CHAPTER SEVEN
The next morning I woke up early and went for a run. I needed to get my head straight. I was hired to be professional and keep him on task. I was going to go back to the house today and keep my head down and do my job. The next few weeks were jam packed with studio time and the record company had lined up a few interviews for the band so I needed to help him prepare for that, all I needed to do was focus. I had just rounded the corner, making my way toward the park, when I heard someone behind me running at a good pace. I quickly moved to the side, allowing them to pass, when I looked over and saw Jesse smiling at me.
“Good morning Rhyann.” He greeted me through even breaths.
“Do you always come out this far when running or did you come to see me?” I couldn’t help but notice my voice sounded as if I were gasping for air.
“Sure, I run this path all the time. Why would I come out here just for you?” He scowled.
“Interesting, I’ve never seen you out here.” I teased.
“I guess that’s because you're not here every day like I am.” He replied smartly, increasing his speed and leaving me in his dust. I growled inwardly, hating that he was better at this than I was. To say that sports were not my thing was an understatement. I never played them in high school. I preferred working on the school paper or the yearbook. I was a bit of a nerd in school, and it hadn’t helped that I carried at least fifteen extra pounds on me most of my teenage years. Running afforded me the ability to literally have my cake and eat it too, which I appreciated since I'm a big fan of sweets. When he saw that I hadn’t taken him up on his challenge he slowed down and waited for me to catch up. Even after sweating he still smelled amazing. The musky smell of his sweat, mixed with his cologne, did something to set off my hormones. I had to get out of here. After we'd gone two miles I’d had enough.
“This is where I turn around.” I said, stopping abruptly.
“You’re quitting already?” he teased.
“Yeah well, if you hadn’t already noticed I am not in the best physical shape. I don’t enjoy exercise but I make myself do it because I enjoy food.” I replied smartly before bending over and wrapping my arms around my thighs. The stretch felt great, and when I stood up I noticed Jesse watching me intently before he began to stretch. I chewed on my bottom lip and cocked my head to the side.
“Can I ask you something personal?” I asked, while in mid-lunge.
“Sure, ask me anything.” He shrugged nonchalantly before continuing to stretch out his hamstring. He was wearing a tank top and shorts. The tank cut low under his arms and showed off the toned skin of his chest and ribcage. In that shirt I was able to see the tattoos that had been ingrained on my memory. On the right side of his body was a fire-breathing dragon, which was an incredible shade of green dotted with red and gold flecks. The head reached over his right shoulder, flames from its mouth spilled down his back, the body covered most of the right side of his chest and the tail wrapped around his ribcage with the point of it ending at the waist of his gym shorts. It was so beautifully created that I couldn’t help but want to reach out and trace all of the dark lines within it. There were symbols on the back of his left bicep that appeared to be Hebrew, although I wasn’t sure what they said. Then on his right bicep he had the band’s logo from their first album cover, a ribbon of letters that spilled from a broken heart and twisted around the neck of a guitar, all in glorious shades of red, black, blue, and white, and every time he flexed his arm the heart appeared to be pulsing. I couldn’t take my eyes off it. He caught me staring and broke the spell.
“Rhyann? You wanted to ask me something?”
“Oh yeah, right. Sorry. What is the purpose of having so many women in your bed? Are you keeping a private tally or something?”
A strangled sound erupted from his throat as a pained expression clouded his beautiful face. “What the hell kind of question is that? I thought you were going to ask me about running or something. Damn Rhyann.” he shook his head, obviously annoyed by my bluntness.
“What? I think it's an appropriate question. I work for you. We are friends. You asked me to help you detox. I’m just trying to figure out why they are there in the first place."
He chuckled and placed his hands on his hips. “Yeah, surprisingly enough given our history, I would consider us friends.” We stared at each other for a moment, both of us holding our breath. He turned his head and kicked at a clump of grass with the toe of his shoe before speaking again. “I guess I have a lot of women in my bed because I like variety. It’s a form of release. I get bored easily.”
I raised my eyebrows in shock, not expecting that kind of honesty. “You get bored easily? Wow. Don’t you ever think about their feelings?”
“I think plenty about their feelings when we’re having sex, and I'm very attentive." His eyes challenged me to argue that point, but I didn't because it would have been a lie. "After that, I don’t think about them at all.” He stated, flatly, then walked to a nearby bench and sat down.
Not gonna lie, that hurt a little.
“Oh, and am I to assume that they are satisfied with that arrangement?” I plopped down next to him, not deterred by his hurtful response.
“I haven’t had any complaints.” His brow rose to an alarming height and he feigned a scowl.
“That you know of,” I challenged.
"I didn't hear you complaining." He snapped.
"Yeah, well, I didn't stick around long enough to complain."
