Carla groaned as Jackson’s warm mouth fit against hers. He lifted his free hand to weave his fingers through her hair, tilting her head back and then cradling it in his palm while caressing her with the side of his thumb. The kiss deepened as he nibbled her lips, first the top one, then a gentle tug on the bottom before softly licking at the seam. She opened her mouth to the sensual slide of his tongue against hers and fire ignited her blood when she heard him groan.
He guided her backward, slowly, step by step, until she felt the warm metal of the SUV against her rear and the delicious press of Jackson’s hard cock against her front. She sighed into his mouth while her hands explored, skating over his ribs, the dip in his waist, and then around to his back, sliding over tight bunches of muscle and the firm sloping curve of his ass. Heat radiated from him in torrid waves and she felt through her fingertips his damp shirt clinging to his skin.
His scent surrounded her — a heady, male mixture of soap, sweat, and raw desire. The hard strain of his erection pressed like sensual torture against her abdomen, causing her pussy to ache with need. Jackson trailed the backs of his fingers against her neck, easing downward, until he reached the swell of her breast. Keeping his touch agonizingly light, he caressed the bare skin of her cleavage, giving her prickly goose bumps all over. She hadn’t been touched intimately in a long — really long — time, and Jackson’s feather light caress was like lighting a fuse on a rocket. She longed for him to dip his fingers beneath her bra and tease her aching nipples or, better still, to take them in his mouth and suck. A hungry groan escaped her lips.
Her senses went soaring skyward and she shivered with delight. Hot, relentless pulses of need sent moisture throbbing through her pussy. She angled her pelvis forward and teasingly rubbed against his bulging cock, thrilled by his sudden, sharp intake of breath. Jackson’s hand slipped inside her blouse and underneath her bra. His palm circled her breast, gliding over the skin, until at last he began lightly pinching her nipple.
She groaned as his teasing fingers rocked an ache straight from her nipples to her clit, wishing his hands would drift lower. Her head dropped back against the SUV as she closed her eyes and gave herself up to his touch. She arched her back, filling his hand with her breast. His breath caught, and then his lips and tongue pressed against her throat, branding her with his kiss.
Grabbing fistfuls of his shirt, she pulled it out of his pants and slid her hands under to settle against the hard, rippled plane of his stomach. His skin was hot, lightly coated with sweat. Her hands traveled higher, toward his chest. She found the small, hard beads of his nipples and began teasing them, filling the sultry night air with his soft groans.
Jackson pulled her blouse higher, exposing her, taking her nipple in his mouth and sucking. His tongue swirled around the tight bud, turning it to stone before pulling away and licking along the side of her breast. Rocked with pleasure, she arched her pelvis hard against the bulge of his cock as her hands traveled south and began to caress the swell of his ass. She whispered, “Jackson.”
His head snapped up and he released her nipple from his lips.
For a second he stood, immobile, as if gaining control of his senses. Then he stepped back, away from her, and released a slow, shaky breath. As he did so, a wave of disappointment washed over her.
“We should go.” His tense words broke the still air.
“But—”
“Before it gets too late.” He was already walking around to his side of the car, opening the door, climbing inside. She jerked her blouse down, having no choice but to follow.
He had the SUV started before she’d even shut the door, and the second her seatbelt clicked into place they were off. What had happened? She was dying to ask, dying to know where the sultry, smokin’ scientist had gone. But when she glanced over at Jackson, she saw the cool, guarded man she’d first met.
The ride back to the facility was as silent as the night. Jackson was clearly caught up in his own thoughts and not interested in talking. It made her sad, because the evening otherwise had been so nice. But sometimes there was just no figuring out a man. Least not this one.
It was nearly midnight when they pulled up to the house. The grounds were quiet, with most of the lights out in the lodging buildings. Carla could hear the cicadas, crickets, and other night creatures as she walked with a silent Jackson to the front door. Finally she decided she’d had enough.
When he went to open the door, she stopped him with her hand. “I want to talk about what happened back there.”
He shook his head. “It won’t happen again.” He once more tried to open the door, but she was firm. She stepped in front of him, blocking the way.
“I’m not the one who stopped,” she reminded him. “You were. Why?”
His face clouded with annoyance and something else — she couldn’t quite be certain — that looked like pain.
