by A. Aubry
“Yeah, of course the first week of our relationship was spent with him traveling for work, but we made it through it okay if I do say so myself.”
“I have never seen him this hung up on a girl this early on in a relationship,” she admitted, looking over her shoulder as to make sure he wasn’t right there listening.
“But, he was married to Josie…he had to have strong feelings for her in order to propose,” I wiped my hands off with a towel after putting the dishes into the dishwasher.
She nodded, “I guess so. But those two fought like cats and dogs for those entire two years. Always on and off again. So when they were finally good for five months straight, he thought it was a sign that things were on the up and up and so he proposed. The man is a hopeless romantic if I ever saw one.”
Wow, this was information that I did not know about those two. It took me a second to process all of it. I guess Shelby took that as a sign to continue on.
“That girl had him wrapped around her little skinny finger. She said jump, he would ask how high. She was the manipulative one that always made him do things that she wanted him to do. He nearly ruined his career because of her.”
“What do you mean?”
“Josie was drivin’ drunk and crashed her brand-new Mercedes into a tree. Jackson, who was in the passenger seat, swapped positions with her so that she wouldn’t get in trouble for drivin’ drunk. Jackson wasn’t very drunk, had a few beers before he left, but he still was technically ‘drivin’ under the influence’. If Josie would have let him drive rather than bein’ her flailin’ around angry drunk self, demandin’ to drive because she could, that accident wouldn’t have happened, and Jackson wouldn’t have been suspended for a few games. It could have been worse, but he covered up for her a lot.”
Hm. Why didn’t Jackson ever tell me that?
I heard him coming down the staircase, “Well, rest assured…I would never do that to Jackson. He’s the most amazing man I have ever met, and I wouldn’t want him to jeopardize his career for something I did. Not that I would get drunk and decide that driving was a great idea.”
Shelby laughed, “You’re already levels above the maturity level than that one was.”
Jackson came into the room, “What are you two girls talkin’ about?”
“Girl stuff, you’d be grossed out,” Shelby grinned before looking at her phone, “Brian is here! I’m goin’ to go let him in!”
She took off for the front door. Jackson sauntered over to me and hooked his arms around my waist.
“Now really, what were you guys talkin’ about?” He rested his forehead against mine.
“Just how lucky I am to have you in my life,” I smiled sweetly as I put my hand up on his cheek.
His smiled grew to an outright grin, “I’m the lucky one to have you in my life. You are like a breath of fresh air, Madeline.”
I gazed into his eyes, “Then kiss me.”
When our lips connected it felt like the world stopped. It felt like that in every kiss that we shared. The feeling was something I had never experienced with anybody before. Was this what love felt like? It really had to be too early to love him, we had only been together for a week and had only known each other for three days before that. But something inside of me told me that the feeling was right…that it was real. Inspiration decided to strike right then, I needed to revisit my characters and change them into more of me and Jackson. The love story was going to be about us. I just wouldn’t tell Jackson that, there was no way I could tell him that I loved him just yet. Not after everything he had been through with Josie. We needed to take it slow.
Jackson cut the engine on the boat as we came to the middle of the lake. Being an early Monday afternoon, there weren’t many other boats out with us. Then again, it was nice to not have to worry about a lot of other people being around. He tugged me down onto his lap as Shelby and Brian whispered to each other on one of the benches.
“So what do you think?” Jackson asked quietly nodding his head in the direction of his sister.
“Of them? They are cute together and Brian does have a sense of humor that makes your sister laugh. What does Shelby’s big bad brother think?” I put one arm around his neck.
He narrowed his eyes a little, “I think I am bein’ protective over my little sister. I know how hard it can be for a relationship with a baseball player who travels constantly durin’ the season.”
I turned his head so that he looked at me, “Jack, she understands what kind of schedule a baseball player has because of you and your schedule. If she didn’t feel comfortable with it, then she wouldn’t pursue him. Besides, you were gone for the entire duration of our relationship so far and we are doing pretty well.”
“That’s because you are amazin’,” he smiled.
“No, it’s because we are amazing together.”
He grinned and kissed me quickly. I turned to point at the console that Jackson had been paying attention to as he navigated us out here, “So, tell me about this boat.”
“Other than it no longer bein’ used just for my days as a bachelor?” Jackson teased as he kissed my shoulder.
“Yes, I can imagine the killer parties you’ve had on this with your friends,” I giggled.
“Technically, this boat is called a Bowrider. Mostly because it has a seatin’ area at the front of the boat to accommodate more people. I’ve taken it fishin’ with my dad when he would come up for long visits but right now it’s just used for some time out here.”
I dragged my hand along the steering wheel, “It is a very nice boat. Watching you drive it was pretty sexy too.”
Jackson smirked, “We are in the middle of a lake with two other passengers, we can’t do much of anythin’.”
My free hand dropped down to his inner thigh and began to trace the outline of his bulge in his pants, “But there is so much I’d love to do right now…”
“Jackson, we’re gonna hop off the back and go swimmin’ for a little bit. I wanted to show Brian that dock that is great for doin’ flips off of over there,” Shelby said from behind us.
