Breathless - Jesse Book 1 (11 page)

 
Jesse leaned in and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. His fingers traced down my cheek and caught my chin in his hand, tilting my head back. My lips spontaneously parted for him and I felt his warm sweet breath. He pressed his lips to mine and the sandy beach fell from beneath me. My head swirled as he stroked my tongue with his, prodding and teasing. I met his advance full on, submitting to his passion, blood rushing in my veins, spiking higher and higher with each stroke of his tongue. Dragging my lower lip between his teeth, he gently pulled away. I was caught breathless.

“No boyfriend? That was just a little taste of what we could have. We’ll see if you have a boyfriend by tomorrow.”

I fell back reeling, intoxicated by his kiss, basking in the magnetic energy that was privately and uniquely ours. An energy that never existed on the planet until now. A new creation that burst into life, in one single igniting moment.

My back pocket buzzed.

What the fuck?

“Do you need to get that? You can. Go ahead.” He sat back into his previous position staring out to the horizon over the ocean. I knew who it was. I didn’t want to look but it was like seeing an accident on the side of the road. I had to look.

I grabbed my phone, “It’s just a text.”

I’m home. Can’t wait to see you. Jason.

The blush that rose to my cheeks was not visible in the darkness, yet I was sure Jesse saw it. He had seen the text. We sat close enough for a kiss, so we were close enough for him to see the screen in the darkness.

My face fell. I was at a loss for words. I shut down the screen as fast as possible. I rolled up onto one butt cheek and shoved the stupid thing back into my pocket.

“I suppose we should go back,” I mumbled, as I scrambled to get up.

“Yeah, I suppose...” He stood up and brushed the sand off the seat of his shorts. He placed his hands on my shoulders as I turned to walk away.

“Niki. Before we go back let me just tell you, I’m not stopping until you’re mine. You didn’t resist the kiss just now. You didn’t tell me to leave you alone, so be prepared to be stalked.” He smiled and in that smile I saw his determination.

I giggled and flushed. “We’ll see.” Destiny hit the download button on my life and there was no stopping it. I fixed my eyes on the light of the bonfire in the distance, as we walked the short way back. My emotions were caught between a rock and a hard place. What the hell was I going to do now? The answer loomed over me like the proverbial elephant in the room, but before I could face it, I needed a good long girl talk session with Kat.

Jesse

“You told her you’re going to stalk her?” Chase asked. “Are you fucking kidding me? I mean, that’s really the way to get a girl.” He laughed and pitched a wet bar rag hitting me in the face.

“You dickhead. That towel is gross.” I flung it to the ground. “I’m gonna have to kick your ass tonight.”

“Tonight? Sorry, dude, don’t have time for any ass kicking. I have a training session at the gym.”

Chase picked up a couple water bottles and tossed them up in the air like a juggler.

“What the hell are you doing?”

 
“Practicing to be a flair bartender.”

“You mean, a
gay
bartender. What are you gonna do? Join the freaking circus?”

“No asshole, a
flair
bartender. I want to be good enough to work in Vegas as a bartender.”

“No way. You’re shitting me.”

“I even invented my own specialty drink.”

“What’s it called? Chase’s Pussy Drink?” I laughed. “Is it a little pink drink to attract all the girls?”

“Jackass.” His face went deadpan. “It’s called Chase’s Chaser. It’s made with layers of liquor in a martini glass. The bottom layer is red, then yellow and blue on top. The final touch -- I light it on fire right before I serve it to the ladies and they love it. I can even breathe fire.”

“I hope that gets you far in life.” I yanked his chain.

“As long as it scores points with the ladies. They eat this shit up.” He landed the last bottle between his head and shoulder and balanced it there.

“Just keep acting like a panty liner and
that’s
what will get you far with the ladies.” He threw a bottle at me. I ducked and laughed. “Hey watch it!” It hit the wall with a bang, but luckily didn’t bust open.

