One Deep Breath

Chapter Twenty-One

Terrance had been waiting for them downstairs and didn't need to be told where to go before rolling out into the steady traffic. It wasn't very long before they were engulfed in the bright lights and mass bodies of people scurrying around Times Square.

Helping her out of the car, Jesse led Jolie inside and through a busy hotel lobby until they reached the hotel's restaurant.

"This way Mr. Bennett," a pretty hostess with heavy eye makeup greeted him. With a polite nod at Jolie she turned her attention back to Jesse, leading them back to their table. Jolie noted how the smitten girl batted her dark lashes up at Jesse and how she swayed her hips seductively in front of him while she walked over to their corner booth.

Jolie peeked up at Jesse to gauge his reaction to the sultry hostess, but when she looked over she met his eyes, which were fixed on her, his lips pursed as if trying not to laugh.

"Thanks Olivia," he addressed the girl, earning him a dazzling smile.

Settling into their plush booth Jolie tried her best to remain straight-faced, though her mind raced with thoughts of him with Olivia, wondering if that's why he knew her name, why she was eye-fucking him right in front of her.

"Why are you shaking your head?" Jesse cut into her thoughts.

"What? Oh. I didn't mean to." Jolie felt her face get hot as she realized she had failed at keeping her thoughts off of her face, something she was usually better at. "This place is just so nice," she explained. "I mean we're literally looking out onto Times Square. Sorry I'm still in tourist-mode I guess."

They were interrupted by their waiter, an older gentleman who also knew exactly who Jesse was. Jesse was acquainted with him as well, introducing Jolie to him and then ordering himself a cocktail and a bottle of champagne.

After seeing his familiarity with the waiter it had clicked that he was obviously a regular here, inwardly scolding herself for jumping to conclusions about slutty-Olivia.

"Come here a lot? Everyone already seems to know you," she inquired.

"Yeah, um, this is another one of our properties. The hotel and this restaurant" Jesse answered her, gesturing to the lobby and around the restaurant that was sprawled out in front of them. Then he grinned before adding, "that's why I know most of the staff, and the hostess. In case you were wondering."

Jolie bit her lip to stop the sheepish smile from spreading across her face. She should have hidden her relief better, but clearly he could read her better than most people. So far Jesse had been able to basically read her mind in most situations, responding in ways that calmed her fears and soothed her doubts.

She tried to remember if anyone else had ever been able to read her quite as easily. She had practice containing her emotions after years of anxiety and panic attacks. Appearing collected on the outside while deconstructing on the inside was something she had perfected over time, but it seemed her ability to hide it all was faltering, at least in Jesse's regard anyway.

"I guess I was wondering," she laughed softly. "Sorry about that."

"Don't be sorry. I'm just teasing you. I just don't want you to get the wrong impression about me. This was our first hotel and restaurant, and now we do the majority of our business meetings here. A lot of our staff have been here since we opened our doors, which is why I know most of them ...on a strictly professional level."

He pulled her closer to him as he spoke. He was always closing the gap between them whenever they were together, always needing to be touching her or keeping her as close to his side as possible. The way he needed her up in his personal space had an air of possessiveness, but his actions spoke otherwise. Aside from some heavy kissing he hadn't pushed her into anything yet, hadn't even really asked her to either. His approach was different than most of the guys her age.

To be fair Jolie couldn't keep herself away from him either; she felt better, lighter when they were connected somehow, whether it was pulled up onto his lap or just a subtle linking of their fingers.

"Okay, strictly professional. Got it. Not sure Olivia is on the same page there but I guess that's her problem then," she toyed with him, elbowing him softly.

"Yes, totally her problem. I'm pretty into someone else currently," he admitted, his childish grin spreading across his face.

Jolie sunk into his side, burying her face into his shoulder.

"Good," she whispered.

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After a delicious dinner with super quick service, Jolie and Jesse were cuddled together in their booth, her legs entwined with his under the table while she was tucked up under his side looking out onto Times Square, finishing their bottle of champagne.

Jesse had stolen a few quick kisses throughout the night, and they barely disconnected their bodies enough to finish their dinners, sharing their meals with each other and constantly finding new ways to remain touching somehow.

Jolie was buzzing from the champagne and high on the chemistry between her and Jesse. Excitement bubbled in her stomach. Being with him was the biggest contradiction of her life; she felt so relaxed and at ease but was filled with electricity and exploding with butterflies.

"So what else?" he asked her.

"What else what?"

"What else do you want to do tonight?" His face was as bright as hers, obviously taking pleasure in her love of the city.

Jolie felt like she had rubbed a magic lamp and had a genie granting endless wishes for her, except this genie was way hot and the only wish she could think of at the moment included him and a bedroom overlooking Central Park.

That wasn't all she wanted though. She wanted to stay in that booth there cuddled up with him, she wanted to walk through the city lights holding hands, she wanted to kiss him on the street corner as people rushed past them and she wanted to wake up with him wrapped around her. She wanted all of it. It thrilled her and frightened her at the same time.

She wondered what he'd think of her if she told him to take her home and take her to bed.

Nestled into his side, Jolie turned her head in towards his neck and pressed a quick kiss into the sharp line of his jaw.

They'd been all over each other all night, but their previous kisses had been more innocent. He picked up on her mood with one look into her eyes after that, his breath hitching and his blue eyes darkening.

"I want to go back to your place," she whispered, barely audible. Breaking into a sly smile she continued, "but first I want to go out there and take a picture."

Laughing, Jesse led her out of the booth and the restaurant and back through the lobby, nodding and thanking his employees on their way out.  

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