Chapter Fourteen

JESSIE WALKED INTO SALVATORE’S WITH five minute to spare. The place was pretty crowded and looked a lot different than it had that afternoon. Tony had instructed her to check in with Roy at the bar when she arrived, so she made her way over.

“Hi. Are you Roy?” she asked with a friendly smile. He nodded slightly as his eyes skipped over her, lingering on her cleavage. “Tony told me to check in with you. I’m the new entertainment.”

Roy was a seedy looking man in his late fifties. He licked his lips as he checked her out. He smiled, revealing yellow, crooked teeth.

“Follow me, honey.” He came from behind the bar and led her to the back of the room through a closed door. The back area was dingy but more brightly lit than the main bar. He led her down a damp and musty hallway passed several closed doors. He stopped in front of one and knocked twice. He opened the door and peered in.

“Tony,” he said, “The blonde is here….the singer.”

He motioned for Jessie to go into the office. She walked in and smiled at Tony, who sat behind a large, wooden desk.

He stood up and came around the desk to greet her. He leaned in to kiss her cheek and his hand rested on her back, dipping down to briefly brush over her ass. She smelled his strong cologne mixed with the stench of cigarettes. Her stomach churned, but she smiled sweetly.

“Let me show you around.” He led her out of his office and walked her down the hall to a small dressing room area. “You can take your breaks and freshen up in here.”

Tony led her further down the hallway, passing by several closed doors without comment. She made a mental note to check them out later if she got a chance.

Tony introduced her to the piano player, a young guy named Deandre. He left them alone so they could work out their line up for the night.

Deandre was very sweet as they coordinated a set list. The plan was for Jessie to do three sets of forty-five minutes each, with a fifteen minute break in between. Deandre seemed to know how to play just about every song ever written. Jessie was glad, since it made it easy to come up with lists of songs she felt comfortable with.

At ten-thirty they started the first set. Jessie thought it was going really well. The crowd seemed to really like her and she felt comfortable, even in the revealing dress that she wouldn’t normally wear. She sang a variety of slow songs by everyone from Alanis Morissette to Janet Jackson, slow and sexy, just like Tony wanted.

She noticed Tony sitting at a small table over to the side. He was with someone, another man. He made eye contact with her and gave her a salacious smile. Jessie felt her skin crawl as she smiled sweetly back at him.

JESSIE WAS ON STAGE SINGING a slow, sultry song when Jack arrived at Salvatore’s. Her voice sounded amazing and she looked like a fucking movie star. Jack noticed that every guy in the place was fixated on her, practically drooling. He took a seat at the bar and ordered a Captain and Coke.

He listened as Jessie sang an old song he recognized. Some chick song. As she belted out the angsty lyrics of Heart’s, “Alone”, he wondered idly if she had ever thought of singing professionally. She was really that goddamn good.

His eyes scanned over her in that racy dress that had made him so fucking horny for her earlier. She was putting on a show for the crowd, playing the role of seductress, moving her body sensually to the smoky music. But Jack knew that wasn’t what she was really like.

No, in real life she was shy, innocent, and even a little awkward. Cute as fuck, but not at all like the sexy, confident performer radiating sex from the stage.

The girl on stage was all seduction, tits and ass and legs and lips, promising the fuck of a lifetime. But it was all an act. The real Jessie was more angel than temptress.

He gazed at her, expressionless. Angel or not, he couldn’t stop wondering what it was like to sleep with her. Why was the idea of getting Jessie so fucking turned on she let go of that angel act so goddamn hot lately? He wanted her begging. Wanted to make her come so hard she forgot to be a good girl for a little while.

The bartender set his drink in front of him and noticed him glance at Jessie.

“That’s a hot piece of ass, huh?” he cackled, waving a hand in Jessie’s direction. “Man, hittin’ that’d be like hittin’ the fuckin’ lottery, yeah?”

“Yeah, no shit,” Jack agreed, picking up his drink.

