Chapter Ten

ZOEY AND JESSIE PULLED UP in front of Jack’s house the next morning at ten-fifteen.

They were surprised to see that Jack’s place was a rather impressive-looking post and beam-style home that backed to the water of the Chesapeake Bay.

“Nice,” Zoey observed. “Not what I was expecting.”

“Me either,” Jessie agreed.

She got out of Zoey’s car and opened the door to the backseat to grab her suitcase.

The Escalade owned by Drake & Associates was parked out front, along with a red sports car she didn’t recognize. She didn’t see Jack’s Jeep or motorcycle, but assumed they were in the huge, detached garage about twenty-five yards from the house.

“Thanks, Zoey,” Jessie said. “I’ll text you or call you later”

“Good luck! Hope it goes okay… be careful,” Zoey called as she pulled away.

Jessie left her suitcase next to the SUV and walked to the front porch. She lifted her hand to knock, but at that moment the solid wood front door flung open. A tall, attractive girl stood in the doorway, her long black hair still damp from a recent shower.

“Hi,” Jessie said, surprised.

The girl looked at her blankly. “Hi,” she said.

“Is Jack here?” Jessie asked hesitantly, feeling awkward, as if she was interrupting something.

“Yeah, come on in,” the girl opened the door all the way and stepped aside, flinging her purse over her shoulder. “Jack’s in the shower.”

At that moment Jessie noticed another pretty girl, also with damp hair, walking out of what she assumed was Jack’s bedroom.

Jessie stepped inside as both girls, who had obviously spent the night with Jack, left and headed toward the red sports car.

Jessie turned to close the door behind them, as Jack appeared from the back of the house. He was shirtless, but wearing jeans. He had a towel in his hand, his hair still damp. A few beads of water glistened on his unbelievably sexy chest.

Jessie couldn’t force her eyes away from that inked masterpiece of a body.

Jack smiled at her as he walked in the room.

“Sorry. I’m running a few minutes late,” he apologized. “Lost track of time.”

He glanced at the open door, wondering if Angie and Dawn had left before Jessie arrived.

Jessie closed the door. “Your friends let me in.”

She blushed and looked away from him, embarrassed.

“Okay.” He shrugged and flashed his usual smirky smile. He wiped the towel over the back of his neck and over his head. “Just give me a few minutes and I’ll be ready to go.”

Jack laughed as he went back into his room. Jessie’s face had turned bright red as she realized what had taken place. He had no doubt that little-miss-innocent would have had a heart attack if she’d witnessed the porn-worthy three-way that had kept him up most of the night.

“Sure, take your time.” Her face burned, acknowledgement of the threesome that had taken place between Jack and the two girls in the air between them. She didn’t think of herself as a prude, but she did find it rather shocking.

Jessie looked around his place. She was not sure what she had expected, but she was surprised that his place was so inviting and attractive. For some reason she had pictured him in a messy apartment with mismatched furniture and junk everywhere. Crushed-in beer cans and liquor bottles next to empty pizza boxes. Instead, it was very neat and clean.

Wide plank, dark wood floors throughout, with furniture that looked comfortable and masculine. It suited him.

There was a large cozy-looking sofa in the living room and a huge flat screen television mounted on the wall. The vaulted ceiling made the room seem huge. A stone fireplace dominated one side of the room. The furthest wall was floor-to-ceiling windows with an amazing view of the Bay. French doors opened to a large deck.

There weren’t many personal touches in the room that could tell her much about him, except for the fuzzy Carolina Panthers blanket folded and draped over the back of the couch. It could have been a room inside a model home. It didn’t really look like anyone lived here.

She had grown up in a wealthy family, and nice homes were nothing new to her. As she looked around she found herself very interested in this house in particular, and what it might tell her about Jack.

There were stairs on the other side of the room. She looked up and saw a loft on the left and a hallway and a closed door to the right.

