by S. H. Kolee
I heard the elevator ding, signaling that we had arrived on the sixteenth floor. Fortunately, no one had entered the elevator during our embrace. I wasn't sure if I would have even cared at that point.
When we entered Jackson's apartment and he closed the door behind me, I grabbed him by the front of his shirt, more than ready to continue what we had started in the elevator.
"Emma, let's slow down a bit," Jackson said, even though I could tell that he was straining to control himself.
"Why? I don't want to slow down." I started unbuttoning his shirt, wanting both of us naked as soon as possible.
Jackson grabbed my hands, stilling them on his chest. "Sweetheart, I feel it too. Trust me. It isn't easy for me to slow down, but I want you to enjoy this. I went way too fast the other night."
I shook my head. "It wasn't too fast for me. And it's an understatement to say I enjoyed it. Both times. We can do slow and easy next time. Right now, I just want hard and fast."
Jackson's face was strained with desire but he seemed determined to pace himself. So I decided to make it harder for him. I grabbed the bottom of my halter-top and pulled it over my head. Jackson was silent as he watched me but I heard his breathing grow more labored. I reached back and unhooked my bra, freeing my breasts that were heavy with desire. Jackson's jaw tightened as he caught sight of my hard nipples, rosy red and darkened with arousal.
Before I lost my nerve, I unzipped my jeans and pulled them down, taking my panties with it. I pulled them over my high heels and stood, completely naked except for my heels. I had never acted so wantonly in my life, but Jackson Reynard was making me do things I had never imagined.
I placed a hand on my hip saucily, looking up at Jackson with a mischievous smile. "What were you saying about taking it slow?" I reached out and slowly traced the outline of his arousal through his jeans with one fingernail, pure female satisfaction coursing through me when it jerked in response.
Jackson smiled, his eyes glittering with desire. "Fuck slow. We can do slow tomorrow. Right now, I'm going to fuck your brains out until you scream."
He grabbed me and picked me up as if I weighed nothing. I automatically wrapped my legs around him as he strode into his bedroom. Once there, he threw me onto the bed and quickly discarded his clothes. My lower body clenched when I saw how hard and large his arousal was, its head engorged with corded veins running down the shaft, straining with his desire.
I remembered his earlier comment about imagining me in my heels and black skirt and looked around his bedroom. "Should I put on my black skirt?"
"Baby, I don't want you putting on any clothes right now. I have you exactly how I want you. Naked and wet."
He kneeled on the bed between my legs and they fell open of their own accord. And just as he had promised earlier, he buried his head between my thighs, lapping up my wetness as if he had been starving for it. His tongue circled my tight bud and then suckled on it as I cried out, the pleasure so acute it was almost painful. He continued to manipulate the bud with his tongue while he pushed one finger inside of me, then two. The sensation of his mouth flicking my most sensitive spot combined with his fingers fucking me was too much for me. I couldn't suppress the keens of pleasure as my powerful orgasm washed over me, my body convulsing violently.
Jackson looked up at me with a triumphant smile, eyes glittering with satisfaction. His mouth and chin were covered in my wetness and I didn't think I had ever seen anything so erotic.
Jackson traveled up my body, placing light kisses along the way. When he took my nipple in his mouth and tugged on it, I felt another sharp spike of desire. I had always enjoyed sex well enough, but I never knew it could feel like this. I was insatiable.
Jackson reached my mouth and kissed me deeply. I could taste myself on him and it was fiercely erotic.
"Fuck me, Jackson," I whispered against his mouth, my eyes fluttering closed. "Fuck me hard."
"Emma," Jackson groaned hoarsely. He caught my chin and held my face still. "Look at me."
I opened my eyes and my breath caught. Jackson was looking down at me with not only desire, but with something else. Something I didn't want to identify yet, but it gave me a surge of happiness.
"I want you to look at me when I slide into you. I want you to look at me while I fuck you."