Jack noticed a hot piece of ass walk by and sit a few seats away from him at the bar. Incredibly sexy with long dark hair, she glanced over at him and smiled. He nodded in acknowledgement and she boldly got up and made her way over to him.

“May I join you?” she asked, motioning to the empty bar chair next to him.

He shifted in his seat slightly and hesitated before nodding, taking a moment to check her out. Her amazing long legs were showcased in a short black dress. His eyes roamed back up her body, pausing on full breasts, which he suspected would be pretty memorable. Her long dark hair fell below her shoulders, piercing green eyes glancing nervously at him. He noticed her full, sexy lips and hoped she’d be wrapping them around his cock later.

“Maria,” she said as she gracefully took the seat next to Jack.

“Jack,” he replied, noticing the wedding ring on her left hand. Not that he really cared, but her rock was huge and kind of hard not to notice.

“Are you here alone?” she asked.

He nodded. “Buy you a drink?”

“Sure, thanks.”

Jack got the bartender’s attention. She ordered a vodka tonic with a lime, which she drank rather quickly. They made small talk as Jessie’s soothing but seductive voice filled the bar.

When Maria excused herself to the ladies’ room, Jack turned his eyes back to Jessie. In the dimly lit bar he could allow himself to stare at her, curiously wondering about every tempting curve of her body.

Christ, Jessie was pretty. And talented. And fun. And sweet. And… what the fuck was wrong with him? It was just pussy, for fucks sake. He couldn’t remember ever being this distracted by a chick before. It was really starting to piss him off. He needed to get his shit together.

He was glad when Maria returned and sat back down. He turned his attention back to her, all that smoldering dark hotness a welcome distraction from the angelic blonde on stage.

“I have a confession to make,” she said, her voice low.

“Yeah?” Jack asked, finishing his drink. “What’s that?” He glanced down at her breasts for the tenth time.

“I’m feeling a bit reckless tonight. I found out that my husband has been having an affair.”

Her pretty green eyes flashed angrily and her voice shook a little.

Jack kept his expression neutral.

“Sounds like you’re going to need another drink,” he replied.

She nodded and Jack got the bartender’s attention again.

“Does it sound naive to say I’m surprised that my husband went outside of our marriage? I thought we were happy.”

Jack shrugged. He didn’t know this woman and he didn’t know anything about her situation. But he did know that men cheating on their wives wasn’t anything new, sometimes even when they were happy. He couldn’t imagine being tied down to one woman, no matter how hot she was.

Jessie had stopped singing and the stage was empty. She must have taken a break.

He noticed her on the other side of the bar, seated at a table with two men in suits. One of them had a hand on her thigh as he leaned forward to talk to her. She was smiling and engaging him flirtatiously.

He felt himself getting pissed off. It irritated him that she was letting that guy put his hands on her and that she was encouraging him. He knew she was just working, playing a role like he’d done himself a hundred times.

Maybe he was just being overprotective. Not surprising, after what had happened to Gus. Who could blame him for being worried? He knew she’d be pissed if he tried to call off her undercover role. He needed to let her get experience. It’s the only way she would learn. He just hoped she would be smart.

“I came in here tonight with the intention of getting revenge.” Maria looked at him, waiting for his reaction. “I looked around for the hottest guy in the place, which is you, by the way. Then I came over here.” She reached over and placed a perfectly manicured hand on his arm. She smiled. “Do you have somewhere we could go?”

“I’m in town for work,” Jack said. “Come back to my hotel room with me.”

He definitely needed a distraction tonight. There was no way he was going to pass up the opportunity to nail this chick. She was definitely top shelf. Maybe if he fucked this girl hard enough he could get his mind off Jessie, at least temporarily.

Jessie had taken the stage again by the time Jack finished paying for his and Maria’s drinks. He glanced at her one last time as he and Maria left together.

When they reached the hotel, Jack held the door open for Maria as she took a few steps into the suite.

“Drink?” Jack asked, walking to the bar to get one for himself.

She nodded. “Thanks. Whatever you’re having is fine.”

