Bedroom Rodeo: A Billionaire Romance

by Sarah J. Brooks

  “Well,” Hal said, and Jesse could hear some hesitation in his voice. “I was actually wondering what you were doing today after work.”

  Jesse blinked in surprise and once again looked around to ensure nobody was trying to listen in on her phone conversation.

  “Well,” she said, still somewhat off guard, “I didn’t have anything in mind, to be honest.”

  “Perfect,” Hal said from the other line, his voice much brighter. “Well, perfect for me anyway.”

  “Is it?” Jesse pressed, her heart rate accelerating as thoughts ran through her mind.

  “Yes,” Hal said immediately. “Well, hopefully anyway.”

  “Right …” Jesse said, as he still had not elaborated.

  “You see,” Hal said, “I was hoping you would be able to join me for this small social gathering I have to attend. Not overly formal, more casual.”

  Jesse listened, and as Hal went on, she felt her heart beating faster. Was he asking her out? She knew she had to at least try to play it cool or she would come off as a completely easy conquest.

  “What do you mean by social gathering?” Jesse inquired, trying her best to sound reluctant. “And what do you mean by small? Only a hundred people? A thousand?”

  Hal laughed at her from across the line, and Jesse felt warmth in her stomach.

  “Much smaller,” he said, his voice still warm from his laughter. “Just a couple of friends of mine if you must know.”

  “I see,” Jesse said, still working very hard to come off as overly intrigued right off the bat. “Well, I’m just not sure …”

  “You’re not sure?” Hal said, sounding mildly offended, which served to amuse Jesse more than a little.

  “Oh well, I mean it’s just a little sudden,” Jesse offered up as an explanation.

  “Well, I would have asked you sooner,” Hal said, and she could hear the irritation that had crept into his voice. “But before yesterday, I didn’t even know I wanted you there.”

  Jesse was silent for a moment as she took in his words. She couldn’t help feeling a little flattered by what he had said, and she wondered if he was being sincere. Still, she couldn’t help but feel a little guarded, and she decided it would certainly be best to simply proceed with caution.

  “Well …” Jesse sighed, and she shuffled a few papers around on her desk to delay her response and hopefully keep Hal on edge. “Actually … you know—do you think I would even have a good time?”

  “I would personally make sure that you had a very good time,” Hal said, his voice slightly dark.

  Jesse gulped, and yet again, silence stretched across the line.

  “In that case,” Jesse said, a little more softly. “I would be delighted to go with you.”

  Jesse heard Hal release a pent up breath and a chuckle from the other end of the line.

  “Great,” he said, his tone sounding much brighter. “I can come by with Adam and pick you up at around seven.”

  “That would be nice,” Jesse said, and a smile lifted the corners of her lips. “And you remember where my apartment is?”

  “Come on now,” Hal chided her good-naturedly. “I was drunk, Jess. Not that drunk.”

  Jesse laughed, and she felt a flutter in her stomach at his nickname for her that he was beginning to use ever more often.

  “Besides,” Hal spoke up again. “If I forgot, Adam would be able to remember.”

  Jesse could clearly hear the humor in his voice, and she laughed in response to him.

  “Well, I’m sure you’ll find your way there somehow,” Jesse said, feeling a warm sensation in her center.

  “I hope so, at least,” Hal said with a chuckle. “So, seven?”

  “Yeah, sounds great,” Jesse said pleasantly.

  “Perfect,” Hal nearly purred. “I’m really looking forward to it.”

  Jesse could clearly hear the sincerity in his voice, and she felt a soft shudder roll down her spine.

  “Me too,” she said and hung up the phone.

  Jesse sat silently at her desk and let her mind whirl. She wondered vaguely how on earth any of this had ever happened to her. She could feel her excitement for the upcoming night slowly but surely building up within her.

  Chapter 22

  Hal

  Hal hung up the phone and took a deep breath. A beaming smile had taken its place on his face, and his mind whirled as he anticipated his date with Jesse.

