Endangered Hearts

by Jolie Cain

  "And what's choice number two?” she asked.

  He smiled evilly. “Build a nest."

  * * * *

  Abby didn't know whether to laugh or throw something to wipe that arrogant smirk off his face. There was nothing, absolutely nothing, worse than having to back down in front of a cocky male who knew he was right. Especially when said male was the only source of help for miles around. She widened her eyes and let her lower lip tremble. “But, Jack,” her voice softened, “what if you drop me? I-I-I'm scared. Please ... please don't make me jump. I could break an arm. Or a leg. Please...” Her voice trailed off, and she lowered her eyes in feminine helplessness.

  There was absolute silence for several long moments, so she ventured a look at him. She knew right away that she had failed in her attempt to change his mind. Failed miserably. Jack was openly grinning at her performance.

  "No good, huh?” she asked.

  "Afraid not, angel.” He shook his head. “But it was very interesting and enlightening, I must say.” He laughed when she made a face at him. “I'll have to keep this little performance in mind the next time you try to pull a fast one on me."

  That comment struck her as strange. It sounded like Jack expected them to be together for a while, when in actuality she knew that what they had was only temporary. Just sex, right? Come to think of it, his demeanor during this whole episode had been strange...

  "Come on, Abby. I'm waiting."

  She bit her lip. “So you're really gonna make me jump, huh?"

  He resumed his position beneath her. “It's not going to be that bad, I promise. Just ease yourself forward and drop. I'll be right here to break your fall. You're really not all that high."

  "Are you sure?” she asked, not kidding this time.

  "Sure, I'm sure. Now, come on, chicken. We're already soaking wet, and I'd like to get out of these clothes in the next decade or so.” His tone was challenging, and Abby responded to it.

  "I'm not a chicken,” she denied. “It's just—well, oh, all right. I'll do it. But if you drop me, Jack, so help me..."

  "I won't drop you. Come on, now. Move forward on the limb. That's it. Now grab onto that other branch—good, good.” And with Jack patiently guiding her through, Abby prepared to jump.

  "Jack...” she tried one last plea.

  "Jump, Abby,” he commanded.

  Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, Abby released her tight grip on the limb and dropped toward Jack's waiting arms. Unfortunately, the momentum of her fall sent her down with considerable force, and they both crashed to the ground. At the same moment, the floodgates seemed to open, and rain poured down on their unprotected bodies.

  They lay there, their limbs in a tangled heap. Abby recovered first and pushed herself up to peer worriedly down into Jack's face. His eyes were closed. “Are you all right, Jack?” she asked in breathless concern, afraid that the fall had knocked him unconscious.

  His eyes blinked open against the rain, and he stared dazedly at her. Then he managed a weak grin. “Sure. I'm great. Just great. Thanks for asking."

  Abby relaxed, relieved that she was finally down and neither of them was too badly hurt. “I told you this was a bad idea."

  "All right. I admit it. It was a bad idea. You were right. I was wrong."

  "Well,” she smiled. There was nothing she liked better than to be proven right. She could be magnanimous in victory. “No harm done. And at least I'm down and relatively unscathed.” Her voice was filled with grateful humor. “For a while there I thought I was going to be stuck up in that tree forever."

  He smiled and so did she. The laughter faded from her eyes as she became aware of the close proximity of their bodies, and the rapidly growing bulge pressing against her. She attempted to push herself up, but his arms encircled her waist and halted her tentative movements.

  "Sorry I had to leave you this morning, but you were sleeping so soundly I didn't want to wake you,” he whispered to her, ignoring the pouring rain. Their wet clothes clung to them so that it felt to Abby as if they were skin to skin.

  Abby knew that he could see her aroused nipples, and his hands rubbing up and down her back were having their usual effect on her. She looked down at him and saw the same desire in his eyes that she was sure was reflected in her own. In the blink of an eye, the mood between them had passed from humor to passion, and there was nothing she could do to stop it. She wanted him, wanted this.

