ROMANCE: Billion Dollar Question (BWWM Billionaire Bad Boy Romance) (African American Alpha Mail Order Bride New Adult) (31 page)

“Well, we have to get ahead start on the day. My mama is super excited to meet you and we need to go over the finer details of how we met. Are you packed?”

“Yes, for a week.”

“We'll send for the rest of your stuff later then.”

“No, I'll need everything here when I come back.”

“Fine, I'll buy you more clothes then. Mama will force you into shopping trips anyway.”

“It's too damn early for this, Jessie,” she said shutting and locking the door. “I'm going back to bed. You can come back later.”

“Or I could join you.”

“Screw off, Jessie. I already told you I'm not sleeping with you.”

“Oh, we'll be sharing a room at my parents' house.”

“What? Nope, we'll tell them we're waiting for marriage.”

“They're not going to believe that. So we will be sharing a room.”

“Then you can sleep on the floor.”

“There's more interesting things we can do on the floor.”

“Coffee. If you want me functioning this early in the damn morning, Jessie, you bring coffee. Until then I'm going back to bed.”

“Let's go out for coffee,” he said, but Debbie had already started back up the stairs.

An hour later, he woke her up again, but this time with coffee. She sipped it allowing its warmth to clear away the morning fog. As she drank, she listened to Jessie's carefully laid plans about what to tell his parents. This man really did have an answer for everything.

“What is your family going to say about me being black?”

“What? Do you think this is the twenties?” Jessie laughed. “They're going to see you for what you are.”

“And what's that?”

“My beautiful, strong, intelligent, and sassy wife to be.”

“I'm going to need more coffee for this,” she laughed.

“I do mean all of those things,” Jessie said and scooted his chair closer to hers.

Debbie scooted hers away and he inched closer. If she didn't give in and let him sit next to her, she had a feeling they'd play the game and go all the way around the table several times.

“If we're going to pull this off, you aren't going to be able to keep me a football field away,” he chuckled.

“I usually prefer two football fields of distance or at least a bar between us.”

Jessie wrapped his arm around her shoulder and she didn't pull away.

“I guess I can let you touch my shoulder for a million dollars.”

“I plan on touching a lot more than your shoulder.”

Jessie easily lifted her and pulled her into his lap. She was wearing only her nightgown which she fought to keep pulled down over her thighs as her legs straddled his. Debbie blushed when she realized only her panties divided her most sensitive and private areas from his jeans. Jessie gently took her hands and entwined their fingers for a brief moment before wrapping her arms around his neck.

“See this isn't so bad?”

“You're already getting hard you perv.”

“Natural reaction between man and wife,” she said gently pushing her hair out of her face.

“Except this is business only.”

“It doesn't have to be.”

“Yes, it does, because I'm not going to be just another notch in your bed post.”

His hands trailed up her thighs and she didn't pull way. His soft touch told her everything she needed to know about why women didn't turn him down more often.

“Don't we have a plane to catch?” she asked standing up.

Jessie pulled her back down and wrapped his arms around her. His lips hovered just inches from hers.

“Yeah, but we still have a few hours.”

“Then why'd you wake me up so early?” she licked her lips.

“For this,” he said and closed the distance between them. His lips were soft, but demanding as they claimed hers. She tensed at first, but it had been too long since she had reveled in the feeling of a man's lips against her. Slowly, Debbie found herself giving into his kiss and her lips parted willingly when his tongue probed them. She leaned into him and allowed her fingers to run through the back of his hair before finally taking his cowboy hat off and sitting it on the table.

Jessie pulled her closer and she wrapped her legs around him. His muscular body felt delicious pressed so closely against hers. Her mind was shouting for her to stop to not let the moment linger. He'd only break her heart, but her body wasn't listening and maybe her heart neither. She ran her hands through his hair and sighed in pleasure as his hands trailed over her back and then her sides before pulling her even closer.

When the kiss finally broke, she was panting for air. Her eyes were still closed as she let the simple bliss of the moment settle around her. She could feel Jessie flashing her his famous cocky smile, but she ignored it. Maybe men weren't the only ones who could take advantage of an opportunity to feel so damn good.

She opened her eyes and kissed him softly one last time before standing up.

“I'm going to take a shower,” she said. Jessie stood to follow her, but sat back down when she shook her head and added, “alone.”

“Are you trying to give me blue balls?”

Debbie walked out of the room with a grin on her face. Her hips swung ever so slightly from side to side and for the first time since she met him, she enjoyed knowing Jessie's eyes were on her ass as she walked away.