Jack fixed drinks for them both and then walked slowly toward her. She took the drink from him and put it to her lips, taking a dainty sip. Then she put the glass down on the table and took a step closer to him.

He could hear her take a deep breath as he leaned closer to her, placing his free hand on her hip then sliding it slowly around to the small of her back. She seemed a little nervous.

“You okay?” he asked.

She nodded but she felt stiff in his arms.

“Relax,” Jack whispered as he pressed his lips lightly against hers. He gently slipped his tongue into her mouth and she kissed him back eagerly. She ran her hands down his sides, and then she lifted his shirt over his head, dropping it on the floor.

She moved her hands over his chest, appreciating his ripped body as he slid his hands up the sides of her thighs, pulling her dress up as he lifted her and set her down on the dining table.

He took a sharp breath when he saw her garter belt and thigh highs. Jack slid his hand between her legs, rubbing her softly through her satin panties.

“Now that’s fucking hot,” Jack whispered against her hair. She sighed, in desperate need of an ego stroking after finding out that her husband had been screwing his nineteen-year-old secretary.

He kissed slowly down her neck and with his other hand he pulled at the front of her dress, exposing her perfect breasts.

“These are unbelievable,” he said before he brushed his tongue over her nipple.

He slipped a finger inside her panties. She moaned and threw her head back, one hand on the back of his head, the other flat against the table. Jack rolled her clit under his thumb and pushed one, then two fingers inside her. She was already wet, eagerness dripping from her neglected body.

He pushed her lightly back on the table so she was lying flat on her back, her long legs hanging off the edge. She lifted her hips briefly to allow him to slide her panties off. He spread her legs open and bent down between her thighs. Jack took his time as he kissed lightly over her swollen and glistening pussy lips. He moved his tongue to her clit and flicked his tongue over it, making her squirm under him.

“Oh, oh, mmm…” she moaned.

He used more pressure and alternated between licking and sucking her slowly, wanting to make it last as long as he could. He was so turned on that his cock was swelling now, pressing almost painfully inside his jeans.

When he could tell she was getting close, he plunged his fingers deep inside her. When she came she grabbed the back of his head, grinding herself against his mouth.

“Oh God! Yes! Oh… oh!” she cried out, her head rolling back on the hard table.

When her orgasm subsided, she sat up on her elbows, legs still spread. Jack reached for his zipper as he stared between her legs. He pushed down his jeans and boxer briefs enough to release his aching, rock hard erection. He pulled a condom from his pocket and rolled it on.

Jack scooted Maria closer to the edge of the table and pressed the head of his dick against her, enjoying the way it felt as his thick cock slowly disappeared inside her. They both watched as he eased himself slowly in and out of her. She moaned each time he pressed himself deeper.

He wrapped his arms behind her and pulled her closer. With one hand against her ass and the other holding onto the table, he increased his speed and intensity. She threw her arms around his neck and steadied herself against him as he pounded harder and harder, going as deep as he could. She cried out loudly with every thrust.

Jack continued to fuck her, grunting and slamming into her, his head bent down over her shoulder. He felt himself getting close and he breathed heavily in anticipation. He came, groaning and pressing himself as deeply inside of her as he could get.

He let go of her and caught his breath for a moment, both hands on the table on either side of her. Then he pulled out of her and disappeared into his room to take care of the condom.

When he came back into the common area of the suite, Maria was bending over to pick up her discarded panties from the floor. He stopped to stare appreciatively at her, still wearing her heels, garter, thigh highs and bra, bent over giving him an amazing view of her ass and pussy from behind.

“Damn. Has your husband seen you like that?” Jack asked.

She whirled around, startled. She smiled and shook her head. “I don’t think so,” she said softly, looking down sadly at the floor.

“Maybe he needs to. Might tempt him into staying home more.” Jack went to her and put his hands on her hips.

“I guess I’ll get going,” she said, pulling away from him.

“Not yet.” Jack took her hand and led her to his room. “Not done with you.”

