by Rachel Hanna
“Well, I guess that’s everything. So, the date must be over then,” Rebecca responded jokingly.
“What about you? It’s your turn.”
Rebecca peeked at him from under her long eyelashes, about to protest. But, she decided to go ahead and play along. “Umm, my favorite color is emerald green. I don’t really have a favorite sport. Does bowling count? I used to bowl when I was younger. I did so-so on my SATs, but the math portion really got me. I am a crazy, obsessive single mother of a troubled teenage boy, and I am more of a burger and fries kind of girl most of the time. Not that there’s anything wrong with seafood.” Embarrassed that she may have insulted his choice of food she cowered a little as she said the last sentence. There was probably no need to be worried though, since Jackson was beaming across the table from her.
“A woman after my own heart,” Jackson replied making Rebecca’s heart skip a beat. She knew he was probably making a joke, but the idea of it just made her feel butterflies throughout her whole body. It was weird how new relationships could make you feel and act like you were a kid again.
The waiter brought out their meals, setting two plates on the table with pinkish slabs of fish. At least, that’s what it looked like to Rebecca. She tried hard not to make a face and offend Jackson or the waiter, but from the way Jackson was holding back a laugh she’d obviously failed. “I promise it tastes better than it looks,” he assured her as the waiter walked away.
Forgetting her manners, Rebecca leaned down and sniffed at her plate making Jackson break out into full laughter. “Okay, just try it, and if you don’t like it we’ll go somewhere else for dessert.” She nodded and grabbed her fork, wanting to stick to her guns and try something different. She pulled off a small corner piece and placed it in her mouth. She let it sit on her tongue a minute to give it her best shot, and mostly what she tasted was salty. The fish was okay, but the texture reminded her of a mixture of spam and snot. She quickly swallowed and smiled sheepishly at Jackson. There was no hiding her distaste.
Jackson sighed and looked at her but she was saved by her phone which began vibrating in her purse. She held one finger up to tell Jackson she’d be back and took off to the ladies’ room, purse in tow.
Rebecca was surprised to hear Leo on the other end. “Hey honey, is something wrong?” She wasn’t used to being away from him at night like this, and it worried her like any parent of a small child leaving them home alone for the first time.
“Everything’s fine, mom. I just wanted to see if I could go to Danny’s house. He just got a new game and wants to test it out. His mom said she could pick me up and drop me off, and I have the spare key for the shop.” Rebecca contemplated for just a moment, wondering if that was a good idea. The truth was she really wanted him to build friendships in January Cove, and this was a great start even if it was based on video games. Plus, it would leave the apartment open for her and Jackson, just in case.
“Okay, sweetie, but please be sure to lock up and text me once in awhile to check in. Oh, and don’t stay up too too late. I don’t want your sleeping schedule to get out of whack for school.” She could hear him sigh on the other side of the line.
“Yeah, mom. Thanks.”
“Love you, honey.”
“You too, mom.”
Rebecca heard the click before she hung up herself and headed back out to the table. She was surprised to see that Jackson had already gotten the check and a to-go box for his meal. He smiled at her as she sat down. “So, madame, where would you like to go for dessert?”
Rebecca thought for a moment whether she should dare to invite him back to her place. I mean, she could just cook some burgers and scoop out some ice cream, and it would give them a chance to talk more casually. It didn’t have to mean anything just because he was coming up to where the apartment was in the coffee shop, did it?
“I know just the place.” She winked at him and took his hand to lead him to the car. She was going to take a leap of faith and jump right into whatever this was before it was too late.
Chapter 12
Jackson wasn’t sure what to feel as he helped Rebecca haul in the bags of food she’d bought at the local market. She was clearly ready to have a more simple meal, and he was fine with that. However, he didn’t know what kind of signal she was sending by inviting him into her home. He didn’t even know if Leo was home or not, though he assumed the phone call she’d gotten was somehow related to that.
He followed Rebecca’s lead up the stairs and couldn’t help but take that moment to enjoy the view he had being behind her. She was a very naturally curvy woman, and she swayed just perfectly when she walked. She was so much more beautiful than the women he usually dated who were skin and bones really. He found that he preferred this more natural beauty to the beauty that came from surgery and piles of makeup.
The stairs led straight into a small living area with the kitchen at the back. It was cozy, but he noticed that someone in the kitchen would have a clear view of the television. That was a plus he didn’t have at his rental in Atlanta.
He followed her to the kitchen as she flipped on the lights and began pulling out everything she needed to cook with. She was a woman on a mission, and for a moment she reminded him of his mother, a whirlwind in the kitchen trying to cook up a meal to satisfy all her boys. He let himself question why he ever thought what he wanted could be found in a place like Atlanta instead of his hometown. He knew right then where he was supposed to be, but he still wasn’t sure how he’d get there.
When he noticed her tugging at her dress, he felt even worse about the date he had planned. He had made the mistake of planning a typical Jackson Parker date, but this woman deserved something so much less superficial than that. In fact, as beautiful as she looked in that dress, he could see it was not a natural state for her like it had been for his last girlfriend. This was a busy, working, single mother, and she looked and performed her best in something more practical.
