The Reluctant Romantics

Chapter Nine: In The End, They Begin

A/N: Hello everyone! Welcome to the last chapter in Tessa and Jake's love story. Some of you may lament that it's too short but I didn't want to over-tell a story that we've somewhat already known from TMMM. I wanted this book to be just a closer look at how these two ended up together, without rehashing too much of what was already covered in the other book. 

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this little summer piece.

I'm working on the next couple of projects so stay tuned for that.

I'm going to try to enjoy what's left of the summer and get my life organized before my favorite time of the year is here—fall! 

***

Tessa

A little over a month later...

"Can you please zip me up?"

I presented my back to him, holding on to the bustier top of my dress. It was a beautiful deep royal purple with delicate lace patterns all around the shape-molding top and the full, above-the-knee tulle skirt helped give the illusion of an hourglass figure. I might not mind my shape too much these days but it was fun trying out different styles to play it up.

Jake was in no hurry to do as I asked. His fingers coasted down my spine, his lips trailing feathery kisses along the line of my shoulder. "I'm sure no one would mind if we glide in an hour later."

"I would," I said smugly. "I'd rather not be sore while walking around in four-inch high heels all night."

Despite my bold words, I could still feel my cheeks heat up.

I was many things these days and sexually frank was one of them. Jake didn't mind and not just because the obvious benefits he gets out of it. He insists that I've always been blunt but found very few worthy to unleash it on. Ha! Sure!

"You don't have to," Jake murmured against my ear, slowly sliding his hands through the unzipped opening of my dress and wrapping them around my breasts. "I can keep you off your feet all night. Prop them up on the bed as I do every delicious thing I've planned for you."

Even after a month of being nearly inseparable—and insatiable—Jake's teasing words still managed to send a tingle across my skin and dart into a hollow ache between my legs. I was starting to no longer fear his power over me because you know what? I had power over him too and that was both liberating and exhilarating to me. He might have planned on keeping me busy being too well-loved that I'd have no time to second-guess anything and I didn't mind one bit because twenty years of second-guessing was more than enough.

"As tempting as that sounds, we promised your parents that we would be there tonight," I reminded him as I stepped away with great reluctance. "It's your mother's biggest party of the year and she's not going to be happy to find out we were late for it."

Eloisa Hastings, Jake's mother, was a well-known art historian and aficionado and she was often away globe-trotting, seeking and investigating newly discovered pieces. Tonight, she was unveiling numerous new and rare pieces she had added to her highly coveted collection—something she was known to do every few years or so. The guest list was always very small and exclusive which was why Jake and I had chosen it to be our first official public appearance as a couple.

The past month, we've kept our relationship on the down low that not many outside of our immediate family and friends knew we were together. Putting ourselves under society's microscope in this still fragile stage of our relationship was going to magnify all the doubt that had nearly broken us before we could properly begin so we kept to ourselves. We spent time together in private and if we wanted to be out and about, we'd keep a very low profile or drive outside of town. Jake was practically living at my apartment that he would go straight to work from here and come home to it at the end of every day. He would sometimes pick me up from school but that wasn't unusual for some of my friends to see since Jake had was already doing that before.