  Her limbs felt heavy and the splattering of the rain on her back added to the erotic atmosphere that enclosed them. Her breathing sped up as the expression on his face became more and more sensual. She felt claimed, caught by his clear blue eyes.

  Her tongue swept her lower lip, tasting rainwater, and she watched his eyes trace the path of her tongue before following a droplet of water as it slid slowly down her cheek. His eyes rose back to hers, and he reached up to stroke a finger down the trail the water had just followed, his finger skimming down further to stroke over the distended nipple of her left breast which ached for a firmer touch. She leaned down to lick some droplets from his mouth, and his hands tunneled into her hair, scattering the few remaining pins.

  As Jack molded her mouth against his own, she opened her lips, accepting the hungry slide of his tongue into her with eager warmth. She absorbed his taste, while overhead thunder crashed and the rain fell. Then it seemed to Abby as if she and Jack had become caught up in the storm itself. While the skies emptied around them, they rolled over and over on the ground, lips devouring and bodies straining to get as close to one another as possible.

  At last Abby lay beneath Jack, his weight pressing her down into the soft, damp ground. He moved his leg between hers, and she spread her thighs, opening herself to his touch. As he rubbed himself against her swollen softness, she let out a low moan that he quickly swallowed into his own mouth. When he ducked his head to capture a swollen peak between his teeth, he bit down just enough to cause Abby a twinge of pain-filled pleasure.

  "God, Jack. God, that feels so good,” Abby gasped. She felt his hand move down her body until it reached the hem of her shirt where the seeking fingers began tunneling up beneath her top. The rain felt cool on her heated flesh when Jack stripped her of her wet clothes, and she watched in eager anticipation as he removed his own.

  With sudden boldness, Abby shoved Jack over so that he lay flat on his back and began kissing and sipping her way down his damp chest, plucking on the trail of dark hair that arrowed downward, and giving attention to each of his puckered nipples with little delicate licks.

  His hands grasped the back of her head and tangled in her wet locks as he nudged her head lower. She licked her way down his flat belly until she reached the swollen cock that rose from a nest of dark curls at the juncture of his thighs. Her hand wrapped around the base, and she glanced up to see his eyes focused on her. Conscious of a delicious new feminine power, she dropped a delicate kiss on the tip where a bead of pre-cum beckoned, and she smiled when she heard him groan with pleasure.

  Taking her time, she covered his throbbing manhood with wet openmouthed kisses and tiny nibbles before taking the head into her mouth. His hands urged her closer. Opening her jaw wider to take in more of his length, she sank down as far as possible, feeling his cockhead brush against the back of her throat and resisting the urge to gag at the unaccustomed fullness. Then, under the direction of his hands, she set up a slow rhythm, moving up and down on his cock, sucking and licking with each withdrawal.

  "Enough,” he finally stopped her movements and pulled her head back. “I don't want to come in your mouth, angel. Not this time.” He sat up and moved her legs to either side of his hips so that she straddled his lap. Abby could feel his erection rubbing against her labia, her wetness creating a delicious friction as his cock stroked up and down against her cunt. The rain continued falling around them, but Abby was so caught up in their passion that it hardly penetrated her consciousness. “Tell me you want me, Abby."

  "I do. I want you s
o much, Jack. Please. I need you inside me."

  "You know what I want to hear. Say it."

  "Fuck me, Jack. Please fuck me. I want your cock inside me now.” He responded to her plea by lifting her up so that he could maneuver his straining hardness into position. Poised at the delicate opening, he hesitated; then he thrust upward until she was impaled on his rigid flesh. He grasped a handful of her hair and forced her head back, and she couldn't suppress a deep-throated moan as she was bombarded with sensation after sensation. His hand moved to her hip, gathering her against him. At his urging, she began moving, slowly at first, and then faster and faster.

  "Take me deeper, baby. Can you feel that? Can you feel my cock inside your tight cunt? Is it good, angel? God, you are so wet for me. I love it that you're so wet for me."

  Abby was incapable of forming a coherent response, so she just moaned his name over and over, “Jack. Jack. Oh, Jack, yes. Harder. Fuck me harder.” A stinging slap of his hand against her butt cheek sent a wave of pleasure crashing through her. Another slap had her gasping aloud, and her cunt flooded with even more wetness.

