Chef's Delight (Stories of Serendipity) (18 page)

Connor began by showering Jessie’s smooth skin with kisses, reveling in her warmth and softness.  He sampled every bit of her flesh, tasting summertime.  He could feel her tremble beneath his touch, and could hear her whimpering with need.  As he nibbled and kissed, his hands stroked, long languid strokes over her thighs, her stomach, her arms.  Jessie gripped his shoulders, as he roamed over her body, and her touch, combined with the feel of her underneath him made Connor lightheaded.

He suckled a breast, savoring the firm plumpness in his mouth, listening to Jessie’s gasps.  His hand toyed with her other breast, tweaking the nipple to a stiff peak, before his mouth switched to cover it with its warmth.  Moving down, his fingers found Jessie’s warm folds, and circled the nub there.  Jessie moaned and squirmed under him, and he stopped laving her breast to watch her.

Seeing her face fixed in rapture, Connor’s body filled with a sense of power.  He had the ability to bring this woman so much pleasure, and for now, she had given him the control.  He was determined to use it.

As his fingers continued circling, he focused his attentions on the apex of her thighs.  He slowly pushed one finger inside, feeling for the rough spot just inside her walls.  She moaned when he found it, and he softly curled his finger against it, continuing to rub her silky pearl. 

Jessie hands went to his head, curling in his hair, absently pulling.  The sensation sent a sharp sense of desire to Connor’s loins.

He eased a second finger inside of her, joining the first, and continued to stroke and curl them against her pleasure spots.  Jessie arched her hips, blindly seeking more.  He increased his pressure and was rewarded with an almost immediate contraction of muscles around his fingers.  Jessie’s breathing had turned to ragged gasps, as she struggled for air through her climax.

Connor covered her mouth with his, imparting a kiss filled with need and desire.  He pressed his painfully erect cock inside her through the fading contractions, struggling not to lose himself to her waning peak.

Slowly, he pushed in, stilling himself when he had reached his hilt.  He raised himself up on his arms and looked down at Jessie’s face, seeing her eyes open to him, and a glorious smile light up her face.

Connor wished he could be here forever, inside this woman, feeling her warmth around his essence, watching her beautiful face, glazed with desire, looking at him. 

She shifted her hips, urging him to start moving, so he complied.  Slowly moving in and out, his movements stroked her heat, building a fire within.  Connor lingered inside her, intoxicating himself with her warmth.  As he slowly rocked back and forth, he took pleasure in her moans of satisfaction, seeking the inevitable bliss of their union.  He was making Jessie his own.  Connor had never experiences this level of gratification with anyone else, and he knew he was home.

Connor continued his movements over Jessie, as he rained kisses on her face and neck.  Jessie's hands stroked his back in long, slow caresses up his spine, then raking her fingernails down.  The sensations of her skin and nails on his back brought a sweet pleasure/pain, and almost made him lose control again.  He forced restraint into his motions, because he wanted this to last forever.

Jessie's heady summertime scent was his final undoing.  As he kissed her shoulder, Connor inhaled deeply, and the combination of her scent, with her moans and touches sent him reeling.  All control was lost.

Connor could feel her responding to his thrusts, and he managed to hold himself until he could feel her muscles contract one more time around him, milking him to a heart-stopping climax.

He collapsed on top of Jessie, ragged breaths coming from them both, as she curled her legs around his, effectively pinning him on top of her.  Her arms came around his neck, and they lay that way until they were both asleep.

Sometime later, Connor woke up to find the bed empty.  It was still dark outside, and when he looked at the clock, he saw it was two o’clock in the morning.  He walked through the house, unable to find Jessie anywhere inside.  He finally discovered her outside, on her porch, sitting in a rocking chair. 

“Mind if I join you?”  He asked quietly.

“No.  Go ahead.”  She nodded, not looking at him.

He lowered himself into the other rocker, next to hers, reaching out for her hand.  He clasped it in his, bringing it to his mouth for a kiss.  “What’s going on, Sweetheart?”

