“Do it,” she whispered back fiercely, wrapping her long, slender legs around his waist and digging her heels into his ass. “I promise I won’t break, Jackson. So don’t hold back.”
His light brown eyes darkened at her words, and he licked away the beads of sweat that had formed above his upper lip. “You are a real little devil, aren’t you?” he growled. “Think you can tempt me and then not expect me to take you up on what’s being offered?”
Scarlett grinned, wrapping her arms around his neck and tugging his head down to hers. “Oh, I am fully expecting you to take me up on my offer,” she murmured. “In fact, I’ll be pretty damned disappointed if you don’t - ohhhh!”
She bit his shoulder in reaction as he thrust inside of her almost brutally, her nails gouging the flesh of his upper back. As he continued to fuck her long and hard, the crown of his cock hitting the tip of her cervix with each deep thrust, she resisted the urge to cry out. Or, worse, to beg him to slow down, take it easier, be gentler with her. But while her pride prevented her from doing so at first - unwilling to admit that he was more than she could take - at some point the pleasure took over and she could no more ask him to ease up than she could stop breathing.
They were a tangle of arms and legs, their sweat-slicked chests pressed so tightly together it would have been impossible to wedge anything between them. Jackson was like a wild man, biting her lips, sucking on her tongue, grabbing her ass, pinching her clit, as he continued to take her hard. She’d never, ever had a lover as passionate and uninhibited as he was, one who alternately whispered wicked, sinfully dirty things in her ear, and then in the next minute became tender, soothing her with gentle caresses and soft kisses.
Achieving orgasm had always been problematic for her, probably because her previous partners hadn’t known what the hell they were doing down there, intent only on finding their own release as quickly as possible and leaving her to worry about her own pleasure. But Jackson was also proving to be an unselfish lover, taking his time to caress and arouse her, even though he was practically shaking with the need to ejaculate.
It was the persistent rub of his thumb across her clit that sent her over the edge, that triggered the spasms in her low belly and vagina, and wrung a long, low moan from deep in her throat as her head fell back limply and her whole body trembled in release. Through half-closed eyelids she peered up at Jackson as he continued to ride her hard, only to freeze in place when he came, his dark, sweat-slicked head thrown back as he cried out, the sound echoing around the room.
He collapsed onto the bed when he was done, hooking an arm around her waist as he dragged in huge gulps of air in an attempt to slow down his breathing. Scarlett kept her eyes closed, suddenly feeling shy and for once having no idea what to say. The other guys she’d gone to bed with had either fallen asleep right afterwards, pulled on their clothes and left, or asked her if she had any snacks or beer or some weed. She knew without having to ask that the gorgeous hunk curled up beside her would have far too much class, too much finesse, and too much compassion to even think of doing any of those things. The problem was, she realized in something of a panic, that she had zero idea of what might happen next.
What she hadn’t expected was for Jackson to thread a hand into her damp curls and tilt her face up to his for the sweetest, most tender kiss she’d ever been given. She cupped his cheek in her palm, unwilling to let go, and wishing the kiss could go on and on without end.
“Hey,” he murmured, grinning as he brushed his thumb over her kiss-swollen lips. “You doing okay, babe?”
She grinned. “Can’t complain. But I might if we leave a stain on my brand new duvet. You do know I haven’t even slept in this bed yet, right?”
Jackson laughed. “Then I guess I should be honored that I got to share it with you the first time.” Impatiently he brushed a wet lock of hair off his forehead. “And if you’re willing, I can help you break in your new shower, too. We’re both something of a mess right now.”
“Hmm.” She tapped a forefinger over her mouth teasingly. “I’m not sure how I feel about that. After all, it was the sight of that shower that convinced me to move into this place, you know. I’ve been anxiously awaiting the first time I could use it, and just figured it would be alone. But, I suppose since you were the one responsible for finding this place, and since you very sneakily arranged to pay the rent for a year - by the way, that’s something we still need to discuss, Mr. Gilmore - it would probably be very ungrateful of me to make you wait to shower until I’m done.”
“Yes, it would,” he teased. “Fortunately it’s a good sized shower so we can both fit in there at the same time.”
Jackson scooted off the bed and helped her to her feet, his gaze traveling hotly over her slim, naked body.
“You look amazing, by the way,” he told her huskily, his hand squeezing one ass cheek. “Even better than the day I picked you up at the resort. Glad to see you’re taking care of yourself.”
She nodded. “I’m trying to eat better, eat more. And since you stocked my kitchen with enough food to last a month, I’m guessing I’ll be putting on a few more pounds very quickly.”
Jackson dropped a quick smooch on her cheek. “That’s what I like to hear. I just want you healthy, Scarlett. It’s not about how much you weigh or how you look, but making sure you’re fully recovered and that you’re not anemic or rundown.”
“I know. And - thanks. For everything.” She rose up on tiptoes to kiss him full on the mouth. “I know I can be an ungrateful, impossible brat at times. And while we are definitely going to have a - let’s call it a discussion - about all the money you spent on me, I am grateful to you, Jackson. No one’s ever done such nice things for me like this - well, except for Margie and Roz, of course. So - thank you.”
“You’re very welcome,” he assured her softly. “Now, let’s get in that shower. And maybe, just maybe, if you’d like a suggestion on how you can really show me how grateful you are, you could - ”
He bent his head to whisper a very naughty suggestion in her ear. In response, Scarlett merely walked to the doorway of the bathroom, gave him a wink, and crooked her finger at him.
Chapter Sixteen
“Mmm. A nice cold margarita really hits the spot on a night like this. Thanks for agreeing to a Mexican restaurant, especially since I know there must be quite a few to pick from in Phoenix.”
Jackson shrugged, dipping a tortilla chip into the bowl of guacamole. “There are, but since Mexican food is my favorite you’ll never hear me say no to it. And the margaritas here are about the best I’ve ever had. Plus, it would be way too hot to eat outside back in Phoenix tonight. And we don’t have views like this one.”
They were eating at a very popular establishment located at the Berkeley Marina, and had chosen an outdoor table overlooking the water. The weather had cooled off enough to make it comfortable, and it was a gorgeous evening with crystal clear skies and just the slightest hint of a breeze.