Real Men Knit

by Kwana Jackson

  Jesse willed his heart to calm down and hoped his hard-on would hold out on top of it. Maybe he should look at the TV. The game was on. That sort of thing was supposed to be a surefire hard-on extender. Not that he ever needed anything to last with any other women. With all the other women he’d been with he’d never had trouble lasting during sex. He’d lasted as long as he wanted. And when he was ready for it to be over, boom, he called it and it was done. But with Kerry, he thought as his hands stroked her sides, came across her trim waist, felt around her soft, pillowy hips and tasted her peach lips, with her he felt completely out of control. He didn’t think he’d last three more minutes into this kiss, let alone thirty seconds actually inside her.

  But God, he sure wanted to try. Jesse breathed in deep and let his tongue stroke hers. She let out a moan, and Jesse opened his eyes. She was so pretty. So damned pretty that he froze, seeing the look of erotic abandon as her eyes fluttered closed behind her glasses, the beautiful blush of purple coming through on her cheeks and across her collarbone. Her lips were swollen and puffy, making his throb to kiss hers again.

  He could destroy her. He could so very easily take all this beauty, and could ruin it. He knew this. And that would in the end destroy him.

  Kerry moaned once again, then opened her eyes and stared at him. She tipped that no-longer-innocent tongue out and licked her top lip, causing his dick to respond in time, then she gave him a one-quarter sweet, three-quarters wicked smile.

  Jesse smiled back but couldn’t quite meet her eyes. This wasn’t right. It was better to keep what they had where it was and his fantasies about a future of even thirty seconds with Kerry where they belonged.

  Kerry tugged at his hair, this time nowhere near as sensually as she had earlier. She looked at him with stern eyes.

  “Ouch! Gentle, Ker,” he said. “I’d like to keep my hair follicles, thank you.”

  “Don’t you dare, Jesse Strong. If you go and get all up in your head now and leave me to finish off myself, I’m kicking your ass.”

  Jesse froze. The thought of Kerry finishing herself off put his mind in a tilt. He felt his mouth drop open and it took a moment to remember to close it. “Wait a minute. Nice girls like you don’t do things like finish themselves off.”

  She shifted on him again as she pulled back, seriously testing his limits of control.

  “Whoever said I was a nice girl, and how would you know what nice girls do and don’t do?”

  Jesse frowned and looked at her. Well, she had a point there. A couple, at that. Kerry leaned in again, this time bringing her tongue out and licking long but gently at the tendon along the side of his neck. She came up and whispered in his ear. “And wannabe bad boys like you should know it’s not polite to leave girls like me hanging. So come on and finish what you started.”

  Jesse would have laughed over the cuteness of it all if he wasn’t so hard. He wrapped his hands firmly around her ass cheeks and waist, and hefted them both from the couch, heading down the hall. “All right then, Nice Girl, but remember, you asked for this.”

  Her laughter was the best “yes” he’d ever heard. “Oh, I’ll remember all right. Trust and believe it’s something I’m sure neither of us will forget.”

  21

  Yes. Yes . . . yes . . . yes . . .”

  The low and whispered yesses were by far the best Kerry had ever heard or dreamed of in her life, and the fact that she was hearing them from the lips of Jesse Strong was almost mind-boggling. He’d carried her first to his bedroom and paused outside the door, but then looked her in the eye and shook his head.

  “Um, it’s kind of a mess in there. I wasn’t quite prepared for a guest.”

  She gave him an “Oh really” look and he tapped her on her behind.

  “Don’t you start, now,” he said, and headed toward Damian’s room.

  Once there, though, it seemed like all Kerry’s bravado of moments before faded as Jesse lowered her to the bed, more gently than she had expected, and began to kiss her with more tenderness than she ever thought possible. He kissed her neck, her shoulders, then went down, lifting her top slowly while fluttering kisses on each bit of exposed skin he encountered. The feeling of his warm lips mixed with the sensation of the cool sheets at her back was driving her out of her mind.

