Jackson’s Jewel

Chapter Nine

Emerald was pulling a roast chicken out of the oven when the back door opened. She didn’t even bother to turn around. It was just past five o’clock in the evening and Jackson’s boots had made their familiar stomping sound as he’d climbed the few steps to the back door. She’d only been here a week, but already she found herself listening for the sound of his footsteps in the evening.

The screen door opened and he stepped inside. He brought with him the smell of summer and sweaty male. Emerald busied herself with laying the roaster on the counter then checking the pots on the stove. Anything to keep herself from going over to him and burying her face against his shirt.

“That smells great.” His voice was so close she knew he was standing right behind her. He didn’t touch her, yet she could feel the heat from his large body practically surrounding her. “I’ll be down as soon as I shower.”

“That’s fine.” She was proud of the way that her voice didn’t wobble. She sounded steady and matter-of-fact. She raised the lid on the pot of carrots and gave them a stir with her fork. She could sense him hovering behind her, undecided, but a second later the air stirred and he was gone. His footsteps echoed as he took the stairs quickly.

She all but slumped against the kitchen counter and took a deep breath. Ever since her first night here, she’d made it a point of keeping her distance from Jackson. And boy, it hadn’t been easy. That first night had been too intense and her common sense had forced her to take a step back and examine the situation. She’d been ready to climb into bed with a man she’d barely known. That just wasn’t like her at all.

With everything else that had happened, the last thing she’d wanted to do was get into a relationship, so she’d backed off. She’d sensed Jackson’s impatience and confusion, but he’d accepted the fact that she wasn’t ready or willing to pursue the attraction between them. But that resolve was weakening as each day went by.

The more she got to know Jackson, the more she liked him. He was exactly what he seemed to be—loyal, honorable, hardworking, earthy and sexy as all get-out. He had a quick wit and a dry sense of humor that appealed to her. She’d never seen him lose his cool or his temper, but she hadn’t heard him laugh either, although when he turned his smile on her, she felt lightheaded. The man was good-looking in a rugged sort of way, but when he smiled, he was something special.

Rather than abating, the attraction she felt toward him was growing as each day went by. He hadn’t made any overt moves toward her, but he was always touching her. Small touches. The graze of his finger over her cheek, the firm squeeze of his hand over her shoulder, the brush of his muscular body against hers.

She sighed as she lifted the chicken onto a platter and began to carve it. There was really no reason why she couldn’t or shouldn’t let nature take its course. Sex with Jackson would be spectacular. Of that, she had no doubt. If they came together physically, it would be explosive. No, that wasn’t why she was holding back. It was the emotional attachment that worried her.

Emerald had never slept with a man she hadn’t been in love with. It just wasn’t in her nature to take these things lightly. The fact that she was seriously considering sleeping with Jackson told her that she was already in over her head when it came to him. She worried her bottom lip with her teeth as she spooned up carrots, mashed potatoes and corn onto their plates. She was already half in love with the man.

Wrapping her arms around her waist, she hugged herself tight. As if her life wasn’t confused enough at the moment, she had to go and add something like this on top of it. Shaking her head, she picked up the plates and placed them on the table. The shower had gone off and Jackson would be here any moment.

By the time she’d placed the platter of chicken on the table, she could hear him on the stairs. Taking one last look to make sure that everything was in place, she slipped into her chair just as he strode into the kitchen.

“Everything smells great.” His hair was still damp and brushed the back of his denim shirt. The sleeves of the shirt were rolled back to reveal darkly tanned forearms sprinkled with dark hair. His fingers were thick and long, his palm broad. They were strong, capable hands and she remembered all too well what they felt like against her skin.

Sucking in a deep breath, she picked up her fork. “Thanks.”

They ate in silence, the only sounds the scrape of their utensils against the plates, the clink of their drinking glasses as they sipped iced tea and their deep breathing. Finally, Emerald couldn’t take it any longer. “Tell me about the farm.” In the week she’d been here, she’d barely ventured beyond the yard.

Jackson finished chewing and swallowed. He laid his fork down and sat back. She could tell she’d surprised him with her willingness to talk. He’d tried the first few days she was here, but she’d shut him down. Now she was feeling badly about that. He’d only been trying to be friendly and put her at ease, but she’d been feeling too raw and had just wanted to be left alone.

