Darker – Chapter 4

Universal Pictures owns all rights of Fifty Shades of Grey and Pitch Perfect…I only own the idea of this twisted mash-up of an alternate universe love story.

Warning! Chapters may include graphic sexual situations (BDSM) which may not be suitable for everyone. Reviews and comments are always welcome. Thank you for reading.

Last time on Darker…

"Are you ready for this?" He asked with a new spark in his eyes.

It was a loaded question but I understood its significance. Setting down the plate of fluffy, rich goodness I held Jesse's face between my palms and placed a tender kiss to his lips. Looking directly into his soul I smiled and gave him a slight nod.

"I've never been more ready."

And now…

I've never seen Jesse happier. I've practically eaten my weight in food and consumed enough to sustain a small country for a month. Having completely devoured a delicious dish from each mobile food vendor, I was stuffed to the gills but Jesse still insisted on feeding me my favorite dessert. I'd always said no matter how stuffed one was, there would always be room for cheesecake and this by far was one of the best I'd ever had.

The more he fed me the more I overly exaggerated my moans, savoring the silky sweet decadence to get a reaction from the object of my desire as we continued on to our destination.

"Oh, my God!" My words were garbled, sounding as though I had a mouth full of marbles. "Mmm...this is way better than sex." I teased, shutting my eyes as I licked my lips and let the goodness slide down my throat. After a beat Jesse looked at me with wonder then broke out into laughter. "You really should try it." My mumbled encouragement was breaking down his polished billionaire facade as he placed the dish down on the center armrest between us and grinned like a child on Christmas morning.

Giving me a nod I scooped up a forkful of New York's finest and playfully guided the utensil like an airplane in its final descent to Jesse's parted and upturned lips. We were having so much fun, I knew by the way we were stealing glances at each other this was going to be a night to remember.

"Open wide..." Like the good boy he was Jesse followed my instruction as I inserted the fork past his luscious lips and deposited the goodness into his mouth, the same skillful mouth that unwound me so many times during our hard fucking sessions and trips to the Red Room of Pain. As much as I enjoyed sex on the rough side, I wondered if Jesse was capable of sweet gentle lovemaking now that he and I were officially a 'normal' couple about to embark in a vanilla relationship.

Retracting the clean fork from his lips he moaned for my benefit and closed his eyes, giving me the most beautiful closed lip smile. "How was that?" I whispered placing the utensil back on the plate. "Better than sex?"

"Mmm...perhaps a close second." He joked, leaning towards me. "I think I need to work harder if you think this beats our sexy times." He paused. "As delicious as this was, you taste much better and I'll take seconds of you anytime." Biting my lower lip, I could feel myself getting hot under the collar at the seductive words oozing from his lips. With my thighs rubbing together Jesse placed his hand on my knee and gave me a mischievous grin. "Relax baby...we have all night."

"I know." I breathed "It's just been so long and I really want us to be together." My admission warmed his heart as he stroked my cheek with the back of his hand and placed a gentle kiss to my lips. Reaching above us I hit the button to raise the privacy glass. "I'm not so sure I can or want to wait."

Jesse let out a sigh and held my hand. "Now you know how I feel whenever I'm around you." He breathed as his expression went dark. "I can't wait until we're finally alone tonight." And that's all it took as I moved the plate and folded up the armrest between us. Unfastening my seatbelt, in one swift motion I launched myself in his lap and snaked my arms around his neck as our lips pressed together. We groaned in unison as our kiss deepened and tongues tangled. Tasting my favorite dessert on him was a bonus as I moaned softly and licked his mouth clean. My aggressiveness took Jesse by surprise as my lips moved onto his neck where I took in his scent and sucked on his heated skin leaving marks in its wake.

Without a drop of alcohol in me I was drunk in love and lusted after the only man who could satisfy my non-food appetite. He reciprocated my actions by flipping us over so I was on my back.

"This is coming off." He insisted and moved my jacket off my shoulders to expose the leather bra that barely contained me.