  When Jesse finally got to her breasts and lightly kissed her nipples through her bra, he tipped out his tongue, wetting the fabric. Her nipples peaked and hardened, and the flesh between her thighs responded in kind, causing her to squeeze her legs tighter together. Kerry felt it, the moment when his smile spread across his face, and she brought her head up. “Don’t get all smug now.”

  Jesse looked up at her and shook his head. “Believe me, there is nothing smug about the way I’m feeling. This is just pure unadulterated joy right here. And I plan on swimming in it.”

  She laughed but the laughter died in her throat as Jesse leaned up and pulled his T-shirt up over his head, flinging it to the floor. Kerry fought to catch her breath. Jesse grinned. “Good. Now you know a little bit of my suffering.”

  Kerry covered her face as she felt the heat creep up. Jesse reached out and pulled her hands away, kissing each fingertip as he did so, causing electric tingles to go from their tips throughout her body. “Your hands are so beautiful,” he said, his voice low and more serious than she had expected.

  Kerry felt her brows draw together. “My hands? That’s unexpected.” She pulled her hand from his and waved it across her body. “I mean, there is a whole lot more here to admire.”

  He grinned and pulled her hand back into his but leaned forward and kissed her lips before pulling back. “I know and totally agree. I plan to properly admire all of it, woman. But I have admired your hands for a long time, so I just thought I’d let you know that.” He kissed the tops again, then let his tongue tip out, the pink tip teasing her index finger, causing her to clench tight between her thighs.

  “I love watching you knit. Watching the way your fingers move. So smoothly, with such confidence. It always mesmerizes me. You make so many cute things. Hats, scarves, gloves . . .” His voice trailed off, but she could tell there was more he wanted to say. He kissed the tip of her finger again, then leaned in and gave it a tiny suck, the sensation giving her an even harder pull between her legs. Kerry sucked in a breath.

  “I always wanted to receive one of those cute knitted gifts from you.” He paused, and for a moment he looked embarrassed. “You know, I was always jealous. Every holiday you always gave something handmade to the others but not to me.”

  Kerry stilled. Had he really noticed that? She couldn’t believe he’d noticed that. She pulled her hand away and looked at him. “I didn’t,” she said. “I mean, I would always make something for Mama Joy and maybe a hat or two for your brothers, but that was no big deal.”

  He shrugged and poked his lip out, looking every bit like the cute thirteen-year-old she’d fallen for a million years ago.

  “Besides,” Kerry added, “how can you say that when somewhere in this house is probably a box full of your handmade discards?”

  “What are you talking about?” Jesse asked, sitting up and looking more interested.

  Kerry bit her lip and shook her head. “It’s nothing.” She waved her fingers in front of his face. “Continue with what you were doing.”

  It was Jesse’s turn to shake his head. “Oh no, ma’am. You’re not doing that. What were you going to say? No holding back on your words when we’re both hot and horny for each other. The least we can do in this state is be honest.”

  Kerry looked at him wide-eyed. Honest while horny? Kerry swallowed before she spoke. “I just always felt I never needed to add the hard fruits of my labor and my love to the pile of gifts you’ve received and tossed aside from so many girls over the years.” He stared at her with confusion in his pretty green eyes, so she continued. “I’d seen that drama pla
yed out way too many times to want a part in it.”

  Jesse was quiet for a moment but finally, after a few beats, seemed to understand the meaning of her words. He tilted his head, then nodded. “I get you. I was a jerk when it came to girls.”

  Kerry raised a brow.

  Jesse sighed. “Cut a naked man some slack, please. But I’m talking about you here. You and me. We were never them. When it comes to you, well, still, a man can dream.”

  Kerry nodded. “True. Just like a woman can wonder why we’re having this conversation while we’re both half-naked when there are so many better things we could be doing.”

  She leaned up and put her hand to his chest. Feeling his heartbeat under her palm, loving the life out of it. She kissed him and he returned her passion in kind, taking the kiss deeper, then finally going lower, his hands lifting her skirt and pulling down her panties as she raised her hips. Once again, Jesse paused. “Shit.”

