by Maggie Way
Chapter Six
Jackson’s body tensed the second he felt the sweet and torturous vice of her pussy wrap around his cock. He wanted so desperately to hold on and make the moment last.
All night.
Forever.
He wasn’t really sure.
A flood of emotions were flowing through him. All of which were far too complex for him to try and decipher.
He pushed the thoughts aside, trying to get lost in nothing but Avery.
She was hot, wet and tighter than he was able to handle. The velvety embrace brought him to the sudden realization he’d forgotten the one thing he never had before. A damn decade of safe sex and a few moments with this woman and he was suddenly a horny teenager with zero brain activity.
“Fuck!”
Her eyes widened. A look of shock and fear washed across her face. When they were finished he was going to give himself a good ass kicking for putting that look into her eyes.
“I’m sorry. I’m not wearing a condom. I didn’t think we were –.”
“Jackson.” She interrupted him. “It’s okay. I’m on the pill.”
He was startled by her trust in him. It only made his want for her that much greater.
“Are you sure? I mean… I’m healthy. But, are you sure?”
“I’m sure.” She trailed her fingertips along his chest, sending chills along his spine.
He rocked back slightly, trying to reign in his control as his body continued to push him to the brink.
No matter how hard he tried to go slow, she met his gentle thrusts with a ferocity he could do nothing more than match.
He was buried deep inside her. Heat coursing through his body as he watched her tits bounce with his continued thrusts.
It was there, lingering just beneath the surface.
His orgasm refused to not be heard.
Clawing up his spine, tearing at him from the inside out he let out a guttural howl as he dipped his head down and took her kiss.
He covered his mouth with hers. His tongue swept inside, greedily feeding off of her passion and desire.
Neither one of them hesitated. Their tongues tangled in an erotic dance of pent of lust which felt like it had been building up for weeks.
“Jackson!” she screamed his name.
Jackson tensed. With every thrust his body had been threatening him that he wouldn’t be able to last, and his proof came in a final unrelenting surge.
He shook. He was sure he yelled something. Maybe it had been her name. Maybe it had been unintelligible.
Whatever it was though, it had shaken him to his core.
For what seemed like minutes, he watched, almost hovering over himself as he looked down on their bodies.
Her arms were flung above her head. Her perfectly rounded nipples were dark and hard.
It was then that he realized what he had done.
Dropping his hand between their bodies he pressed his thumb against her clit. He rubbed it, pushing and grinding against her as her body writhed underneath him.
He could feel her body responding. Sensing her orgasm as it continued to build. He’d never needed anything more in his life than he needed her to fall.
Seconds passed, than minutes and finally he felt it. That jolt in her body telling him it was time.
Her scream came out in waves of pleasure. He’d never heard anything so exotic, so primal in all his life.
He watched her. Waiting and taking in the site as her body shook and the rush of her climax coated his cock until the only sound that filled the room was that of their heavy breathing.
Something happened to him in that moment. There was something foreign, an uncomfortable feeling.
His heart raced and he fought to not think about whatever it was that was consuming him.
He brushed her damp hair off her forehead and gently caressed her face. His lips gently kissing her as he looked down into her eyes. Those same vibrant green eyes which spent the past two days seducing him.
He pulled her an embrace.
He wasn’t finished. He needed and wanted more.
For now he needed time. Time to regain his composure. Time to regain his strength.
“Jackson?”
Her soft voice tugged at his chest. “Shh… rest, honey.”
He had no idea what she was going to say. All he knew was that he wasn’t ready to hear it.
His body was spent.
His head was confused.
His soul was… hers.
Chapter Seven
Jackson Parks stared at his reflection in the bathroom mirror. His disheveled clothes lay haphazardly on his body as he rubbed at the ache in his chest. The shadow on his face showing the dark stubble looked more like it should be called midnight rather than five o’clock. He hadn’t spent a wink all night. His energy and every moment focused on the one woman who was causing him such unease.
He stood up from the bench where he sat and peeked out into the bedroom of the hotel suite. She laid there, quiet little purring noises escaped from her each time her chest rose and fell. Dark brown, almost mink-like hair was scattered about her head and the pillows. On any other woman it may have looked like a mess, but not on her. Not on Avery.
These past few days that he’d spent getting to know her had been a mere prelude to the amazing night they’d shared together. The days of flirting, catching one another’s glances and building anticipation had only added to the excitement of their evening.
It was also all of that which made what he was about to do that much harder.
Running his fingers through his hair, he sighed. The gnawing sensation in his gut told him he shouldn’t do it, that no good could come from what he was about to do, and that he should stay to face the proverbial music. Still he found the angel on his shoulder losing the internal battle he was waging with that persistent devil on the other.
For years he’d been the quintessential bachelor. He believed in commitment and monogamy as much as he did Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy. He’d watched how his parents tormented one another throughout his childhood all in the name of what they perceived was love. It had been a miserable existence with the constant fighting. Not just for himself but for his parents as well. He wasn’t about to get sucked into the same vicious cycle, no matter how intoxicating Avery had proven to be.