On the far side of the living room was a doorway that Jessie peered into. This room was much more personal, decked out in Carolina Panthers swag. It was clearly Jack’s man cave and he had certainly thought of everything, including a pool table, a wet bar, a poker table and an even larger flat screen television than the one he had in the main living room. As in the living room, one wall was floor to ceiling windows, overlooking the bay. There was a huge grill on the deck outside.

“You’ve got a great place,” she called to him through the open door which she assumed was his bedroom. She had the strangest urge to peek inside and see what it looked like. “Did you decorate it yourself?”

He came back into the living room pulling a t-shirt over his head. Her eyes were drawn to him, unable to resist a last look at that powerful chest and those amazing abs. There was no way he got that body without going to the gym. A lot.

“Nah,” he answered her.

“A girl?” she asked lightly.

He nodded and hesitated. “Yeah, my sister.”

“You have a sister?”

Jack nodded.

“What’s her name? Is she older or younger?”

“Sarah. We’re twins, but technically I’m six minutes older.”

“Oh that’s so fun!” Jessie said enthusiastically. “Where does she live?”

“Florida, for now. She’s moving here soon, though. She’s getting a divorce. No surprise there,” Jack scoffed.

“What do you mean?” Jessie asked.

“Isn’t that how most marriages end?” Jack asked cynically.

“My parents are still together. And happily, I might add.”

“As far as you know.” Jack smirked.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Jessie asked defensively.

Jack ignored her last question.

He gave her his usual once-over. She was wearing a little blue summer dress with small white polka dots all over it, and white sandals. White-framed sunglasses rested on top of her head. Her skin was darkening to a golden bronze as the summer wore on.

She tilted her pretty face toward him. As usual, he felt momentarily hypnotized by those unbelievable blue eyes. He tore his gaze away and lowered his eyes to her tantalizing pink lips. He wondered if he’d ever get used to how startlingly pretty she was.

“Your place is spotless, but I can’t picture you cleaning.” Jessie laughed a little at the image.

He gazed at her. “I have someone who comes a couple of times a week to do that.”

Her name was Gwen. She had cleaned his house and done his laundry every week for the past five years. She was a super sweet lady. On Fridays, she usually left a plate of homemade cookies on the kitchen counter, or something else she had baked. Jack didn’t usually eat a lot of junk food or sweets, but he did happily indulge in Gwen’s delicious home baked gifts.

“Oh,” Jessie said, nodding.

She followed Jack into the kitchen.

“Do you want a drink?” he offered, as he poured orange juice in a glass and added a splash of vodka to it.

“No thanks,” Jessie replied. “Isn’t it a bit early for that?” she laughed.

“I’m a little hungover. It’ll help. Where’s your stuff?” he asked, taking a drink.

He had stayed up until three o’clock in the morning, fucking and doing shots of Fireball with Angie and Dawn. This morning he had banged both of them again, in the shower. They had finished only a few minutes before Jessie had arrived.

“I left my bag outside by the car.”

Jessie looked around the modern kitchen, which made a pleasing contrast to all of the rustic wood throughout the home. There was nothing personal in this room, just bottles of liquor on the counter, a few empty.

“Where’s Cody?” Jessie asked. She had been hoping to meet Jack’s dog.

“Chris picked him up last night. He usually keeps him for me when I’m gone.” Jack walked toward the bedroom and indicated Jessie should follow him. “Come with me. I want to show you something.”

She hesitated at the door to his bedroom, noting a huge, unmade king size bed in the middle of the room. Jessie felt her pulse quicken slightly. For the briefest of moments she envisioned herself in that bed.

Her chest would rise up and down more quickly than it should, a nervous anticipation creeping over her as she lay waiting for Jack to touch her. He would stand to the side of the bed, shirtless, the well-defined muscles of his upper body making her catch her breath. He would unbutton his jeans as he looked her over, his eyes burning over her skin. She would shiver in anticipation as he reached down to finger the lace of her nightie, that trademark smirk of his making the tingle in between her legs throb harder…

Jessie shook her head to rid herself of the inappropriate thoughts.

His room was large, with a vaulted ceiling, another stone fireplace and flat screen television. Like the other rooms, the wall that faced the bay was floor-to-ceiling glass.