I nodded helplessly. At that moment, I would have done anything Jackson had asked of me.
I felt the head of his arousal nudging aside the folds of my wetness and I whimpered as I felt him stretching me, filling me to the point of pain.
"You're mine, Emma," Jackson bit out as he began to move inside me, his face tight as he steadily increased the speed of his thrusts. "Say it."
"I'm yours," I sobbed mindlessly as each plunge pushed me closer to the brink.
Jackson grunted in approval and then he seemed to lose control. I clung to him as he pumped into me, thrusting so hard that I felt the head of his arousal slamming into the end of me. I dug my nails into his back, trying to hold on as I felt ripples of pleasure start to overtake my body.
I cried out as I came and I heard Jackson yell out my name as he found his own release. In that moment, I felt connected to Jackson like I had never felt connected to anyone before. It made me giddy and anxious at the same time. Giddy because it felt so good, anxious because it felt too good.
After both of us caught our breath, Jackson rested his forehead against mine and I could feel beads of sweat rolling down his face. He grinned at me weakly.
"I don't know if we'll ever get around to slow and easy."
"I think I can live with that," I replied with a rueful smile.
Jackson rolled over onto his back, taking me with him so that I was on top of him, still intimately connected. He suddenly got a grim look on his face.
"What's wrong?" I asked.
"Shit. I forgot to put on a condom. I'm sorry. I can't believe I was so careless."
"It's okay," I reassured him, although I was concerned that I hadn't even noticed. Hadn't even cared. I had to be careful not to be too reckless, even if I was on birth control. "I'm on the pill."
Jackson grinned. "Good. That means I don't have to wear those damn things. It feels so much better without it. And I have a clean bill of health."
"Me too," I said, not volunteering the fact that I had only been with one other person.
"So that means we're exclusive, right?"
I paused, surprised that Jackson would bring that up after only a week. But I knew that was absolutely what I wanted so I nodded.
Jackson raised his head and gave me a soft kiss. "How did I get so lucky to find you?"
I smiled, pleasure coursing through me at his words. "I guess you must have done something good in your life."
"I must have," Jackson agreed with a solemn smile.
It amazed me how primal and forceful Jackson could be while we were making love, yet he could be so sweet and gentle as well. I thought I could spend the rest of my life trying to figure out Jackson Reynard.
We spent the rest of the night in bed, talking easily and sharing deeper confidences. Jackson told me about how hard it had been to grow up under his father's shadow. As loving as his father was, Jackson always had the feeling that he hadn't measured up. He told me about his grandmother who he had been extremely close to. She had passed away while he was in college and she had left him a sizable inheritance, which allowed him to pursue his acting career without having to worry about a steady income.
I told Jackson about how I had fallen apart when my father died. I had definitely been a daddy's girl and it had been devastating to lose him. I told him about the good memories too, like when my father used to take me out to lunch, just the two of us. My father would listen to me chatter on about who liked whom in school and who was my latest best friend while we ate burgers with milkshakes. It was the little things that I remembered the most about my father.
My last thought before drifting off to sleep was that my father would have liked Jackson.
Chapter Seven
"What do you want to do today?" Jackson asked. We had slept in and were now lazily drinking coffee and eating bagels that Jackson had run out to get. I was amazed at how comfortable I felt around him. I couldn't believe how strong our passion was, yet I felt completely at ease lounging on the couch, my legs stretched out with my feet on Jackson's lap.
"It's a gorgeous day. Maybe we can go to Central Park."
Jackson's eyes lit up. "A picnic!" He leaned down and gently lifted my leg, kissing my ankle. "How did I find someone so smart and beautiful?"
I giggled, feeling like I was floating on clouds of pure happiness. "The picnic was your idea."
Jackson grinned at me. "That's right. How did you find someone so smart?"
I burst out laughing. "Just lucky, I guess. You forgot the beautiful part."
Jackson gave me a mock frown. "It's not manly to say I'm beautiful."
