One to Love Read online

  Belinda came back to herself. “She was wrong, Jesse. We were like sisters. I want it all back.”

  Under the soft light of the lamp, Belinda sniffled softly as she told the final notes of the story of the long day. But she didn’t want him to make a fuss—just to continue holding her within his arms. Holding her and loving her.

  * * *

  The phone rang. Jesse eased his arm from under Belinda’s head. She had slept curled into his body after they made love.

  He answered the phone after it rang, went to his voicemail, and then rang again. Curious and sleepily irritated, he pressed the talk button.

  “Yes,” he answered drowsily.

  “Jesse, I hope that I didn’t wake you. The time difference messes with my head. I’ll be heading your way in a couple of days. Me and Arthur.”

  “Why are you and my agent coming to Midway? It’s off the beaten path.” Jesse still had a few outstanding contracts with advertisers. It was the only reason he still had Arthur. Frankly, there was no new business to be discussed.

  “Stop being a grumpy old man.” Olivier’s exuberance was too much to handle.

  “You interrupted my morning with a very beautiful woman.”

  “Really? Will I get to meet her?”

  “Never.”

  “Uh...man. Not fair. Hope it’s not too serious. You know what I mean? You’re rehabbing, not settling down or anything. I shouldn’t have left you to your own devices for so long. You’re getting domesticated on me.”

  “I’m hanging up, Olivier.”

  “Wait. Okay, maybe I need a woman in my life, too.”

  Jesse squeezed his eyes shut. Olivier was on his way out of marriage number four. The man truly seemed to be in love with the courtship through honeymoon phases. He was stuck on a repeat cycle, but emerged with more energy than when he went into the relationship.

  “Like I said, we’ll be there soon. Can’t wait for you to get out of there and get your life back on track.”

  “Don’t rush.” Jesse hung up the phone and sighed. Any remnant of sleep disappeared. He looked back at Belinda and she was awake, watching him.

  “You’re okay?”

  He nodded.

  “They want you back.”

  “Yeah.” He pushed off the bed and put on clothes. “Breakfast?”

  “No. I’m good. Gotta head to the office.”

  Jesse knew that Belinda wanted to talk, ask him questions, delve into what his feelings were. But he couldn’t go there. Not even her disappointment could make him voice the increasing turmoil over his new reality. What would he do after the project ended? His read on Belinda wasn’t clear about if they’d continue on when he no longer had work-related tasks to bring them together.

  Being close to her, staying in the town, enjoying each other in this temporary, fleeting way had been exciting and addictive. Had. Now the sensations shifted into worrisome doubt. The second-guessing turned him back toward soccer, as an option he reluctantly entertained. But the longer he stayed in this state of limbo, the deeper the permanent pain was of not having Belinda. Soon they would have nothing in the middle between them to tie them to each other.

  * * *

  Belinda hugged him from behind, pressing her naked body against his back. “Don’t block me out.”

  He shook his head. “This was supposed to be easy. It wasn’t going to be...”

  “A big deal.” She took a deep breath as she rested her cheek against his warm skin. “It’s not. We agreed that we could walk away at any time without drama.” She walked around him and knelt at his knees. The dark unrest on his face saddened her. Her heart swelled heavy with dread for the incoming tide that would change everything. Whenever Olivier called, she sensed Jesse’s constant retreat from her. She wished that she could block the calls. One thing that she knew for sure was that Jesse was happy. From the man who was surly at their first meeting, to this man who said all the right things when she was curled in his arms, he had found peace. But his old mistress—soccer—wasn’t ready to let go. Maybe Olivier sensed that in his conversations with Jesse. Hence, the daily check-in. Belinda felt the clock ticking on her own happiness.

  “Let’s live in the moment. For however long,” Belinda suggested with a lie.

  “You know that couples always say that and then it doesn’t go as planned. Someone doesn’t adhere to the rules.”

