Bedroom Rodeo: A Billionaire Romance

by Sarah J. Brooks

  They crossed into the living room, and Hal sat beside Jesse on the couch. He watched as she drew her legs up on the couch, curling them beneath her. She then laid down on her side, resting her head in Hal’s lap. Hal couldn’t help being a little surprised by her behavior. Even as subtle as this was, she never seemed to be the one to make the first moves.

  However, that certainly wasn’t the first time of the day. Hal felt a shiver as he remembered her boldness in the kitchen.

  Still, this somehow seemed more genuine as it wasn’t charged by sexual energy. So, Hal gently stroked her hair as her head rested in his lap, enjoying the simple, pleasant nearness of her.

  Even so, Hal felt a pit forming in his stomach. He worried more than a little regarding her reservations about keeping her private life out of the public eye. He didn’t want that to be the reason that she didn’t stay with him.

  Hal was a little surprised at just how much he was worried about it. He worked through the possibilities in his mind and wondered how he could convince her that it wouldn’t be an issue.

  But if he was honest with himself, he knew very well that it was just going to be a reality. He could offer her false consolations and promises that the media would stay away from them, but in the end, he knew he had very little control over that. And in the end, he knew he couldn’t lie to her.

  Hal was shocked at just how anxious he was becoming from just thinking about all this. He mentally calmed himself down, knowing that he was perfectly capable of coming up with a solution if he would just keep himself calm long enough to get the words out.

  Hal was a little unnerved that even the thought of losing Jesse for any reason was so unthinkable to him. In reality, they hadn’t been seeing each other for very long, and they had only officially entered into a relationship the previous night.

  Somehow, though, the time didn’t seem to matter. He wanted to be with her, and he would say and do whatever he had to do to keep her in his life for as long as possible.

  Chapter 70

  Jesse

  Jesse was perfectly comfortable resting her head in Hal’s lap, silently digesting the wonderful meal they had just had. She felt like a cat, and the feeling of Hal running his hand through her hair was certainly enough inspiration to make her purr. She was so comfortable and contented, in fact, that she soon found herself starting to doze off.

  “Jess?” Jesse heard Hal’s voice just as her eyes began to drift closed.

  “Yeah?” Jesse rolled over onto her back to look up at Hal, but her playful expression vanished as she saw the look of concern on Hal’s face.

  “Hey,” Jesse frowned and sat up, turning on the couch to get a better look at him. “What’s wrong?”

  Jesse was completely befuddled. She couldn’t fathom how he had so quickly gone from joking and smiling in the kitchen to something so much darker now.

  “You said earlier in the kitchen,” Hal started, his words coming slowly, “that you were thinking about us.”

  Jesse’s face fell slowly, and she felt her stomach sink a little. Somewhere in the process of eating her spectacular breakfast, she had forgotten about her worries and her cares. Now, though, that Hal had reminded her, she knew that this was something they did need to address before they could really move any further in their relationship with one another.

  “Yeah, I was,” Jesse confirmed with a sigh.

  “What were you thinking about it?” Hal pressed further, and Jesse could hear the tension in his voice.

  “I don’t know,” Jesse shrugged and shook her head.

  “Jess,” Hal looked down at her, his tone serious. “This is something we really need to talk about. I think we could be able to work it out together but not if you don’t tell me what it is that’s bothering you.”

  Jesse sighed and couldn’t help agreeing with him. She knew these issues were not going to go away on their own, and it seemed that it would be far better to try and get a handle on these things right here and now rather than wait until some later time and let all of her stress and anxieties about it build up over time.

  “It’s just the whole celebrity thing,” Jesse confessed. “I don’t want to be a topic for tabloid magazines. And I just feel like that’s going to be unavoidable if I’m in a relationship with you. Somehow, the press is going to have to be involved in our lives together. And that bothers me for my personal life, of course. But it also worries me that if I’m all over magazines, that future employees won’t take me seriously. I know that all this probably seems a little self-centered. But honestly, I don’t want to be known as the girlfriend of the famous Hal Roberts. I just … I don’t know. I think I can be a lot more than that.”

