“Come here.” He barely recognized the rasping tone of his own voice.
Emerald shook her head, making her sassy curls bounce. “Not yet.” She hitched her fingers inside the waistband of her bikini underwear and pushed. She shimmied her hips and the fabric fell down around her ankles.
Jackson could only stare at the perfection in front of him. The black curls covering her mound glistened with the evidence of her arousal. He wanted to see all of her. “Show me.” He patted the arm of the patio chair. “Put one of your feet up here.”
He’d surprised her. He could tell by the way her body jerked and her breathing increased. She licked her lips nervously. He could see the fear and arousal in her eyes. Just when he thought he might have pushed her a bit too far, she slowly raised her foot and perched it on the arm of the chair. It opened her up to him, but not enough.
“I want to see all of your pussy, sweetheart. I’ll bet it’s wet and hot and the same color as your rosy nipples.”
She was panting harder now and he could see the confusion in her eyes.
“Put your hands between your legs and spread yourself so I can see you.” When she hesitated, he leaned closer. “Please.”
Her hands skimmed over her belly and then down into the vee of her legs. She pulled back the folds of her labia and he could see her wet, pink sex. Reaching out, he traced his fingers over her sensitive flesh. She pulled away and then pushed closer. Jackson sat forward and flicked his tongue over the tight nub of nerves at the top. Emerald whimpered, the sound skipping along all the nerve endings in his body, setting him on fire.
Taking his time, he inserted one long finger into her tight channel. The muscles contracted around him. He watched Emerald as he pushed deep. Her head tipped back and she sighed, her hips tilting forward to take him. He pulled his finger all the way out and rimmed the opening with the tip.
“Jackson.” She barely breathed his name, but he heard the underlying need, the fire in that one word. She swayed and he caught her as she stumbled. Her hands flew out to steady herself as he drew her back down onto his lap. When he had her settled and facing him once again, he cupped her face in his hands and kissed her.
She opened completely to him, giving him all that he asked for and more. His hands slid over the curve of her neck, across her delicate collarbone and down her sides. He palmed her breasts, kneading them gently as his mouth consumed hers. Their tongues touched. Dueled. Mated.
His cock was throbbing so hard he was surprised he hadn’t come. His balls were drawn up so tight to his body they hurt. But he wanted more. He wanted Emerald’s pleasure. Wanted—no, needed—to see her come.
He left her sweet mouth and sat back, sucking air into his starving lungs. He allowed his hands to slip lower over the curve of her hips. The lushness of her ass called to him and he couldn’t resist giving it a quick squeeze. Someday he wanted to take her from behind so he could hear the smack of his flesh against the plumpness of her ass as he fucked her.
Emerald’s hands felt so good against his flesh as she touched his shoulders and chest. But when her hand reached lower, he grabbed her wrist. His fingers wrapped easily around it, stopping her from reaching her goal. Her eyes flew to his. “If you touch me, I’ll come in your hand. I’m hanging on by a thread here.”
Surprise and then pleasure lit her face and then she smiled. Jackson barely stifled a groan. It was time to finish this before he lost all control. Sliding one hand between her thighs, he didn’t hesitate as he pressed two fingers inside her. Emerald gasped, making her breasts jiggle with each breath she took. Her pussy was so hot and tight he thought his cock might just blow. He gritted his teeth and tried to think about something else, anything but the beautiful, giving woman curled so trustingly in his arms.
“Touch yourself,” he rasped. “Play with your nipples. You know that they’re aching to be touched and petted.” Leaning forward, he nuzzled one of her breasts before licking the tip. He sat back and feathered his thumb over her swollen clit as he worked his two fingers in and out of her pussy. “Do it,” he whispered.
She licked her lips and then brought her hands up to cup her breasts. They overflowed her smaller hands, but she squeezed and rubbed them, gradually touching her nipples with her fingers.
“That’s it,” he encouraged. “Pinch them.” He withdrew his fingers from her channel and lightly pinched her clit. Her hips jerked forward, her eyes glazing over as she tugged at her nipples.