I sat up and folded my legs under me, kneeling next to Jackson and giving him a quick kiss. "Okay. You're not beautiful. You're ruggedly handsome in the most masculine way possible."
Jackson grabbed me, pulling me so that I was sitting on his lap. "That's better. Now you get your reward."
Jackson cradled the back of my head with one hand, leaning down to caress my lips with his own. The kiss was gentle and slow as he languidly explored my mouth with his lips and tongue, playfully nipping at my bottom lip and sucking it gently into his mouth.
The kiss stirred desire but another emotion as well. Jackson Reynard would be easy to fall in love with. Despite my fears of what the future would hold, I decided to grab onto this happiness for as long as it lasted.
Jackson pulled back, gently brushing my hair back from my forehead and smiling at me with such sweetness that my heart squeezed.
"Can we drop by my apartment first?" I asked, a little breathlessly. "I need to take a shower and change."
"Sure, but why don't you just bring some stuff back here and shower? That way, you'll have your toiletries and clothes for tomorrow."
"Maybe I should stay at my apartment tonight. You have your show later too. We can just meet up tomorrow for Nathan's art show."
Jackson frowned. "Don't you want to stay over?" He sounded so vulnerable that my heart melted, but I didn't think it was a good idea to spend so much time together. I didn't want Jackson to get burned out of my company.
"I do, but don't you think we're going a little too fast? It might be good to pace ourselves."
Jackson look displeased. "Who's to say we're going too fast? If it feels right, it feels right. I want you in my bed when I go to sleep and I want to wake up next to you. I don't care whether it's too fast according to some arbitrary dating rule." He paused, looking uncertain for the first time since I had met him. "Unless you're saying this is too fast for you. I guess I just assumed that you wanted to stay here as much I wanted you to. If this is too fast for you..."
Jackson trailed off, his lips pressed together as he searched my face. His uncertainty made me realize that Jackson was feeling just as vulnerable as I was.
I gave Jackson a quick kiss and smiled at him, his candor making it easy for me to be honest as well. "It's not too fast for me. It's just a little scary knowing how much time I want to spend with you. I don't want us to get burned out by going too fast."
Jackson smiled, looking relieved. "I wouldn't worry about that. I have a feeling it's going to take a while for me to get enough of you. A lifetime might be long enough, although I doubt it."
My heart actually physically ached from his words, the sweetness so overpowering that it was almost painful. But I just smiled at him.
"Well, I can't refute that kind of logic."
We made the quick trip to my apartment where I gathered my toiletries and enough clothes to last me the weekend. Claire's keys were on the kitchen counter so I knew she was home, although she must have still been asleep in her bedroom because she didn't stir while we were there.
We went back to Jackson's apartment where we quickly showered and got ready for the park. We stopped off at Dean & Deluca's to buy a pre-made picnic basket full of goodies. We took a cab uptown and Jackson navigated us to a beautiful area of Central Park where the rolling lawn was already scattered with plenty of people who had the same idea as us.
Jackson spread out a blanket that he had brought from his apartment and we made ourselves comfortable.
"There's so much food in here," I said as I rummaged through the basket. "Way too much for two people."
Jackson patted his flat stomach. "I can eat my weight in food."
"I guess it's a good thing you work out all the time," I replied drily.
Jackson grinned as he pulled out a bottle of white wine from the basket, deftly opening it with the wine opener. "And here I thought you liked me for my winning personality."
"Where'd you get that idea? I just like you for your body." I couldn't suppress a smile as I watched Jackson pouring the wine into two plastic cups. He handed me one with a grin.
"Here's to us liking each other's bodies."
"I'll drink to that." I took a sip of the wine and sighed contentedly, looking around us and watching people who were similarly enjoying a lazy day outside. It was warm but with a light teasing breeze that kept it from being too hot. I looked back at Jackson who was busy opening packages of crackers and different cheeses and spreads. A week ago, I had been on a train to New York, nervous about my new life and wondering if I would be happy here. Now I was stretched out on a blanket in Central Park, having a gorgeous man pay singular attention to me. My job was going well and I liked my roommate. Life was good.
