N. Walters - Jackson’s Jewel

“A hobby.” Jackson could hear the anger vibrating in Emerald’s voice as she slowly stood and glared at Nathan, her hands fisted at her sides. Several curls had escaped from her ponytail and brushed against her chest, which was heaving with the force of her breathing. “The man is a bloody artist and his ‘cute pictures’ as you so quaintly put it are hanging in a gallery in New York, fetching a fine price.” Jackson stood straighter, his shoulders going back as he watched Emerald in action. He’d never had someone stand up for him like this before. It made him feel strange inside, but it was kinda nice too.

“It’s okay, Emerald.” She was completely agitated and he wanted to soothe her. She was adorable when she was all riled up, and incredibly sexy. The fact that it was on his behalf made him want to grin from ear to ear.

“It’s not okay. They need to understand just how important this is to you.”

Abel and Carly were quietly examining the photos, but Nathan and Erin were watching the byplay between him and Emerald. “Look,” he began. “I’m giving you the money and you can do with it what you want. End of conversation.”

Of course, it wasn’t the end, nowhere near it. As Nathan and Erin argued with him, Emerald and Carly began to make supper. By the time they sat down to a quick meal of fried chicken, salad and coleslaw, it was getting dark.

His brother and sister finally agreed to take a small portion of what he’d proposed. It wasn’t what he’d wanted, but it was a compromise he could live with. He’d have the papers drawn up and then the farm would officially belong to him. A burden he hadn’t realized he’d carried seemed to slip from his shoulders. He’d needed to own this place. To have something that was his.

Now he wanted them gone so he could celebrate with Emerald.

Emerald stood in the center of the kitchen and gave it one final inspection. Everything was as it should be. All the dishes were washed and put away, the leftovers were in the refrigerator and the floor had been swept. The crowd had left about ten minutes ago and Jackson had disappeared upstairs almost immediately.

She chewed on her bottom lip and then made herself stop. She’d thought she’d broken herself of that nervous habit years ago, but she’d been doing it a lot again lately. But it was no wonder she’d fallen back into her bad habit. With a stalker on her trail, she had a lot to be concerned about. And then there was Jackson.

She was rapidly falling for him, knew that she already had very deep feelings for him. Groaning, she scrubbed her hands over her face. Who was she trying to kid? She was in love with the man. It had happened so quickly, she hadn’t had time to put up any barriers to protect herself. He had her heart whether he wanted it or not, and she had no idea how he felt about her. Oh, she knew that he liked her a lot and he was certainly sexually attracted to her, but she didn’t know if it went any deeper than that.

Jackson was a private man. That much was abundantly evident. She couldn’t believe that his family hadn’t even known about his photography. Emerald raised her head, dropping her hands by her sides. She’d stood here and lectured Nathan on how important this was to Jackson. She’d had no right to interfere. This was a matter to be hashed out among family members. But she hadn’t been able to sit there and let Nathan make light of Jackson’s accomplishments.

Then there was the matter of the farm. Emerald shook her head in disbelief as she wandered over to stare out the window. Maybe it was because she was an outsider it was easier for her to see things as they were. Jackson loved this place, needed it in the same way that the rest of the world required air to breathe. It was in his blood. But even more, it was who he was. She understood the force driving him to create something that belonged just to him. After all, she and her sisters had done the same thing when they’d started their company.

Night had fallen over the farm. She stared up at the inky black sky and admired the yellow crest of the moon, surrounded by a scattering of stars. The natural spectacle gave her an idea for another design. She filed it in her mind for now, promising herself that she’d make some notes before she went to bed.

It was so dark here at night. Unlike the city, where artificial lights were everywhere, here there were only the lights from the house and the rest was darkness. Crossing her arms across her chest, she rubbed them, suddenly cold.

Strong arms wrapped around her from behind, chasing away the chills. Emerald leaned back against him and let his heat warm her. “Hey,” he murmured as he nibbled the side of her neck.

“Hey,” she breathed, tilting her neck to the side. He rewarded her by nipping at her earlobe and tugging on the silver and amethyst hoops that she wore.

