CHAPTER 28
As expected, all eyes were on them when Blake and Jessie arrived. The group rushed them the minute they walked in the door, hand in hand, confirming what everyone was wondering. Though nobody asked them directly, it wasn’t lost on Blake and Jessie that each took turns looking at their locked hands.
Acting nonchalant was more just for fun than anything. They knew their relationship was in the open, but letting everyone stew over just what kind of relationship it was made the evening more fun.
Not one to beat around the bush, Lou approached them and asked, “Is this just shackin’ up or the real deal?”
“Excuse me?” Blake chuckled, taken aback by her blunt manner.
“If I have to spell it out for you, boy, you shouldn’t be doing it. You know…the Hawaiian love dance, come-on-I-wanna-lay-ya?” His head tilted, and he wore an amused grin at her explanation as she continued, “You know, the horizontal hula? No? Still don’t… Ah, hell! Are ya just doing the dirty, bad nasty or have ya finally pulled ‘yer head out of your hineys and decided you were meant for each other?”
Jessie leaned in and said, “She’s in the group text.”
“Ahh. So, she knows.” He snorted, something nobody had really seen or heard from Blake. “Yes…uh, the second one. About the hineys. Now that we got that out of the way – I would like to dance with my lady.”
Blake pulled Jessie away as the group watched them – the men with surprise and the women with swoony eyes.
“They know there isn’t any music, don’t they?” Colton asked.
“They don’t need any…so romantic,” Morgan said with her hands clasped over her heart. “Finally.”
“Oddly, her boots look spectacular with that dress. Very Jessie Chic,” Meg added with a giggle.
The open house wasn’t quite black tie, but it was more than casual. This wasn’t an event anyone wanted to miss as it was a result of someone they loved dearly, Lou Shaw. Lou had suffered a major heart attack and subsequent stroke the previous fall, nearly losing her fight, if not for Beck McCain bringing in the specialists and equipment needed to sustain her. It reflected the great need McKenzie and the surrounding areas had – so, he was the first to put down his millions to build this much needed Cardiac and Neurology extension at the hospital.
Though the babies were only four weeks old, and the moms were hard pressed to leave them, it was important for each of them to be there and celebrate the event they had organized for all of the donors, in Lou’s honor and Beck’s good deed. Lou called in the bitty brigade to watch each of the babies so their parents could get a much-needed night out and be together – they would each be sleeping the few hours their parents were gone anyway.
Blake and Jessie spent the evening mingling and enjoying their first official public outing as a couple. Though they were there to help celebrate a milestone for McKenzie Ridge and its new addition to the hospital, Blake knew this type of gathering would make for a great opportunity to cause trouble. Jason Bolton could easily blend into the crowd and stalk or taunt Jessie – worse, the distraction of the crowd could provide an opportunity to catch her off guard and grab her when no one was looking.
Blake showed Logan, who was there with Carly, a picture of the guy without divulging details. He was instructed to grab the guy if he saw him and not cause a scene. Logan was happy to be a second set of eyes. Carter had been there as well, mingling with the townspeople, flirting with some of the ladies, even. He was really there with eyes for Bolton, too, though.
Blake also had Liam’s men in ahead of the party, upgrading surveillance. Enabling Liam to run facial recognition from Portland and keep them informed. If Bolton showed up, they would get him.
Apparently, tonight wasn’t the night. The evening was a great success and completely uneventful when it came to Jason Bolton. They each said their goodbyes at the end of the night, Blake and Jessie still at the center of attention.
“So, this is really happening? After all these years?” Dawson chuckled. “It took you a while to figure out how to date the girl. Do you know what to do when you get her home?”
When the group laughed, Blake knew it was all in good fun and their way of showing support, albeit a strange way. He wasn’t about to let any of them off easy though. He wanted to send a message, let them know just how real their relationship was. Recalling what Jessie had said earlier in the day, he turned to their friends and flipped them off, followed by a wink and rare smile.
Jessie gasped in surprise before tossing her head back in laughter when he swept her up and carried her out of the room.
“Ah, shit, she’s already ruined him.” Colton laughed, along with the rest of their family of friends.
It appeared that their family was almost complete as the remaining two finally found each other.
“Why are you driving so fast?” Jessie asked.
“Can’t wait to get you home,” Blake replied in a low timbre.
“Is that right? You tired or something?” she teased, knowing full well what he was after.
“Not at all. Not – at – all.” He pulled her panties out of his pocket and held them in the air, “It seems you forgot that you weren’t wearing these. Dress is down to your knees. I have a problem with that.”
“Really? I guess I thought you had your fill after that little incident
in the supply closet we found back there.”
“My fill? We have nearly a decade to make up for. It’ll be a while before I have my fill.”
They flew down the long dirt road, through the woods, to Blake’s cabin. When he made it around to her side of the truck, he opened the door, blocking her exit. With her legs turned out, facing him, he put one hand in the center of her chest and laid her back across the seat.
“Wh-what are you doing?” she giggled.
Blake grabbed the hem of her dress, pushed it up around her waist and moved between her legs. With one leg over his shoulder and the other hooked between the open door and the cab of the truck, he buried his face, anxious to taste her.
“Th-the house,” she said, arching her back. “Blake, we’re…”
She didn’t finish her thought, lost in the ecstasy he was drawing out of her. Despite the barking from inside the house, at the door, he had his way with her in the dark on the front seat of his truck. Bringing her just to the edge, he stopped, scooping her up and racing to the door.
“You didn’t finish. Hurry up with the door...” she said, breathless.
Fumbling with the keys, trying to unlock the front door while holding her, he said, “That’s what you get for making me wait.