  Belinda eased away from him. One thing that she had learned of Jesse was his renewed desire to keep his life in organized slots. Nice and neat. Predictable and comfortable. “Last time, you changed our status.”

  “Yeah, and you agreed.”

  Belinda wagged her index finger at him. “This time, I’ll propose the change—”

  “Uh-oh.”

  “And I’m thinking that some rules may need tweaking. Right now, we are not on the same playing field.”

  “To play?” His forehead creased with deep furrows. His eyes attempted to pierce through her cavalier demeanor.

  “That’s what we’re doing. We play. We have fun. As long as we don’t cross the borders.” She pushed him onto his back, rose from her knees and comfortably straddled his hips. His arousal grew under her, taunting with its thickness.

  “Following rules sucks.” His voice thickened. Desire showed in his eyes.

  Belinda turned her attention to Jesse’s magnificent body. She slid her hand along the length of his right thigh up toward his scar that went over his hip and curved around his back. He never wanted her to touch the long incisions.

  “Today, I’m changing the rules.” Gently, Belinda’s fingers traced the thick line left by the scalpel’s cut. The old wound didn’t offend her. She was more interested in the new injuries tearing through his willpower that she knew were there.

  He gritted his teeth, sucking in air. His hand shot out and imprisoned hers.

  “I touch you.” She leaned forward inches from his face. “And you can touch me wherever you like.”

  “I’m not budging.”

  She used her other hand and slid it along his other thigh. The muscles contracted and twitched under her fingers.

  “I can resist.” His hiss sounded labored.

  Taking his hand, she guided it to her sex.

  “Wicked woman,” he whispered.

  She bit her lip to stifle her own groans. But she couldn’t help the long series of breathy moans when his fingers delivered a sensual massage between her legs. Her thighs squeezed together. Spasms jerked her body as he slid his fingers in her. She held on to him like a rollercoaster, although this ride was steadily heading to dizzying heights with no sign of letting up. That heady sense of hitting the top layers of ecstasy revved her hunger. Slick with her juices, his fingers fed her needs. In and out. Slow and steady until she ground her hips, squeezing and urging him to go deep and hard. On that fine edge, she mounted, ready to let go and take the plunge into ecstasy. Her climax took the wind out of her lungs as she arched back. Free-falling. Sailing. Floating.

  “Negotiations over,” she whispered, before sliding off his body. And I love you with all my heart.

  Chapter 11

  Jesse pulled into his parents’ driveway, still unsure if bringing Belinda was a good idea. His parents and Diego demanded that they meet her. Never had he brought home anyone. Considering the women he met during his sporting days, no one had gotten close enough for any official meetings. Today being a day of firsts, he was worried that they would press beyond what he could handle.

  Dammit, he loved her. Something no one would guess, particularly his mother, who had a knack for discovery.

  Now he dared to consider a future with Belinda, rather than remaining on the sidelines. The more he fell for Belinda, the more that he wanted things his way and to have it all. The fall into deep love was a long tum
ble and he wasn’t sure if he’d reached the bottom. Losing control freaked him out. Every minute of the day, he thought about Belinda. Calling her on the phone just to hear her voice and enjoy the light rumble of her laughter. Teasing her about the goofy selfies that she constantly sent to his phone. Every waking second, thoughts of her fed his craving. When his head hit the pillow at night, she filled his dreams and his fantasies. More than once, he’d awakened aroused and aching for intimate, sensual contact with her body.

  If he continued with this free fall, he’d lose himself. Never having experienced such intense passion before, he couldn’t decide if it was healthy or dangerous. Relying on feelings alone, he’d say that his headfirst pitch over the edge had him fighting for his breath, seeking oxygen. Nothing else mattered. Selfish, his brother had once called him. How fitting the label. Yes, he was truly self-focused.

  “Jesse, we’re here.” Belinda interrupted his musings.

  Taking a deep breath, Jesse stepped out and rounded the car to open Belinda’s door.

  “Stop looking so nervous.” She took his offered hand and exited.