Jackson glanced up, catching me watching him, but instead of being embarrassed, I smiled at him.
"A girl could get used to this. A beautiful day, a picnic in the park, wine with cheese and crackers. Very smooth, Mr. Reynard, very smooth."
Jackson winked at me and handed me a plate full of crackers, cheese and prosciutto. He had also opened up various containers of tapenades, hummus and olives. With Jackson constantly feeding me, I had a feeling that I would need to use that new gym membership of mine.
"I aim to please," Jackson said with a smile. He started eating his own plate of food as he relaxed on the blanket, his legs stretched out in front of him. His green t-shirt made his eyes seem even brighter and the breeze lightly ruffled his dark brown hair. He looked comfortable and relaxed and I had to suppress the urge to drop my plate and satiate my appetite with him instead.
"This part of Central Park is beautiful," I commented as I started in on my own plate.
"It's called Strawberry Fields in memory of John Lennon. There's a little memorial that we can visit afterwards."
"My dad was a huge Beatles fan. He would always listen to them while making pancakes on Sunday mornings, his specialty. I used to love sitting at the kitchen table while he cooked. We would sing along and argue about who was the better songwriter; John Lennon or Paul McCartney."
Jackson smiled at me. "Who was your dad a fan of?"
"John Lennon. His favorite song was Imagine, but I argued that it didn't count because he wrote it after the Beatles broke up, and we were comparing their songwriting skills during the Beatles era."
"I think you'll like the memorial then."
"I like anything that reminds me of my father. It was a long time before I could let myself remember the happy memories. I thought it was easier not thinking about him at all, but I realized it hurt more than letting myself remember the good times, no matter how much it made me miss him."
Jackson took my hand in his, softly stroking my palm with his thumb. "I like hearing you talk about your dad. Your face lights up and you get a faraway look in your eyes, like you're seeing him in your mind. It makes me feel like I can see him too."
"I like telling you about him. It's been a while since I've had someone to share my memories with. My father's death was really hard on my mother and she hates talking about him. I know it's because s
he loved him so much and was devastated by his death. It's her coping mechanism, but it's hard to not be able to ever bring him up around her."
I didn't add that Sean had shared her coping mechanism. He had seemed to think that not making me think about my father would help me get over his death. Even almost nine years after his death, Sean had been careful not to bring up my father. As if he thought I would crumble with grief. He hadn't realized that I needed to talk about my father. I needed to remember his life, not his death. My father had lived forty-one vibrant years. That's what I needed to celebrate.
Jackson replaced his stroking thumb with his lips, kissing my palm softly. "I'm here whenever you want to talk about him."
Jackson stirred feelings in me that scared and exhilarated me. He made me feel safe, yet our passion was off the charts. He was kind and made me feel cherished yet he could have me laughing my head off. I had joked earlier that Jackson must have done something good in his life to have met me, but the truth was I was the lucky one. And I knew it wasn't because I had done something good in my life. The heartbreak I had left behind in Merrittsville was proof of that. But I promised myself that I would make myself deserving of someone as wonderful as Jackson.
"What are you thinking about?" Jackson asked. He had finished his plate and was lying down on the blanket, his arm folded behind his head as a pillow.
"I'm thinking about all the hours I'll have to put in the gym after all the food I've been eating." I set my empty plate down and stretched out my legs. "I'm stuffed."
Jackson hooked his finger in the belt loop of my jeans and pulled me closer to him. I lay down next to him, nestling my head in the warm area between his chin and shoulder as he wrapped his arm around me. I breathed in his scent and gave him a quick kiss on his neck, wrapping an arm around his waist. He responded by kissing me on the top of my head and I thought I would burst with happiness.