N. Walters - Jackson’s Jewel

Beads of water caressed her skin like a lover’s touch. One poised on the edge of her nipple and he longed to lick it away. Her breasts were very sensitive. He loved to draw those pouty nipples into his mouth and suckle.

His jeans were uncomfortably tight, but he didn’t move, totally enthralled by the picture she made in the lens. She laughed as she fell back into the water, disappearing below it, only to reappear a few seconds later. When she dove deep, her long legs briefly appeared and then were gone. Jackson wondered if she was wearing panties or if she was totally naked.

His hand went to his back pocket where her pale purple panties resided. He drew them out and held them to his cheek, sniffing them. They smelled like her—hot and spicy with a touch of floral. The real thing was only a handful of steps away.

Returning the panties to his pocket, he hesitated. Should he leave her alone or join her? He already felt like a damn voyeur watching her through the lens of his camera. She surfaced again, slicking back her hair. In spite of the cooling water, her skin appeared flushed. Her hands rested lightly on her belly and then slowly slid upward.

Jackson gulped air into his lungs as her fingers hesitated just below her breasts. “Higher, baby,” he whispered. His cock was throbbing, but he ignored it. There was no way he could take his eyes off her as he waited to see what she’d do. “Touch yourself,” he murmured, encouraging her even though she couldn’t hear him.

Her hands cupped her breasts and gently squeezed. “Oh, yeah. That’s it, sweetheart.” His testicles tightened and he barely swallowed a groan. He was in agony, but he couldn’t stop watching Emerald. She was beautiful, so natural, like a goddess of nature as she rubbed her fingers across her puckered nipples. Her head was thrown back and her hair hung in wet tendrils, clinging to her back and shoulders. Her long neck was exposed to his hungry view and her back was arched, pushing her breasts upward.

Her arm grazed the side of her breast as her hand slipped across her collarbone and throat. Her head turned slightly away from him. His finger pressed down automatically on the shutter.

The noise sounded loud in the silence of the day and he took a step backward, stepping on a twig. The snap echoed across the clearing. Emerald gasped and sank beneath the water. Swearing under his breath, Jackson sauntered forward, or at least tried to. His gait was as stiff as his erection.

“What are you doing here?” Her voice was shrill as she glared at him. “You frightened the life out of me.”

“I’m sorry.” He really was repentant, but she looked so damn adorable when she was angry, he couldn’t really be sorry he’d seen her, only that he’d frightened her.

Her eyes went unerringly to the camera that now hung from his neck. “You were taking pictures?”

“Yeah.” He shrugged.

She stared at him, searching his face. “Did you take any of me?”

He didn’t even think about lying to her. “I never meant to, but I couldn’t resist taking one. It’s nothing that I’d ever show anyone else,” he quickly reassured her. “But with the play of light on the water and you turned slightly away, you looked like a mystical nymph rising from the depths. The way the shot is framed, your identity is protected.”

Emerald stared at him, then at the camera that he’d automatically grasped in his hands. “You’re a serious photographer, aren’t you?”

He looked down at his feet and then out over the water before giving one single nod.

“Why does it bother you to admit that?” Water rippled and his head snapped up. She’d stood in the water and pulled her hair forward to cover her breasts. Her skin was sun-kissed, her dark brown eyes were deep pools of desire. Before he’d realized what he was doing, he’d raised the camera, adjusted the lens and snapped several shots.

He swore and lowered the camera. “I’m sorry.” He scrubbed his hand over his face. “I didn’t mean to do that.”

She crossed her arms over her chest. “Talk to me.” Her soft voice soothed some of the tension from him. He felt his shoulders relaxing even as the ache in his groin intensified.

“No one knows, okay?” He kicked at the dirt and sighed. “It started as a hobby, but now I’m selling some in a gallery in New York.”

“Really?” She appeared delighted.

“Yeah.”

“But why doesn’t anyone else know?” She seemed perplexed.

“I’m a farmer, damn it.” He tugged the camera strap over his head and laid the camera carefully on Emerald’s clothing, which was folded neatly and placed on a rock in the shade.

“That doesn’t mean that you can’t be an artist too.”

Jackson shook his head. “I don’t want to talk about it. I have something more important to ask you.” He took a step closer.

“Okay.”

