by M. E. Parker
I was a little irritated, but he was right. “Okay Jack, but you aren’t buying anything. I’m reimbursing you for all of this.”
He shook his head, “Whatever you want Freckles.”
“I want.” I said to make sure he knew I was serious.
“Boots Freckles. Come on.” He said pushing the cart towards the shoe department.
As soon as we got back there, he grabbed my hand and led me to a bench. “Sit. What size do you wear?”
I looked up at him and smiled. “Eight.”
He called for Bob and I watched the two of them disappear into the back room. Jack came back carrying three different boxes. He handed me the first pair, “Try these.” They were Hunter rain boots. I slipped them on and stood in them. “Those are for mucking out horse stalls and jumping in mud puddles—also you can wear them if you decide you want to help Sarah with the vegetable garden.”
I looked at him smiling. “I want.”
He handed me the next pair. I pulled them out of the box. They were soft tan leather with a small flat heel. They looked a lot like the boots he wore. I slipped them on and they felt like butter—there was some sort of gel stuff in the bottom. “Oh my gosh. These are so comfortable.”
“Those are work boots. You can walk in them, hike in them, ride in them, wear them to feed the animals—anything you want really.”
I looked at the box and they were $350.00 but they felt so damn good on my feet, I wasn’t going to argue.
He handed me the next box. I recognized the brand, Lucchese— high-end cowboy boots. The price tag said $1,199.00. I opened the box to see a beautiful pair of red leather boots. “Jack. No way.”
He smiled at me. “Those are for me Claire. Try them on.”
I smirked at him. “If they’re for you Jack, you should try them on.”
He scooted closer to me and leaned over to whisper in my ear, “Try them on baby. I keep picturing you wearing these with that little denim dress you had on the other night. I want to fuck you while you’re wearing that little dress with these boots wrapped around me.”
I could feel my face turn bright red. Heat spread between my legs. I felt myself throbbing with need. Damn him. I pulled them out of the box and slipped them on. “Okay, but if they’re the least bit uncomfortable I’m not getting them.” Jack smirked. I knew I was lying. I was going to get them. I stood up and they melted into my feet. I looked at them in the mirror. I couldn’t help but smile. They even looked cute with what I was wearing. “Okay.” I said trying to wipe the smile off my face. “But I’m not reimbursing you for these.”
He laughed. “I wouldn’t have it any other way. I told you they were for me. Hand them to me, I’ll put them back in the box.”
“I think I’ll just wear them,” I said trying to sound casual.
He walked over and kissed me. “God Claire. You’re so sweet.”
Jack pushed the cart to the front of the store and Bob laughed— “You’re right Jack, I think she’s an expert.”
I’m pretty sure we made Bob’s day. The total was almost $3500.00. It made me feel good to help even though I had promised myself not to be irresponsible about spending money.
We spent the rest of the morning driving around Spring Hill. Jack showed me everything. I soon figured out that he owned almost the land in the county. We stopped at the diner for lunch and Suzie was ecstatic to see me. She gave Jack an “I told you so” look. I ate the best fried chicken I had ever tasted in my whole life and then she brought me a piece of apple pie. Everyone in the place knew Jack and stopped to say hello. He introduced me by name to each one of them. I loved every minute of it.
On the way back to the farm, Jack reached over and put his hand on my knee. The further we drove, the more his hand inched up my leg. I shifted in my seat to try to stop the throbbing between my legs. He finally smiled over at me, “Are you as horny as I am?”
I laughed. “Probably more.”
“Touch yourself, tell me if you’re wet.”
I already knew I was. But his words were turning me on. “Jack—not in the car.”
“Nobody is ever on this road this time of day. And even if someone passes us, they can’t see in—the windows are tinted. Touch yourself, Claire.”
I couldn’t believe I was going to do it, but I was. I slid my hand down my pants and started rubbing my clit. I tilted back my head and closed my eyes, letting a small moan escape.
