Recruited

"Are you hungry?" he finally asks.

Lois lets her breath out, unaware that she'd been holding it. She knows that her answer to that question could change everything. She knows that what he's really asking is whether or not she's willing to cross a line with him. Despite her brains warnings against it, she also knows that there's only one answer she can give.

"Starving."

............

Jesse is in complete awe the entire way to his house, Lois' little Chrysler following close behind him. Is he really doing this? Has all the sweet torment of the last two months led to this?

Lord, Jess, she's a decade younger than you man. What are you doing? Despite his nerves, he grins to himself. Jess. Lois is the only one who ever calls him that. He likes it.

He can imagine Lois' wonder as she follows him into a residential area of town. He'd said he was going to take her to the best cook around. Little did she know that his mom had given him cooking lessons from the time he was a little boy up until he left home at twenty. She died two years later while he was on ship.

As Lois pulls in the drive and parks next to Jesse's blue Ford Fusion, she realizes what his plan had been. He took her to his home. He's going to make her dinner. She shrugs as she puts the car in park. He cooks too? This just gets better and better.

Jesse comes up beside her car and opens the door for her. She crawls out, sure to narrow her eyes at him along the way. He chuckles.

"I never said we'd be going to a restaurant," he says innocently.

He leads her into the house, thankful that he cleaned it up the day before. They walk into his small but cozy living room and Jesse lets her take it all in.

There is a wall with a coat rack to her right and she takes advantage of it to remove her jacket and hang it up. To her left is a small wood stove bolted to a red brick platform. A few feet in front of the platform, pulled up to the bricks lies a faded brown fur rug. The rug looks to be roughly a six foot by six foot square, its opposite end reaching to the foot of the couch which is a slightly darker brown than the rug.

There is a small entertainment center with a TV on it happily situated in the far corner, a matching recliner across from it, to the left of the couch, and two small coffee tables; one in between the couch and the chair and one to the right off the couch, closest to where she stands.

There is a dark hallway about thirty feet in front of her that she assumes leads to the bedroom and bathroom. Jesse moves in front of her and leads them through a door frame to their right which opens into the small dining room. The table is situated in the center of the dining room, a moderate chandelier hanging over it. Looking out over the front lawn is a large bay window with sheer white curtains.

On the other side, the dining room is separated from the kitchen only by a bar style counter with three stools lined along it and an island of pots and pans hanging above it. The kitchen is moderate sized but clean and tidy with all stainless steel appliances.

Overall, it's the nicest bachelor pad Lois has ever seen. Growing up, she was raised by practically all men. Her dad, his friends, her brothers, their friends. All that had taught her that most men are not that well-kept. Not an insult, just the truth.

But Jesse is obviously an exception. He cares about cleanliness and organization. It's a refreshing thing for Lois to see.

Jesse watches as Lois takes it all in. His pride swells a little as he notes her appreciative nods every once in a while.

"Does it have your approval?" he asks, breaking the silence.

She looks up at him and smiles, his favorite dimples making a brief appearance. "Does it need my approval?"

"No. But it would be nice to have it anyways."

"Then it has it. This place is really nice, Jess."

Jess. Man he loves that.

Turning away from her now, Jesse moves into the kitchen and starts pulling different items from the cupboards and refrigerator.

"Would you like a drink?" he asks.

Lois takes a seat on one of the stools at the counter. "Is the bar open?" she jokes.

Jesse knows she was joking but he also knows that she's wise and mature enough to handle alcohol just as well as anyone.

"Sure," he says, surprising her. "Rum and coke or vodka and orange juice?"

Her brows shoot up, questioning how serious he is. When he doesn't back down she finally answers, "Rum and coke sounds good."

He pulls both from the fridge and whips up two glasses. Handing one to her, he takes the first sip of his own and feels the liquid fire burn down his throat. Lois follows his lead and begins to sip on her own. Jesse is pleasantly surprised when she doesn't flinch but licks her lips approvingly. This isn't the first time she's broken the "twenty-one" law.

As Jesse continues to put together one of his personal favorite Italian recipes, he and Lois cover several random topics. They talk about childhood memories, about where they want to go in life, and of course, about the Navy. They joke and laugh for the entire hour it takes for the dinner to be ready and by the time it's on the table, they are both working on their third rum and coke.

