Page 94 of Jesse's Girl
“Oh, come on, it’s a really good one.” I’m trying—and failing—to keep a straight face, lips quivering as a grin takes over.
She squints. “My vagina or the joke?”
“What joke?” I nearly snort-laugh.
“Asshole!” Ada shoves me in the shoulder.
“Sorry, couldn’t help myself. C’mere.” I gently grab her jaw and pull her to me for a kiss. She resists only briefly, her indignation melting as she leans closer.
“Okay, so, we just… don’t tell him. I mean,” she rakes her fingers through her hair and looks away, as if she’s making a point of playing it cool, “it’s just sex, right?”
I pause a moment, my playful expression faltering.
Of course it’s only sex. It can’t be more.
“Yeah. Just sex.”
Is that really all this is? My attraction to Ada is undeniable—Jesus, especially after what we just did. But physical is all we can be. The complication of our shared reality rises to the surface again, reminding me there’s no future between us, and I shove it down. I can’t think about that shit right now.
“So, we can just…” she slides a hand over my chest, shrugging, “fuck in private and act normal the rest of the time.”
“Mmm,” I hum. “Well, you can bet your ass I’m gonna wanna do this again,” I add, drinking in her naked body. I grin and pull her tight against me, then kiss her.
“Yes, please.” She chuckles against my lips.
Suddenly restless, I roll out of bed and reach for the towel hanging on my closet door. I throw it over my shoulder and clear my throat. “Think I’m gonna go take a shower.”
Ada pushes up on both elbows. “Is that your half-assed way of saying you want company?”
I smile, drinking in her gorgeous curves. I rub the back of my neck as I meet her gaze, salacious thoughts running through my mind. “I dunno. Shower stall’s pretty small. We’d probably have to get really close in there.”
She puts on a dramatic pout and stands, walking over to me. Splaying her fingers over my chest, she slowly slides both hands up around my neck. “Mmm, I think we’ll make it fit.”
The feeling of her soft tits against my chest has my dick nudging into her stomach, ready for round two. Humming a low, almost involuntary sound, I slip my hands around her hips and slap her ass. When delight dances in her eyes, I let out a low, satisfied growl and pull her to the bathroom.
21
ADA
Jesse’s reading on the couch, one arm slung behind his head in the kind of pose that makes it look like there’s an expiration date on the T-shirt he’s wearing.
I bite the inside of my cheek as I pad over to him, drawn in by the need to touch him. Coming up behind him, I run my fingers over the soft skin on the inside of his upper arm and press a kiss to the top of his head. “Whatcha reading?”
“Hey,” he replies. Without losing his place, he turns the paperback to show me the cover.
It doesn’t tell me much other than the title—Paper Shadows—but the vibe is dark and moody.
“Borrowed it from Marcus,” he says. “Started reading it at their place when I couldn’t sleep. Trash couch, right?” He glances up at me with a smirk, then back down at the book. “It’s good. Kind of intense and suspenseful.”
I come around the couch and he shifts so I can sit beside him. Dropping an arm around me, he explains the main character is a detective, Max, who’s haunted by the unsolved murder of his former partner.
“So, there’s this case where someone’s leaving cryptic messages at crime scenes and he’s working with this journalist, Liza, to figure it out.”
“That does sound good.”
“You wanna read it? You can have it when I’m done.”
“Nah. I’m not a big reader,” I say, scrunching my nose. Reading has always been so effortful; I tend to conserve that energy for something really worth it. “I’d probably like the movie, though.”