Bedroom Rodeo: A Billionaire Romance

by Sarah J. Brooks

  She wasted little time in putting on her underwear, and then she slid the dress on, struggling a little to pull up the zipper in the back, but other than that not taking up much time. She looked at herself in the mirror once more and made several adjustments to the dress, smoothing out the bunched up fabric and the faint wrinkles.

  Jesse took a deep breath and could not ignore the excitement that was bubbling up in her stomach. She glanced over at one of her clocks and felt another surge of excitement as she read six forty-five.

  Jesse sauntered about her house and collected a few items to put in her clutch, including her phone, some lipstick in case she needed to refresh it, and her debit card, just in case she needed to call a cab and get out of her situation. She was excited about her evening, but she wasn’t stupid, and she was not about to put herself in a situation that she knew she couldn’t get out of.

  Once she had collected the things she needed, she gathered up her keys and stepped out of her apartment, taking care to lock the door behind her. She then stepped over to Mark’s door and knocked on it, wringing her hands as she waited for him to come out.

  It did not take long before Mark, along with Tony behind him, were stepping out of their apartment, eagerly looking over her apartment.

  “Wow, Jesse,” Tony said, his tone always very polite and respectful. “You look stunning.”

  “Absolutely.” Mark nodded and circled around Jesse, who could only stand and blush as her friends looked her over thoroughly.

  “Thanks, guys,” she said.

  “So where are you going?” Tony asked with a faint smile.

  “I’m actually not sure,” Jesse admitted, and she felt slightly nervous as Tony’s smile faded.

  “Are you sure that’s a good idea?” he asked, raising one of his dark eyebrows at her.

  “Well, I don’t see why it would be dangerous,” Jesse said, stammering slightly as she tried to justify her adventure to her protective friend. “It’s an event, really, not exactly a date.”

  “Sure it is,” Mark interjected, rolling his eyes and crossing his arms as he leaned back against the wall to peer down at Jesse.

  “Guys, I’ll be fine,” Jesse said with a smile. “And besides, if anything goes wrong, I have my phone, so I could always just give you guys a call. And I also have a debit card with me in case I need a cab.”

  Mark let out a soft grunt and shook his head, but at least Tony seemed to warm up with that new information.

  “Well,” Tony said with a sigh as he raised a hand to scratch the back of his neck. “I guess you have this pretty well planned out.”

  “Yeah,” Jesse nodded. “I mean come on, I don’t look that naïve, do I?”

  “It’s not you that we’re worried about,” Mark huffed and began to pace back and forth. “It’s Mr. Bigshot Hal Roberts.”

  Jesse let out a laugh at his behavior, and he scowled at her.

  “Relax,” Jesse urged him. “I’m not going to let him get the best of me just because he’s rich and famous.”

  “Sure,” Mark grumbled, seeming unconvinced.

  “He may have riches and acclaim,” Jesse said, moving closer to her worried friend to wrap an arm about his waist and still his erratic motions. “But I definitely have brains. Probably a lot more than him.”

  “Probably a lot more than most people,” Tony interjected with a smile.

  “Well, be that as it may,” Mark snapped, “be extra careful. Smart people can still get taken advantage of in questionable situations.”

  Tony gave a knowing nod of agreement, and Jesse sighed, offering them both a soft, comforting smile.

  “I promise I’ll be careful,” Jesse said, reaching to take hold of Mark’s hands. “And I will call you both if anything goes wrong.”

  Mark looked at her suspiciously for a long moment, but at length, he sighed, and all his irritation was replaced by pure concern. He dropped her hands and pulled her close in a tight hug that made it nearly impossible for Jesse to breathe.

  “Try to have a good time,” Mark said softly. “We’ll be here, worrying about you.”

  “Don’t worry guys,” Jesse looked between them as Tony wrapped his arm around Mark’s waist and pulled him tight to his side. “I won’t let anything bad happen to me, okay?”

  “Okay,” Mark finally said, though his brows were still meeting in a frown.