“You looked deep in thought.” Although she could feel his erection digging into the small of her back, she felt no impatience in him. He seemed as content as she did to just stand there and savor the closeness between them. “Emerald?”

What had she been thinking? The man always seemed to be able to scatter her thoughts. “I was just thinking about this afternoon and everything that happened with your family.”

Jackson rested his chin on the top of her head and gently rubbed it back and forth. “I’m glad that everything is out in the open. It’s something I’ve been wanting to do for a while now, but the time never seemed right until today.” He hesitated before continuing. “Abel told me that Fred Kirby, the delivery guy, has been asking about you. Apparently he’s been getting a bit adamant with your sisters, demanding to know where you are.”

“Why didn’t he tell me this?”

Jackson continued to move his chin back and forth across the crown of her head. “With everything else that went on here tonight, he forgot until he was getting aboard the truck to head home.”

She nodded, trying to relax her suddenly tense muscles. Surely soft-spoken, slightly geeky Fred was no threat to her family. “He’s been wanting me to talk to Beau about a computer game he’s created. You know that.” She’d told him everything when she’d made out her list of suspects.

“Yeah. Your investigator doesn’t seem overly worried and neither, apparently, do your sisters.”

She hated this. Hated being away from her family. Hated not knowing who was out there who wanted to hurt her and ruin her life. A lead weight rested in the pit of her stomach as she wondered if her life would ever be normal again. She’d never take normal, everyday living for granted for as long as she lived. Each day was a gift. Today had been an especially wonderful one.

Glancing out the window, she could see the reflection that she and Jackson made in the glass. He was so much larger than her, yet somehow they fit together in a way that looked and felt right. His big body hovered protectively behind her, his arms holding her close. She was surrounded by him, and for tonight, she wanted to bask in the closeness.

“Come upstairs with me.” Jackson met her gaze in the glass and she could feel the sudden tension in his body. Did he think she’d refuse? She didn’t speak, but nodded instead. He turned her, tucking her under his arm and guided her toward the stairs. He turned off the kitchen light as they left the room behind them. Emerald had a feeling she wouldn’t be sleeping in her own bed tonight and that suited her just fine.

Neither of them spoke, but she didn’t feel the need for words. She was content to just be in Jackson’s company. They’d both talked a lot today, sharing deep, personal things. The time for talking was over. Now it was time to just feel.

He surprised her when he bypassed the bedroom and continued on to the bathroom. “Just a sec.” He released her and grabbed a pack of matches off the counter, quickly lightly the four white pillar candles that were placed there. When they were all lit, he flicked off the light, leaving the room bathed in the gentle light.

She allowed him to tug her into the room. The large bathtub was already filled with water and several thick towels and washcloths had been laid out. Jackson reached for the hem of her top and began to pull it upward.

“The bathroom is much nicer than it was even a year ago. I did a lot of work on the place last winter. I tore down a wall and took part of the guestroom to make the bathroom larger. That allowed me to put in a separate shower stall and this bigger tub.” Emerald tried to nod, but the tank top covered her head as Jackson tugged it off her and let it drop to the floor. Because her top had a built-in bra, she was naked from the waist up.

“God almighty,” he muttered as he dropped to his knees in front of her and buried his face against her stomach. She automatically wrapped her arms around his thick shoulders, holding him to her. She sensed he was in an odd mood but wasn’t quite sure what to do about it.

His lips grazed over her tummy as he nuzzled her. His tongue circled her bellybutton before snaking inside. She sucked in a breath, curling her toes into the mat beneath her feet. “Jackson?”

He muttered a curse and gave her belly one last open-mouthed kiss before surging to his feet. “Bath first.” His fingers went to the button of her shorts, then the zipper. He wasted no time, tugging her shorts and panties down at the same time.

She was now totally naked, but he was still dressed. Yes, it was only his jeans, but it was still clothing. “What about you?” She reached for him, but he sucked in his stomach and took a step back.

“You do that and we won’t make it into the bathtub.” His jaw clenched and she could see the muscles working. The bulge in his pants was rather impressive.