In his room he undressed her slowly until she was completely naked, standing in front of him. He took his own clothes off also. He glanced at the clock on the night table, figuring he had time for another round before Jessie got back from Salvatore’s.

He didn’t think she’d feel very comfortable if she knew he had a chick in here. He never had to worry about that before. Gus would just slap him on the back the next day and say wistfully, “Oh to be young and single!” Jack would laugh, and Gus would say he was happy to live vicariously through him.

Jack kissed Maria’s neck slowly as he rubbed his hands over her incredible ass, backing her up toward the door to the bathroom. Once inside, he turned on the shower and pulled her under the hot water. She laughed and eagerly joined him.

After they had each lathered and rinsed off, Maria got down on her knees and sucked Jack’s semi-hard cock into her mouth. He sucked in his breath as she pressed her tongue flat against his balls and licked him until he was rock hard again. Then she swallowed him deeply and started giving him one of the best blow jobs he’d ever had.

He looked down and watched her suck his cock, enjoying the way she looked with her lips wrapped around him. Impressively she was able to take him all the way, which was unusual. Most women couldn’t handle his size, but Maria seemed to have no gag reflex whatsoever.

He gripped the back of her head and reveled in the feeling of her hot, slick mouth as she sucked him harder.

“Wow,” Jack hissed through his teeth.

He held himself back from coming, wanting to enjoy it as long as possible. What he really wanted was to play with her pussy while she sucked him off.

“Wait,” he said, pushing her away gently and turning off the water. “I want to do you, too.”

Grabbing a towel he led her by the hand back into the bedroom, both of them dripping water everywhere. He threw the towel on the bed and pulled her down with him. He turned her on her side and positioned himself on his side also, laying the other way, so he could lick her pussy while she continued her amazing blow job.

She slid his throbbing cock back into her welcoming mouth as he licked her clit and pushed his fingers into her slick opening. God, he loved pussy. He’d been obsessed with it since the first time he’d seen pictures of a naked girl in his father’s Penthouse magazine when he was twelve.

Having her in his mouth and feeling her pulsating around his fingers was such a turn-on. She moaned and cried out loudly when she came, and the sounds she made put Jack over the edge himself.

“I’m getting ready to come,” he said breathlessly against her, giving her a chance to get off if she didn’t want it in her mouth. She stayed the course, however, and his whole body shuddered as he came hard, shooting his load into the back of her throat, his face still buried against hot pussy.

Jack rolled over on his back, staring up at the ceiling, finally satisfied. They lay there silently for a while, as his breathing returned to normal and he sat up, running his hand through his hair. He reached for his jeans and stood up to put them on.

“I really need to go,” Maria said as she got up, too, and started collecting her clothes. She went into the bathroom to get herself together.

Jack went out to the bar to pour himself a drink. To his surprise, Jessie was sitting on one of the chairs in the common area, watching television. She still wore her blue dress, but she had taken off her shoes, her bare feet resting on the ottoman.

“Hey,” Jack greeted her casually.

Jessie turned her head and rolled her eyes. “My God! What were you doing to her in there?”

Jack laughed. “Why? You want to go next?” He poured rum and a splash of Coke into a tumbler, and sipped it.

“I mean, seriously. It really sounded like she was being murdered.”

“No one’s ever made you scream like that?” Jack smirked.

“Not that I recall.” Jessie looked away from Jack’s stare, which was suddenly radiating heat her way.

“Then no one’s ever done it to you the right way.”

Jessie ignored him and looked back at the television.

He sipped his drink as Maria came out of the bedroom. Her hair was still damp and a bit disheveled, but she had touched up her makeup.

“Oh…” Maria hesitated when she saw Jessie. “I…” She looked confused and slightly concerned.

Jack went casually over to her and walked her to the door.

“It’s okay. This is Jessie, my co-worker.”

Maria nodded at Jessie and smiled, looking relieved.

“I had a great time. Thanks,” she said, her voice low as she pulled her cell phone out of her purse. “I’d like to see you again, next time you’re in town.”

Jessie pretended to be focused on the television, but she couldn’t help but listen in on their exchange.