Lois, Jesse notices, can hold her liquor. She has definitely loosened up a little but she's still herself, despite the alcohol in her system. Looking at her from across the table, Jesse can see a little pink glow that the rum has painted on her cheeks. Not too much, but enough to add some extra color to her complexion.

God, she's stunning. They eat their dinner in silence for the most part. A couple comments here, some laughs there, but mostly comfortable silence.

............

"So how long have you lived here?" Lois asks as they sit nursing their drinks on the couch.

"Let's see, I got this place about a year before I met Angel so about five years now."

"And she moved in with you here instead of you guys getting a new place together?"

Jesse wonders why these questions don't make him uncomfortable but he's glad that they can talk about it easily. "We weren't running on a whole lot of money at the time so we kind of just took the cheaper of our two places which was mine. She wanted to get a bigger place for the last several months but I was dragging my feet about it."

"Why's that?" she asks.

"I like it here. It's in a good, quiet neighborhood. I have my own space, no neighbors for a quarter mile on each side. And it's an awesome view up here on the hill, especially at night. I don't know, I guess I just got attached to it."

Lois smiles in wonder. She's never met a guy that appreciates small things like Jesse does. "Well I can't blame you," she says. "This place is perfect for just one or two people."

Jesse looks at Lois as she takes another sip of her drink. The glow in her cheeks is getting slightly brighter so he figures he shouldn't offer her any more to drink after she finishes sipping that one down. However, he thinks, now that she's loosened up a little, maybe I should take advantage of the opportunity to ask some questions I've had.

"So," he begins casually, "tell me something, Lois."

"Mmhmm?" she looks at him questioningly.

"Were you glad they made me your recruiter instead of crusty old Eric?"

Lois was in the midst of taking another sip and she gulps it down nervously. "Well..." she begins, looking down at her hands in her lap. "Yes and no."

Jesse feels a little nervous about the "no" part. "Okay," he says. "Why 'yes'?"

"Yes because I like you much better. No offense to Eric, he's a sweet guy."

"Then why the 'no'?"

Lois finally looks up and meets Jesse's eyes. He searchs them, hoping to find the answer to his question. But all he can see is her insecurity bubbling to the surface. She looks down again.

"No..." she hesitates. "No because I like you too much, Jess. You make me nervous."

Jesse sits there silently, staring as even more color rushes to her cheeks, this time having nothing to do with the alcohol.

Finally, the silence is too much for her and she peers up at him, hoping she hasn't offended him. Jesse sees again her insecurity and wonders how a girl and gorgeous and smart as Lois could ever be unsure of herself.

He purses his lips and sets his drink down on the side table, then takes hers and does the same. When he turns back to her, she has a slightly confused but curious look on her face. Jesse reaches out slowly and brushes her bangs out of her face. This time, she doesn't flinch away from his touch, This time, Lois' eyes meet his and don't flutter away, embarrassed. She sighs and lets her eyes close as she relishes the feeling of his fingers brushing slowly down her cheek.

Jesse traces the tips of his fingers down her jaw line. His heart beats faster as he considers what he's about to do; what he's wanted to do since he first laid eyes on Lois.

As his hand reaches her chin, Jesse leans in. Lois' eyes are still closed as he pulls his face to hers. Finally, she feels the heat of his breath over her mouth, pausing, giving her a chance to say no and pull away.

She doesn't. Instead she leans forward, gently closing the gap between them. As her lips meet his, the butterflies in her stomach run rampant as if they've been caged too long and have finally been set free. Jesse runs his other hand down her side, bringing it to her hip and he moves his lips against hers. He revels in the softness of her lips and the way they mold to his own.

Without warning, he presses harder, his hand now cupping her face. Gently, he moves the tip of his tongue across her bottom lip. She sighs and opens her mouth just wide enough for him to slip his tongue inside.

The urgency of their kiss picks up as she slides her hands around his neck and pulls herself closer. Jesse places both hands on her waist and lifts her to his lap without breaking the kiss. As she sits straddling him, she presses herself against him and he groans a little in the back of his throat. Lois smiles against his lips, captures his lower lip between her teeth and runs her tongue over it. This time, his groan is more perceptible.

