Ravenous (4 page)

Jesse was tired. His muscles ached from helping his father fix the boundary fences for the last four hours and his cock was a constant agonising pulse that drove him to the brink of insanity. The memory of Erin convulsing around his fingers had planted itself in his mind and he hadn’t slept a wink. He’d spent the night gripping the end of his cock, determined not to jerk off, determined not to let the memory of the sweet smell of her juices get the better of him.

He paused while his hands gripped the metal post he’d planted and watched a car pull into his parents’ property. A dust trail billowed behind as it drove along the dirt driveway toward Jesse and his father.

She was here.

Removing his hat, he wiped the sweat off his forehead with the bottom of his shirt. When the car stopped a few metres from where they worked, he held his breath and listened while his heart increased to a rapid beat.

Karen wound down the driver’s side window and poked her head out. “Hey, Jesse. Hey, Mr Hackett.”

He gave a jerk of his head in greeting, his attention firmly on the passenger in the front. Erin didn’t look his way, she kept her eyes trained on the house.

“Long time, no see, Karen,” his father greeted from beside him. “You got everything ready for those vultures my wife likes to call family?”

Karen laughed and beamed a bright smile. She was an attractive woman with the same dark hair and light eyes as Erin, yet she held no appeal to him at all.

“We sure do. I look forward to sharing a drink with you later, Mr H.”

“I’m sure that can be arranged,” his father chuckled. “Would you mind taking Jesse back to the house for me?”

“Not a problem,” Karen answered with enthusiasm and Erin shook her head. So, she didn’t want to be close to him. He already had plans to rectify that, if only for one more night. He just didn’t want to approach her while drenched in sweat and dirt.

Jesse frowned at his father. “We’re not finished yet.”

His father gave a knowing glance. “I’m calling it quits as soon as this post is in. After that I expect to have a nice long shower. If you plan on getting ready before the guests arrive I suggest you go back now.”

“But–”

“Go,” his father murmured. “Spend time with your friends.”

His mother had been meddling again. He could tell from the way his father tried to convince him with the plea of his eyes.

“Fine.” Jesse yanked off his gloves and threw them on top of the toolbox. “I’ll see you back at the house.”

He walked toward the car, watching Erin while she continued to stare straight ahead. She should have learned long ago that he didn’t like to be ignored. It only made him push harder.

He opened the back door of the car, pushed the baking trays and cooking equipment to the far side of the seat and sat down, closing the door behind him. “Let’s go, ladies.”

Karen accelerated and wound up her window. “Erin tells me you had a great time last night.”

Erin gasped, her focus moving into the car to glare at her sister. “Karen!”

Jesse couldn’t hold back a smile.

“What? I didn’t say anything specific. You gave yourself away by being so uptight.”

Erin let out a huff and the heat of her glare moved his way. Their gazes met before she leaned back against the window and stared out at the paddocks.

“Yeah, I had fun,” Jesse added. He missed seeing Erin all riled up.

“I bet,” Karen laughed. “I didn’t realise my sister was such a little hussy.”

Erin kept quiet while they pulled up in front of his parents’ house. When the car came to a stop she unclicked her seatbelt and hurried to get out.

Damn it. She was pissed, or upset, or one of those other feminine emotions he still didn’t understand. Undoing his belt, Jesse got out of the car and ran after her. She stormed up the verandah steps, opened the front door and slammed it in his face.

By the time he’d undone his dirty boots and gone inside he had no clue where she was. He searched the kitchen, the lounge room and the dining room. After checking the back deck, he gave up and went to his old bedroom to get ready. When he was clean he would go in search of her again. He didn’t know why he was compelled to chase her. He still didn’t know why he loved her so much, but the emotions were there, cloying and clogging up his mind.

Kicking the bedroom door shut he gripped the bottom of his sweat slicked shirt and tugged it over his head, feeling the grit and grim with every flex of his muscles.

“Are you having fun?” Erin’s voice came from the other side of the room.