Jackson thrust two fingers back inside her. He wanted it to be his cock buried inside her, but not only was it too soon, he suddenly realized he didn’t have any protection. He hadn’t needed any in quite some time. The older he’d gotten, the less he’d indulged in meaningless affairs. There was no way he was making love to Emerald without it.
Emerald was panting harder now, her hips moving quickly against his fingers as he thrust them in and out of her pussy. Dampness coated his fingers as her muscles tightened around them. He could feel she was close. A light sheen of sweat covered her body, making her glow in the last rays of the day. Her head was tipped back, exposing the curve of her neck. Her lips were parted and they looked slightly swollen and moist from their earlier kisses.
Sweat rolled down his back as he continued to work her with his fingers. He pressed on the hard nub of her clit as he started to insert a third finger into her molten core. Emerald stiffened and then jerked forward. Her climax hit her hard, making her entire body heave. Jackson kept his fingers moving as she cried out his name. His hand was wet with her desire by the time he finally withdrew it. He gritted his teeth as he pulled his fingers from her, wanting to bury himself in her sweet depths.
She slumped against him and he cuddled her close. Her mound was pressed tight against his cock and he could feel her throbbing against him. The smell of sex seemed to sit on the warm, still evening air. Jackson had never been so aroused in his life, yet he was oddly content as he held Emerald tight against his chest. The sounds of the evening that had all but disappeared in the haze of passion started to seep back into his consciousness.
He began to hear the calls of the birds as they flew from tree to tree in search of an evening meal. The bees hummed gently as they flitted from flower to flower. The sun was low in the sky, partially sunk below the horizon. It glowed a fire red as it gradually faded from sight. The wood of the chair was warm against his back and the woman in his arms was soft, her delectable body draped almost bonelessly across him.
Jackson contented himself with just rubbing his hand across her back and shoulders. His own breathing calmed and his cock, while still erect, at least wasn’t in danger of erupting at an inopportune moment. Gradually, Emerald stirred and pushed away to sit up in his arms. She looked sleepy and sated and incredibly sexy with her hair tumbling around her flushed skin.
She also looked slightly bewildered. “You didn’t…” She broke off and looked down at his erection.
“No, I didn’t.”
“I don’t understand.”
Jackson sighed, wishing she’d stayed curled in his arms a while longer. “I don’t have any protection and it’s too soon.”
Her eyebrows came together. “Too soon?”
He kept rubbing her back, willing her to understand. “You’re in a vulnerable position right now and feeling emotional. I didn’t want to take advantage.”
The flush of sated desire was quickly turning into anger. He could see it in the way her entire body stiffened. Her voice was low and controlled but throbbed with hurt. “Let me get this straight. It would be taking advantage of me to sleep with me, but it’s not taking advantage to have me strip naked and make me come outside on a patio chair.” Her voice got louder with each word and he winced. When she put it like that, it sounded bad.
“I just wanted to make you feel good.”
Stiffly, she climbed off his lap and grabbed her clothing, holding it in front of her. “I don’t need your pity.”
“Pity,” he yelled. “I don’t feel pity fo
r you. If anything, I feel pity for me. I’m the one with the raging hard-on.”
She sniffed, tilting her chin up as she glared down at him. “That’s your own fault. I think you’re just too afraid to be vulnerable. It’s okay for me to be totally exposed to you, but you don’t want to risk the same in return.”
Jackson froze in place. Was she right? Was he afraid to risk opening himself up to her so soon? No! No, he assured himself. He was being thoughtful, trying to be sensitive, and look where it got him. “That’s not true. I wanted to touch you, to taste you, more than I’ve ever wanted any woman. And I’ll always be grateful for the gift you just gave me here. The last thing I wanted to do was to make love to you here tonight and have you regret it in the morning.”