“Whose fault was that? I never asked you to leave." He admitted, and my stomach churned in response to the direction this conversation had taken. We sat quietly, both staring at the ground. It was times like this when I questioned if our working relationship was truly healthy for either one of us. We clearly cared for each other, though I had been the only one brave enough to admit it.
"So, Miss twenty questions, tell me what you do for release?”
“Excuse me?" Even though we had always been blunt with one another, I still hadn't been able to prevent my jaw from falling open at his question. "How is my release any of your business?”
He shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. “Just curious. I want to get to know you better. You told me yourself that you have sex with batteries. How's that working out for you?"
“Well, I think that's my queue to leave." I turned and made my way down the path, all the while fighting the urge to run for the safety of my old apartment.
“Don't forget we have Stefani's birthday dinner tonight.” He called after me, before heading the other way, continuing on with his run.
Tyler and Stefani lived in a condo located right in the heart of Belltown, a trendy part of town located right along scenic Elliott Bay. When I first moved to Seattle I used to drive to this part of town and just sit on a bench overlooking the bay. This town has an awesome vibe and a lot of up and coming twenty-something's started taking over a few years ago. Jesse found a parking space two blocks over from their building and we walked the entire distance in silence. As we entered the room I noted that we were the last to arrive, and after walking through the door we parted ways. I joined Stefani in the kitchen where she was overseeing the caterers.
“Happy Birthday!” I hugged her tightly. “Do you need my help with anything?” I asked, even though I could tell this was already a well-oiled machine. Stefani was the most organized person I had ever met. She practically made me look dysfunctional.
“No sweetie I think we’re good here. Let’s grab some champagne and join the guys,” she grinned and turned to grab two glasses from a silver tray.
“Thanks,” I said taking the champagne and bringing the glass up to my lips. “Umm, this is heavenly. Is anyone else joining us?” I looked around and saw the band and smiled when I realized that David and Sam had each brought a date.
“No. Tyler invited Charlie but he had a prior commitment so it’s just us tonight. Did you see the two girls with David and Sam? The redhead is Sarah, and she is with David. The ra
ven-haired beauty is Cassie. and she is with Sam, she’s a doll. Let me introduce you,” she said taking my arm.
“Hi, you must be Rhyann. Sam has told me so much about you. I’m Cassie,” she smiled warmly. Her dark brown eyes sparkled as she spoke. I could already tell that I was going to like her. She was a very friendly girl.
“Well, I hope he hasn’t told you everything about me. I don’t want to scare you off,” I joked. Sam and I had a playful relationship that bordered on excessive flirting but it was all in fun. “It’s lovely to meet you.”
“Rhyann, this is Sarah,” Stefani said as she turned my attention to the redhead sitting on David’s lap.
“Hi,” she giggled. “Sorry I can’t get up to greet you properly. I’m sort of trapped.” It was true, she was literally being pinned down by one of the big guys muscular arms.
“Nice to meet you Sarah,” I laughed. “It’s good to see him with someone who appreciates his bulk. But don’t let him fool you, he’s a teddy bear.”
“Hey, don’t go tainting my reputation by calling me pansy names,” David grumbled. “You know I don’t show my teddy bear side to just anyone,” he winked.
“Good to see you." Tyler smiled warmly as he pulled me in for an embrace. “You and Jesse okay? He’s acting a bit strange.” He whispered, looking over in Jesse’s direction and finding him holding a bottle of whiskey in one hand and an empty glass in the other, staring off into space.
Tyler was a great guy, a few years older than Jesse, and he seemed perfectly content doting on his lovely wife. He was very easy going and I often found myself hanging with him in the kitchen when the guys were all gathered at the house throughout the week. We talked about everything from music, to family, his thoughts on what it takes to make a marriage last, and kids. He and Stefani would like to start a family someday, but the demands of being in a rock band don't always make it easy on the wife of said rocker.
“Yeah, I guess so. He just needs to unwind. He’s been so focused on the band. Tonight will be good for him.” I put on my best smile, hoping like hell it would convince not only Tyler but myself as well.
“Hey Rhyann! Let me finish killing David and I’ll come give you a smooch.” Sam yelled to me as they dueled it out on the Xbox. When he came out the victor he slammed down the controller and jumped over the back of the couch, grabbing me in the process. “Now where’s my kiss woman?” He dramatically dipped me back and planted one on me, causing me to erupt into a fit of giggles.
“Stop it you goofball,” I laughed and playfully slapped at his roaming hands. I looked over at his date and she was laughing her ass off, obviously not affected by his outrageous display of affection. When I caught Jesse’s eye he wasn’t laughing, he cocked his brow and scowled before slamming a glass of straight whiskey. Oh well, at least one of us was letting their hair down.