  Hal hadn’t been able to stop thinking about her ever since he had gone home from her apartment the previous night. There was something about her that was different from other women that constantly flocked around him.

  Granted, Hal was constantly surrounded by superficial women who relied on their beauty to get them through just about any situation they found themselves in. He had always conceded that they had wit and intelligence, but they always seemed intent to use those gifts to manipulate others.

  That was something he didn’t sense in Jesse at all. He could tell that she was very intelligent and also very ambitious. And yet, she was not manipulative. There was something about her that was reserved and intelligent. She knew how to command a room, but she would not sink to deception to get the things that she wanted.

  She was sincere in her words, and playful, with a very good sense of humor. The more time that Hal spent with her, which he did admit was very little, the more he found that he was more than a little entranced by her. While this was perplexing to him, it seemed to serve as a source of immense amusement for Adam.

  “How’d it go?” Adam asked as he strolled into the room, an apple in hand.

  “Very well,” Hal said, hoping that Adam would soon abandon the topic.

  “Are you sure?” Adam raised an eyebrow and gave his friend a smirk. “It sounded like she was giving you a bit of a hard time over there. I wasn’t sure you were going to be able to manage it.”

  “Don’t be so dramatic,” Hal dismissed his friend.

  “Me?” Adam scoffed and laughed. “You were the one getting all puffy and huffy when she almost turned you down.”

  “Well, I like getting what I want.” Hal shrugged and turned in his chair to cross his legs.

  “I take it that she said yes, then,” Adam guessed.

  “Of course she did,” Hal said simply, and Adam rolled his eyes.

  “Don’t act so self-assured,” Adam chided his friend. “I heard at least one half of that talk, and I know that she put up a good fight.”

  “She was just surprised is all,” Hal easily dismissed his friend.

  “Whatever you say.” Adam shrugged and took a large bite out of his apple.

  Hal was quiet as he pondered the conversation that had just unfolded. She had seemed reluctant, and he hated to let his status get in the way of his feelings for her, but he had the strong suspicion that she was reluctant because of his money and success. He hoped that didn’t make her feel like she had to be with him if she didn’t want to, and he was sure that Adam was having the same misgivings that he was.

  “Do you think she feels pressured to accept?” Hal asked, voicing some of his uncertainty.

  “Well, of course she does,” Adam answered simply. “But all men pressure women when they’re asking them out on a date. That’s just how the story goes.”

  “Well yes,” Hal admitted. “I just mean because of my status and who I am. You don’t think she was intimidated, right?”

  Adam raised an eyebrow and shook his head.

  “Of course she was,” Adam said with a sigh, shaking his head.

  Hal frowned and was lost in his thoughts for several long moments.

  “Look,” Adam sighed and moved to give Hal a hefty pat on the back. “I wouldn’t be too worried about all this. If she hadn’t wanted to go, she wouldn’t have said yes, no matter who you are. Got it?”

  “If you say so,” Hal said, still feeling largely insecure about the situation.

  “Now if you’ll excuse me …” Adam sighed, moving toward the door and takin
g his jacket off the coat rack. “You may have your billions working for you, but I have my looks.”

  “Right,” Hal said derisively. “Just be sure you pick someone up. You can drop my name if you want to.”

  “Please,” Adam said with a bark of laughter. “I don’t want to scare her off.”

  “Hey, money talks if nothing else,” Hal said with a grin.

  “Well, money can talk for you,” Adam said, opening the door. “I’ll catch you later.”

  “Great,” Hal said. “Be careful out there.

  Adam did not respond, but Hal heard the door close. He smiled to himself. He knew that Adam would have no trouble picking anyone up. Hal couldn’t be too sure, but he suspected that Adam had singled in on one woman for quite some time. She was a beautiful Latina named Maria. Her petite stature was in stark contrast to Adam’s large frame, but Hal had to admit that they made for a cute sight.

