Simon: Rockstar Romance (The ProVokaTiv Series Book 3) (7 page)

“Okay Simon, the food is here, we’re seated, and you have my full attention. What is going on?

“This is pretty great, Jessie. I know you’ll love it, at least I think you will.”

“Tell me and let’s find out,” I said. He suddenly seemed a bit nervous and awkward about it. It made me feel bad for my dramatic reaction when he’d called me back home. But then again, it had led to this moment and I liked being in it.

“Well, through talking with Dominic and a few opportunities that he ran by me, we came up with a pretty great idea. It should appeal to the mighty clash we have here between humanitarian and businessman…at least I hope it does. We had the idea of taking the concert to where the problem is.”

“West Africa?” I said right away. You know how you can hear something you don’t quite understand and your mind starts dumping loads of questions, too fast to even keep track of them all? Well, my mind did that to me and I instantly bit my lip, trying to remain quiet and listen. It was not easy.

“Yes, Freetown, Sierra Leone, in specific. You see, it’s a bigger city so there’s room for a concert. Everyone who’s interested in the event has an angle, I’ll admit that, but put all the angles together and it is a great business strategy that is surrounding and protecting the heart of the project, which is you and your goals.”

“Oh my God, Simon, it’s an incredible idea. I absolutely love it. Is it possible, though? I have about six weeks, not six months.”

“Jessie, if it wasn’t possible, I wouldn’t bring it up.”

              He had such a huge smile on his face, but also an eye brow raised and expectations of an answer in his eyes. He wanted a commitment and then to move on. Well, I was going to give it to him. “Yes!” I shouted loudly, like I was standing on a mountain top shouting to the entire world. Then I calmed down, whispering, “Thank you, thank you, thank you,” as I tried to process it all. Then I breathed in, realizing that I may have gone a bit overboard with my excitement. “Hey wait, is it safe there?”

“Politically, you mean?” he asked.

“Yeah, I really don’t know. The heart of my mission is anything but political, Simon. But the thought of going there is really, well…incredible.”

“I have the resources to keep things safe,” he said.

I loved that protected feeling I got when he said things like that.

“So, can I take this as a yes? You approve?”

“Do I ever!” Then my wheels started turning. “Holy cow, so much to coordinate. Most of my potential exhibitors are within a three state radius. I know they can’t afford to fly to West Africa,” she said.

“We’ll figure something out, I feel certain about that,” Simon said.

“Like what?”

“I don’t know yet, but I will.”

His confidence was admirable, but I couldn’t just assume that everything would be good. I had to know it was. Simon would never expect anything less. “What venues are you thinking of for the festival?” I finally asked.

“For acts, I want hopefuls for the Blaze Line, acts that I can see perform and also get a judge for the members’ characters.”

“Like who?”

“Snowbound, Difinitive, Pardigm, Cre8ive 4um,” I began.

“I’ve heard of Cre8ive 4um, that’s about it. I saw them play at First Avenue last month.”

“Were they good?” he asked.

“They were loud,” I said.

“Not your style of music, huh?”

“No, not really, but they can play for four hours straight and I’ll smile if it brings the money in for the cause.”

“Cheers to that,” Simon said, holding up his water glass.

I listened to him talk about all the things he had taken control of, including staff, videography, and photographers, and nodded politely.

“And the booths will each pay for their spot,” he said.

“So you can raise more money for research,” I commented.

“Well, that wasn’t my thought, but sure, it would make the overhead lower so technically…”

“And how much money do you think something like this could draw in for the research?” I asked.

“Good question, Jess. After all the expenses are paid out, I estimate that we’d still come close to at least $250,000 for research.

Yeah, my  jaw dropped down in shock. That was so much money, so many great things could come out of that. I pulled out some paper and started to take notes. My mind was whirling in ecstasy and I had a lot to keep track of.

              “Good idea, to have a to-do list,” Simon said, smiling at me. “How often should we coordinate together to make sure we’re on track, do you suppose?”

Ding. Ding. Ding. His words made me smile inside and out. “Well, considering the timeline, I think daily would be good. However, I know that you have a crazy schedule and that may not work. What do you think?”