My uncle probably wouldn’t appreciate us dickin’ around like this in his bar. Kenny was the same cool guy I knew years ago and I wanted him to know I took my job seriously. He was doing me a solid, put me up and giving me a job at his bar. Jimmy was right, taking a break from my fucked up life in New York was exactly what I needed. I no longer felt like a fucking waste of sperm, like the only reason I was alive was because my dad forgot to pull out. Ever since I came to California, I hadn’t been drinking as much and now that I met Niki, life was looking like blue skies ahead.

She was beautiful, smart and funny. She was firmly planted in my head now and I sure as hell wanted her to stay there. I was consumed with Niki. All I had on my mind was having her in my arms pressed against my chest, her soft lips on mine again and.... Oh shit, time to adjust the family jewels. She had that effect on me. But I liked it and I schemed on ways to get to see her again. Damn, I really
was
a stalker.

“Well, if you think you’re going to get Niki, you had better step up your game man, cause…you know about Jason, right?”

“She’s gonna dump him. Wait and see. She’ll send him packing.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure, dude. Jason’s got you beat hands down. Sorry to say, I mean, I don’t want to be the bearer of bad news, but he’s already a lawyer, plus he’s in with her dad.” Chase handed me a cutting board and pointed to a bowl full of lemons that needed slicing. “And you? You have nothing going on right now, except your panty dropping good looks and charisma.”

“You’re such an ego booster, Chase. I feel like crushing one of your testicles right now and I say that shit with love. Way to be there for me.” I raised an eyebrow and tipped my head as I picked up a lemon. He wasn’t making this easy for me. All the more of an indication that Niki was something really special. If he’s sticking up for her this much, she must be dynamite. I grinned from ear to ear.

Chase checked the bar clock. “You can take your lunch break first today.”

“Great. I have some stuff to do anyway. I’ll see you later,” I said as I filled the “set up” trays with lemon wedges. I skipped out the door of the bar and hoofed it over to Fourth Street Promenade. My cell phone buzzed in my pocket.
A text.
I pulled it out. It was Kat,

Now is the time, lover boy.

I pounded letters of the alphabet on the screen, as I walked,

Are you’re sure today is the day?

Yes, yes. Jesus, you’re like a lost little boy. I told you a hundred times, today is the day.

My bad. What if I’m too late?

Lame. Be there or be six feet under.
:)

The screen went dead. I shoved it back in my pocket and pushed my hand through my hair. I pulled up short as I rounded the first stone corner of the sandwich shop next to a cell phone store on the pedestrian mall. I exhaled and leaned up against the side of the building, tense, waiting, heart pounding. I lifted my sunglasses off my nose for a clearer view. Nothing. Just a million mother fuckers walking around this place.
Shit
. This wasn’t gonna work.

I came to catch Niki on her lunch break from her fashion design classes. Kat had tipped me off, but now I was about to chicken out. What if she didn’t want to see me?

I spotted her, breathtakingly beautiful, as she walked across the mosaic brick pavement, towards the sandwich shop. My eyes zeroed in on the movement of her tits, bouncing as she walked. My eyes had a mind of their own. Her long dark hair flipped in the breeze, caught on the upstroke of her bounce. My mouth was dry. She closed the gap between us. Her head was down with a large bag slung over one shoulder and her eyes hidden behind large sunglasses.
Damn
. Did she see me? Did she
want
to see me? I played it cool. She got closer. I stared in the other direction. She was practically on top of me. She wasn’t looking. She didn’t see me. She was about to walk right past me.

“Niki.” My voice was a little too loud and she startled.

“Oh, Jesus!” She caught her breath. “You scared the shit out of me.” She held one hand to her breast and slipped off her sunglasses.

“Excuse me, Miss. Did anyone ever tell you, you look a lot like my first wife?”

She laughed and rolled her eye. I wanted to get lost in those eyes.

“First wife? You’ve got balls. How many do you plan to have?”

“Well, rumors have been told...”

She raised her eyebrows and smirked. “What are you doing here?” She pulled her chin in and gave me a stern look. “Are you stalking me? Wait, how did you know I would be here?”