By nine o'clock, they were on the plane heading for Montana. Jessie insisted on keeping his arm wrapped around her on the plane and eventually she gave up arguing with him. She had worked a long shift at the bar and then stayed up late packing the night before. She decided to take advantage of the situation and use his shoulder as a pillow.

Landing in Montana was hotter than she ever thought it would be. Even the well paved roads of the airport were covered in a thin layer of dust. The day passed in a whirlwind of meeting his relatives and repeating the story about how he met her at the bar and it was love at first sight. Jessie kept her close and she pretended the story was true. He was careful to never leave her alone with any of his relatives which Debbie really did appreciate.

It was easy to feed off of Jessie's energy and tell the story, but she didn't know a damn thing about these people and she was pretty sure that happy couples talked about their families. Fortunately for her, the family ranch house stayed busy enough that she was only given the minimum amount of attention needed to welcome her to the family. She was more than happy to call it an early night shortly after dinner. Debbie truly was exhausted, but more than that, the less time she spent around his family the less likely she was to put her foot in her mouth and ruin the whole affair.

The bedroom that had once belonged to Jessie in his teen years was huge compared to the bedroom she jokingly referred to as her sleep-in closet as a teenager. Over the years since he'd moved out, his family had redone it into a guestroom.

She took a shower and slipped into her favorite pajama outfit. The clean cotton material felt like a heaven sent after a day even partially spent in the hot Montana sun. Debbie lingered in the bathroom thinking about how much her life had changed since yesterday afternoon and how much more it was going to change when she became Jessie's wife.

The man she had seen at the bar with the ladies had become a completely different person around his family. He was funny and his smiles seemed more genuine. The tension in his shoulders had melted away too. Debbie liked him better here, but she had to wonder how much of it was an act? Was this the real Jessie or was that the man who had frequented her bar cruising for women to bed down with for the night? She hoped it was this one. Here she was starting to see Jessie as a man she could marry even if only for a short period of time.

She came out of the in suite bathroom to find a very shirtless Jessie sprawled across the bed reading a newspaper. For a moment, he didn't notice her and Debbie allowed her eyes to linger over his naked torso. His muscles were well defined and chest gently fell and rose with his breathing.

“We need to talk,” she said sitting down on the far edge of the bed as far away from his half naked body as she could get.

“Tomorrow we're going horseback riding,” he said looking up from the newspaper. “Just the two of us. If you want to know what else I have planned, you’re going to have to move a little closer, sweetheart.”

His voice was thick with longing, but it didn't match his expression. She gave him a bemused looked and he motioned for her to come closer. Sighing, Debbie inched across the bed until she was sitting next to him. Jessie wrapped his arm casually around her shoulders and she settled in next to him. If she had to be close to him, she might as well be comfortable. Besides her neck still hurts from sleeping on the plane.

“You did really well with them today. They like you. Mom wanted you to go shopping with her tomorrow, but I told her I promised I'd take you horseback riding.”

“You do know that I've never been on a horse before, right?”

“I figured as much,” Jessie chuckled, “but if you're going to live here for the next two years, it's something you need to know. It's something every rancher's wife needs to know.”

“Can I ask you something personal?”

“Seeing that we're getting married, this might be a good time to start asking personal questions,” Jessie chuckled.

“Is this the real you?”

“Huh?”

“Never mind,” she laughed moving away from him. “I'm going to sleep. I'm exhausted. I won't make you sleep on the floor, but stay on your side of the bed.”

“I thought most women enjoyed post coital cuddling.”

“So that's your selling point, cowboy? You cuddle with them afterwards?”

Jessie frowned at her.

“It isn't just a woman's reputation that follows her home, you know.”

Chapter 3: The Man He Could Be

It was still dark when Debbie woke up. She was wrapped in blankets and the strong arms of a man. A smile pulled at the corners of her mouth as she moved deeper into the warmth. It was nice and she was so comfortable that she never wanted to move. Somewhere in the back of her head, she knew that Jessie had crossed the boundary onto her side of the bed, but for now she'd forgive him.

“No use of hanging a sleeping man,” she thought to herself as she closed her eyes waiting for sleep to overcome her again. “The morning will hang us both with the realization that this is just part of a play. Let's just pray it's a comedy and not a tragedy.”

In his sleep, Jessie kissed the top of her head and she decided to not to ponder just how many other women he had done this with.

