Quickly, frantically, Jesse threw me against the cold shower wall and thrust himself between my legs. He pounded into me, moving back and forth. My nipples felt stiff, quivering into oblivion. His large cock moved inside me, closer and closer to my breaking point. “Baby,” I cried out. I arched my back and tipped my hips toward Jesse. Then, in the heat of the moment, I yelled out, “Harder!”
Jesse sent me into a frenzy of moans with a strong thrust I hadn’t known he was capable of. I was sure he’d reached new depths of me. Jesse reached his final relief moments before my own legs tightened and I exploded with ecstasy. We both struggled to catch our breaths, clinging desperately onto one another as we let the warm water pour over our faces.
I turned off the shower, satisfied that we’d gotten everything we’d come in hoping to achieve—and more. I was completely numb, still captivated and aroused and unsure of what to do with myself. I pushed my naked body against Jesse’s and gave his cock a quick squeeze. “Best shower ever,” I said, slyly.
I could tell by the look on Jesse’s face that he was still trying to regain his composure and steady his breath. I was a woman on a mission, and I knew what I wanted to do next. I stepped out of the shower, covered in a mix of sweat and water droplets, and tiptoed through the vanity area into Jesse’s room. While Jesse dried off in the bathroom, I slipped into the lingerie I brought. It was really nothing more than a few pieces of fabric that left nothing to the imagination. That was the main reason why I was sure Jesse would appreciate it.
“Roni,” Jesse called. I didn’t get to find out what he wanted, though, because his jaw dropped when he saw me lying on his bed in my pink getup. “Are you trying to kill me?”
“You like?” I asked playfully, shimmying so he could get the full effect.
Jesse chuckled and looked down between his legs. “I didn’t know it was possible to get this turned on in one night.”
Chapter 20
Jesse
The sun had been peeking through the blinds for at least a half hour, pulling me from my sleep, but Roni looked so peaceful that I’d chosen not to wake her. I laid beside her, in the king-sized bed I’d hoped she’d someday come to share with me, just soaking in every ounce of her.
My annoying ringtone pierced through the calm silence, snapping me back to reality and waking up Roni. “Sorry,” I whispered to her, as she rubbed her eyes and shot a smile at me. I didn’t recognize the number calling me, so I cleared my throat and put on my best professional voice. “Jesse Parker, here,” I said.
“Jesse, my man.” There it was. The annoying, over-the-top voice that belonged to none other than Martin Page. It had to be.
Though I was fairly certain it was he who had disrupted my morning with Roni, I wanted to be sure. After all, it was rare for a director to call me directly. That’s what the secretaries and interns were for. “Martin?”
“How’d you know?” he asked with a laugh.
I tried to hold in my own laughter. “Lucky guess. What’s going on?”
“Listen, I’m sort of in a bind,” Martin said. “I’m having a soiree at my house tomorrow night to celebrate my big award win. Did you hear about it?”
“Of course,” I lied. Martin thought he was hot shit, so why not let him continue to think so? Besides, the cardinal rule was that the client was always right.
Martin breathed a sigh of relief, as if validation from me, one of his occasional contractors, meant anything to him. “Good. Anyway, we’ll be having belly dancers, fire breathers, the works! We’d like to offer guests your tattoo services. I thought Elaina had contacted you regarding your services, but the twat forgot. We’ll need you to fly out this afternoon so you can meet with the head of my staff tomorrow. We have the flight arrangements made.”
In the past, I’d jumped at any chance to do tattoo work, especially in Los Angeles or New York, and especially for clients who paid as well as Martin did. This time was different, though. Roni and I had finally made real progress, and she really seemed to be opening up to me. I hated the thought of leaving her, of giving her the chance to change her mind. I wasn’t sure that was what would happen, but did I really want to chance it? Just for some tattoo gig? I’d been dreaming about days like this for a long time, and I didn’t want to do anything to mess it up.
“Jesse? You there?”
“Yeah, I’m here,” I mumbled. “I have to check on something. I’ll call you back in a few.” Without waiting for a response, I ended the call and turned to face Roni, who I was certain had to be curious about my phone call at this point.