"Jesse..." I purred as I felt his mouth on my neck descend to the swells of my breasts and tongue slide into the crease of my cleavage. For a brief moment I thought about the disturbing dream I had with demonic Jesse and son feeding off of me then decided what the hell sometimes a dream was just a dream.

"Touch me." I urged, arching my back to give him better access as he groped me under the leather covered cups. I gasped at the contact and wonderful sensations traveling to my core as we were lip locked. With my breasts being so sensitive I was already building to a climax, on the verge of unraveling as his mouth continued its assault on my lips and fingers toyed with my boob. There we were in the back of the SUV going at it like a couple of hormonal crazed teenagers on date night, making it to second base as our car came to a stop and engine switched off; we had arrived at Boulevard3.

"We're here!" He spoke softly placing a final kiss to my lips. "As much as I would love to continue this, valet is waiting for us." He moved off of me to sit upright and shifted his crotch to accommodate for his erection. "Umm...I'll need a few minutes."

He wasn't the only one...

Already missing his touch I sat up, looked at his groin and smirked at his raging hard on that would need to be relieved later on. My situation wasn't much better as my bra had become dislodged during our impromptu make-out session and my panties were now damp with my essence; I had the female equivalent of 'blue balls' and wasn't very happy about it. Reluctantly I agreed we needed to get going, tucked myself back into my cups and shook my shoulders to fill in the material so I wasn't spilling out everywhere. Giving myself a quick once over in the car's vanity mirror I touched up my make up, applied fresh lip gloss and put my jacket back on. All the while I hadn't noticed Jesse was staring at me. He was mesmerized by my actions.

"What?" I asked, perplexed by his strange behavior as I puckered my lips and fluffed my hair. "Is something wrong?"

"No. Not at all." He was fully amused. "You're amazing, Miss Mitchell. I can watch you all day and never grow tired of you."

His words had always been my undoing as my heart continued to swell for this man. The more Jesse opened up to me, the more I loved him and would do anything to be his. Leaning towards him I placed a kiss to his lips and smiled. "The feeling is mutual Mr. Swanson. Shall we go in?"

Jesse exited his side first then came around to retrieve me while Benji bid us farewell as he headed on foot to a nearby coffee house. Walking arm in arm we headed for the entrance and noticed a long line of patrons of twenty something year olds anxious to get in. Walking to the front of the line I was about to speak to the abnormally large bouncer but Jesse hushed me with an index finger to my lips.

"Mr. Swanson, so nice of you to join us tonight. Would you like your usual suite?"

Usual suite?

"Thank you Ryan." Jesse said, giving me a demure look of reservation. "And this beautiful young lady is Rebeca Mitchell, my girlfriend. Her buddy, Luke whom she went to college with is DJing tonight so we would like an unobstructed view."

"Yes, Sir. Please follow me." Nodding to the young muscle man we were pawned off to a another well dressed man and escorted through a set of iron gates into an English landscaped courtyard with reflecting pools set ablaze whose flames floated on the water. It was a beautiful display of fire and water that seemed to mirror our tumultuous relationship. Bordering the courtyard were canopied private rooms with muted colors and scents of lavender and gardenia. Walking past an intimate library, the high vaulted ceilings and large marble fireplace were surrounded by various arts, ornate framed photos and projection screens flashing portraits of famous people and colorful landscapes. This place was beautiful and nothing I'd ever seen before.

I was completely in awe at the enormity of this nightclub as our tour continued of this impressive three-story facility that could easily accommodate concert venues and celebrity wrap parties. Climbing to the balcony level we were brought to an elite area with our own private bar and secluded suite overlooking the entire ballroom. Getting a glimpse of Luke he was deep in concentration preparing for tonight's show.

Giving Jesse one of my really looks I strolled past him and followed the host as he retracted a set of drapes and motioned for us to step inside and get comfortable on the plush velvet sofa. Taking our seats Jesse rather handsomely tipped the young man and began to study the extensive wine list. It was at least a few minutes before anything was said while I looked around and people watched. Without looking up from the wine list Jesse broke the silence.

