasant thought. "Nothing. Well, we better go in."
She attempted to steady her nerves during the short walk to her parents' front door. She had no doubts her parents would be warm and hospitable. They were wonderful people. But if it was her sister, Jasmine, who was bringing Rob home, her parents would have taken it in their stride. Jasmine was the beautiful daughter who attracted the handsome men. She'd brought home many of them. In fact, too many for her parents' liking. They'd much rather Jasmine settled down with one than fall in and out of love a few times a year.
She just didn't want to be embarrassed in front of Rob when her p
arents' astonishment that she was able to snare someone as hot as him became evident.
Oh hell, who was she kidding. She was nervous because Jasmine would be there, too. She hadn't gotten over the fact that when they were in their early twenties, four guys she was interested in ended up wanting Jasmine rather than her. It was a big blow, after big blow, after big blow, after big blow. She could only hope Jasmine had brought a hunky boyfriend with her today. She would really crack if her man-magnet personality turned towards Rob.
"Darling, it's good to have you home!" Alice cried as she enveloped Jessa in a big hug.
"It's good to be home, mum," she replied sincerely. She may love living in Sydney away from her family but that didn't mean she didn't miss them. She loved coming home to Melbourne - to this house.
"Oh, look at you." Alice held her at arms length and looked her over. "I love your new hair-do and you are glowing," she said, eyes shining with a mother's love.
Jessa blushed. She wasn't used to her mum complimenting her on her looks.
"This is Rob, mum," she said shyly. Then turning to Rob, she introduced her mother to him. "This is my mum, Alice, Rob."
"It's great to meet you, Mrs. Allen," Rob responded, kissing Alice on her cheek.
"Please call me, Alice, Rob. And it's a pleasure to meet you. Come on in, come on in. Your sister hasn't arrived yet, Jess. But dad's in the kitchen cooking up a storm."
Dutifully, they followed Alice to where fragrant smells were coming from.
"Wow! Everything smells delicious, dad," Jessa said as she went to the man who was checking something in the oven.
"Hello, Jessie," Joe said as he kissed her forehead. "Everything has to be delicious. We're celebrating your 29th birthday."
"It's not for another two weeks."
"Are you coming back here in two weeks?" her dad boomed.
"Uh, no."
"Well then, tonight's your birthday dinner. Now, introduce me to your man," he commanded.
"Okay." She reached for Rob who moved closer to them.
Joe twisted around and extended his right hand after wiping it on his apron. "Hello, I'm Joe, Jessa's father."
"It's great to meet you, sir. I'm Rob."
Rob clutched Joe's extended hand with a sure grip and stared back unflinchingly at the piercing gaze directed at him by Jessa's dad.
"So, you're from Sydney, Rob."
"Yes, I was originally from there. For the last five years, Melbourne has been home but I'm currently in the process of moving back to Sydney."
"Rob has a marketing consultancy business here," Jessa explained to her parents. "But he is expanding to Sydney."
"Congratulations," Alice said. "Business must be doing well if you're relocating back there to expand."
"Actually, I'm moving back because of Jessa." Rob sent her a loving smile which she returned with equal affection.
Joe visibly relaxed and clasped his hand on Rob's shoulder. "Why don't we all have a drink while we wait for Jasmine?"
They sat at the stools by the breakfast counter.
"Whereabouts in Sydney will you be moving to, Rob?"
Rob cast a questioning glance at Jessa as he answered. "We found a place at Crows Nest which is not far from Jessa's current place."
"I'm moving in with Rob, mum and dad. The new place would be ready for us next week," Jessa announced.
"Oh," Joe said in surprise. "Kind of quick, isn't it? How long have you kids been dating?"
"Four months," she replied. "And I'm almost twenty-nine, dad."
Joe sighed. "I know, Jessie. So can we visit you in your new place?"
"Of course," she and Rob responded together. "Anytime," Rob added for good measure.
The doorbell rang and Alice went to get it.
Jasmine walked into the kitchen, looking her usual gorgeous self in a designer dress and coat. She was carrying a box. "Jess!"
"Hi, Jas." Jessa went to hug her little sister.
Jasmine was two years younger than she was but had always been the more worldly, sophisticated one. She had no doubt Jasmine could have been a supermodel if she was just a little taller.
"Is that my birthday cake?" she asked.
"Hey, you can't peep. You'll see it later."
Jasmine looked behind her and her sister's eyes opened wide in appreciation. She fought the urge to sigh loudly. Her sister had caught sight of Rob and she liked what she saw.
Jasmine wasn't malicious. In fact, she had a huge heart. But she was a big flirt and had the aura of a damsel in distress that seemed to snare all male attention around her. Men just naturally seemed to fall for her charms.
"Hi, you must be Rob," Jasmine said, extending her hand to him.
