by Joanna Blake
She groaned. That was not good. She was already attached.
How did that happen so fast?
She was petting Pepper when he leaned back into the car.
"What do you think? Is she going to eat this on the way home?"
She shook her head.
"Put it all the way in the back. I'll keep an eye on her."
"Oh good idea."
He put the pizza in the cargo area and climbed back in. She stopped him before he pulled into traffic.
"You aren't going to just take her back to the pound, are you?"
He turned to stare at her incredulously.
"No. Jesus, Jess what kind of person do you think I am?"
"I don't- I mean - I didn't-"
He ran his hands through his hair distractedly. He did that a lot when he didn't know what to say. When he looked at her again he looked almost hurt.
"I don't know what kind of person you think I am Jess. But that's not the kind of thing I would do."
"Okay. I'm sorry."
He stared at her thoughtfully.
"You have a hard time trusting people, don't you?"
She just stared at her hands. She had a horrible feeling, like he was going to leave her. Everyone always left. Her father, whoever he was, had left. And her mother had left every time she lifted a bottle to her lips.
But that wasn’t his fault. He didn’t even know her past.
Jeez, she'd put her foot in her mouth again already.
They'd been on a date for less than a half an hour. A date. This was definitely a date. And now she had ruined it, just like that.
He reached out and took her hand, making her look up at him.
"We're going to have to work on that. Okay?"
She blinked at him. He didn’t want to drop her off at her car at the vets. He wasn’t running for the hills. He wanted to ‘work on’ things with her.
She took a deep breath and smiled at him.
"Okay. I'll try."
She was surprised to realize how much she meant it.
Chapter 29
Kendall
Pizza.
He'd managed to get her to agree to pizza. Sure it was a disposable food. But it was something. And now they were on the way back to his place.
Oh crap, he needed dog food!
At the next light he pulled out his phone and typed into the Fresh Direct app. He ordered beer and dog food. And pumpernickel bread and eggs. He made a mean French toast.
In case she stayed the night.
Jesus Christ, he was hoping she would spend the night.
That thing with the dog though- that had thrown him for a loop. He could tell that someone had hurt Jess. Not just a little bit either. Someone had hurt her really fucking bad.
Thinking about it was enraging. He wanted to punch someone. Whoever had made her feel like this.
He sounded like an over protective boyfriend already. It was only their second date. But he couldn't help it. Something about her made him want to look after her. And he wanted to do it for a long time.
And he wanted to be her boyfriend. For real.
Kendall never really thought long term with girls before. He'd sort of gone with the flow. If a girl liked him and she was nice he'd give it a chance. That's if he found her attractive. And in the business, just like Nick and Bruce had taught him.
Girls in the business wouldn’t take things personally if you ditched. They knew the drill. They knew the rock star lifestyle wasn’t exactly relationship friendly.
But Jess wasn’t in the business. And Kendall didn’t want to ditch. More than anything, he wanted her to think he was relationship material.
Maybe even husband material.
All of this was new to him.
Jessica was real, but she wasn't particularly nice. She was serious and innocent and she definitely wasn’t signed up to be a groupie. She wasn't even close to being in the business and she wasn't just a girl he found attractive.
Attractive, that was a joke. She knocked the wind out of him every time he looked at her. She wasn’t just pretty, or sexy, though she certainly was both.
She was stunning.
Not in a fake eyelashes, dressed up to go to the Grammy's sort of way, though he knew she could pull that off if she wanted to. No, Jess was stunning in an everyday, making the sun rise and set kind of way.
She was beautiful.
He glanced at her periodically while he drove. She was stroking behind Pepper's ears as the dog leaned between their seats. He felt a surge of jealousy toward the dog. Hopefully soon, she'd feel the urge to stroke him.
Oh God… he shouldn't think about stroking right now. Not when he was so pent up that he thought he would burst. He felt blood surge into his groin.
Down boy. Christ.
Don’t scare her off with your hormones. The girl said she was inexperienced. Just how inexperienced, he hoped to find out.
Tonight.
He pulled off the freeway onto one of the winding roads that headed up towards the cliffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean.
They were almost home. He found himself wondering if she'd like the place. He hoped so. He hoped she'd want to spend a lot of time there.
A lot.
Like, twenty-four seven.
He grinned and used the keypad to open the gate.
Chapter 30
Jessica
Hello, Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous.
Jess turned in a circle and stared around the house, wondering if Robin Leech was about to pop out from behind every door. Not that there were that many doors, other than the doors to the deck. The main room was enormous.
Huge windows were everywhere along the back, all of them overlooking the ocean. Yeah, he was ocean front. But up high. It was ridiculous. It didn’t seem real.
Kendall lived in a magazine shoot.
She inhaled deeply. She was in over her head. Really, really far over her head.
Not only was she clearly outclassed in about fifty different categories but she was falling for him.
Hard.
Hook, line and sinker.
