Hey, guess whos back? I'm actually so sorry about the long...like really long delay. It's been months, I know, Sometime around Christmas at least. But I promised myself that once summer came I'd start up again and here I am! I'm hopefully going to stick to that promise and gain back all my reviewers...if they're still interested!

Remember I'm just back so this might seem a bit off...I duno. But be easy. lol

Thanks. R&R.

Laura xx

"Jesse! Someone's going to come round that corner any minute and catch us!" I squeaked as my boyfriend continued trailing hungry kisses down my cheek to my neck, nibbling my ear as he passed causing me to make a gasping sound that I'm sure I heard him chuckle at seconds after.

We were in his uncles yard, supposedly mucking out a few of his stables for him and his wife, as they two and Jesse's mum and sisters went into town shopping for our first meal in his aunt and uncles house that night. Jesse had volunteered us for the job much to my surprise but I soon realised his intentions not long after. We had barely made it to the stock room before Jesse had pressed me up against the wooden side of one of the many large stables we had to work on and began to assault my lips with his own extremely soft and irresistible ones. I was trying to protest…but like I hoped, he ignored it.

"By who, Querida? Bob?" Jesse chuckled deeply again. Bob was his uncle, Richard's, dog. It was a German shepherd or something like that. It was a big dog and not having had much good experience with dogs before I had hid behind Jesse when we first arrived here and squealed when he began to sniff my jeans. Everyone had laughed and thought it extremely hilarious considering "Bob wouldn't touch a fly!" But hey, I didn't give a damn if Bob would touch a fly or not as long as he didn't touch me. I let Jesse have his joke anyway, because, well…it's Jesse. I shivered with pleasure as Jesse's laugh travelled through me, but thinking I was cold he pressed his warm body closer to mine. Our bodies moulded perfectly together and I sighed with content as he pressed his face into the curve of my neck.

Jesse pulled his head back slowly a few minutes later until our eyes locked. I couldn't' help but smile and when he smiled back I felt my stomach tighten with…happiness. I bit my lip nervously, for what reason I don't know, as he opened his mouth to speak.

"I love you,"

My stomach tightened even further and my throat seemed incapable of swallowing. I continued to look into his eyes. I knew he was telling the truth. Not just because I'd already known it, not because of everything we'd been through to get where we were now, not because Jake, Adam and CeeCee had all known before I even began to believe it, believe that this guy, with his arms tightly wrapped around my waist as if he were never going to let go, could ever love someone like me. But because his eyes told me it all. I knew that my eyes mirrored what was in his as well because I loved him just as much, if not more.

"Are you okay?" Jesse asked seconds later because I hadn't moved or said a word not because I didn't want to but because I didn't want to ruin it. He reached up and tucked a lock of my brown hair behind my ear and brushed my cheek gently.

"I'm more than okay, Jesse," I said, removing one of my hands from around his neck to hold his. "It's nice to hear in words, you know?"

He squeezed my hand before leaning down to kiss me gently.

"Oh and by the way?" I said casually, Jesse nodded, as we walked finally into the stock room. "I love you too," I winked at him playfully and quickly moved out of his way before he could grab me for teasing him.

"You and Jesse seemed to be very serious?" said Jesse's aunt, Monica, that night after dinner and as I helped her wash up. It was more a question and I had been expecting it. The majority of people had been commenting on it once we got together.

Jesse, his mother and his four sisters were in the living room enjoying the jokes and stories Richard was sharing about his childhood and how he met their aunt and mother and all the other stuff families talk about when they get together. I hadn't wanted to intrude.

"Yeah, I guess we are," I blushed red and turned to put a plate into a cupboard above the long worktop that was along the wall. Jesse I knew was in the room behind it.

The Rosser's had a beautiful home, out on it's own in the country, not too far from the nearest town but far enough that it escaped it's hustle and bustle and gave that reassuring sense of privacy. Richard and Monica had four bedrooms in the large red brick house. One of which was their own and the other three once belonged to their three children who were now grown and either living with their own families or in New York working. None of them it seemed wanting to take up the family business of working the ranch.

The De Silva's and I, however, found ourselves the occupants of their former rooms. Mrs De Silva and the youngest daughter, Isabella took one room; Mercedes and Josefina took another; Marta and I shared the last. Unfortunately for Jesse he had to take the fold out couch in the living room, the one he and his family were currently occupying – I had a feeling he was going to have a lot of late nights, the way his mum and aunt could talk anyway.

"Well, I'm glad. Jesse deserves a nice girl like you in his life." Monica smiled the laughter lines around her eyes made me feel at ease. She was a lovely woman, not as old as I thought for a woman with three children as old as they were. She resembled Mrs De Silva in a number of ways, which made me like her even more as I was already fond of her younger sister. I blushed again at the compliment but sensed like many others before her, my parents included, that she was about to tell me not to jump into a relationship too fast.

