“He’s only trying to do what’s best for the town.”
Jasmine threw her napkin down on the table, her morose mood replaced with anger. She was surprised that Micah was immediately defending his brother. Didn’t Micah see what was happening to her grandmother and to their town?
“Maybe the mayor should think more about what his policies are doing to the people who already live in Bay Point, as opposed to spending all his time and our tax dollars cultivating the tourist trade!”
Micah wiped his mouth and put his own napkin on the table. He held his hands up in defense.
“I’m only the man’s brother. So let’s not talk about him, or worse, politics. Why don’t we take a walk instead?”
Jasmine tore her eyes away from him and glanced outside. “But it’s raining!”
Micah shrugged and extended his hand toward her as he got out of his seat. “Minor drizzle.”
She stared at him like he was crazy and opened her mouth to protest, but he shut it with a quick kiss.
“I just want to walk with you. Please?”
She looked into his eyes, nodded and clasped her hand in his.
Emerging from the patio, they both took a deep breath, inhaling the clean, fresh air. The drizzle was light, but steady, and it felt good on her skin. Her flat-ironed hair, she knew, would curl up, soaking in the moisture. But at the moment, she didn’t care.
Both barefoot, they set out toward the vineyards that held rows upon rows of plump grapes, ready to be harvested. Rolling verdant hills dotted with farmhouses and other wineries spread out to the east, the north and the south as far as she could see.
Without warning, Jasmine broke away running, laughing as Micah chased her. She ran through one row, down another, almost losing her footing several times on the wet grass.
“You can’t catch me,” she shouted.
“Oh I can,” he insisted. “I just don’t want to yet.”
* * *
Looking back, she saw him lumbering behind, grinning, and she knew he was being slow on purpose, so he could watch her ass.
At the end of one row, she stopped and bent at her waist. She grabbed on to her ankles and shouted to him from between her legs.
“Come on, slow poke!” she yelled, sticking her tongue out at him, before straightening and continuing on.
Jasmine kept on running up and down the rows, and soon she didn’t hear him anymore. She came to the end of the vineyard where there was a line of ancient oak trees with huge trunks, which she assumed marked the border between Zack’s property and another.
Breathing heavily, Jasmine leaned against a tree, soaked to the skin, feet muddy. She started to shiver.
“Micah?”
“Boo!”
She nearly jumped to the first bough of the tree.
“You scared me half to death!”
He drew her into his arms. But peeved at him, she resisted.
Thwack! Thwack!
Her ears adjusted to the thick, sharp sound and she realized she was slapping his bare chest. She stopped immediately.
“What happened to your shirt?”
“I took a short cut and it ripped.”
She planted a kiss on his hard, wet skin, on the places where she’d struck him.
“I’m sorry. I was just so startled by you jumping out from behind that tree.”
His steel-like muscles flexed under her caresses, and the more she kissed him, the more she became aroused.
“I deserved it,” he said, a devilish grin crossing his face. “And I kind of liked it.”
She stopped and stared at him. “So did I.”
This was the first time she was seeing him bare-chested and she wanted to admire him. She let her eyes roam freely across his wet skin, his ridged, muscular abdomen.
Jasmine raised her arms above her head and stretched slowly. Micah’s eyes widened and she looked down and realized that her own shirt was nearly transparent.
“I like that, too,” he said, his eyes dark with desire.
She blushed and crossed her arms over her breasts, suddenly embarrassed.
Micah took a step forward. “Let me see you.” He uncrossed her arms, and they dropped to her side.
“Jasmine, you’re beautiful.”
She drew a hand through her wet hair, which had reversed back to its natural curl. “I must look a mess.”
Micah caught her hand and brought it to his lips. Extending her fingers, he planted a kiss on each tip.
“No, you’re perfect,” he said. Extending her curled fingers gently, he planted another kiss on each one—pinky to thumb. “And I want to show you how perfect we can be together.”
A little moan escaped her lips as he sucked on the tip of her thumb, and she felt her loins moistening in response.
“Right now? Right here?”
He nodded, his eyes never leaving hers. “Baby, I thought you’d never ask.”
Jasmine hitched in a breath as he brought his body close. Now she could feel how hard he was for her, and as his tongue slipped into her mouth, she wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist.
He hoisted her up closer against him, licking the moisture from her neck before returning to her mouth.
Their kisses deepened. She rubbed her sex against his wet abdomen and lower still. His bulge grew larger, hotter, torturing him, torturing them. He broke the kiss and moaned against her hair, as she continued to grind against him.
“May I undress you?”
She stood and nodded dreamily, not caring that her clothes were plastered to her body. She couldn’t help giggling as he struggled to remove them.
“You’re not making this any easier on me, are you?”
“Don’t worry,” she cooed, not lifting one finger to help him, as he slid her underwear down her legs. “I’m worth the effort.”
When she was completely nude, he stood back and whistled. “You aren’t kidding!”
