Anna and Jackson

by Tigris Eden

  “Good, you don’t want to work for a family of jerks.”

  Jackson grins at me then, and helps me to stand. He walks me over to one of the EMTs; it was one of my classmates from high school. John Casey.

  “Right this way, Anna. Step into my office.”

  I take a seat on the empty stretcher as John looks at my face and hands.

  “Well, you don’t need stitches. Let me just clean up your knuckles and put some ointment on your lip. When you get home, just make sure you ice your hands down, and next time there’s a fight, make sure I get ringside seats to the Pay-Per-View event, Tyson.”

  I try laughing, but hiss instead.

  “Take it easy. None of that but be sure to keep the ointment on there so it won’t crack and start bleeding again.”

  I give a slight shake of my head before John starts working on my hand.

  Jackson is talking to the Wilsons. Talia has a bandage over her nose, and a butterfly bandage on her lip.

  Good. Serves her right for talking trash about my mother.

  Jackson gestures towards the station while Earl stands outside the diner. His dirty white apron is tight against his belly and a dirty towel hangs off his shoulder. Earl’s hands are on his hips, making sure his two cents don’t fall on deaf ears.

  “You need help getting down?” John asks.

  I shake my head, and step out of the ambulance, a little bruised and a whole lot sore. So much for our second date.

  Give and Take: Chapter 17

  Date number two consisted of Jackson and me watching the television on the pull-out couch in the game room. Somehow, he’d talked me into having a boy-girl sleepover as he calls it. Which I point out as absurd. We live together. He tells me I lack imagination. It’s not that I don’t get what he’s doing; it’s cute. I’m just in pain, and really want to sleep. I have to prove him wrong, and I agree to his boy-girl sleepover. We’re watching Dual Survivor and talking about what it would be like if it were the two of us and not Cody Lundin and Joe Teti.

  “For starters, I wouldn’t be walking around barefoot. Dude’s feet are like solid granite.”

  I have my head in the crook of Jackson’s arm. He has pillows propping his back up so he can still see the television. As he talks, I listen and try not to laugh.

  “Yeah, well look at Joe, he wants to kill and murder everything. I think Cody is trying to be at one with nature. Joe just gets into those weird wannabe special force stances.”

  “Well, they’re both right in some regards. It’s savage out there. It’s a kill or be killed mentality.”

  I laugh. Jackson sounds so serious, but I can’t tell if he is or not.

  “What are you laughing about, Anna? That’s the real deal.”

  I look up at him, his face void of any emotion. “What makes you the expert?”

  “Never said I was, baby, now quiet, show’s back on.” He shushes me.

  Jackson tucks me to his side and focuses on the television. It’s not a bad second date, but it isn’t a good one either. Something needs to happen to change the atmosphere. We agreed no sex during the five dates, but we hadn’t said anything about doing other stuff. My hand is already on his chest, and I use it to my advantage by walking my fingers down to the waistband of his sweats. I skim my palm underneath his shirt, loving the feel of his muscles jumping and tightening beneath my fingers. Smooth hot skin, stretches tight over stone abs. Heaven. The dark patch of hair that leads to my goal is tickling my wrists as I run my fingers over his abdomen. Jackson doesn’t say a word, doesn’t make a sound, but continues to watch the television.

  Not for long.

  My hand reaches further until I touch the waistband of his briefs and try to slide underneath. I’m derailed. Not by Jackson, but by my sore freaking hand! I hiss and try to pull back but it snags in his pants. The television’s muted, and I now have the attention of an aroused Jackson. His erection, held captive by his briefs is doing its best to get free. All while my hand aches.

  “What are you doing, Anna?” Thick, rich gravel mixed with Jackson’s unmistakable Southern drawl has my panties wet. I tilt my head and bat my lashes, but he isn’t having that. “I asked you a question, darlin'. What are you doing?” His voice drops lower and he lets out a groan as I finally free my hand and palm him over his sweats.

  “I’d loved to be doing you, Sheriff. But alas, my hands are injured and my mouth hurts. What is a girl to do?” I mock sweetly.