“Just chance.” Her eyes narrowed with disbelief. “Seriously, I came here to um...,” I looked up and saw the sign in front of the cell phone store. “I had to fix my cell phone. Yeah.” I nodded. She turned slightly and looked at the cell phone store, then back to me.

“Oh, what’s wrong with your phone?”

I still had my phone in my hand, waving it around as we talked. “It...it’s broken.”

She nodded, her head bobbed up and down.

“Uh huh...I see. And how is it broken?” She narrowed her eyes speculatively at me.

“It has um, a...broken screen. Yeah, broken screen.” She craned her neck to peer at the phone in my hand. I flipped it over so she couldn’t see the screen.

“It doesn’t look like it has a broken screen.” She wrinkled her brow. “Let me see. Where?” She reached out to touch my phone. I flipped it again, screen side up and held it out in the palm of my hand.

“Right there.” I pointed to the smooth screen. “There’s a crack right there.” She leaned over for a closer look, nose to the screen.

“You’re crazy. I don’t see any crack in the screen.” She straightened up.

I held the phone, screen side out and smashed it against the stone side of the building, then laid out my palm with it. Her mouth dropped open and her eyes got wide as saucers. “See? There’s the crack.”

“Oh my God! Jesse, you
are
fucking crazy. You just broke your phone.” Her voice squeaked and she laughed at the same time.

“I told you it was broken.” I grinned.

“I can’t freaking believe you just did that.”

“I would break my phone any day just to have a reason to see you. Now come on, how about I take you to lunch, please. Don’t say no. You’ll break my heart if you say no and I don’t think there’s a store to fix that.” I gave her my best puppy dog eyes. She huffed and stomped her foot.

“Jesse. You are so, so...aaargh,” she groaned. She was balking. My heart sank.

“I’m meeting a friend here for lunch.” She waved a hand in the direction of the sandwich shop. “And I would if....you know... if I wasn’t in a relationship.”

“I know, I know, Jason.”
Fucking Jason
. She’s gotta realize it’s me she wants and not Jason. I know how she kissed me. It was like warm honey covered my entire body and she felt it too. I was in deep and there was no religion that could save me now. I wanted this woman bad. If she walked away, there’d only be pain.

I was no “daddy’s favorite.” He’d say, “There goes my little girl with some troublemaker guy.” I’d be thinking the same thing if I were in his shoes. But I’d changed. They don’t understand, they can’t understand how I have felt since I met my Niki. She can’t just walk away.

Niki gave me the most beautiful look with her eyes. I felt like the sky was falling. I stepped in a little closer to her and reached for her arm. The urge to pull her to my chest rumbled from deep inside me. A light breeze picked up the essence of her perfume and wafted it up my nose. Her scent was heavenly.

“Please, Niki. I want to see you. Let me take you out tonight, then.” I said, standing as close to her as she would let me. “Jason doesn’t deserve you. I’ll treat you better. Does he buy you flowers?” I leaned in closer and whispered in her ear. “When he’s finished, does he step back and adore you?”

She faltered, pulled away and looked startled.

“I’m sorry, I gotta go.” She turned and waved at someone. “Here comes Courtney now.”

“I’m not giving up,” I said. I wasn’t a quitter. I didn’t win all those races by giving up, but winning races was easy compared to winning Niki’s heart.

She smiled and took a step backwards, ready to walk away. She gave a little laugh, shook her head and said, “You’re too dangerous for me, Jesse Morrison.”

“Dangerous? No, maybe a little on the wild side.”

“Okay then,” she said and started walking.

 
“And a stalker. I’m good at being a stalker too. I take my job seriously, so brace yourself, sweetie. You’re gonna be seeing me around a lot more than you ever imagined. Don’t be surprised if I rock your dream world.” I raised my eyebrows with a wiggle. She gave me a wave and walked off to meet up with her friend. I spun around to head back to work.
Shit
. I needed to go to the cell phone store.