Jackson dipped his fingers between her thighs, a deep rumble of pleasure coming from him when he touched her damp heat. She tilted back her head and cried out as he stroked two of his fingers into her core and then dragged them back out again.
“More,” she demanded as she squeezed his cock.
Jackson grabbed her hips and lifted her until she was up on her knees. Using her grip on him, she guided him to her. The thick head of his erection squeezed past her opening. She loved the way he stretched her each time he entered her. It was tight, but he fit as if they’d been made especially for each other.
Cupping his face in her hands, she watched his expression as she slowly lowered herself onto his cock. He hissed out a breath from between clenched teeth. His blue eyes flickered with the flames of lust, searing their expression onto her soul.
When she was seated as far as she could go, she wiggled her hips and managed to take him even deeper.
“Hold on to me.” She had no idea what he planned to do, but she trusted him implicitly. Grabbing on to his shoulders, she held on tight.
She felt his right thigh flex and then the swing began to move. Emerald wrapped her hands around his neck, twining her fingers together as Jackson clasped her hips in his hands and began to guide her.
As the swing moved forward, he dragged her close. As the swing drew back, he held her away from him, his cock sliding out until only the head remained inside. This time when the swing came forward, he drove back in hard and deep. Emerald cried out as fire shot from her core to flood the rest of her body.
She began to work with Jackson, catching the rhythm, anticipating each swing. Using his right foot, he kept the swing moving at a slow and steady pace. Emerald writhed in his arms, panting and moaning as desire spiraled higher and higher within her.
A light sheen of perspiration covered her body and Jackson’s shoulders were slick beneath her hands as she stroked them. She felt the familiar contractions begin deep in her womb. Her inner muscles flexing and relaxing. Getting tighter. Tighter.
Jackson slipped one of his hands between her legs and stroked her swollen clitoris. That was all it took to drive her over the edge. Her hips jerked, slamming forward, driving him deep and hard. Contractions rippled through her core, squeezing his cock tight.
She felt the flood of his seed as it filled her, the hot jets of semen pumping through his shaft and into her body. Her inner muscles tightened around him, wringing moans from both of them. Aftershocks were still pulsing through her when she collapsed forward.
Jackson’s strong arms came around her. There was almost a desperate feel in the way he held her so tight that she could barely breathe. Wrapped in each other’s arms, neither of them spoke. As the minutes ticked by, Emerald could feel the closeness slipping away and she didn’t know what to do to hold it.
Knowing she couldn’t stay like this forever, she slowly pushed herself upright. She bit her lip to keep from crying out as the move made his still semi-erect cock flex within her.
Jackson swore and eased himself from her. “We didn’t use a condom.” His voice was flat.
Flustered now that the heat of passion was past, Emerald grabbed the edges of her dress together and began to button them. “It’s okay. I’m on the Pill and I’ve never had sex without a condom before so you don’t have to worry about disease.” She fastened several buttons, not looking at him. It was cowardly, but she didn’t want to face him until she was covered again.
“I’m clean too. I’ve never had sex without a condom. I knew it felt too damn good.”
She stopped what she was doing and scrambled out of his lap. His hands tightened briefly and for a split second she thought he might pull her back into his lap. But the moment passed and he let her go.
His eyes tracked down her body as she stood and she realized that the bottom of her dress was still askew, revealing her damp, glistening pubic hair. Twitching the dress closed, she fastened a few more of buttons, ignoring the one that was missing near the bottom. When she looked back at him, he’d just finished fastening his jeans. She felt hot, sticky and uncomfortable, but Jackson barely had a hair out of place. Leaning back against the swing with his shirt off, he appeared cool and composed.
“There’s nothing for you to worry about.” The heat from his eyes had faded, replaced by the cool, closed expression he’d had when she’d first arrived. “So where does this leave us?” She locked her knees and fisted her hands in her skirt to hide their trembling.
His eyes narrowed as he pushed out of the swing. She took a step back. A muscle twitched beneath his eye as he stared at her. “Right where we started.” He bent down and snagged his T-shirt, turning it right side out before pulling it back over his head. “It was fun, Emerald. It was great. But we both know that your life isn’t here on this farm. Your work, your life is in New York.”
Emerald felt curiously detached as she watched him, a peculiar numbness coming over her. Her heart felt as if it had shattered into little pieces. He wasn’t going to ask her to stay. Didn’t want her to stay. She’d gone into this knowing there were no promises or guarantees, but God how it hurt.
It wasn’t his fault that she’d fallen in love with him, but he didn’t love her. Like he’d said, they’re both adults and they had a good time together. Now it was over. She wouldn’t make a scene even if it killed her. He’d saved her life for heaven’s sake. The least she could do was get out of his life and let him rebuild what her coming had shattered.
“I’ll pack my things and go.”
Jackson nodded. “That’s probably for the best.” He opened his mouth as if he might say more, but closed it again. The muscles in his jaw were tight and his hands were fisted as he stalked away from her. He stopped at the bottom of the steps and for a second she hoped and prayed that he might turn around and come back to her. One word from him and she was ready to admit that she loved him and wanted to stay.
