“Well, from there I learned to let go of a lot of concerns about legality. I learned to evaluate things more on what’s moral rather than what’s strictly legal. I learned about computers as you know, and more martial arts, and the Touches... well, those you know about.” Katrina looks shy, and I love it. “I guess nothing all that useful.”
“Oh, I think one of those is useful,” I say, grinning, but I realize it’s probably not the best time. “No, but seriously, I had a silly image last night, during one of the times that I woke up, before the dream got disturbing.”
“Oh? What was it?” Katrina asks, and I wave her off. “Come on, it can't be that silly.”
“Well, I had a dream that you and I opened a gym together,” I tell her, sipping at the tea. It's horrible, but not as bad as the stuff this morning, maybe because it's still pretty much ice cold and a lot of the sweetness is numbed. “You taught women how to kick ass like you do, and I taught people how to get ripped. Oh, and you taught me some of your tricks.”
“You seem to have a pretty natural skill, I don't think you need the Touches,” Katrina jokes.
“Doesn’t mean I wouldn’t mind feeling them again,” I say, grinning.
I'm lying in bed after reading for the past hour and trying to get my mind on anything other than today's events. Going to Katrina's parents' apartment, the beat down, and running away are part of it, but instead, my mind wants to go back to the feeling of her in my arms, the way she felt when we kissed, and the desire that flowed through me the rest of the day.
I look over at Katrina, who's sleeping, her lips slightly parted, so soft and kissable...
“Shit,” I mutter, lying back on my side of the bed. I can't get up and go to the bathroom to beat off, that’s fucking shameful. I haven't had to beat off to alleviate blue balls since... well, ever. At least I'm not standing at attention right this second, although my cock is awake and telling me all sorts of things it would like to do right now.
I close my eyes, hoping that maybe I can get some sleep, and maybe I do drift off, because the next thing I’m aware of is a light Touch on my forearm, sending warm sparks through me, and I hum slightly. “Mmm...”
“Shh,” Katrina whispers in my ear, her hand touching another area, and even though I'm in a fantasy, I know I'm also awake. My eyes open, and I see that Katrina's turned on the little lamp next to her side of the bed, and she's taken off all of her clothes. I blink, making sure I'm not imagining things.
“Katrina?”
“Tonight... I want there to be a future tonight,” she whispers, her voice choked with feeling, and I notice she's pulled the bedspread down, removing the barrier between us. “Tonight... show me what it can be.”
She touches me again, and I'm fully awake, fully aware of what's happening, but still clear-headed, my desire for her completely natural, not manufactured by what she's doing. She leans down, her body sliding over mine, and looks into my eyes. “Katrina...”
“Be my first, Jackson,” she pleads, her eyes filled with emotion. “Be my first real lover.”
I nod, and she lowers her lips the last few inches, and we kiss. What I don't tell her, what I want to tell her, is that I've never had a real lover either, not the way she's talking about anyway. And in that kiss, she's my first as well.
Chapter 23
Kat
When we get back to the hotel after our dinner, I'm torn more than ever. The dinner, the kiss, all of it, I'm feeling different than I have in my entire life. Even telling Jackson earlier that with him, I feel like there's a chance at a future, it's not enough.
The reality is that when I'm with Jackson, not only do I feel like I have a future, but I feel regret. I feel regret about the past ten years, and the senseless bullshit that drove me to what I've become. I want those ten years back, those years that I should have spent doing normal girl things, like having my first kiss with Jackson like I'd wanted when I was twelve.
We get ready for bed casually, like there's no tension between us, but I can feel it in the air. It's in the way he lies in bed trying to read, but spending ten minutes on a single page before turning to the next, and in the way he keeps glancing over at me every time I move. When I switch off the light, I close my eyes to meditate, hoping that maybe by focusing and pretending to go to sleep I can relieve some of this tension. Jackson closes his book and sets it aside after a few minutes, and I can hear him turn over onto his side too, but after a few minutes, he mutters to himself.