“Daily is great. I asked you after all, Jess.”

“Great. Skype or phone?”

“Probably phone. More flexibility. But Skype would be my first choice.”

“We’ll play it by ear, then.”

“Are you done eating?” Simon asked. When I nodded he said, “Why don’t we move over to the couch.”

My skin broke out in goosebumps again, just thinking about it, remembering that kiss from earlier this afternoon. “Let me pick it up first, it’s the least I can do,” I said, standing and reaching to grab his plate.

“That can wait, don’t worry about it,” he said, standing up himself.

His entire apartment was meticulous, down to not having a single speck of dust on his computer. Who was able to do that? Only Simon Jefferson, that’s who. He must really be excited that he didn’t want to pick that up first. His excitement got me excited, too.

He put his hand on the small of back—more goosebumps—and gently guided me toward the couch, the way a good dancer guides his partner. We sat on the couch, just a few inches apart, his body angled toward mine. Our elbows each rested on the back of the couch, so that if either of us swung our hand, it’d slightly brush the other.

Simon was talking about ‘secondary marketing streams’ and I was listening, honestly I was, but I was more drawn in by the way he sounded when he said those words and the way his lips moved. He was about as perfect a specimen as I’d ever seen; one of those guys who was intense, really great looking—almost to the point of distraction—and really fit. He was slim and toned, but not a big muscle head or anything like that. He was perfect.

My mind drifted off to that kiss that he’d planted on me. It had just been to shut me up, but it had opened me up to something that I would have thought fairly impossible beforehand. The two of us were more alike than I’d thought. We just saw the path completely differently.

But...there was one thing in this crazy world that had only one approach, and that was a kiss. You may choose to go fast or slow, but there was only one way to do it—two lips connecting at some point.

I couldn’t blame it on the alcohol because I wasn’t drinking, but I felt that crazy burst of daredevil explode inside of me, compelling me to act on what I was most curious about at that moment. It surely wasn’t ‘secondary marketing streams.’

I grabbed Simon’s hand and I leaned forward, moving quickly to give him a soft kiss on the lips. His lips quivered a bit and it made me want to press a bit harder. As I kissed him harder my hand pressed against his harder, too. My heart was racing more quickly and Simon began to respond.

His arms wrapped around me and pulled me closer into a kiss that kept going and going and going. I didn’t even want to look at him because I was fearful that I’d change my mind about this moment if I did, that the practical Jessie would surface and I didn’t want her to. I wanted this moment badly…and without question.

Before long, we were both wrapped up into the moment and it was all on; make that, all off. Simon lifted me up and stood me on the ground, slowly untying the knot of my halter dress, allowing it to slip down my body and into a puddle on the ground. If his strong arms wouldn’t have been around me, my entire body might have followed. I was excited, I was nervous, and more than anything, I wanted to explore this side of Simon.

Not daring to lose our connection with each other, we made our way to Simon’s bedroom. Eagerness consumed me for everything that awaited me. I wanted to find out and I wanted to be freed by his touch.

“Are you sure…” Simon began to whisper in my ear, just steps from the bedroom.

I pulled my head back slightly and looked at him, placing my finger gently over his mouth. Then I reached down and began to take those jeans off. That was my answer. Yes, I was sure.

Her soft, athletic, and alluring skin pressed against mine was more than I could take. If she was a corporation, I was about to do an invasion and take over. She’d shown that it was okay to cross the border and I was going to take advantage of the invitation.

With her in my arms now, I carried her over to my bed and set her down.  Then I stripped off that last piece of clothing on her, those pink lace panties that were a color associated with innocence, but also had the allure of a sexy woman, a woman who was that way without even trying. 

Combine that with smarts and wit, and I was looking at one of the most potent types of women out there, the type that could trip me up in a world where most didn’t. I looked at Jessie Martineau and I loved what I saw. She drew me in and I wasn’t going to resist. Not now.

Feelings of intense arousal sprung to life in me, making me not care about my personal protocols and reminding me that it had been too long since I’d been with a woman. I silenced that nagging voice in me that told me to use caution. Even if I would have listened, my body gave the truth away. This moment was something I wanted and avoiding it was no longer an option. I was all in.

