Heart Robber (Lifestyle by Design Book 2) Read online

  A small smile she failed to hide played on her lips as she looked back at the expectant faces of her friends. "Make that five."

  "What do you mean?"

  "I'm seeing Rob again. Tomorrow night."

  ~~~~~~~

  Rob went through the rest of his day in high spirits. When Jessa agreed to see him tomorrow night and said she would be with Victor and his mum tonight, his mood lifted considerably. That meant she hadn't planned on going out with someone she met on her speed date - for the next two nights, at least.

  He would have flown to Sydney today if he could, and he would have seen her as soon as he landed, but he had too much to do that he wasn't able to clear his schedule. Last night, as he laid in bed chasing sleep that kept on eluding him, he decided he wanted to double check the serviced apartment he was going to stay at in Sydney. He'd seen the place already, but just to make sure it was what he really wanted, he thought it was important enough to make a special trip to Sydney to check it out again.

  Now, that wasn't a crazy reason to fly to Sydney for the weekend, was it? After all, he would be living there for four months. He was entitled to make sure he was happy with the place, wasn't he? No, seeing Jessa wasn't the primary reason he was going to Sydney for the weekend.

  He picked up the phone to call Will. He needed to make sure Andrea would no longer be in Sydney when he got there. If she was he would have to make precautions so she didn't end up meddling with his plans with Jessa.

  Will answered his phone on the first ring. "Hey, Rob. It's good you called. I've been meaning to call you."

  "Oh, really?"

  "Yeah, I've been wanting to know how you went with your get-laid mission the other night."

  He groaned silently. "Well," he drawled, "I was with a blonde for most of the other night."

  "And last night?"

  "Give me a break!" he laughed.

  "So did Blondie have a good time?"

  "Oh, Blondie appreciated it big time. Couldn't thank me enough." That was true. He spent that night with Scott, a client-turned-friend. He gave him two hours of complimentary consulting time over dinner. But he'd let Will misinterpret his words. He didn't want to give his unsympathetic friend further cause to laugh at his expense. Plus, he wouldn't be able to explain why he didn't go out on a hunt because he didn't know why either.

  "Okay, then. That clears things up a bit," Will said.

  "Sure," he replied dismissively, wanting to get to the real reason for his call. "I do want to ask you something, Will."

  "Yeah?"

  "Did Andrea say she was coming back to Melbourne tomorrow?"

  "Yeah, she did. Actually, she asked me yesterday if I wanted to have dinner with her tonight but I told her Clarise and I already had other plans."

  "Good. I'll be in Sydney for the weekend and I really didn't want to deal with her there."

  "Yes, I know."

  "You know I'll be there? How do you know?"

  "Clarise mentioned you're seeing Jessa tomorrow night."

  He scrunched his face. Do they tell each other everything?

  "So is that the reason why you're coming to Sydney, Rob? To see Jessa?"

  "No," he denied. "I'm checking the apartment I'll be staying at for four months. I got those Sydney contracts I was after."

  "Wow, congrats! That's great news," Will said sincerely then continued his interrogation. "So, this thing you have with Jessa … it's just physical, right?"

  "Yes. She seriously turns me on and I just want us to have some fun together."

  "Okay, good. Both of you are clear on where you stand with each other."

  "Were you worried I hadn't been upfront with her? I told her in no uncertain terms I'm not after a serious relationship. She seems okay with it."

  "It wasn't Jessa I was worried about. I was worried about you!" Will said with a laugh.

  "Me? Why on earth would you be worried about me?"

  "When you said you couldn't get off with anyone else, impossible as it seemed, I thought you may have caught the love bug. Now that wouldn't have been good as Jessa all of a sudden has all these men lined up for dates. But it's just lust for each other you have to satisfy and that's it, right?"

  "Right," he answered with a conviction he didn't feel.

  "Good. So, we'll see you when you get here."

  "Yup. See yah."

  Rob sat unmoving on his chair for many minutes after his conversation with Will ended. It bothered him that Jessa was seeing other men. It bothered him a hell of a lot.