Sweat rolled down his spine as he walked to the edge of the water. “Are you wearing panties or are you naked?”

Emerald stared at Jackson. He was self-conscious about his photography even though she could tell it meant a lot to him. She was no expert, but that camera he was using was no cheap piece of equipment. He’d sunk serious bucks into it, and for a man like Jackson, that meant that he was deadly serious about it.

She wanted to talk more about his artistic career, but one look at his closed-off expression told her that wouldn’t be happening. Not now. That didn’t mean that she wouldn’t pursue it later though. She could be tenacious when she wanted something.

He took a step closer to the water, the intensity in his blue eyes scorching her bare flesh even hotter than the sun was already doing. She licked her lips in anticipation. Jackson had too much responsibility and he’d had it for far too long. He needed to play and she was just the woman to make that happen.

Batting her eyelashes at him, she smiled coyly. “Why don’t you come in and find out?”

The corners of his mouth kicked up in a slow grin. “I think that I will.” He ripped his white T-shirt over his head and tossed it next to her pile of clothing. “How did you find out about the swimming hole?” He unlaced his boots and pulled them off one at a time, dropping them to the ground near his feet. His socks followed.

“Erin mentioned it to me. She said I could use it any time I wanted.” The more male flesh he exposed, the harder it was getting to pay attention to the conversation. She’d seen him naked, but somehow this was different. Out under the harsh rays of the sun, there was no hiding anything. For either one of them.

His torso was bronzed from hours of working under the unforgiving sun. His muscles rippled as his hands went to the fastenings of his jeans. Quickly, he skinned his pants over his thighs, taking his plain cotton briefs with them. Kicking jeans and underwear aside, he stood there and let her look her fill.

She licked her lips, her skin tingling from the heat of the sun and pure anticipation. His cock stood straight up from its dark nest of curls and his testicles looked heavy and full. He was totally aroused and wasn’t ashamed to show her. He propped his hands on his hips and it emphasized the sheer magnitude of his shoulders, his tapered torso and lean waist. Legs spread apart, feet planted on the ground, he was masculinity personified.

Her nipples were puckered into tight buds that ached, and her breasts rose and fell with each deep breath she took.

“I watched you touch yourself.” Jackson’s low voice caressed her skin, raising goose bumps on her arms.

It took her a second to realize what he was talking about. She could feel the heat on her face and knew it was more than just the sun making her blush. Still, she tried to brazen it out. “Did you now?” She was thirty years old, damn it. There was no need for her to be embarrassed.

“I liked watching you.” His voice deepened to a husky growl as he took a step toward the edge of the pond. “Do it again. Touch yourself for me.”

She shivered beneath the intensity of his stare, her nipples tightening in anticipation. Taking a deep breath, she placed her hands low on her belly and then slid them upward. Her hair still hid most of her breasts from view so she took a moment to push it out of the way.

Jackson grunted his approval, taking another step. Water closed around his feet and ankles.

Emerald cupped her breasts in her hands and rubbed her thumbs over her straining nipples. The air around her was heavy and thick with heat and expectancy. The continuous low buzz of the insects faded away as he took another step toward her. Her belly clenched and she felt a throbbing ache begin to pulse deep within.

He moved steadily toward her, not stopping until he was standing right in front of her. She was a tall woman at five foot eight, but Jackson was several inches over six feet. He made her feel almost petite and she was very aware of her femininity and the differences between them. Her pulse quickened.

His large body shaded hers and she had to blink so that her vision could adjust. He leaned down, his lips grazing the swell of her breast as he continued lower. Her hands, still cupping her breasts, tightened in reflex. He blew over her tight nipple. “That’s it,” he crooned. “Offer yourself to me.” His tongue flicked over the nub, teasing it, tormenting it. “Give yourself to me.”

There was no thought of denying him. She wanted him to the point of madness. Heat flooded her core and she was surprised that the water around them wasn’t boiling or at least steaming. She made a low sound deep in her throat that he took as agreement, drawing her nipple into his mouth and suckling.

Emerald tipped back her head and closed her eyes. She swayed in the water, almost weightless. Needing something to anchor herself, she slid her hands over his strong forearms, across his shoulders and neck, until her fingers were tangled in his hair. Gripping him tight, she held him to her as his mouth continued to pleasure her breasts. First one and then the other.