On the other side of the room was a door through which she could see inside a large, modern bathroom with a huge stone shower.

He led her outside onto the deck. She caught her breath as she saw the view he had wanted to show her.

“Oh my God Jack… it’s amazing!” Jessie gasped, as she took in the spectacular view of the bay with the sunlight shimmering against the water.

“This view is why I chose this spot for the house. You should see the sunrise out here.” He was remembering watching the sunrise with her on the river a few days before.

“I bet it’s unbelievable!” she responded eagerly.

She turned to him, an excited smile playing on her lips. He loved her enthusiasm. An uncomfortable feeling settled over him. What was it about this girl that was so disconcerting? He felt… different around her. Off balance.

He stared at her, a strange expression on his face.

“We should get going.” He held the door open for her as she stepped back into his bedroom. Jack picked up a bag and followed her to the front of the house.

He put both of their bags in the back of the SUV and they got on the road. Jack drove, while Jessie programmed the navigation system with the address to their hotel in the city.

“So. Who were your friends?” Jessie asked, glancing at him as he merged onto the highway. She couldn’t help but be curious.

Jack shrugged and smiled. “Just some girls I know. Why?”

“Did you… I mean… are they…” Jessie stumbled over her words.

“You want to know if I hooked up with both of them,” Jack stated calmly, like there was nothing at all unusual about it.

“I mean, of course it’s none of my business. I guess I’m just… curious is all.” Jessie felt her face heat up.

Jack smirked. “It’s okay. Yeah, I did.”

“Have you done that before?”

Jack nodded.

“How does that work, exactly?” Jessie asked, her innocent blue eyes curious as she tried like hell not to be judgmental.

“Why? You want in next time?” Jack laughed.

“No! Of course not!” Jessie said emphatically. “I was just wondering. You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”

Jack shrugged. “What do you want to know?”

“Do the girls… do things with each other? Or do you just… take turns… with each girl?” Jessie couldn’t quite picture it.

Jack laughed. “Yeah the girls do stuff with each other. It’s the best part… watching two girls go at it. At least it’s the best part for me.”

“So you watched them… do things to each other?”

“Yeah. And fucked them both,” Jack said matter-of-factly. “They also sucked me off… together.”

“Oh!” Jessie said, giving an embarrassed laugh. “Okay, I get it now.”

He glanced at her and shrugged. “You asked.”

Jack had the satellite radio tuned to a comedy channel and they listened to several routines by various comedians. Jessie laughed so hard her stomach started to hurt.

One comedian did a hilarious routine about the first time he had sex as a teenager. Tears rolled down Jessie’s cheeks she was so hysterical listening to his account of how awkward it was.

When she regained her composure she said, “He said he had his first time when he was only thirteen. That seems kind of young.”

Jack turned the radio down and answered her, “I don’t know, I don’t think so. I was probably around that age when I did it for the first time.”

“Wow. Really? Who was your first time with?” Jessie smiled, trying to imagine Jack as an awkward teenager.

He glanced at her and then turned his eyes back to the road. “Just some girl.”

“Oh, come on Jack! For a guy with your reputation I’d think you’d be only too happy to recount the story of your first conquest.” Jessie laughed.

He smiled. “Okay, wow. I’m not sure I realized I had a ‘reputation’. As for my ‘conquests’, I’ve never felt the need to brag about them.”

“Okay, well I promise I won’t think of it as bragging.” Jessie turned a little in her seat, waiting expectantly for the details.

“Alright, fine.” Jack gave in. “Like I said, I think I was about thirteen. I was in the living room playing a video game. My father came home with this hot chick who was a lot younger than him, probably only eighteen or so. At least, I hope she was eighteen. I’m not sure. I doubt my Dad was checking IDs.”

Jessie stopped smiling.