Jack nodded, looking around for his phone. He found it on the table next to the door.

They exchanged numbers. Maria said she would be in touch if she was ever in his area.

Jack opened the door and Maria leaned up to kiss him.

“I could walk you out,” Jack offered, his arm loosely around her waist and his hand on her fantastic ass.

She shook her head, snaking her arm up his chest and running her hand over his neck. “I’ll be fine. Thanks, though.”

Jessie’s heart was pounding as she watched them kiss.

Jack was shirtless, wearing only a pair of jeans, and she sucked in her breath at all that hotness. She noticed Jack’s hand sliding slowly over the back of the girl’s short dress and the way he kissed her, his tongue slipping lightly into her mouth. Something twisted inside of her… a feeling of jealousy and some kind of wistful longing.

She wanted to know what it felt like to be kissed that way. What it felt like to be kissed by Jack.

They finally pulled away from each other and Maria left. Jack closed the door and looked at Jessie, poker-faced.

Their eyes met briefly before Jessie blushed and looked away quickly.

“How was your night?” Jack asked, taking another sip of his drink.

“Not as good as yours obviously. I hope you only played with your friend in your own room. Is it safe for me to be sitting here?”

Jack stared at her, looking slightly confused. “What are you talking about?”

“I’m just wondering if you had sex with that woman on the couch I’m sitting on,” Jessie said, forcing a teasing smile. “Do I need to start bringing along a black light with me when we travel together?”

He laughed, rolling his eyes. “Oh. Yeah, it’s safe there.”

He lifted the drink in his hand. “Want something?”

She nodded. “Yeah, I’d love a beer. I’m starving, too. I’m going to order something to eat from room service.”

“But it’s the middle of the night.” Jack stated the obvious, popping the top off a bottle and handing it to her.

“Who cares? I’m hungry.” Jessie called the twenty-four hour room service and ordered a pizza.

“I need a shower. Will you be up in case my pizza gets here before I’m done? Or are you too worn out from… whatever you were doing?”

She stood and picked up her shoes from the floor where she had discarded them earlier.

Jack smiled slightly. “I’ll be up.”

Jessie slipped into her bedroom and tossed her heels in the corner. Her feet were killing her. She wasn’t used to wearing such high heels. She stripped off her dress and panties and turned on the shower. She couldn’t wait to scrub the smell of that bar off of herself. And the feel of Tony’s hand on her leg, too.

As she showered she thought about what she had just seen. Jack with a girl. Kissing her.

The noises coming from Jack’s room had sounded like he was filming a porn movie in there. She couldn’t help but wonder what he was doing to the girl to make her cry out like that. And what had the girl been doing to Jack? Jessie had heard his deep, low groan, though it was muted by the loud screams of his partner. A sharp stab of jealousy invaded her chest and she fought to push it down.

After her shower she combed her wet hair and slipped into her pajamas, a tiny pair of light pink shorts and a matching tank. Feet bare, she went back into the common area, where her pizza had arrived. The box was waiting for her on the dining table.

Jack was sitting on the sofa watching some kind of weird Claymation show.

He looked up at her when she walked past him, his eyes drawn to her ass poking out from the bottom of her super short pajamas. It was kind of impossible not to think about her sexually with her constantly parading around half naked.

“What are you watching?” she asked.

“Robot Chicken,” Jack answered. “It’s pretty fucking funny.”

“Never heard of it.”

She opened the box and pulled out a slice of pizza and took a bite.

“It’s so good. You want some?” she offered.

He shook his head. “No, thanks.”

“Is it safe for me to be eating at this table?” she joked, sitting down.

He hesitated, looking guilty. “Uh… shit. Sorry,” he replied, smiling a little.

“Oh my God, Jack!” Jessie huffed, jumping up from the chair, grabbing the box of pizza and carrying it over to the coffee table in front of the couch. She sat down next to Jack and leaned over to get another slice.

“You are so disgusting.” Her dazzling blue eyes stared at him reproachfully, her lips turned down in a small frown.