“Fuck Claire. Pull down your pants, I wanna see.”
I opened my eyes and looked over at him. “I can’t.”
“Yes. You can.” He said as he took a sharp left turn down a dirt road. “Pull down your pants, it’s private out here.”
I tugged on the waistband of my leggings and pulled them down with my panties and spread my legs and started running my finger between my folds. I felt the truck come to a stop. Jack was breathing hard. “Fuck Claire. That’s so hot. Keep going.” I watched him unbutton his jeans and pull his hard dick out of his pants. “Touch your clit baby.” I felt heat rising to my face as I did what he asked. He stroked himself and I watched as I kept rubbing my clit.
We looked at each other and both laughed a little. I couldn’t believe we were doing this. It was crazy. “Claire, you’re so beautiful. I want to watch you come baby. Keep going.” His words sent me to the edge. I pressed down against my clit and started to move faster. I groaned as I watched a tiny bit of come drip out of his hard cock.
“Jack.” I said breathlessly.
“Don’t stop Claire—watch what you’re doing to me. Look at how hard I am. This is for you, baby.” His voice was hoarse as he moved his hand faster up and down his dick. It was sexy as hell. “Put your fingers inside Claire. I want to see them go inside.” I did what he asked, feeling myself dripping around my hand and my walls shuttering around my fingers. I moaned. As I came, I looked over at Jack, watching the come spurt out of his hard dick. Dear lord, I shouldn’t have loved watching that, but I did.
We both laughed, trying to catch our breath. Jack reached into the glove compartment and pulled out some napkins to clean himself up as I pulled up my pants. “I can’t believe we just did that.”
He wrapped his hand around the back of my neck and pulled me to him kissing me. “God, I love—that was so hot Freckles.” He backed up the truck and turned around like a bat out of hell.
“What’s the hurry?” I asked laughing as he sped down the dirt road.
“I have to get you home. I’m hard again.” He said laughing.
I looked at him innocently, “What are we going to do when we get home?”
He chuckled, “I’m going to make love to you baby and then we’re going fishing or riding or whatever you want to do.” He winked at me and my heart melted a little.
He pulled me up the stairs to the front porch. He was practically running. We were out of breath when we stepped in the house. Jack tossed all the shopping bags on the floor and bent over to take off his boots. I stood and watched him giggling as he didn’t even bother unbuttoning his plaid flannel shirt and pulled it over his head. “What are you doing?” I asked laughing.
He looked at me smiling. “Getting undressed. You’re behind. You better catch up.” He unbuttoned his jeans and pulled off his underwear with them. He was hard, and he looked beautiful standing there with the sunlight streaming through the windows.
I bent down to take off my boots still laughing at him, “You are crazy, Jack Colton.”
“Crazy about you Claire Hawkins. You’re taking too long.” He said smirking at me as he walked towards me. I peeled off my sweater and before I knew it he had taken off my tank top and bra. He pushed my leggings down my hips along with my panties and I reached down and pulled them off, kicking them aside on the floor. He pulled the hair tie off my braid and ran his fingers through my hair so that it fell around my shoulders.
I should have felt awkward standing with him completely naked in the kitchen in the middle of the day with the sunshine bursting through the windows. But I
didn’t at all. Everything about it felt right. He grabbed my face in both of his hands and kissed me passionately. His kisses slowly drifted down my neck, then my chest, until he found my breast. He held my breast in his hand as his tongue flicked back in forth over my nipple. He sucked my nipple into his mouth and sucked hard, then he lightly pulled it between his teeth, and then went back to gently kissing and licking it again. He moved to my other breast repeating the erotic teasing as I felt an intense ache between my legs.
His hand finally drifted to my legs and he began to gently stroke me. He pulled back and looked at me intensely, “I need to show you how I feel about you.” He picked me up like it was nothing with one arm around my back and the other underneath my knees. He carried me over to the couch and laid me down and then climbed on top of me. His body was pressed against mine as he pinned my arms on either side of my head interlocking his fingers with mine.
