N. Walters - Jackson’s Jewel

Jackson didn’t speak for almost a full minute. She struggled not to fidget beneath his regard. She could almost see him processing everything. She knew the moment that he decided to back off. But she also knew it was only a temporary reprieve. He wouldn’t let this drop.

“I’m going to get a shower. I’ll be back in a few minutes.” He strode to the kitchen door, but paused. “You’ll still be here when I get back?”

She nodded, unable to speak.

He gave her a curt nod and then bounded up the stairs two at a time. Emerald slumped back against the counter. Most people wouldn’t even have bothered to ask what was wrong. A lot more would have asked her to leave and take her problems with her. But not Jackson. He was the type of guy who would get involved. He was such a take-charge kind of man that, if a woman wasn’t careful, she might find her entire life being managed by him.

Water began to run through the pipes, reminding her that she didn’t have time to waste. Pushing away from the counter, she smoothed her damp palms over the thighs of her jeans. She opened the cupboard door and quickly grabbed plates and set them on the table. Cutlery and glasses followed.

When the table was set, she slid the rolls into the oven. They only needed fifteen minutes according to the package. Emerald was glad she’d found enough ingredients to make lasagna. It was a specialty of hers. She only hoped that he liked it. She’d have Erin’s list tomorrow, so she’d have a better idea of what kind of meals Jackson enjoyed.

The coffeepot was already filled, so she flicked the switch to start it brewing. There hadn’t been much for her to work with to make a dessert, but she’d found a can of peaches in the pantry. That would do for tonight, but someone had to go grocery shopping tomorrow. She already had a long list of staples that were needed. Plucking it off the counter, she scanned it one more time before placing it next to Jackson’s plate. She’d have him approve it over supper. The mail was still stacked in three neat piles at the far end of the table, waiting for him as well. If she kept him busy, perhaps he wouldn’t ask her about the phone call again.

“Keep on dreaming,” she muttered under her breath as the water shut off upstairs.

It was all too easy to imagine Jackson naked and wet as he stepped out of the shower. His dark hair would be plastered to his skull, emphasizing the harsh planes of his face. His tanned skin made his blue eyes seem even bluer. His lips would be moist. Emerald licked her lips as she imagined tasting his mouth like she had early today. It would be hot and wet and overwhelmingly male.

She’d noticed that his jaw was dark with stubble. It would rasp against her skin as she kissed him. She wanted to smooth her hands over his shoulders and down his flat abdomen. And then lower.

Her breathing quickened and she felt the dampness between her thighs. He’d been aroused earlier. There was no mistaking the bulge in the front of his jeans. He hadn’t even tried to conceal it. Unabashedly male, he was quite at ease with his body and saw no need to hide his desire for her. It was blatant and it was surprisingly a huge turn-on as well.

She made a sound of frustration and whirled away to check the food in the oven. Jackson Connors was occupying way too much of her thoughts. She had other things to think about, bigger worries to ponder. Somewhere out there was a stalker who wanted to take over her life and her. She shivered as she closed the oven door and leaned against the counter. It was much more pleasant to think about Jackson and her growing attraction to him than it was to think about her other problems.

She stood there, staring out the kitchen window while supper cooked. It was quiet here. There was no air-conditioning in the house, just the low whir of the overhead fan turning slowly. There was no traffic outside or planes overhead. As she listened, she could hear the happy twitter of a bird as it perched in a pine tree in the far corner of the front garden. The breeze was slight and it was warm. The sun was a giant fireball in the sky. Peace slowly seeped into her very bones. It felt… She didn’t quite know how it felt, except to say that it felt right in some fundamental way. The town. The farm. Jackson. They all felt…right.

A sound on the stairs alerted her that her reprieve was over. Wiping a hand over her face, she took a deep breath and hauled open the oven door. If he was going to question her, then she wanted food. For the first time in weeks, she was actually hungry. Her stomach growled as she lifted out the pan of lasagna and carried it over to the table. She laid it on a potholder she’d dug out of one of the drawers.