  Again, Hal was overcome by a rush of worry that this evening would not go well. He hadn’t told Jesse that the small group was, in reality, just Adam and his date. He had brought in a chef that was going to make a meal for all of them in the comfort of his own home. He had brought up some of the best wine from his cellar and had no doubts that the food and drink would be excellent. He was simply nervous that Jesse would not take kindly to his small deception.

  In reality, he had not actually lied to her. He was meeting all the stipulations that he had made in his phone call. Regardless, he had not said that it would be at his home or that it was a double date. He had not exactly lied, but he had not told the whole truth.

  Hal sighed, stood up from his chair, and immediately moved to his room to look through his wardrobe. He had all manner of suits, and he wondered which of them would be suitable for this evening. He didn’t want to overdo it, but at the same time, he wanted to look nice. Suddenly, he found that he had no idea what he wanted to wear, and he released a long sigh, running his hand through his hair.

  He scowled at the thought of a woman making him feel so overwrought and unsure. It had been a long time since he had ever felt so strongly for a woman. A part of him wondered vaguely if he was ready for this sort of thing, but he quickly dismissed that question. After all, there really was nothing going on between them as of yet.

  He knew there was no reason for him to be feeling so flustered, so he abandoned his pursuit of the perfect outfit and decided to go for a drive. He knew that would likely take his mind off of the woman that had been so actively haunting his thoughts that day.

  At least, he dearly hoped so.

  Chapter 23

  Jesse

  At last, the day was over, and Jesse heaved a grateful sigh as she began to collect her things from her desk and pack them up in her bag. She shut down her work computer and eagerly shoved her chair back under the desk. She then headed straight for Mark’s office, eager to tell him about the phone call she had just received from Hal Roberts.

  By the time she made it to Mark’s office, he had finished gathering up his things as well. He greeted her with a smile as she appeared in the doorway.

  “Hey,” he said pleasantly. “Ready to go?”

  “Yeah,” Jesse said, nodding eagerly, and Mark raised his brow at her.

  “You seem to be in a hurry,” he remarked, looking her body up and down as he took several steps toward the door. “You got a date tonight or something?”

  Jesse said nothing and looked up at her friend with a sly smile.

  “What?” Mark’s jaw dropped. “You do!”

  “Shush!” Jesse cried frantically, looking around them to make sure nobody had taken notice of Mark’s exclamation.

  Mark glanced back at her in exasperation and excitement, and Jesse returned his look pleadingly, urging him to contain himself.

  “Look, I’ll tell you all about it once we get outside.” Jesse studied the crowd of journalists knowingly, that were even now swirling around them.

  “Oh, okay.” Mark nodded and quickly shut the door behind him. “Let’s go.”

  Jesse led the way through the building and down the elevator to the first floor. She could tell that Mark was nearly bursting from eagerness to hear what she had to say, and she was every bit as eager to tell him. When they finally made it all the way out the office, Mark immediately turned to her.

  “What happened? When did it happen? Who is it?” He immediately assaulted her with his questions.

  “Calm down.” Jesse laughed, though she was bursting with excitement herself. “Well, I’m afraid you might not be too happy about it.”

  Mark looked puzzled.

  “Why not?” Mark asked, looking a little more suspicious.

  “Well …” Jesse sighed, trying to find the best way to summarize the phone call she had received. “I was sitting at my desk working on the article, and I got a phone call. From Hal.”

  As Jesse had expected, Mark’s expression dropped.

  “Hear me out …” Jesse held up her hands as they walked. “He called and asked if I was free tonight.”

  “Really?” Mark asked, his expression returning to one of interest and surprise.

  “Yeah,” Jesse confirmed, her own excitement intensifying as well.

  “Well, what did you say?” Mark asked, growing ever more insistent.

  Jesse laughed lightly. “Hmmm … I really didn’t know what to say at first. But eventually … I agreed.”

  “Yeah?” Mark nodded excitedly. “So where are you guys going?”

  Jesse blinked and thought for a moment, but she couldn’t recall if he had said where they would be going or not.

