Three phone calls to Keith have gone unanswered this morning and now it’s approaching noon. I'm starting to wonder if Jesse killed him and disposed of his body sometime last night. I tried calling Jesse and he didn’t answer either. Maybe they’ve gone out to grab a bite to eat? There’s only one way to find out.

My flip flops slap against the bottom of my feet all the way down the long hall. I couldn’t sneak up on anyone while wearing them. It only took a few keystrokes on my laptop to figure out which room Jesse is in. I’m privy to all information regarding our employees.

I knock on the door and wait for Jesse to answer. Knuckles rapping again, I stand there patiently, but he still doesn’t come to the door. I can hear deep male voices and laughter; I know they’re inside. I kick the door with the ball of my foot this time and call out, “open the damn door.” My patience doesn’t last when I’m being ignored. That seems to do the trick because only seconds later I’m staring at a grinning Wyatt.

“Lilah, would you like to come in?” He steps back, bowing gallantly and gesturing for me to enter. He shakes his shoulder length, blond hair out of his brown eyes and grins charmingly. I don’t know Wyatt well, but what I do know about him I like. He’s always polite and professional.

I smile. “Thank you.” Moving into the room, the delicious aroma of pizza assaults my nose. My stomach growls in reply as I notice the large stack of boxes on the table by the windows. Jesse’s reclined back against the headboard on one bed with a slice of pizza on a paper plate in his lap and Keith is perched in a chair. Both have Xbox controllers in their hands and childlike grins on their faces.

“Take that you little fucker,” Jesse yells as his thumbs pound the buttons on the controller.

“Not so fast,” Keith replies, clicking rapid fire. Both so involved in the game, they don’t notice me standing there with my hands on my hips.

“They’ve been playing for two hours straight.” Wyatt smirks.

“What? Did they only take a break to order pizza?”

“Nope, not even then. I ordered the pizzas.”

I roll my eyes. “Boys and their toys.”

“There’s a serious bromance blooming here.”

“What do you mean?”

“Your boy, Keith, he’s infatuated with Jesse and surprisingly the big guy doesn’t seem to mind.”

“Really?” This surprises me. Although, would any wrestler be upset about being idolized?

He nods, and we turn toward the two of them. They’re focused solely on the game taking place on the enormous wall mounted television. “I bet I can get their attention pretty quick.”

Wyatt chuckles. “This should be entertaining.”

Four steps across the carpet place me directly in front of the television. “Lilah,” they both shout. “Move out of the way,” Keith groans.

“Down in front, babe,” Jesse yells.

Ignoring them both, I remain standing, blocking their view of the screen. Crossing my arms over my chest, I show them I mean business. One of them finally pauses the game and they both place the controllers down.

“Keith, I was hoping you and I could get out of here for a bit and talk.”

“Can I take a rain check on that? I’m kind of in the middle of something here.”

My eyes sway over to Jesse and find his own filled with humor. “You want to keep playing your game?” I inquire, once again watching Keith.

“Yeah. I want to hang with Jesse and Wyatt. They gave me tickets to the show tonight too.”

“I was thinking maybe you and I should talk. Don’t you think that should take precedence over a video game?”

“Actually, we’re all set.”

“What do you mean we’re all set?”

“Jesse and I talked last night, and he helped me see I’m too young to tie myself down to one woman.”

I arch a brow at Jesse. “Oh, he did, huh? How selfless of him.” While I had no intention of being more than friends with Keith, I certainly don’t need Jesse Gunn handling my business for me. I’m a big fucking girl. “Maybe Jesse should stick to Jesse and let you worry about what’s right for you? How long are you in town for? Will I get to spend any time with you or are you replacing me with your new friends?” My voice oozes with sarcasm.

Jesse chuckles. “Don’t be jealous, Lilah. We’ll let you hang with us.” He pats the mattress beside his hip, directing his most charming grin my way. “You can even have some pizza.”

“How can I resist an invitation like that?” I move away from the tv and to both their credits they don’t restart their game immediately.

Jesse raises his slice of pizza to my lips. “Want a bite?”

