by Ward, Alice
I remembered what Jackson had said earlier about wishing he could be the one to take care of me, so I decided not to argue about him paying the bill. Vanessa walked back to the front of the store, leaving us alone in the dressing area.
“Do you really like it?” I asked.
“I love it… but sitting here looking at you naked is about to make my head explode,” he whispered.
I smiled. “I’ll get changed.”
“Need any help?” he offered with a sly grin.
Jackson wasn’t the only one who’d been turned on during our shopping trip. The way he looked at me made me feel like the sexiest woman on Earth and all I wanted to do was drag him in to the dressing room.
“Not here,” I insisted. “But maybe later.” I stepped into the dressing room and changed back in to the romper. When I emerged, I saw Vanessa hand Jackson his credit card and a large bag.
“That was so nice of you, picking up the tab for your new sister. You seem like a good guy, Jackson Montgomery. If you want, give me a call sometime.” She leaned against him, one hand on his chest.
I cleared my throat a little louder than necessary. Vanessa jumped and then turned to me with a blush. “It was nice to meet you, Ms. Nightingale. The fall lines will be out next month, I hope you’ll come back to see us.”
“Of course. Thank you for being so helpful today. I look forward to seeing the new collections. Jackson, are you ready to go?” I stepped across the room and stood next to him, tossing the purple bikini in with the rest of my purchases.
“I’m ready if you are.” He gestured for me to walk in front of him and we made our way to the front door. We stepped out onto the sidewalk and Jackson erupted in laughter.
“What’s so funny?” I asked. I was mad as hell that Vanessa had made a pass at him and I was bewildered by his amusement.
“You should have seen the look on your face when you walked out of that dressing room,” he told me through labored breath. He leaned against his car to compose himself. “And you can’t wait to see the new collections? Where did you learn to talk like that?”
I was growing impatient. “I’ve seen Sex and the City, Jackson... let’s get going, I’m starving.”
He unlocked the car and I opened my door before he could get to it. My anger didn’t faze him and he slid into the driver’s seat with a smile on his face.
“I don’t see what’s so damn amusing,” I snapped.
“You’re jealous,” he replied, starting the car. “You’re pissed as hell that Vanessa came on to me and it drove you crazy that you couldn’t react. Admit it.”
I blushed. “Fine, maybe you’re right. But I don’t see what’s so funny about that.”
“I’m sorry I laughed, but I’m just so happy. You wouldn’t have gotten so jealous if you didn’t have serious feelings for me. You couldn’t stand the sight of me with another woman. If I didn’t know better, I’d say you want me,” he teased.
“Where are we going?” I asked as he pulled into traffic.
“The Fairview.”
“The hotel? What in the world are you thinking, Jackson?” I asked. I wasn’t necessarily opposed to the idea of being in a hotel room with him, but his confidence was a little annoying.
“You said you’re hungry. And you also won’t let me touch you if anyone else is in the room. So we’ll check in to the hotel and order room service. Nothing has to happen Kennedy, but I have to be alone with you.”
“What if someone sees us?” I argued.
Jackson shrugged. “If you want, I’ll check in alone and you can join me a few minutes later. But as long as we don’t fondle each other in the lobby, I don’t think anyone will think anything of it. We’ll get a suite and say that the house is being renovated.”
I considered his suggestion for a minute. I really did want to be alone with him. We’d had such a great day and I wanted to touch him without worrying about what everyone around us was thinking.
“Okay fine. But we’ll say it’s being tented and sprayed. If we say it’s being renovated, it will look suspicious when we only stay one night.”
“Always the smart one,” Jackson teased. “We can tell them whatever you like, as long as it means I get time alone with you.”
We held hands again as we made our way through the city.
“You really did look amazing in those bathing suits, Kennedy. I’m hoping the one piece is for our day with the parents and the others are just for me.”
“I guess you’ll just have to wait and see,” I teased.