He went on. “So they go in his room and I can hear them in there fucking, but he brought women home all the time so it was no big deal to me. Sarah always stayed in her room with headphones on so she wouldn’t have to hear. It always weirded her out to hear sex noises coming from his room. Then it got quiet and the girl comes out of the room. She tells me that my father passed out. He was fucking hammered as usual. So she sits down and starts playing my video game with me.”

Jack glanced at Jessie, his face serious as he scanned her expression. She tried to keep her face impassive, nonjudgmental.

He continued.

“She hung out for a while, and the next thing I know, she tells me that she’s still horny because my Dad passed out before she could come. She asked me if I knew what that meant yet. I told her that I knew what it meant for a guy, but wasn’t sure what it meant for a girl. She said she would show me. She said we should go in my room, so we did. Then she took her clothes off, and pulled my jeans down and started sucking me off. I came in like fifteen seconds.” He laughed. “But of course I was ready again pretty much right away and so we went again. A few times. She told me what she wanted me to do to her to make her come, so I did.”

Jessie didn’t say anything for a minute. She was too surprised.

“You asked,” Jack said, after another minute of quiet.

“But she was so much older. I mean, I’m pretty sure what she did was illegal, Jack.”

Jack shrugged. “I never thought of it that way.”

“What did you think afterward? Did you see her again?” Jessie asked.

“I was mostly surprised to find out that as good as sex felt for me, the best part was getting her off. Pussy’s been my favorite pastime ever since, that’s for sure.” Jack laughed. “No, I never saw her again. Honestly I don’t even know her name. She may have told me that night but I don’t remember.”

“So, your Dad,” Jessie began, “are you close to him now?”

Jack glanced over at her. “Nah, I don’t talk to him.”

Jessie nodded. She was still processing the information that Jack had shared with her. As a young teen, he had seen his father bring home random young women and listened to them having sex while he played video games in the next room. How much could that mess a kid up?

Jack was exposed to sex too soon by someone older. He had been taken advantage of when he was too young to know that what she had done was wrong. That would explain a few things about the way he was now. Possibly a sex addiction. Jessie toyed with the idea but she didn’t really think it was that. Although, he seemed to make no connection between sex and emotion.

“What about you?” Jack asked, maneuvering into the left hand lane to pass an eighteen-wheeler.

“What about me?” Jessie asked, confused.

“Your first time?” Jack said lightly. “I told you about mine. Your turn.”

“Oh,” Jessie looked out the window and cleared her throat. “My story isn’t nearly as interesting as yours.”

“How old were you?” Jack asked.

“Nineteen. The summer after my first year of college.” Jessie looked away when their eyes met.

“Wow, you held out a long time,” he sounded impressed. “Who was the lucky guy?”

“The guy I dated all through college, Scott.” Jessie remembered that night and the disappointment she had felt. Such a build-up in her mind only to be let down by the reality.

Scott had been her first love. Her only love, really. She had thought she was in love with him, although she could never shake the feeling that something was missing.

She was never crazy about him, never had that butterflies, heart-pounding feeling that her girlfriends had described. Certainly not the earth-shattering experiences like the way that movies portrayed sex. Of course, that was just entertainment, right? What had her mother told her? The best relationships are built on trust, friendship, and mutual respect. Then again, her parents had been married for thirty years, and they still couldn’t keep their hands off each other.

Sex had never been a focal point of her relationship with Scott. Their sexual encounters were okay, although they usually didn’t last more than a couple of minutes. They were also rather few and far between. That was sometimes due to Scott’s frequent inability to maintain an erection. Jessie hadn’t known if that was normal or not. She had never been with anyone else. And she was too embarrassed to ask anyone about it. But he didn’t seem to be very interested in sex and she was okay with that, especially once she found out that it wasn’t as great as people made it seem.

Scott had been one of her best friends. They shared many of the same interests, had all of the same friends. They had seemed perfect together.

He had proposed to her beautifully last Thanksgiving, sweetly presenting her with his grandmother’s diamond engagement ring. And all of the sudden, in that moment, Jessie knew it wasn’t right. She had sobbed as she turned him down, feeling terrible as she saw the hurt and confusion on his face. He’d had no doubt she would say yes. They were perfect for each other, weren’t they?