"If we stay to midnight they serve complimentary tacos and chocolate dipped straw-"

"-You own this place, don't you?" It was more of a rhetorical question as I already knew the answer. "Is there anything in L.A. that doesn't belong to you?"

"Not if I could help it." He gloated. At that moment part of me wanted to slap that smug look off his face while another wanted to suck on his pouty lower lip. He would always be a pompous ass but I still loved him. "How do you think your friend got this gig?"

The nerve of him...

"What? What're you talking about?"

"Relax. He auditioned just like everyone else and got the job on his own merit. Let's just say when management provided me with a list of the finalists, I didn't disagree with their decision. He's quite good you know."

"Yes, I know! I used to intern for the guy at WBUJ...remember?" Shaking my head I couldn't believe Jesse kept this from me. "Why didn't you say something?"

"Please don't be upset," He continued on, raising his hand to get the attention of the barmaid on duty. "I wanted it to be a surprise."

"Well congratulations...you've succeeded!" You could literally cut my sarcasm with a dull kitchen knife. "So is this how it's going to be between us? You keeping secrets from me?"

Jesse sighed in resignation. "Hey...I'm trying to be more for you and not be jealous of your history with that boy. The first time I met the DJ he was trying to shove his tongue down your throat and take advantage of you...remember? If you tell me you're just friends then it's up to me to believe you." Taking my hand he placed a soft kiss along my knuckles. "I'm learning to trust which doesn't come easy to me so give a man a break and stop busting my chops!"

Letting out a sigh I shook my head and gave him one of my trademark smirks. "Alright...fine, I'll let you off the hook...this time. I guess I should be thanking you for Luke's relocation here, it'll be nice having another friend in the same state."

"I couldn't agree more, and someday I might even learn to tolerate the Brit, just don't wear that outfit around him." He joked, relaxing a bit then was finally able to give the barely dressed barmaid our wine selection who couldn't keep her eyes off of my boyfriend. With Jesse's good looks I needed to get used to women, and some men swooning over him if we were going to be a thing. As the blonde bimbo took his order she purposely bent over him to retrieve the empty ice bucket making sure her surgically altered torpedoes were inches from his face. Looking away I wanted to throttle the girl but decided to keep my cool and not make a scene while Jesse enjoyed watching me get riled up. As the bar bitch left she cast a final gaze at Jesse and headed back to the bar.

"I'll tell you what," Standing up I climbed into his lap and clasped my hands around his neck. "Later on when we're alone...I'll wear even less and let you have your way with me, but only if you behave yourself." I teased, pressing my lips to his.

"Mmm...now you're talking." He murmured against my lips. "But I thought you liked me being bad." I could feel his smile as he kissed me back. After a few minutes we were interrupted by our smitten cocktail waitress who batted her eyes at Jesse and snarled at me. Practically shoving our glasses at her she poured the wine, put the rest of the bottle on ice then huffed away.

Take that bitch...he's mine!

Making a toast to new beginnings we clinked glasses and took a sip. The white wine was delicious and tasted vaguely familiar; I couldn't put my finger on it.

"We've had this before. What is it?"

"You don't remember?" He asked, giving me the most impish look, his unspoken language gave him away, then it dawned on me that this was the wine we drank the first night we slept together.

"Pouilly-Fumé?" My first and only guess was correct and earned a genuine smile as he nodded approvingly. Since hooking up with Jesse I took an interest in wines, wanting to be able to recommend a decent bottle every now and then. "It's no wonder I like it, it's recently become one of my favorites." He chuckled at my comment. "Are you trying to tell me something Mr. Swanson?"

Without saying another word Jesse hooked a tendril of hair behind my ear and placed a kiss on my cheek.