  “Anna,” he warns. I know I’m playing with fire. All I want is Jackson. The five-date rule notwithstanding, there is nothing in our terms saying we can’t fool around. I lift my leg, draping it across his thighs so I can lift myself up and straddle him. It’s the wrong thing to do. The meticulous calculation behind his eyes distracts me from his ulterior motives. His hands land on my waist, lifting me. I give a tiny shriek. I have over two hundred pounds of solid man on top of me. He sits up; spreading my legs with his hands and slowly lowers himself into the catch of my thighs. Nestling his cock dead center of my thighs, his lower body begins doing incredible things to mine as he slowly pumps his hips forward and back. His arms are at the side of my head as he holds himself steady and continues to torture me.

  “No fair,” I half moan.

  “What’s not fair, baby, is you yanking on my dick when you know I want to be inside you so badly. You’re the one who set the rules. I only agreed to follow them because of the endgame.”

  His hips rock forward again, causing my entire body to shudder.

  “What endgame?” I ask on a long sigh.

  “The endgame, Anna.” He stops moving and gazes deeply into my eyes. His golden browns are serious, yet warm. “What do you think this is between me and you? I already explained it, you’re it for me.”

  He starts rocking again, and this time I swivel my hips for more stimulation. I’m in boy short underwear and a cotton cami that clings to my body like a second skin. I can feel everything he is doing to me to take me to the next level. My clit swells and my panties are wet. When he moves again, I do a full body shiver.

  “I know. God… I know.” I breathe, trying to get the words out but unable to because the pleasure he is giving me goes deep, bone deep. It’s so deep I don’t think I’ll be able to come up for air, and all he’s doing is dry humping me through his sweats. I endure his torture in the sweetest way. I’m about to lock my arms around his neck when he stops moving and uses one hand to grab my wrists, placing my hands above my head.

  “Keep your hands there, Anna, or this stops.”

  “Seriously?”

  He glares at me, making sure I know he is serious.

  “Okay, I’ll try.”

  His hands slide down my arms as he kisses my exposed skin. Rearing up, he pushes deeper into my core. I can feel the heat of him through his sweats and want to scream with frustration. I am so close, he is right there, and yet I can’t even touch him. Can’t do what he’s doing to me and make him crazy. He pushes his hips into mine repeatedly until we’re breathless. Jackson stops then, and I whimper. I’m about to move when he narrows his eyes and shakes his head disapprovingly. He keeps eye contact as he sits up on his knees. His brown eyes roaming my body from head to toe.

  “Fuck, you’re beautiful when you’re horny. Your face is flushed a beautiful warm red. It makes your skin seem more bronze than brown.”

  “So what… I’m not beautiful when I’m not horny?” I question.

  “No, when you’re not horny, you’re gorgeous. I have to think about sports, or boring ass paperwork to keep from going hard every time you’re around.”

  “And that’s bad, why?”

  He smirks.

  “I’m a grown ass man. I’m not a teenager who wants a piece of ass every second of every day.”

  “You do want my ass every second of every day.”

  “True, but your ass is the exception to the rule.”

  My face breaks out into what I know is a cheesy grin. Or what Jackson labels as dorky.
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br />   “I’d kiss you if I knew it wouldn’t open your lip.”

  I try lifting off the couch bed, but he places a firm hand on my chest and pushes me back.

  “Lie still, Anna, I’m not done with you.”

  “Yippee,” I whisper.

  Jackson rolls his eyes. “She’s a dork, but she’s mine,” he says to the ceiling.

  Something changes after our eyes connect again. I know we’ve gone past playful and we’re headed straight toward something so unbelievably hot, my body is covered in goosebumps even though I’m not cold. The small hairs along my skin raise and I become excessively eager as he slowly skims his hands over my exposed skin. He bends my leg, lowers his head, and flushes kisses across the top of my knee down to my shin until he reaches my calf. He does the same to my other leg until my thighs shake. I can’t hold back the moan that falls from my lips.