He paused, his chest bare, his shirt still tangled in his hands and glanced in her direction. She was standing by the window, her gaze focused outside. He didn’t know how to answer without sounding like a selfish jerk. Yes, last night had been fun. Feeling her pulse around his fingers, her heavy breathing drowning out the world. It was a huge amount of fun. And in equal measure he knew it was wrong. He wanted to be with her today, and tonight, even though it would hurt like hell to leave.

He still remembered her tear streaked face, the way she looked at him in anguish when he left her the first time. Yet here he was, trying to rekindle something that would never last. “Not at the moment, but if you come a little closer I’m sure we can sort something out.”

Erin scowled at him, unimpressed. He stood in place, the air-conditioning drying the mix of sweat and dirt on his naked chest as she walked toward him.

She stopped a foot away and raised her eyebrows. “You’ve changed.”

He had. He wasn’t the boy she fell in love with. He had money now, power and a successful business to run. Yet his life still lacked the most important aspect–love. Her love, a love he’d cherished before he moved out of Holbrook.

“Is that a good thing?” he asked, already knowing her answer.

She scoffed in reply and studied his bedspread.

He stepped into her, unable to maintain the distance between them.

“Don’t,” she glowered, “I’m here to do a job, and I can’t do that if you’re always…” she huffed and shook her hands around her head, “you’re always…there.” Her heated palm rested on his chest, maintaining their distance and she averted her gaze. “I can’t work around you, Jesse.”

He ran his finger under her chin and watched her throat convulse. “Didn’t you enjoy our time together last night?”

Her eyes closed and her breathing became heavy. He trailed a path along her jaw, down the delicate skin of her neck, moving to the V of her shiny grey blouse.

“I enjoyed it, but…” she opened her eyes and stepped back, “I need to do my job.”

“Then tell me to stop.”

Erin stood in silence while he closed the distance between them, then undid the first button of her blouse. He ran his fingers over the middle of her white lace bra to the next button. Her chest rose and fell in heaving breaths. When all the buttons were undone he slid the material from her shoulders, letting it fall to the floor.

“I need to go,” she whispered, her gentle hands moving to the waistband of his jeans.

Apart from pouring his heart out–telling her how much he still loved her, needed her, craved her–he didn’t know how else to make her stay, so he kissed her instead. The moment their lips connected his chest erupted in fire, his once aching erection now pounding to be sated.

She opened her mouth to him and he took her offering, tangling their tongues together. Her hands encased his hips, pulling him closer but he held back. He was covered in filth and didn’t want to get any of it on her smooth, clean skin.

He nipped at her lower lip and broke the kiss. “I need a shower.”

Erin nodded, resting her forehead against his while avoiding eye contact.

“Wait for me?” He would only take a few minutes.

She didn’t reply, just stepped away.

“Wait for me,” he demanded, undoing his jeans and letting them fall to the floor. When he lowered his briefs Erin’s gaze fell to his cock. She wanted him, at least her body did, and after a quick soap down she could have him.

He strode to the adjoining bathroom. Not bothering to close the door, he yanked on the taps and hopped under the showers spray, slamming the glass screen closed behind him. He lathered his hair in a rush and glanced over his shoulder to make sure she still stood in the centre of the room, hoping to find her standing in the doorway watching him. But she wasn’t. He opened the shower door and stretched his neck to get a better view of his room.
Fuck
.

She was gone and so was the blouse he stripped from her body.

***

Erin strolled around the backyard, offering her tray of bruschetta to guests. Karen had kicked her out of the kitchen and told her to help the waitresses serve food until she lightened up. The night was beautiful, the full moon high and yellow with the garden glowing from thousands of white fairy lights. The fresh air was doing her good. Being stuck in the kitchen was slowly driving her insane. She usually loved her job, but tonight she wasn’t enjoying much of anything. She had no clue where Jesse was, yet she could feel his stare on the back of her neck.

“Would you like one?” She offered the last two pieces of food on her tray to an elderly couple seated on white plastic chairs near the back of the garden. They smiled in unison and thanked her before taking the food and continuing to chat amongst themselves.

“I wouldn’t mind a taste.” The deep voice ran down her spine, over her heated skin dampened by the summer air.

