Fighting For Jemma

by MJ Nightingale

  Calliope saw the look on her friend’s face through the screen. “What are you not telling me, girl?”

  Jemma blushed. “I, well, we . . .”

  “What??” Calliope’s squeal revealed she was now fully awake. “Did you . . .”

  Jemma interrupted her. “No. I did not lose my virginity, if that’s what you’re asking, but we did do something.” Jemma told her.

  “OMG! Jemma. You dirty dog!”

  The girls laughed.

  “Hey, I gotta go. I see his truck pulling up now.”

  “I’ll call you tomorrow night. I’m gonna want details!”

  “Okay,” Jemma laughed. “I’ll talk to you tomorrow.” She shut the call down and checked her hair in the mirror one final time before going to greet her guest.

  When Jemma reached her door to open it, she found Angel already standing there. His dark hair was cropped close and his strong chin and high cheek bones made him appear every ounce the man he was. Though he was a veterinarian, he looked just as good and rugged as any Texas cowboy. His body was long and lean and fit. She wondered what he looked like beneath his clothes and blushed at the thought.

  “Hi, beautiful.” Angel smiled, but something seemed off to Jemma. The smile didn’t reach his eyes.

  “Hi, yourself. You look handsome,” she complimented him and opened the door wider so he could enter. When he passed by, she noticed his freshly shaven face, his black jeans, and button-down white shirt. He smelled great, too. The scent lingered as she turned around.

  “Thank you. But, something sure smells good. You’ve been busy.” He took in her kitchen and noticed the peeling wallpaper and older appliances. She’d told him she was working on remodeling the home and appreciated its bare bones.

  “Barbecue ribs, cornbread, mashed potatoes, and green beans from my garden.”

  “I could get used to this,” he teased, inhaling the aromas in her spacious kitchen.

  It was twice the size of his. Her house from the outside was a two story, and from the wear and tear visible, one of the original old ranch homes in Texas. She had her work cut out for her. But he could tell she took pride in her home just from the way her eyes sparkled when she spoke about it.

  Angel knew he was falling for her. She was special. Smart, beautiful, and caring. She loved her teaching job. And she was passionate, too. From what he’d discovered so far, he knew he wanted her for the long haul. She was everything he wanted in a woman. But, he was worried. What he’d learned about her just twenty minutes ago bothered him. She was adamant about not dating a firefighter. That news rocked him. The guys back at the station had thought it was funny. He knew he had to tell her the truth, that he was a volunteer firefighter here in Tarpley, but he hated to lose her. Would she actually dump him over this? he wondered. It was still so new, their relationship. He’d only been on two dates with her, other than the night they met. But he knew he wanted to get to know her better. He didn’t want to risk the possibility of their relationship ending before it’d even begun.

  On the ride over, he told himself to feel her out. He knew Pops would be angry as all git out, if he didn’t tell her soon, but he was terrified of losing her. But then again, keeping a secret like this could backfire on him. She could dump him over it. If only he didn’t know her secret. Maybe he shouldn’t mention it. For now.

  Still, he hated keeping that part of his life from her. He was dedicated to the Tarpley VFD. He had been taught from a young age to give back to his community and to serve others by his parents and his grandparents. It’s why he did it. By volunteering he was helping to protect his community in times of crisis. He was doing his part, just as his dad had done in Corpus Christie. Both of his brothers were dedicated to serving in their own ways in the Coast Guard. His grandfather had been a vet and a firefighter. Would she understand that? His work as a firefighter was only part time. He did a couple of days a month at the station, kept up on his training, and then in an emergency, he answered the call. Surely, her disdain of firefighters would not be the end of them.

  Angel followed Jemma through her home. She gave him the full tour of the downstairs after checking on her cornbread. Off the kitchen was an equally large living room, an office that was filled with books, a small guest room, and bathroom. Then upstairs were two more bathrooms, and three bedrooms. Her childhood bedroom was a pale pink with white furnishings. He imagined her growing up there. So sweet and innocent until the tragedy that took her father from her.