"That was one of the most memorable nights I'd ever experienced." He spoke softly into my ear. "Nobody had ever looked at me and trusted me the way you did." He paused to sigh. "Here was this beautiful young woman who I barely knew giving herself to me, who I'd just propositioned into the deviant world of kinky fuckery." He sighed again. "You had no idea what you were getting yourself into but you still wanted it. I was in complete awe of your courage that night, and I still am." He paused. "Now that we're going forward without a set of rules it feels just as special as our first time together, if not more."

Hearing Jesse open up to me I knew I'd made the right decision to get back together. We had a special bond that would only grow stronger as we became more acquainted with each other.

"You know...even after I walked out, I never regretted it." I admitted, thinking back to that night when Jesse rectified my situation, I blushed at my inexperience as my first time was at the mercy of a powerful man who knew a thing or two about sex, who desperately wanted to make love to me. "I was so green about sex and found out that night what you read in books or watch in movies doesn't compare to the real thing."

"You're right...it's way better when you have the right partner." He finished my thought kissing my lips. "I'd fucked plenty of subs but that's all it ever was...just fucking. I felt nothing until I met you, and then you kept surprising me..."

"That's because I was already in love with you."

I could tell Jesse wasn't entirely comfortable hearing me say those words but I'd hoped someday he'd feel the same. By his actions I knew he had deep feelings for me but to actually hear those three powerful words from his lips would only validate what I already suspected.

"It's almost ten." He interrupted my thoughts. "We should go down and see your friend before he goes on."

Helping me to my feet we went downstairs to the main floor and approached Luke who was in full DJ mode wearing black leather pants, a silver chain for a belt and a form fitting grey t-shirt that showed off his abs of steel. He really was a perfect specimen that women drooled over, I just wasn't one of them. With his Sennheiser headphones resting around his neck he saw me approaching, gave one of his Orbit worthy smiles and practically pole vaulted out of the booth. Grabbing me around my waist he picked me up and swung me around making me giggle. When Jesse came into view he put me down immediately and stepped away.

"Sorry mate." He looked over at my boyfriend and frowned. "How's it going Swanson?"

Pulling me closer to his side Jesse became territorial and kissed me on the side of my head. "Never better." He admitted squeezing my ass which infuriated me. "Doesn't Beca look hot tonight? I can't wait to get her alone and peel her out of this."

Seriously?

"Yeah...she's always been a hot number even when she tried to hide behind all those layers of plaid. I often wondered what she was hiding under it all, but I guess you would know that, right mate?" Luke continued on as his eyes fell to my chest. "I bet she shags like a minx."

Clearing my throat I'd heard just about enough. "Guys...stop!" I lashed out, interrupting them. "When you're both done objectifying me I'll be over there." I said pointing to my right. Walking over to the DJ booth I accessed Luke's program on his Macbook, leaving the testosterone filled men to their pissing contest.

Watching their interaction they kept glancing over at me and broke out into laughter leaving me to wonder what the hell they were discussing. Then the impossible happened, they smiled at each other, shook hands and parted like gentleman. Giving Jesse a look of bewilderment he entered the booth and leaned towards me to say something.

"I'm sorry about that remark earlier, that was uncalled for. You were right about him." I could have been knocked over by a feather. "Luke's a good guy who cares very much about you. I'll give you some time with him and wait for you in the suite."

What the hell?

"Jesse...wait. What just happened?"

"I trust you, baby." Is all he had to say and gave me his sexiest smile. "I'll be upstairs."

Watching him cross the main floor and ascend to the higher levels, Luke entered the booth.

"My apologies doll for that shagging comment. It's really none of my business what you do, but I'll always wonder." He smiled shyly. "You said in your earlier text that things were a bit complicated between you two. Are you okay? Is Swanson treating you alright?"

Reaching up I placed a light peck on his cheek to forgive him for his inappropriate comment. "I'm better than okay." I admitted shyly. "Jesse and I...well, things are pretty serious between us."

Looking like he was sucker punched, Luke sighed and gave me a warm smile. "I'm really happy for you, Becky." His sincerity was overshadowed by his incorrect pronunciation of my name.