“What do you want to know?”

She shrugged. “Everything.”

One corner of his mouth kicked up in a grin. His jaw was covered with evening stubble and a lock of hair tumbled over his forehead. The collar of his shirt was open, exposing his strong throat and neck. A tuft of hair peeked out from between the parted fabric. It gave him a roguish look, like a sexy pirate. His blue eyes stared intently at her, making her squirm in her chair.

He leaned back and linked his hands over his flat belly. She swallowed and laid her fork down on her plate. She couldn’t eat with him watching her so intently.

“This farm has been in my family for several generations. My grandfather owned it first and then my father.”

“And now it’s yours.” She marveled at having such a family legacy.

“Not quite mine.” He looked thoughtful. She could tell he was picking his words carefully. “It belongs to the three of us—me, Nathan and Erin. Our father never liked the farm, never truly wanted it or us. Our mother died when Erin was just a kid and he just went through his days until I was eighteen. I knew he was going to sell the farm and I offered to buy it from him. At first he laughed.”

Emerald couldn’t look away from Jackson. She could sense his underlying pain even though his words were matter-of-fact. She thought about her own parents—so loving and giving—and couldn’t even imagine what it must have been like for Jackson and his siblings. She and her sisters had known nothing but love and acceptance and encouragement. They’d been very lucky.

“Then what happened?” she prompted after he went silent.

“He agreed to give it a go and moved to Florida. The three of us worked like dogs and finished paying off the farm a few years back.”

Jackson was the oldest, so she knew he’d born the brunt of the workload on his shoulders. She could also tell from the way he was shifting in his seat that he didn’t want to talk about this subject any longer. “So, tell me about the farm itself. What kind of apples do you grow?”

He tilted his head to one side, watching her, gauging her reaction. “We grow about fifteen varieties, including your more popular Macintosh, Ida Red, Golden Delicious, Red Delicious and Courtland.” Sensing her genuine interest, he kept going. “We’re all organic. That’s the first thing I changed after I took over the farm sixteen years ago. Took a while and a lot of hard work, but we’re now certified organic.”

That was smart of him, but then, she’d never doubted Jackson’s intelligence. “Erin mentioned something about alfalfa and blueberries.”

He nodded. “We own the orchards and a few more acres of land, but we also lease Abel’s land from him. Have for years. Erin cultivated blueberry fields on her own and has a U-pick operation that’s been doing real well the past few years. She convinced me to take a few acres of the orchards close to her crop and designate them as U-pick as well. That way folks can come and pick apples and berries. She takes care of that end of the operation. The rest of the orchards are harvested and bagged or pressed to make cider. We sell a lot of them at the small stand that Erin set up to sell berries and apples to those who don’t want to be bothered with picking them themselves. The rest are sold to local stores. I also grow fields of alfalfa and hay and sell it to local farmers as feed and bedding for the animals.”

Emerald was fascinated. “It really is a family operation.”

“Sure is. We all work hard, especially from late August to late October. Erin convinced me to put in a pumpkin patch a few years back, so now we have a U-pick pumpkin patch that’s busy in October.”

“How do you handle it all yourselves?” The sheer amount of physical work was daunting.

“We do the bulk of the work ourselves, but we hire local kids, mostly students looking for extra money, in the late summer and fall. For a few weeks, it gets real busy around here.”

So far, she hadn’t seen anyone but Jackson and his family. She couldn’t imagine that much activity around the place. “Wow.”

Jackson chuckled. “Yeah. It can get pretty crazy around here. But don’t worry, most of the activity takes place away from here. We put in another road a few years back and that’s where we built the fruit stand. That way, we get a lot of drive-by traffic, especially on the weekends. Although, by the end of September, the barns will be filled while we’re waiting for buyers to come and pick them up.”

Now she knew where Jackson got all those hard muscles. His work was incredibly physical. “What are you doing now while you’re waiting for the harvest?”

“Watching for pests and disease, mowing the orchards, checking on the other crops.” He shrugged. “There are always a million things to do.”

“You love it, don’t you?”

A slow smile slid across his face. For the first time since she’d met him, Jackson appeared relaxed and happy. “Yeah, I do. There’s no other life for me.”