  “I moved into my aunt’s room a few months after she passed away. It’s larger, has a great view. I love the balcony that overlooks the back pasture.”

  “Yes, it’s very nice. Very spacious.”

  “Once I finish the roof, the windows, and complete the remodel of the kitchen, I plan on fixing the bathroom here.” It was rustic, to say the least, with an old claw foot tub. At least it was a good size to bring in the more modern conveniences.

  “You definitely have a lot of work cut out for you.” He turned back to face her. Her eyes were bright with the excitement of the work she was doing.

  “I know. It’s a lot. But this is a project of love for me. I truly do love this old home.”

  “I can tell.”

  She smiled up at him before she took the lead back down the stairs to the first floor.

  Angel followed her. “How does the barn look?”

  “Honestly, not good. This hasn’t been a working ranch in over twenty-five years. My aunt was a librarian and my father a firefighter. Their folks sold off most of the land and their herd.”

  “Are you going to tear it down?” he asked. He did not ask about her father and for now wanted to steer clear of the subject of what he had done for a living.

  “I’m not sure. I’ve been thinking about it. The materials can be upcycled to be used here in the house, or I could sell the materials and use the money to finish my repairs.”

  He nodded, understanding how costly home repairs could be. “It’d be a shame, though. It’s an original. Has to be at least 150 years old. Have you thought about asking the historical society for help? They do give out grants to people who want to restore old buildings that are a part of Texas history.”

  “I hadn’t thought of that.” She smiled. “I’ll have to look into that.” Just then a timer went off in the kitchen. “Oh, my cornbread is ready. Come?” she beckoned Angel. He followed her the rest of the way into the kitchen.

  “Can I help with anything?” he asked, but he could already see her preparations looked complete. The table was set, and the food was ready to be served.

  “How about you grab us a couple of cold beers out of the fridge while I bring everything to the table?”

  “Will do.”

  Angel got two Coronas from the refrigerator, opened them, and set them on the table.

  “Sit there,” she indicated, as she set the pan of hot cornbread on a cutting board. She sliced it quickly and placed a piece on each of their plates.

  Angel sat as she served him up some of the juiciest looking barbecue ribs, a heaping scoop of mashed potatoes, and some green beans.

  “Everything looks and smells delicious.”

  “Thank you. Dig in,” she encouraged.

  During dinner, she chatted about her day, and mentioned she’d hired a couple of kids to come out and do some prep work for her on the roof. She was planning on doing it herself. She’d watched several videos on YouTube and wanted to tackle that project during Spring Break.

  “I’d be more than happy to lend a hand. I work just three days a week at the clinic, and as long as there aren’t any emergencies, I would love to help out.”

  “Oh, you don’t have to, Angel. That’s sweet of you to offer, though.”

  “Not at all. I love working on these kinds of projects, plus, I’d get to spend extra time with you. It’s what we do in Texas. What are you having the kids do?”

  “They’re going to come out and remove the old shingles for me and then help me get the tarp
down before I lay the new shingles. I’ve got a few leaks upstairs, so I want to get the roof finished before the summer. Are you sure you’re not too busy?”

  “Really, I don’t mind. Honestly, I’d love to see a tool belt swinging from those hips.” He teased her and she blushed.

  “Okay, well, I’ll let you know when I’m ready for you.” She laughed, but when his eyes turned smoky, she realized how sexy that statement sounded.

  Angel cleared his throat. “Yes, you do that. I’ll be ready.”

  Jemma almost choked. She reached for her bottle of beer and took a cooling draught. She was ready. Ready to lose her virginity to Angel. He was the one.

  After dinner, Jemma grabbed two more bottles of beer, and they made their way outside. Fifty yards out in front of her home a babbling creek ran through the property. Her grandfather and father had built a deck and the family had often spent evenings there, fishing, drinking, and telling stories. They made their way to the beautiful benches her grandfather had crafted and sat. It was cool, so she threw a few logs into the firepit.

  “Let me do that,” Angel offered, and she allowed him to finish building the small fire.