Uncertainty filled her face as they simply stared at one another. Finally, it was Emerald who broke the connection between them. “I’m going to bed.” Without another word, she hurried into the house. He caught a glimpse of her lush ass before the door closed behind her with a resounding thump.
Jackson slumped back in the chair and closed his eyes, wondering exactly what had gone wrong. He didn’t know how long he just sat there thinking about everything, but by the time he dragged himself out of the chair, darkness had claimed the land. He tugged his jeans up around his waist but didn’t bother to zip or button them as he followed her inside, closing and locking the door for the night.
He strode over the closed door of Emerald’s room and laid his hand on the door. He stood there for long seconds, trying to decide what to do. Sighing, he dropped his hand, turned and walked away. His footsteps were heavy as he climbed the stairs and headed for the bathroom and a cold shower. It was going to be a long night.
Emerald lay curled in a ball on top of her bed as she listened to Jackson finally come into the house. He’d been out there so long she almost got up to check on him. She still wasn’t sure how she felt about what had happened between them.
Her body was still thrumming with the aftereffects of her orgasm and she squirmed to get more comfortable beneath the thin sheet that was draped over her naked body. She hadn’t been able to bear the thought of putting on a nightgown. Her skin still felt extremely sensitive. Even the sheet was almost too much.
She’d let down her guard and made herself vulnerable to Jackson while he’d held part of himself back from her. Maybe she should be glad at least one of them had some common sense. She hadn’t even thought about protection and there was just no excuse for that, especially not in this day and age.
She’d felt his presence outside her bedroom door. Could almost feel his indecision as he hovered there. She’d had to bite her lip to keep from calling out to him. Part of her wanted to comfort him and another part of her was warning that he could hurt her. She could easily lose her heart to him if she wasn’t careful.
When she’d finally sensed him leave, she didn’t know what she felt exactly. Slightly bereft. Partially relieved. She was a mess of emotions. With all the other troubles she had, a romantic entanglement was the last thing she needed. It had been an incredible experience, one she’d never forget, but it couldn’t happen again. After all, she wasn’t going to be here that long.
And why that thought depressed her, she didn’t know. Her life was in New York, not here. She heard water running through the pipes and knew that Jackson was taking a cold shower. She could use one of those herself. But she didn’t move. She just didn’t have the energy. The morning would be time enough to shower.
The water cut off and she thought she heard his footsteps as he walked to his bedroom. Then there was silence. With her window wide open, she heard what she thought might be an owl. It was so quiet here compared to New York.
She yawned and closed her eyes. It had been a long, strange day.
Chapter Seven
Emerald sighed deeply as the farmhouse faded from view.
“That was a deep sigh. Anything wrong?”
She turned to find Erin glancing her way, concern on the other woman’s face. “No, I’m fine. I just didn’t sleep well last night.”
The truth was she’d hardly slept at all. She’d drifted off to sleep but had spent the entire night waking up almost as soon as sleep claimed her. Strange noises had made her heart pound, and when she hadn’t been thinking about her stalker, she’d been imagining Jackson naked upstairs in his bed. And that thought was more than enough to keep a woman awake all night long.
“You’ll settle in.” Emerald wished she felt as confident as Erin sounded. “That is, if Jackson doesn’t scare you off.”
“What do you mean?” Oh God, did Erin suspect what had gone on between her and Jackson last night? Her heart began to pound. Had she seen something? They’d been naked together on the back porch, of all places. Well, she’d been naked. Jackson had still been partly dressed.
Erin just laughed. “I figured if the mess and Jackson’s grumpiness hasn’t driven you off yet, it’s not going to.”
Emerald took a deep breath and forced herself to relax. Of course no one knew what happened last night. It was her imagination working overtime this morning. She hadn’t been sure how she was going to face Jackson this morning, so she’d gotten up early, made a pot of coffee and cooked breakfast. When Jackson came downstairs, she’d served up bacon and eggs and then hurried upstairs to start cleaning.