  “This seemed like a good idea at the time, last week,” he muttered.

  His mother opened the front door and stepped out with her arms open—for Belinda. Jesse got a glare and a pursed mouth for his delay in introducing her to his family. He followed his mother and Belinda locked arm in arm into the house.

  The heavenly smell of dinner greeted him warmly. At least he could tend to the cold shoulder with a healthy serving of good food.

  “How’s it going so far with Mom and Belinda? By the way, I like her,” Diego whispered.

  “The South Pole is on a thaw.”

  “Diego, how are you doing? Come sit down.” Caroline turned to Jesse. “Get your father a glass of water. Why are you standing there doing nothing?” She fretted some more while Diego was coddled and made comfortable in the family room.

  Meanwhile, Belinda was chatting with his father. Smiles and laughter galore.

  On his way to the fridge, he caught Diego’s smug expression. Jesse shook his head and got busy with his task. Regardless of his mother’s pretension at being disgruntled, the fact was that everyone had fallen for Belinda; for them, that was a real sign that he was settling down and moving on with his life.

  Later his father started the meal with a heartfelt prayer. Jesse bowed his head and offered his own prayer of gratitude. He raised his head at the end of his father’s close and took a deep breath to settle his chaotic thoughts.

  “Let’s dig in.” Ed started carving the roast and handed it out as plates were passed his way.

  “Mom, everything smells delicious.” Jesse tried a step onto the thin ice. “I remember that you’d make the scalloped potatoes when I got As.” He grinned with what he hoped was his cherubic five-year-old spirit.

  Caroline sniffed, but her face softened as she looked at him. “I even brought it to you at the soccer camp.”

  “Oh, that must have been priceless,” Belinda added.

  “I got teased a lot for that.” Those days were filled with anticipation and dreams of a professional athlete’s life.

  “And you worked harder than all those guys to get to the top,” Ed reminded.

  “It’s still there for you,” Belinda suggested with a gentle touch.

  Only the sound of silverware hitting the plates could be heard.

  “Belinda, that’s noble of you, but I think that train has left the station.” Diego raised his water glass to her.

  Jesse switched topics. “So, what’s the news on the medical front for Dad?”

  “Oh, yes,” Caroline looked at her husband. “There is one artery partially blocked. They are talking about putting in a stent to prop open its walls.”

  “I don’t think those doctors know anything. I feel fine,” his father protested.

  “One of my aunts has had the procedure. It’s not as invasive as surgery,” Belinda provided.

  Diego nodded.

  “Dad, go ahead and get it done. Don’t rush it,” Jesse urged. “I’ve got everything covered. You don’t have to think about anything. Diego and I have things in control.”

  “Enough with my health issues.” Ed got up and started clearing away the dishes. “And you, Jesse, stop sitting there making goo-goo eyes at Belinda. Help clear the table and load the dishwasher.”

  Belinda popped up next to him. “I’ll help.” She took several dishes to the kitchen despite the all-around protests.

  His father headed to the pantry to get more dishwashing liquid. Jesse took the opportunity to lean toward Belinda. “You didn’t have to pretend to clean away the dishes to be next to me.”

  She poked him in the ribs. “Why would I possibly want to get near you?”

  “Because you wanted a chance to feel this.” He kissed her shoulder. It twitched. “And a chance for me to do this.” He kissed the back of her neck. She hunched her shoulders. “But most of all, you wanted me to play the bad guy.” His hand rested on her hip as he kissed the edge of her ear. His tongue traced the graceful curve of the delicate coil. Her body shuddered against the frame of his. Without a doubt, she was as turned on as much as he was. He couldn’t wait to bring the evening to an end. Other matters required his attention. His hand that rested on her backside slid to grip her hip.

  “I didn’t find the dishwashing liquid. Don’t worry about it. You can load the dishwasher.” Ed walked into the kitchen holding a bottle of detergent as he tried to read the small print.

