B01EU62FUC (R) (7 page)

“I like the idea of your clothes living in the closet with mine.”

“You really are a manly sap, aren’t you?”

“I never once denied it. Just remember to keep the word manly in there, and we’re all good.”

She leaned down just the slightest bit to kiss him. “I like being the only one who knows what a sap you really are.”

He chuckled. “I think every fan of the show knows. They see how I look at you.”

“They think you’re just acting. No manly man like you could be that sappy in real life.”

He tugged her down to the bed, and pushed her to her back, looming over her. “What exactly are you trying to say?”

She giggled. “Nothing. Nothing at all.”

His hands went under the edges of her T-shirt to her bare abdomen, fingers poised to tickle her. “I think you’d better tell me or suffer the consequences.”

A gasp escaped her lips at the feel of his fingers against her bare skin. Her hands had been under his shirt many times, but him touching her that way was something else entirely. Her heart started racing. “You don’t scare me, you know.”

The fingers that were ready to tickle caressed instead. “I’m so glad to hear that.” He lowered his lips to hers, kissing her softly. “I don’t ever want to scare you.”

“I think maybe that’s why you don’t. I know you wouldn’t hurt me for anything.”

“I’d take a bullet for you.”

“Oh, Jess.” Her hands wound through his hair and she pulled him down for another kiss, one in which she was the aggressor. They’d filmed a few scenes where she’d all but attacked him physically, grabbing him and kissing him, but this was the first time she’d been the aggressor for real.

Her hands roamed over his back, and down, touching the bottom she’d admired so much through his underwear. “What is it about you that makes me feel so much?”

His hands moved up further under her shirt, one of them cupping her breast for the first time. He’d always been careful to keep his hands in places that wouldn’t upset her. But he wanted more.

She moaned softly under his hands. “That feels so good.”

Then his mouth was back on hers, and he was kissing her again, his lips more insistent against her. He caught her nipple between his thumb and forefinger, gently squeezing it.

She gasped under his touch, her mouth frantically moving with his. She felt an aching tenseness in her abdomen that she’d never felt before. One of her legs wrapped around his, stroking up and down him frantically.

He lifted his head for a moment, looking into her eyes. When he saw nothing but passion there, he pulled her shirt up and tossed it to the floor, lowering his head back to hers. He’d said they’d wait, but he didn’t want to wait. He wanted to make love to her.

Valerie arched her body underneath his, silently begging for his touch on her breasts again. She wanted him to touch her everywhere.

He leaned down, catching her nipple between his lips, stroking it with his tongue, while one hand skimmed down her side. He didn’t want to scare her, but he’d take this just as far as she let him. He brought his knee up to stroke her core through the sleep shorts she wore.

At her gasp, he grinned. “You like that?”

She nodded, her face flushed. “I like everything with you.”

He moved back up so his lips were against hers, keeping one hand toying with her breasts, one of which was still moist from his mouth. “Do you need me to stop?” he whispered.

She shook her head. “Not yet.”

He swallowed hard. The “yet” bothered him. Hopefully she wouldn’t ask him to stop at all, but if she did, he would comply, even if it killed him. He wouldn’t ever force something on her she didn’t want.

Her hands moved over his back, and before she thought about it, they’d slid inside his underwear to cup his bottom in her hands. He lifted his head in surprise, never having expected her to willingly touch him there. “Feeling bold?”

“I guess I am. Do you mind?” Her eyes searched his face, trying to make sure she wasn’t doing something he’d consider out of line.

“Mind? You can touch me anywhere you want, anytime you want.”

She grinned. “Sounds like fun.”

“Oh, it will be.” He lowered his head again, capturing her lips, his hands more insistent on her breasts. Slowly he ran one hand down her bare stomach, inside her shorts, to the juncture of her thighs, stroking her lightly, waiting for her hands against his shoulders to push him away. When it didn’t happen, he moved his thumb to the nub of pleasure there.

She gasped when he touched her, but didn’t stop him. It felt too good. She writhed beneath him on the bed, wanting so much more. She dug her hands into his bottom which she was still clutching, pulling him closer to her, and feeling his erection pressing against her hip. It excited her to know he felt so much for her.