He grabbed the pan out of her hands and pinned her up against the counter. For a moment he forgot what he was doing as he realized the heat between them in this closeness. He really looked at her body up close, and with every flaw he saw he somehow liked her even more, all the way up to her freckles and blushing face. “Hey, why don’t you let me start all this while you get into something more comfortable. You don’t want to be cooking and eating this kind of food in that pretty dress.” He saw her open her mouth to protest and decided to silence it, with a light kiss on the lips. She nodded in acceptance and took off to her bedroom to find something more suitable for the change of plans.
Jackson decided to get comfortable himself, slipping off his tie and jacket and placing them across the back of the couch. He also unbuttoned the top three buttons on his shirt for some more breathing room. Now he was ready to get his hands dirty.
He started looking through the fridge and freezer for some good sides to go with burgers and hit the jackpot - rocky road ice cream. He couldn’t help himself as it had been a long time since he’d let himself indulge in something so simple. He turned on the burner to get it ready for the burgers, but his focus was on the ice cream. He searched the drawers for a spoon and chose the biggest one. Just as he went to dig right into the half full gallon of ice cream with the spoon, Rebecca came back into the kitchen wearing an emerald green shirt with some form fitting black jeans.
He felt like a little boy who’d been caught with his hand in the cookie jar as she stopped in the archway and put her hand on her hip. He had been caught red-handed. “Do you always like to spoil your dinner with dessert?” He heard the harshness in her voice, but he could tell it was a game by the smile on her face.
“I just always thought that saving the best for last was overrated. Why don’t you take a walk on the wild side and try some with me?” He pulled out a spoonful of rocky road and waved it in her direction. She quickly crossed the distance between them and went to pluck the spoon from his hand, but Jackson pulled it away and signaled f
or her to open her mouth. She did, and he guided the spoon slowly into her mouth as she sucked off the ice cream that was quickly melting.
She was turning redder by the minute, clearly feeling the tension between the two of them. As he took the spoon out of her mouth, she cleared her throat ready to get back to business, but Jackson was not ready for that. “You have some chocolate on your face, Rebecca.” He pulled her into him, wrapping his arm around her waist, and went in to lick off the small dab of chocolate that was covering her left dimple. She was surprised and remained tense in his arms, but he wanted to make her feel safe and comfortable with him. He kissed her lips and neck and ears; anywhere he could reach. With each soft touch of his lips against her skin she seemed to relax into him more until she finally let go and allowed herself to kiss him back.
As the moments passed, the passion increased and it became apparent to Jackson that Rebecca wasn’t pushing him away. She wanted him as much as he wanted her.
He scooped her up in his arms and set her on top of the counter, putting them on a more even height level. He reached down to remove her emerald green shirt, hoping that she wouldn’t feel uncomfortable. She went stiff for a moment but didn’t stop kissing him, so he paused to see what her reaction would be. He felt her suck in a long breath before holding her arms up as a sign that he could go ahead and remove her shirt. He did so gently, wanting it not to feel like he was pushing anything on her. Then, he stood back for a moment and looked at her, giving them both a moment of pause. Looking into Rebecca’s eyes he could see so much there; the pain of a life lived alone, losses, want for more, motherly love and intelligence, and vulnerability. He saw more in that one-second than he’d ever seen in any amount of time with any woman he’d dated in Atlanta. She was like a book with a beautiful cover and a sad story that he hoped could fit into in time for a happy ending.
* * *
Rebecca took pause and stared into Jackson Parker’s eyes. He was looking right back into hers and suddenly her whole body was on edge. She was already shirtless, something for a moment she had not been proud of. But looking at Jackson she realized she was overthinking it. She could see that he was not in this just for something physical, he really liked her. She was still nervous having never let herself go this far, but she no longer felt the fear that she was letting herself be vulnerable to someone that was just going to take advantage of her.
With her hands slightly shaking, she reached up to undo the buttons on his white shirt. Probably noticing the shaking, Jackson pitched in and helped her untuck and pull it off. Looking at his chest, she could see a few hairs, but not many, and he had the beginnings of tiny love handles, but that didn’t bother her at all. In fact, it would probably intimidate her if he had a lot of muscles. She liked to think she was capable of being somewhere near within his league.
She ran her hands all along his chest and stomach causing him to shiver. Tired of waiting on him to make the next move, Rebecca fumbled to take off his belt. Jackson chuckled and grabbed both her hands bringing them up to his lips. “Rebecca, why are you so nervous? You know, we don’t have to do this. We can just have some ice cream and watch a movie.”
Rebecca realized he was taking her reaction all wrong. “I’m nervous because I want this. I want you, and it scares me. I haven’t wanted anyone since….since my husband, and I'm not used to feeling like this. I just don’t like feeling this way about someone I could lose.”
“What makes you think you could lose me?”
“You live in Atlanta, not here. My son and I won’t feel so great when you go back. These long distance things, they don’t really ever work out.”