If he’d simply been Kendall Jackson, international music star, it would have been one thing. Rich and gorgeous she could handle. But he was so sweet, and mischievous.
And the truth was he seemed as lost as she was.
Well, almost.
She sighed, closing her eyes.
There was no use in denying it. She was in deep. She felt tiny, and not just in the physical sense.
"Want to eat on the deck?"
She nodded.
"Can I help?"
“Yeah, take out some supplies.”
He handed her some napkins and cutlery.
"I'll be right out."
Jess walked out to the deck. Lounge chairs were everywhere. A low sectional faced out toward the ocean with a coffee table in front of it. She sat down and wrapped her arms around herself. A long, slim lap pool was just below the main deck.
Yeah, this was definitely a magazine shoot.
"Cold?"
"No. I'm good."
She forced herself to drop her arms from the protective position she'd been in. She was well aware that she did that when she was nervous. She always had.
It was pathetic, but she’d learned to give herself hugs when she needed them. Because nobody else was going to do it for her.
He put down two pizza boxes and left again. This time he came back with two plates and two beers.
Pepperoni trailed behind him, plopping down on the deck to stare at them.
He opened the beers and handed her one.
"Thanks."
She flipped open the pizza lids.
"Broccoli and mushroom. The other one is Hawaiian."
She made a little face at the thought of eating grilled pineapple with cheese. He laughed.
"It's good, try it."
She shrugged and reached for a slice. Pepper watched dolefully from the floor.
"Sorry Pep, you wouldn't enjoy thi
s anyway."
The doorbell rang.
"What's that?"
"I ordered dog food. Be right back."
Kendall came back in a few minutes with a bowl of dog food. Pepperoni looked at him adoringly. He did have a way with animals, that was for certain.
Hell, he had a way with her.
They ate in companionable silence. He smirked when she reached for a second slice of the Hawaiian pizza. It was surprisingly delicious.
“Okay, I admit it. You were right.”
She smiled at him.
“This is freaking delicious.”
They finished around the same time and sat there drinking beer for a little while, watching the sun set. She was surprised at how comfortable she felt with him. She didn’t even have the urge to chatter nervously, like she sometimes did.
It was perfect.
Kendall scooted over toward her until their sides were pressing together. Tingles spun through her body at the contact. Then he leaned back against the couch with his arms along the back.
She stared at him in confusion as he closed his eyes and sunk into the couch.
Hot lust was pooling in her stomach but he was apparently going to take a nap.
Awkwardly she scooted back and leaned her head onto the cushions beside him. Almost immediately his arm encircled her shoulder and pulled her into him. Then he started making lazy circles against the bare skin of her upper arm.
It almost tickled, but not quite.
It kind of tickled in certain places. Certain sensitive places. She squirmed a bit and tried to ignore it.
She stole a glance at him. He looked gorgeous of course. Gorgeous and supremely relaxed, as if he might be on the brink of falling asleep. She closed her eyes, forcing herself to do the same.
After a little while she realized that her nipples were hard.
Really hard.
Her breathing was shallow, making a soft sound. Kendall's breathing had gotten louder too. Maybe he was feeling the same thing. Maybe he was just pretending to take a pizza induced nap…
Abruptly he shifted, pulling her onto her side to face him. He lifted her, adjusting her until she was nestled close, but not touching him. She stared up into his face but his eyes were closed.
"What are you doing?"
"Enjoying the moment."
He was manhandling her. Not enough to make her mad, but he was definitely moving her around to suit him. She had a sudden image of him doing that to her in bed…
His hand had access to her hip now. Again he started making lazy circles. It felt… really good. But it was driving her crazy at the same time. She couldn't help it. Her hips made a little rocking twist of need.
"Your awfully squirmy."
"Ah- that tickles- oh my God!"
His hands were skimming up and down her body now, making her writhe a little on the couch. His voice was low and husky as he practically whispered in her ear. His breath fanned her neck, sending even more spirals of anticipation through her.
"You don't like it?"
"I- um- I guess-"
He smiled at her and she lowered her eyes. Jess stared blindly at his chest while Kendall Jackson slowly and skillfully made her more aroused than she'd ever been in her life.
And he hadn’t even kissed her yet!
Chapter 31
Kendall
That’s it… barely touch her. But barely touch her a lot.
Kendall was going to drive her insane. That was the plan. Unfortunately, or fortunately, that was a two way street. The little gasping sounds she was making were making him want to tear her clothes off.
Seemed like she might want that too.
Not yet… pace yourself, Kendall.
There was no doubt in his mind that he was going to get what he wanted tonight: her in his bed. And if he was smart about it, he'd find a way to keep her there.
Indefinitely.
And if it really was her first time, he had to go slow.
He wanted her to remember this for the rest of her life.
He let his wandering hands dance lightly over her breasts now, but just for a second, and then back down her body to her thighs. He was teasing her mercilessly. He could tell it was working. He smiled grimly. This might be just as hard on him, but it was well worth it.
