Jessie Slaymaker's Non-Existent Love Life (The Jessie Slaymaker Series) (10 page)

Their own taxi pulled up and she was spared having to face him properly in the streetlights. A dark taxi was a much easier place in which to avoid his gaze. They sat in awkward silence for several blocks before he spoke.

‘You just couldn’t help yourself, could you? Charlie snaps his fingers and you go running to him like a moth to a flame,’ Jack said quietly. Jessie sat in silence, contemplating what to say, or even if she needed to say anything. There was something about Jack’s quiet tone which was unsettling.

‘Do you have any clue what it’s like to want someone to notice you and really see you?’ she began rhetorically, after several more blocks of silence. ‘To see that you aren’t just some reliable and safe person who’s there to pick up the pieces,’ she continued, pausing as Jack exhaled loudly. ‘I’ve been hoping for Charlie to see me this way for years, and now he’s finally asked me out. What am I supposed to do? Pretend that all the time I’ve spent thinking about and lusting after him never happened? Knowing him, it’s not a date anyway. I learned that from this evening. He probably wants to discuss his next promotion or some new publication he has in mind anyway,’ she added, not daring herself to hope again.

‘I like you, Jack. But I barely know you. I’m looking for something long-term, but I don’t need just anyone to come and pluck me off the shelf. I want the right someone,’ she said, knowing that by saying what she was saying, he might go running for the trees.

‘What was all that taxi organisation you were trying to pull back there? You must have known I’d want to take you home,’ Jack asked, lightening the tone with a change of subject.

‘Damn, you saw right through my plan to thwart everyone from getting some action tonight. Was I that transparent?’ Jessie asked, feeling a glow inside, knowing that he did want to take her home.

‘Yes. Nadia looked like she wanted to scratch your eyes out when you suggested going back together. Don’t think that was in her game plan tonight, somehow.’

‘Poor Nadia, you showed her up asking her about Hong Kong and Singapore. She looked well and truly lost.’

‘Yep, but come on. If my brother ended up with her for any length of time I’d be moving back to Asia pronto. Hopefully Charlie’s seen a bit of sense when it comes to her. The woman is a broken record, constantly going on about Jimmy this shoe and Valentino that boot,’ Jack said, mimicking Nadia’s intonation. Jessie couldn’t help an unself-conscious laugh at Jack’s comical impression.

Jack slid closer to Jessie in the back seat and turned his head to look at her closely. She could see his intense eyes glisten as they sped past streetlights. There was no doubt what he had on his mind. He continued looking into her eyes as his hand began to creep up her thigh against her bare leg. He slowly leant in further and kissed her neck, right on the sensitive spot under her ear, whilst simultaneously feeling higher up her thigh. Jessie turned to look straight ahead, hoping the taxi driver wasn’t enjoying the show in his mirrors.

She bit her lip, trying to stop any noise from escaping her. Jack’s fingers crept higher up her leg, under her dress, until he reached her lacy thong. He stroked her lips through the material. She tried her best to resist, but she was soaking within seconds.

‘You’re so wet for me already,’ he whispered into her ear.

‘Right, this is me,’ Jessie announced shakily to the taxi driver, and also for Jack’s benefit, as she pushed his probing hand away from her nether region. She wasn’t sure how she felt about him coming in. Now that she had a date—or whatever it might be—with Charlie on Tuesday, she kind of felt a bit naughty spending time with Jack. Even if he
was
the best kisser who’d locked lips with her in this lifetime. The kissing thing and the fingers thing was really clouding her judgement these days.

‘Thanks for seeing me home, Jack,’ she said rather stiffly as she exited the cab and went to close the door on Jack.

‘Hey, what are you doing?’ Jack asked, looking seriously perplexed, pushing the car door back open. Poor bugger thought he was on a promise like his brother, Jessie thought to herself.

‘You can gloss over how I made you feel tonight with good humour and kisses, but all I seem to do is make you angry. I think it’s better we call it a night. Good night, Jack,’ she said, with more conviction than she felt, and turned decisively to walk up her pathway.

‘Are you kidding me?’ He climbed out of the cab, his voice rising.

‘No,’ she shouted over her shoulder as she quickly went inside, leaving Jack outside on the pavement.