”
She grabbed the keys from his hands and unlocked the door, letting them in where she also keyed in the alarm code once inside.
Making their way through the foyer, headed for the bedroom, they passed the living room and stopped, taken aback by what they saw. It was a mess – the pillows were shredded, their contents everywhere, books were all over the floor, and various plants and the like knocked over.
“Son of a bitch,” Blake said in a heated tone.
“Oh, my God,” Jessie said in an instant panic, wiggling her way out of Blake’s grip. “He was here. He’s probably still here.”
She was afraid, her whisper barely audible as she clutched to Blake’s arm, hiding behind him. He turned to her, putting both arms on her and pulling her into him.
“Whoa, whoa. He isn’t here. He hasn’t been here.”
“But…”
“But nothing. Look,” he said, turning so she could see the room again, “It’s just a pillow – or like four. Baby gets crazy if left too long. Apparently, Flea Bag wasn’t as much of a help as I thought he’d be.”
Blake pointed up to the top of one of his many book shelves. “Look, he’s obviously a climber and doesn’t like books…or plants.”
Flea Bag meowed from the top shelf where he had cleared some room for himself to lay down.
“Cats are assholes,” Jessie said. “I thought…”
“Shh…he can’t get in here. This house is a fortress, and I have all kinds of security measures outside. We’d know long before he got here. He’d be a fool to even try – and I’m guessing he knows that somehow.”
She nodded. “Okay, I’m sorry. I guess I’m just waiting for the other shoe to drop. He’s quiet. I’m more frightened when he’s quiet – it’s like waiting for the grand finale or something.”
“You don’t have to be scared. We’re going to put an end to…him,
” Blake promised. “You believe me? Trust me?”
Jessie bit her bottom lip before smiling with a subtle bob of her head. “More than anything.”
Grabbing her hand, he walked backward to the bedroom, pulling her along. He stopped, once they were in his room, and tossed his keys to the nightstand where they slid and fell to the floor – neither cared. Briskly pulling her into him, he smiled when she giggled at his urgency. Bringing his mouth to hers, he slid his hands down her body, resting them on her hips while he assaulted her mouth, trying to get as much of her as he could.
A low guttural moan escaped him when his hunger for her body became too much, and he spun her around, against the wall, still holding onto her hips. He pulled her ass against him so she could feel how needy he was for her.
Wiggling her ass against him, she teased him, encouraging him. She braced herself against the wall and arched her back while he trailed kisses from one shoulder to the next as he unzipped her dress. When the zipper caught, he didn’t waste any time and ripped it, dropping it to the floor.
That’s when he was reminded that he had her panties and groaned again. One hand still on her hip, the other lightly dragged down her abdomen until he found her wet and waiting for his touch.
With his mouth to her ear, he whispered, “I can’t go slow this time, baby. I need you fast, and hard – right here.”
He massaged her tight bundle of swollen nerves, stroking her, earning a breathy sigh from her as she quickly nodded her head. Her climax was building already. There was something so sexy, so thrilling about how demanding he was, how badly he needed her. That alone could have been her undoing.
The emotions between them, the feelings they shared, were already so thick they couldn’t see past how they felt for each other. It made them thirst for one another. It was more than lust but a desire to be connected in the most intimate way. A way to share their love for each other through sensual pleasure.
Blake let go of Jessie’s hip to undo his pants and free himself. He used his hand to guide his length until he found what he was looking for and filled her in one swift move. Moving briskly, he thrust hard and fast as promised.
When his pleasure built to a high he could ride forever, he wrapped one arm around her, lifting her off her feet burying himself deeper inside her. The motion was quick, exciting her, leading her to cry out his name, over and over, matching his movement with her seductive sounds. She tightened around him, bringing him to the edge, and they both fell over together in total bliss.
It was a feeling that neither could ever get enough of. Not just the physical, but the emotional too. They were so connected, in every way, that being together felt natural. It was long overdue.
Blake leaned over her after putting her back to her feet, his hand around her waist, holding her up as they each caught their breath. A ping from his phone was followed by a buzzing in the background, but he ignored it for the time being. McKenzie Ridge would just have to do without him for a while.
Jessie broke their connection and turned with her back against the wall, and he kissed her.
“You’re amazing,” he said.
She looked down his body to see that he was still fully dressed, but his pants were undone with a certain body part hanging out.
“Hey, nice look
,” she teased, nodding to his groin.
“Yeah, I got a little excited. I didn’t have time to take anything off.”
Another ping sounded, but he ignored it once more.
“How about the shower – then bed,” he suggested.
“Bed? So now
you’re getting tired?” she questioned.
“Nope. I’m just getting started,” he said with a kiss.
Another ping sounded, and another. Then the phone buzzed before yet another ping.
“You should check that. Someone sounds like they need you,” Jessie said as more pings came through.
Blake looked over his shoulder in the direction of his phone with an irritated scowl, “That’s odd. Go get in the shower; I’ll be right there.”
He smacked her ass as she walked away, heading to the bathroom with a squeal. As he searched for his phone in the dark, somewhere on the bed, it continued to ping, leading him to it.
It wasn’t from one but several of their friends, which set off an immediate alarm in his head. He began to open each message and wasn’t prepared for what he saw.
“Jessie. Jessica, come here,” he said in a heated tone.
With a towel around her, she entered the room with a sassy smile, “Wow, you’re bossy…”
Her words trailed off when she saw his furrowed brow and icy expression. Something was wrong. When he handed her his phone because words escaped him, her thoughts were confirmed.
“No, Blake. No,” she cried, handing his phone back to him before she started to weep.
He quickly pulled her into the safety of his embrace to comfort her, stroking her hair until she calmed.
“We…we need to t-tell them.”