Jess looked like she was ready to fly off the couch.
Her lips were parted and her breath was coming in little uneven gasps. She was making the most feminine, breathy sounds. And the way her skin felt under his fingers was unbelievable.
She felt like raw silk and velvet. Smooth and warm and alive. And his.
It was too bad they weren't already in his bed. Then again, this slow torturous approach had its advantages. He couldn't very well take her clothes off out here. He was going to go slow this time. Make sure she was on board with every move. Make sure she wanted him to touch her, to undress her and to lock their bodies together in that final, primal dance.
No, he was going to make sure she was begging for him to touch her.
She wouldn't want to leave this time. She'd want to stay. She'd want to be his.
He leaned his head into her neck and let his lips brush her skin.
"Jess?"
“Oh! Hmm… Uh huh?"
"Are you okay?"
"Hmmmfff… yeah… fine."
He grinned. His evil plan was working. Maybe it was time to go inside.
"Let's go inside. Okay?"
She gasped and nodded jerkily. He stood and led her inside, this time taking the sliding glass doors directly to his bedroom. Once inside he shut the door. Jess was staring at his bed, her mouth slightly open.
He crossed to her and lifted her chin. Slowly he lowered his lips to hers and kissed her, lighter than a butterfly kiss. His hands slid over her arms, barely touching her. She was swaying toward him slightly as he continued his tender onslaught.
Slowly he started lifting her sleeveless top up and over her breasts. He stopped kissing her long enough to pull the top over her head. He dropped it and went back to what he was doing.
He was not in a rush. He was going to enjoy every second of this. It felt like he'd been waiting for this forever, even if it was less than a week.
Hell, maybe he had been waiting forever for someone like her. Someone who made everything count. Someone who made his whole body hum with electricity.
Jess moaned as he let the back of his hand scrape across her bra. He grinned, glancing down. Her nipples were hard, practically poking a hole in the plain white bra she wore. He had never seen a girl wearing something so utilitarian before. So plain.
So innocent.
It was sexy as hell.
His hands drifted over her back, skimming over her hips and back up again.
She whimpered in need.
He swooped down and caught her mouth, kissing her a little bit deeper this time. Her lips were pillowy and open as he pulled away again. This time he pulled off his own shirt, then drew her closer, so that her nipples scraped against his skin.
Hmmmmm… fuck, that felt nice.
Then he was kissing her again, more urgently now. His hands drifted up to her bra closure and unsnapped it. He didn't stop kissing her as her bra fell away. He didn't want to give her a chance to get skittish again. From here on out, he was going to keep her constantly distracted.
He didn't touch her breasts, instead letting his hands rest on her hips, making small circles there. She was gasping for air by the time he lifted his head. Good. The next thing was to get her on the bed.
He bent down and lifted her up into his arms, carrying her across the room to the huge platform bed. Carefully he laid her in the center of the bed, flat on her back. His eyes were all over her as she lay there, half naked. He didn't linger though, he lay to her side and started kissing her again, letting his hands wander.
He threw one leg over hers, holding her immobile as his hands caressed her skin. He barely touched her breasts as he made large circles, brushing all the way down
to her apex and back up again. She was moaning and making sweet little circles with her hips. She wanted him to touch her there, he could tell.
And he was 100% on board with that.
He waited until she was truly frantic before he lowered himself down, tugging her jeans down off of her perfect little legs. He stared down at her, in awe of her body.
She was flawless, just in miniature. Every inch of her was gorgeous. A perfect little package.
Her size made it very easy to lift and lower her… arrange her how he wanted her to be. He had so many ideas of the things they could do together… He grinned and got back to work.
He moaned and started kissing her ankles, working his way up her body.
He hovered briefly over her panties but kissed right above them instead. Her stomach muscles jumped under his lips. Then he went back to kissing her, this time letting his hands skim over the thin cotton panties she wore.
Jess was making sweet little moaning sounds of pure sexual excitement. More than anything he wanted to strip her panties off and touch her, taste her. Then he'd take his clothes off and-
"Kendall…"
Her hands were on him now, sliding down his sides to his groin. Stroking him through his pants.
Oh fuck.
The thin thread of control he'd had over the situation snapped. He lost it.
Kendall rolled on top of her, grinding himself into her softness. He reached down, undoing his pants. Then he pulled her panties off. For half a second he stared at her sweet, pouty nether lips. Then he moaned and leaned forward, sliding his tongue against her pillowy softness. He tasted her on the outside for a while, savoring the sweet salty flavor of her. She was rocking her hips, her hands grappling in his hair.
He raised himself up slightly to get at her sensitive little nubbin. The moment his tongue flicked against her, she squealed.
He smiled. She did sound like she had on the roller coaster rides in Vegas. His fantasies were right.
He was dying to take her but he knew he had to go slow. He was well above average and she was so small- he had to make sure she was ready. Especially the first time.
The first of many times.