"Oh, god, Lois," he murmurs as he looks up at her now perched on his lap, a mischievous smile playing on her lips. "We should have done this a long time ago," he chuckles. "We both wanted to."

Her eyes get softer as she looks down into his face. "You did?" she whispers.

Jesse just laughs and shakes his head. "You really are oblivious to how sexy you are, aren't you?" he asks.

The color in her cheeks heightens again. "I'm sexy?"

Jesse wonders yet again how she could be this gorgeous and not know it. "Very sexy," he grins. "Like, bombshell sexy."

Her eyelashes flutter as she looks away from his face. "You're just saying that."

Jesse takes her chin and pulls her back to look at him, his eyes communicating how serious he is. "I'm not 'just saying' anything, Lois. You're a knockout and your modesty only makes you more attractive to me, if that's even possible."

They look at each other for several seconds, eyes locked, before Lois leans in again and presses her lips firmly to his. This time it's her tongue that seeks entry and he gladly obliges, letting her take the lead. He feels his heart flutter as the reality of the moment sinks in. This girl is everything I ever dreamed of, he thinks, and she wants ME.

Jesse's hands run up and down Lois' sides, leaving warm trails that make he shiver. She's never felt so alive to anyone's touch before. It was as if every nerve in her body was in hyperactive mode, responding to only his touch, his voice, the groans she could hear and feel as he let his caution slip away, lost in the pleasure of her warm body pressed against his, her hands weaving through his hair, her lips moving with more and more urgency against his own.

Finally, she breaks away, resurfacing and breathing heavily. Jesse, unable to stop himself, simply brushes his lips down her jaw and plants a soft kiss just below her ear before continuing down her neck and along her collarbone. Her sigh is a mix of pleasure and frustration. Jesse knows that he can have her now, tonight, if he keeps this up. Part of him wonders if that's right. Lois may have a high tolerance for alcohol but she was definitely buzzing after dinner.

Jesse pulls slightly away to look at Lois' face. Her eyes meet his and she can see his desire battling with his hesitation. She can also guess where that hesitation is coming from.

Don't, she thinks. She pulls one of her hands from around his neck and runs it down his arm, covering his hand where it lies on her hip. "You're right," she says, "I have wanted this for a long time. That's not the alcohol talking Jess." She pulls his hand away and places it on her chest over her heart. He can feel her heart beat a little faster than whats normal. "Feel that? The rum doesn't have that effect one me. You do."

Whatever resistance Jesse had left is gone in an instant. He pulls his hand away from her chest and wrap both arms around her, settling his hands under her butt and stands up. The movement is almost effortless for him and Lois wonders what muscles he's hiding beneath his shirt. Keeping her wrapped around his waist, he carries her down the short hallway and kicks the door open at the end.

Lois barely has time to take in the neatness of Jesse's room before they fall into the white blankets on his bed. Lois giggles and Jesse hovers over her, a grin spread across his face. He just looks at her as he kicks his shoes off at the end of the bed. Then, propping himself up on his knees, he straightens between her legs. He takes one leg and removes her shoe and sock then takes the other to do the same, never once moving his eyes from her face. A smile plays at the corners of his mouth as he leans back down, placing one hand on each side of her head.

He leans in close enough for Lois to feel his warm breath but far enough that he doesn't break eye contact. "Do I make you nervous now?" he teases, his lips barely brushing her then pulling back slightly.

"Yes," she says breathlessly. Jesse smiles.

"How do I make you nervous?" he says in a low, sexy voice.

Lois tries to organize her thoughts but his eyes are boring into hers and his warmth is all over and she just wants to be closer.

"I... you... You make me feel things I've never felt," she stutters out.

Jesse is really grinning now. "What kinds of things, Lois?"

Lois sees the cocky grin on his face and decides it's time to turn the tables. She brings both hands up to find the hem of his shirt and pushes beneath it. When her hands come in contact with his toned stomach, a sharp breath escapes his lips and now Lois is the one smiling.

"Things that make me want to do this," she says, hoping she sounds sexy as she runs her hands further up his shirt to roam over his chest.

"Mmm," he groans as he crushes his lips to hers again. Tired of the barrier his shirt presents to her roaming hands, Jesse pulls away again just to rip it off then returns to kissing her. As Lois continues her exploration of his chest, stomach and back, Jesse begins to unbutton her plaid shirt. That one barely hits the floor before he's sliding his hands up her undershirt and ridding her of that as well.

