Suspending Reality (75 page)

My pulse skipped a beat when he shot me that beautiful grin, all those white, bright teeth, like a gorgeous movie star. Those beautiful baby blues entranced me all over again, staring right into my soul. I cleared my throat and forced my brain into motion. I tried to think of something to say, but nothing came to mind. The light caught in the blue speckles of his eyes and took my breath away. I drew in air, but more blood rushed to my face like a tidal wave. He, on the other hand, was entirely composed and unaffected, and I knew I was making a complete fool out of myself.

His hot breath rippled across my skin in that unforgettable moment, and his strong arms slid around me and wrapped me close. A shudder ran through me, from head to toe. I leaned against him until I could feel the warmth of his skin against my racing heart, and I lifted my arm to touch his flushed cheek.

He didn’t flinch or even react; he just smiled and kissed my fingers where they touched his lips. “I’m crazy about you, Taylor,” he said. “You’re all I think about.”

“I felt the connection the second I met you.”

“Me too.” His eyes fixed on my lips, and he moved closer to lower his mouth on mine.

Our lips connected in a slow, gentle touch. In spite of the smoldering temperature, a shiver ran through me. I closed my eyes, savoring his sweet taste. Goosebumps rippled my skin as his strong hands wandered down my back to my middle. I lifted my arms and guided them around his neck. He drew me unbelievably closer; I was already standing so impossibly close. Tangling his fingers in my hair, he kissed me slowly and passionately on the lips. My heart was drumming so hard within me that I wondered if Jesse could hear it. I wanted him to deepen the kiss. I wanted it to go on forever. When his hot breath touched my skin, I shuddered in excitement. Hot, searing kisses from his open mouth trailed down my neck.

“Taylor! Jesse!” the others called from the boulders.

Suddenly, he broke our embrace and turned in the direction of our friends. “We’re being paged,” he said.

I stared into his eyes, unable to move or even breathe. I was completely mesmerized.

Gripping my hand, he grinned. “Ready?”

I nodded mindlessly, and he led me back into the water. My head was still spinning, my skin still tingling where his lips had left a trail of moisture. Even though the kiss was over, my heart continued to race. I sighed like one of those girly girls and tried to switch on my brain again, but all I felt was a mushy, hazy feeling that reminded me of staying up late to watch those sappy Saturday night romances.

Jesse submerged and then resurfaced a few feet past me. I cut the water with expert precision to catch up with him.

One of Jesse’s friends grabbed his shoulder. “You gotta see Frank dive backward, man.”

I smiled as his friend dragged him off.

“I saw you swim off with Prince Charming,” Julie teased. “What happened?”

I pulled her aside. “He kissed me!”

“I knew it!” she squealed.

“He’s so amazing, Julie.”

“Is he a good kisser?”

“It was wonderful, but there was no, uh…”

“Tongue action?”

I blushed and shook my head. “You guys called us back over here too soon.”

“It wasn’t me,” Julie said.

“There’s always next time.”

“Or maybe even later today.”

I laughed.

“Taylor!” Jesse’s voice called. “I’ve gotta drive Frank and the others back. Wanna meet up later?”

I walked over to him and smiled. “I had a great time, and yes, I’d love to meet you later. Text me, and we’ll think of something.”

He kissed my cheek. “See ya then.”

“Bye.”

He shot me a big smile, then turned to leave. I watched him dive off the boulder and swim off into the distance.

“Why wouldn’t he take off his shirt?” one of the girls asked.

“He’s just shy,” another answered.

“Why on Earth would a guy like that want to hide that perfect bod’? Did you see those muscles?” a strawberry-blonde girl said. 

“Taylor,” the brunette said, “you should have just ripped it off of him.”

I smiled. “Maybe I will next time.”

We all laughed, then swam back to shore and sunbathed for a few more hours. As I lay on my blanket, I couldn’t stop thinking about him, recalling how great his lips felt against mine, like soft rose petals. His every touch was special, and he totally captivated me.

Chapter 15

I pulled into Jessie’s driveway in front of his beautiful, contemporary-style home with brick and glass windows, nestled among the towering trees. It was one of the biggest homes in Big Bear Lake, so I was sure his mother was quite wealthy. 

After greeting me with a peck on the cheek that almost sent me reeling to the floor in a whoosh of heat, Jesse gave me the grand tour. This house had everything, from a gym to a recreation room to the most amazing home theater room with a mounted television that was the largest I’d ever seen in my life. There was a luxury swimming pool with a beautiful patio and terrace. Every single thing was perfectly arranged, and the décor and immaculate design elements gave the house character; the whole place was sleek and stylish to the core.

“Did your mom hire an interior designer for this? It’s amazing,” I complimented.

“No. She did it on her own.”

“Wow. She has fantastic taste.”

He smiled as he led me to the room with the giant TV. My mouth dropped as I darted my eyes down in every direction, taking it all in. I tried to pretend like the gorgeous estate didn’t faze me, but that was impossible. 

Jesse went behind the bar. “What can I get you to drink?”

“A Sprite would be great—or anything lemon-lime.”

He pointed to the corner of the room. “I’ve got Sierra Mist, if that’s okay.”

“Sure. Thanks.”

“Why don’t you start looking through the DVDs? We have a lot to pick from.”

I smiled. “You’re letting
me
pick the movie?”

“Yep.”

“Hmm. What if I pick some gushy chick flick?”

“As long as I’m watching it with you, I don’t care,” he said with a grin, placing ice into a glass.

I grinned and shook my head, once again amazed by how different he was from Sean, who always used to fight with me over movies. “Thanks for that, Jesse,” I said. 

We snuggled on the couch and watched a Julia Roberts classic,
Pretty Woman,
then wandered out to the terrace to sit and talk. I waited there while Jesse got us some lemonade. As I was staring off into the dark but beautiful forest, he set our glasses down on the deck railing.