Chapter 32

Jessie heard a car door slam and an engine rev as the taxi pulled away at speed. She felt relief that he’d gone, but this was also tinged with a smidgen of regret. It would have been nice to have curled up next to someone and woken up with them on a Saturday morning. That didn’t happen to her very often. But she couldn’t. She mustn’t think that way. It wasn’t fair to him. Jessie didn’t want to string Jack along when she had all these feelings still very much in the forefront of her mind for Charlie. It just isn’t fair to him, she kept repeating to herself.

Jessie then proceeded to commit the absolute cardinal sin of beauty. She proceeded to open up another bottle of wine, half of which she managed to drink before she fell asleep in front of the TV, fully clothed and with all her make up still on.

She was awoken by a hammering in her head early the next morning.

‘Shit,’ she exclaimed aloud. She felt like crap. Had she really had that much to drink the previous evening? She knew she’d had a lot but she hadn’t felt drunk. Well, not
that
drunk anyway.

‘Just dehydrated,’ she croaked, continuing her solo conversation as she staggered to the kitchen and chugged down as much water as she could, along with a couple of painkillers.

‘Twenty minutes,’ she told herself. That was all it would take for the painkillers to kick in and for the hammering to subside. She made herself a coffee and returned to her makeshift bed on the sofa. A shower could wait until the room stopped spinning and she felt like she wasn’t going to throw up.

Jessie must have drifted off to sleep again because the next time she woke up she felt better. Not perfect, but definitely better. But there was still hammering.

‘Why is there still hammering?’ she groaned, dragging herself off the couch in order to investigate further. She wasn’t imagining things, either. There was definitely a hammering noise, and it was coming from outside of her head this time. It seemed to be coming from the door.

‘Alright, alright. I’m coming,’ she yelled as she traipsed down the hall to her front door. She stole a quick glance at herself in the mirror and was surprised to see that she didn’t look like a total train wreck. A bit tousled in the old hair department, but everything else was passable, if a little over the top for a Saturday morning.

She opened the door, fully expecting to see Tom or the postman even. She was therefore shocked to see Jack standing there, looking all clean and fresh like he’d had a great night’s sleep, in a crisp blue shirt and jeans combination. Jessie suddenly felt very small and conscious of her height standing barefoot in front of him. She went up on tiptoes automatically. Those four inches of stilettos had worked wonders for her confidence the night before.

‘Morning,’ he said breezily as he pushed past her. ‘Do I smell coffee? Yes please.’

‘Help yourself,’ Jessie muttered to the doorway as she closed it back up. She was in two minds as to whether to follow him through to the kitchen, or to leave him to it and disappear to her bedroom for a shower and a change of clothes. Next to Jack’s clean look and fresh scent, she felt more than a little stale for still sporting last night’s getup. She was still having this internal debate when he shouted out her name.

‘Jessie. Hey Jessie, where do you keep your milk that isn’t going off?’ Jack yelled.

That was it. Decision made. Jessie decided to avoid the kitchen altogether and head for the shower instead. She’d nearly crossed the threshold into her room when she was yanked unceremoniously back into the hallway by the arm.

‘Oh no you don’t,’ Jack said to her, pinning her to the wall.

‘I need a shower,’ she protested feebly. Next to Jack’s freshness, Jessie just felt gross.

‘I know that. But first, where’s my good morning kiss?’ he said, leaning down to kiss her fully on the lips. She surrendered the little fight she had within her and enjoyed the touch of his lips on hers.

‘More,’ she whispered when he pulled away, keeping her eyes closed.

‘Excuse me, did you say something?’

‘More kisses, please,’ Jessie replied, a little louder this time.

‘I’m sorry, I still can’t hear. What it is you want?’ Jack asked her in a condescending tone.

‘I said, more kisses please. And it’s not about
want
, but I
need
more kisses to make me feel better,’ she said at normal volume, finally opening her eyes again to see his lovely dark eyes smiling back down at her. He was loving hearing her beg. Jessie didn’t care though. It was amazing how reinvigorating a little kiss from this man could be. It was like he was breathing life back into her. When he made no move to kiss her again, Jessie decided that escape was the only other option open to her. She’d humiliated herself enough for one morning. There was absolutely no way on this earth that she was going up on tiptoes to kiss him. That would just make his day, and Jessie still had some pride left in her. Instead, she ducked and freed herself from Jack’s arm prison. Only, he saw her move coming and quickly grabbed her wrist, pulling her back up the wall to a standing position.