Her parents had been surprised and disappointed. They approved of Scott. He came from a good family and there was no doubt he would have a successful career and could have provided more than sufficiently for their only daughter.

Since she and Scott had parted ways, she’d gone out with a number of guys, but not many that went past the second or third date. She had not had sex with anyone else yet, and she was only mildly interested. As far as Jessie was concerned, people made too big a deal about sex. It was just okay. She would just as soon spend the evening with a good book or watching one of her favorite crime shows on television.

Zoey disagreed. She found sex more pleasurable than Jessie had. Jessie wasn’t sure if there was something wrong with Scott, or maybe there was something wrong with her. Zoey said it wasn’t either, she just hadn’t met the right guy yet.

“Waiting for details. I told you about mine,” Jack reminded her.

“It was fine. I mean he was really sweet. You know, candles and flowers, the works. He got us a place at the beach overlooking the ocean that weekend.” Jessie felt her face blush. Scott had tried really hard to make her first time special.

And it had been special. For the two minutes he’d spent kissing and clumsily touching her breasts and in between her legs, leading to another two minutes during which he had penetrated her, pumped in and out of her a few times before he came.

She had been disappointed. Where were the stars she was supposed to see? Wasn’t she supposed to feel some kind of amazing explosion of pleasure? She had never even had an orgasm with Scott. She had eventually figured out how to get herself off sometimes when she was alone in bed or the shower. It didn’t always work, though. When she couldn’t get herself there, she felt frustrated and wondered again if there was something wrong with her.

Jack waited a long moment to see if she was going to say anything else, but she was quiet. “Sweet, huh? What happened to him?”

“He’s an accountant. Actually, he works for my father.”

“No, I mean, how come you’re not with him anymore?”

“We broke up last year. He asked me to marry him. I said no,” Jessie replied, eyes downcast.

Jack looked vaguely interested. “Huh. Why’d you say no?”

Jessie struck him as the kind of girl who would marry her college boyfriend.

“I… I don’t know,” Jessie stuttered. “I didn’t feel… I mean, I guess I just thought that it should be… different, I guess. More. We were good friends, but I wasn’t in love with him.”

Jack nodded. “So the sex wasn’t good.”

He was half-joking but Jessie realized he had just summed up what she never wanted to admit.

“Jack!” Jessie admonished him. “Oh my God! I can’t believe you just said that. Not everything is about sex.”

He laughed. “But I’m right.”

Jessie hesitated and then she shook her head. “No! You’re not. It was fine,” she protested.

“Fine? Just fine? Not a very rousing endorsement for Scott.” Jack laughed.

Jessie ignored him.

“And since then?” Jack surprised himself. Why the fuck was he so curious?

“I’ve been dating, but I haven’t had a boyfriend since Scott,” Jessie said.

“Huh.” Was it possible that Jessie had only been to bed with one guy? No way.

Jessie noticed his surprised expression. “Not everyone lives their life like they’re starring in their own personal porn movie, Jack.”

He laughed. “Have you ever even seen a porn?”

“Whatever. I’m not going to talk about this with you.”

He would be surprised if she had. She seemed so innocent. It might be fun to corrupt her a little, see if he could find a little naughty in her. Breaking them in wasn’t usually his thing, but for some reason he couldn’t stop thinking about getting this particular sweet blonde on her back. Or on all fours. Or on her knees. He felt himself stiffen and shifted in his seat.

What the hell was wrong with him? This girl wasn’t like his usual playmates. Definitely not the kind of girl he could just use like a toy for a night and then walk away from. She was sensitive. Innocent. She would break too easily.

He forced the deviant thoughts from his mind and tried to focus on the story Jessie had started telling him about her family vacation last year to Hawaii. He laughed at her account of how she had tripped over someone’s beach bag and landed face first into the sand.

Yeah, this girl was cool to hang out with, but she was definitely not his type. He didn’t fuck with nice girls. And only a complete dickhead would fuck with a little sweetheart like this, right?