  His hands are hot to the touch as he places them rather roughly on my knees and pries my legs apart. I open willingly. Jackson stretches his big body out on the couch, and places his face right into the catch of my thighs, pulling in a deep breath.

  “So wet for me. Do you want me to take care of your ache, Anna?” He rumbles between my thighs. I can feel the vibration of his words against the heated part of my skin. My pussy clenches again when his fingers at my hips, slowly ease my boy shorts down. I lift, helping him along the way. He doesn’t take them all the way off, but releases one leg and lets them hang loose on the other. I’m so aroused I don’t notice he’s started getting down to the business of taking care of me until I feel his tongue against the inside of my thigh. Jackson licks and nips. Sucking his way up one side of my leg skipping my center to do the same to my other side. My muscles ache to clamp tight on his head. My hands want to guide him, but Jackson asked me to keep them above my head. I am doing my best to comply.

  “I wonder if I can make my Anna sing.”

  Oh hell yes, you can.

  Jackson works miracles with his tongue. I mean straight up miracles. Every time is like the first time when he’s giving it to me with his mouth. He kisses, licks, sucks, and fucks me with his tongue with sheer determination. His only goal, to get me off as I scream the walls down. Tonight he’s decided to use his hands, which means magic. Pure magic. His long capable fingers spread my lips as he starts kissing the heart of me. My legs fall open further, as his shoulders hit the back of my thighs, lifting my legs up so he has better access to my pussy.

  My first orgasm hits me so suddenly; I almost reopen the cut on my lip from my cries of passion. He eats me like I’m his favorite desert. Like he’s starved and only I can sustain him. His stubble tickles my thighs as his head moves and he sucks on my lips. Two fingers dig deep before he twists his wrists rubbing the sensitive bundle of nerves in a way that has me jerking up off the bed. I feel so many things at one time, Like I’m going to explode. Jackson’s hand grips my stomach and holds me down, but it doesn’t stop my head from thrashing side to side.

  “Stop… you have to stop… anymore and I’m going to die. Right here on this couch. Our date will be over.”

  Jackson lifts his head just enough to watch me, but not enough to stop doing what he is doing. I almost die of mortification. It’s one thing when a guy gives me head and I can’t see his face, it’s another thing when he’s staring straight at you, and still manages to look sexy. Because let’s be honest, how sexy can someone be with their face between your crotch and only his eyes and part of his nose pop up from between your legs to watch you watch him? I close my eyes tight, and I can feel as well as hear his quiet laughter. There is nothing funny about what just happened. Nothing at all.

  When he pulls my clit into his mouth, my second orgasm hits me with such force the only reaction I have is to latch onto his head and hold on for the ride. And I do sing then. Loud and long. My body feels excessively warm as I come down from my sexual euphoria. I can hear and feel the blood rushing through my ears.

  My gaze locks on Jackson’s as his hands go to the waistband of his sweats. He stands, pulling them down and then he is back on the couch, lifting me up, removing my cami, and latching on to my breasts. His hands gently settle me back down on the couch, his mouth still attached to my nipple as he fuses our bodies together side by side.

  My hands roam his back, pulling him closer until our legs tangle and I can feel the tip of his erection at my entrance. Jackson continues sucking at my nipples as his body moves slowly against mine. I need him inside, want him there as much as I want my next breath. One hand slides between us, rubbing my clit continuously until I’m gasping for air. Jackson grabs his cock and positions it at my entrance sliding the tip back and forth over my folds. I lift my leg and place it over his hip as he slides deep. He stays there unmoving inside me as he continues to lavish my breasts with attention.

  “I know we’re not supposed to bring sex into this. But I need to feel your heat wrapped tight around me. If I have to do a thousand more dates to prove how much I love you, I will. But don’t deny me this, baby, not this part of you. I know you think our attraction is too physical, but who said we need to limit ourselves? It’s me and you, no one else. I promise that this between us.” He slides out slowly and glides back in. “It’s real. So real. Just like the moon holds the light, you hold my heart.”