  "Yes, you like that, too, don't you, baby? You like it a little rough. A little pain. That's good. So good."

  They moved together, gasping and clawing in passionate need. Releasing her hair, he slid a hand down her wet body until his finger touched her clit, rubbing in time with his thrusts. Her arms wrapped around his neck, and she met him thrust for thrust until she was claimed by her climax. Her body arched sharply backward, and his release was triggered by the tight clasp of her cunt around his cock. She felt his cum spurt inside her, and for a moment, everything went black.

  Abby's body collapsed against Jack's, and she lay there dazed, incapable of forming a coherent thought. He eased her body down and off of his still-hard erection. The rain continued to fall as he gathered their clothes together and slid into his jeans. Abby felt him lift her into his arms and began carrying her down the trail towards his cabin. Bear, who had been lying beneath the tree as far out of the rain as possible, kept pace with them down the narrow trail.

  * * * *

  Deep in the surrounding forest, a pair of unseen eyes followed the path of the trio as they moved deeper into the undergrowth and out of sight. The silent witness to the couple's passion stood frozen, hands clenching and unclenching over and over, and a soft voice muttered promises of revenge to the patter of the gentle rain.

  Chapter Six

  As Jack carried her through the woods, Abby stirred against his chest. “It's okay, baby. I've got you.” She curled her arms around his neck and rubbed her nose against his jaw line, breathing in his spicy scent. Still not quite sure how all this had happened, she had somehow embarked on an affair with one of the sexiest men she had ever met. It felt good. Really good. But also a little scary.

  She knew that there was no future in it. Jack had warned her of that very fact. She would just have to keep that in the back of her mind at all times and not make the huge mistake of falling for him; that is, if she hadn't already done so. Abby had a sinking suspicion that it was too late to save her heart from breaking when their affair was over, but she didn't want it to end yet. No matter what the consequences, she wanted to be with Jack for as long as she could.

  When they arrived at the cabin, Jack took Abby straight through to his bathroom. He turned on the shower and made sure it was warm enough before setting her inside. Then he stripped off his jeans and joined her. He soaped up a bath cloth and turned to Abby, a gleam of anticipation in his blue eyes and a wicked smile on his lips. Running the soapy rag down her arms and then across her breasts, Jack washed her sensitive skin. The scratchy feel of the cloth combined with the slickness of the soap stimulated her nipples into tight peaks. Repeatedly, he circled the quivering mounds, brushing over the pointed tips and teasing Abby into a mass of need. Abby stared at Jack, but his entire attention was focused on his hands as they moved over her soapy skin. Her back arched, trying to press her breasts more firmly into the cloth, but he held back, tantalizing her with his soft movements. Inch by inch, the cloth traveled lower.

  Her curved waistline received his attention next with a brief stop at her navel, before he continued down to just above the nest of curls covering her pussy. Then he moved back up again. Down and up, down and up, until her hips were pushing forward, trying to force his hand lower. Her thighs parted, begging for his attention. Brushing over her throbbing cunt, he turned his attention to her legs, where he traced a meandering path across her right thigh, over her knee, and past her calf.

  Kneeling before her, he soaped her feet, picking up first one and then the other, before trailing a path up her other leg. When he brought the soapy rag up the inside of her thigh, he pushed it rhythmically against her mound for a few strokes before pulling back. Abby bit back a moan of protest when he stood and stepped back.

  With his eyes locked on hers, he ran the rag over his own chest. Abby licked her lips, wanting to taste his flesh against her tongue. She watched, enthralled at the sight of the cloth gliding over his warm, tanned skin. His hand crept down over his hard stomach, circling around and around with mesmerizing motion. Dropping the rag as he reached his cock, his soapy hands moved up and down on the turgid flesh. His eyes captured hers and he said nothing, but Abby knew that he wanted her to watch him pleasure himself.