Jessie sat cross-legged facing him. His eyes instinctively went to between her legs.

He forced his gaze back to her pretty face, scrubbed clean of all the makeup she’d had on earlier. Her blonde hair was damp and loose. Out of the sexy dress and heels, clean face and undone hair, she had changed back into the girl-next-door.

“Yeah, pretty much,” Jack replied with his usual smirk.

“Did you even know that girl?” Jessie asked, ignoring his remark.

He shook his head. “Met her tonight at Salvatore’s when I stopped by to check on you.”

“Ew. Aren’t you afraid of getting a disease?” Jessie asked, making a face. “I never even saw you there tonight.”

“I’m pretty careful. Ever heard of condoms?” Jack answered her, looking straight into her eyes, wondering if her eyelashes were real. He’d never met anyone with such long lashes.

“Can’t you even go a day without having sex?” Jessie finished her piece of pizza, debating whether or not she wanted another.

He didn’t answer her. He looked at the television again.

“Well?” Jessie pressed.

“Of course I can,” he finally answered. “But why should I if I don’t have to? And at least I have sex. When was the last time you hooked up with anyone?”

Jessie was quiet for a moment.

When she finally spoke, she said, “I don’t think I could do that.”

“What’s that?” Jack’s gaze settled on the outline of her breasts in her thin cotton top.

“Have sex with someone I just met. I would be so… uncomfortable.”

“Why?” Jack asked, his expression not changing.

“I don’t know. I just would.” Jessie looked down at her lap shyly. “Taking my clothes off in front of someone I don’t know, for starters. Plus doing… you know… stuff with them… I would be so embarrassed. I would need to feel closer to a person before I could do those things with them.”

They were both silent for a moment.

“Do you ever… you know… go out with the girls you hook up with?” Jessie asked.

“What do you mean?” He looked at her blankly.

“Like to dinner… or the movies or something? Like on a date?”

Jack laughed. “No. Never. Sometimes hang out in a bar having drinks or playing pool or something, but that’s it.”

“And the girls you hook up with… they’re okay with that? I mean, don’t they ever want to see you again?”

“Yeah. I mean, sometimes I do see them again, if the sex is good enough for another go. Most of them want the same thing I want.”

“Which is what?” Jessie looked into his blue eyes.

“What do you think?” Jack smirked. “Have fun, get laid. Don’t want any complications, no strings.”

“But you’ve had a steady girlfriend before, haven’t you?” Jessie was remembering what Chris had told her and Zoey.

Jack nodded.

He had lived with a girl once, about six years before. He had known Tara since high school and they had seen each other off and on for several years, with Jack enjoying more than his fair share of other pussy during their many breaks.

Their relationship was centered mostly on the hot sex they had.

In the early years, Tara had been almost as insatiable as Jack. She had been willing to experiment sexually, too. She had been up for anything he wanted to try.

He had done just about everything sexual he could think of with her, including his first time getting ass and his first threesome with her and her sexy best friend. He had also perfected his oral techniques by spending countless hours with his face buried between Tara’s legs.

They had never talked about moving in together, but one day he realized that she had slowly moved her things into his place. He didn’t mind too much at first. She was fun, and he could get laid pretty much anytime he felt like it. They more or less had a good time together.

It wasn’t long, though, before she had started pushing him toward marriage and kids, neither of which he wanted. His response to her desire to take their relationship to the next level had been less than enthusiastic.

He had tried to put her off, but eventually he had to be straight with her. It wasn’t going to happen. Things went downhill from there.

She was unhappy and had started arguing with him. She would yell and scream and throw things. He had refused to engage her, his silence only enraging her further. Her anger at his unwillingness to marry her had seeped into all areas of their life together, especially their sex life, which became practically non-existent.

Jack had started to dread going home, and drinking more. Other women were only too happy to go to bed with him, and he had started coming home late more and more often.

The guilt he felt didn’t make things any better. This had been his father’s way, and he had never wanted to be like him. Slowly he realized that unfortunately, he had turned out like his father, despite his intentions not to.