Jackson hadn’t spoken a word and the suspense was killing her. Emerald glanced over at him and almost groaned. His hair was wet and slicked back from his face. He was wearing a clean pair of jeans and a crisp white T-shirt. Shaking her head, she went back to the stove for the rolls. She’d just have to accept the fact that this man pushed all her buttons. Just one look at him and she was instantly aroused.

She caught a whiff of aftershave too, something earthy, like the man himself. She wanted to walk up to him and bury her face against his neck. But she knew where that would lead and she wasn’t quite sure she was ready to go there. Emerald knew in her heart that getting involved with Jackson would not be a light affair. Not that she did light affairs, she reminded herself, but he would be different. He could break her heart if she let him.

“Can I do anything to help?” He chuckled as soon as the words left his mouth.

“What’s so funny?” She slid the rolls into a basket and then placed them on the table.

Jackson shrugged, a self-deprecating smile on his face. “It’s just that a year ago I probably wouldn’t even have asked. It took Abel pointing it out and then Erin leaving to make me appreciate everything that she used to do around here.”

Emerald pulled out her chair and sat, motioning Jackson to his seat. “So you’re a bit of a chauvinist? Good to know that you’re trainable.” She groaned as soon as the words left her wayward mouth. “Not that I care or anything. I’m just the housekeeper.”

He sat down and grabbed the serving spoon, heaping a large serving of lasagna on her plate before doing the same to his own. “You’re more than just the housekeeper. Or you could be, and we both know it.” The color of his eyes seemed to deepen. “And yeah, I’m definitely trainable.”

She didn’t say anything as heat suffused her body. Taking one of the rolls, she tore it apart with her fingers and then painstakingly buttered it. She laid the knife carefully on the side of her plate, knowing she was just delaying the inevitable.

Jackson helped himself to a roll and then began to eat. He took one forkful of lasagna and his expression changed, becoming one of sheer bliss. His chewing slowed as if he were savoring the food in his mouth. Emerald felt inordinately pleased.

His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed. “This is incredible.” He scooped up another forkful and closed his eyes as he chewed. Emerald laughed. When he’d swallowed, he glanced over at her. “Don’t laugh. I’ve been eating my own cooking for the best part of a year, except for when Erin’s taken pity on me. This is amazing. If this is any indication of how you cook, I may not ever let you leave.”

Just like that the tension was back between them. The hairs on the nape of her neck seemed to rise. If she got too involved with Jackson, she might not want to leave. Clearing her throat, she tried to make light of things. “Glad you like it. But since you were half-starved to begin with, I won’t let your compliments go to my head.”

He didn’t bother to answer, but just kept eating. He had seconds before he bothered to speak again. Emerald began to relax again and savor her food. She really enjoyed cooking, but it had been quite a few years since she’d bothered with it. The faster Sisters’ Jewels had grown, the harder she and her sisters worked. Seemed as if that’s all any of them did these days. She loved their business, but she realized she’d lost any sense of balance in her life.

Jackson scraped his plate clean, laid down his fork and sat back in his chair. Folding his hands across his flat belly, he watched her. She’d known the questions were coming. It was only a matter of time. He’d actually shown more patience than she’d expected. The man was full of surprises. She still hadn’t quite decided how much, if anything, she was going to tell him. “Go ahead.”

He cocked his eyebrow at her. She braced herself for his barrage of questions about why she was here and why she had an investigator. Jackson’s eyes narrowed as he sat forward. “I’ve got to know…” He paused, his eyes narrowing intently. “What possessed your parents to name you and your sisters after jewels?”

It was so unexpected that Emerald laughed. Satisfaction flashed in his eyes and she knew that that was what he’d intended. Jackson was proving to be a much more complex man than she’d first suspected. He wanted her to relax so she’d spill more of her secrets. The man was diabolical and totally irresistible because, beneath the humor, she sensed that he really was interested in her, really wanted to know.

The lie had been bothering her since she’d first uttered it and it was time to come clean. “I lied to your sister.”

All signs of humor fled as Jackson slowly sat up straight. Emerald had the urge to flee. Not that he’d done anything threatening, but menace poured off him in waves. This was not a man to cross. “About?” His tone was mild, but she wasn’t fooled.