  “Jackson,” I whisper against his forehead. Tears are gathering in the corners of my eyes. He’s never said that to me. I was already in love with him, but in this moment, I love him so much more. His voice is velvet smooth as he whispers words of devotion and forever. It’s the closest thing to a real proposal and I fully intend to accept if it means I’d get this side of him. It doesn’t have to be around everyone else. No, I don’t want them to see this side of Jackson. I’m stingy like that. His words are for me, for us.

  “I love you, Annabelle Macon.” His eyes close when he says it, and I kiss his lids as he pulls me into a hug that says everything he hadn’t said to me before. All our pain. Everything that’s happened before this moment, were gone. Wiped away. Jackson’s apologizing. Telling me, I can trust him to take care of my heart.

  “I knew this already you know.”

  “Knew what?” He says against my breast, taking my nipple back into his mouth.

  “That you loved me.”

  He slides out of me again slowly, and then glides back in. He continues to move with deliberate, sure strokes until he takes us both over the edge. Our bodies are slick with sweat, and we stay tangled up in each other.

  “When did you know?” I wonder aloud.

  “Know what?”

  “When you loved me?”

  “When did you know?” He counters.

  “I asked you first.”

  “I knew the moment you beat the crap out of Talia, and I was about fifty percent sure when you bitch slapped Vivian.”

  Mortified, I try to hide my face in his shoulder. I know he’s joking. But he didn’t have to bring up my two most outlandish moments in the history of bad decisions.

  “Jackson, seriously!”

  My entire body jostles as his laughter fills the room. He can’t stop as he sucks in air. It’s either the most embarrassing moment of my life, or the best. He does have a great laugh.

  “Be serious.”

  He laughs some more before saying. “I am serious.”

  I try to untangle myself, but he holds me tighter.

  “I couldn’t resist. I’m just making light of the situation. But in all seriousness, darlin', you can’t go around knocking people out. I may be the sheriff, but I don’t have pull like that. You’re lucky Earl and them stood up for you today. In the back of my mind, I kept thinking how awkward it was going to be to take my woman to jail on assault charges.”

  I want to ignore him, but he’s right. I can’t go around solving problems with my fist.

  “I’ll do my best to avoid both of them at all costs.”

  “You can do that with Talia, Vivian is another story. She’s Ava’s mother. I have to deal
with her at least for the next thirteen years.”

  “Oh no you don’t. The moment Ava can establish proper communication with her mother, by cell phone, or even staying over. There should be no contact unless the three D’s occur.”

  He peers down at me with a strange look on his face.

  “Three D’s? What the fuck is that?”

  I lift my hand ticking off the three D’s on my fingers. “Death, Dying, Dismemberment. Nothing else is necessary. If Ava needs something, she can pick up the phone and call you or her mother. Vivian doesn’t need to be the go between.”

  “What about recitals, or parent-teacher conferences?”

  “Go to them, I want you to be a good father to Ava, I’m just saying that I don’t want her mother thinking she can play the baby mama drama game with us. I’m not doing that and neither are you, Jackson.”

  He doesn’t say anything for long moments and I’m worried I may have pissed him off.

  “Well, in light of the three D’s situation I don’t have a problem, but we still have a few more years before Ava can properly communicate her needs. Don’t forget, you will be a big part of her life; you and I come as a packaged deal. Vivian and Ava will just have to understand. It doesn’t mean I’m going to love my little girl any less, but she and her mother have to understand that you’re a part of my life. Ingrained in a way that I can’t dig you out of my skin even if I wanted to.”

  Jackson takes my chin in his hand and lifts my face to his.

  “The moment I knew I loved you was when you and Joey went to the lake, and you’d just come into your girly parts. I was a little worried I was attracted to a kid, but I kept it in check. When you went off to school, I thought I was missing you because you and Joey got on my nerves, but last year when you stepped out of the car. All long legs, beautiful smile, and well, that ass.” He reaches around my back and his hand falls to my ass where he squeezes. “Anna, that ass of yours should be outlawed. You make a man want to do nasty things to an ass like that.” He grins and I playfully smack him.

  “Come on, Jackson, be serious.”