The Russian Billionaire’s Secret(97)

“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.