  She lifted her head. “What now?”

  He laughed. “I should have stopped by my room,” he said, an apology in his voice. “Just give me fifteen seconds.”

  She laughed. “Okay, but I’m counting in my head.”

  Thankfully he only needed ten and was back before she barely got the rest of her clothes off herself. “Shoot, I wanted to do that,” he said when he saw that she was already under the covers. Naked with a smile.

  “Don’t worry, there’s plenty left for you to do.”

  He grinned and threw the condoms he’d brought in onto the nightstand and took off his shorts and tank. “Don’t worry, Kerry Girl. I plan on doing it all.”

  22

  Dammit. On my good sheets too?” Damian sounded like he was ready to call 911 over the unwelcome sight that had invaded his bed.

  Jesse groaned and sucked in a breath. God, Kerry smelled sweet, even first thing in the morning. He pulled her in closer toward him, and she moaned. How could she be sleeping through this? But then again, they had gone more than a few rounds last night.

  Damian growled. “Did you hear me? I said those are my good sheets.”

  Jesse sat up, careful to keep Kerry covered while making a gesture for Damian to keep it down. “Would you stop being so dramatic,” he whispered. “If these were your good sheets, you would have taken them with you to your place. They are your moderately good sheets at best, you stingy bum.” He looked into Damian’s angry eyes.

  “They are my good sheets,” Damian countered, “and now they are ruined with your, well—” He made a face as he looked from Jesse to Kerry’s covered form.

  Jesse reached to cover her further, and she shifted, her hips moving provocatively and his dick jumping as if being signaled by the call of a bell.

  “Freaking crap,” Damian said. “Just throw away the whole damned bed.”

  Kerry groaned and sat up, clutching the sheet to her naked chest. She reached over to the nightstand for her glasses and Jesse dived to be sure her ass stayed covered. It was bad enough that Damian was standing there. There was no way he was getting a look at Kerry’s naked body. No. Fucking. Way.

  She put her glasses on, then looked back and forth between the two of them. “Seriously, isn’t it a little early to be having this conversation? And why are you arguing over sheets anyway?” She leveled her comment at Damian, who was staring at her now openmouthed. If he drooled, Jesse swore he was going to punch him.

  “Don’t worry, I’ll replace them,” she said. “Now, what are you doing here so early in the morning, and why are you barging into my room? I mean, technically it is my room, at least for right now. So, do you mind . . . ?” She made a shooing GTFO gesture with her hand just when both Lucas and Noah appeared in the doorway.

  “What is going . . . ?” Noah started, and fell silent when he saw the two of them on the bed. His smile went wide, but Jesse immediately noticed Lucas’s frown.

  “This is getting ridiculous,” Jesse said. “What are you all doing here and why are you all in Kerry’s doorway?”

  “Kerry, you’re the one who told us to come to work this morning,” Lucas said.

  “Oh, yeah. Sorry. I forgot about that,” she said. “But not in my bedroom.”

  Noah laughed. “Yeah, that’s Jesse’s job.”

  “Go downstairs now, brother, before I beat your ass,” Jesse said.

  Noah laughed, then looked at Kerry. She was glaring at Noah with deadly intent, not realizing she looked sexy as hell wrapped in the sheet with sleep in her eyes. Her lips were still swollen from all their kissing last night.

  Noah sobered. “It’s not you I’m afraid of right now. It’s the new master of the house over there.” He put up his hands. “Don’t worry, Kerry, I’m leaving. I’ll, um, get the coffee started. Is there anything else you want? Eggs, bacon, juice? You, um, want to keep your strength up.”

  “Go. Now,” she said to them all, and finally Jesse and Kerry were alone once again.

  Jesse immediately leaned in and kissed Kerry on her bare shoulder. “I’m so sorry about that. My brothers are the worst. They shouldn’t have done that and made you feel uncomfortable. I’m going to individually and collectively kick their asses.”