She ran her hands slowly up her body and caressed her breasts, teasing him. “Now it’s your turn.”
It seemed like mere seconds after she’d opened her mouth that he removed his clothes. And when they were off, she had no words. She could only stare at his long, hard length jutting out into the air, and the two dark sacs hanging behind it.
He, too, was perfect.
Kneeling, he flicked his tongue into her belly button, causing her to collapse to the ground. Her knees sank into wet grass. She giggled and squirmed as he kissed up, up, up to her chin, before landing on her mouth.
Holding her left nipple between his thumb and his forefinger, he squeezed gently and took her breath away when he replaced his touch with his tongue. He guided her onto her back as his lips sucked on one tit and then the other. Her arms moved in a languorous display across the wet grass, and she arched forward wanting more.
Micah placed his hand between her legs and her hips started to buck when he tapped lightly on that one spot that if they were behind closed doors, would make her scream.
She clenched her teeth and didn’t make a sound, as she grabbed his hand and held it still against her. He began to pleasure her with his fingers, stroking and stroking, increasing the pressure and intensity of his touch.
Jasmine tilted her head to the side and watched him. The sight was almost too much for her to bear. Still, she found herself spreading her legs even wider, when he clutched one breast in his hand and latched on to her nipple again.
* * *
He licked and stroked, again and again. Her hands massaged through his hair as he nuzzled and groaned against her, making her hot and wet and sticky with lust.
“Micah, now,” she whispered weakly. She tried to prop herself up on her elbows, but fell back, as the waves of pleasure he was coaxing started to build in earnest.
“Micah, please!�
�� Jasmine begged, pulling his head away from her breast as her hips started to buck uncontrollably.
He reached back for his jeans and pulled out a condom. Her loins hurt just by watching him slowly roll it over and down his long, thick penis. He was teasing her, and taking his time doing it, too.
He moved into place between her legs and bent over her, kissing the side of her neck. “You want this?”
“Yes, damn you!” she cried, clutching his round butt with her hands.
Without another word, Micah entered her.
“Oh!” she cried out.
Her legs locked him into place and that’s when he started to move. Fast and quick, like a hummingbird drawing nectar, departing then darting inside again for more. His penis felt longer and thicker every time he entered her, and she never wanted him to stop.
* * *
It started to drizzle again and his knees dug deeper into the muddy ground. He slipped down against her and she held on to his shoulders as he raised his body above hers. Not missing a beat, stroke for continuous stroke, he plunged into her again and again, his brow furrowed in deep concentration.
His gaze was so intense that he seemed to be searching for something beyond her.
Something within himself.
She understood. She was searching, too.
“Micah,” she whispered, in awe of him, of how he was making her body feel.
As she closed her eyes, she felt her heart open to accept him, now or forever. Whatever the future held in store, she was ready.
Micah penetrated her again, slower and deeper than before. She lifted her buttocks off the wet grass, enjoying the hardness of his flesh as he slowly slid out again. He seemed to sense that she wanted more, and thrust again, then even deeper still. His furrowed brow became a painful grimace. He immediately stopped moving and groaned aloud.
With a loud gasp, she arched up to meet him. Their kisses were frantic as her sensitive nipples, abraded by his tongue, smashed against his slick chest. As they rode each other to the point of sharp, yet exquisite pleasure, the clouds opened up, sending down cold shards of rain.
* * *
“We’re soaked. So are our clothes.”
Micah rolled onto his back, panting, satisfied, and slightly scared. The wet grass felt cool and refreshing. He’d never expected that being with Jasmine would leave him so spent yet ready for more.
She propped herself up on one elbow and gave him a slow, sweet kiss he wished could last forever. But he was cold and wet, and starting to shrivel.
“How do you propose we get inside?”
He turned and cupped one of her buttocks with his left hand. “How about I just hoist you up over my shoulder and carry you back?” he asked, only half kidding.
“Not on your life, Tarzan.” She rolled her eyes and lightly slapped his buttocks in return. “Why don’t we walk back as fast as we can instead? I’m freezing!”
He nodded, and they got up and picked up their sopping clothes.
With his arm around Jasmine, they made their way back to the guesthouse, Micah’s heart and body felt raw and prickly. He’d made love to her in the open, on the grass and in the rain. Her sensuality was his sin, and he wanted nothing more than to continue to pleasure the woman beside him.
“I know it’s a little late to ask, but I hope nobody around here has a camera,” Jasmine wondered.
He saw that she was shivering even more than he was, and he wrapped his arm around her shoulder, and pulled her close.
“Don’t worry, we’re miles from the next farm, and before you even ask, Zack is a fiend about privacy. Why do you think he moved from LA all the way out here to the country?”
A few minutes later they arrived back on the patio, leaving dirty footprints wherever they walked. Micah snagged a roll of paper towels from the kitchen and they wiped their feet.
“Let’s have a hot shower, and then we’ll figure out what to do next.”