  “I can’t remember,” Jesse said as she thought. “Actually, I’m not sure that he ever did say where we would be going.”

  “Hmmm,” Mark grunted and frowned.

  “Well,” Jesse hurried to calm her friend. “We won’t be alone. He said we’d be out with a few of his friends. And it’s not a date, exactly. He said it was an event or something.”

  “Sure he did.” Mark rolled his eyes.

  “Come on, why do you say that?” Jesse asked. She hated that Mark could not seem to share in her happiness.

  “I don’t know.” Mark sighed, and his expression softened. “You seem really excited, and that’s great. It’s just …”

  Mark trailed off, and Jesse waited for him to finish, but he didn’t seem like he was going to.

  “Well?” she pressed, feeling more and more anxious with each passing second.

  “I don’t know.” Mark shook his head and ran a hand over his face. “I just don’t trust him.”

  “Why?” Jesse asked.

  “I’m not sure …” Mark’s brow furrowed. “Something about this guy just doesn’t seem to add up to me.”

  “Well,” Jesse said with a sigh. “It’s just a date.”

  “Yeah, you’re right.” Mark nodded. “And I’m really excited for you! So I really do hope you have a good time.”

  “I really hope so too,” Jesse said, her excitement undiminished in spite of Mark’s trepidations. “And don’t worry, I’ll have my phone on me the whole time so that I can call you if I ever feel like I need to get out of there.”

  “Good,” Mark said. And I can bring Tony over if we need to rough anybody up.”

  Jesse laughed. Mark and Tony did do a good job of staying in shape, and Tony especially. She had little doubt that the two of them could easily take on Hal and win. Jesse highly doubted, though, that they could take out Hal’s bodyguard, Adam.

  “Well, hopefully, it won’t come to that,” Jesse said, and her feelings were genuine.

  “I hope the same.” Mark sighed. “Just be careful, okay? Don’t do anything crazy or stupid, alright?”

  “Okay, I won’t,” Jesse said with a laugh and looped her arm through Mark’s as they walked.

  Soon, the two friends arrived at their respective apartments, and they both began to unlock their doors.

  “Let me know before you head out,” Mark said, looking over at her. “I w
ant to see how you look.”

  “Okay,” Jesse agreed. “He said it wasn’t a formal occasion or anything, so don’t expect some kind of evening gown.”

  “Oh, okay,” Mark said with a smirk. “I’ll be sure to keep my expectations nice and low.”

  Jesse laughed, and the two friends went into their homes. Jesse put her bag down and sighed thoughtfully as she wandered over to her closet and started to think about how she was going to fix her hair. It was already five-thirty and Hal had said that he would be there by seven, so she wouldn’t have a very long time to get herself ready.

  Jesse decided to consider what dress she wanted to wear while doing her hair and freshening her makeup. She applied a little more of the cosmetic products than she usually did, really working to highlight the contours of her face so that she would really look nice, without looking over the top. She selected a bold shade of lipstick to really stand out as well. She studied herself in the mirror and smiled at her much more striking appearance.

  Then, she did her hair. She considered putting it up but figured that would take more of her time than she was willing to invest. Besides, she had just worn her hair up for their outing yesterday, and she decided she would do well trying something different. She opted for a half style, clipping some of her hair up and leaving the rest to hang down her back. She used her curling iron to apply some gentle curls to her already wavy hair. Jesse once again checked her mirror when she had finished her work, and she was pleased with her appearance.

  Jesse finally recognized that she could stall no longer, and she moved over to her closet. Fortunately, it did not take her long to decide on a dress. She had a very simple, and yet elegant dress of deep maroon, and she knew it would be perfect for the evening and would go well with her shade of lipstick.

  Pulling the dress out of her closet, she laid it on her bed. Before she could put it on, though, she knew she had to select a different pair of underwear. She knew that if she didn’t change what she had on, her bra straps would show, as well as her panty lines. So, she moved over to her dresser and selected a black strapless bra, as well as a black thong.