“Okay you two, break it up,” Stefani laughed. “Dinner is ready.” We followed her into the formal dining room and took our places at the table as the caterers began to serve us.
As luck would have it, I was seated directly across from Jesse and was instantly uncomfortable. Cassie was seated to my right and I quickly started up a friendly conversation to distract me from Jesse’s eyes staring a hole right through me. He had another whiskey in his hand, and by the end of the second course he had managed to throw back two more of them. Oh boy, I knew this was about to get interesting.
“So, how long have you been working for Jesse?” Cassie asked.
“Oh, just over two months.” I replied, taking a sip of champagne. “Honestly, it has been a whirlwind of activity and I guess I’ve lost track of time.”
“Are you two dating?” She gushed.
“No! We’re not dating,” I snapped, maybe a bit too harshly. “Why do you ask?”
“Because he hasn’t taken his eyes off you all night,” she whispered.
I looked over and studied the expression on Jesse’s face. Come to think of it, he hadn’t stopped staring at me since the scene with Sam, and the more whiskey he drank the darker his eyes became. I felt the butterflies in my stomach start to flutter, and the longer he stared other parts of my body began to quiver, making me even more uncomfortable. This was not good. I can’t allow my feelings for him to control me. The second course had just been placed before us when he leaned over and placed a hand on my arm.
“Can I talk to you? Alone.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
“Sure,” I replied quizzically, before turning to Cassie, who looked equally bewildered by his behavior. “Excuse us for a moment.” I followed him down the hall into a guest bathroom. I leaned against the wall and folded my arms over my chest as Jesse shut the door behind him. “What’s up?”
“I’ve been thinking about our conversation in the park.” He began, stepping further into my comfort zone. His words were a little slurred, and as he spoke his head cocked to the left, causing a lock of hair to fall over his face. “I have a question for you. If I wasn’t your boss, and we were just a couple of friends, would you want me to kiss you again?” He stretched out a hand, stroking his thumb over my cheek. My head instinctively leaned into his touch, as if somehow drawn to him.
“I don’t know. Probably.” I reached forward to tuck the loose strand behind his ear. “Why are you asking me this? Is it because I let Sam kiss me?” I looked up, waiting for his response. He dipped his head and I held my breath, anticipating what he would do next. This man had me feeling all sorts of things, and right now my thighs felt weak and I was afraid they would no longer support my weight. My lips suddenly felt as if I had been wandering around the desert for days without water. I felt weak and parched and his touch was the only thing that could quench me.
The kiss started out slow as he teased his lips against mine, and it wasn’t long before my lips parted, welcoming his tongue as it brushed softly against the tender flesh of my own. His hand cupped the back of my head, drawing me closer, and I whimpered as he crushed his hard body to mine. He gently pushed and pulled against my mouth as he slowly began breaking down my carefully constructed walls. I closed my eyes, melting into him as our tongues clashed and collided together, his mouth continuing to devour me. His hand slid down my back and over the curve of my ass, covered only by the thin cotton of my dress, before grasping the back of my thigh, pulling my leg up and around his, opening me up for him to press his arousal tighter against my body. My eyes fluttered open, and I caught a glimpse of us in the large mirror behind the sink. My eyes skimmed over his muscular back, and appreciated the way his jeans hugged his firm ass. What I saw in that brief glimpse wasn’t the kiss of two friends, it was a passion that could only be found between lovers, and that both excited and scared the hell out of me.
Without intending to, I had let go of all my inhibitions, giving myself freely to the lust brought on by the six-foot-two sex god that currently had his expert tongue shoved down my throat. I was torn between wanting to run away, and taking him right there on the bathroom floor. I remembered the promise he had made when I agreed to come work for him. I think at this point we had definitely crossed a line. He pulled back slowly, placing delicate kisses from one side of my mouth to the other. When we finally broke apart my body was flush with excitement, and I felt weak in the knees.
“Tell me you didn’t feel something just then.” He demanded, breathlessly, his forehead pressed firmly into mine. My back was against the wall, my leg still hitched around him, and his palms were pressed flat to the wall, trapping me beneath him. I was painfully aware that I had found myself in this precarious position before. The smell of him was intoxicating, and it wasn’t just the whiskey on his breath. I couldn’t think straight when he was this close. If I told him the truth then it would probably lead to sex, but that’s all it would amount to. Even though I couldn't deny that I wanted him in that way, I wanted his heart more. I lowered my leg slowly, and it took everything I had to open my mouth and outright lie to him.
“I don’t know, it’s hard to say for
sure because I’ve had a few glasses of champagne…” I trailed off, voice shaky and uncertain.
My Only Regret (Twisted Fate Book 1) Page 8