Jackson smiled and pulled into the valet parking area of The Fairview Hotel. It dawned on me that we didn’t have luggage, and I was sure someone would figure out why we were really there. But before I could share my fears with Jackson, he was out of the car and handing his keys over to the attendant. I took a deep breath, grabbed my purse, and stepped out into the parking lot.
“Thank you, Mr. Montgomery,” said the attendant. “Once you’re in your suite, just call down with the room number and we’ll send up your luggage.”
“We don’t have luggage,” Jackson explained. “We flew in from New York this morning and the airline lost our bags. And to make matters worse, our parents didn’t bother to tell us that the house is being fumigated. Something about termites, I think. Anyway, we went out and bought some essentials, but I can handle the shopping bags myself.” He opened the backseat and retrieved my new clothes.
“Of course, Mr. Montgomery,” the attendant nodded. “I’m sorry to hear about your troubles. We’ll take good care of your car. You relax and enjoy your stay.”
“Thanks… Gregory,” Jackson said, squinting at his nametag. Gregory nodded and ducked behind the driver’s seat. Jackson and I turned towards the hotel’s main entrance.
“That was perfect,” I whispered from the corner of my mouth.
“Thanks,” he whispered back. “Let’s hope the desk clerk is more like Gregory than Vanessa.”
“You mean polite and basically uninterested in us, as opposed to fascinated by our parent’s love story?” I asked with a smile.
“Exactly.”
We got lucky. The young brunette woman behind the reception desk was distracted by a mountain of paperwork and a calculator.
“I’m sorry,” she said as she clicked a few buttons on her keyboard. “I’m not actually a desk clerk. I work in the back office. Two of our regular clerks called in today, so I’m having to cover their jobs as well as my own. There you go, room 1245. Check out is at eleven, call down if you need anything.”
She either had no idea who we were or she didn’t have time to care. Either was fine with me. Jackson and I rode the elevator to the twelfth floor. The doors opened and we stepped out into the hallway. A small sign told us that rooms 1230 to 1249 were to the left.
“Kennedy, I meant what I said in the car,” Jackson told me as we made our way to the door of our suite. “I didn’t bring you here to try and get you out of your clothes. I just want to be with you, to hold and kiss you without fear of being caught.”
“I know exactly how you feel,” I confessed.
We arrived at our door and Jackson used the plastic key card to open the suite. We stepped into the living area. The far wall was solid windows and plush, wall to wall beige carpet adorned the floors. The walls were a cheerful robin’s egg blue and antique furniture complimented the modern, elegant white sofa and love seat. Open French doors led to the bedroom. I bypassed the living area completely, stepped into the bedroom, and collapsed onto the king size mattress.
I opened the drawer of the bedside table and grabbed a bulky binder. I looked up and saw Jackson standing in the doorway.
“What are you doing?” he asked. I heard hope in his voice and I knew exactly what was on his mind.
“Don’t get your hopes up,” I said. I gave him a playful smile. “I’m hungry and exhausted. I thought we could order room service and relax for a little while.” I patted the pillow to my left, inviting Jackson to join me.
He kicked off his shoes, laid down beside me, and we browsed through the room service menu together.
“Would you judge me if I ordered the twelve ounce ribeye and loaded baked potato?” I asked.
“You really did work up an appetite. Steak actually sounds good, I’ll have the same.” Jackson dialed room service and placed our orders. He hung up the phone and settled back onto the bed.
I snuggled closer to Jackson and he wrapped his right arm around my shoulders. I rested my head on his chest and he lightly stroked my face. We stayed that way for almost half an hour, holding each other in silence. I wanted more, but I knew the food would be there soon and I didn’t want to start something we couldn’t finish.
A knock echoed through the room and Jackson jumped up to open the door. A room service waiter rolled a cart into the living area and I reluctantly left the bed. Jackson gave the waiter a tip and he left the room with a smile.
“I thought we were going to eat in bed,” Jackson said with a tilt of his head.
“If I don’t sit up, I’m going to fall asleep,” I explained. “Besides, I don’t want to make a mess in there.”
