Jesse's Soul (2) (34 page)

Staring into her, he stood for a full minute or more saying nothing. Just breathing. Suddenly
, he cupped her face, bringing her lips to his, kissing her so passionately it left her with no room for questions as to the depth of his love for her. Or his need.

She had cut him open, exposing the man he kept hidden. Giving her a taste of how far he’d go to protect her, to love her. Emery would get it through that thick Irish skull of hers if it took him a lifetime to prove it. Right now though, he was raw. Still hurting from the week of worry, the fight, the up and down rollercoaster in between.

Right now he needed to remind her who her heart belonged to.

He let go, reached down and grabbed her hand
, leading her out of the trailer, and down the two steps. They walked to the motorhome without even looking back to see if Reid was aware they’d left or not.

“Jesse…,
” she whimpered, gripping his hand tight between both of hers.

Casting a sideways glance at her as they walked was a mistake. The emerald green of her eyes was as dark as night, the need and longing he felt, mirrored in them, want radiating from her.

“Almost there, baby.”

Ushering her into the coach, he pulled the door closed behind him and locked it. Before she had a chance to step away, he tugged her hand, turning them both and pressing her up against the wall.

She answered him—kiss for kiss, want for want and need for need. Her hands grabbing at him, fisting his jersey. He hitched her leg around his waist, holding it there and rubbing against her to show her just how much he needed her.

Jesse kissed her possessively, growling one word into her mouth. “Mine.”

Emery pulled back, her hands went to his face, holding it, stroking his jaw with her thumbs. With a look of pure desperation, she whispered the one word he needed so badly to hear.

“Forever.”

Chapter Sixteen

He still could not believe that he’d gotten talked into this plan. It went against logic and every rule ever written in the
big brother handbook.
More so…their parents weren’t fully informed of the intimate details. Shit, they barely knew the highlights.

It was the happy—and scary for Jesse—result of his girlfriend and sister becoming fast friends after meeting for the first time last month when she came in with their parents to see him race.

“Thank you for helping me get ready for Ally.” Jesse sighed. “Tell me…why do I feel like I’m sixteen years old and I’m going to get busted at any moment by my folks?”

His little sister was coming in to watch the races…not a big deal normally. His family always made it to one or two races a year. Although with Ally away at college now, it was harder to get them all together. This visit was different, though, and Jesse was afraid that Emery was right. As a matter of fact, he was pretty sure she was spoon-feeding him snippets of information as she saw fit—or more appropriately, when she thought he could handle them.

Probably a smart move on her part.

His parents weren’t coming, just Ally. Which was totally fine with him. He was excited to get to spend time with her. Now that she was, for all intents and purposes, an adult, their relationship was starting to change.

His entire life, she’d been so much younger that they were never in the same place in their lives. She’d always been his baby sister, because she was a baby in his eyes. Damn near a decade older, she was barely out of kindergarten when he turned pro and was out of the house most of the year. He was getting paid to ride when she still ran around with big bows tied in her ponytails and loving on the American Girl doll she carried with her everywhere.

Not anymore, though.

Gone were the ribbons and bows, the stuffed animals and dolls were packed away, replaced with skinny jeans and heels. As much as he didn’t want to see it, much less admit it, his sister looked every bit the grown-up sorority girl she was. And that sorority girl was driving from school to Kansas City, hopping on a plane in KC and flying into Houston…by herself. Thank God she was at least staying with him and Emery so he could keep an eye on her.

“You’re fine
, and you don’t have to worry or thank me.” Emery grinned. “Just help me finish folding these towels.”

Emery pulled one off the top of the basket, still warm and fresh smelling. “You realize that Ally is eighteen, right?”

“Yes,” he replied as if it hurt him to acknowledge the truth.

“Cody is a good kid. He’s so shy it’s a wonder he even had the guts to talk to her the last time she was here with your parents. They’ve hit it off. You should be happy.”

Jesse handed her a folded towel to add to the stack beside her on the couch. “But he’s too old for her.” He pouted. “I don’t want to have to worry about this, and I sure as hell don’t want to be happy about it.”

“Babe…they’re exactly the same age. You think she isn’t dating back at school?”

His brow furrowed and his lip curled. No. He actually hadn’t thought about it. Now his stomach was starting to hurt.