Roni looked perfect. With my white top sheet covering her round, naked breasts, and her blonde curls forming a crown around her head, she was making it all too easy to make my decision. Nothing could replace her.
“Well,” Roni said. “Who was that?”
I shrugged. “Just a director I do occasional tattoo work for out in LA.” I paused. I couldn’t lie about why he called. Lying was how Roni and I had ended things the first time. “He wants me to fly out this afternoon to do tattoos at a party he’s hosting.”
Roni’s reaction was anything but what I expected. She burst out laughing, the smooth skin on her chest moving up and down as she pushed to regain her composure. “Tattoos? At a party? Is that how the other half lives?”
“It’s not the first party I’ve tattooed at,” I said, offering up a smile. “Rich people want what rich people want. And I guess they want tattoos. I don’t have to go. You and me, we seem to have a pretty good thing going here, Roni, and I don’t want to mess that up. Not again.”
Roni shook her head. “You have to go. It sounds like a great gig.”
Was this some sort of a test? Or did Roni really think that a trip to LA was just what our relationship—or whatever this was—needed? Before I could bite my tongue, I found words spilling out. “Only if you come with me.” I meant what I said, but I worried that it was coming on too strong. A cross-country trip after a few weeks of getting to know each other all over again?
I was certain Roni would come up with a silly excuse, but she pleasantly surprised me with a simple, “Ok.”
“Seriously?”
“It sounds like fun.” Roni said. The grin on her face told me she meant it. That was that. As long as Martin was on board, maybe I really could have the best of both worlds. “But it also sounds expensive.”
I shook my head. “When we fly to the client, the client pays.”
Roni’s grin grew wider. “Well, consider it a date. I don’t have any prep work to do, since the school is on break next week.”
From the time I dialed the number until the moment he said “Of course” took less than fifteen seconds. Clearly, he wasn’t really in a position to be unreasonable. I breathed a sigh of relief as I told Roni we were heading to Los Angeles that day.
“I’ve never been to the West Coast,” Roni exclaimed, then she attacked me with kisses.
A hundred thoughts flooded my mind. I’d never really traveled with a female companion before. “Do you have enough stuff in your duffle to last a day or two?”
Roni nodded. “Wasn’t sure how long you’d want me, so I packed a few extra outfits.”
“And some of that lingerie you showed me last night?” I licked my lips, thinking back to the pink ensemble I’d emerged from the bathroom to find Roni in. She looked so gorgeous, so scorching hot, and there was something thrilling about the idea of having sex with Roni in a new state.
“How about I just give you an encore in the same outfit?”
I refreshed my email over and over again for a solid ten minutes until our boarding passes came through. By the time I had the tickets printed and my bags packed, we still had a few hours until we had to be at the airport. Without thinking twice, I threw off my clothes and jumped onto the bed where Roni was still lying. She pulled my head in toward hers and I planted a wet kiss on her lips, slipping under the covers to meet her body.
“Flying together is pretty romantic, huh?” I asked Roni as we to
ok off our shoes at airport security.
Roni laughed. “Oh yeah. Smelly feet and metal detectors, so charming.”
“C’mon. This is going to be fun,” I said. I met Roni on the other side of the body scanner and made some half-assed joke about how it was unfair that men had to take their belts off. Traveling together seemed to come naturally for us, even if it was something we hadn’t done much of in our old lives.
“Can I be honest with you?”
I stopped in the middle of the moving sidewalk to face Roni. “Of course. Always.”
Roni’s eyes grew wide. “I’m really fricking excited to get to experience LA,” she said. “It’s sort of one of my bucket list things.”
“What else is on your bucket list?” I asked with a wink, and I knew Roni would pick up on my dirty insinuation.
“Very funny. But, for real, I can’t wait to see the Hollywood sign and do some shopping and maybe get to visit some of the museums. Mostly, though, I’m excited to get to see you in action. I finally get to see what your job is about.”
