Author: Jodi Ellen Malpas

‘What?’ I know I’m displaying a look of complete confusion, which is absolutely fine because I’m really confused. I didn’t even need to morph into temptress.

‘I said okay.’ He’s on my breast again, while my eyes are looking down at the back of his head.

‘It is?’ I should be showing my appreciation, not questioning him on his reasonableness.

His perfect smiling face appears in my line of sight, and his palms surround my cheeks. ‘Sam already cancelled.’

I gasp. ‘I thought you were finally doing as you’re told.’ I should’ve known, but my disgruntled state doesn’t detract from the happy knowledge that they will be pursuing a conventional relationship. I’m delighted.

Jesse is standing and laying us back down on the sofa in an instant. ‘I always do as I’m told. Come here.’ The jar is taken from my hand and placed on the floor beside the couch, and then I’m pulled down to his chest. ‘Snuggles.’ he exhales contentedly.

I snort in disbelief before nuzzling myself right up into his neck and resuming my usual skimming of his scar with my fingertip.

‘Are you warm enough?’ he asks, snaking his legs with mine and completely engulfing me with his strong arms.

‘Hmmm.’ I sigh and close my eyes, relishing in every element of his loveliness—his scent, his touch, his heartbeat and his body beneath mine.

I love Central Jesse Cloud Nine more and more each time I’m here.

Chapter 30

My sweet dreams are interrupted by coughing. I think it’s coughing. It sounds like coughing, but neither my brain nor my body are ready to greet the day yet, so I dismiss the raspy choke and push myself further into the hardness underneath me.

There it is again, and it’s becoming hard to ignore. In fact, it’s irritating the hell out of me. Peeling one eye open, the first thing I see is Jesse’s serene beauty. My irritation subsides, and I reach up to catch a feel of day number three of no shaving.

There’s that cough again. I think nothing of turning to locate the source of the noise, exposing a full on frontal of nakedness to… Cathy.

‘Oh shit!’ I splatter myself back on my front against Jesse’s chest, the abrupt movement stirring him. ‘Jesse!’ I whisper, like she won’t hear me. ‘Jesse, wake up!’

He’s smiling before his eyes open and his wandering hands cup both my bum cheeks and squeeze in acknowledgment to my voice. ‘If I open my eyes, I’m going to see big chocolate, fuck me ones, aren’t I?’ His voice is all deep and husky and coupled with those words would usually have my stomach clenching with sexual anticipation. But not this morning.

‘No, you’re going to see big, wide, disturbed ones.’ I whisper. ‘Open your eyes.’

He does. He reveals his greens on a furrowed brow and looks over my shoulder when I cock my head. ‘Oh,’ Now his eyes are all wide and distressed. ‘Morning, Cathy.’

‘You too love birds need to buy some pyjamas.’ Cathy’s amused tone makes me cringe further. ‘Or at least keep your underwear on. I’ll be in the kitchen preparing breakfast.’

I hear her scurrying footsteps leaving our naked display, and I exhale in despair, dropping my head back onto his chest. He’s chuckling. It’s okay for him, I’m concealing his modesty.

‘Morning, baby.’ He shifts his legs so they spread and my body falls between them. ‘Let me see your face.’

‘No. it’s bright red.’ I push it further into his neck, like my embarrassment might disappear if I hide for long enough.

‘She’s all bashful,’ He’s grinning, I know it and whilst I’d be happy to just consider my suspicions, he doesn’t allow it and forces me from my nook so it’s confirmed. He’s really grinning. ‘Shall we get you upstairs?’

‘Yes,’ I grumble, knowing full well that time must be knocking on with Cathy’s presence, but I’m past caring these days. It’s like I’m trying to get myself sacked so I don’t have to give Jesse the satisfaction of quitting because he demanded it.

I sit up cautiously and check for Cathy’s whereabouts, then laugh loudly when Jesse sits up, too, popping his head over the back of the couch to check. He looks at me, eyebrows raised and slightly bemused by my little outburst. ‘What’s tickled you?’

‘You look like a meercat!’ I giggle, falling back and completely exposing myself. Through my uncontrollable fit of chuckles, I reach up to arrange my bra over my chest, because that’s really going to save my modesty when I’m knicker-less. ‘Wind your neck in!’ I laugh.

He snorts a mixture of amusement and umbrage at his hysterical wife and gently pushes my body away to free his legs before standing and taking hold of my shaking body. I’m tossed up onto his shoulder, still laughing and now with the glorious view of his solid arse as he strides towards the stairs. ‘Where I’m from, that means something entirely different.’ He slaps my arse. ‘It is you who needs to be doing the winding.’

‘I know what it means. I was being ironic.’ I run my palms over his back. ‘And there will be no winding of necks here.’

‘A man can live in hope.’ He takes the stairs two at a time, but I don’t jump and jolt all over his shoulder and he doesn’t puff or pant. No, he flies up the back-lit onyx staircase like some sort of freakishly fit paratrooper. ‘There.’ He places me on my feet and turns the shower on. ‘In you get.’

‘I hope you’re going to lock your office door now.’ I say as a mental image of Cathy’s sweet, innocent face pops into my mind’s eye.

He laughs. ‘Only for our eyes, baby. I have a key and I’ve hidden one among the piles of lace in your underwear drawer. Okay?’