  Jesse finished and watched Hal quietly, letting him process her words. She couldn’t help feeling a little guilty. She knew that Hal could hardly help his celebrity status and that even if he dropped out of the scene now, he was likely going to be remembered by the press for his achievements for the rest of his life.

  Jesse didn’t want to hold that against him, but at the same time, she didn’t want to spend the rest of her life just trying to be known for anything but their relationship. It was already hard to escape obscurity. She couldn’t even imagine how hard it would be to escape fame.

  Jesse looked up at Hal, and she could tell that he realized all these things as well. His brow was furrowed, and he seemed to be thinking hard about something. Jesse, too, was thinking hard. In spite of her reservations, she really was happy with him, and she didn’t want to leave him for that reason or any other. Still, though, they did need to come to some sort of agreement.

  A long moment passed between them as they both tried to come up with a solution. Finally, Hal let out a sigh and shook his head.

  “I don’t know what to tell you, Jess,” he said softly, his voice heavy. “I’m not going to lie to you. It’s not going to be easy, it’s just going to be a reality we have to face together. We could try to cover up our relationship for as long as possible. But the press would figure it out eventually, or worse, they would string along story after story of speculation, which would be even more annoying.”

  Jesse frowned. She knew Hal was right. And if anything was worse than the simple truth, it was the wild stories that the media would spin about them. Aided by the photographs they were bound to collect over time, there would be little way to combat what they were saying.

  “Well, you’re right about that,” Jesse finally agreed. “I think the best way to handle it would be to go ahead and tell the truth but only answer when there are questions asked.”

  Hal raised his eyebrows and nodded.

  “That’s a good strategy,” he said. “If we don’t make a big deal out of it ourselves, they won’t be as insistent about getting anything out of it. Surely, someone else will do something stupid at some point anyway, and then the media will be all about that. Man, if only we had met during an election year, then nobody would care about us at all.”

  Jesse couldn’t help laughing. It was true. If everyone were focused on something else, they would hardly even blink at the news of some garden variety celebrity romance. Unfortunately, they were not quite so lucky as that.

  “Well,” Jesse said, “other than that, we could just work hard to get as little attention as possible.”

  “Yeah, that’s true.” Hal nodded. “But I’ll be honest with you, Jess. I don’t want to stay holed up in my apartment with you all the time, or even at yours.”

  Jesse knew, too, that that wasn’t a viable option. She would soon find herself going stir crazy if she felt the need to stay inside all the time. Plus, if she found another job, she would have to go to and from work no matter who was snapping pictures of her.

  “And besides,” Hal said, “it’s not like we spend every waking moment together anyway. I bet it will take a while for the media to catch on to it at all unless someone tips them off.”

  Jesse felt her stomach lurch. She hoped that nobody in her small circle of friends would do any
thing like that. She trusted Mark and Tony, but there were other people she had worked with that she was sure would be eager to throw her under the bus if it meant they got a good story out there. The world of journalism could be pretty cutthroat at times, and Jesse was not eager to be next up on the line.

  “I know none of my people will let anything loose,” Hal assured her. “Or they know very well I would cut them loose without a second thought.”

  Jesse nodded, but frowned.

  “I know a lot of people I worked with would kill to be the first to know about a story like that,” Jesse said, her voice lined with stress.

  “Hey,” Hal said softly, wrapping his arm around her. “You don’t even work with them anymore. And besides, even if it does get out, I have a lot of people that I can put out there that can either deny it or confirm it in such a way that it doesn’t draw much attention.”

  Jesse nodded and released a tense sigh.

  “I just …” she trailed off and shook her head. “I know this is going to sound bad, but I just wish you were … you know, not famous.”