The first rays of the morning sun danced through the window and Debbie opened her eyes. She was still wrapped up in Jessie's arms, but now something was poking into her stomach making her painfully aware that she was in bed with a man that was used to having his way with women just by walking into the room. She tried to wiggle away from him without waking him hoping to avoid the awkwardness that would be sure to follow.

“Mornin',” Jessie said.

“Shit,” she hissed under her breath before she could stop the word from escaping her lips.

“Everything alright, sweetheart?” he asked with a yawn.

“Maybe I should be asking you that?”

“Huh?”

“Oh, that,” he chuckled rolling onto his back, but still keeping his arm around her. “That's normal.”

“If you say so,” she said pulling away and sitting up.

“Haven't you ever shared a bed with a man before?”

“Yeah, but not one I didn't want to have his erection that close to me.”

“I'd like to have it a lot closer,” he chuckled.

“I'm going to go down and see if your mom needs help with breakfast,” she said and slipped out of the room before Jessie could say anything else.

His mom was more than happy for the help. She welcomed Debbie into the kitchen and quickly put her to work. She was still frying eggs when Jessie finally made his way downstairs. She knew when he entered the room by the sounds of his footfall. He wrapped his arms around her from behind and kissed her on top of the head. She hesitantly leaned back against him and was relieved to find that his morning mood had bid him fair well as the day began.

“Mmm.. smells good,” Jessie said. “My favorite breakfast bacon, eggs, and you.”

He nuzzled into her neck and pressed his lips against her flesh. A bright hot blush fanned out across her cheeks and her flesh gave rise to goosebumps. Damn it! How did he suddenly have this effect on her? Was it the fact here at his family home in Montana he suddenly seemed to be the decent family man?

“Don't make her burn those eggs, Jessie!” His mother warned with a laugh. “Or I'll make you eat ever last one of them.

“I can think of other things I'd rather eat for breakfast than burnt eggs!”

“Jessie!” Debbie said as she turned around to bat him away. “Don't say things like that in front of your mom.”

“Or anywhere else or ever about me,” she added silently. “Because I don't think I could handle the broken heart when you got bored of me.”

Somehow Debbie managed to make it through breakfast without running out of the room like a shy and embarrassed school girl. After that comment, Jessie had toned down his language, but his look said everything she needed to know. She considered taking his mother up on the offer to go shopping, but thought better of it. She was going to go through with her part of the deal if it was the last thing she ever did.

An hour later, she was showered, dressed in her favorite jeans, tee-shirt, and sneakers and headed for the stables with Jessie. Their fingers were entwined and he held her hand tightly as a lover would. When they were out on the trail she knew she was going to have to tell him to cool the act. The only problem was that she was going to have to figure out a way to do it without letting him know just how much he was getting to her.

Being on the back of a horse didn't bother her as much as she thought it would. It was a little higher up than she expected, but besides that it felt almost natural to her. She was quiet as she concentrated on guiding the horse to follow behind Jessie and his stallion. The mare was calm and patient with her when she hesitated. The gentle animal made her experience more pleasant.

“You're taking well to her,” Jessie said.

“Thanks.”

“You're welcome, but I was talking to Molly.”

They rode in silence for a few hours. Debbie was paying more attention to Jessie than she was to the trail. Soon, she figured out that Molly knew the path and was more than happy to follow Jessie's lead. It seemed he put females of every species at ease.

About noon they stopped for lunch. The horse grazed in a nearby meadow as they settled onto the picnic blanket.

“You're awful quiet today,” Jessie said setting out the food. “Don't tell me Molly had you scared senseless.”

“No, I like Molly,” she laughed.

“Then what's eating you?”

“Don't say it like that!” Debbie blushed.

“It's just an expression.”

“Yes, but you have a way of making everything sound dirty.”

“Hey, sex isn't dirty.”

“So says the playboy cowboy.”

“Can we drop that already?” Jessie snapped. “I'm home in Montana and I really don't even want to think about NYC right now. Now that I'm back, I can't even figure out why I left.”

Debbie silently took a bite of her ham and cheese sandwich. Was this man already going through sex withdraw.

“Only one good thing ever came out of being there.”

“The sex?”

“No,” he sighed.

“Then what?”

“Meeting you.”

“Oh, yeah,” she laughed, “and without me your inheritance would be forever lost.”

“You don't give a man a chance to get a word in edgewise do you?”

“Go on then,” she giggled. Jessie was even sexier with his brow furrowed in frustration.

“I've only been back a day and NYC seems like a lifetime ago. Everything about the city fades into the back of my mind and I remember who I was before I left.”