She turned to face him and ignored the way her stomach clenched at his appearance. Dressed in charcoal pants and a casual cream t-shirt, he was too damn hot to be paying her any attention. He smelled of sweet tangy cologne, a mix so intoxicating her feet almost drifted toward him without her consent.

“Sorry,” she shrugged and walked around him, “none left. And before you tell me you weren’t talking about the food, let me assure you there is nothing else on offer.”

He chuckled from behind her shoulder and the sound of girlish giggles followed.
Great
, his nieces had heard her comment. Ignoring the embarrassment that heated her cheeks, she continued to the porch. When her foot landed on the first step, Jesse cut her off, jumping to the step above her to block the path.

“We need to talk.”

She frowned at him. “I don’t think now is the right time or place.”

“Now’s as good a time as any. You keep running away from me and I’m not letting you go this time.”

This was it, the moment when their past would collide with the present–a place she didn’t want it to be. Her only option was to attack before he did. “OK, Jess. I get it. I’ve taken the hint. You want to have sex with me, so let’s do this.” She moved to the next step, so they were inches apart. “Get that big cock out for me.” She licked her lips and hoped it added to the sultry role she was playing. “Fill my wet pussy with your heat, while your family watches.”

Oh Christ, she felt like a fool. Maybe her bright idea to put him out of his comfort zone was the wrong approach.

Jesse lowered his head, so they were eye to eye. “Don’t tempt me. I’ve got a lot less shame than you do and I rarely see these people anymore.” His mouth closed in, hovering a breath away from hers. “And you’ve got me so fucking hard I don’t care who watches.”

Definitely the wrong approach.

His arms encircled her waist and he lifted her off the ground, spinning her so she was on the step above him; their height now matched. The serving tray hung limp in her hand, while her other rested on his bicep and even Erin didn’t know if she was pushing him away or pulling him closer. Their stomachs rested against each other, the hard muscle under his shirt tempting her to touch.

“Do I have your attention now?”

“A little.” she rasped and swallowed over the dryness in her throat.

He smiled and she had to press her lips together to fight from smiling back.

“I don’t have to go back to the city for a few days.” He let the words hang between them while his gaze searched her face.

Erin concentrated on suppressing a reaction. The reminder that he would soon be leaving made her chest ache.

“I want to spend some time with you before I leave.”

“Uh, huh.” She dropped her grip on his arm. Grasping the railing with one hand she blindly moved up to the next step, needing space to think. “Do you really think that would be a good idea?”

“Give me one good reason why it wouldn’t be.”

Because we can never be together. Because I’m still in love with you. Because I’m already certain I won’t move on once you leave.

“You may not love me anymore, Erin, but we still have chemistry. Great sex should never be turned down.”

So that’s what all this was about, a dirty weekend with no strings. She stared into his eyes and wondered if she had the strength to emotionally disconnect. It had been a damn long time since she’d had sex with a guy who didn’t fumble around her body. Jesse had always known how to work her into a frenzy.

“I’ll think about it.”

He moved onto the step separating them and grasped her hips with his hands.

“Let me try and convince you.”

Before she could protest his lips were on hers, his tongue seeking her own. She moaned into the kiss, loving the contrast between his soft mouth and the tight grip of his hands.

“Ahem. Don’t mind me.” Karen’s voice sounded from beside them. “Jess, when you’re finished dry humping my sister, can you send her back inside to do her job. I’m kinda under the pump in here.”

Erin squeezed the railing to gain her balance and glanced over at her sister. She should be thankful for the interruption, right? Clearing her throat she gave Karen an innocent smile and slid from Jesse’s embrace.

“I was just coming.”

“Yeah, I was almost there too,” Jesse mumbled.

Erin stacked the last of the dried serving platters and took off her apron. Karen still hadn’t stopped smirking. The evil expression had appeared earlier in the day when Erin had been caught running down the stairs, still straightening her blouse after she’d ran from Jesse’s room.

Karen had been waiting in the hall–a knowing gleam in her eyes. Her sister had pressed her lips together, holding in her laughter and walked toward the kitchen. Then later, Karen had found her in the compromising position on the back porch and ever since her sister’s expression hadn’t varied from the mocking smile that tilted her glossy lips.