“Nothing.  I’m just thinking.”

“What are you thinking about?”  He prodded.

She sighed heavily, and Connor sensed her withdrawing from him.  He gut clenched, and he squeezed her hand reassuringly, waiting for her to open up to him.

“It’s just that…I’ve never spent the night with anyone before.”  She said quietly.  “I’m not used to it.”

Connor was confused.  “But, I thought you said you brought men home all the time?”

“I did.  But they always left after they got what they wanted.  Nobody’s ever just slept with me before.  It’s strange.”

Realization dawned on Connor.  “Ahh…”  He reached for Jessie, bringing her into his lap and clutching her tightly to his chest.  “Jessie, I’m never going to leave you after we make love, because I want so much more than that.  If I were to leave after getting what I want, I would never leave.  Because I want you.”  He kissed her shoulder, clad in nothing but a tank top strap in the moonlight.

She relaxed against him.  “So, you’ll know what to talk about in the morning?  Because I have no clue.” 

He chuckled into her back.  “I’ll think of something.  I promise.”  He rested his chin on her shoulder, and held her in silence for a moment, before breaking it.  “It really is beautiful here at night.  We didn’t have stars like this in
Houston.” 

“Yeah.  I come out here a lot at night.  Something about the stars make all of my own problems seem so insignificant.  It usually makes me feel better.”

Connor felt better after telling Jessie about Brandy and Madison, but he knew that she also had issues of her own to work through.  Taking a bracing breath, and wondering if this was the right time to ask about any of it, he said, "You know, you can talk to me about your problems, Jessie.  I'm here."  His voice was barely above a whisper.

She seemed to think about that statement, and didn't respond for a long time.  Connor just held her in his lap, kissing her shoulder, tasting her sweetness.  He could feel her tremble, although he wasn't sure what caused it--fear, desire, or pain?

Finally, she responded.  "My dad was an alcoholic.  I've told you that already.  I pretty much raised myself.  I mean, he was there, but not there.  You know?"  Connor nodded against her shoulder in encouragement.

"I cooked for myself, did my own laundry, stuff like that.  It wasn't that big of a deal, it's just what I was used to.  Dad never went to any of my school stuff, or anything.  And I was okay with that."  She was quiet again, gathering her thoughts.

"I wasn't abused or anything.  He just didn't seem to care that I was there, you know?  Anyway, I learned a long time ago, not to expect anything from him."  She sighed, almost a groan.  "I think that I just learned from Dad that men couldn't give me happiness, so I never really expected much from men, period.  Except sex.  I didn't learn that from Dad, he wasn't like that.  But I learned that sex could be fun, and that's what I got from men.  But I didn't expect anything in return.  So that's why I'm so screwed up, Connor."  Her body stiffened with her final declaration, and Connor squeezed her softly.

“I don't think you're screwed up, Jessie.”  Connor was overcome by the depth of her insecurities, and wanted to reassure her somehow, but he wasn’t sure what to say.  “You’re so special.”  He looked at her hair, the moonlight reflecting off the auburn locks.  It reminded of the night he first saw her, sitting on the bridge thinking, her features shining in the moonlight.  "You’re my summertime.  I can't live without you."

Her voice was hesitant, “Why, Connor?  What makes us different?”

“I think you are the most independent, strong, and self-confident woman I’ve ever known.  But you have a soft side to you, too.  You have insecurities, passions, desires.  And you don’t do much laundry.”  He chuckled softly.

“But what makes us?    Why are we so good together?  I can’t wrap my head around all of this.”

“Why do you have to be able to understand it?  Why question it?  This is the first good thing I’ve ever had, and I’m not about to question it.  For the first time in my life, my life feels right.  And I’m not about to let you go, Jessie.” 

