Jesse (Damage Control 2)

“God, I’m beat.” Kayla drops on the couch next to me and leans back, closing her eyes.

Her blond-streaked hair is caught in a messy bun on top of her head, strands escaping and falling in her face. I barely recognize her dressed in sports shorts and an oversized T-shirt, a far cry from the slinky dress she had on last night.

“So, what did you think of the boys?” She nudges me with her elbow, and I flinch. She doesn’t seem to notice. “That’s some seriously hot eye-candy, girl. I’d love me one.”

“Any?” I lift a brow at her, trying to figure her out.

“Gawd, that Jesse’s sexy. Love his eyes. And his body. And his lips.” She giggles. “I don’t think there’s anything about him I don’t like, actually. And I’m not the only one.”

“Oh?” A fiery blush is climbing my neck. Crap, am I so obvious?

“Cassie, the girl working with Ev,” Kayla says. “She has a crush the size of Texas on Jesse.”

Oh. Okay, awesome. I nod, trying to process this. “So… they’re together?”

“Who, Cassie and Jesse?” Kayla laughs and wiggles her bare toes in the air. Her nails are painted a bright pink. “You don’t know Jesse. I mean, you just arrived, so it makes sense.”

“Yeah?” My curiosity gets the better of me, and I turn to face Kayla fully. “What about him?”

She shrugs. “It’s not a secret. He’ll fuck anything with tits and a vagina. And Cassie, well…she’ll sleep with anything that has a dick. Sorry to be crude, but it’s the truth.”

I fall back on the sofa cushions, letting the trash bag drop to the floor.

Of course I knew that about Jesse. I mean, hello. Talk about an introduction. He’d practically fallen out of the bathroom after doing whatever it was he’d been doing with that blonde. A blonde whose name he didn’t even remember thirty seconds later.

And then he’d been with another. Jesus. “And you still want him?”

“Uh-huh.” Kayla sighs dreamily.

“You just said he’s a manwhore.”

“Pfff.” She waves a hand. “Nothing wrong with ogling him, is there?”

“Ogling.” I shake my head, fighting a smile. “I see.”

“And the occasional touch. Doesn’t hurt, does it? I just want…” She wiggles her fingers and makes grabby hands. “Want to feel his abs, you know? They look, like, rock-hard. And his pecs. Wouldn’t mind feeling his biceps, either. I’d totally grab his ass, too.”

“You’re crazy.” I laugh. “I mean it.”

“Crazy in lust.” She bobs her head to imaginary music. “Oh yeah, baby.” Then she stops and squints at me. “Wait, you mean you’re not dying to touch him? Now be honest. We’re roommates and all. First rule of roommateship: always be honest about boys.”

“Kayla, I…” Don’t do boys. Don’t want to think about boys. “Fine.”

She leans forward until she looks into my eyes and says in a mock-deep voice: “Don’t you wanna feel up Jesse’s abs? Speak the truth.”

“No.”

“No, what?”

“No, I don’t want to feel Jesse’s abs, pecs, ass or any other part of his anatomy.”

“Funny.” She leans back, yawns. “I could’ve sworn you do.”

“Why?”

“Don’t know. Could be the way you turn red and shivery whenever I mention him. He’s a handful, isn’t he?” She winks, just like he did, and on cue familiar heat sweeps over my face. “Gotcha. You lied. You’d so feel Jesse’s pecs and ass, you naughty girl. And you broke rule number one, about not lying when it comes to boys, which means you get to clean the toilets.”

I huff, my mouth falling open. “Seriously?”