  Once he had it going, he joined her on the bench, and they continued to talk, sharing childhood stories and adventures they had while growing up. When Angel finished his beer, he set the bottle to the side, and put his arm around Jemma as she continued to share the college story of how she’d met Calliope, and how she wanted to convince her daring friend to accept a job at Medina High.

  “You love her, don’t you?” he asked.

  “She’s the closest thing to family I have.”

  Angel saw a trickle of moisture in Jemma’s eyes, and watched as she fought back the tears. He took her chin in his hand, and turned her face so she could see he was being honest with her. “You have me, too, now, Jemma. Honest to goodness, I know we’ve only been on a couple of dates, but, girl, you’ve gotten under my skin. I think about you every minute of the day. I want you in my life. I want to see where this goes.”

  A lump formed in her throat. She wanted that, too. “I’d like that.”

  That was all he needed to hear, and with that he dipped his head down and took her lips. To hell with what he did, for now. He wasn’t about to risk losing such a special woman. He kissed her until she began to make those murmurs that told him she was ready for more. He lifted her up and placed her on his lap and continued to kiss her until her hands began to clasp at his back. He slowly cupped her breast and began to stroke it and squeeze it gently to ignite the fires within her.

  He was surprised when she broke the kiss, and looked at her for clarification.

  “Can we take this inside?” she asked.

  He was shocked, but he wasn’t about to say no. He wasn’t sure what she was expecting, or wanted, but he’d let her take the lead on this. “Of course,” he gruffly whispered against her cheek, planting another kiss there. “Anything you want.” And with that he scooped her up and carried her back to the house. Once inside, still carrying her, he asked what was uppermost on his mind. “Where to?”

  And when she said, “Upstairs, my room,” his knees nearly buckled, and his semi-hard erection went rock hard.

  He just nodded and crossed both the kitchen and living room in a matter of seconds before setting her down on the stairs to make the climb herself. He followed her into her room, and when she turned to him, he asked, “I gotta know. I gotta ask. What do you want to do here?”

  “I want you. All of you.”

  That was all he needed to hear once more. They both took one step forward into each other’s arms. He kissed her and savored the way her body felt pressed up against his. He knew he needed to control the situation. It was her first time, and he wanted this to be good for her. He reached for the hem of her shirt and tugged it up, and Jemma responded by lifting her arms over her head so she could be free of it. As soon as her hands dropped, she began to help him with the buttons of his own shirt, and soon it joined hers on the floor. His torso, adorned with intricate tattoos, looked beautiful to her in the waning light of the moon coming in through her bedroom window. He was a fine specimen of a man.

  Both of them removed their own shoes, and then pants, and Angel took off his boxers. He stood before her gloriously naked. His cock pointed straight up, and pulsed in front of her. She wanted to touch it, explore it.

  As she stood in front of him, he took in the breathtaking sight of her. She wore nothing but satin sky-blue panties and a matching bra. He was lost. She was beyond beautiful to him. His Beauty.

  “Get on the bed, my love,” he whispered.

  Jemma did as he instructed, not knowing what to expect, but feeling the weight of him climbing in behind her. She lay on her back as Angel’s eyes feasted on the sight of her scantily clad body. He shifted her so she was facing him as he lazily began to stroke her leg up to her hip and then to her back. He unclasped her bra, and she moved to help him release her from its confines. His eyes burned with an intense fire. Chocolate brown, with wisps of red, as his head dipped down to claim one rosy nipple. When he bit it, it sent a shock through her body, straight from her nipple to her core. It made her legs clench together tightly which sent another shock wave of pleasure through her. As he feasted on first one breast then another, Jemma allowed her hands to roam his back, and she felt the steel underneath the surface of his skin as the muscles bunched and jumped at her every touch.

  Jemma lost herself in the pleasure of each kiss, each caress, as she instinctively stroked him and kissed him in return. She rained kisses on his chest, and trailed her hand along his rib cage down to the vee of hair that started just at his bellybutton and down to his erection. She wanted to touch him, feel what it was like to hold him in her hand, and just as she was about to do so, his hand stayed her.