I snatch it out of his grasp and take a large bite as I settle beside him on the bed. “Mm, don’t mind if I do. Thank you very much.”

He leans toward me. “Are you ready to see what a video game master I am?”

“I don’t know if I can handle that. First your history geek side and now this.”

“It’s a lot to take in, I know,” he jests in a solemn tone as his warm breath wafts across my lips. We’re only a few inches away from each other - away from the possibility of a kiss. If we were alone in this room, I’d be dropping the pizza and pressing my mouth to his...but we’re not. Instead, I take another bite and chew while he watches. “Show me what you got, Gunn.”

I spend the next two hours sitting next to Jesse on his bed, eating pizza while watching him and Keith battle it out. Wyatt got restless and left after the first hour, but somehow, I find Jesse playing video games oddly exciting. Maybe it’s the deft way his large masculine hands handle the controller or how his fingers dexterously pulse the buttons that has me feeling all kinds of hot and bothered. I can’t help but imagine them on parts of my body he’s yet to touch - parts of my body he should never touch. But... never is a long time and he’s wearing me down just by being so... him.

Jesse, doesn’t have to do anything other than be himself to impress me. The more I see of the real man behind the stage presence, the more attractive he becomes.

* * *

“Duuude that was sick. It was epic, and I can’t believe I got to see it all close up. You’re the man, those seats were the best in the arena,” Keith rambles excitedly as we make our way inside the hotel. His happiness can’t be contained.

“I’m glad you enjoyed it, but the night’s not over yet,” Jesse says, taking my hand.

What’s he doing? I tug to loosen his hold, but he squeezes as if to say forget about it. I’m not letting you go.

What is he going to do with me?

A shiver runs down my spine at the thought of some knee quaking options. The possibilities are endless, and I’ve wondered about most of them. I’m still imagining them now and as a result my stomach is a flurry of anticipation. As much as I’ve beat the ‘keep things professional horse,’ it wouldn’t take much prodding on his part to get me underneath him… in his bed… or against the wall. I’d be open to whatever position he wanted. My resistance tank is down to fumes.

Jesse leads me into the hotel bar and Keith follows. We move toward the back, it’s an unspoken rule that we situate ourselves away from the main bar area. Wrestlers are larger than life and loud, and sometimes that can be an irritant for some patrons or a draw to start trouble for others. The guys do their best to start the night on the right foot; how it ends might be another story depending on the amount of alcohol consumed.

Jesse pulls out my chair and I murmur, “thank you,” as I sink down onto the seat. He takes the empty one beside me and Keith settles in across from us. Jesse introduces him to all the wrestlers at the table and he smiles so wide I think his mouth might never return to normal.

The conversation around us continues, everyone accepts Keith into their ranks and he’s eager to talk to them all. Drink orders are taken and before I know it I have a Corona in front of me.

Jesse drapes his thick arm over the back of my chair, and his fingertips rub circles on my shoulder through the fabric of my blouse. Such a simple touch has me tingling from head to toe.

The lighting is dim and we’re up against a wall. I hope no one can see what he’s doing, how he’s touching me. Even if they could, I don’t think I want him to stop. There’s something so liberating, knowing he just can’t keep his hands off me.

Raising the bottle to my lips I take a deep pull, hoping it will help soothe my nerves. “By the way, I didn’t need you running interference with Keith. I’m an adult and can take care of whatever needs to be handled by myself.”

“I know you are and I’m sorry if that ruffles your feathers, so to speak. He brought it up first or I never would have mentioned it. He asked me for my opinion. What was I supposed to say?”

Pressing my lips together in a hint of a smile, I reply, “Poor misunderstood Jesse. You didn’t have any ulterior motive for the answer you gave?”

“Of course I did.” He smirks before his large hand closes around the glass of whiskey and I watch him raise it to his masculine mouth. The rim slips between his lips and it conjures up memories of what his tongue felt like sliding between my own lips. He drinks down the remainder of the amber liquid and my eyes roam freely over the corded muscles in his neck and the chiseled strength of his jawline under the thick, dark stubble he favors. He sets the empty glass on the bar with a clap and the ice clinks against the sides pulling me from my fantasy. Jesse turns his head, meeting my stare. “I’m not going to hand you over to the dude on a platter.”