Slapping him on the chest he made a girly sound and looked like a wounded puppy. "Dude! We've known each other like forever. Will you ever get my name right?"

"Nope!" He emphasized the 'P' making us both laugh. "Your heart may belong to another man but your friendship means the world to me. I'm here for you no matter what happens."

"Thank you, I really appreciate that. So tell me, I'm dying to find out. What the hell did you and Jesse talk about?"

"Nothing much, I just threatened to kill him if he ever broke your heart."

If he only knew...

As I was about to say something the host approached us. "You're on in five minutes." Luke acknowledged his boss with a nod and gave me a look of excitement.

"Gotta get to work."

"Yeah you do." I agreed with a smile. "It was good catching up. Hey umm...I'm starting my internship on Monday so if you can, let's meet for lunch sometime."

"Sounds like a plan, and by the way love, you do look smokin' hot tonight. Jesse is one lucky guy. Catch ya later."

Leaving the booth I immediately heard Luke's British voice throughout the club as he welcomed the eager crowd and queued up the first of many sets as a stampede of people rushed passed me to the dance floor. Looking above I saw half naked women being lowered by cables from the exposed ceiling onto raised platforms where they danced provocatively, putting on a sexy show for the guests. Smirking to myself the thought crossed my mind that this was an elaborate version of suspension used in Jesse's playroom. Crossing the vast room I looked up towards our private suite to find Jesse fixated on me with a look somewhere between adoration and caution.

As I climbed the stairs Jesse met me halfway and stopped me in my ascent.

"When do you want to leave?" He asked and I knew exactly where he was coming from.

"Soon." I responded and pulled him into a kiss. "After this set we'll take off." He nodded, took my hand and guided me back down the stairs. "Where are we going?"

"Dance with me." He smiled and led us to the dance floor.

For the next hour the place became packed beyond its limit as we were surrounded and pushed towards the center. Jesse's moves on the dance floor nearly mirrored his moves in the bedroom as he stood behind me and wrapped his arms around my front. Our bodies molded perfectly together as we moved in perfect sync to the beat of the remixed tracks Luke was pumping through the state of the art sound system. He really was putting on a great show and everyone seemed to be enjoying his music selection. Feeling Jesse's front pressed against me, he nuzzled my neck and grazed the area just below my breasts. The more he teased and nibbled on my pulse point, the more breathless I became and didn't know how much more I could take. Spinning around I tried to stop our progression but his lips found mine in an instant and I was a goner. Snaking my arms around his neck I tugged on his lower lip and no longer gave a damn who might be watching.

"Jesse..." I could barely speak as he smothered me with open mouthed kisses. "Lets go." He didn't need to be told twice as he guided us through the crowd and had me wait near the exit while he settled our bar tab and retrieved my clutch purse.

Smiling over at Luke I waved goodbye to him. Acknowledging me with a quick nod he smiled back then returned to his DJ responsibilities. It was so good seeing him and knowing he was okay with us just being friends. We'd known each other since my freshman year in college and became friends while I interned for him at the radio station. Later on we found out we had more in common besides music and tattoos; we were both only children in households disrupted by divorce. On top of that our fathers were both college professors who were also friends and employed at Barden. With our families being close they had always hoped the two of us would eventually hook up and marry, but my feelings for Luke never developed into anything more than friendship, and I was relieved that he finally accepted that.

Returning to my side Jesse brought me back to reality and informed me he had already texted Benji to get the car out of valet. Making the long trek back we took our time and appreciated the ambiance of this magnificent facility as we passed through the elaborate library and into the courtyard with the breathtaking reflecting pools set on fire. Passing through the iron gates we waited patiently for our ride. About ten minutes later the SUV pulled up and we clambered into the back seat. Sitting quietly I was so anxious to be alone with Jesse I didn't know what to do with myself. We couldn't get to his place soon enough as I looked out the side window and took deep breaths.