She nodded. She’d already known that, sensed it, but now he’d confirmed it. If she got involved with Jackson it would be a short-term affair. His life was here and hers was back in New York with her sisters. But it would be an affair to remember for a lifetime.

“What about you?”

She shook off her thoughts. “What about me?”

He chuckled and the sound made her stomach clench. “Tell me about your work. About Sisters’ Jewels.”

She picked up her glass and took a sip of iced tea, wondering where to begin. Laying her glass on the table, she made a decision. “Maybe I can show you instead.” She pushed away from the table and disappeared into her room for a moment. When she returned, she had a box in her hands. “This came day before yesterday. I didn’t go outside,” she hurried to reassure him when he frowned. “The mailman left it on the back step and I got it after he left.”

“Good,” he nodded. “We can’t take any chances.”

Her heart stuttered when he said we. “Well, in any case, my sister sent along a few things.” She opened the box and pulled out some of the items inside. There were journals covered in ornate designs, including their signature jewel ones. Each journal cover was designed around the birthstone of that month. The color of the ink and the design itself were all focused on the birthstone and the corresponding flower. There was even a semiprecious birthstone set into each journal cover. These were one of their most popular sellers.

Emerald pulled out greeting cards with figures of ancient goddesses and some with Middle Eastern designs. There was stationery in various colors, including a perfume collection they’d done. The scented paper filled the air with the smells of rose, vanilla, jasmine and lavender.

There were also a few pieces of jewelry that Sapphire had designed. Emerald planned on giving one of the necklaces to Erin.

Jackson was just staring at the mound of merchandise she’d piled on the table. “Well, what do you think?” She hadn’t been this nervous since the first day they’d opened the doors on Sisters’ Jewels. For some reason, Jackson’s opinion was very important to her.

He pushed his chair back and stood. Coming around the end of the table, he reached out and touched one journal, then another. His long fingers gently traced the designs on all the items. Emerald almost groaned. She wanted his fingers on her, touching her skin. Her nipples tightened almost painfully as she watched him flick one of the stones set into the cover of a journal. Between her thighs, her sex clenched and her panties dampened.

“I think,” he began huskily, “that you’re an incredibly talented lady.” He picked up one of the journals and turned it over. His eyes widened at the discreet price tag on the back. “People must really like this stuff.”

The butterflies in her stomach settled a bit and she laughed. Only a man would call these amazing items stuff. “We do okay.”

He laid the journal back on the table and rubbed his hand over the back of his neck. He seemed tenser than he had been. She could almost feel him pulling away from her even though he was standing right next to her.

“I had no idea you were so talented.” He cupped the side of her face in his hand and she swayed forward, wanting to be closer to him.

“Thank you,” she whispered as his mouth moved closer to hers. She went up on her toes, unable to wait. She moaned when his lips touched hers. It had been too long and she’d missed this, wanted this with all her being.

Jackson forgot all about the worry gnawing at the pit of his gut as his mouth brushed against Emerald’s. He’d been dreaming of kissing her again, ever since that first explosive night. Truthfully, he’d been doing more than just thinking about kissing her. His imagination had run the whole gamut from slow to fast, from gentle to rough and everywhere in between.

He wanted to peel off her clothes piece by piece and savor every inch of her sweet flesh. He wanted to tear her clothes from her body and fuck her until they were both screaming with release. She had him so wrapped up in knots he didn’t know what he wanted. The one thing he did know was that he wanted Emerald and he’d take her any way he could get her.

His tongue stroked across her upper lip and then he nibbled on her plump bottom one. She whimpered and he wrapped his free arm around her back, urging her closer. His cock was thick and full as he pressed it against the soft swell of her belly. He groaned as she pressed against him. He’d hardly slept this past week, his nights spent lying awake, thinking about having Emerald beside him, on top of him and under him. His testicles ached they were so full and tight.

She’d pulled back and he’d respected her wishes, even though it had almost killed him. But now she was here and she wasn’t trying to get away from him. If anything, she was trying to get closer. Her hands fisted in his hair, tugging his mouth closer. He slid his tongue past her lips and barely stifled a moan when she sucked on it.