"Yes, it's good to meet you, Jasmine."
"You, too. I can't believe my sister's finally brought home a boyfriend. You're the first one, you know. She must really like you a lot."
"I sure hope so," Rob grinned.
"I more than like him, Jas," she interjected, eyeballing her sister. "I love him."
Rob's face shone with tenderness as he put his arm around her shoulders and kissed her hair. "I love you, too, baby."
She breathed easier. Not only had she staked her claim, but her whole family heard how Rob felt about her. That was enough. She wouldn't worry anymore.
The rest of the night was fun and relaxed. Rob and Joe had gotten along like a house on fire and stayed in the dining room, talking about business, sports and whatever else men talked about. Jessa sat on the couch with her mum and Jasmine sipping tea.
"He's really hot, Jess. The two of you look great together," Jasmine remarked. Her mum murmured her agreement.
Jessa arched her eyebrows. "That's almost implying I look hot, too," she joked.
"Well, you are. Especially with your new hair style and that trendy outfit. You look really good."
"Thanks," she blushed. Her sister thought she was hot. That was something.
"Are you blushing, Jess?" Jasmine's eyes were wide with amusement. "Still can't take a compliment, can you?"
She reddened deeper.
"What?" Jasmine demanded, laughing at her reaction.
"Nothing. You know I'm just not used to being … hot."
"You mean to tell me Rob hasn't told you you're hot?"
"Sure, he has. But that's because he's in love, so he's blind," she chuckled.
"You were always the one who hid your beauty, Jess," her mum commented. "You didn't use to be interested in getting your hair done or putting on make up or buying clothes that flatter you. Your dad and I have always seen you as more interested in intellectual pursuits than in beauty and fashion."
"And I'm the opposite one, right, mum?" Jasmine asked.
"Yes, although we really hope you'd take relationships more seriously, darling. Find yourself a nice man and stick with him for longer than three months."
Jasmine pouted. "I really want to! But none of them are interesting enough to hold my attention for longer than that."
Alice shook her head at her younger daughter.
"Is he 'the one' Jess?" Jasmine asked.
A shy smile spread on her face. "I think so."
"Well, it's obvious he's crazy about you," Jasmine said with a wide, knowing grin.
In that moment with her mother and sister, some haze that Jessa didn't even notice before had lifted. She felt loved and she felt beautiful. It was then she realised beauty is indeed in the eye of the beholder. With a cheeky grin, she made a commitment to finally acknowledge her own beauty.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Wakefulness slowly came to Jessa as she felt Rob stir beside her. She sighed in pure contentment as she snuggled closer to him. His arm tightened possessively around her waist and his leg draped over hers. She could feel his familiar morning erection on her belly.
"Good morning, sweetheart. Happy birthday," Rob said huskily as he lifted her face to his and kissed her.
"Good morning, honey, and thank you," she murmured against his lip
s.
"Time for one of your birthday presents," he whispered wickedly in her ear as he ran his hand over her body.
She giggled and put her arms around Rob's neck as he proceeded to make sweet love to her. She couldn't think of a better way to start her birthday.
When they were both catching their breaths from their satisfying orgasms, Rob asked her, "What do you want to do today, baby? We can do anything you want until about five this afternoon."
"What happens at five?"
"I've planned a special birthday dinner for you."
"Oh, where?"
"It's a surprise," Rob grinned widely.
She grinned back and stroked his face lovingly. "I can't wait."
"So what do you want to do before then?"
"I really want to stay in bed with you for a while longer. Then maybe we can go out for a brunch and watch a movie in the afternoon."
"Sounds good."
"So where are we going, baby?" Jessa asked Rob as she got dressed for her birthday dinner.
"You'll know soon enough," he smiled mysteriously.
Just as she was putting on her makeup, the doorbell rang and Rob went to get it. She wondered who it could be until she heard familiar voices. Faye and Clarise! She ran out of the bedroom and down the stairs to find her two gorgeous best friends in sexy party dresses.
"Happy birthday, girlfriend!" They hugged each other tightly.
"Oh, my God! What are you guys doing here? Wait a second, you're joining us for my birthday dinner, aren't you?"
"There's no way we'd let Mr. Granger keep us away from you on your birthday," Faye replied.
From the open front door, she spied Rob and Will discussing the contents of a big box Will was carrying.
"Hey, go back upstairs and finish getting ready. You can't see that yet until you're ready to blow your candles."
~~~~~~~
"It's a nice place, Jess. Lots of room for just the two of you," Faye commented as Jessa showed them around their new place.
"Rob wanted three bedrooms so we can have a study room each that could also double as guest bedrooms with sofa beds. I love this place although I still feel a little guilty I'm not contributing anything towards the rent. Rob's just so set on paying the whole thing himself."
Heart Robber (Lifestyle by Design Book 2) Page 16