“Shit,” he lightly curses, then shifts again. His breathing evens out though, and I think he's drifted off into a light doze, and I open my eyes, turning on my side to look at him. I can't see much, so I turn on the lamp next to my side of the bed, and watch him in the soft light, amazed at how handsome he is. Even in sleep though he's tense, and his lips are constantly moving. It takes me a while, but I realize he's saying my name, although in desire or fright I'm not sure.
I make my decision, knowing that regardless if it's right or wrong, it's necessary. Carefully I get up, and take the rolled-up blanket from between us, then I strip down, taking off everything I'm wearing before stretching out on the bed again. I see his forearm, and I Touch him lightly, his tension easing before he hums, the desire growing inside him. “Mmm...”
After he wakes, I look into his eyes, and ask him the most important request I've ever asked anyone in my life. “Be my first, Jackson. Be my first real lover.”
He nods, and I lower my lips to his, the two of us kissing again. He's gentle, and I feel my heart warm as he strokes my back, slowly waking to the desire inside us. Suddenly, Jackson's hands are surer, more powerful and demanding as he realizes what I want. I giggle as he rolls us to the side, and suddenly I'm underneath him, his eyes sparkling with humor as he looks down on me. “Now this is not what I ever expected.”
I chuckle and nod. “Neither did I. You're still wearing your clothes.” I’m thrilled as Jackson pulls his t-shirt off, then pushes his boxers down. His cock is already growing, nearly fully hard, and I feel a wetness start to form inside me. I'm ready, anticipating what's going to happen, and I smile, my heart warming. Jackson sees my smile and stops, just watching me.
“Every smile you give, you look more and more beautiful,” he tells me before we kiss again. His skin is warm, amazing to feel pressed against me, my body thrilling at the sensation of our bodies touching. I wrap my legs around his waist, moaning as Jackson starts kissing his way along my throat, finding my ear again and nibbling. “Mmm, you like that.”
“Oh yes...” I groan as he traces my earlobe again. Feeling naughty, I plant my left foot and roll us again, giving me full access to his body, gasping when I feel his cock bump against the entrance to my pussy. “Jackson...”
“Condom?” he asks, letting me go. “I... I think I have one.”
I look down at him and shake my head. Tonight is about the future, and in my mind, my future with him does not include condoms. Besides, with every training partner I ever had, we used condoms. I want my first lover to be different. “No,” I reply, pulling him up as I scoot back. I adjust my legs and sit in his lap, straddling his waist, his cock sandwiched between us. He scoots us back until his back is resting against the headboard of the bed, and I stroke his hair, emotion choking me. “I just want you to know... I... I... “
“I know,” he says, and we kiss, harder and more passionately than ever. Jackson wraps his arms around me, his hands supporting me as we stay like this, devouring each other. Planting my knees, I reach down, grasping his steely cock and groaning in need. I lift up and position him at my entrance, coating him with my natural juices before lowering down slowly, shivering as he stretches me open. I look down and see him looking me in the eyes, his own heart visible as I sink deeper, my body and soul filled as we come together.
Settling in, I feel my clit grind against the base of Jackson's cock, and I tighten around him, smiling as his fingers pull at my back in response. Leaning me back, he kisses down my throat to my
breasts, sucking on my nipples in turn and nipping at the skin. I feel so many sparks shooting through my body that I have no idea where they’re coming from.
His raw desire and passion combined with his natural skill sets my body on the trembling edge of ecstasy. His lips are electric, his tongue teasing my breasts until I'm lost, delirious and clawing at his hair, wanting to both pull him in tighter and push him back so that I can kiss him again.
Finally, Jackson releases my left nipple and I jam his head back, bouncing it off the headboard and crushing his mouth with a kiss while I lift my hips, sliding up before riding his thick, perfect cock down again, my clit dragging against him the whole time, a match igniting the fire inside me. I ride him, my hips moving on their own, up and down, back and forth, squeezing him with every movement.
I'm dripping in sweat, my body already driven past any feeling it's ever had before, and Jackson's still there, holding and supporting me. His mouth finds my neck again and I'm caught, trapped between the feeling of his lips on my throat and his cock inside me, riding back and forth. “Jackson... oh, Jackson.... give me more.”