  Jesse sighed, shook her head, and then looked down at her small watch to check the time. Her stomach lurched as she read six fifty-five on the face of the clock, and she looked excitedly between her friends.

  “Well,” she said, her voice tight with her slight anxiety. “It’s about that time. Here goes nothing!”

  “Please be careful,” Mark said as she headed down the hallway.

  “Have a good time!” Tony urged her.

  Jesse watched as the men went back into their home as she waited for the elevator. The elevator came, and Jesse stepped into the sliding doors. Once inside, she took a deep breath, and her heart began to pound in her chest as she began to get nervous about her upcoming evening.

  She reminded herself to be at least a little professional. After all, he had said this was an event. He probably just needed a plus one, and he knew that she would likely say yes. That thought slightly saddened her, and she didn’t want to be his backup plan. But what more could she really expect? She was just a small time journalist for a tabloid magazine, and he was a big time celebrity. She really should be grateful just to be going anywhere at all.

  Jesse straightened up and tried to appear more dignified and less like an overeager school girl. The elevator finally settled, and the doors began to slide open to let her out.

  No sooner had the elevator doors opened than Jesse saw Hal in the lobby waiting for her, leaning against the door.

  Jesse could have sworn that her heart stopped.

  He was dressed in a tan suit that, of course, fit him perfectly, with a pair of black shoes and matching belt, with a white shirt and no tie. It was the perfect mix of dressy and casual. His dark hair was slightly less polished and perfect than usual, and it curled slightly rather than lying against his head. He shot her one of his dazzling smiles as he moved closer and closer to her, and she felt her heart pounding in her chest.

  No matter what happened that night, Jesse knew that it was going to be very interesting.

  Chapter 24

  Hal

  Hal’s jaw nearly dropped as the elevator doors opened to reveal Jesse Clarke in a deep red dress, looking every bit as dazzling as he could have imagined. Hal even felt that he was underdressed in comparison to her, and he cursed himself for choosing against wearing a tie. Jesse looked as though she was ready to go out on the town, and he looked like he had just gone through an entire day at some office without bothering to change. Though he berated himself in his mind, on the outside he was sure that his face displayed his admiration for her wardrobe choice, and indeed, for her in general.

  Hal couldn’t remember the last time that he had felt actual excitement at having dinner with a woman, but he was certainly excited now. He could see, though, that Jesse was nervous, and he knew that he had to take some action to relieve her of that feeling.

  He took a breath, stood up from where he had been leaning against the wall and began to approach her, smiling all the while. As he neared her, his mind restlessly sorted through the array of compliments he could give her, but none of them seemed as though they would even meet the way he was feeling by half. Soon, though, he had to pick something because he was standing in front of her, just smiling down at her like an idiot.

  “Good evening,” he finally said, berating himself for his all too average greeting.

  “Good evening,” Jesse replied, and Hal relaxed as he realized that at the very least he wasn’t even half as nervous as she was.

  “You look incredible,” he said softly, running his eyes up and down her body, to which her beautiful dress clung and in all the right places. Hal felt a new rush of e
motion as he took in the way she looked, but he quickly stifled the all too physical reaction to her body, not wanting to make her think that was all he was interested in. After all, it was only their first actual outing together, without the pretense of an interview.

  “Thank you,” Jesse said softly. “I hope I dressed appropriately. I wasn’t really sure what kind of dress I ought to wear …”

  “Don’t worry, you look perfect,” Hal immediately spoke up to reassure her. He saw her beautiful, blue-gray eyes soften at his words, and he felt warmth bloom in his chest as she smiled up at him.

  “Well …” Jesse said, and Hal watched her shift uncomfortably for a moment, delighting in her nervousness. “Should we be going?”

  “Of course, of course.” Hal nodded and offered her his arm to lead her out through the lobby.

  Hal watched her with amusement as she looked back and forth between his face and his arm before gradually taking a small breath and taking his arm. Hal smiled down at her and proceeded to make his way through the lobby. He could tell that Jesse was nervous, but he gently tapped her fingers, and he felt her relax beside him. She would get used to it eventually, just as he had.