With the sheet pulled back and bunched up at her feet he could see every inch of her creamy skinned body. She wasn’t like the other women he was used to dating. Her body was full and lush. Her hips rounded up to her waist. Her breasts hung heavy against her chest and a small little curve covered her stomach.
It was those curves, valleys and peaks which made up the landscape of her body that he’d relished in squeezing and teasing all night long.
She definitely didn’t fit the swimsuit model body that the advertisers might try to push on society. Her body was more reminiscent of the Marilyn Monroe hourglass shape that had long since been forgotten by the mainstream. As drop dead sexy as her body was though, that wasn’t even her best attribute.
Avery Foster was beautiful. Not just in the way one might expect. Her smile could light up an entire room. With a dimple on her right cheek, she could be sexy one minute, and utterly adorable the next.
Her eyes sparkled with a vibrant green, reminding him of the hills in Ireland. And the way they grew dark and stormy when he’d taken her had only fueled his lust for her.
Jackson knew that any man would be a fool to not throw themselves at her mercy, willing to trade in anything they had for a lifetime with her. And as it turned out, Jackson appeared to be exactly that.
An utter and complete fool.
He stood there, staring at her for a little while longer, watching her eyelids while they fluttered in some sort of dreamlike state.
Was it him she was dreaming of?
Was she dreaming of their night of passion?
Would she think of him long after this weekend was over?
Did it even ma
tter?
A million questions raced through his mind. Questions that he knew he had no right to ponder. Questions that no matter how unfair they were, he knew they’d never go away.
Shifting slightly in her sleep, he started, worried she was about to wake, making his getaway that much harder.
Walking across the room, he pulled a piece of paper and pen out from the desk drawer and began penning what he was sure would be the hardest note he’d ever written.
Dear Avery,
Thank you for last night. You’re a sweetheart and I had a wonderful time getting to know you this week.
I have no doubts that your beauty will stay with me for a very long time.
All the best,
Jackson
He stared at his carefully penned words. He did his very best to sound genuine, not wanting to come off as cold and uncaring. The truth of it was though he knew that was exactly how his note would read.
After the night they had just shared it was nothing short of callous for him to be leaving her this way.
Still, despite his regret, this was the way it had to be. She may not understand, and she will probably hate him after her hurt and shock wears off, but she would be better off this way. Of that much, he was sure.
Tiptoeing across the room, he stopped and picked up his tuxedo jacket from the floor. Then leaning over her listless body, he dropped his head down and pressed his lips against her forehead for one last kiss.
She didn’t move an inch. Completely exhausted from their night, she lay there with her arms stretched out exposing the glorious body he’d spent hours ravaging.
“Goodbye, Avery,” he whispered.
He wanted to stay, even if for only a few more minutes and take in every inch of her so that he wouldn’t forget.
But he shouldn’t.
He wouldn’t.
He couldn’t.
He knew if he stayed for only a moment longer that he may not ever leave. And that was a chance he wasn’t willing to take.
Chapter Eight
Three years later…
Avery Foster rounded the bend of the tree lined mountain road. She hadn’t seen a car in well over an hour and had to smile at the comfort which came from the peace she knew she was sure to get over the next six days.
Even the thought of her upcoming week of isolation in the desolate cabin which sat at the base of Mount Harmony made the stress from work lift right off of her shoulders. She had brought along her favorite wine, snacks, food for the week and two books she’d been dying to read for the past year. This time away from the office had been a long time coming.
Her anticipation had her excitedly tapping on the steering wheel to the sound of Tim McGraw when the vibration of her cell phone grabbed her attention. She glanced down at the cup holder and saw a familiar face cover the screen.
Stacy was calling.
Again.
Letting out a sigh, Avery picked up her phone and reluctantly pressed the green button on the screen.
“Hello?”
“Are you there yet?” Stacy asked gleefully.
“No, I’m not. I told you I’d send a text when I got there. What is it with you and this trip anyway? Is your maternal nature stretching out to your friends as well?”
“Oh shush. I just want you to get up there relax and have some fun. Maybe then you’ll stop being so stubborn and –.”
“Uh uh uh.” Avery quickly interrupted. “Stop right there. What did I say before?”
“Well I’m sorry. Forgive me for wanting to see two of my very best friends happy. I could do worse things than try to set you up, you know.”
“Worse than setting me up with Jackson? Yeah,” Avery let out a chuckle. “I’m not sure there’s anything worse than that.”
“You didn’t think so three years ago.” Stacy reminded her. Each word laced with a tone of superiority.
“That’s it. This conversation is over.”
“But, I – .”
Avery quickly spoke over her before she was able to sneak in another word. “I love you, Stacy. I do. But this is my vacation. You know how much I need this. So please, if you care about me at all you’ll quit bringing it up. If I never heard that man’s name again it will be too soon. I’ll text you when I arrive safe. Now I’ve got to go.”