"I feel it too." Turning to face him I saw desire in his eyes and knew he was telling the truth, he was just as affected as I was. "We'll be there soon. C'mere." He spoke softly, unhooking my seatbelt so he could hold me. Caressing my arm I leaned into him and closed my eyes. It had been such a long day, and being this close to Jesse I felt so content I fell asleep.

"Hey...wake up, Sleeping Beauty." He whispered, giving me a slight nudge. "We're home."

"Home?" I asked sleepily, stretching my limbs and yawning. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to pass out on you. How long was I out?"

"About twenty minutes." He said affectionately, hooking my hair behind an ear. "I enjoyed watching you sleep."

"Is that part of your stalker programming?" My snarkiness earned a chuckle from him. "Should I be worried?"

Still laughing at my remark Jesse unfastened his seatbelt as we exited on his side. "Goodnight Benji...we'll call if we need anything." It was the first time Jesse used the word 'we' instead of 'I' when addressing his personal assistant, and I knew he had really changed or was at least making the effort. Our friend gave us a quick nod and smiled as he vacated the vehicle, secured it then walked away. Acknowledging our good buddy with a wave Jesse led us to the subterranean elevators while Benji drove off in his late model Dodge Challenger.

Who knew the nerd was into muscle cars...

As we entered the lift neither of us said a word. There was no need to because it was assumed we would be spending the night together. But like all other times the sexual tension between us would stir up feelings we couldn't wait to act on.

"What is it about elevators?" Jesse mumbled loud enough for me to hear. Fighting back my own smirk I already knew being alone in such close proximity with him was basically an invitation to lust after each other. Turning to face me, Jesse closed the distance between us, held my head between his hands and planted a kiss on me. Parting my lips to align with his I felt his tongue mingle with mine and body pressing me into the wall. As the elevator rose to the penthouse level we never lost contact as Jesse lifted me into his arms and brought us into the foyer, through the the living room and directly into the master bedroom.

After a night of lusting after each other we needed our privacy, we needed to reconnect and we needed it like yesterday. Not wasting any time I was gently lowered onto the bed as Jesse draped his body over mine and resumed the kiss we started in the elevator. Things escalated quickly as we carelessly discarded our clothing to the point I was left wearing nothing more than a barely there g-string and bra. In his snug fitting boxer briefs Jesse settled on top of me, careful to not crush my petite frame and locked eyes with me. We were finally alone with the rest of the night to ourselves but something just didn't seem right. Jesse was holding back and pulled away from me. Settling in the space next to me he looked up at the mirrored ceiling and said nothing.

"What's wrong?" I asked, reaching to touch his arm. When he didn't answer the look he gave me was disconcerting. "What is it?"

"I can't do this." Turning away again Jesse put on the brakes and could no longer face me. Running his hand through his hair he took a deep breath and continued on. "What the hell was I thinking? I'm no good for you. I don't deserve you!" He was condemning himself to protect me and I didn't know why. "We're just going to end up hurting each other again."

Suddenly feeling too exposed I moved away from him and sat up while covering myself with a sheet. "What are you talking about?" I asked, but he still refused to look at me. "Are you punishing me for leaving you?"

"GOD NO!" He blurted out, touching my arm. "I told you I was done with that."

"Then what is it?" I pulled away not knowing where this was going. Something serious had changed in Jesse who was now pushing me away. "Please talk to me."

He refused to answer and lowered his head in shame. "Why do you love me?" He asked, raising his head so our eyes can meet. "I need to know."

It was a question I wasn't prepared to answer but it was also an opportunity to express myself to him. Giving Jesse a look of adoration I laid back down on my side, caressed the side of his face and kissed him softly. In response to my gesture Jesse closed his eyes and sighed.

"Babe, there's a lot of reasons. For one, it feels natural because you're so easy to love." I admitted but he wasn't buying it and rolled his eyes, not satisfied with my reasoning he required more convincing.