One day he had come home early from training. He had opened the door to their bedroom and found that Tara had company. He had been surprised to see Tara in action with some other guy, but more surprised to find that he wasn’t even pissed off.

That’s when he had known for sure that he wasn’t like other guys. Even he recognized that he should have felt something, anything, at the sight of his girl sprawled underneath some other guy. He should have been jealous, angry, and territorial. But he hadn’t been. He just hadn’t really cared. At least not enough to do anything about it. He had turned around without saying a word, leaving Tara and her friend stunned and scrambling to cover themselves.

He had returned home several hours later to find Tara crying and packing. He had not tried to stop her. He had been relieved that it was over. His relationship with her had been exhausting and he’d had no desire to go down that road again.

He knew then that he was no good for any girl. He would always be like his Dad and any girl that cared about him too much would end up getting hurt. He knew he had hurt Tara, who had expected them to have a future together. He felt badly for hurting her because in his own way he had cared about her.

He’d been single ever since, making sure that he was clear with the women he hooked up with that it was just casual sex. He pursued sex like any other recreational activity that he enjoyed. It was enough for him and he didn’t want anything more.

“Yeah, I had one of those once. She was a pain the ass,” Jack responded, his signature smirk spreading across his face.

“Why? What was wrong with her?” Jessie couldn’t believe Jack was being so open with her.

“She had this really fun rule that even if she was pissed off at me and wouldn’t let me fuck her, I wasn’t allowed to fuck anyone else either. After a while I didn’t really follow that rule too well.”

“So you cheated on her?”

Jack nodded. “I did. Always felt kind of bad about it after, but not bad enough to stop. By the time that started we weren’t getting along very well.”

“Did she get pissed off at you often?” Jessie asked.

Jack nodded. “To be fair, I made her pretty unhappy. I know I can be kind of a dick. I’m not really built for that kind of setup. I just couldn’t get the hang of the whole relationship thing. Just don’t have it in me.”

Jack was surprised by how much he was revealing to Jessie. He never talked to anyone like this, not even Chris.

“Maybe you just haven’t met the right girl yet,” Jessie suggested.

“Nah. I like being on my own. Besides,” Jack smirked, “no such as the right girl, just the next girl.”

Jessie smiled weakly and nodded, her heart sinking a little. For a moment she wished she could be like the girl who had left here not an hour ago. The type of girl who could just enjoy a night with a hot guy and not get all emotional about it.

She knew herself too well, though. In just a short couple of months, her feelings for Jack were already more complicated than a night of unadulterated, no-strings-attached, wild sex.

She and Jack were definitely better off as just friends.

They turned their attention back to the television. Jessie laughed out loud at the show she had never seen. “This show is hysterical.”

Jack nodded in agreement. “Yeah, not too much makes me laugh my ass off, but for some reason this show gets me going.”

Jessie decided to eat another slice of pizza and scarfed it down before closing the box.

“So what happened tonight?” Jack asked. “What did you find out?”

Jessie gave him a rundown on her evening. She had sat with Tony and his friend, a man named Ricky, during her breaks. She had let Tony flirt with her and she had flirted back. She had played the clueless dumb blonde role to the hilt and they had therefore spoken rather openly in front of her.

“I think they’re into more than just gambling,” Jessie said, giving Jack the details of the conversations she’d heard. Jack agreed that she might be right, although it was too soon to know anything for sure.

At the end of the night she had peeked into all of the rooms in the back of the club except one, which was locked. There was nothing interesting to report.

“Hopefully I’ll find out more tomorrow night.” Jessie stood up and yawned, stretching her arms up above her head. “Well, good night. I’m going to bed.”

Her tank top rode up a little, revealing a bit of her tight, flat stomach and a cute belly button. Her breasts were straining against the thin pink fabric and he couldn’t stop himself from eyeing the outline of what was between her legs in the tiny shorts she was wearing. He stifled a groan and looked away.

“Good night,” he said shortly, staring at the television.