They didn’t talk much while they ate, but it wasn’t an uncomfortable silence. Jackson passed the occasional comment about the work being done, filling her in on a few details, but other than that, both of them were at ease in the quiet. There was an intimacy in the moment that filled her with contentment.
When she finished her sandwich, Jackson took her plate and laid it back on the table. Then he dished up a huge slab of the cheesecake. Emerald licked her lips in anticipation as he broke off a piece with his fork and lifted it toward her. “Open up.”
She parted her lips and he slid the cheesecake into her mouth. Flavor exploded onto her taste buds and she moaned as she chewed. “This is incredible.”
“Frannie Parker made it.”
“The woman is a culinary genius,” she managed to get out as Jackson sent another piece sliding into her mouth. It was even better than the first taste had been.
Being a smart man, Jackson fed her two bites for every one he took. It wasn’t long before she felt full enough to burst, but she managed to eat the last piece as she looked longingly at the rest of the cheesecake.
Jackson pushed the plate aside and sat back, studying her. “Don’t worry. You can have more later.”
Slightly embarrassed to be caught lusting over the rich treat, she sat back and sighed, totally replete. Jackson reached down and pulled her sneakers off her feet, letting them fall to the floor with a thud. Her socks followed. The evening was warm, but there was a hint of coolness on the air.
“Do you think we’ll finally get rain?” That had been a topic of concern among the women working upstairs. Emerald had lain in bed half listening to their conversation as she’d drifted off to sleep. Many of the families raised animals or crops of some kind and it had become a concern for them all. The heat wave had held them in its grip these last few days of August.
“Probably by tomorrow at the latest.” The flickering candlelight accentuated the harsh planes of Jackson’s face. His jaw was darkened with stubble and his blue eyes were hooded as he stared at her. It was obvious to her that the weather was the last thing on his mind.
She shivered as his gaze raked over her body from her face, down the curve of her neck to her breasts. Unconfined by a bra, her nipples were pressed tight against the fabric of the T-shirt she wore. Jackson’s eyes went lower, over her belly before coming to rest on the mound of her sex.
Unconsciously, she arched her hips toward him, drawn by the intensity of his gaze. She wanted him to touch her. Needed to share herself with him at least one more time. She was determined to leave him to protect him. Tomorrow, she promised herself. Tonight was for them.
His fingers were dark against the light color of her shorts. Deftly, he pulled at the ties cinching the soft fabric around her waist. Inserting his hand into the opening, he pushed downward, his fingers slipping beneath her panties and moving unerringly toward her slick folds. She bit her lip to keep from crying out as his fingers stroked over her mound, sliding through the neat thatch of curls that covered it. She parted her legs and he teased her clit with his fingers before finally touching her aching flesh.
Cursing, he jerked his hand away and began to tug her shorts and panties off. She lifted her bottom, helping him any way she could. When she was naked from the waist down, he turned her so that she was facing away from him. A second later his shirt was tossed to the floor and his hands gripped the hem of hers. She raised her arms over her head, marveling at how careful he was as he drew the fabric over her head.
His lips, warm and firm, caressed her back as he moved from one cut to the next. “I’m so sorry you were hurt.” Emotion threatened to overwhelm her as he continued to kiss every hurt he could reach. She shivered and his arms came around her immediately. “Are you cold?”
Was he kidding? If she were any hotter, she’d self-combust. Heat flooded her core and cream flowed from it. Her nipples puckered tighter as his hands slid up her torso, coming to rest just beneath the heavy mounds. He draped her legs over his and then slowly spread them. The move left her wide open to his touch. The cool air flooded over her hot flesh, the contrast making her moan.
His large hands covered her breasts and kneaded them. Her nipples dug into his palms, demanding attention. His thumbs stroked the edges of her areolas, never quite touching them. Moaning, she undulated her body, pushing her chest forward, wanting him to touch her the way she needed.
“I’ve never been as scared in my life as I was when I realized that you were in trouble.” His voice was low, his tone serious. Lips, warm and firm, grazed the back of her neck. His teeth scraped sensually across her nape, sending goose bumps down her back and arms.
“I’m fine.” At this moment, she was better than fine. Jackson’s large body was surrounding hers, encompassing her in his protection and heat.
She gasped when his thumbs finally flicked over her distended nipples. “You’re more than fine.” As he continued to play with her breasts, she could feel the heat and shape of his erection pressing into her lower back. He was still wearing his jeans, but there was no mistaking the large, thick feel of his cock. She wiggled, wringing a groan from him.
“Minx.”
“Tease,” she retorted.
Jackson chuckled, one of his hands dropping from her breasts and smoothing down her stomach. His fingers sifted through her pubic hair and went straight to the damp folds hidden below. Now it was her turn to groan as two large fingers slipped past the entrance to her sheath and pressed deep.
She moved her legs restlessly, trying to get his fingers farther inside her. One slow inch at a time, he pulled them out, curling them upward as he went. One of them scraped across a sensitive spot, making her cry out. Blood pumped thickly through her veins as every nerve ending in her body was sensitized. This wasn’t going to take long. She was primed and ready for release.
With everything that had happened, she needed this. Needed the reconnection with life, with Jackson. He thrust his long, thick fingers inward, pushing past the resistance of her inner muscles. They contracted and relaxed, gradually pulling him inward. His thumb caressed the taut bud of nerves at the apex of her sex. Her hips moved of their own accord.
“That’s it,” he crooned. “Come for me, Emerald. Let me feel your hot cream on my hands.” He bit the curve of her neck where it met her shoulders, making her entire body jerk. She could feel everything inside her tensing. Gathering. Waiting.
The hand at her breast continued to ply one puckered nipple and then the other, drawing both to a tight point. Looking down, she watched his darker-hued hand caress the pale mounds before tugging on the stiff, red peaks. It was an incredible turn-on to see him touching her, arousing her.
Her lungs were working harder. The air was almost too thick and heavy to breathe. “Jackson,” she gasped as she undulated her hips. His fingers were working faster, thrusting and retreating from her core.
“Come for me.” His hips jerked, pressing more firmly against her back. His hand tightened around her breast. His heavy breathing was hot against her throat. “I want to feel you come apart in my hands. I’ve got you. Let go, Emerald.” The last was a hoarse plea and she responded.
Her entire body tightened and then exploded. Heat flooded her. She cried out, tipping her head back against his shoulder. He swooped down and captured her mouth with his, swallowing her scream of ecstasy. She felt as if she were suspended in air. Jackson surrounded her, holding her. All she had to do was feel the release sweeping through her, embrace it. And she did.