She moved one hand around from the back of his underwear to the front, gripping him in her fist. He felt odd to her inexperienced touch. “Your skin is so soft,” she whispered.

Jesse took deep gulping breaths of air, trying to maintain his resolve to take things slowly with her. His thumb picked up speed as it rubbed against her pleasure button. When he felt her thumb stroke over the tip of him, spreading the moisture that was already there, he groaned. “You should probably stop that.”

“Why? You said I could touch you anywhere I wanted.” Her words were punctuated by gasps of pleasure as his thumb continued to move against her.

“If you keep it up, I’m not sure I’ll be able to stop,” he confessed, punctuating his words with a hard kiss on her lips.

“Do we have to stop?” she asked softly.

He lifted his head, staring down into her eyes. “Don’t you want to?”

She shook her head. “No. I want to feel you inside me, Jesse. I want to be your wife. Really your wife.”

“Are you sure?” He hated questioning her, because he wanted to just make her his, but he had to make certain she was ready for him. He couldn’t bear it if he made love to her, and she regretted it later.

“I’m positive. Please make love to me.”

He read her feelings on her face and finally nodded, moving to his knees to strip her shorts down her body. When she was bare beneath him, he paused for a moment, just to look at her. “You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever known.”

Her hands reached for him, but he put her off for another moment while he stripped off his underwear, dropping them to the floor beside the bed. Rolling between her spread thighs, he ran his hands up and down her body, trying to make certain she was truly ready for him. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

“You couldn’t hurt me!”

He swallowed, fighting for control. “I know I will, just a little. I don’t want to, but it’s your first time.”

“You’re going to hurt me more if you don’t.” She brushed the lock of hair that had fallen onto his forehead away tenderly.

He grinned, staring down at her. “You amaze me sometimes.”

Valerie shook her head. “You’re the amazing one. You put up with all my insecurities and still manage to make me feel like I’m someone special. I don’t know what I’ve ever done to deserve you.”

He stroked her cheek before lowering his head to kiss her sweetly as he reached down to guide himself to her entrance. With one quick stroke, he was inside her and buried to the hilt, his hands stroking her insistently, praying she was all right with what they were doing.

He raised his head, half afraid to see pain on her face, but instead, he only saw wonder. “You okay?”

She nodded. “It feels strange, but good.”

“It’s only going to get better from here.” His mouth was back on hers, kissing her as his hands continued to stroke her to a higher level of passion. He moved within her, closing his eyes to try to control himself and take things slowly. He didn’t dare go too quickly and hurt her.

It didn’t take long before she was writhing beneath him, and when she arched up against him in pleasure, he followed her into oblivion.

Rolling to her side, he gathered her against him, holding her tightly.

Valerie clung to Jesse, still short of breath. Resting her head on his chest, she couldn’t stop touching him, her hands constantly stroking. “Why didn’t we do that two days ago?” she finally asked, when she could speak again.

He laughed. “You weren’t ready.” He kissed her softly. “I’m so glad you’re ready now.”

“Mmm…I don’t know about
now
, but give me a little bit,” she said with a wicked glint in her eye.

He reached out and flicked off the light in the bedroom, plunging them into darkness. “Just sleep for now. Tomorrow’s another day.”

“Jesse?”

“Yeah?”

“You make me feel things I never imagined I could. Thank you.”

He didn’t know quite how to respond to that. “I should be thanking you. You just made me feel things I always knew I would feel if we ever made love. All of my dreams have just come true.”

Her soft breathing told him she was asleep. He wondered if she’d even heard him. “I love you,” he whispered softly, knowing she wouldn’t hear that. When she was ready, he’d tell her again and again for the rest of their lives.

CHAPTER 5

V
alerie woke to unfamiliar aches the following morning, wrinkling her nose at the alarm on her phone. She opened her eyes to see Jesse shutting it off for her. “G’morning,” she mumbled, averting her eyes.

He caught her chin in his hand and kissed her. “Morning. We have an hour before we need to be on the set for hair and make-up.” He wanted to spend the entire day in bed with her, making sweet love, but he knew she wasn’t ready for that. Besides, he could just imagine Steven’s reaction to them taking the day off for lovemaking.