He turned her body so she was facing him, cupping her face in her hands.  “I love you.  People fall in love, and they do whatever it takes to make it last.  I want you, Jessie.  I’m sorry if nobody has ever wanted you for more than sex.  That’s their loss.”  He kissed her nose.  “Now.  Can we go back to bed?  I want to sleep with you curled up in my arms.  Okay?”

She nodded at him, silently and followed him back into the house, where they slept together.

When Jessie’s alarm clock went off at the ungodly hour of 5:15, Connor rolled over and kissed her forehead.

“Good morning, Sweetheart.”

“’mornin’…”  She mumbled into his chest. 

“Not much of a morning person, I take it.” 

She grunted in reply.

Chuckling to himself, he rolled out of bed to use the restroom.  Fastening his pants, he walked back into her bedroom, to see her lying naked in her bed, stretching luxuriously.

And what a sight it was.

Resisting the urge to climb back into bed with her, he slipped his tee shirt over his head, “I’m going back to the restaurant and see how we did last night. Are you okay?”  He sat on the bed next to her, as she smiled up at him.

“I’m better than okay.”  She reached up and grasped him behind the neck, pulling her down on top of him.  Resistance was futile.

Chapter 16

Jessie was in the barn, milking the goats, when Summer and Bo got there.

“Well, look who made it into town!”  Bo came over to the stanchion and gave Jessie a hug.

“Yeah, I thought I would go to Connor’s later and talk about his ghost issues.  Summer said they had gotten pretty bad, but nobody’s talked to him in a couple of weeks?”

“Yeah, well, that was my fault, I guess. We had a fight.”  Jessie was still milking, but she was looking at Bo.  She turned to Summer.  “He came over last night, and we talked.”  A blush stole over her cheeks.

Summer looked at her encouragingly, “And…”

“And now we’re back together.  We managed to work things out.”

“Was it everything you’d hoped it would be?”  Summer asked suggestively.

“And then some.”  Jessie sighed.  “I’ve never had feelings like this for a guy, and I don’t know what to do with them, Summer.  He told me to quit questioning everything, to just go with it, but I don’t know if I can do that.  I don’t like not being in control of my feelings.”

Summer came over and rubbed her shoulders.  “Well, he’s right.  Just enjoy the feelings.  I don’t see how you’re able to control feelings so much, anyways.  You can control your reactions to them, but their feelings, for crying out loud.  They just happen.  You know?”

Jessie nodded.

Summer continued.  “Then quit questioning everything, and enjoy it.  You never know what will happen, you just gotta roll with the punches.”

Bo spoke up.  “Summer’s right, and it sounds like Connor is on the right track, too.  I have no idea about you guys, but I’ve found you cannot question love.  It happens, whether you’re ready for it or not.”

Jessie shook her head, marveling at the words of wisdom from the couple.  She realized they had probably had more issues with their relationship than she and Connor ever would, exes, children, deadbeat dads, and ghosts notwithstanding.

“Thanks, guys.  Go on inside the house, and fix yourself some coffee or something.  I’ll just be another hour, maybe less.”

Summer gave her another quick hug before following Bo to the house.

A hour after leaving Jessie’s, Connor was back at his restaurant, at his desk looking over the accounts receivable and payable files Kathy had put together.  The restaurant was finally operating in the red, thanks mostly to increased lunch customers. 

Whistling softly to himself, he was feeling better than he had in months.  Better about his personal life, as well as his business.  Things were finally looking up.  Conner was engrossed in the figures, when he felt the hairs on the back of his neck prickle, as if he were being watched. 

Looking around his office, he didn’t notice anything amiss, but the sensation of being watched didn’t stop.  Unexpectedly, the odor of decaying straw invaded his senses.  He jerked around in his chair, looking for the source of the smell, finding nothing, but remembering the dreams of Louise in the hayloft of the carriage house.

“Louise?”  He hesitantly called out in a hoarse whisper.

In front of him, a shimmery outline of a woman appeared, but Connor couldn’t discern any features.  The image radiated malice, and he was overwhelmed with a sense of danger.  The air fairly crackled with it.