Tension surrounded them. Emerald could almost feel an invisible thread between them, holding them together. Then it snapped as Jackson thumped down the steps and hurried across the yard. He didn’t look back.
She watched him until he disappeared from sight, swallowed up by the orchard. Tears filled her eyes, slowly overflowing and trailing down her cheeks. Swiping at them, she shuffled into the house. The room she’d stayed in had escaped most of the damage from the kitchen fire, but it had been cleaned and aired. Emerald yanked her bag out of the closet and began to stuff her clothing into it. It didn’t take her long. Her laptop was gone, destroyed in the explosion, but she’d get another. She still had her sketchbook with all her original drawings and ideas. Not that she’d ever forget the farm or the man who lived here.
Dragging her bags out to her car, she threw them into the trunk and slammed it shut. She went into the house one last time and walked through it. Standing in the doorway to Jackson’s room, she stared at the chair where he’d held her so tenderly while he’d fed her. Her eyes strayed to the bed and her feet moved forward as if some unseen force were propelling her.
She sat down on the bed and inhaled, dragging Jackson’s unique outdoorsy scent into her lungs. A shirt was tossed onto the end of the bed and she picked it up, bringing it to her nose and sniffing. It smelled like him. Standing, she tucked the shirt beneath her arm and left. Her bare feet made no sound on the stairs as she padded down to the main floor. She ignored the fresh, new kitchen as she strode through it, didn’t stop to admire the brand-new maple trestle table situated in the center of the room. Tears pricked her eyes, but she wiped them away.
She was alive and her stalker had been caught. That was all that mattered. She’d shared an incredible few weeks with an exceptional man and now it was over. It was time to move on with her life.
Tilting her chin up, she walked out of the farmhouse and closed the door behind her. Stopping long enough to snag her sandals, she hurried to her car without looking at the porch swing. Emerald slid into the front seat of her car, shut the door and turned
on the ignition in one smooth motion. She backed the car away from the house and headed down the road, refusing to look in the rearview mirror as she drove away.
Jackson watched from the edge of the tree line as Emerald left the house for the last time and got into her car. His fingers dug into the trunk of the tree to keep from running to her and dragging her back inside. He didn’t want her to go, but he had no right to keep her here.
Their relationship had been intense because of the circumstances that had brought them together. But he knew that her life was not here. She was a city girl, reared in a famous family. Her family and her career were in New York. He was a farm boy through and through and could never be happy anywhere else.
These past few weeks had been the best of his life. Emerald had filled a void he hadn’t even known existed until she’d arrived. Smart, funny and beautiful, she’d brought joy and sunshine to his mundane existence. There was no doubt in his mind that he loved her. He could easily picture growing old with her, rearing a family together. But that wasn’t in the cards.
He loved her enough to let her go.
He knew himself well and knew there would never be another woman for him. Emerald, with her curly black hair and her gypsy looks was the one for him. Any other woman would pale in comparison.
As the car pulled away, he took a step forward, reaching out his hand as if he could somehow stop her. He blinked as his eyes began to sting. It was only dirt on the breeze, he assured himself as he dragged his hand over his eyes. As the car disappeared from view, he turned and slowly trudged back to work.
Chapter Twenty
Emerald stared at her computer screen, her eyes burning from overwork. All she’d done since she’d returned home to New York was work. She’d not only managed to recreate all the work she’d lost when her computer was destroyed in the kitchen explosion, she’d outlined an entire new collection as well. Seasons, she was calling it.
So far she’d created summer, which consisted of wildflowers such as daisies, buttercups, violets and a multitude of others, along with butterflies and bees. It was colorful and dramatic and would look wonderful on cards, stationery and journal covers, not to mention a line of accessories that would be ready for next summer.
Now she was starting the work on the fall collection. She wanted rich burnt orange, red and gold as her palette. She’d done some research on the area surrounding Meadows, seen some pictures of the autumn season, but it wasn’t the same.
Pushing her chair away from her desk, she rose and went to the window. Staring out, she took in the sights and sounds of the city. People and traffic bustled up and down the busy streets. Horns blared, people shouted. What had filled her with energy and excitement only months before now just annoyed her.
Slamming the window shut, she leaned her head against the glass and took a deep breath. She longed for the clean air of the countryside, the sound of the birds twittering in the morning, the silence. She wanted to be back on the farm with Jackson.
But she had to stop thinking about him. What was done was done.
“Are you okay?” Emerald almost groaned aloud. It was Topaz. Both she and Sapphire had been watching her like a pair of hawks since she’d returned home.
Summoning up a weak smile, she turned from the window. “I’m fine. I’ve finished the summer collection and started on autumn.”
“That’s good.” Topaz strolled into the room, looking chic and sophisticated in a cool green linen suit. Chunks of amber circled her wrist, set in an intricate band of silver. It was one of Sapphire’s pieces. Emerald, in her jeans and Jackson’s shirt, felt like a wrung-out dishrag next to her sister.
As Emerald watched warily, her sister went to the desk and examined several finished designs for the summer line. Her stomach clenched and she realized she was slightly nervous. With everything that had gone on with the stalker and her design block before that, it had been quite a while since she’d created anything this special.
