Claire
I STRETCH, AND my body aches, in the best possible way. My inner thigh muscles hurt and I have never been this content in my life. If this is what Zoey and Suzie have been talking about all these years, I have been missing out!
Rolling over, my hand wanders to find Jackson. But the bed is empty and cold. I sit up and notice that I’m naked, and pull the sheet up to cover my chest. Looking around my room, I see clothes thrown about. “Oh my God…Is that my bra?” I say aloud, reaching over to the lamp shade to pluck it off its perch.
Realizing that I am alone, and that the clothes that are strewn about are mine, I fold into myself. What was I thinking? I let my bra slip from my hand and place my head onto my knees that are tucked up against my chest.
“Christ, Claire, what were you thinking? The man can have anyone. ANYONE! And you give it up like a stupid teenager. Did you not learn your lesson the first time around!” I berate myself.
I sit on my bed criticizing myself at my own stupidity when Dallas bursts in and attempts to jump up on the bed. Leaning down to grab her and give my girl a nuzzle, I ask, “What present did you leave me today?”
“Nothing,” comes from the door.
Jerking upright and squeezing Dallas a little too hard, I screech, “Jackson! I thought you left.”
“Never,” he mumbles as he walks into my room looking edible. “Had to go get my girl,” he says, nodding toward the door. Legs is sitting there waiting for permission to enter.
“Oh my God, Jackson, I completely forgot about Legs.” Putting Dallas down, I crawl out of bed, completely forgetting that I’m naked, and call Legs over.
Looking to her master, she waits for his command.
Clearing his throat, Jackson says with quite a bit of discomfort in his voice, “Claire, you want to put some clothes on?”
“Shit,” I say, rushing over to my master bathroom, and grab the robe that hangs on the back of the door. “Sorry.”
“No, really. You want to walk around buck ass naked all day everyday I’m good with that. But you’d never leave this room.”
Blushing from my toes all the way to my hairline, no words come. Crouching down to give Legs some loving, I notice that she is still looking lovingly at Jackson.
“Do you have bacon in your pocket or something?” I ask.
Chuckling, he just shakes his head and grabs my hand. Jackson looks me in the eyes and says, “Thank you for last night. It was the best of my entire life.”
“I doubt that, but thank you. It was…” I look around for the right word and counter with, “Spiritual.”
Getting right up into my personal space, Jackson says, “For both of us.” He kisses my cheek, squeezes my hand and walks to the door. “Come on, Legs, I’ve got a treat for you downstairs.”
Thinking that he is talking to his dog, I turn to toward my closet and put some clothes on.
His, “Claire. Let’s go,” has me jumping at the command, and my feet are moving before my mind even catches up. Both of the girls shoot out of the room and down the stairs before we even reach the top step.
Jackson stops on the second step, halting my forward motion. “Just so you know, and don’t deny it because I know you, I would never leave you after what we shared.”
I’m gob smacked and at a loss for words. Jackson is the only person that seems to be able to do that to me. Anyone else would garner a snarky comment from me. But this man in front of me, looking as though he could devour me all over again, yep, no words.
Instead of speaking, I lean forward and kiss him. Thinking that it is going to be a quick, sweet peck, I start to move back but his strong, muscled arms surround me and pull me back in for more.
“More, I can never get enough of you.” And I’m lost to all that is Jackson.
A FULL BREAKFAST is not what I was expecting when I was escorted onto the back porch. But there it is, and from what I can tell it looks gourmet. “Crap, Jackson. I should be feeding you!”
“Oh no, Legs, you deserve to be pampered. Which is what I plan on doing for the rest of our lives.”
Pulling out my chair for me to take a seat, I blush. This kind of attention makes me nervous. I’m a behind the scenes kind of girl. As Jackson takes his seat my snarky comes out. “I must have been better in bed than I thought. What do you want, Jackson? I’ve already given you my body.”
“You, Claire. All I want is you.” Sighing, he looks away and then back. Plopping his napkin over his empty plate he says, “Why do you do this? Push? I want you, Legs. That’s all I ever wanted. I was okay being your friend all those years ago, but things are different now. I know you want me. I can tell.”
“Jackson…” I begin, but stumble over what I want to say. Because if I were honest with myself, it has always been Jackson for me too. But admitting it, voicing that weakness, isn’t something I am capable of doing.
Placing my hand on the table and reaching toward him, I say, “Last night was the greatest, single moment of my life as a woman. But I don’t think I can give you what you need.”
“Bullshit!”
“Excuse me?”
“You heard me right, Legs. Bullshit. You are the most sexual being I have ever come across. And thank God for that because you just might be my demise.”
“Jackson!”
Throwing up his hands, he says, “Stop. Just stop the bullshit. Woman, you have so much love to give and are so full of desire that you don’t know what to do with it all.” He interrupts my objection. “Shut up, Claire. I’ve had my hands, mouth, and cock in you. I know a sexual creature when I feel one.” Shoving away from the table, he shakes his head and stands. “I have made no excuse to my desire toward you. But if you need to process and dissect what’s happening between us, you do that. I have practice.”
With that said, he walks out. No kiss to gentle finger running down my face. Nothing. He just leaves.
“What the hell,” I say as a ladybug lands on my forearm.