  Hal was silent for a moment.

  “I don’t,” he finally spoke up. “If I weren’t famous, I would have never met you. I never would have even seen you. And honestly, I’d rather deal with managing the press for the rest of my life than have never met you in that little meeting room at The Edge. You know, I’ve never really liked Elaine. But I have to admit that if it wasn’t for her, or if it wasn’t for you having a job there, or if it wasn’t for me being famous enough to give an interview in the first place, we may have never met. And that’s something that I never even want to picture. Because just in the short time I’ve known you, I feel like my life has been changed forever. And I don’t know just what we’re going to do about this situation with the media, but I promise that I will do whatever you want me to do as long as you are right there by my side when I do it.”

  As she listened to his words, Jesse felt warmth fill her. She could tell that Hal really meant what he said and suddenly she was no longer stressed. She knew that together they would work toward a solution and that while it may be hard for her to adapt to a new way of life, it would be worth it if she got to share her life with a man like Hal.

  After a moment, Jesse smiled, sat up to place a soft kiss on his lips and then wrapped her arms around his strong torso.

  “That’s what I want too,” she said simply and snuggled closer to him.

  Chapter 71

  Hal

  Hal felt a rush of relief wash over his body, and he collapsed back into the couch with a sigh, feeling as though he had just talked someone down off the ledge of a building. He was grateful that he had been able to comfort Jesse, and he was glad that, at least for the moment, she was content to simply sit with him and enjoy the present.

  “I promise we’ll think of something,” he assured her softly, gently stroking his hand up and down her arm.

  “I know we will,” Jesse said, all aggravation and tension gone from her voice. “Let’s just try to enjoy the rest of our little vacation before we try to tackle any more bears.”

  “I couldn’t agree more,” Hal chuckled and turned his head to place a kiss on Jesse’s lips. As he pulled back, he looked into her eyes, and he felt a sense of warmth at the happiness he saw there.

  Just as he was reveling in his pure emotions, they both heard a loud rumble of thunder. No sooner had they both looked out the window than they saw rain begin to splatter upon the leaves of the brush outside the cabin. They both watched as gradually the rain intensified, and the thunder grew louder and more prolonged.

  “Well,” Hal sighed, frowning a little. “I guess we won’t be going outside today.”

  Jesse laughed.

  “That’s just fine by me,” she said, her voice growing slightly darker.

  Hal raised his brow and smirked down at her.

  “Goodness,” he chuckled, abruptly tightening his grip around her waist. “You would have thought you’d had enough for one day.”

  Jesse hummed and looked up at him with a mischievous smile.

  “Well …” she sighed somewhat longingly. “I must admit I am a little sore.”

  “Oh,” Hal’s face fell a little, and he felt a surge of guilt. “I’m sorry. I should have been more sensitive.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous,” Jesse waved his concerns away. “We didn’t do anything I didn’t thoroughly enjoy.”

  “Well, that’s certainly good to hear,” Hal murmured darkly, nuzzling his forehead against hers. “Even so, I’m sure your body could use a chance to recover, and I’m sure we can find ways to amuse ourselves outside of sex.”

  Jesse rolled her eyes, and Hal laughed aloud at her expression.

  “I suppose,” she said, seeming rather put out about it.

  “Come on,” Hal laughed. “Why don’t we both go take a shower and put on some fresh clothes, okay?”

  Jesse seemed to consider the offer for a moment.

  “Fine,” she finally conceded much to Hal’s amusement. “But only if we shower together.”

  Hal rolled his eyes, but he could hardly deny her when her eyes were already sparkling so deliciously. In spite of himself, his cock twitched a little and began to slightly harden.

  “I don’t believe you would behave yourself if we showered together,” he said frankly. “And I highly doubt either of us would do much cleaning.”

  “Hmm,” Jesse scoffed at him, tossing her hair and extracting herself from his grip. “I guess I’ll just go shower alone, then.”