  Kerry shook her head, then looked at him with eyes more serious than he had expected. There was no trace of the soft, sensual eyes from last night, and he was instantly missing them. “Don’t worry about what Noah said or about what happened between us last night.”

  Jesse frowned. What was she talking about, don’t worry? Who was worried?

  “I am definitely not the master and don’t think of myself as any sort of mistress of this house. What happened between us was lovely, but I know what it was. It changes nothing. I won’t hold you back, and I won’t cling to you.”

  He blinked, her words not quite registering.

  “Don’t you want me?”

  Kerry looked at him and smiled. “What do you mean, don’t I want you?” She reached out and touched his chest, then leaned forward and kissed him. When she pulled back, she licked at her lips. “If what we did last night is any indication, then of course I want you.” Then she patted his thigh and grinned. “Now come on. Let’s get going, because if we’re up here for any longer, I’m afraid your brothers will be back.”

  Jesse watched as Kerry got up, slipped into a robe and headed out and down the hall to the shower. When she was gone, he slammed his head back against the headboard. Hard. She didn’t want him. No, she wanted him, but not the real him. She knew the real him. The piece-of-shit, no-good, can’t-be-depended-on, lacking him. And she had decided he was only good for a temporary fuck and she’d get that and move on. Jesse nodded his head. He couldn’t blame her. Kerry was no dummy.

  She’d been in his life long enough to know the ropes, and if he were her, he’d do the same. He got up from the bed with heavy legs and an even heavier heart. He pulled on his boxers and proceeded to strip the bed, taking Damian’s moderately good sheets with him. Oh well, the way he saw it, he had maybe a few good weeks with her left. He might as well do what he could to make the best of them before she said goodbye forever.

  * * *

  Kerry turned on the shower, looked around as if she was a spy on a covert mission and then quickly hit the button on her cell, dialing up Val. It was still early and Val was probably asleep, but she’d forgive her once she knew what the call was about.

  “This had better be good,” came Val’s groggy and deadly sounding greeting.

  “I did it,” Kerry whispered. “I mean, we did it?”

  “Well then, explain to me why either A) you are not still doing it or B) not sleeping it off?” Val said, clearly annoyed over the wake-up—but come on, she should be shouting over it.

  “For the record,” Kerry said, starting in on her explanation, “I was sleeping it off—I mean, me and Jesse were still sleeping, but got woken up and caught by first Damian and then Lucas and Noah. He
ll, the whole crew of them caught me practically naked in the bed.”

  That news finally woke Val up. “You lucky freaking duck!” her friend yelled in her ear, causing her to wince. “What is this life you’re living? Who wakes up like this? Did you flash them? I know you didn’t, but I sure would have! Just a little bit to see who reacted how. You didn’t flash them, did you?”

  Kerry sighed but couldn’t help smiling. “Of course I didn’t.”

  “I knew it. But shit, a girl can dream. Damn! So what are you doing now? Where are your four Harlem knights?”

  “I’m in the bathroom. Jesse went to get dressed and the others are downstairs. I stupidly asked them to come over this morning to help out and take some more promo photos, but now I just want to get out of here and hide. It was all so awkward. Damian and Lucas looked horrified. Noah was practically ready to marry me off and start calling me sister-in-law. I’m sure that must have scared Jesse to death.”

  “Why would it scare him?” Val asked.

  “Why would it not?” Kerry said. “The last thing he wants is a woman clinging to him, and I’d be the worst possible one. It was hard enough getting him to sleep with me. I know he wanted to, but getting him past the whole not-wanting-to-hurt-me, good-girl, settle-down thoughts he had about me were hard.”

  Val was quiet.

  “Are you still there?” Kerry finally asked. “Did you doze back off?”

  “I’m here. Just thinking. Are you sure he’s having the thoughts you think he is?”

  “Why are you asking me that? Of course. I know him.”

  “Okay, if you say so,” Val said, then brightened her tone. “Do you need me to come over there today? Handle a little crowd control with all those men? I have a hair appointment at ten, but I could come over when I’m done?”