  Fascinated, her eyes followed every movement of his hands as they stroked his cock from base to purplish head. Her hand crept between her own legs, unable to resist joining him in this voyeuristic game. The wet cream of her cunt covered her fingers as she delved between her thighs, stimulating her clit and then pushing a finger inside her tight channel. Her hips pressed forward as if offering her cunt to him. His hands moved in a hard stroke on his cock, and hers mimicked his motions on her own throbbing clit.

  Abby had never done anything like this before in her life. It had seemed too embarrassing the one time a former lover had suggested it. Yet now, with Jack, it seemed so natural. She licked her lips as she felt her orgasm approaching. A groan from Jack signaled his own, and his hips jerked as his cum squirted out and onto her belly. Abby's hand moved up to gather some of his offering and pushed it down to her aching pussy, using it to stimulate her clitoris even more until she too arched in surrender to her climax.

  Jack smiled and gathered her to him, rinsing them both off before lifting her out and following behind. He toweled her dry, and she took the cloth from him and returned the favor. Then they went to his bedroom to settle under the covers of his king-size bed. They had not said one word to each other since they had arrived at the cabin, the silence somehow heightening the eroticism of the moment. But now Jack brushed a soft kiss over Abby's forehead and said, “You're beautiful, Abby. I don't know how I got so lucky to have you come into my life."

  Abby started to say something, but he stopped her. “No, let me finish. I know I was a real son-of-a-bitch to you when you first got here, and I want you to know why. It's not a very pretty story, but you deserve to hear it."

  She settled close against him, understanding that what he was about to say was going to be difficult for him. “A couple of years ago I was engaged to a woman named Lauren—you saw her picture. Thought I was in love, you know. Then I came home one day and found her in bed with my father.” Pain filled his voice as he related the events. “Long story short, they got married and I got out."

  "God, Jack. I'm so sorry.” She stroked a soft hand over his jaw line. “I hate that you were so hurt, but she didn't deserve you. You're lucky you got out when you did. Can you imagine being married to such a bitch."

  Jack smiled. “I wanted you to know about Lauren because I think we've got something here. Something special. I don't quite know how it's happened. I just know that it has."

  "I feel it, too, Jack.” She kissed his shoulder softly and promised herself that she would do whatever necessary to make this work for them.

  * * * *

  Later that afternoon, Jack and Abby relaxed i
n the main room of the cabin, just talking and discovering more about each other. They both loved old movies and hated reality TV shows. Abby felt like she was living a dream as Jack really opened up to her about his past and his hopes for the future. She learned that he liked working with his hands and had tried building furniture in addition to the two cabins. He told her his grandfather had been a carpenter, and they had spent hours together puttering around in his workshop. The more she learned about Jack, the deeper in love she fell. “It sounds like you really love building things. Is that what you do? For a living, I mean."

  He looked at her in surprise. “Didn't Beau tell you?"

  She frowned at the odd tone of his voice. “No, not really. I know that for a while you worked for some electronics firm, but you've been here for a while, so that must have fallen through."

  He laughed. “Yes, I guess you could say that. It was my father's firm, Cole Electronics."

  Abby was stunned. “I've heard of them. They're one of the Fortune 500 companies, aren't they?"

  Jack nodded. “Yeah. I was one of the vice-presidents when the shit hit the fan with Lauren and my father. Needless to say, I didn't stick around.” He paused. “I didn't really enjoy it anyway, so it was no hardship to leave. And since I had money of my own, I didn't actually have to work. So I bought this mountain and have been kind of a hermit ever since."

  "You own the whole mountain?” Her jaw dropped. “Hell, you're loaded, aren't you?"

  "I'm afraid so,” he confirmed, laughing with delight at the chagrined expression on her face.

  She shook her head at his casual acceptance. “Just how much money do you have, Jack?"

  "Well, when I left the company, I assume my father probably cut me out of his will, although I'm not sure about that. But my mother was Margaret St. John of the St. John hotel chain. She left me a pretty good bit when she died. And I've made some wise investments along the way. Let's just say that I don't have to worry about where my next meal is coming from and leave it at that."