“We were standing on a public road. I assumed voyeurism wasn’t your thing.” He turned away, but not before she saw his gaze flicker hungrily over her breasts.
She didn’t buy his sarcasm for a minute and vestiges of her arousal mere minutes ago had her still aching for his touch. “Really? Was that the reason? Well, in that case…” She trailed her fingers down his forearm. “We’re not in public anymore, and your bedroom’s just up the staircase…”
He shook her hand away. “Stop. I’m not doing this.”
“Why?” His emotions fed her anger like kindle to a fire. “You’re lying to me, Jackson. You didn’t stop me because you didn’t want it. There’s something else going on, something you’re not telling me. I just want to know what it is.”
He shook his head, refusing to say more. With a quick dart of his hand, he reached out and twisted the front door knob. Exhaling a long breath, he held the door open, an obvious signal for her to step indoors.
“Bon soir, Carla. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“You can’t just brush me aside.”
He shut the door behind them and tossed his keys in a basket he kept in the foyer. “Report to building eight tomorrow morning.”
“Building eight?” She frowned. “Have I been there yet?”
“No,” he said, already walking down the hallway toward the back staircase. As he began climbing the stairs he gave her one last bit of information. “It’s where we keep the snakes.”
***
Jackass.
Jackson leaned against the door and heaved an irritated sigh, feeling like a total jerk. Merde. What the fuck was the matter with him?
Making his way to the bathroom, he began stripping off his sweaty clothes, dumping them on the floor as he walked. He wasn’t normally a slob, but right now he had other things to think about besides dirty laundry. Like getting his mind off of Carla Saunders.
He stepped into the shower and turned the water on full blast but icy cold, letting out a grunt as the frigid spray hit him. Damn it, he’d get rid of this wood one way or the other. He briefly considered relieving himself the easy way and jerking off, but chucked the idea. It meant he’d fantasize about Carla while doing it, and that’s exactly what he was trying like hell not to do. Still, shit. She made it tough.
He grabbed a washcloth, soaped up, and scrubbed his body hard as he tried not to think about her — about her legs, or her breasts, or the smooth creaminess of her skin. That kiss had set him on fire. He shouldn’t have started it — he knew he shouldn’t have — but it’d be easier to freeze hell than keep saying no to her irresistible body. Damn, she’d looked so hot tonight. Her shapely ass, the hint of cleavage behind her blouse. His cock had practically stood up and saluted when she first came down the stairs.
Still, he might have been able to keep his hands to himself if not for that stop to look at the stars. When he saw the tear on her cheek and she admitted how overcome she was with the natural beauty around them, his resistance took a dive. At that moment he’d felt a connection with her. She got him. She understood the beauty of the bayou and why someone would want to be here. He hadn’t felt that kind of connection with a woman in a hell of a long time.
And that kiss…damn. It nearly made him explode in his jeans. He’d wanted to bury his face between those gorgeous breasts, suck her nipples and wallow in the amazing lavender scent drifting off her skin. She turned him on like a hound in heat, but he thought he’d been hiding it pretty well. Until tonight, that is. When he’d looked over and saw that tear…
He groaned and scrubbed harder. He knew he shouldn’t torture himself, but he had this sexy-as-hell, smart, energetic, and beautifully uninhibited intern living here day and night, who he sensed was as turned on by him as he was by her. It’d be so easy just to let go, to let them both have what they so obviously wanted.
He’d avoided her for the past few days because he didn’t want to lose focus. He’d made a promise and he couldn’t — wouldn’t — break it. He would find that cure and fulfill the pledge he’d made — to his parents, to himself, and especially to Amy. Carla Saunders, with her smoking hot body and intriguing personality could mess with his head big time. He only had to think for two seconds about Katherine to remind himself of what a beautiful woman could do to a guy. It’s why he’d pulled away from Carla tonight, despite how hot he burned for her.
But, seriously. A month? It went by so fast she’d be gone before he knew it and then he’d be able to stop thinking about her. And it was just sex, nothing more. No feelings or emotions, none of that shit that just messes things up. And man, oh man, could he ever imagine how good it would be. He heard his subconscious start to get pissed. C’mon, dude. Look in the mirror. You want her, she wants you. Stop holding back. You can do this without fucking up your goals and have some fun along the way. It’s only a month. Go for it!
He took a breath, looked down. Still hard as a rock.
Yeah, he could do this.