“This is wonderful.” Topaz carefully laid the drawings back on the desk. “They have a vibrancy and realism that’s amazing. Sapphire is already designing the jewelry to go with this line.” Topaz turned and leaned back against the desk, crossing her arms across her chest. “She’d very excited about the wildflowers and she has an entire butterfly collection in mind.”
“That’s good.” Emerald was pleased but she couldn’t really work up any enthusiasm.
“Yes, it is.” Her sister pushed away from the desk and sighed. “When are you going to tell us what’s wrong?”
“There’s nothing wrong. I’m fine.” The words came automatically and Topaz frowned at her.
“No, you’re not.” Her sister’s voice was flat as she strode forward, determination in every line of her body.
“Am I late?” Sapphire hurried into the office, slightly breathless as she balanced three large beverage containers and a bakery bag in her hands.
“We haven’t started yet.”
Emerald stared from one sister to the other. “What’s going on?”
Sapphire plunked what Emerald suspected were café mochas and a selection of treats from Althea’s Bakery, a favorite of all three sisters. The only time they brought out this much chocolate and calories was when there was a serious discussion on the table.
Topaz wrapped her arm around Emerald’s shoulders and propelled her toward the comfortable couch and chairs that created a sitting area in the office. Sapphire had already curled up in one of the chairs and was busily opening the bag and setting cream puffs and éclairs onto paper napkins.
She found herself seated on the sofa with her café mocha in one hand and a cream puff in the other. Topaz pinned her with her golden-brown eyes and Emerald swallowed. She’d seen that look many times before and knew that time had run out.
“Tell us what happened.” Topaz’s voice was like velvet over steel. If Emerald didn’t spill the story, her sister would end up on Jackson’s doorstep demanding answers.
Emerald opened her mouth to once again say that nothing happened. Instead the entire story tumbled out from deep inside her. She told them about running and how she stumbled upon the job at the farm. She left out nothing as she spun the story of what had happened when she and Jackson met and what had followed. She poured her heart out, stopping occasionally to sniff back the tears that threatened.
“So you see, it’s nobody’s fault that I fell in love with him. We’re both adults and there was no commitment on either side. It was an intense affair and now it’s over.” And if she said it enough times maybe she’d even start to believe it.
Sapphire handed her a tissue, which Emerald took gratefully. Topaz, on the other hand, was thinking, and that was always dangerous. Her older sister sipped her café mocha thoughtfully. “The man insists you stay with him, doesn’t seem to care that his home is almost destroyed and risks his life for you?”
Emerald nodded. “Jackson’s one of a kind. He felt responsible for me.” Her heart clenched. “He’s big on responsibility.”
Topaz was shaking her head. “The man loves you.” She said it so matter-of-factly that Emerald sat up straighter.
“How can you say that? He sent me away.”
“No, he didn’t.” Topaz laid her drink on the table and reached out and took Emerald’s hands in hers. “He set you free. Don’t you get it? From everything you’ve told us, his actions show that he has deep feeling for you.”
“The sex between us was explosive,” she muttered, feeling her cheeks heat. She’d skipped over those parts of the story. They were too private, too special to share even with her sisters.
Topaz shook her head emphatically. “No. I’m not buying that. The guy thinks he’s doing you a favor by letting you come back to the city and your life here.”
A seed of hope began to bloom within her and she suddenly realized that she’d never really lost it. “He did keep saying that my life was in New York and his was on the farm.”
Sapphire came over to sit beside her, o
ffering her a quick hug. “I’d say he was too afraid to ask you to stay just as you were too afraid to tell him you love him. He would no more ask you to come live on the farm than you’d ask him to sell it and move to New York.”
“You really think so?” She so wanted her sisters to be right. It was an idea that she’d mulled around in her own mind, but Jackson didn’t seem to be afraid of anything. Except from what she’d learned about him, he’d isolated himself to keep from being hurt. His family had all left him, leaving him alone on the farm. He didn’t even have a pet for heaven’s sake.
“I do.” There was a certainty to Topaz’s words that had Emerald raising an eyebrow in question. “I saw him one night. I’d already left the hospital, but I’d forgotten my sweater and went back for it. The door was slightly opened and I peeked in just in case one of the doctors or nurses was with you. He was standing there watching you sleep.”
“I never knew he was there.” Emerald was shocked. As far as she’d known, Jackson had left the next morning and not returned to the hospital. He’d never told her any differently.
“I think that was the point,” Topaz pointed out. “The way he looked at you…” Her sister’s voice trailed off. She cleared her throat and continued. “I didn’t say anything sooner because I didn’t want to interfere. I kept hoping one or both of you would come to your senses.” Topaz arched her brow and Emerald felt her cheeks heating at the implication. “Let’s just say that if that man doesn’t love you, he should be making movies because he’s a damn fine actor.” Topaz grinned at both of them. “And he’s hot too, if you go for the rough and rugged type.”
All of them laughed. It was well known that Topaz only dated Wall Street, three-piece Italian suit kind of men. Topaz glanced away as if embarrassed. Emerald squeezed her sister’s hand tight. “Thank you for sharing that with me.”
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