Jackson pursed his lips as my hand refused to stop teasing him, “Sounds great, Shel. Just be careful over there.”
I watched as she rolled her eyes and shook her head, “Yeah, yeah, Jack. I know.”
Brian stripped off his t-shirt and I could see Shelby trying not to stare. I mentally laughed at the memory of how Jackson caught me eyeing him when he was shirtless in front of me. They took hands and jumped off the back of the boat together. Soon, they were swimming away from us and towards a dock in the distance.
“Well, now we are all alone,” I said innocently.
“Fuck, get down on your knees in front of me. I need some god damn relief,” Jackson demanded.
Following his orders, I kneeled where Jackson pointed that hid me away from any prying eyes. He slipped his fresh pair of khaki shorts down to his ankles as I eagerly helped him push his boxers down. Bypassing any type of teasing, I went straight for the kill and immediately began to suck on his cock that was already hard for me. Jackson groaned and fisted a hand in my hair.
“See what you do to me, Madeline?” He grunted as I sucked harder.
“Mhm,” I hummed against him.
Not sure how much time I had before Shelby and Brian would decide to come back, I picked up the pace. My head bobbed up and down faster and faster as I sucked as hard as I could. Jackson tried not to moan loud as he gave into the pleasure I was giving him.
“Just like that, baby. I’m goin’ to come,” he said through clenched teeth.
I looked up and locked eyes with him as I swirled my tongue over his tip. Pushing him in as far as he could go, I felt his cock twitch before his cum quickly shot into my mouth. I sucked until he was completely spent and sat back on my legs as I swallowed and wiped the corners of my mouth.
“Just when I thought you couldn’t get any more amazin’, you give me the best blow job that I have ever had,” Jackson panted
.
I grinned and moved to stand up beside him, “Come on, get your pants back up. Let’s go sit out on the bow.”
Climbing onto the seating on the bow, I waited for Jackson to join me. He reclined back, and I sat in between his legs. His arms wrapped around me as I laid my back against his chest. I closed my eyes and felt his lips press against my temple.
“You know, I’m gonna have to go back to my place and pick up some things if I’m going to be staying here with you,” I said softly as I ran my hands up and down his arms.
“First of all, can I just say how happy I am that you said you will stay here with me?” He admitted quietly as he kissed the side of my head again.
I laughed, “You’re just happy you’ll have access to sex whenever you want it.”
Jackson held onto me tighter, “You do know that I like you for more reasons than just sex, right? I don’t want you to feel like that’s the only thing I care about.”
Looking over my shoulder, I smiled at him, “Of course I know that. You made that very clear when you weren’t trying to take advantage of me the night you stayed at my place. I just like teasing you, that’s all.”
“You tease me enough as it is,” he grinned as he winked.
I kissed him softly, “I really like you, Jackson. I just hope that I don’t find some way to mess this up. You’ve been through so much because of Josie…I want to prove to you that not all girls are like that.”
“I really like you too, Madeline. And you’ve already proven to me that you are not one bit like her. Where her eyes always wandered, your eyes have been locked on me. Don’t think I didn’t notice when Brian took off his shirt that you didn’t even pay him any attention. Josie would have been droolin’ all over that even if my sister was interested in him. You kept your focus on me.”
“That’s because I have all the hotness I can handle right here with me,” I blushed before turning my attention back to the water. I could just make out Shelby jumping into the water from the dock.
“You sure know how to rub a man’s ego the right way,” Jackson hugged me tight from behind.
“Is that what I was rubbing earlier?” I giggled and rested my head back against him.
“Damn, your sassy mouth is so hot,” he began to kiss my neck.
I slipped my phone out of my pocket as it beeped with a text message. Sighing, I decided to call Alexandria to answer her question rather than text it. I thought that as soon as I put my phone up to my other ear, Jackson would have stopped kissing my neck…but I was proven wrong.
“I know you are off today to spend time with Jackson, but I really cannot find your notes on that article about the Music in the Park series,” she sounded more exasperated than her text message had insinuated.
“It’s fine, Alex. We are just lounging on his boat anyways, so I figured it would be easier to call you.”
“The man has a boat? Geez, what else does he have? A mansion?”
“I think I would call his house that from my standards, yes.”
“What the hell? You are one lucky chick.”
I put my free hand over Jackson’s, “I know I am. Now, if you go in my top desk drawer, under the pile that is paperclipped right on top? The notes will be right there in the notebook. I have a Post-it note sticking out of the top that says park music.”
“Ah-ha! I found it! God, even when you are off of work you are a lifesaver. Just don’t have too much fun where you take off every Monday now, you hear me?”
“I don’t know, I am enjoying myself pretty well so far. I might have to make this a weekly routine.”
“Fuck yeah, you do,” Jackson whispered against my neck.
“Please don’t, we need you here.”
“I’ll think about it. If you need any other help just let me know. I’ll be back in tomorrow. Good luck with that article.”
We exchanged our goodbyes and hung up. I stared at my phone for a second and had an idea.