He kisses down her neck until his mouth is between her breasts. As he does, his hand travels down to the button on her jeans and he pops it open. Pushing up on his other arm he looks at her face again, holding her gaze as he begins to slide her jeans down. He looks back at him while maneuvering her body slightly so he can pull the pants away and drop them to the floor.

Lois lets her hands run down his bare sides to the waistband of his jeans. She bites her lower lip as she unbuttons and unzips them. This drives Jesse mad and his lips cover hers again, moving against them more roughly now.

Lois pushes his jeans down and he kicks them to the side. Her hands hover at his waist now, unsure where she should put them and it dawns on him for the first time. He pulls back, panting.

"Is this your first time?" he asks.

As he watches color flood her cheeks again, he wonders how anyone could be more beautiful to him than she is right now.

"No," she looks away, trying to hide her embarrassment. "Once," she says. "It was awful."

"Oh Honey," Jesse says as he brushes her cheek, "I can show you what it should be like."

Her eyes come back to his for a moment and then she nods. Jesse smiles warmly. "Tonight is all about you, Sweetie. I wanna make you feel good."

When his lips come down to hers this time, it's more gently. He kisses her soft and slow, their tongues dancing together sensually. Gradually the kiss becomes more determined and Jesse pushes his hand behind her back and unclasps her bra, pulling it away from her body and dropping it with her other clothes on the floor.

He runs a thumb over one of her bare nipples, caressing it, and she inhales sharply. Without skipping a beat, he pulls away from her lips and brings his mouth down on her other nipple, all the while his hand keeps a steady rhythm on the first one. Then he switches, taking the other nipple into his mouth while he caresses the free one.

Lois' eyes almost roll back in her head. She never felt this way when Garrett, the boy she had been with before touched her breasts. But having Jess all over them sends pleasure courses through her body. As he alternates between her breasts, massaging one while sucking and swirling his tongue around the other, she feels like the fluttering in her stomach might swallow her up.

Jesse looks finally looks up to see pure pleasure on Lois' face and grins, He pulls himself back up to kiss her again. "This is only the beginning," he whispers in her ear before bringing his mouth back to hers.

The hand that was just kneading her breasts finds its way over the surface of her lean stomach to the top of her thong. At first, he just slightly slides a finger underneath the fabric, barley touching her skin and moving it back and forth from hip bone to hip bone.

Lois growls into his mouth and he smiles but pushes his hand farther, over the smooth shaven skin and between the equally smooth lips. He hears a whimper in the back of her throat as he runs his finger up and down those lips, pushing a little deeper each time. Lois wiggles her hips, begging for him to stop teasing her. She's never felt so alive to anything in her life. Every touch, every kiss heats her very core.

Finally, after what feels like forever to both of them, Jesse finds the opening he's been slowly searching for. But he's not done teasing. He pushes his finger in only to the first knuckle then pulls it back out, rubbing her around her opening. Then again to the second knuckle before more rubbing.

Lois is groaning and gasping for breath, pushing against him hoping for more. Jesse decides not to disappoint her. He plunges his finger all the way in and she gasps, clutching at his arms for something to hold on to.

She feels so tight even with just one finger inside of her. Jesse feels his rapidly growing manhood ache with longing. He want so badly to push himself into her, hard and fast, releasing the tension boiling inside of him, straining for release.

No, he reminds himself. This is about HER.

He curls his finger just enough that it will rub her g-spot and slowly starts moving it in and out, in and out.

"Oh!" she moans. She brings one of her hands up and wraps it around his neck to pull him down for a hard kiss. The kiss turns into wild desire and Jesse loses himself in it, his finger moving faster and faster.

When she starts to move her hips, pushing his finger deeper, he knows she must be getting close and he slows to a stop, Lois moans in what sounds like protest and Jesse chuckles. He pulls away from her, back to his knees like he was when he removed her shoes, Now all that's left on her body is the lacey red thong clinging to her hips. He hooks a finger beneath the material and begins to pull it away. She bends her legs at the knees so he can pull it off completely and toss it away. The she returns her legs to either side of him.