I laughed. “It’s pretty much exactly what it sounds like. I do tattoos for whoever wants them. This sort of thing isn’t really where I get to show off my artistic chops, but it pays the bills.”
“You’ve got some nice chops there,” Roni said. That smirk of hers was so damn irresistible. I didn’t have the heart to tell her that most of the thing she mentioned doing were just tourist traps that we probably wouldn’t have time to do, so I decided I’d let her figure it out for herself. It was going to be a quick trip, but we’d make the most of it.
“Hungry?” I asked Roni when we got to our terminal. There was a Dunkin’ Donuts and some Chinese food joint within eyesight and plenty more options that we passed on the way.
Roni looked down at her watch. “What time is it in LA? I want to get on a California schedule.” I burst out laughing at Roni’s logic. “What’s so funny?”
“Roni, it’s a three-hour time difference. Eat when you’re hungry.”
With a sigh, Roni said, “Fine. I could always use a donut.”
Three shared frosted donuts and a handful of donut holes later, I sat beside Roni as she sketched a portrait of me in her sketchpad. She said it was just a way to pass the time, but I took it as an honor, a step forward in our relationship. After all, if she wasn’t smitten with me all over again, why would she want to spend an hour staring at every inch of my face? That was my logic, anyhow.
Just as I’d expected would be the case, Roni’s portrait looked more like a picture. She had such an eye for detail, and I kicked myself for not respecting and supporting that more in high school. “Hey,” I whispered to Roni when she showed me the final product. “I’m glad you came.” The smile she shot back was more than enough of a response.
Our seats were in the second row, the same spot I sat almost every time I’d flown to Los Angeles. I hated to admit it, but I’d become accustomed to sitting in first-class. It wasn’t that I was snobby—or maybe it was—but I was tall, and being able to stretch out my legs and have extra space was an added bonus. I never flew first-class on my own accord, so it was a nice treat before and after a busy day of work.
“2A,” Roni said, a look of confusion on her face. “Isn’t that…?” She stopped when she saw the wide, cushioned seats with recliners and larger television screens.
“Surprise! Did I forget to mention that this client always flies me first-class?”
Roni rolled her eyes at me and smirked. “I guess you did. You really are like fine wine, huh? Better with age.”
I had to admit that it felt nice to impress Roni, especially when the flight attendant brought us complimentary wine and extra blankets and pillows. I hoped that Roni was finally seeing, if she hadn’t already, that I had worked hard to make something of myself. Last time I’d flown with her had been on some budget airline that hadn’t offered so much as peanuts on the airplane, so this was about a hundred steps up.
I let Roni pick a movie for us to watch—she decided on Bridesmaids—and we watched at the exact same time on our individual screens, laughing and commenting together while paying no mind to the outside world. Roni’s laugh was beautiful, infectious, and that made each funny moment in the movie even more exciting. It was pure bliss.
About three hours into the flight, Roni fell asleep on my shoulder, her legs curled up on the recliner. As gently and quietly as I could, I unwrapped one of the blankets provided by the airline and tucked it around her body. “Thanks,” she mumbled, keeping her eyes shut and falling right back to sleep.
She was perfection. Sitting here next to her, on my way to complete a job for one of my best clients, was touching on two dreams at the same time. In my heart, though, I knew that Roni would always come first. She’d taken off all of her makeup before the flight, citing some nonsense about the airplane air being bad enough for the skin without makeup, and she still looked like a supermodel. I’d choose this Roni, hair thrown up in a ponytail, bare skin, goo-goo eyes that I was responsible for, a hundred times over again.
I sat back in my own seat and squeezed my eyes shut. I still couldn’t believe this was my life. I was about to take the woman I loved on an adventure she was bound to love, and I couldn’t have been happier if I tried.
Chapter 21
Roni
Since New York was just a quick trip up I-64 and the Jersey Turnpike from home, I’d never flown back and forth between home and school. My only two times on an airplane, save for this trip to Los Angeles, had, ironically enough, both been with Jesse. The first had been during junior year, when Jesse’s parents purchased a timeshare in Miami and invited me to come, under the condition that we slept in separate bedrooms. Even with our raging teenage hormones, that had been a no-brainer. Florida in the summer? That’s basically every kid’s dream.