  With that, she stood up from the couch and took hold of the hem of his shirt, effortlessly lifting it up over her head and tossing it down beside him on the couch. Hal felt his mouth water as her naked body was displayed to him, and she gave him a catlike smile as she turned and walked away, heading straight down the hall. Hal could not tear his eyes away from her plump backside as she walked away.

  When she finally disappeared from his sight, Hal all but jumped off the couch to follow her. His mind was spinning more than a little. Jesse had never been so brazen before, and he couldn’t deny the fact that he liked it. She was truly flourishing out here in his cabin. He vaguely considered moving out here permanently if this was what she was like when he relaxed.

  Maybe he would consider it more seriously when she wasn’t so intent on tempting him.

  When Hal finally caught up to her, Jesse had already turned on the water in the shower and stepped into it. Hal watched in admiration as she wet her brown hair, causing it to darken and flatten against her back. Droplets of water began to stick to her skin, and more than his arousal, Hal felt a sense of deep attraction and appreciation for just how purely beautiful she really was.

  With that thought on his mind, Hal pushed his briefs down his legs and stepped out of them, slowly walking across the bathroom and stepping into the shower behind her. He heard her sigh as he wrapped his arms around her waist, and he relished the sensation of her relaxing into his hold.

  He lightly traced his hand down her stomach and was rewarded with a soft sigh as he cupped Jesse’s sex and another as he situated his member between her legs. He didn’t waste much time in pressing it inside of her and gently dragging it in and out. Jesse moved gently as well, and her soft moans informed him that she was enjoying it.

  “Does it hurt too much?” Hal asked her, gently running one hand up to massage her breast while the fingers of the other slowly circled her clit.

  “No, no,” Jesse shook her head. “It feels so good …”

  Hal could only grunt his agreement. In contrast with their fervent lovemaking over the course of this morning and the previous evening, this felt much calmer, and he could really savor the connection that he felt between them.

  He kept up his pace for quite a long while until he and Jesse were both close. He took care of Jesse first, circling her clit in just the right way to send spasms through her core. Then, he gave a few sharp thrusts and sent himself over the edge as well.
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  They both panted for a moment, leaning against the wall of the shower and allowing the hot water to wash over them. When he had calmed, Hal gathered up the shampoo, poured some over Jesse’s head and began to wash her hair. Jesse joined in, lathering some soap onto his chest.

  The rest of the shower proceeded in a much more normal fashion.

  Hal had never had a better shower in his life.

  Chapter 72

  Jesse

  When the two had rinsed off and at last gotten out of the shower, Jesse headed straight for the guest bedroom, her towel wrapped around her hair to soak up some of the water. Upon arriving in the guest room, Jesse walked over to the dresser, where her clothes were.

  She smiled to herself as she selected a cotton tank top and a pair of shorts. Since it was raining and they wouldn’t be going out, she saw no reason to dress for any intense outdoor activities. She slipped on a pair of her socks, just so that she wasn’t too cold inside.

  When she had dressed, she took hold of the towel and unwrapped it from her hair, using it to rough her hair up and catch any lingering moisture there. When she was done, she entered the en suite bathroom and found a comb, which she used to untangle her hair.

  Jesse then began the process of working it into a braid so that it would stay out of the way but also remain untangled throughout the day as it dried. As she was working at this, she saw Hal slip into her view of the mirror, and he lingered there, leaning on the doorframe. She smiled at him and saw his return smile in the reflection.

  Jesse quickly finished up her braid and then turned to lean against the sink and look at Hal. He had dressed in an earthy green T-shirt and a pair of shorts. His hair was still damp from the shower, and Jesse could smell the scent of his soap rolling off of him.

  Jesse regarded him silently, and he did the same to her. Jesse figured it was because neither of them really had anything to say. It seemed that they were both largely content to remain in silence. At length, Hal held out his hand to her, and she took it.