  “That’s for clothes, Ed.” Belinda’s hand slid out of Jesse’s grasp so smoothly and quickly that he couldn’t help but laugh. His chuckling earned him a glare from her while his dad did his best to read the label without his reading glasses.

  “Pop, we’ve got this. Why don’t you go chat with Diego?” He added, “Save him from Mom.”

  “You’re right.” His father allowed Belinda to relieve him of the detergent and left the room.

  “Together at last,” Jesse teased. His laughter sounded as wicked as he could muster.

  “I’m not playing with you, Mr. Santiago. We are in your parents’ house.”

  “You don’t think they hugged and kissed back in the day, and more so now that the house is empty?” Jesse suddenly spun her toward him. “Like this?” Nothing mattered, except to hold her in his arms. As she opened her mouth to protest, he covered her sweet lips with his.

  “Jesse,” she whispered against his mouth, which earned her another kiss. “Your mother may come in.”

  “I think they know we’re dating.”

  She planted a quick kiss and gave him a decisive push. “I’ll wash. You load.”

  “Okay. But then can we go back to hugging and kissing?”

  “You are beyond help.”

  He grinned. “Don’t your parents get busy in their kitchen?”

  “Thank goodness, I didn’t have to witness it if they did.” Belinda began washing off the dishes before handing them to Jesse.

  Dishes were loaded. The counter was cleaned. Food was put away in the refrigerator. Evidence of the large meal had disappeared. Jesse followed Belinda into the family room.

  “Belinda, sit next to me. Let’s look at Jesse’s baby pictures.”

  Jesse was suddenly abandoned by Belinda when she plopped down next to Diego.

  “Oh my, you’re in a little wash basin.” Belinda flashed him the photo. There he sat in water that barely covered his hips in a large basin that his mother converted into his personal tub.

  “I’ve got more photos,” Caroline exclaimed and left the room.

  “Why are we looking at my photos anyway?” Jesse protested.

  His mother returned with bundles of pictures.

  “Mom, you really should get those scanned,” Diego suggested.


  Caroline shushed him. “Diego was our artist in residence. First the violin. Trumpet.”

  “Drums,” Ed added and shook his head.

  “Were you good?” Belinda looked over at his brother.

  “He was great.” Jesse didn’t mind bragging about him. He’d managed to see him once when he played at a nightclub.

  “We were going to start a band. Jesse would play rhythm guitar and I would play drums. We had posted signs for band members around the neighborhood.”

  “Really? How old were you?” Belinda asked.

  Jesse saw the accusation in Belinda’s playful scowl that he hadn’t shared this juicy bit.

  “I was ten. Jesse was sixteen,” Diego volunteered.

  “What happened to the band?” Belinda pointed her curiosity at Diego.

  “The soccer team came knocking. It was Jesse’s time to step up.” His brother spoke with quiet pride that still had the effect of embarrassing Jesse.

  “Everything has its time in the sun before moving on.” Jesse did his best to deflect any further discussion.

  “Does that include people, too?” Belinda asked.

  “Don’t ask him that question,” Diego warned. “I think my brother thinks that it’s weak to rely on someone.”

  “Stop spreading nonsense. We all live according to our phases and chapters in life. Every new experience is a new chapter to look forward to.”

  “Belinda, you have a smart man on your hands.”

  “I know. I’m a lucky woman.”

  While his mother applauded over the romantic declaration, his father leaned over to him and thumped his back.

  Jesse gave a thumbs-up, although what he felt was hardly worthy of celebration.

  * * *

  A week later, Belinda didn’t know why she allowed Dana to talk her into having a silent auction to coincide with the opening of the center. All day, the activities would roll out, beginning with the local mayor and city council cutting the ribbon and making their speeches.

  A small army of workers had arrived earlier and built the stage and set for the ambience. She had to admit that the circus theme looked impressive and offered the right tone. The large posters of horses and child models were on display. On several monitors, videos played trailers about the program. Every detail had been planned.