“Who was that?”

“A man who wanted a family and a ranch of his own.”

“Why did you leave then?” Debbie asked tilting her head. Was this just game or was she finally seeing past the walls Jessie Bridges like to keep up around him.

“Because Josie died.”

“Was she your wife?”

“No,” he chuckled. “We were a bit too young for all of that. Josie McClair was my high school sweetheart. She died in a car accident our senior year of high school. After that, every last inch of the ranch, the town, hell, even the whole damn state reminded me of her. None of it seemed worth it so I left. Once I was in the city, I figured out pretty quickly that I didn't want to be married or tied down. Certainly not with attractive women hitting on me everyday, but now I'm back here and that changes everything.”

“How so?” Debbie asked. Her heart was thumping against her rib cage. The air was thick with tension. Jessie scooted just a bit closer to her before answering her question.

“You've changed it.”

Debbie blinked. So she wasn't crazy and the connection she was quickly becoming so fond of wasn't one sided after all.

“You've reminded me of everything. This morning when I woke up with you all snuggled into me I realized something. I liked that feeling. Not just the feeling of having a woman that close to me in bed in the morning, but the feeling of it being you. You were still asleep, but I had a lot of time to think. I want it to be you every morning. We've known each other for awhile. You know my history and I can't change that. What's done is done, but it's not the man I want to be anymore. I want to be the man who's lucky enough to wake up every morning all wrapped up in you.”

“Every morning?”

“I can't promise things will be perfect, Debs,” he said touching her cheek softly. Debbie leaned into the warmth of his hand and closed her eyes. His touch was so soft and tender. His thumb traced her cheek bone and she tried to remember the last time she had felt like someone could reach right into her and touch her soul like he seemed to be doing now.

“Nothing is ever perfect,” he continued, “but what I can promise is that I will do my best to give you the world, to do whatever it takes to make you the happiest woman alive.”

“I like you, Jessie. I've always liked you,” Debbie said surprised to realize how true her words were. “But I didn't want to get my heart broken. I didn't want to be just a good time screw that you could forget once the morning came. I don't want to be that for anyone. If we do this, I need to know that I'm going to be the only woman in your life and in your bed. I like you. I really do and I want to see where this could go. It all feels so new and so exciting and I don't want to get ahead of myself or where we're at. So if we're going to try this for real I need to know that part of your life is behind you and that's where it's going to stay. Don't make a fool of me for letting you into my heart.”

“I can't promise that I'm never going to make a mistake or mess up. I'm human, but I can promise that I'm not going to run around on your or treat you badly. That's behind me now. I left everyone of them women in NYC and I say good riddance. I'm falling in love with you, Debs, and I think I have been for a long time.”

“I'm falling too, Jessie, just don't let me hit the ground.”

“I have no intentions of ever letting go of you.”

Jessie wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. She scrambled into his arms longing to reclaim the warmth she had felt wrapped up in him this morning. His body was warm to the touch and his hands felt strong against her body. She straddled his lap settling into him as his lips claimed hers in a long passionate kiss. This time she kissed him back more passionately than she had two nights ago sitting in the kitchen of her NYC apartment. This time it wasn't just to feel the closeness of another person or of  a strong man. It was to feel the closeness of him and to claim his heart as her own.

She leaned into him reveling in the feelings of his muscles moving against her body. Her nipples harden beckoning him closer, but his hands stayed comfortably on her hips. His lips moved hard over hers, but slowly as if he were drinking in every moment of their shared bliss. Jessie's tongue probed into her mouth and she welcomed it warmly. He tasted so damn sweet. Stubble from his beard brushed against her sending a chill down her spine. He was so strong and so rugged and now she knew what she had been denying herself back in New York. The wait had definitely been worth it. Perhaps her father had been right. Good things do come to those who wait.

Jessie's hands trailed up and down her sides slowly as he explored her soft curves. The kiss broke as they both took a quick breath before their lips met again. Beneath her body, his manhood was beginning to come to life. It was hard and thick. Her body contracted on empty air from just thinking about how it might feel to have him buried deep inside of her as they came together for the first time. She wanted his body, but as she knew it was more than that. She wanted to be connected with him as closely as possible. She wanted to feel every inch of him soul and all.

His fingers trailed back down to the sides of her t-shirt and then under its hem. His hands were warm against her skin as he touched her stomach and sides tentatively. She sighed into the kiss urging him on and giving him permission to explore the curves of her body.