  It did not take them long to reach the car, and Adam was waiting there for them. He nodded at Hal, and then gave a soft smile to Jesse.

  “Good evening, Miss Clarke,” he said to her as he held the door open.

  “Good evening,” Jesse said back, giving the man a smile. “Thank you.”

  “You’re most welcome.” Adam returned her smile as she got in the car and he shut the door behind her.

  “That was very sweet of you,” Hal said, a mocking edge in his voice as he walked with Adam to the driver’s side of the car. Adam merely grunted in response.

  “What?” Hal said, clutching his chest as though hurt. “You’re not going to hold the door open for me?”

  “You’ll be lucky if I don’t drive off without you,” Adam said with a smirk.

  Hal laughed, got in the car, and immediately noticed Maria in the passenger’s side of the front.

  “Hello, Maria,” He said to her with a smile.

  “Good to see you again, Hal,” the woman said, turning back to him and smiling.

  “As always,” Hal purred teasingly, and Maria laughed, rolling her eyes. Hal glanced over at Jesse, who was wringing her hands in her lap nervously. He reached over and took one of her hands, squeezing it lightly in his own. She looked up at him, and he gave her an encouraging smile.

  “I don’t believe you’ve met,” Hal said to Maria. “This is a new friend of mine, Jesse Clarke. She is a writer at The Edge.”

  “Oh, wow,” Maria said. “That sounds like a really interesting job. I’m sure it’s a whirlwind to work for Elaine Beck.”

  “You know Elaine?” Jesse asked, intrigued.

  “Oh, yeah,” Maria rolled her eyes. “She comes to the restaurant where I work. That’s how I met these two as well.”

  “Maria is the manager of a very fine establishment downtown,” Hal clarified, hoping to save Jesse the embarrassment of asking if she was a server.

  “I probably have never been there,” Jesse said with a light laugh.

  “Don’t worry,” Hal said, shooting her a smile. “We can fix that.”

  Hal delighted in the blush that spread across Jesse’s face. She was so reactive, and he loved it. He was constantly thinking of things to say that would bring that look to her face. He wondered if he should feel perturbed by that fact, but he dismissed the thought before it could take a stronger hold on him. He had not felt this way in a long time, and he wasn’t going to let wayward thoughts mess that up for him.

  “So …” Jesse spoke and softly cleared her throat. “Is that where we’re going tonight?”

  Hal felt Adam look back at him through the rearview mirror, and he also caught Maria looking at him from the corner of her eyes. He felt irritation at their silent accusation, but he also felt a little guilty for not being entirely transparent with Jesse.

  “No,” Hal said, shifting in his seat to turn and face Jesse.

  “Well, where are we going then?” she asked. Hal could see the wariness in her eyes. Hal felt slightly guilty once more at her reluctant expression, and he sighed.

  “We’re actually going to my building,” he explained. “And … it’s not so much an event as it is a double date.”

  Hal was relieved that the truth was finally out in the open between them, but he was somewhat nervous to see her reaction to the truth.

  “Oh,” she said softly. Hal watched as she frowned and seemed to process her thoughts. Hal was quiet for a long while as they drove, and it seemed that the entire car was eagerly waiting for what she would say.

  “Jess?” Hal looked over at her, concerned. Jesse looked back at him, a small frown on her face.

  “Are you okay?” he asked, seeing that she was clearly a little upset with the conversation. “If you want, we can take you back home. There’s no pressure here at all.”

  Hal waited for her to respond, and he had to confess that he was more nervous than he would have liked to be.

  What was it about this woman that was undoing him?

  Chapter 25

  Jesse

  Jesse racked her mind, wondering how she should react to his slight deception. A part of her was highly annoyed, and another part of her was flattered that this was a date after all. She was still incredibly nervous, and she was aggravated that her emotions were clouding her ability to make a rational decision about this situation.