He leaned in to slide his tongue into my mouth as his erection nudged at my opening. I pressed my hips up against him with need as he devoured my mouth with his. He slowly pushed himself inside of me. He pressed himself as deep as he could go and the sensation of him filling me up was overwhelming. He didn’t move at first. Our pelvises were locked tight against each other and I was barely able to move my hips, but the slightest movement stimulated my clit causing me to want to beg him for more. He stopped kissing me and stared into my eyes as his hips began to move. His movements were slow and deliberate as he pulled out of me and pushed himself back in, each time pressing against my clit.
Our eyes were locked together searching for answers, needing more, as he made sweet love to me. It felt incredible—so incredible that I wanted it to last forever. I didn’t want to come yet, I didn’t want it to be over. “Do you feel it, Claire?” He said still staring at me as he continued to move slowly in and out of me.
I swallowed hard. “Yes.”
“Do you? Promise you’re feeling what I’m feeling.”
“I do. I promise.” I said feeling a tear slip out of the corner of my eye.
He leaned down and kissed the tear away from my cheek. I was overwhelmed with emotion. I knew what he was saying. He was saying he was in love with me without saying it. I felt it too and there was no mistaking what was in his eyes.
“It’s the best feeling in the world.” He said to me smiling as he continued to make love to me.
I smiled back at him. “I don’t want it to end, Jack.”
“It’s just the beginning,” he whispered.
My breathing increased as we continued to silently stare into each other’s eyes while we made slow love to each other. He never quickened the pace, but the pleasure kept building until I was on the very edge. It was if he knew the exact moment—he pressed himself hard and deep into me and I could feel him exploding as I climaxed so hard that it felt like I was coming over and over again. It was the most intense physical and emotional experience of my life.
He collapsed on top of me. Both of us were breathing hard. He rolled us on our sides and pressed his forehead to mine. His lips were turned up into a small smile. He kissed me gently several times. Tears began to fall down my cheeks. He frowned at me for a second as he reached up to wipe them away with his thumbs. “I’m just happy,” I whispered.
“Me too.” He whispered back with glassy eyes. He pulled me closer and I burrowed into his chest, feeling like I couldn’t get close enough. He reached over the back of the couch and covered us up with a quilt. We fell asleep in each other’s arms.
Chapter Fourteen—Jack
I woke up as the sun started to stream through the opening of the drapes. My arms were wrapped around her, just as they had been every morning for the last two weeks. I looked over at her. She took my breath away. Her long lashes curled gently against her cheeks. I stared down at the smattering of freckles that ran across her little nose. I’m pretty sure I had memorized every single one of them. It still felt unreal to me. I kept waiting to wake up from a dream. I laid there for a few minutes as I watched her chest slowly rise and fall as she slept.
Today was the day we were supposed to start working. I promised her. I had convinced her to give me an extra week. Ted and Sarah would be back from their trip in a couple of days and work would start picking up as we prepared for planting season. The last two weeks had been incredible. We had done everything she wanted. I taught her how to fish. I couldn’t help but smile remembering the moment she caught the first one. Her smile spread from ear to ear. We went for a canoe ride. We slept in a tent out by the lake. We built a fire and made S’mores. I even taught her how to drive a tractor. She acted like a kid on Christmas morning. It was all new to her and I loved every minute of it. Seeing it all through her eyes was like experiencing it for the first time.
Claire and the farm belonged together. She was a natural. She and Sunshine began a love affair that almost made me jealous. She and that horse were connected. We rode together every day and even though it had only been a couple of weeks, Claire rode Sunshine like she had been riding horses her whole life.
She spent the last two weeks soaking up every detail about the farm that she could. She wanted to know everything. It wasn’t enough for me to tell her about the different pieces of farm equipment. She wanted to see each piece and she wanted to understand how it worked. She wanted to me to take her to each field and explain what variety of crop grew there and how it was planted, irrigated, and harvested. She asked smart questions.