She groaned. “I want to sleep for the rest of the day.” She rubbed her cheek against his shoulder, closing her eyes again.

He laughed. “I never knew you weren’t a morning person. By the time I see you, you’re always peppy and ready to go.”

“You always see me after my second cup of coffee.”

“I see. Well, why don’t I make coffee while you shower?” He couldn’t help but be amused by her grumpiness. She reminded him of a sleepy kitten.

She nodded. “Sounds good.” She rolled to the edge of the bed, taking all the covers with her as she held them tightly around her body.

“Hey! It’s cold!”

She shrugged. “Gotta shower.” She took every cover from the bed into the bathroom with her, leaving him with nothing.

He lay there for a moment watching her and chuckling. She’d eventually get over her embarrassment, and then he didn’t know what he’d do. Seeing more of her body on a regular basis would keep him in a constant state of arousal.

He grabbed her phone on the way to the tiny kitchen to start the coffeepot. He quickly dialed her mother’s number, worried a bit about whether or not she’d followed through on getting the restraining order.

“Hello?”

“Hi, this is Jesse.”

“Oh, good. I was hoping it was you. He called five times yesterday.”

Jesse sighed. “I was afraid of that. Did you get the restraining order?” He absently wondered how Valerie would feel about hiring bodyguards for her mother and sister for a while.

“Yeah, and I’ve blocked his number on my phone now.”

“Good. What about his mother? Does she know?”

“This is big news, Jesse. The whole planet seems to know.”

Jesse scooped coffee into the coffee maker and added water before switching it on. “Has she said anything?”

“Yeah, she told me she’s glad Valerie married you, and she’s away from Curtis.”

“Good. Let me know if he comes around.”

“I will. What’s your direct number? I’m guessing you want to keep Valerie out of this.”

“I do. She has enough on her mind. She’s really worried about you and Rikki.”

“I know she is. She’s always worried about others more than she should.”

Jesse poured a cup of coffee, knowing Valerie would be out any minute, so he had to finish the call quickly. “Let me hire a couple of bodyguards for you and Rikki. It would make me feel a lot safer.”

There was a long pause before the answer came. “I won’t live my life in fear. I don’t think he’ll come after us.”

It was the answer he’d expected. Jesse gave her his number and made her promise to call if there were any more problems before putting the phone down.

Valerie came into the kitchen, dressed in jeans and a T-shirt, reaching out for the cup of coffee in his hand. She took a deep swallow and sighed. “Thanks.”

“You weren’t this bad about mornings over the weekend.”

“I didn’t have to wake to an alarm over the weekend. I woke up when I wanted to wake up.” She sat down at the table, feeling the caffeine whizzing through her system and the grumpiness slowly abating.

He noticed she still hadn’t met his gaze. “Are you regretting making love last night?”

She shook her head. “Not at all. I just—well, I’m not sure how to act with a man I’ve made love with. It’s a new experience for me.”

He cupped her chin in his hand, lifting her eyes to his. “The same way you’ve always acted. But think about how good it feels throughout the day.”

“I’m not going to be able to not think about it with as sore as I am.” She wasn’t complaining. She liked the constant reminder of making love with him.

“I’m sorry,” he said with a frown. “Are you going to be able to work?”

She raised an eyebrow. “I’ve worked sick more times than I can count. I can work through stiffness.”

“I always tend to work through stiffness when you’re around.” He winked at her, watching her face as she caught the joke.

It took her a minute to get his meaning, and she blushed. “You’re bad.”

“And you like it.” He saw her coffee mug was empty and poured her another. “I’m going to shower while you finish drinking your coffee. I’d rather walk to wardrobe together.”

“You’re worried he’s going to come here and try to hurt me, aren’t you?” Her brown eyes were steady on his as she frowned, thinking about the position they were both in.

“I wouldn’t put anything past him at this point. We’re going to be safe.”

She drank the coffee, trying not to worry too much. While she waited, she read over her lines for the day one last time. The scene with Bob wasn’t one she really wanted to do. Bob would kiss her, and she had to push him away, and then there was a fight scene with Dylan.