“I’m having such a good time,” I said.

“Me too.”

He wrapped his arms around me from behind, lifted the hair off my neck, and softly kissed one of the most sensitive spots on my body. Goosebumps erupted, and I gasped deeply. He lightly stroked and caressed my neck with his fingertips, then slid down my spaghetti strap and kissed my shoulder, as if he knew it was a great turn-on for me, a sexy move that worked every time.

“Jesse,” I said, shivering with pleasure, “what are you doing?”

He moved up and down my neck, tickling me with open-mouthed kisses. “What do you think?” he asked, each word causing a hot breath to blow across my skin, literally driving me crazy.

“Well…it feels so good.”

“Good,” he whispered in my ear as his fingers glided down my bare arm. “I want you to feel good, Taylor—always.”

Shivers shot down my spine as he returned to the sweet spot on my neck. When he kissed me there again, I thought I might actually collapse because my legs turned to rubber.
All I have to do is turn around and claim his mouth in a mind-blowing kiss,
I thought.
It’d be that easy, that simple.
My heart pounded even harder when Jesse gave me slow, wet kisses all over my neck, then nibbled my ear with even lighter ones. When he blew hot air on my ear, I could hardly contain myself. 

I spun around and turned to face him. He was wearing a sexy, naughty smile and staring hungrily at my lips. I’d never felt so desirable. I softly traced his lips, the mouth I could have spent an eternity kissing without ever tiring of it.

“I’m home!” a woman announced, jolting me from my fantastic thoughts.

I stepped away from Jesse and straightened my shirt.

The woman cleared her throat and looked at us suspiciously. “I hope I didn’t interrupt anything,” she said.

She was beautiful, with her slim figure dressed in a blue pantsuit and her silky black hair twisted into an elaborate bun. In addition to having the same hair, she also had the almost translucent light blue eyes that her son did. 

“No, not at all,” I responded.

“I’m Shelia, Jesse’s mom.”

I held out my hand. “It’s so nice to meet you. I’m Taylor.”

She smiled as she shook my hand. “It’s nice to finally meet you too. Jesse has told me all about you, so I’ve been looking forward to making your acquaintance.”

“Well, here she is!” Jesse said.

Shelia sat down on the porch with us, and we all chitchatted for about an hour before I had to get back home. I was sure I’d made a good impression; she seemed to like me and was just as warm as Jesse, not at all the oddball Jeanie had made me think she was. I had hoped to meet his brother and sister, but they weren’t home. In any case, things were going well for me and Jesse, and I’d met his mom, which made me feel even closer to him.

* * *

On Friday night, my mom and dad had left me home alone while they went to an out-of-state book signing for the weekend. I felt a little safer this time, because my dad had installed a security system. When nighttime came, though, I did start to get the creeps, and I obsessively stared out the window to watch for ski-masked or furry would-be intruders. 

Feeling lonely and a bit frightened, I texted Jesse, “I can’t stop thinking of you.”

A few minutes later, he texted back, “If I had a rose for every time I thought of you, I’d be walking through my beautiful garden forever.”

I gushed.
Aw,
I thought.
He’s just the sweetest.

I texted back, “I love when you text me sweet nothings, so here’s one for you. If I had a star for every time you brightened my day, I’d have a galaxy in my hand.”

He replied, “Love it! If snowflakes were kisses, I’d send you a blizzard.”

A little while later, Max was sitting on the couch with me as I watched television. When I heard knocking coming from upstairs, my body froze, but I was ready to bolt out of the house again if I had to, and this time I was fully dressed. When the knocking finally subsided, I exhaled a long-held breath.

I stood shakily to my feet. “Max, let’s go upstairs and check it out, boy.”

I refused to go unarmed, so I grabbed a butcher knife and let my dog lead the way. Again, I had to wonder if I was losing my mind, considering it wasn’t the first time I’d been creeping around my house, brandishing a sharp kitchen utensil. Still, I needed to confront my fears. Inhaling and exhaling deeply, I took a bold step up the stairs, the wood creaking with every step I took.

When I reached the top of the stairs, I heard the knocking sound again, coming from my room. My heart thundered, and I held the knife in a white-knuckled grasp. I walked to my room, reached around to flick on the switch, and then took a look around. When I realized tree branches were banging against the window, I could finally breathe again, and the staccato rhythm of my heart settled down. 

When my cell phone rang, I jumped. I reached into my pocket, grabbed it, and quickly answered, “Yeah?”

“Taylor? What’s wrong?” Jesse asked.

“I’m freaking out again.”

“You shouldn’t be alone.”

“Right. Are you busy?” I asked.

“I’m going night-fishing with my brother and sister on the boat. Wanna come?”

“I’d love to!”

“Okay. I’ll be there soon.”

* * *

I couldn’t wait to meet Sam and Kierra, and I hoped they would accept me as easily as their brother had.

We pulled in and parked.

As we walked to the dock, a thin girl with long, black hair and light blue eyes greeted me with a smile. “I’m Kierra,” she said, “Jesse’s big sister.” She was gorgeous in a red wrap dress that just reached the top of her knees, and the color accentuated her sun-kissed complexion.

“Taylor,” I said, shaking her hand. “It’s so nice to finally meet you.”

“Likewise. I’ve heard many good things about you.” She glanced over her shoulder. “Sam, she’s here!” she yelled, then smiled back at me.

“Coming!” a voice called from the boat.

The guy who emerged was attractive, also with black hair. He looked at Jesse with his pale blue eyes and said, “I thought you wanted to look good for your date.”

“I look fine,” Jesse said.

“Hmm. Looks to me like you stopped at the zoo and stole the gorilla’s face,” Sam teased.