It had worked for the most part. He’d left her alone until just before he left the house at seven o’clock. She’d sensed him behind her and had turned off the vacuum cleaner. The look he’d given her had been filled with a combination of exasperation, lust and some other emotion she couldn’t quite place. But there had been a distinct tenderness in his blue eyes when he’d placed his hands on her shoulders.
“You can’t hide from me or from what’s happening between us forever, Emerald.” He’d rubbed his thumb across her bottom lip, making it tingle. “We don’t have to deal with it until you’re ready, so there’s no need to hide from me.”
She’d bristled at the suggestion that she was hiding until she realized that it was the truth. She hadn’t wanted to face him last night and that was cowardly. Still, she’d felt the need to deny it. “I’m not hiding.”
“Good. Then we don’t have a problem, do we?” He’d bent down and brushed a gentle kiss across her lips. Her nipples had tightened immediately and she’d parted her lips, but he was already backing away. “Good morning.” His husky voice had made her shiver, but she’d quickly shaken off the sexual lethargy that had threatened to descend upon her.
“Did you go over the grocery list that I left on the table?” She desperately needed to get things back on a businesslike setting.
He’d stared at her as if he knew exactly what she was doing, but thankfully he didn’t call her on it. “Yeah, I checked it. Erin will let you know if there’s anything else you need. After this trip you should be able to handle it on your own. Just tell them to put it on the farm tab. With Erin there to vouch for you, there should be no problem. I’ll call in to the store later and tell them that you can charge groceries there until I tell them differently.” He’d hesitated, but then a determined look settled over his face and he squared his shoulders. “I don’t know how much money you have or if you need anything. If you do, just get it and charge it to the farm.”
Once again his generosity had overwhelmed her. She’d opened her mouth to thank him, but he was already plowing ahead.
“Don’t get all riled up. I know you’re proud and you’ve got money that you can’t access. Think of it as an advance on your salary.”
Emerald had almost smiled when she’d realized that he’d expected her to argue with him. “Okay.”
That had seemed to surprise him. “Okay. Good.” He’d dragged his hand through his hair as he puffed out a deep breath. She realized that he wasn’t any more comfortable than she was this morning. He’d just been hiding it better. “Did you make the list of names I asked you?”
She had. When she hadn’t been able to fall back to sleep
early this morning, she’d turned on her light and made a list as he’d asked, even remembering to add her investigator’s name and phone number at the top. It was similar to the one she’d given the police and Dane Hatcher, except that list hadn’t included information about the investigator himself. Reaching into the back pocket of her jeans, she’d pulled out the folded list. Jackson had taken it from her, his fingers barely grazing hers. But that simple touch had been enough to set her heart racing.
“Erin will be here in an hour. I’ll see you when you get back.” At that, he’d leaned down and pressed another kiss on her lips. This one was firmer, but it was still over before she’d had a chance to even think about participating. Jackson’s boots had clunked down the stairs and she’d heard the back door slamming shut behind him.
Sighing, she’d touched her fingers to her lips. When she’d realized what she was doing, she’d shaken herself, finished vacuuming the hallway and hurried downstairs to clean up after breakfast and get ready for Erin’s arrival.
She hadn’t seen Jackson when she’d left. He must have already been out working somewhere in the orchards.
“You sure you’re all right?” Erin’s voice jolted her back to reality.
“I’m sure.” She glanced out the window and was surprised to see they were almost to town. She’d been quiet all the way in. “I’m sorry I’m not better company this morning.” Erin had been nothing but kind to her and she didn’t want the woman to think she didn’t like her.
Erin just smiled. “No problem. I’m sure you’re just beat after yesterday.”
Emerald laughed. Erin wasn’t one of those women who tried to sugarcoat things where her brother was concerned. “You’ve got that right. The downstairs has been put to rights, but now I’ve got to tackle the upstairs. Other than the bathroom and Jackson’s room, there shouldn’t be much to do but vacuum, dust and change the sheets on the beds.” Just thinking about Jackson’s bedroom had her stomach doing somersaults. “The kitchen was the worst of it.”
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