  He hated feeling like that. He gave himself until the end of the weekend to burn out his desire for Jessa and then quickly move on.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Jessa checked herself again on the full-length mirror. She still couldn't believe what she was seeing. She finally caved in to Faye and Clarise's cajoling to have a make-over. Earlier that day, they took her to Faye's hair stylist where she had a hair treatment and a style cut. She was astounded by the difference her new hair style made. Her crowning glory, still dead straight but now layered, framed her face in a flattering manner. Then they took her to a beauty salon where she had a facial that made her skin glow. She even had a bonus private make-up application class. She was so taken aback by her new look that she also agreed to go shopping for new outfits. She came back home with five new dresses - one for each of her upcoming dates - and a new pair of heels. She had never spent so much on herself before in one day. But when she looked at the pretty - yes, she had to admit, pretty - woman staring back at her from the mirror, she had to agree it was worth it.

  A slow smile curved her lips. Yes, I'm worth it. The JAB - the Jessa Allen Booster that my friends so tirelessly gave me - is finally working.

  She checked her watch and her nervousness increased. In five minutes or so, Rob would arrive at her place and they would use her car to go to dinner. She'd been ready for more than half an hour, considering she'd been preparing since that morning.

  Deep breaths, Jess. You wouldn't want to ruin your fresh new look by getting all jittery and sweaty in your new, expensive, strapless red dress. Before she could stop her thoughts, she added, you'd want to be sweaty out of it - with Rob.

  She blushed even as she smiled at her naughty thoughts.

  Her security intercom rang loudly, making her heart race. She took one very deep inhale and slowly exhaled before she moved to answer it.

  "Hello?"

  "Hi, Jess. It's Rob."

  "Hi, Rob. I'm ready. Do you need to come up first?"

  "Yes. May I?"

  "Sure. I'm on level three. Turn left as you exit the lifts." She buzzed him in.

  A minute later, she heard him knocking. Anticipation filled her as the butterflies in her stomach went crazy. Calm down, this isn't your first date with Rob. She went to answer the door.

  Rob looked sinfully handsome as he stood before her by the threshold, carrying a white box and a small overnight bag.

  "Wow, Jess. You look stunning."

  Her cheeks pinked as he swept his eyes on her with unmistakable appreciation.

  "Thanks. I'm sure I don't need to tell you that you look great."

  Jessa's wide but shy grin made Rob want to hold her in his arms and kiss those luscious lips he'd been dreaming about for a week.

  He noticed her eyeing his bag and the box he was holding.

  "I haven't checked in at my hotel yet. I thought I'd leave my bag here while we go to dinner."

  "Sure."

  He dropped his bag to the side and held out the box to her. "And I brought this for you."

  "What is it?"

  "Here, have a look."

  Jessa opened the box and laughed. "Were these the desserts we were supposed to have but didn't get to eat on our last date?"

  "Yup," he said, grinning.

  "That's so sweet. Thank you. Does that mean we eat dessert here tonight?"

  His eyes darkened as he thought of what else he wanted to have tonight. "That's an option," he managed to say.
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  Jessa turned towards the kitchen and he followed. Like a puppy dog, he thought to himself wryly.

  "Let me put this in the fridge then we can go. Where are we going, by the way?"

  Jessa bent to re-arrange the contents of her fridge so she could fit in the box of desserts.

  To the bedroom, he thought as his pants instantly became tighter at the sight of Jessa's sexy ass wiggling before him.

  She abruptly straightened and turned as she closed the fridge door. Her mouth slackened and her chest heaved faster. He had no doubt his intention was written all over his face and it pleased him no end that it affected her. His heart pounded madly as she walked towards him.

  "Kiss me?" she whispered.

  He didn't need any further encouragement than that. "Hell, yeah," he breathed as he crushed her to him.

  Jessa's lips and tongue were as hot and insistent as his as they devoured each other's mouths. Desire roared in his veins as she pressed her body to his in an unspoken invitation. He needed more from her and was desperate for more of her.

