Free Actually Love - Jessie & Zach by Melanie Shawn

graphic images of what her body wanted to do with Zach’s body. Which was completely unacceptable.
    Never before had Jessie’s mind been so unruly. She had always maintained a tight hold of the reins on any wild, runaway thought that had dared to gallop through her serene, well-manicured mind’s landscape. For some reason, these sex-filled stallion daydreams were not as easily tamed as the PG pony thoughts she was used to dealing with.
    Jessie had always prided herself on being very in tune with her sexuality. She knew what she liked in the bedroom and she wasn’t afraid to ask for it. Most women were timid about their sexual fulfillment. Not Jessie. She considered herself not only the captain but also the director of her very own pleasure cruise. She never left whether or not she was satisfied up to her partner. Why would she put someone else in charge of steering her bliss-ship to Gratification Island?
    Control. That was what Jessie excelled at in every aspect of her life. Total and complete control.
    Pressing the shiny new key into the lock above the doorknob that looked like it had seen better days, Jessie tried to turn it but it didn’t budge. Okay, she would try key number two. After placing the next brand-spanking-new silver key between her fingers, she slipped it into the lock and tried to turn. Again, she had zero luck.
    She was out of keys. Before she left the covering and walked around to the front of the house, freezing the entire way, Jessie jiggled the door handle. Logically, she knew that this wasn’t going to make either of the keys she had fit into the lock magically open the door, but she found herself doing it nevertheless.
    To her surprise, the doorknob turned, and she pushed it open. As she stepped inside, she was both relieved to be out of the freezing temperatures and a little concerned that the back door had not been secured. Shutting the door behind her, Jessie tried to turn the deadbolt upright to click it into a locked position but couldn’t budge the thing.
    Okay. She would be calling a locksmith first thing in the morning. This was a safe neighborhood and she was going to be living with a professional fighter, but Jessie was not stupid. A burglar or worse would probably not be detoured by either of those facts.
    Once Jessie had removed her black slim-fit down jacket, she set it down on the counter and flipped on the light to the cheery kitchen. The walls had been painted a soft baby-blue hue. White cabinets with glass doors lined one wall. Jessie had always wanted glass doors on her cabinets. Running her hand along the white tiled countertop, she began picturing different colors of plates in the cabinets, deciding which color she liked best. Yellow was the first color that popped into her mind. She thought it would be a nice pop of color, as well as complement her light oak kitchen table that would be arriving tomorrow.
    But would Zach agree with her? Did she have to run things like the color of dishes by him before she put them up? Were they going to split cabinet space fifty-fifty like the rent? What about the fridge?
    These were all things she needed to remember to address with him. Grabbing her phone out of her Louis Vuitton handbag, Jessie made quick work of typing in all of the questions she wanted to go over with Zach. Although Jessie was fiercely private, that did not mean that she was a poor communicator. The key to any successful relationship, whether it was personal or professional, was clear communication of expectations and responsibilities. It might not sound sexy, but it was the truth.
    Just as she was finishing the last entry in her ‘Ask Zach’ list, she heard a sound coming from the front room. Her first thought was that it was probably just the house settling. Every place she’d ever lived in had made different sounds.
    Glancing up, she expected to see an empty doorway. Instead, she found a very occupied space. She jumped back and hit the counter behind her, jarring her