Being the businessman he was, Jesse was a corporate tycoon, who in his daily life dealt with mergers and acquisitions and used statistics and projections to predict growth that translated into millions if not billions of dollars in profits. In the case of relationships he needed proof of my affection before investing anymore of himself into us. Knowing what I needed to do, I took the time and carefully thought about what I wanted to say. Taking a deep breath I smiled nervously and opened my heart.

"I love this," And pointed to his temple. "Your intellect and quick wit is what first attracted me to you. I'd never known anyone who exuded as much confidence as you did. The way you run your company and conduct yourself automatically earns respect. Then there's your ability to create music. When I first heard you play the piano my heart just about burst. While I manipulate music, you're able to create it and I truly find that remarkable. You're so gifted and amaze me more each day." Placing a kiss to his forehead I motioned lower.

"I love this," And pointed to his mouth. "The way we spar verbally, I love how we're on the same level and can have intelligent discussions about anything, and no matter how crappy of a mood I'm in you always manage to disarm me with the perfect words and then you make me laugh. Whenever we're together you make me feel special and desired. I love what comes out of here but I also love your kisses and what that mouth of yours does to my body." Placing a soft kiss to his lips I motioned lower.

"But this is what I love most." Unable to hold back my feelings I teared up, pointed to his chest and looked into his eyes. "With such a troubled past and so much pain buried inside of you, you're the most passionate and generous man I've ever known. You've denied having one several times and feel you don't deserve to be loved, but you do Jesse. We all do. With saying that, I've never known anyone with a heart as big as yours, and I believe your capacity to love is endless." With my words finally sinking in Jesse wiped away my tears with the pad of his thumb and kissed me tenderly.

"Baby, don't cry." He urged, trying to hold back his own emotions. "I don't like seeing you upset."

"Then talk to me."

"I don't know..." He sighed, not able to finish his thought. "I can't do this."

"Jesse, what's going on with you?"

After a beat he finally divulged what was holding him back; his fear of me walking away. "Don't ever leave me." He pleaded. "I couldn't stand losing you again."

Seeing first hand how my actions of breaking up affected him was heart wrenching. He was in such conflict, hiding something from me, and tonight I needed to be strong enough to get it out of him.

"Jesse...I won't, I'll never leave you. I promise." His expression startled me even more as it was filled with uncertainty, he was afraid to take the next step. Reduced to a desperate man with something to say but with no means to communicate, Jesse was paralyzed with fear and had temporarily lost the ability of speech. It was at this moment I saw how young and vulnerable Jesse really was. After a few minutes of deafening silence I couldn't bare it any longer and took a leap of faith. "You love me."

His eyes widened at what I had just insinuated as I clearly heard the thuds of my racing heartbeat. Did I go too far? Should I have said anything? As his respiration increased Jesse slowly nodded and my heart just about jumped out of my chest. "Tell me!" I wept.

Jesse struggled to find his voice. I knew this wasn't easy for him but after all we had been through I needed to hear him to say it. After what seemed like forever...it finally happened.

"I...I love you." It came out as a barely heard whisper. It felt as though a huge burden had been lifted as I finally heard the three little words I desperately needed to as happy tears streamed down my cheeks. Another first, I thought to myself as Jesse finally opened his heart to me and I knew from this moment my love for him was eternal. "I've never felt this way before. I don't know how you did it, but my heart belongs to you."

"And you have mine." I choked out, caressing his beautiful face while he nodded and gave me the most loving look.

With his admission our lips came together in a long passionate kiss. It wasn't lustful like they normally were and not meant to go any further, but the amount of emotion we poured into the kiss felt like nothing we'd experienced before. When our lips parted our eyes remained closed with our foreheads pressed together.

"Baby...I love you so much." He was finally able to openly verbalize his true feelings that melted my heart. Smiling to myself I knew this was the turning point in our relationship and couldn't wait to see where our love would take us next.

"Show me."

A/N: The next chapter will contain scenes too hot for print...just kidding. I've asked some of you on Twitter whether the next part should be hot raunchy OMG graphic sex or passionate gentle non-descriptive lovemaking. Your thoughts? As always thank you for taking the time to read.