‘Don’t bother then,’ she said sulkily, crossing her arms over her chest.

‘Don’t pout, Jessie,’ Jack said as he leaned in and hovered his mouth on the sensitive spot below her ear. Still no kisses. The guy was driving her mad. She wanted him to either kiss her and make her feel better, or let her disappear to clean up so she could feel more human and make herself feel better.

‘I’m glad you’re still wearing your dress from last night,’ he said softly next to her ear, tickling her skin with his breath.

‘You’re welcome. I knew you’d be stopping by at some point,’ she said cockily, for want of anything funnier to say.

‘Does that mean you’re still wearing last night’s knickers then?’ Jack replied, playing with a strand of her hair. Jessie had never felt so dirty in her life. Not dirty in a sex way, just dirty in a dirty way.

‘Yeah, that’s why I really need a shower,’ she said forcefully, trying to shove him away from her so she could make a dash for the bathroom. But however much she wriggled, she couldn’t get free from him. After a minute of watching her struggle and get more irate, he touched his fingers to her chin and guided her head to look up at him.

‘You’re right about one thing, Jessie Slaymaker. You do make me angry. But not because of your feelings for Charlie. I know they were there long before I came along. You make me angry because I’m a big boy and you don’t need to protect me. I’ve been out in the big bad world for some time now, and I’m aware of the games people play. All I want is for you to do whatever makes you happy. If you want to go out with Charlie, then do so. Likewise, if you want to spend time with me, then do so,’ he finished, monologue complete. Jessie sighed, digesting his words. She wished he would just kiss her.

‘If you want to kiss me, then do so,’ he said, as though reading her mind. Automatically, Jessie felt herself rise up onto her tiptoes and push herself forward into his mouth. A voice in Jessie’s head chided her for giving in, but she silenced it by arguing that she was just doing want she wanted to do. Maybe she should start being more selfish and do what
she
wanted to do more often, rather than worrying all the time about everyone else and putting her own needs and wishes last.

Their kiss began gently and tenderly, but after the first initial caresses, Jessie felt something take over inside of her. Something she hadn’t felt since Natalie and Nick’s wedding when she’d had a taste of control and taken Jack to bed. Their kiss went from being sweet and gentle to one of urgency, need, and desperation. All at once, fumbling, hurried hands began wandering over body parts, searching for zips and buttons.

Chapter 33

Jessie somehow managed the buttons on Jack’s shirt and had him half-naked in no time. Jack, on the other hand, seemed to be finding it difficult to find a way into Jessie’s tight dress. He seemed to lose patience after a couple of minutes of being unable to find any give in the fabric and he simply lifted up her hem and stuck his fingers down her knickers. Not that they were really knickers, he noticed, more like a G-string with a small triangle of black lace on the front. He felt his cock bulging, hard and erect, desperate to be free from the confines of jeans and underwear. That was far too much clothing.

Jessie again with her nimble fingers seemed to read his mind and made short work of his belt and fly. He wriggled free of his boxers and jeans, tossing them aside along with his shoes, and returned to Jessie. She was still standing up, leaning against the wall, her dress up around her waist, legs slightly spread. Waiting. Waiting for him.

‘Fuck me,’ she ordered him. Jack didn’t need telling twice. He scooped the string of her panties to one side and rubbed his cock against her wet pussy.

‘You’re just so wet,’ he said into her hair, still playing with himself against her. He was about to push himself inside her when she gasped something and he stopped to check she was alright.

‘Protection,’ she gasped again with a lazy impending-sex-induced look in her eye.

‘Shit,’ he exclaimed. This woman was making him forget the basic necessities, which he would never have dreamed of doing in China. He scrambled over to where his jeans lay heaped on the floor, leaving Jessie propped up against the wall while he retrieved a condom. He expertly rolled it on and grabbed Jessie by the arse, pulling her forward slightly away from the wall.

‘Now, where were we?’ he asked her rhetorically.