  His hands were feverish and restless as they explored her body. She gasped when he grabbed her bottom and grounded her hips to his. She would have noticed he was fully aroused and, judging by her reaction to him, so was she.

  She moaned as his lips left her mouth to plant hot kisses on her neck. She angled her head, giving him better access as she raked a hand on his hair while the other rubbed his back heatedly.

  "Jessa," he murmured against her throat. "I want you now. Say you want this, too."

  "Yes," she whispered breathlessly.

  He groaned and held her face between his hands so he could capture her mouth again for a searing kiss. He was tempted to take her right there in her kitchen - on her benchtop. But not for their first time. Not when her bed was only a few footsteps away. He dragged his lips away from her so he could say, "take me to your bedroom, Jess."

  For a long second, Jessa gazed back at him with naked yearning. Then she took his hand to lead him to her bed.

  A sudden trepidation cloaked Jessa as Rob unzipped her dress. The fire they stoked in her kitchen still burned brightly, but the journey to her bedroom brought some semblance of reality to her consciousness.

  What if I turn out to be a disappointment?

  She had no doubt Rob was a very experienced lover who've had many beautiful women. And here she was, lacking sexual expertise from her limited experience. What if she was boring in bed? Maybe that was why she didn't set her previous boyfriends on fire.

  She clutched her dress against her chest before it fell to the floor, her stance betraying her tension.

  Rob tilted her chin up, forcing her to look straight into his eyes. "Jess? What's wrong?"

  She chewed on her lower lip, not knowing how to express her fears to him.

  "Nervous?" he prompted.

  "Yes, and … well, yes."

  He chuckled. "So am I."

  She looked at him suspiciously. "You couldn't be. You're just saying that to make me feel better."

  "No. I am nervous."

  "Why?"

  "Honestly, I don't know," Rob said softly.

  "Well, Rob Granger, I don't think you have a good reason to be nervous."

  He smiled. "And you think you do, Jessa Allen?"

  "Of course. I'm the one who's more inexperienced and … less of a hottie."

  "What?" he exclaimed in disbelief. "I get the more inexperienced bit, but less of a hottie? Jessa, don't you look in the mirror?"

  She blushed. "You know what I mean."

  "No, I don't."

  "I just don't want to disappoint you," she whispered, her hazel eyes wide and beseeching as she gazed at his questioning gray ones.

  Rob's eyes softened with a look that made her heart skip a beat. "I don't think you could disappoint me, Jess." He caressed her cheek with a knuckle and stroked her lower lip with his thumb. "Let me prove that to you," he said huskily, eyes burning into her.

  She melted at Rob's gaze and touch. How does he do that? How can he stoke the fire in me with just a look, a touch?

  She sighed and lifted her arms to put them around his neck, letting her dress fall to the floor.

  Jessa moaned as Rob's soft lips touched hers. He held her tighter and deepened the kiss, making no effort to hide his passion. It wasn't long before she was beyond thought, allowing herself to get swept by the tidal wave of need that crashed into her.

  They mated with their mouths. Their tongues tasted. Their teeth nipped. Their lips sucked. And they weren't enough.

  She was mindless, aware only of Rob's burning hands and lips on her face, her neck, her shoulders, her back. She opened her eyes when she felt Rob pull away from her only to notice she was already lying on her bed in her underwear. She watched with avid eyes as Rob unbuttoned his shirt and discarded it to the floor. I wanted to do that, she thought as she drank in his muscular frame. She vowed to be quicker, take charge earlier, next time.

  Rob stretched himself on the bed next to her with his pants still on. "Do you have any idea how hot you make me, Jess?" he asked huskily as he ran a burning hand on her belly and rake her body with an eager gaze.

  "Show me," she answered with hooded eyes.

  His smile was brilliant. "With pleasure."

  He knelt above her, knees on either side of her hips. He leaned, supporting himself with his elbows braced next to her shoulders. His hungry mouth was insistent on her jaw, her ear, her neck and it was burning her up. Then he moved downwards and took on a more leisurely pace.