"I just hope you and Jesse aren't rushing things. You are still quite young," And there it is. I looked up and smiled back at her.

"Don't worry we're not. We're taking things slow." I reassured her, feeling still further embarrassed. I could tell straight away that Monica and her sister were really close, as was the rest of her family. They were prone to being protective about their own and I wouldn't have had it any other way. She nodded with approval and together we got the dishes done before moving into the other room to join the others.

The majority of the seats were already taken up. I left the only available one for Monica and instead sat on the arm of Jesse's chair. My stomach gave an excited flip as he raised his scarred eyebrow at me cheekily.

"Hey," He said quietly, so the others wouldn't hear, "Getting to know Monica then?"

"Yup, she told me many stories about you when you were younger. Quite funny actually." I replied airily. "I owe her one,"

"Well, it's a good thing I didn't stop Jake showing me all your baby photos when you weren't home once, huh?" Jesse shot back, with that lopsided smile that sent my heart reeling. I stuck out my hand for him to shake.

"We're even,"

"Agreed,"

We laughed and as usual, I couldn't help but noticed his perfection. He had put on a light blue shirt for dinner and a pair of light blue jeans to go with it. The jeans complimented his long legs…and from behind they hadn't looked to bad either. Not that I had stared while he walked out of the kitchen or anything. He had rolled the sleeves of his shirt up to his elbows, revealing his strong tan arms and emphasising his large hands and long lean fingers that just hours ago had been teasing the skin in the small of my back.

"Yes, Susannah can of course borrow one of Louise's old dresses. They would be around the same size, I'd say,"

The sound of my name snapped me out of my daydreaming and I looked instinctively at the person whom it had come from. Monica smiled at me.

"Margaret, has just explained to me that our Jesse here has forgotten to tell you about the New Year's Eve party that is thrown in town every year. We're all going."

I looked at Jesse in confusion, who smiled apologetically.

"Sorry Susannah, I meant to tell you. It's formal you see, so when you were washing the dishes I realised you wouldn't have known to bring a dress."

"Oh right, okay," I said, feeling a surge of nervousness. Formal dances and party's weren't usually my thing: The Winter Formal had been a one of for me…or so I'd promised myself afterwards. That was now out the window.

Jesse sensing my discomfort took my hand in his and squeezed it reassuringly.

"Sorry, should have warned you," he apologised again. I shock my head and smiled. He hadn't done it purposely. I knew that, yet it didn't take away the feeling of unease completely.

The rest of the nights talk was about nothing in particular; all the De Silva girls talked and chatted with their aunt and uncle, sharing all their stories from their last meeting. They laughed and joked constantly, Mrs De Silva joined in with the banter too, as did Jesse. The sound of his laughter at his younger sisters' rants and squeals of excitement made my discomfort for the upcoming party fade away and I began to enjoy all their company again.

Sometime around 2am Mrs De Silva climbed the stairs to bed with Isabella grumbling along behind her about not being tired…though somewhere along that sentence she had to stifle a yawn.

The others slowly followed until it was just me and Jesse. I was helping him sort out the couch into his bed and apply the seats which Monica had left him.

"'Night," I stood on tiptoe to kiss his cheek and turned to walk out of the room but he caught my hand and pulled me back into his embrace.

"There's no hurry," Jesse whispered in my ear. I giggled.

"Marta will be wondering where I am,"

"She'll know rightly where you are," Jesse laughed and ducked his head to kiss me. It wasn't like any of our normal kisses either, which were usually careful. This one was unbelievably deep and over powering. My knees felt like water and seeming to sense this Jesse pulled me closer. My hands were in his hair and our lips were fast and urgent on each other's.

Somewhere along the line, Jesse had managed to lower both of us onto his just made bed and I didn't realised until I felt the soft cushion below me and Jesse's warm body over mine. He was careful though, making sure not to apply all his weight as not to hurt me.

"Jesse," I sighed into his lips. My mind was completely full of Jesse and making sure his lips stayed on my mine. My hands drifted down to the bottom of his shirt and under. Feeling along the ridges of those muscles I knew so well.

"Querida," Jesse muttered in return. "I think you should go to bed." He bit my bottom lip before rolling off me gently. Cold air rushed to all the places Jesse's body had been covering. I shivered and sighed, then stood up. I should have known it wouldn't have gone any further. Jesse was smiling at me teasingly, knowing rightly what I was thinking. I stuck my tongue out at him.

"Party pooper,"

"Goodnight Susannah,"

He kissed me one last time and I made my way slowly upstairs to bed. Marta was already asleep which left me to dream about Jesse lips…and then of course the dreaded party.