I watched Jessie closely, appreciating the sweetness of her beautiful face when her eyes were closed, soaking in my touch and the soft moans of approval that rolled off her lips. It was genuine and not rehearsed; a true testament to what she wanted. 

Kissing her softly, starting at the nape of her neck and working my way down to her breasts, my lips explored her and I breathed in the fragrance she was wearing. It smelled so fresh, like the first waft of spring air that you get when everything is in bloom. Divine, simply divine.

“You feel so good,” I murmured as I kept kissing her, now focused on her stomach.  The way her muscles tensed and relaxed from my hands and my lips fascinated me, demanding my attention. With my eyes open, I kept going.

Jessie’s hands were on my back, then my shoulders, and then at her sides when she had to say something. She whispered “Simon” like I was the only one who mattered at that moment, which pulled me in even deeper.

My hand slid down Jessie’s abdomen and I began to play with her, rubbing the outside of her sweet, blonde pussy and slowly slid my fingers in, feeling her muscles clench around them.  I moved in and out, gently grazing her pearl and then slowly sliding back out, teasing her and building her up, enjoying the way her back arched and her breasts were so erect, nipples darkened and excited.

The hardness of my cock was almost unbearable. It was begging me to enter Jessie just as much as she was now begging for it. “You’re good with this?” I whispered.

She nodded her head and guided me on top of her and I went into her, sliding deeply and thrusting my hips forward. Aah, it was incredible. I wanted to savor being in that place.

As Jessie thrust forward with her hips to meet mine, her hands roamed my chest and I stared at her. She’d look back at me and smile, her eyes showing the appreciation for what she felt, and as I moved against her, bringing her nearer to orgasm again, she’d close her eyes, almost like it was too much to bear.  It was beautiful, simply beautiful.

I started to come closer to orgasm, not able to block out how amazing it felt to be inside this woman. She allowed me to relax and go to a place that I hadn’t been for a long time, maybe ever, and I wanted it. Leaning down, I kissed Jessie tenderly on the lips and then as I realized that I was about to release, my back arched. She moaned, “Yes.” It was a confirmation of her pleasure. A single word that best summed up the intensity and necessity of the moment. She’d wanted me and given me something that she didn’t easily surrender and I couldn’t have been more pleased. It was enough to make me come that second. It hadn’t been work to be on the same page, in perfect sync sexually, and I saw it as a sign that it could be the same with business, too.

Eventually, I had to slide out of her and I rolled off her to the side, looking at her and brushing her lose blonde tendrils to the side of her face.  She was quiet, staring at the ceiling and looking at me through the corner of her eyes. I put my finger gently on her chin and had her turn her head to face me.

“You still good?”

“Good…and speechless. Wow,” she said. She was flushed and had a grin on her face that showed her excitement. “And you? You good?”

“I am,” I said.

“I’ll admit, I don’t know what came over me. I just felt compelled to kiss you.” Jessie said this almost like it was a confession and it was not necessarily for me to hear.

“This may sound strange coming from me, but I’m not about to analyze it. Maybe it was meant to be. No complaints here.”

“None here, either,” she said.

“You’re welcome to spend the night.”

“Do you want me to?”

“You’re welcome to spend the night,” I repeated.

Jessie looked at me and shook her head in exasperation, but she couldn’t hide her smile. “That’s right. You don’t offer things that you don’t mean. I think I will. We can continue on with our business…if you want.”

“That would be fine, or we can just talk,” I offered. There the two of us were, completely naked and our pressed together tightly and I didn’t want to talk business. That had to be a first.

“Sure, did you have anything in specific on your mind?” Jessie said, turning to her side.

“Getting under the comforter, maybe. I’m cold,” I said, laughing. “Did you want a t-shirt or anything?”

“That would be great. Thanks.”

I got up and put on my boxers and went to my drawer to pull out a t-shirt for Jessie to wear. It was a soft blue t-shirt with a Blue Marlin fish on it. I watched Jessie slide it on and it transformed her back into that more pure vision I’d had of her, the Samaritan who had a heart of gold.