“Fuck!” he groaned as he pulled out suddenly.

My eyes widened, and my hand stopped. “Did I do something wrong?”

“No. I just want to watch you do that.”

“Oh.” My hand refused to move.

“Please, Emma…” He took my hand and guided it to my core. “I want to watch.”

I knew I couldn’t do it if I saw him staring at me. I closed my eyes as I pushed two fingers inside me over and over again. It was nothing compared to him, but I was so turned-on that I would take whatever I could get. I moved my hand up to my clit and ran my thumb over it again.

“I just want to take a picture of you as you are now—spread out on my table and playing with yourself—and hang it on my fucking wall. Jesus.”

I kept my eyes closed as I continued to rub. I was right at the edge, and all I needed was that little push. The next thing I knew, he thrust hard and deep into me. I cried out as I came around him. He thrust two more times before he came inside of me. My body was slick with sweat as I tried to catch my breath. I’d never experienced anything like that before.

“That was the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen,” Jesse said before he kissed me.

“I promised you a long time ago that I would let you watch.”

“You did.”

He pushed off the table and helped me stand. I reached down to pick up my clothes, but he stopped me as he grabbed me. He pulled me back until my ass was tight against his still hard dick. He nudged my legs apart as he shoved between my legs with his body.

“You can’t possibly want to go again.”

“I’m going to fuck you all night. I have two years to make up for. It’ll be a while before I can come again though. Let’s see how many times I can make you come before then.”

I moaned as he rubbed against me. I was still sensitive.

“I don’t think I can,” I whispered.

“I think you’re wrong. Stay bent over, and spread your legs apart.”

I did as he’d said. He smacked my ass hard before slipping back into me. I moaned as he leaned over me and tweaked my nipples. He was going to be the death of me. He released my nipples and grabbed my hips as he thrust in and out of me. He’d taken me from behind before, but it had been nothing like this. If he hadn’t kept his grip on me, my legs would have given out. I panted as he continued to shove deep inside me. I felt myself building again and fast. He reached between my legs and flicked my clit as he thrust roughly into me. I cried out in ecstasy as I came, but he never stopped.

* * *

I rested my head on Jesse’s chest as we lay in bed together. We’d finally managed to make it to his bedroom—after we’d taken a shower together, of course. Jesse seemed to like to shower with me—a lot. It wasn’t that I minded. I loved exploring his body as I washed it.

“Why don’t you have any more tattoos?” I asked as I traced the ones on his right arm.

“Huh?”

“You don’t have any new tattoos.”

“Maybe I’m hiding them,” he teased.

I raised my head to look at him. “I’ve seen every inch of you in the last few hours. There are no new ones.”

“Good point. I guess I didn’t think about that.” He shrugged. “I haven’t stepped into a tattoo shop since I left Rick’s.”

Rick’s Tattoo was where he worked when we first met in California. It was also where he’d given me my first and only tattoo of the word freedom on my hip.

“Why? I figured you would have found a shop to work at here.”

“What’s the point? My mom freaks out every time I mention wanting to tattoo. She wants me to go to college and do something with my life,” he said the last part sarcastically.

“It’s your life. You get to choose what you want. No one else can control your decisions.”

“Tell my mom that.”

“Not a chance on your life. I stood up to my mom. You have to stand up to yours.”

“It’s not about standing up to her. I don’t want to hurt her. She doesn’t want me to end up in the same place we were before we moved here with Mark. So, I’m in college, trying to get a business degree. Just think how hot I’ll be if I have to wear a business suit.”

“I’m sure you’d look awesome in a suit, but do you really want to spend your life in one?”

“I will, if it means I can give you a nice life.”

“Jesse, we’ve been over this a million times. I don’t care how much money I have as long as I’m with you. All I want is to be happy.”

“You might not care, but I do. I want to make sure that you’re taken care of. I know I can’t give you what you have now, but I’ll try my hardest to get you as close to it as I can.”

I dropped my head back onto his chest in defeat. “You’re the most hardheaded person I’ve ever met.”

“You like me when I’m hard,” he teased as he ran his fingertips up and down my arm.

“Pervert.”

“You say that like it’s a bad thing.”

“Quit changing the subject.” I sat up and smiled at him as a thought struck me. “I have an idea.”

“Does it have anything to do with my hard head?”

No. I have a solution for your problem. Why don’t you get your business degree like your mom wants and use what you’ve learned to open your own tattoo shop? By that time, I’ll be over twenty-one, so my trust fund will be available to me. I can give you the money to get started.”

“Not a chance. There’s no way I’m going to let you blow your money like that. Plus, I’d have to go through an apprenticeship on top of school.”

“First of all, I’m not blowing my money. It would be an investment for our future. And second, so what? It would take a while to do the apprenticeship, but it would be worth it in the end.”

“Emma, I don’t feel comfortable doing that.”

“Just think about it, okay? We have four years to figure this stuff out.”

“I like the we in there. It’s nice to hear it again.”

“You’d better get used to it.”

He pulled me to him. “It’ll be hard, but I think I can manage.”

His mouth was on mine before I could respond. I was glad that we didn’t have to decide on anything right now. I’d much rather spend the next four years right where I was—in his bed.