  “Jess?” Hal said again, and Jesse looked back over at him. She was torn between giving him a smile and slapping him in the face.

  The longer she looked at him, though, the more she realized that she had no desire to slap him at all. She could see in his eyes that he was struggling with his own emotions. She could tell that he had deceived her for reasons of his own nervousness, as ridiculous as that seemed. He was a celebrity. He could easily have anyone he wanted. Asking her on a date shouldn’t have been a problem for him.

  Jesse could also clearly see that he was truly worried that she would ask to go home. She could tell that he genuinely wanted her there and that he would be disappointed if she asked to go back home for the night. His gold green eyes looked at her expectantly, and she knew that she would have to give him an answer in short order.

  “It’s okay,” she said softly, her voice barely a mumble.

  “It’s okay?” Hal asked, raising his eyebrows hopefully. Jesse had to admit that she was more than a little thrilled that her response could have such an effect on him.

  Jesse nodded, and she was rewarded with a wide, bright smile.

  “Thanks, Jess,” he said softly, once again taking up her hand in his own. “Again, I’m really sorry. But I really think you’ll have a good time tonight.”

  “Okay,” Jesse said, giving him a small smile and then turning to look back out the window of the car. She couldn’t help feeling slightly oppressed by the silence that lingered in the car after she had made her decision and watched the city pass by as they all headed toward their destination.

  Jesse could feel herself becoming increasingly eager as they went along. She wondered what Hal’s building looked like and how the evening was going to progress. She wondered if he had set up this whole event for her, but then quickly dismissed the thought. It wouldn’t do her any good if she started believing that his every move was centered on her.

  Soon, though, she did not have to wonder, as they pulled into an underground parking garage. It was dark, and Adam had to flip on the headlights so that he could see. As they went on, though, lights began to brighten the underground space, and Jesse nearly gasped aloud as she saw the rows and rows of luxury vehicles that were parked in the expanse of the garage.

  “Do you like them?” Hal asked from beside her. She looked over at him and saw a boyish delight in his eyes as he glanced between her and the cars outside the window.

  “I’ve never seen any
thing like it,” Jesse admitted, giving Hal a smile before turning to look at them.

  “Those are some of my favorites,” Hal said, pointing to a particular row.

  Jesse had to admit that the brands were ones she didn’t even begin to recognize.

  “I don’t know much about cars,” Jesse said softly, suddenly feeling slightly embarrassed. Hal laughed and gently patted her hand in his.

  “Don’t worry,” he said. “It’s not very useful knowledge, to tell you the truth.”

  Jesse looked at him again and saw that he was giving her a gentle smile. She felt her insides nearly melt at the expression on his face. She could hardly believe the way he could make her feel with a single look.

  Adam drove further through the garage, and they parked in a space near to what Jesse suspected was an elevator. Adam and Hal got out of the car, and both moved around to the other side to open the doors for Jesse and Maria. Hal smiled at Jesse as he opened her door, and she felt herself blush. For some reason, she couldn’t keep from reacting that way.

  She allowed him to help her out of the car and to lead her over toward the doors. Just as Jesse thought, they slid open, and the small group moved in. There was plenty of space, and the ride was easy as the elevator began to take them to the floor of their choice.

  Again, Jesse felt her nerves gathering up, and she released a pent up breath. The other occupants of the elevator turned to look at her, raising their eyebrows at her noise. Again, Jesse blushed furiously.

  “You alright?” Hal asked her, a smirk hanging at the edges of his mouth.

  “Yeah, sorry,” Jesse said with a laugh, shaking her head.

  “It’s fine,” Hal said. “Just try to relax and have a good time, alright?”

  Jesse nodded and took a deep breath. She reminded herself that she had her phone, and that she could always give Tony and Mark a call if anything went south, and that she had her debit card so that she could call a cab if she needed to. Additionally, she was glad that Maria was there. She didn’t know her at all, but even so, she felt more comfortable having a woman around.