“Seriously, Jess? She’s
a darling girl. Sweet and easy going, she’s probably got them lined up. Just look at it this way…would you rather her date God knows who, doing God knows what, whenever the hell she feels like it? Or have her date Cody? A young guy we know really well, a guy that travels with us while your sister is clear in another state, away at school. And, when they do happen to be able to meet up, she’s here…with us. So strangers whenever she’s horny, or Cody here, where we can babysit the two of them?”

His mouth dropped in shock. “What do you mean horny?”

“Jesse, you’re kidding me, right?”

“How do you know so much about what’s going on?”

She smirked at him like she was definitely going to withhold information that might have him pressing the speed dial number for his sister.

“Because. She’s a sweetheart, and I’m old enough to call for advice, but not so old that I won’t understand. I’m not her mother and”—the corner of her mouth tipped up—“I’m not her big brother.”

“Great. Well, thank you for being there for her, but please continue to only tell me things you think I need to know…”

“Trust me
”—Emery grinned—“it’s better this way.”

“I like being in the dark better anyway.”

“Most big brothers do, honey.”

“Speaking of the dark…”

“We were?”

“Yes. We were. And you know, instead of folding towels, Em, we need to be having sex as much as we possibly can. We pull in to
Houston tomorrow afternoon, and after Ally gets in tomorrow night, then…well…you know, and it’s your fault.” Jesse grabbed a towel out of the basket, started to fold it, but wickedly snapped Emery with it instead.

She jumped at the quick pain. “
Ow! Shithead.” She scrunched her nose up at him. “I cannot have sex with you while your sister is out here on the couch. I’m sorry, it isn’t happening. Oh, hey, the dryer’s beeping. Go grab the sheets for me please.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Jesse bowed down.

“I like that. Oh…why don’t you refer to me as Your Highness?” she added in the proper English accent. The dryer beeped again, and she flicked her wrist as if she was beckoning him to do her bidding.

Jesse pinched her butt on his
way to the washer-dryer unit and could hear her stifling her laugh as he came back with the freshly washed sheets for his sister’s stay.

“I’ll help you fold these sheets, but afterward, we’re going to bed. No more cleaning, no more laundry, no more getting ready for my sister. Just you and me, that bottle of wine we picked up yesterday, and that’s it,” Jesse said, his voice hinting at what was to come.

“I wanted to sweep and mop the tile part of the floor.”

“It’s spotless already.”

“I don’t care. I want to do it again.”

“Nope.” He shook his head.

“And I still want to wipe down the bathroom again.”

“Nope.”

“What if—”

He cut her off again. “Nope.”

Jesse laughed as he reached for the sheet in Emery’s hands.

“Jesse. Wait, give me that sheet back, I’m not done.”

“Yes, you are. You’ve done enough. According to you, she’s not even going to be here enough to notice because in your
infinite wisdom
,
she’s only coming into town tomorrow to see Cody and couldn’t care less about me.” He feigned hurt with a palm on his heart.

“You’re a smartass.”

Jesse flashed a shit-eating grin at her and grabbed Emery to him tightly, pulling the sheet out of her hands and throwing it on the couch. “Look…bed’s made.”

He smiled the same lop
sided, sexy grin he knew got her every time.

“Jesse, I want it to be nice for her.”

“And I want you.” He ran his palm to her neck and cheek, cradling her head in his hand and leaning in close to kiss her. Her hands on his sides balled his t-shirt up in her fists.

“See.” He breathed heavy, his voice deeper. “You want me too, Em.” Jesse nipped at her bottom lip, then at her jaw. With his tongue, he gently swept over her collar bone, and her head fell to the side with a sigh. “I love you, Em,” he whispered against her skin.

“I love you too, Jess.” Her exhale was jagged, giving her away as his tongue found its way back to meet hers, and his hand found her breast under her T-shirt.

Her head moved as she glanced toward the open door. “Bedroom, Jesse,” Emery whispered, the need obvious in her plea.

His mouth went to the skin she’d inadvertently exposed to him. “Couch, Em.”

“Jess, the guys are all still hanging out by the trailer. They can see in here.”

“No, they can’t.” He kissed her neck just below her ear, a spot he intimately knew and often used to his advantage. “They’d have to be walking this way.”

He no sooner got the sentence out as they heard footsteps crunching in the grass. Jesse pulled his hand out from underneath Emery’s t-shirt faster than the speed of sound, just in time to see Reid coming clo
se to their motorhome screen door.

Emery whipped her head from Jesse, to the door, and back. “I told you so, you brat!”

