I Hate You, Mr. Boss-Man [18+]

045

Jesse

Loud, incessant knocking on my front door woke me up.

I lift my head off the throw pillow, squinting to adjust my eyes to the dim lighting of my living room. I groan, holding my temple to sit up straight. I shouldn't have downed the entire bottle of that top-shelf whiskey Henry had gifted to me that one Christmas years ago.

I wasn't much of a drinker, though it was different tonight. Was it smart of me to finish the bottle? No—no it wasn't, but I digress.

I knew that my jealousy could stretch for miles, and I shouldn't have walked away from her like that. I should've heard her out—instead, I acted like an ass. What was I supposed to do? I loved her so much, and I couldn't bear the thought of losing her to some guy who worked on the fifth floor of the building that I owned. Wow, Jesse, way to brag.

I lift my arm to eye level, trying to read the time on the shrunken clock on my wrist. "Son of a bitch," I groan, rubbing the fatigue from my eyes. Who the hell was knocking at one in the fucking morning? The knocking progressed but grew soft—a softer sound on the other side.

"Jesse...?"

My head slowly rises, my hands coming off my face as I stare at the door. "Katherine?" I whisper, suddenly thinking that I was losing my mind. I push off the sofa, almost crashing into the center table as I stumble. "Shit!" I hiss quietly, banging my toes into the foot of the table.

I head for the doors, my shaking hand gripping the knob as I go to twist, pulling the door towards myself to reveal the person on the other side.

There she was—my sweetheart, my love, my Katherine.

I find myself frowning, taking in her state and her eyes are the first thing I notice. They glistened, her green eyes seeming darker underneath the soft glow of the overhead lights. Mascara stained her cheeks, crumbled underneath her eyes—shimmer from the eyeshadow she wore in the day, stained her entire face.

Her lip quivers, sniffling loudly. "I know y...you're mad at me," She croaks, voice breaking into a sob. "Please don't be mad at me."

I don't say a word, reaching for her hand as I tug her closer—my arms wrapping tightly around her frame, and she buries her face into my chest—shoulders shaking as she soaked my t-shirt with tears. "I'm not mad at you, sweetheart," I say, holding the back of her head, my other hand wrapped around her back, as her arms tighten around me—her cheek pressed up against my chest.

"I could never be mad at you, I...I love you."

Her entire body goes rigid, her arms going slack, unwrapping from my body.
Her heels click against my wooden floors as she takes a few steps back.

Fuck. Now I've irreparably messed this up.

Katherine's eyes are rounded, a tear-stained face mixed with many emotions. It was too difficult to decipher one.

"W...what?" She stammers. Even in this lighting, I could still see how her cheeks reddened. She backs herself into the door that remained closed, resting her palm over her chest. And I don't miss the way she was staring at me.

I take a step forward, reaching for the knob to shut the door on the left with a firm click of the lock but, I don't take my eyes off of her. I swallow hard, my heart beating so fast, I'm afraid it might fall out of my chest.

The only other time I ever said I love you was to my mother or my sister. This was a different kind of love I had for the woman in front of me. Katherine consumed me. I wanted to be with her—drown myself in everything she was. I was willing to give up my body—my soul—if it meant I could spend a lifetime with her.

I slide my hands up her shoulders, past her neck to settle on either side of her face—my lips curving into a smile.

"I'm in love with you," I confess, resting my forehead against hers. "And it took someone asking you on a date to realize that...I don't wanna lose you. I know I acted like a prick. It wasn't cool of me to walk away when you were trying to tell me that nothing happened. I believe you. I was just so goddamn jealous that I took it out on you. I didn't even give you a chance to-"

"You talk too much," She whispers—her finger placed over my lips to shush me. "You know that?" I nod wordlessly, watching the way her eyes glittered as they met mine—her glossed lips stretching out into a smile before she presses her mouth onto mine.

Her lips were soft, parting slightly for me to take in the breath she was holding. It was mine. It belonged to me. Her fingers curl into the hair above the nape of my neck, nails scraping along my scalp—pulling a low groan from me.

Katherine draws back, eyes fluttering open—locked on mine as if they were a rifle scope. Her hand slides over to my cheek, thumb caressing the stubble beneath it.

"I'm in love with you too." She breathes out.

"Yeah?" I ask, grinning so wide—eyes wrinkling from how happy I was at this moment. My hands tuck underneath her coat, snaking around her back to pull her against me with an oomph. 

She nods, a big smile making her mascara smudged eyes seem brighter somehow. "I love you, Jesse Thomas." 

I choke back a laugh, my cheeks burning furiously—my heart palpitating quickly. "God, that is such a contrast from hearing I hate you. Which you are no stranger to," I mention, making her chuckle as well. "I love you, Katherine Stratford, so much." And I kiss her, hard.

Katherine

My head was spinning, the floor beneath me feeling like quicksand. It was lucky that Jesse held me up, otherwise, I'd of collapsed to the floor. He kicks my feet apart, wedging his knee in between my thighs—keeping me trapped against him. I whimper, feeling the hardness at proximity with the heat between my legs. I wanted to be touched, pleased, pleasured again. And I'd surrender myself every single time. 

"Need ya, sweetheart," Jesse murmurs, breaking away from my mouth to pepper kisses along the curvature of my neck—nipping the sensitive skin. "I want you so bad." 

I almost moan, his need for me becoming my drug. The very thing that let me know I'd never lose him. "You have me," I pant, my chest rising and falling with every quick intake of air. "You have all of me, baby." 

I didn't want to think about anything, especially my mother. I was going to set her aside for the night and focus on the man I loved deeply. And now that I knew he felt the same way, there was no coming back from how hard I fell. 

>>>>>>>>>

Sometimes I like to picture what Jesse looks like when I write him. I've said Seb Stan before, but now all I picture is Henry Cavill. Sorry, not sorry.

Yeahhhh, this one.