Chapter Seventeen: Emma

I straightened my skirt in front of the mirror again. I pulled it down a bit, wondering if it was too short. I didn’t want to look like a skank.

“How long do you plan to stand there, staring at yourself?” Jesse asked as he watched me from the bed.

“Until I think I look okay,” I said as I stared at him in the mirror.

“You look fine. Actually, you look better than fine. You look amazing.”

“I’m nervous.”

“Why? You already met my mom.”

“That was two years ago. She knows something happened between us, and now, we’re back together all of a sudden.”

“And?”

“I don’t want her to hate me.”

“Emma, I already told you not to worry. My mom has never hated you, and she’s not going to start now.”

“You don’t know that. She might secretly hate me.”

He threw a pillow over his head and groaned into it. “Shoot me now.”

I fiddled with my skirt for a few seconds longer before turning to him. “I think I’m ready.”

Finally. Let’s go before you decide you need to recheck your hair or something.”

“Oh, you’re right! I should check my hair.” I turned back to the mirror and pretended to inspect my reflection. “I think it looks bad like this. Maybe I should straighten it.”

He jumped from the bed and grabbed me. I shrieked as he threw me over his shoulder. He laughed as he carried me through the house and out the door while I kicked and tried to get free.

So much for making sure that my skirt is straight.

“If you don’t stop freaking out, I’m going to make you walk into their house naked,” he threatened.

“Hardy har har,” I grumbled as he put me down beside his car.

“We’re going to be late for dinner, thanks to you. Maybe my mom really will hate you since it’s your fault.”

I stuck my tongue out as I opened the passenger door and got in. He could make fun of me all he wanted, but I was still nervous. I’d destroyed Jesse two years ago, and while he might have forgiven me, that didn’t mean his mom would.

He turned up the radio once we were on the interstate. I couldn’t help but laugh as he sang along with the songs. Singing was definitely not a strong point of his.

“Are you making fun of my singing?” he asked, pretending to be offended.

“Not at all.”

“Good—because I sing like an angel. I could have made a career out of it.”

“Sure, you could,” I said as I rolled my eyes.

He continued to sing as he drove down the interstate. His mom and Mark lived in Weston, which was about an hour or so away from Morgantown. I stared out the window as we went farther south. This was the farthest away from Morgantown I’d been so far.

I couldn’t help but notice just how beautiful West Virginia was. The hills went on for miles and miles until a larger one blocked out the ones behind it. It was late September, and the leaves were already changing. The colors were striking. Deep reds and burnt orange colors dominated the landscape. Only a few trees held on to their green leaves at this time of year.

I remembered Jesse saying that his mom had wanted to come back to West Virginia to look at the leaves. Now, I understood why. The landscape was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen. I glanced over at Jesse and smiled. Okay, after Jesse, it was the second most beautiful thing I’d ever seen.

He hit the exit ramp at the Weston exit and then turned on to a narrow two-lane road. My nerves were shot at this point. I knew we were close. I glanced out my side window to see us passing a humongous barn with Weston Livestock Auction written across it. I smiled. That wasn’t something to be seen in California—at least, not where we had lived in California.

We continued to drive until the houses started to thin out. They were replaced with wide-open fields. My eyes widened as I stared at the cattle grazing in some of them. It was the first time that I’d ever seen a cow in real life. They were kind of cute.

He gave his signal and turned up a gravel driveway. Trees surrounded us on both sides as we drove down the curvy road. The trees were pretty when they were far away, but it was nothing compared to seeing them up close. Jesse laughed at my excited expression over something as simple as leaves.

“What? I think they’re cool. Did you see the cows back there? They’re so cute!”

“Oh god. You’re starting to act like a girl.”

“That’s because I am a girl.”

“I never would have figured that out if you hadn’t told me,” he said sarcastically.

I opened my mouth to smart off, but I froze as the trees opened up to reveal a large meadow. At the center was a huge house. While it wasn’t as impressive as my mom’s house, it also wasn’t anything to stick your nose up at. Jesse pulled into an empty spot next to a brand new Ford truck.

I looked up at the house. I hadn’t expected something like this. I was so used to Jesse living in a trailer, and for some stupid reason, I’d expected him to live in one here. That was dumb because I knew Mark had money. The house was a two-story log cabin with a garage sitting next to it. The banister around the front porch was made of smaller logs. It looked like something out of a movie.

“It’s beautiful,” I said.

We stepped out of his car and started walking toward the porch.

“It is. My mom loves it here.”

“I can see why.”

He laughed. “I thought she was going to pass out the first time she saw this place.”

“I’m glad she found Mark.”

“Me, too. I didn’t think I would be, but I am.”

He reached for my hand and threaded his fingers through mine as we stepped up onto the porch. The front door opened, and his mom came running out.

“It’s about time you decided to visit! I’ve missed you,” she said as the screen door slammed shut. Her eyes widened when she noticed me. “Emma?”

I gave a small wave. “Yeah, it’s me.”

“Damn. You guys didn’t make me go through the whole, ‘Emma, this is my mom, Trish,’ again. I was looking forward to that,” Jesse joked.

“What a surprise! I never thought I’d see you again! What are you doing here?” Trish asked, ignoring Jesse.

I glanced up at Jesse. I wasn’t sure how much he wanted his mom to know about everything that had happened with Ally.