Jesse’s face heated and he snickered, but it was Emery’s slap at him that caused him to laugh. He put his arms up to protect himself as she threatened to smack him again and stuck his tongue out at her.

She narrowed her gaze at him
and pointed at his mouth. “You know what you can do with that…?”

Starting at her feet, he slowly roamed his eyes over her, picturing exactly what he’d like to do with his tongue and not hiding
his pleasure at all. “I’d be more than happy to show you.” He answered back with a wicked smirk.

“You’re incorrigible.”

Jesse leaned in, pressing a quick peck against her lips. “And you love every minute with me.”

“Ego much?” she smarted back.

“Am I interrupting something here, kids?” Reid asked as he walked in the door without knocking. The guy didn’t even try to hide his amusement.

Rolling her eyes, Emery shook her head as she quickly grabbed the sheet to refold, but not before Jesse saw the hint of laughter tug at her mouth.

“You two look like you’ve been caught neckin’.” Reid laughed out loud, but Jesse noticed the deep stain on the older man’s cheeks, too.

Reid turned toward the recliners
, and Jesse quickly reached over and pinched her butt. Emery let out a high-pitch squeal, the surprise too quick to stifle and her cheeks flamed. Her eyes widened at him, and Jesse knew he was in trouble.

He snickered to himself. He liked being in trouble with Emery.

Glancing at her father, Emery cocked her head to the side. “Yeah, and when are you going to start knocking?”

“Honey, I never knocked before you, I don’t have any intentions of starting now.”

Her fist flew to her hip. “Dad.”

“I’m teasing. Your big door was open. I assumed you weren’t in here naked on the couch for all the world to see with the door wide open.”

Jesse chuckled, still slightly embarrassed to be caught by her father. He completely agreed with the eye roll Emery gave her father, but then those thoughts flew out the window as he watched her walk toward the fridge in her tiny sleep shorts and fitted t-shirt.

He needed to look away. He was already in pain from being so rudely interrupted only moments ago. But Jesse couldn’t tear his eyes away from her, completely toned with the most perfect ass. She shut the fridge and turned back. Jesse made a slow pass up her bare legs, flat stomach, and his eyes lingered on her chest.

She snorted.

His eyes went to hers. Busted. He grinned as she made her way toward him. Shaking her head as she
came closer.

Jesse aimed for innocence and mouthed
what
and shrugged, but he felt the heat on his face. Embarrassed to be caught staring or not, she was his woman, she was beautiful, and he was going to stare as much as he wanted. He blew a kiss at her, and she grinned bashfully and rolled her eyes yet again.

She handed
a bottle to each of the men, grabbed the folded towels and turned toward the hall closet. “Dad, I’m assuming you’re just bored, so I’ll leave Jesse to entertain you. I’m going to go take a shower.”

“What if I need to talk to you?” Reid tilted his chin.

“Well, then my guess is you’ll still be here when I come back out, huh?”

“Smartass.” Reid chuckled.

“Ditto.” Emery slapped back.

Jesse shook his head
, chuckling at the two as he grabbed the remote. “There’s a game on if you want to catch the rest?”

Reid held his bottle up to answer.

Jesse realized he had his opportunity now, with her dad kicked back and relaxing and Emery getting ready to shower.

He waited until he heard the faint click of the bathroom door as it shut. “Hey, Reid.”

“Yeah, son?”

“I’ve wanted to talk to you, and we don’t get many moments like this anymore.”

“I’ll blame my daughter. I don’t think she’d like me hanging out watching ballgames damn near every night with you like we used to.”

In all the newness, Jesse had forgotten the friend he had in Reid, and he suddenly felt bad for ignoring him the last few months. “Shit, Reid. I’m sorry.”

“Are you kidding? Jess, Em comes first. I’m just so thankful she’s getting better and better each week. She’s done a one-eighty since she met you. And she’s happy. I haven’t seen her this happy in a long, long time. So don’t you worry about me, son.”

“Well, I guess that’s what I wanted to talk to you about.” He glanced from Reid to the game, and back to him, working up his courage. With his delay in speaking, Reid’s interest must have been piqued, obvious by the raised eyebrow.

“Well, Reid.” Jesse took another long swallow of his beer watching Reid’s face. “Um. I’d like to, can I...” A bead of sweat rolled down the back of his neck, even though the windows were open in the motorhome to a cool spring evening. He shut his eyes for a second, working up his resolve again. “I’d like to marry Emery...I’m trying to ask your permission.”