We slide down the bed, until he’s on his back and I'm riding him, our fingers entwining as he supports me. He's looking up into my eyes, and I lean down until our noses touch, stopping my hips. “Take me, Jackson. Please.”
Without letting go of my hands, he wraps me up, pinning my arms behind my back as he rolls us again, putting me on my back, my legs spread and open to him. He's slipped out from the roll, but in a single long thrust, he splits me open again, both of us gasping at the feeling. Letting my hands go, Jackson pushes my ankles up toward my head, and I grab behind my knees, holding on as he starts pounding me with his thick cock, his powerful hips shaking my body with every thrust. I egg him on, “Come on, that’s not all you’ve got,” I say, even though I’m already hissing in pain and pleasure with every slap of his hips against mine.
Jackson's groans and gasps are in perfect unison with mine as he speeds up, driving into me harder and harder as my words give him even more encouragement. My hands clutch at his back, my nails scratching and clawing at his skin as Jackson fills me perfectly again, my body never feeling this way before, never feeling this good. I'm caught on the edge of coming, and Jackson knows it.
I'm reduced to grunts, unable to speak but still capable of feeling, begging for the last bit to push me over into paradise. I feel him swell bigger within me, and with a final shuddering groan he comes, his cock filling me and sending me crashing into climax, my body electric white with sensation. It's never been this good, this meaningful before, and as I cry out, I want to form the words that I've never said before to any man, not in the past ten years, but to Jackson I want to say them. I want to tell him how I feel, but before I can, darkness overwhelms me, and I'm driven into unconsciousness and sleep.
At first, I'm confused waking up. I've never felt this before, claustrophobic and comforted at the same time. There's a warm weight pressed against my back and a strong restraint around my waist. At first, I want to struggle, but then Jackson hums, and I realize what it is, and comfort takes over. I snuggle into him, relaxing in the few minutes we have before the needs of the day takes over.
“Good morning,” Jackson whispers in my ear. He kisses my neck, and a little thrill runs down my spine. “How'd you sleep?”
“Better than I have in my entire life,” I answer honestly, taking his hand off my stomach and kissing it. “Last night... was amazing.” I turn around to look him in the eyes. Even sleep-tousled and with a little bit of sleep crust around his left eye, he's handsome and wonderful and sexy as hell. “You opened up new frontiers to me last night.”
“Then let's explore them today,” he invites me, his hand going down to cup my hip.
“You trying to wear me out?” I laugh, purring when he cups my ass. His hands feel so good, but I want to draw it out, make it last. “Come on, we've got time. Go get a shower while I make a few phone calls, and we'll plan out the rest of the day.”
Jackson shakes his head. “Only after a good morning kiss. Then I'll go. If not, I'm dragging you to the shower where I’m going to seduce you, and then I’m going to do it again on the bed afterward before you can make your phone call.”
I chuckle and kiss him, loving this side of him. It's something I've had so little time for. It feels nice. “There. Now go, and if my phone call goes quickly enough, maybe I'll join you for the last part of the shower.”
Jackson grins and gets up, giving me quite a show of his naked butt as he walks into the bathroom, and I roll off the bed, finding my phone. I know who I want to contact, and I need Jackson out of the room to do so. I wait until I hear the shower start, and through the crack in the door I see him get in and start washing. Opening my apps, I see that Andrea has tried to contact me via Viber, and I return her call. She's online, and maybe she's got a smartphone like me, so I don't have to wait.
“Hello?”
“It's good to hear your voice again, Andrea.”
“It's been too long, Katrina. How is Savannah?”
“Actually, we're in Miami. That's what I wanted to call you about. I found my parents. They're alive.”
“Whoa. I suspected something with the way Nathan and Jackson bounced so quickly, but that's one I didn't think of.”
“Yeah well, Peter helped my parents fake their deaths. Nathan's already told Jackson about it, and it's a stake in Peter's heart if I can prove it. Andrea, I'm going to need your help.”