My second time on an airplane had been less than a year later, on our senior class trip to Disney World. That was, and remained to this day, one of the best weeks of my life. I’d spent the week going with my friends on rides that I’d read about for years, eating too many churros and gallivanting through the parks. Even though I’d walked through LAX earlier with my carry-on bag, holding the same man’s hand I’d held five years earlier in Disney, it felt like a different life. This was the life I’d always dreamed about, but parts were even better.
“I can’t believe you get to do this on a regular basis,” I said to Jesse as we put our bags down in the hotel suite his client had reserved for us. The suite had a sitting room that was the size of the dorm I’d shared with three girls back in college, with a huge master bedroom that made even the nicest hotels I’d been to seem like fleabag motels.
“Only once a month or so,” he said, smiling.
“You’ve really made a name for yourself, huh?”
“I’ve tried.” Back in high school, Jesse had been too busy causing trouble, mostly harmless, to worry about his future. He hadn’t ever been certain what he wanted to do with his life, which made it all the more special to see him basking in the success he’d worked so hard for. If I was being honest with myself, I didn’t completely understand the tattoo business, but that didn’t make Jesse’s work any less important. He’d made a life for himself, and I was proud of that.
“So, what’s the game plan? I was thinking I’d go to the Walk of Fame tomorrow while you’re at your shindig.”
Jesse moved closer to me and slipped on a mischievous grin. “Oh no, my dear,” he said. “You’re coming with me.”
I chuckled quietly before realizing he wasn’t joking. “I can’t, Jesse. I don’t have anything to wear. I don’t know anyone going.”
“Well, lucky for you, you’ve got a guy with a credit card who really likes you,” Jesse said. “And you’re tall, and gorgeous, and sexy. Everyone will think you’re some foreign model.”
As I tried to decide whether Jesse’s comment was a compliment or deflection, he pulled me by the hand and hailed the car that had been designated for us to
use for the trip. I was nervous and excited and anxious, all at the same time. My heart pounded faster as we pulled into the Fashion District, an area I’d only ever dreamed of experiencing.
Jesse pointed to a store on our right. “A client of mine said this store is a hidden gem,” he said. Noticing my hesitation, he slowed down. “Are you ok?”
“Yeah,” I said, lamely. “This is just a lot to soak in.”
“I’m sorry.” Jesse took my right hand between his hands. “I guess I just got a little excited to finally have someone to share my trip with. You don’t have to come tomorrow night if it’ll make you uncomfortable.”
A gorgeous, beaded cocktail dress in the window caught my eye. It was a shade of purple I’d never been brave enough to wear but somehow felt I needed to try on. I gave Jesse a quick kiss and said, “Let’s go.”
The shop was everything I hated. There were few garments out to browse, there were no other customers in the store, and you had to ask to try anything on because only the sample size was available on the rack. I was overwhelmed and out of place, to say the least, but a squeeze of the hand from Jesse reassured me.
Jesse wasted no time going up to the sales clerk and asking if I could try on the dress I’d been eyeing. That was one thing that had changed about Jesse, something I admired so greatly. He had a newfound assurance, a desire to take the lead not just when it benefitted himself, but when he could help others. Jesse in high school would have been too full of himself to even notice me looking at the dress.
The saleswoman, a petite redhead, took my measurements like what I’d seen in movies was normal at upscale boutiques. She went into the back and emerged with the plum-colored dress, which was even more beautiful up close. The beading was only on the top third of the dress, and there was a slit on the bottom-left of the dress that made it both sleek and sexy. God, I hoped it would look good on me.
With the velvet curtain closed behind me, I drew in a breath as I slipped the dress over my head. “Wow,” I whispered, hoping that neither Jesse nor the salesperson had heard me. I’d never felt so beautiful in a piece of clothing before. The dress had a single, thick strap that went across my chest, and I felt like it hugged me in all the right places. I felt like a princess—a well-dressed, sexy princess—in the dress.
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