“Rebecca, I’m supposed to be back in Atlanta already. I’ve been kidding myself this whole time about why I’m not there, but the truth is there has never been anything there for me. I’m successful at my business and can truly run it from almost anywhere. January Cove is my home. My family is here, my memories are here, but also my heart is slowly starting to dig into the soil here. I’m falling for you, and I’m not going anywhere. All the rest can be figured out as we go.” Shocked at his confession, Rebecca gasped and used her legs to pull him close to her. She kissed him desperately, latching herself onto him. What he said meant a lot to her, and she was even surer now of what she wanted.
She felt his strong hands slip around her back and unhook her bra. She felt the rush of air hit her breasts as the bra slumped forward on her. She moved her arms so she could shake off her bra and pressed her chest against his and savored the warmth while she kissed him. She licked his lips and kissed all over his cheeks and neck, just wanting to cling onto him and touch him in every way possible.
Jackson swiftly lifted her up off the counter as she wrapped her legs around his waist and her hands around his neck. He carried her into the master bedroom and flopped her down on the bed making a thumping noise. She was sprawled out before him, completely bare from the waist up, her red hair fanning out behind her. For a moment she resembled a siren, luring men into the sea.
Jackson didn’t hesitate beyond a few seconds to admire how she looked laying there, and he slid into bed with her, pulling her on top of him. Rebecca sensed that he liked her being in control, and while she wasn’t used to being in that position, she felt all powerful. She sat on top of him and began grinding on him a little, feeling him get hard underneath her. She grinned and slinked her way downward so she could slip off his slacks and boxers. She tried not to blush as his body lay exposed in front of her. The signs that he wanted her were all too apparent.
She glanced up at Jackson’s face, and he wagged his finger at her to beckon her to him. She crawled as seductively as possible up his body. He smiled at her and reached down to unbutton her jeans. It was evidently her turn to be exposed.
She helped him as she wriggled out of her jeans and he slowly rolled down her panties. He immediately grabbed her by the waist and pulled her right up to his mouth, caressing her lower abdomen all the way down to her groin. Rebecca closed her eyes as he ran his tongue along all the right places, letting the sensation fill her body. Jackson squeezed her butt and made her jump a little. His teeth grazed her, and she gasped. Every part of her was filled with sensations she couldn’t remember ever feeling before in her life.
As he moved his tongue in and out, she began to moan and rock her hips. He squeezed her butt harder, and she could tell that he wasn’t going to be able to wait for her much longer.
"Protection," he said through his breathlessness. She stared for a moment feeling like she was lost in her teenage years. Protection? Did people still use those... things? Swiftly, he reached for his jeans and pulled out a condom, rolling it on.
She pulled away and scooted herself down to his waist, sitting just on top of his shaft. He looked at her longingly, and she smirked at him. She had been missing out on a lot of fun all these years for sure.
She lifted up a little and began to work him into her center, moaning with each inch it plunged into her. It felt amazing to be with someone in such an intimate way again. She hadn't realized that she had morphed into "just a mom" at some point and away from being a woman. But she was a woman, and she'd had needs that hadn't been met in years. Just seeing a man look at her in that special way had almost overwhelmed her.
Rebecca watched his eyes close, and he bit his lip. It must’ve felt good to him too. That was kind of a comfort since she wasn’t sure if she could live up to whatever women he’d had sexual encounters with in the city. She knew it shouldn’t matter to her, but it was just another insecurity she felt being so inexperienced.
Once he was all in, she reached down to dig her nails into his skin, hanging onto him a bit as she rocked back and forth. She could feel how his shaft was stretching her inside, breaking her in again. Every spot it touched felt like ecstasy, and she could feel herself about to climax very quickly.
She rocked back and forth frantically and moaned. Jackson reached up and grabbed onto her hands and held them, almost ready to explode h
imself. They squeezed each others’ hands as she felt her center squeeze him inside her, spasming against him. "Rebecca...." was all he said.
They collapsed into each other, just holding onto one another. It felt comforting to Rebecca as Jackson ran his fingers through her hair affectionately. Soon, they both fell asleep like that, enjoying having someone next to them.
Chapter 13
Jackson woke up to a phone call the next morning. “Hello?”
“Mr. Parker, it’s John Marshall again. It looks like things aren’t going to straighten themselves out here. The client’s talking about backing out of the deal. There’s protestors around the site. It’s a mess.”
Jackson sighed and sat up in the bed. He hoped he wouldn’t wake Rebecca up as he tiptoed into the living room. The clock on the wall said it was seven in the morning. He was so sick of his life being consumed by work. “Well, John, that’s kind of a bummer. I was really looking forward to this deal, but with that much push back, perhaps it just wasn’t meant to be.”
He heard John start yelling across the line, but he just didn’t care. “It’s frustrating for all involved, John, but I think I’m going to cut my losses here. Also, I won’t be available to take these kinds of emergency calls for much longer. I’ll be doing some of my work remotely, so I’ll be putting someone in charge shortly to deal with things like this.” Jackson hung up feeling empowered. He should have stood up for his spare time so much sooner.
“Who was that?” Rebecca came waltzing in wearing a pink robe and rubbing her eyes. Apparently the phone call had woken her up.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you up.”
Rebecca approached him to give him a peck on the cheek. “It’s okay. I’m kind of hungry anyway. Plus, the coffee shop opens in a couple hours and Leo will be home.”