“Well at least you admit your shady ways.”

“Guess who's back - back again. Shady’s back - tell a friend.” His impersonation of Eminem leaves a lot to be desired but his commitment to the joke still makes me laugh.

“Seriously, there’s nothing shady about it. I even told him I had plans for you.”

“Really? What did he say?”

“He said you guys were better friends than lovers anyway.”

“Sounds like an accurate assessment.”

“I never got a chance to thank you for what a great job you’re doing on social media with my storyline. It's helping with the crowds. I mean, did you hear them tonight? All I did was an in-ring interview and they went wild again. It seems like they're getting louder and crazier at each event.”

“You don’t have to thank me. It’s in my job description. Does this mean you’re paying attention to them now?”

“I’ve always checked them from time to time, but since we started our road trip, I’ve been keeping a closer eye on them.”

“Why? Don’t you trust me?”

“Absolutely. I just like reliving our moments from the trip. It makes me happy to think about the time we spend together.”

Dammit.

What am I supposed to say to that?

Nervous, I spin my upright bottle on the wooden surface at a loss for what to reply.

He leans down. “Invite me back to your room.” His voice is a deep rumble in my ear. Turning my head, our eyes lock, desire filled gray meets hesitant green. “Nothing has to happen that you don’t want. I’d like to spend the night with you.”

Is this the reason for his sweet remarks?

Is he just trying to get laid?

Indecision clouds my head and furrows my brow. Raking my teeth over my bottom lip I study his earnest expression. No matter how sincere he may be it’s not going to hurt for me to put whatever is happening between us on hold for a little longer.

I shake my head. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“I think it’s the best idea I’ve had in ages.”

“And on that note, I’m going to get out of here.” Pushing back my chair, I rise to my feet.

He stands. “Let me at least walk you to your room.”

“You can, but it won’t get you any closer to changing my mind.”

“Maybe it’s peace of mind for me to know you’re safe in your room.”

I exchange goodnights with everyone and give Keith a final hug. He’s having too much fun for me to drag him out of there and I know we’ll catch up sometime soon.

Jesse clasps my hand and once again I try to pull free, but his grip is firm. I’m hoping that with the dim bar lighting none of our coworkers have noticed his hold on me. We don’t need any speculation about if there’s more than business going on between us. If we do step over that line and have sex, no one can know.

Jesse refuses to let go of my hand no matter how much I tug or yank. He ignores my whispers of “let go,” as we walk to the bank of elevators.

The ride up to my floor is fraught with sexual tension. Our palms are pressed together, fingers slotted like they were meant to fit that way. It feels natural, yet overwhelmingly exciting at the same time. My heart thumps with a racing beat in my ears and my breathing becomes shallow. The ride up four floors seems to drag endlessly as I’m lost in a blur of thoughts and feelings I don’t want. A shaky sigh leaves me when the double doors open.

Jesse leads me out and we walk down the long hallway with our arms pressed together. Stopping in front of my door, he presses my back against the solid surface. “I’m not going to come inside.” He traces his index finger around the outer edge of my mouth.

“I don’t remember inviting you,” I sass.

“I think you were about to, but I don’t want you to get the wrong impression about us.”

“What would the wrong one be?”

“That this is just a sex thing.”

“It’s not?”

“Not for me. Is it for you?”

“No,” I whisper, shaking my head. “It’s more.”

“Much more.” He lowers his head, inching closer at a teeth grinding slow pace. My tongue slips out to moisten my lips.

Hovering with a hair’s breadth between us, he husks out, “tell me I can kiss you goodnight.”

“You can kiss me goodnight,” I moan, rising on my toes and pressing our lips together. His warm mouth answers by moving softly against mine. He grips my hips and tugs me closer while his tongue sensually teases mine. Sinking my fingers into his thick hair, the stubble dotting his face rasps along my delicate skin. He tastes like sex and smells like sin - an irresistible combination. His kiss is laced with passion and tenderness; whatever this is between us, it’s more than physical.

It’s more than I ever imagined.