‘Okay.’ I agree. I’m really late already, but that doesn’t stop me from stepping forward and grasping his morning erection. I have no idea where it’s come from so fast, but I’m glad to see it. He flinches, and I smirk as I circle my thumb slowly, casually, keeping my eyes on the throbbing rod of flesh.

‘Ava,’ he warns weakly, stepping back, but that just means he gets a full-on stroke of my hand down the length. He hisses and his palms lift to cover his face. I’ve got him. He rubs his cheeks in a gesture that suggests it might restore some control. ‘If I don’t take you now, my cock is going to be aching all day long.’

‘Take me.’ I say quietly, remembering the words so well. I step forward to close the gap he’s made, and his palms come down, his face full of recognition.

‘Oh, I will.’ he replies, picking me up and placing me on the vanity unit. ‘You can’t escape now.’

‘I don’t want to.’

‘Good.’ He leans in and kisses me sweetly. ‘I like your dress.’

‘I’m not wearing one, so we can’t lose it.’

He smiling around my lips, and I open my eyes, finding bright green pools of sincere happiness. ‘Fond memories?’ he asks.

‘Very. Can you pin me against the wall now?’ I can’t go to work with this relentless buzzing between my thighs. He needs to relieve me of the pressure that’s building in my groin. I’ve always found him irresistible, but this incessant need to constantly have him is taking my life over. I’m late for work, I couldn’t give a shit, and I know he won’t either.

On the launch night of Lusso, it was a jangling of the door handle that whipped our heads to the side in shock. This time it’s Cathy’s distressed shouting. My back straightens, and I’m snapped right out of my wanton condition.

Jesse has disappeared before my eyes and I’m sitting in the bathroom, still on the unit, wondering what on earth is going on. I quickly jump down and run into the walk-in-wardrobe, grabbing the first shirt that I can find, before sprinting over to the chest to retrieve some knickers, while shoving my arms in the sleeves. I button the shirt on my way, in too much of a hurry to hang about. I’m halfway down the stairs when the front door comes into view. Jesse, in just his white boxers, is removing Cathy from the doorway, where she’s doing a good job of keeping whoever is on the other side out.

‘I thought it was Clive,’ she wheezes, clearly exhausted from her battle.

‘Cathy, I’ll deal with it,’ He places her to the side and gives her arm a reassuring rub as she straightens her apron and hair.

‘Who the hell does she think she is?’ she spits nastily. I’ve never seen Cathy cross before.

‘Cathy,’ Jesse placates her gently, ‘Please, go and sort out some breakfast for Ava.’ He’s whispering as he effortlessly holds the door shut, like he doesn’t want me to hear him, but the persistent banging from the other side is letting him down.

I look on as Cathy marches off, hissing and spitting to herself, and then my eyes fall on Jesse as I land at the bottom of the stairs. He’s spotted me, and the wary look all over his face instantly has me on edge. ‘What’s going on?’ I ask.

‘Nothing, baby’ He tries to smile but fails miserably. He’s all jittery. It doesn’t sit well. ‘Cathy’s making your breakfast. Go.’

‘I’m not hungry.’ I reply flatly, staring him down.

‘Ava, you didn’t eat last night. Go and have some breakfast.’ His tone is altering to impatient by the second and all the while, the banging continues.

I can’t believe he is being all concerned and honestly thinks that his demand for me to eat is going to pull me away from the mystery behind the door. ‘I said I’m not hungry.’ I stand firm, my eyes burning red rings of furious fire into his greens. I feel really mad.

The door jolts, and Jesse lets out a frustrated growl, his jaw ticking wildly as his looks up to the heavens for strength. I would like to think that it’s the tenacious idiot hammering on the penthouse door who’s causing his mounting anger, but I know it’s me. ‘Ava, why the fuck can’t you do what you’re told?’ His head drops, and I know instantly he means business. ‘Go. And. Get. Your. Breakfast.’ He speaks each word slowly and concisely, but I mean business, too.

‘No,’ I steam forward, not in the least bit bothered by my half naked body, and grasp the door handle. ‘Let go.’ I pull, for what use it is, which is none at all. ‘Jesse, open the fucking door!’

‘Watch your…’

‘Fuck off!’ I snap, yanking at the door like a deranged, hormone pumped pregnant woman.

‘Ava!’ He holds it in place as I fight pointlessly to pull it open. I’ll never win, but I’m not backing down. No way.

But then we both freeze in place when a voice interrupts our spitting match, and it’s neither of ours. If I was a little cranky before, I’ve just been catapulted into the realms of psychotic. There will be no need for him to open this door because at any moment, I’m going to be flying around this apartment like the Tasmanian Devil himself, and I’ll smash it down.

I look up at him with clenched teeth. He visibly sags. ‘What the hell is she doing here?’ I use his lapse in concentration and his defeated hold to my advantage and pull the door open, coming face to face with Coral. ‘What the hell are you doing here?’ I hiss, looking her up and down in utter contempt. Her hair is tied up today, her short black bob giving her a pathetic excuse for a ponytail, such a bitchy thought, but it’s going to be the first of many. I can feel it, and they might not just be thoughts.

She blanks me completely and looks straight at my bare chested God. Why the hell didn’t he put some jeans and a t-shirt on? ‘I need to speak to you.’ She sounds determined. ‘Alone.’ she adds, flicking an impertinent look at me. Her fortitude will be of zero help. She’ll have to rip him from my dying hands before I leave them alone.