“First Kiss”

The Outlaw’s Back Story Part 6

Jesse hadn’t created a larger elephant by disclosing his feelings for Elise. He’d created a swarm of bees buzzing around a hive so alive with juicy, pent-up passion that his penchant for doing the right thing collapsed in on itself. He was no match for Elise’s penchant for coloring outside the lines. 

He’d made it clear. He was walking her home. Carrying the cooler and her sleeping bag as his first official act of I like you and now I’m going to start showing it. He’d made it known in no uncertain terms (had even used an expletive) that no way in hell was he kissing her until Trophy Night. 

Two weeks from now. 

And yeah, he suspected there were plenty of layers to Elise Thompson. As eager as he’d been to peel back some of those layers, he never imagined he’d have only to skim the surface to find out she was forthright in wanting what she wanted. 

And impatient as hell. 

Their first kiss? 

Not Trophy Night. 

Their first kiss happened in broad daylight, right after her dad had come out of the house to go for a run and found the two of them in the parking area. He’d shaken hands with Jesse, gave him a slap on the back with an “I appreciate you helping Elise home with all that,” before he jogged off leaving his newly turned seventeen-year-old daughter alone with Jesse and the elephant in the room. Not that he was going to take advantage. He’d made it this far, he was happy to wait until he was no longer the Senior Boys counselor and she was no longer a Senior Girl. Of course, they’d only have a week after that until he had to head back to Princeton for his sophomore year. Sucked, but it was what it was. 

Until Elise took him by the hand, led him into her house, called out for her mother and then, realizing they were alone, pushed him down on a cushy sofa and straddled his lap. “What the—” Her lips cut him off, and goddamn it was like nectar of the gods. The taste of her. The feel of her. He had her on her back, the full length of his body on top of hers before his brain caught up with what the hell was happening. 

He pulled away to look at her, panting hard. Elise Thompson was so much more than he’d bargained for. Every bit of her crying out to be stroked and petted and—oh God, cherished. Smoothing a hand over her auburn hair, gazing into her beautiful frosty green eyes, Jesse James was falling head over heels in love for the first time in his life. He pressed his lips to hers again, all other thoughts obliterated by how fucking good it felt. And when that tiny wee voice of doom whispered in his ear, he stomped the shit out of it by kissing Elise harder. 

Doomed my ass. This is where I’m meant to be. This is who I’m meant to be with. I will forsake the shit out of all others. Elise Thompson is my girl.  

They made out like it wasn’t ten o’clock in the morning. They made out like they’d been born to do it. They made out hard and eager and if they didn’t stop, his autopilot was going to take things to the next level and they were not at next-level shit. So he slammed on the brakes. 

Elise didn’t appreciate that, tugging him back down. Through ardent kisses, he tried to be the voice of reason. “We’ve got to stop.” 

“No. We’re good. This is good,” she replied. 

“This is good. Too good. We’ve got to stop.” 

“I don’t want to stop.” 

Chuckling and with his lips still on hers he said, “I don’t want to stop either.” 

“Then shut up and kiss me.” 

It was like her wish was his command, and for the next God only knows how long they kissed and moaned and felt each other up like it was fucking midnight after a super-hot date. 

“That’s it,” he finally stated, getting off her and standing up as he wiped at his mouth. He reached for her and hauled a disgruntled yet thoroughly kissed Elise to her feet. “Walk me out before your dad comes back and kicks my ass.” 

“He won’t kick your ass.” 

“Let’s not test that.” He would so kick Jesse’s ass. 

“Okay, but that was really good and—” Elise stopped speaking abruptly. He watched as this dynamic sex kitten dissolved into a bashful little bunny. 

He grinned. “And, what?” He took both her hands in his, really wanting to know what. 

“And …” She took a deep breath, sighing it out. “You are now the only one on my list I want to feel me up.” 

Jesse’s grin got bigger. “You just saved Doub and Holtzman’s asses during swimming tomorrow.” He leaned down and pecked her lips. “This is between us,” he whispered, lingering over his new favorite place. “At least until after Trophy Night.” 

“Clearly I’m about to win an award I didn’t see coming.” Her smile was sweet and easy and Jesse couldn’t believe his good fortune. 

Elise Thompson. For reals. 

Damn life was good.