“I do, too, Jesse.”
He laced his fingers through mine and we headed back to his parents’ house. I felt like something had changed between us on that walk. The Jesse I had known that morning was a completely different man from the Jesse I knew now, and I fell harder and harder for him with each new surprising revelation, with each new exposed secret, with each new painful discovery.
We sat on the patio with Jesse’s parents and chatted. Jesse’s fingers were twined with mine, and I felt calm and peaceful, something I had been missing for the past year as I lived with the heavy burden of secrets and a marriage that was over.
I loved that he didn’t care about displaying his affection for me in front of his parents. It was one of those small things that spoke so loudly to me.
Jesse and I stayed outside and continued talking well into the night after his parents headed in to bed.
“I have a question,” I said as Barry the dog pawed at the patio door from the inside, wanting to come out.
“What?” Jesse asked, standing to let Barry out. The dog hopped right up into my lap, and I ran my fingers down his soft fur. He settled into my lap.
“Why is this dog named ‘Barry’?”
Jesse laughed. “It’s actually after Barry Manilow. My mom’s a huge fan.”
I giggled. “So is my mom. Our parents would get along great.” I realized what I’d said after I had said it; my parents weren’t going to be too keen on my new relationship considering they wanted me to try just one more time to mend things with Richard. And they’d be especially judgmental when they found out that Jesse and I began our relationship when I was still married. The fact that I was waiting to have sex with Jesse until I wasn’t married wouldn’t matter. No one would see it that way, anyway. No one would believe that we weren’t sleeping together, especially given Jesse’s reputation with the ladies and the fact that I was living with him.
“I’d love to meet your parents someday,” he said. “And your brothers.”
“So,” I said, changing the subject. As much as I loved them, it was too nice a night to talk about my judgmental family. “What are the sleeping arrangements?”
“What do you mean?” he asked.
“I mean, where am I sleeping? Where are you sleeping?”
“The guest room.”
“Both of us?”
“Yes. We’ve been sharing a bed for awhile now, V. I’m not about to stop now just because we’re at my parents’ house. Besides, the alternative is one of us taking the couch, and I’d hate for you to get all cramped and sore from sleeping on the couch.”
I giggled and smacked him in the shoulder, and then I thought about how different our families were. My parents would never, ever allow me to sleep in the same bed as someone I wasn’t married to under their roof.
We headed in and up to the guest room. There was a queen bed in there, and the room was spacious with its own bathroom and walk-in closet. We both got situated; I pulled shorts and a t-shirt out of my bag to change into for bed, wishing I’d have thought to bring something a little sexier than an ASU t-shirt and cotton shorts.
I headed into the bathroom to change while Jesse unpacked a few items from his bag. I shut the door behind me and changed into my t-shirt, and then I opened the door again to grab my make-up bag with my face wash and toothbrush.
When I came out of the bathroom, Jesse Drake stood in front of me.
Completely.
Totally.
Naked.
Holy Jesus.
I needed to remember to thank Judy and Phil for creating this absolutely perfect creature.
My brain turned to complete mush as I stared.
I gawked.
I gaped.
I knew my eyes had to be glazed with lust, but I couldn’t help it. I was staring, and it wasn’t at his belly button. No, it was about six inches south of his belly button.
He froze in place, and I watched with admiration as his sizable asset moved gradually from flaccid to erect.
You know how the first time you saw a penis, you were a little grossed out? Maybe it was a picture from a textbook in health class when you learned about STDs, or maybe, like me, it was in your friend’s basement when you were in seventh grade and Kenny Durango pulled it out.
Not one single thing about Jesse Drake’s penis was gross.
In fact, just the very sight of it made my mouth water and my lady parts tingle.
I couldn’t help but think about what it would feel like for him to slide that beautiful penis right into me as an ache started forming in my lower abdomen and a throbbing sensation took over the lower half of my body.
Neither of us spoke, and my eyes gradually lifted to meet his. He didn’t look embarrassed or bashful or inhibited.