I had no doubt that she was going to do an incredible job with what I had asked her to do. Every second that we weren’t together, she was on the laptop I had given her, doing research on everything from soybean production to employee retirement plans. I could practically see the ideas she had for the farm swirling around in her brain.
I got mad at myself as I watched her sleep. I should have offered her a permanent position at the farm. I knew even then that she would be nothing but an asset. But I came up the stupid consulting idea. I was worried that she wouldn’t agree to a permanent position. I was worried that the idea of working fulltime for the farm wouldn’t appeal to her and I was worried that she would think that I was just offering her a job out of pity or charity. But I hated that I had offered a short-term position. Because the thought of her leaving at this point was unimaginable.
During our first week together on a ride, she asked if we could stop by the barn where my parents’ things from the old house were being stored. The first thing she saw was the old farm table that my Dad and Grandpa had built together. I watched her move the tarp over it and run her hand across the old wood. It was old and battered from years of use. Her eyes lit up like it was the most beautiful piece of furniture she had ever seen. “Jack, this is incredible. This belongs in your house.” I couldn’t help but remember all the dinners my mother and grandmother had served us on that table, surrounded by farm hands and their families. They were happy memories. For some reason, I’d chosen to hide them away. Maybe because I knew Tiffany wouldn’t want any hand-me-downs.
Claire talked me into moving my couch and TV to the back of the great room near the back porch and I had some of the guys move the massive table up to the house in front of the fireplace near the entryway. It was like it was made to fit there. With seating for fourteen people, I wondered if there would ever come a time that the table would be surrounded again by people I cared about. After the guys had moved in the table, I watched Claire carry in a large painting and I recognized it immediately. It used to hang over our sofa in the living room when I was growing up. My Dad had bought it for my Mom for a wedding anniversary. She loved it. It was a painting of the Smokey Mountains. According to my Mother, it was a reminder of their honeymoon. Claire placed it on the mantle above the fireplace.
It made my heart swell that Claire had found beauty in my parents’ old things. As soon as I looked at the painting over the mantle and our old dining table, I realized Claire had been right. I needed to make this ridiculous house my home and it was starting
to feel that way. Just about every day since then, we would make our way down to the barn and find things to move up to the house. With Claire’s help, I had ordered some new chairs for the great room and a few rugs online. Two weeks had passed and all the sudden the gigantic empty place that I had hated to step foot in had become a real home. Against Claire’s wishes, I had even ordered a desk and some other furniture to fill the empty room next to my office so that she could have her own place to work.
But it wasn’t just the home she had given me or the love that she seemed to have for the farm, or her enthusiasm for her new job that had me reeling. It was every single thing about her. We had a connection on a whole different level than I had ever had with a woman—well, probably with anyone. She and I were compatible in every way possible and the chemistry between us had grown stronger with the passing of each day. It was the craziest thing. In one way, our hours together had flown by, but at the same time, I felt like I had known her my whole life.
And Jesus, the sex. It was nothing like I had experienced before. Sometimes I just wanted to make sweet love to her, worship her body, and make her understand what she meant to me—all the things I was feeling for her. Then other times, I wanted it dirty and hot. She seemed to love all of it. I was worried that my appetite for her would be too much—but she was so responsive, and she seemed to want it all as much as I did. It was as if we couldn’t get enough of each other.
As I watched her sleep, I thought about us sharing a sleeping bag the night we camped out by the lake. It had gotten really cold that night and we slept naked in the same sleeping bag to keep each other warm. I laid on top of her and made love to her for what seemed half the night as I stared into her eyes with nothing but an old lantern to light up our tent. Our bodies fit together like they were made for each other. She came three times as I moved in and out of her, slowly rubbing our bodies against each other. I wanted to tell her that I loved her that night, as I had wanted to so many others. But I didn’t. I couldn’t yet. It was too soon.