“Do you mind if I shower alone?” Jasmine asked.
She crossed her arms around her naked breasts, and wouldn’t look at him. His heart sank and he wondered if she regretted what they’d done.
“Sure, no problem. You go shower first and I’ll clean up the kitchen.”
Jasmine glanced around at the mess. “Are you sure you don’t want me to help?”
He shook his head. “No, you’ll only distract me, and I mean that as a compliment, by the way.”
As Micah led Jasmine through the bungalow to the master bathroom, he struggled to keep his eyes off her naked, muddy body.
“What about our clothes?”
“I’ll throw them in the washer while you’re gone. In a few hours, they’ll be dry and good as new.”
When he got back to the kitchen, he picked up their dirty clothes, took them to the laundry room, and tossed them into the washer.
He thought about his conversation with Jasmine during dinner and frowned as he scrubbed down the now-cool grill.
He understood the reasons why Lucy wanted to transfer ownership of the restaurant to Jasmine, but from the look on her face, it was clear she wasn’t sure if she wanted to take it on.
His final decision was all the more difficult and pressing. If he did open his own restaurant, as his business partners preferred, he would now be in direct competition with Jasmine, rather than just her grandmother.
That didn’t sit well with him, especially now.
Making love to Jasmine had changed everything.
She also seemed to have open disdain for his brother, which surprised him. Micah thought Gregory had a good relationship with the townspeople. After all, they’d elected him to a second term in office, rallying around him when his opponent tried to step into his shoes.
He knew that Lucy had even hosted a couple of town meetings at the restaurant for Vanessa, who at that point was not Gregory’s wife, but his campaign manager. Was Jasmine even aware of the role, though small, her grandmother’s restaurant had played in the election?
Jasmine hadn’t been living in Bay Point for long. He wasn’t sure how involved she was in local politics, but she probably wouldn’t have such a negative opinion of her brother, if not for Lucy.
It was too soon to consider making Jasmine a permanent part of his life and his family, but Micah would never want a difference of opinion to tear them apart. If she was going to be part of his life, she and Lucy would have to come to grips with the fact that Gregory would be making some decisions about Bay Point they might not agree with.
His phone beeped and he read a series of texts from Zack. Inwardly, he smiled, but wondered how Jasmine would take the news. He laid his phone back on the counter and silently thanked the weather gods.
Micah chuckled out loud at his change of heart, realizing that he was closer to wanting a serious relationship with Jasmine than not wanting one. Something he never expected to happen so soon.
After he finished scraping the plates, he wrapped up the garbage and took it to the bin on the outside of the patio. He loaded the dishwasher and thought about the role he could play in his brother’s plan to continue to revitalize the local economy.
His restaurant would bring much-needed jobs and more dollars to Bay Point. His name recognition and personal brand would help to sustain both through fickle economic times. Plus, it would help promote the Langston family name, which was important to his mother and father.
As he wiped down all the surfaces, he worried about Jasmine and whether continuing to keep his plans a secret was the right thing to do. The nondisclosure agreement that he’d had everyone who was aware of or involved in the deal sign was now hampering him. He couldn’t even hint at his plans until he and his business partners made the final decision public.
“I wish I could tell her the truth,” he said aloud.
Jasmine entered the room, body wrapped in a towel.
“Tell me what truth?”
“I—I just got a text from Zack,” he sputtered, surprised to see her so soon.
Didn’t women normally take hours in the bathroom?
He threw the paper towels in the trashcan and washed his hands again.
“I was debating whether to tell you or not.”
She gave him a curious stare. “What’s wrong?”
Micah braced his palms on the dining counter. “The heavy rains caused a rock slide on Highway 1. No way we’re getting out of here tonight.”
“What about another route?”
“There are reports of flash floods on the PCH, plus local roads nearby. It’s not safe.”
“Did you plan this?”
“Everything but the rain.” He grinned. “And the rock slide.”
He reached across the counter and took her hand. “I didn’t know how you would react to the news, but the truth is, I’m not sorry we’re stuck here.”
Her brow creased in distress and she slipped her hand from his. “What am I going to tell Lucy?”
“She doesn’t know that you’re with me, does she?”
Jasmine shook her head. “I’m sorry, I didn’t want her to know.”
Micah clenched his jaw. This confirmed his suspicions that Lucy really did have something against the Langston family. Why else would Jasmine have to hide the fact that she was going to spend time with him?
He grabbed a throw blanket from one of the chairs and wrapped it around her shoulders.
“Will you excuse me? I want to take a shower, too.”
She nodded and he gave her a quick kiss before he left to take a shower.
The hot water felt great, but didn’t ease his tension or his hurt feelings. Though he was curious about the reasons why Jasmine felt it was necessary to hide their relationship from Lucy, he knew better than anyone not to get involved in family disputes.
Fifteen minutes later he was back, squeaky clean with a towel around his hips and ready to pick up the conversation where they left off.
Winning Her Heart Page 10