With that final – or so she hoped it was final – attempt at making her friend stop in her relentless quest to play match maker, she hung up the phone.
She approached a sign up ahead. The haphazardly put together wooden arrow with faded white paint showed that she was only ten miles away from Harmony Falls. Though it had been a while since she’d come up to the cabin she time shared with her Stacy and her husband, she remembered enough to know that the small dirt road to the cabin would be coming up very soon.
Slowing down to twenty five miles an hour shed kept her eyes trained to the right side of the road where the turn off would be. The thick brush of the evergreen and aspen trees made visibility even harder. None of them had been up to the cabin for almost a year now. She hoped the overgrown foliage wouldn’t hide the road from her altogether.
She laughed at herself a little knowing that sort of thing would be her luck. Spend two months planning for a getaway and then never actually get there.
As soon as she had the thought she saw what she was looking for, a rough and rocky, nearly invisible dirt road. Out of habit she turned on her blinker before turning. She always had been a safe driver. It was a skill which would no doubt come in handy as she navigated her way down the windy and unkempt road.
The thick brush of the tall mountainous trees swallowed up nearly all of the sunlight, causing beams of light to shoot down at her car in odd patterns. Her excitement grew as she looked off into the distance and saw the cabin. The rundown cabin they had all purchased together just a few years earlier didn’t look too bad. They’d put some elbow grease into it to make it both livable and presentable. It pleased her to see that the weather proofing brown paint they’d put on a couple of years back seemed to be holding up nicely. Especially with the winters they had here in Colorado.
Finally she slowed to a stop as she approached the front porch. A mountain bluebird sat along one of the railings, chirping a song that Avery couldn’t help but smile to. It of course flew away as soon as she turned off the engine and opened her car door.
With a wide smile she took in her surroundings. Stretching from the long drive and walking off her achiness she looked around at the forest which surrounded their small patch of land. At a half of an acre it wasn’t much, but being only a short few minute walk from Riley’s Pond, it had been well worth the money they’d put into it.
After several minutes of lollygagging, she began to unload her bags and make her way to the porch. With the key in her hand she swung open the rickety screen door and set her suitcase and the box of groceries down beside her.
She unlocked the door and pushed it open with her foot. Then with the skill that only a personal assistant to an overbearing CEO could manage, she picked up the box and pulled her suitcase inside.
Walking to the kitchen she set it down by the stairs and grinned. Despite everything looking the same, somehow she’d forgotten just how quaint their little piece of real estate was. Old sheets covered the furniture throughout the living room. A small pile of firewood remained in a bundle next to the hearth of their stone fireplace. With every step she took she felt so much more relaxed and at ease.
She was glad to see that the refrigerator was already cool and the county hadn’t forgotten to turn on their electricity. Making quick work of organizing her food and drinks for the week – another skill set picked up from her line of work – she made her way to the stairs so she could unpack and begin her week of relaxation.
There were two bedrooms at the top of the stairs. One was much larger and she’d always let Stacy and Brad have it. Now was her time. Her eyes lit up at the four poster and delightfully inviting king sized bed which was covered in an old she
et.
When it took her even less time to unpack her clothes and toiletries she realized that she was far too efficient for her own good. She took a look at clothes she neatly placed in the top drawer of the dresser and with a giggle purposely messed them up just a little bit.
She was on vacation. No one was going to see her. And besides who cared if a cotton t-shirt became wrinkled anyway. Not her, that was for sure. It was then that she’d made a silent vow to not care about a single thing that week.
Avery made her way downstairs. She probably should take off the sheets and tidy up the downstairs a bit, but doing work of any kind was the last thing on her mind. Taking a book with her to read out on the back porch, she was looking forward to breathing in the mountain air as she allowed the pages to help her escape to another place and time. Having purposely left her laptop back at her apartment and with no television up here, her books were the only source of entertainment she’d have. And she intended to enjoy every last minute of it.
Just as she was about to unlock the sliding glass door to go out back a reflection caught her eye. She turned, noticing the picture frames which lined the mantle above the fireplace.
Curiously, she walked toward it, wondering what pictures were here. She didn’t remember seeing them last year when she had visited. As she took a step closer a smile covered her face as she saw a picture of Stacy and Brad on their wedding day. She had Stacy had been friends since the fourth grade and out of all the men she dated, Brad was definitely the one. And since the birth of their first baby just six months earlier, Avery saw more than ever just how much Brad loved and doted on her childhood friend.
Oh how she hoped to find that kind of devotion and love from a man someday. More often than not she met men who were either already taken, or just looking for a hook up. Well she’d been there and done that. She was not now, nor had she ever been a one night stand type of girl.
She cringed as her memory floated back to three years ago. Out of all the men who had broken her heart over the years, Jackson Parks had hurt the most. It wasn’t just her heart that he’d smashed. He’d also done some pretty serious damage to her confidence. She had trusted Jackson. In fact, she had begun to fall for him.