  His lips travelled down to the valley between her breasts, leaving butterfly kisses along her skin. When he nuzzled her peaks through her lacy bra, she whimpered at the sensation, her fingers ardently combing through his hair.

  Rob slid her bra straps off her shoulders, one after the other to expose her erect nipples to his ravenous eyes. He grazed his lips around them slowly, maddeningly, driving her crazy. She panted with desire as she arched and angled her chest to get a nipple into his mouth. Rob let out a soft moan before capturing a hardened peak between his lips, teasing it with his tongue as his fingers tweaked its twin.

  "Ohh, Rob!" Delicious currents of desire sizzled to her core, making her soak.

  In the next moment, she felt bereft as Rob stopped, raised himself up and looked down on his crotch.

  She followed his gaze and impulsively reached for his belt.

  "Baby, no. Not yet," Rob said in a strangled voice, stilling her hands.

  She looked up at his face in surprise. "Why not?" She heard the whine in her voice.

  He smiled at her fondly. "Don't tempt me. Right now, I'm torn between setting my very uncomfortable cock free and keeping it on a leash. But if you take my pants off now, we'll be finished sooner than we both want."

  "Oh," her mouth formed a perfect O at his revelation.

  "God, you're so beautiful you drive me crazy," Rob ground out as he buried his face between her perky breasts. She noticed he still avoided contact of his lower body with hers. She was amazed by his reaction to her but she wasn't able to ponder further when his lips moved down, erasing all thoughts but what he was doing.

  With impatient hands, Rob slid off her lace panties and tossed them over his shoulder. He parted her legs and knelt in between them. He bent down to place hot little kisses on her thighs, moving upwards until he reached his goal. "Oh, Jess, you're so wet," he croaked in an agonised whisper. He licked her sex lips, tasted her juices and teased her, avoiding that hardened nub that craved his attention.

  She whimpered. "Rob, please. I want … I want …"

  "Shh, baby," he crooned. "I know what you want. Soon, honey." Then he got up. This time he undid his belt and got out of his pants and boxer briefs.

  She wanted to help him with that, too. But she was so reeling with need she could only look at him, panting through her open mouth. Oh, my god! He's beautiful … and big.

  When Rob pulled out a condom from his pants pocket, she found the will and ener
gy to sit up. "I want to do that."

  Rob stared at her as she took the foil packet from his hand. But instead of ripping it open and putting the condom on him, she ran her fingers on his rock-hard member.

  "Oh, fuck, Jess!" he said through gritted teeth.

  She closed her hand around his shaft and gently tugged and caressed. He was velvety soft to touch but also hard as steel. She stared mesmerised at the dew that formed at the tip of his cock. She licked her lips and was just about to treat herself to a taste of him when Rob stopped her progress by grasping her hair so she couldn't reach her prize.

  He pried her hand away from his member. "Baby, you can play with it more later. Right now, you have to put that condom on me."

  She looked up at him and pouted prettily. Then she smiled as she tore the packet and slowly rolled. Rob was panting harder by the time she was done.

  Gently, he pushed her back on the bed. He lavished more attention on her lips and nipples before spreading her legs apart and settling himself back in between her thighs. She was surprised he wasn't done in this position yet. He kissed around her sex again, teasing her like he did earlier. He touched her wetness with his finger and gently stroked her opening. Her hips arched towards him as she moaned. Then slowly, he touched her clit, rubbing ever so deliciously with expert strokes.

  "Rob! Oh god …" she moaned, her hips bucking off the bed.

  Rob slowly inserted a finger in her hot wetness and set his tongue on her throbbing clit, licking her as his finger stroked inside. Before long, she was crying out his name, shuddering in an earth-shattering climax.

  Her body was still in the midst of her orgasm when Rob shifted to put his eager shaft in her. He moaned loudly as he slowly pushed in until he was fully encased in her warmth.

  She keened at the incredible sensation of Rob filling her, stretching her. She opened her eyes to find him staring intently at her. His face, only inches away, registered a mixture of sheer pleasure and deep need which she reflected back through her own uncontrollable expressions and moans. He thrusted in and out at a slow, deliberate pace that had her gasping for more.