Not with food, anyway.
Jackson had ordered a bottle of wine with our meal. He pulled out the cork and poured us each a generous glass. “To pasts that brought us together, and futures full of possibility,” he toasted.
I clinked my glass to his, took a long sip of my merlot, and cut in to my steak. While we ate, Jackson and I got to know each other better. I told him stories about the archeology digs and feminist rallies Mom had tried to pass off as vacations and he talked about his summers on the Cape. We finished the wine and moved on to the mini bar. Before I knew it, hours had passed and the sun was setting over the city. I walked to the window to take in the view. A few moments later, I felt Jackson move behind me. He wrapped his arms around me and I leaned back against his chest.
“Kennedy, I’ve had such a wonderful time today,” he whispered, nuzzling his face behind my ear. His hot, teasing breath sent shivers down my body and I let most of my weight fall against him.
“So have I,” I confessed, my voice light and breathy.
Jackson pulled away, pushed my hair to the side, and planted a soft kiss at the nape of my neck. “I meant what I said earlier,” he whispered. “If you don’t want anything to happen here tonight, I’ll back off right now. I’d be happy just to hold you while you sleep.”
I turned to face him and threw my arms around his neck. “Take me to the bedroom, Jackson,” I told him urgently.
He put his arms around my waist and lifted me off my feet. I wrapped my legs around him and he stumbled towards the bedroom. He fell backwards onto the mattress and I attacked his face with my lips. He moaned as I traced his jaw line with my tongue. I moved towards his mouth and he turned his face away. He pushed me off his lap and sat up in the bed, his legs falling off the side.
“Jackson, what’s wrong?” I asked. My feelings were hurt and I didn’t understand why he’d suddenly become uninterested.
He held his head in his hands and sighed. “I don’t think I can do this, Kennedy,” he told me. “I mean I can do this… I want to do this. Until I think about what happens after. I can’t keep doing this back and forth with you. I want to be with you, I’ve made that clear from the beginning. I know you want that too. But you’ve been scared. Every time we get close, you push me away. I can’t be pushed away again. I’m just not built that way.”
I climbed out of the bed and knelt in front of him. I lifted his chin and stared deep into his clear, blue eyes. “I’m not going to push you away this time,” I promised. “I’m falling in love with you, Jackson. I’m certain of it. And I’m not ashamed to admit it. I want to be with you. We’ll tell everyone, I promise.”
His eyes softened and his shoulders relaxed. “Do you really mean that?”
“More than anything I’ve ever said in my life.” And that was true. After the day we’d spent together, I was certain that I was falling in love with him. I knew that it was pointless to fight my feelings any longer. I didn’t want to fight them. Giving in to them felt too damn good.
“I’m falling in love with you too, Kennedy,” he told me. “I didn’t know it was possible to feel this way, and I never want to let you go.”
I put a hand on each of Jackson’s thighs and pushed myself up to my feet. I fell into Jackson’s arms and he pulled me onto his lap. We kissed hungrily as he fumbled with the buttons of my romper.
“How the hell do you get this off?” He laughed.
I giggled, rolled off his lap, and stretched out on my stomach. He straddled me, his knees against my hips, and kissed his way down my spine as he unfastened the buttons. He slid the romper down my smooth legs and tossed it to the floor. Then, he unhooked my bra and slipped off my panties. I rolled over onto my back.
“One of us is overdressed,” I told him with a bold grin. Jackson had shed his button up shirt hours before. I pulled his white t-shirt over his head, exposing his ripped, firm chest. I lightly scratched my nails across his pecks and down his abdomen. I ventured far enough under his waistband to tease him and Jackson quickly undid his belt buckle and kicked his shorts to the floor. He was on his knees before me, his hard cock already dripping. I leaned down and licked him gently. Jackson moaned and pulled me upright again. We were both on our knees, our bodies pressed together. He covered my breasts with wet kisses and teased my nipples with his teeth before moving his lips back to mine. His stiff, throbbing cock pressed against my pelvis.