He forgot about the remains of their supper on the table, forgot about the fact that she wasn’t here to stay. His daydreams about her remaining with him were shattered the moment he’d seen her work and what people were willing to pay for it. She was too talented to bury herself in the middle of nowhere on a small family farm. But still, he could have her. If only for the time she was here.

His heart beat heavily and he ignored all the warnings in his brain. This woman was already under his skin. It would hurt when she left, regardless, so he might as well take whatever he could get, whatever she would give.

He pulled back and stared down at her. Her face was flushed, her lips red and pouty from his kisses. Her hair was piled on her head, but several long, black tendrils had come free of the knot. He hooked his finger in one of the curls, watching in fascination as it wrapped around him. Her dark brown eyes were wide and uncertain, but beyond that he saw the need, the same deep need that filled him. She wanted him. His body clenched and he lowered his head again.

The phone rang shrilly, shattering the moment. Emerald jumped back so quickly that she would have fallen if he hadn’t caught her. She stumbled against him and then smacked him in the nose with her head when she jerked away.

Swearing, Jackson reached out his hand and snagged the phone. “Connors,” he barked into the receiver. He turned to Emerald and barely swallowed another curse. She had her arms wrapped so tight around herself that her knuckles were white. She was once again closing herself off to him. “It’s your investigator.”

She stumbled forward and took the phone. “Dane?” She stood there listening and nodding for a minute and then hung up the phone.

“Well?” Jackson was in no mood to be pleasant. His dick was as hard as a spike, his balls throbbed and there was no relief in sight. And on top of that, he wanted to know what Hatcher had to say. No matter that Nathan had investigated Dane Hatcher thoroughly, Jackson didn’t trust the man. In this profession, he knew what to do to hide his tracks. The fact he didn’t trust the man had nothing to do with the fact that Hatcher had asked Emerald out.

She shook her head. “There’s no news. He’s still working, but so far, everyone on the list is checking out okay.”

Jackson nodded. It was no more than he’d expected. Unless the stalker was Hatcher himself or he was stupid, and he hadn’t been so far, he wouldn’t have left any obvious clues. They might never find him unless he made some mistake or came after Emerald, either here or when she went home. She couldn’t stay away from her life indefinitely and Jackson was afraid that the stalker was counting on that, waiting patiently for her to return home.

That got him to thinking. “Do you know anything about self-defense?”

She appeared startled by his abrupt change of subject. “Not really.” She started to pile the supper dishes. “I mean, I know as much as most women. Don’t walk in the shadows or on sparsely populated streets, keep your keys between your fingers as a weapon, don’t wear your purse slung over your shoulder if you can avoid it.” She laid the dishes on the counter and faced him. “Why?”

“Because this might not be over before you have to return home.” She paled, all the color leaching from her face. Jackson didn’t want to scare her, didn’t want to be the one to frighten her, but he was also realistic. “This stalker might just wait until you return.”

As he watched, she squared her shoulders and nodded. “I’ve considered that.”

“You need to learn some basic self-defense. It can’t hurt and might help.” He paused and then plowed ahead. He’d started this so he might as well finish it. “I can show you some moves.”

“Really?” He could tell from the look on her face that she was intrigued. He was just glad to see some of the color returning to her cheeks.

“Yeah. Nathan’s had a lot of training over the years and I’ve sparred with him out in the old barn. He can probably give you a few more pointers than me, but I could get you started.” His mind was sorting through what he knew, what would be of the best use to Emerald.

“You’d do that for me?”

He crossed his arms over his chest and frowned. “Of course.”

“Of course,” she repeated, shaking her head.

The room was closing in around Jackson. He’d almost swear he could smell her arousal even though that should be impossible. His body ached, his mind was racing and his heart was pounding. He had to get away before he did something they both might regret. “I’ll be out in the barn if you decide you want some pointers.”

Shoving the door open, he stepped out into the night. The air was still thick and the sun had a few hours before it sank below the horizon. Ignoring the pair of robins that flew past him, Jackson stalked to the old barn, thankful for the punching bag that hung from the rafters in one far corner. He’d set up the workout area years ago when he and Nathan were still in their teens. He’d never needed it as badly as he did tonight. If he didn’t work off some of his tension, he’d explode.