“Jackson, will you take a picture with me?” I asked softly.
“Of course, darlin’.”
He lifted his head and he pulled me tighter against him. I held up my phone with the camera feature on and we both smiled wide. I quickly snapped a picture and just as I pressed the button for a backup picture, Jackson kissed my cheek. Man, was this guy perfect or what?
Chapter Six
After hours of soaking up the sun with Jackson, Shelby, and Brian, it was finally decided that we should stop at my place to pick up some things. I even talked Jackson into taking me, Shelby, and Brian to my favorite Mexican restaurant not far from my house. Jackson offered to drive and as Shelby and Brian climbed into the backseats of the cab of Jackson’s truck, he had to help me into the passenger seat thanks to my height deficiency. By the way that Jackson was gripping onto my ass just a little too tight, I knew he was enjoying the task of helping me.
Once we got back to my apartment and gave Shelby a small tour after she demanded a million times, I quickly packed work clothes, pajamas, and other necessities. The last thing I packed was my laptop because inspiration had been striking left and right and the notes application on my phone was getting pretty full of ideas. When we got to Fiesta Cancun, one of the best Mexican restaurants I had found in the cities, my stomach was growling.
The host escorted us to a large booth and on our way to our table, I had recognized a former coworker of mine who I had not seen since he moved away. I nearly stopped in my tracks when I saw him because he had been such a good friend of mine before he moved back to New York.
“No way, David Summers, is that you?” I said quickly as Jackson stopped behind me.
“Madeline, wow!” He stood up and hugged me, “How have you been?”
“Oh, you know the usual down at Pioneer Press. They actually have me working on some more investigative pieces which is something I’ve always wanted to do,” I smiled and released him.
I could practically feel the tension coming off of Jackson behind me.
“So what brings you all the way to Eagan?” David asked, leaning against the back of the chair he vacated.
Turning to my side, I brought Jackson forward, “I’m actually out to dinner with my boyfriend, Jackson. Jackson, this is my friend David. He used to work with me before he decided to abandon us at the press to move back to New York and write for the New Yorker.”
David playfully held up his hand defensively, “Hey, I missed being home with my family. New York is my place.”
I looked up at Jackson and I could see an obviously fake smile plastered on his face as he greeted David. He was sizing him up as he put an arm possessively around me. As they exchanged a few pleasantries I could tell that Jackson was pissed off about how close I was with this guy he had never met or heard about. It wasn’t my fault I never told him about David, he moved away to New York, I couldn’t believe he was back.
“Well, we should probably get back to the other people we’re having dinner with. It was really nice to see you, David. I’m happy that everything in New York is working out for you.”
David smiled and nodded, saying goodbye before he slipped back into his seat. I could physically sense that Jackson was relieved that David didn’t hug me again. We needed to address this situation and fast. As we got to our table, I put my purse down on the empty side that Shelby and Brian had left for us but didn’t take a seat.
“Guys, Jackson and I will be right back,” I said as innocently as I could.
“We will?” Jackson questioned, his mood returning to where it was before we ran into David.
I nodded and looked back at Shelby, “Make sure you get more chips and salsa. That stuff is like my kryptonite.”
She laughed and said okay before I led Jackson out of the restaurant. Pulling us off to the side to avoid some other people going into the restaurant, I looked up at Jackson.
“What?” He asked, a small smile playing on his face.
“Jackson, I know what was going on in there when I ran into David.
”
“What was goin’ on?”
“You were getting pissed off and possessive. I recognized your tone of voice that you used from the one where you were questioning me about the waiter when I went out to lunch with Alex.”
Jackson sighed and ran his hand over his face, “Look, I’m sorry. It’s just difficult for me.”
I carefully pulled his hand away from his face and laced our fingers together on both hands, “Jack…David was a friend I worked with for two years before he moved away. That’s all he was, and I was surprised to see him here when he lives in New York. I am here with you…I introduced you as my boyfriend because that is what you are. I staked your claim on me by telling him that.”
“God, I’m a fuckin’ asshole,” Jackson looked down at the sidewalk below us.
“It is going to be difficult to work through what Josie put you through and I will be here supporting you every step of the way. But you have to trust me at least a little bit that if I talk to someone who is of the opposite sex, it’s going to mean nothing to me because I have you.”
“Shit…”
“What? What’s wrong?”
Jackson smiled finally as his eyes met mine, “Those are probably the most comfortin’ words I have ever heard.”
I raised an eyebrow, “That I support you?”
“No, that other guys will mean nothin’ to you because you have me.”
I laughed and rolled my eyes before releasing his hands and putting my arms around his neck, “It’s the truth. Why would I want anybody else when I have the most attentive and caring boyfriend I can have right here with me? Hell, even when your gone it’s almost like you’re still here because of how much we talk. I don’t want or need anybody else because I am happy where I am at. Actually, I’m more than happy…I’m elated.”
Jackson pulled me close against him, “Look at my writer girlfriend usin’ different ways to say how happy she is.”
“I could go through the dictionary and list all the synonyms for how happy I am,” I teased quietly.