  “No, not this time, my beauty. I need control. To make this right for you.”

  Though she was inexperienced, she knew what he meant. It was her first time, and he wanted to make sure she was ready. So, she kissed him on the mouth instead, while his hands skirted down to her panties, but instead of going inside them like last time, he tugged on the band and she lifted her bottom so he could pull them down.

  She felt gloriously naked beside him as he began to stroke her. “Oh, you’re so wet already, Beauty. Wet for me. Almost ready?”

  “Yes, yes, I am.”

  He chuckled at her eagerness.

  “But, not quite. I’m going to put a finger inside you. Maybe two, my love.”

  “Okay, yes,” she panted, liking the sound of that.

  His first finger slid right in, and though it felt strange, it felt good, too. She involuntarily clenched around his digit as he began to stroke her, and it made her want to move her hips with him.

  She was tight, but wet, very wet. He continued to stroke her, fingering her with first one, then two fingers. Occasionally, he separated his fingers to stretch her to get her ready to take him inside of her. She was moving in time, and her head was going from side to side as he concentrated on making this just right for her. When he used his thumb to flick her clit she moaned in pleasure.

  “I think you’re ready, baby. It might hurt a bit, but soon it will feel really amazing,” he promised. He reached toward the side of the bed and fished a condom out of his pants pocket and slipped it on. Beside him, Jemma watched in fascination. “Are you ready, Beauty?”

  “I want you, Angel. I want you.”

  He knew she was on the precipice, and he wanted it to be good for her. The pleasure would mask the pain.

  He positioned her beneath him, took hold of his aching cock, and put just the tip inside her. She was hot. When he met resistance, he stopped. He looked in her eyes, and so far, she wasn’t in too much discomfort. “You okay, baby?” he asked.

  “Yes,” she breathed.

  He nodded once, then took his cock out and rubbed the wet head on her clit until she was squirming and moaning.

  Again, he put his coc
k at her entrance. “I’m going in now. All the way, so just be sure to relax,” he warned her, as he charged forward, pushing his way past her maidenhead. He saw her wince, but he quickly withdrew and went back in, again and again, until the look of pain was gone and she was moaning again.

  “Oh, Angel, it feels so good.”

  “Good, baby. I’m glad,” he grunted, fighting to maintain his control.

  It was tight, but she wasn’t resisting him, so he continued to slide in and out of her, feeling it get easier with each thrust as her body adapted to accommodate him. He made sure to pay attention to her clit, to slide along it with each thrust as the contact would keep her feeling the pleasure.

  He knew she was going to come before she did. He felt her sweet walls clench and shake and clutch at him. He ground into her, slid against her, plunged in over and over, faster and faster, until she was screaming his name, and then he let go until he was spent and panting beside her. Quickly, he pulled her pliant body to him and allowed her to curl one leg over him, as he kissed her forehead and stroked her back until she fell asleep in his arms.

  Chapter 8

  Jemma floated into the lunch room as if she were on air. Last night had been pretty incredible. In fact, there had been many incredible nights over the past two weeks spent with Angel. They had gone hiking this past weekend, and he’d taken her to the movies last night. Each and every day that she got to spend with him, she grew closer to Angel. He’d even helped her handle a few small tasks around her home. He’d fixed her hot water tank last week, and gave her advice on how to repair her fireplace. She sighed happily as she munched on her apple while she waited for her soup to heat up in the microwave.

  Her thoughts turned to all the work on the house she had left to do this year. Her roof was next on her bucket list of things to accomplish. A couple of her students were set to come over this weekend to remove the old shingles just in time for Spring Break. Jonathan’s father was a contractor and he had recommended his son, and Freddie, whom he used from time to time on projects. She had mentioned it to Angel when he’d asked what she was tackling next. He thought it was a good idea to use the boys since they came recommended by a contractor. But he’d also thought it might be better if he hung around to oversee their work and ensure the safety of the kids. She couldn’t be happier. He truly was becoming important to her and not just for the work he was doing to help her. Another memory of last night came bouncing into her brain just as the microwave beeped.