Disclaimer: All of the original and familiar characters are property of Meg Cabot and her series The Mediator, but the plot and new faces are property of me.
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Chapter 16
Paul stares into my eyes for a moment, and I feel my heart start beating harder and faster. I let Paul wrap his arms around me from behind, while I turn my head and stare up at him. Then in one quick moment I feel Paul take my breath away with one single kiss.
I turn around in Paul's arms and wrap my hands in his hair. I pull him closer towards me. He pushes himself up against me and deepens our kiss. I expect him to push me back against the wall or onto the bed soon, but Paul doesn't make a move and that makes me all the more turned on. Suddenly I'm the one pulling Paul and me towards the wall, where Paul pushes me slightly against it.
He kisses me harder and puts his hand on my waist. I melt way into his mouth; something grasps my heart in that moment and I feel tears wetting my cheeks.
Paul pushes me back gently and looks into my eyes again. Then, he takes me gently up in his arms and whispers in my ear. What he whispers makes me run out of the room, with more tears steaming down my face.
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I am not concentrating on anything except what Je-I mean Paul just whispered in my ear. I run out of the door, and hop into my car and speed off, not knowing where to go. I just drive, and end up at the Coffee Clutch.
I walk in and order a primo chocolate ice-cream thing and then slump into a chair. I take a gulp and then close my eyes trying to remember the stuff before the whisper. The kissing had been good. It was really good, but then he had to ruin it when he whispered that one word in my ear.
I feel my face begin to heat up again, and then I felt the tears start streaming down my face. I try to hide my face behind my big plastic ice-cream thing. Although it doesn't work, because someone puts their hand on my shoulder and says, "Excuse me."
I turn around bringing my hand up to my face to wipe away the one last tear. "Yes?" I ask while looking up.
However, I don't see anyone, but then I look around and see someone walking away from me. Just my luck, I think bitterly. Then I turn back to my table and take a sip of my coffee. I look over the edge of my coffee cup and I see Jesse sitting across the table from me. I cough and gasp, "Jesse! What are you doing here?"
"Well I thought that you and CeeCee were meeting up here, and I thought maybe afterward you and I could go back to my place. We need to talk," Jesse says while looking deep into my eyes.
"Oh," I say quietly and set down my coffee cup. "I met up with CeeCee earlier today."
"So, you're free right now?"
I nod and then take another sip of my coffee.
"Well then, would you like to come with me to my place?" Jesse asks while searching my soul through my eyes.
I feel myself shrink away from him, but my voice say, "Sure."
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Jesse puts his hand on my lower back while we walk to his house from the Coffee Clutch. It's only a ten-minute walk, and it's nice outside. Jesse doesn't talk much, but he does keep me very close to him as we walk. I don't dare look or talk to him.
Once we're inside his house, Jesse takes my hand and lifts it up to his lips. I pull my hand away slightly, but Jesse tightens his grip, and kisses the top of my hand. I shiver just a little.
"Suze? What's wrong?" Jesse asks while pulling me a little closer.
"Nothing…you wanted to talk to me about something, Jesse?"
"Yes," he says. "Here, sit down."
I sat, and Jesse sat down closely beside me. "So…"
"So…" Jesse started, "How are you feeling?"
"Fine," I say shortly.
"You don't sound fine," Jesse says coyly.
"Have you been talking to Slater?" I ask Jesse abruptly.
"Why?" He asks with raised eyebrows.
"Well, today, he said something to me that I thought only you knew."
"And what is that?" Jesse asks me while putting his hand on my knee.
I open my eyes wide and then raise my eyebrows.
"Oh!" Jesse says after a moment, and then edges closer to me. "I don't know how Slater found out…but I don't like that he did." In one moment I see a flash back to the old Jesse and how he would get angry with Paul for being involved with me. His pupils dilate and color rushes to his light brown cheeks. Suddenly some Spanish words fly out of Jesse's mouth and the light bulb pops over my head.
"Oh Jesse!" I squeal and then practically jump into his lap.
Jesse reacts quickly by wrapping his arms around me and slipping his hand closer to my butt. I moan while he kisses me deeper. It feels good. Kissing with Paul was good too, but kissing Jesse is different. There is this connection that I know will never burn out.
Suddenly Jesse lifts me up in his arms and places me on my back on the couch. Now we're getting somewhere! I am so turned on that I almost miss how turned on Jesse is.
"Oh Suze," Jesse mutters while kissing my neck. I turn my head so more of my neck is exposed. Jesse makes a trail of kisses down my neck and to my chest. I don't even flinch when he lifts up my shirt to reveal my belly and trails it kisses. "You have no idea how long I've been waiting to do this, Suze."
"Susannah," I whisper, dieing for that special connection only him and I share.
"Susannah," Jesse whispers and suddenly I have a flashback to when I first met him. "Can we—"
"Can we what?" I ask while Jesse leans over me and stares into my eyes.
Jesse is silent.
"Jesse? What's wrong? What are you trying to say?"
Jesse is still silent and then he leans down and kisses me with a full open mouth and for some reason this kiss doesn't take my breath away.