“What can I do?”
“I’ve never been able to crack Peter's home computer, or wherever he keeps whatever electronic files he's got. If I can get something to tie him to my parents' faked deaths, and to the dirty dealings my... that Sam Grammercy was doing, I can bring him down quickly.”
“What's the rush? I mean, besides your life being in danger.”
“I'm ready to move on from all of this. But I have to complete it first. I’ve put too much into this to just give it up. Andrea... can you help me?”
“Damn right. Let me get to work.”
“Thanks. I'll have another friend working it too, so if you run into someone online called BlakDhal1A, chill. That's my girl.”
“All right, I'll be in touch. For now, though, I've got class in ten. Enjoy Miami.”
Andrea hangs up, and I set my phone back in my bag. I hear the shower turn off and Jackson get out. “Any longer and I'd turn into a prune,” he calls. “But if you want, you can help me dry off.”
“Hmm, maybe I can,” I tease, going into the bathroom where he's dripping, gloriously naked, his cock hanging long and thick between his legs, and twitching as he sees me. “What, did you think I'd get dressed?”
“I wasn't sure, but I'm glad you didn't,” he replies, kissing me when I come close enough. “I thought you wanted to take your time?”
“I do. This is just a little foreplay,” I say. He’s already rock hard and ready to go at it, but we’ve got things to do. “Come on. Let's get dressed, go get some breakfast, and then we'll have all day to have fun before we head back to New Orleans and put this whole damn thing behind us.”
I leave the bathroom, Jackson lagging behind as he wipes down, and I get dressed quickly. I'm hungry, and after having sex, I'm looking forward to a big breakfast before coming back for more.
“Actually, I was thinking about that in the shower,” Jackson says nervously. “Uhm, is there a way that maybe we can get your vengeance without Peter going to jail?”
I've got my pants on, and my sports bra is half on, but I pause, shocked at what I just heard. I finish pulling my bra on and reach for a t-shirt, since it's closest. “You must be joking, Jackson. What do you want me to do, kill him?”
Jackson blanches, and shakes his head. “No, no. What I mean is... what about just the two of us running away? We live well, and safe from his influence. Isn't that a better revenge than destroying him and hurting others?”
“Others?” I ask, sensing where this is going.
“You mean hurting your ability to drop five hundred bucks on a skirt and sandals for me, don't you? Didn't think I noticed the price tag?”
Jackson blushes, but shakes his head. “No... not just that, Katrina. I mean, there's my mother, and as bad as she was to me, she can't survive on her own. And Andrea, she's still in school, and then there's the other people who may...”
“Stop it, Jackson. Just... cut the bullshit,” I snap, pulling my t-shirt on. I sit down and pull my socks on, looking for my boots. “Jesus, I had hoped we were past this point. It's not about the fucking money! Life isn't about that!”
“It isn't about blood and revenge either!” Jackson yells back, still naked. “You told me to be better than him, well, you need to be, too! Stop worrying about your goddamn vengeance and live your life! Let it go, let us be able to let it go!”
“I can't!” I yell back, furious. “I'm not looking for his death anymore, but that asshole stole ten years of my life! I can't get that back, and I'm not the only one. Maybe he didn't kill my parents, but he's killed how many more? How much of that money you're so worried about is blood money? And don't try to fucking lie, telling me it's not the money you're worried about!”
“So what are you going to do? Blow the whole damn thing up? Burn the house to the ground? Because if you send him to jail, you might as well! You know the feds and who the fuck else is going to civil sue the shit outta the estate. What then? Living broke?”
“I've done it,” I reply coldly, standing up. I go to grab my bag, and see the skirt sitting on top. I yank it out, and rip it in half, tossing the pieces onto the carpet. “It isn't as bad as you think. Might just make you stronger, Jackson.”
Before he can answer, I grab my backpack and leave, pissed and trying not to cry. I'd suspected, I'd feared since yesterday, but hearing his words, I know that I can't trust Jackson to not interfere in the rest of the plan. He cares for me, I know that. But right now... he's not ready.
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