“I need to be inside you,” he moaned. He dove for his pants and pulled a condom from his wallet. I took it from him and teased it down his throbbing cock. I moved to lie down on the bed, but he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me towards him. I wrapped my arms around his neck and he grabbed me roughly by the hips. He lifted me into the air and slowly lowered me onto his shaft.
I let out a gasp as his thickness filled me.
“Are you okay?” Jackson asked, still on his knees. He lowered himself until he was sitting on his feet and I wrapped my legs around him.
“I’m… perfect,” I moaned as I rocked against him. I arched my back and he leaned down, taking my right breast into his mouth. He moved his hips in gentle circles, stirring the deepest parts of me. Waves of pleasure rippled through my body and I knew my climax was approaching.
I dropped my arms to my sides and braced myself against the mattress. Jackson started bouncing, thrusting in to me as he continued swiveling his hips. I pushed back in to him with equal force and soon, I lost all control of my body. I bucked against Jackson wildly, grabbing a handful of his hair in one hand and holding on to his thick bicep with the other. When I exploded in passion, my body went slack and I collapsed against Jackson’s chest. He fell onto his back and I realized we’d come together.
We lay there holding each other on top of the blankets long after Jackson slipped out of me. Laying there in his arms felt so good, I almost didn’t notice the burning in my legs from our acrobatic sex position. Our breathing synchronized and sometime after midnight, I drifted off into a peaceful sleep.
***
We woke up early the next morning, our bodies still entwined.
“Good morning baby,” Jackson whispered. He planted a soft kiss on my bare shoulder.
“Good morning,” I said, letting out a deep yawn. “What time is it?”
“Eight-thirty. How did you sleep?”
“Like a rock,” I replied with a smile. I couldn’t believe how sexy Jackson looked first thing in the morning. His hair was tousled and thick stubble covered his strong chin. I wanted to kiss him, but I was afraid my morning breath would send him running for the hills. “How did you sleep?”
“Not very well,” he confessed with a frown.
I sat up in alarm. “What’s the matter, baby?”
“Nothing’s wrong,” he quickly replied. “I’ve had an amazing time since I picked you up yesterday. I just didn’t want to fall asleep. I knew t
hat when I woke up, I’d have to take you home and go back to pretending that nothing’s happening between us.”
I reached up and rested a hand on the side of Jackson’s face. “We won’t have to pretend for long. If Mom and Jack were in town, I’d tell them about us today. I think they should hear this in person, but I promise that we can be honest with them as soon as they get home.”
He covered my hand with his, turned his face slightly, and kissed my palm. “You promise?” he asked.
I nodded. And I really meant it. After our amazing day together, topped off with mind-blowing sex, I knew we had to come clean with our parents. I wanted to come clean. I was falling in love with Jackson, I was certain of it, and I wanted the whole world to know. I was still concerned about our parents’ reactions, but I was ready to deal with them.
“When Mom and Jack get home, we’ll invite them to dinner and break the news. I’ll explain that we started seeing each other before we knew they were involved. We’ll tell them that we tried to fight our feelings for their sake, but we just can’t do it anymore. They’ll either accept it or they won’t.”
“I think they’ll be happy to hear it. Dad keeps asking if I’ve made up with my mystery girlfriend. And he’s really impressed by you, I think he’ll be happy that we found each other. And I’m sure they’ll both understand that this is just a case of exceptionally bad timing. They could have been in our position just as easily,” Jackson reminded me.
“I hope you’re right… do you have plans today? We could lounge around here until checkout time and then go back to my room or the frat house. We don’t have to keep up the charade in front of Lauren or Rory. They’ve been pushing me to give you another chance.”
“I wish I could,” Jackson sighed. “I’m supposed to meet two freshman back at the house in an hour. They’re Sigma legacies and I promised to give them a tour of campus.”
“Okay… you want to stop by when you’re finished with them?”
Jackson grinned. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you already miss me.”
