Page 14 of Caged Heat

“I’m here,” I said in answer.

“You are.” He grinned, taking my hand and leading me into his place.

Knowing the state of my son’s place, I was pleasantly surprised at the cleanliness and decor of Jackson’s. Unlike the place Mack lived in before Ashley, it wasn’t decorated in all black—the stereotypical bachelor look. Jackson’s home had a warm feeling, filled with dark blues and grays, making you want to curl up on one end of the couch and stay.

“Your place is lovely,” I said, taking it all in. We stopped between the living and dining room, the couch to our left and the table to the right.

“Oh. Thanks. I wanted it to remind me of the sky.”

My eyes widened at his admission. “You decorated?”

“Yeah.” He rubbed at the back of his head, his cheeks turning pink the longer I stared at him with my mouth agape.

“Sorry. It’s just my son wouldn’t even know where to begin.”

“You do that a lot.”

“What?” I asked, my cheeks heating as he stared at me, his brown eyes glittering. He moved closer and placed his hands on my hips, and my whole focus became where his hands heated my skin.

“Compare me to your son. I get that I’m younger than you, and you’ve lived this whole experience that I have no clue about. I don’t want to dismiss that part of your life because it made you who you are, and I’m amazed by you… a lot. But would it be possible to be Jackson and Ella when we’re together? Without our ages getting in the way?”

I swallowed, my eyes never straying as I held his. Slowly, I nodded as I licked my lips. His eyes darted down, taking in the minuscule action. My thoughts had stalled, his request sending me into a paralytic state.

How long had it been since I only had myself to consider? The freedom of letting go felt so erotic that I had to force my body not to shudder in front of this man for fear of collapsing into a puddle at his feet and missing out on everything his eyes promised.

“I like how that sounds.”

Jackson leaned forward in response and kissed me again as that same feeling of euphoria spread through me. His kisses lit a fire in me, one that spread out from my abdomen, lighting up every nerve and sending pleasure through me. If Jackson had x-ray vision, he’d be able to see my entire insides as a beacon of light.

His kiss consumed me so much that I forgot to breathe, my head spinning slightly from the lack of oxygen. Jackson broke the connection, and I gasped as air entered my lungs, the stars disappearing from my eyes. His mouth moved to my neck as he sucked and licked, goosebumps rising in his wake. If I tried to think about the fact that I graduated college this morning, turned forty, and was now about to have sex with a practical stranger, my brain would shut down.

If I focused on it too much, I’d weird myself out and run out of here screaming. Instead, I concentrated on how amazing my body felt and gave in to the moment. I’d done nothing but agonize over every decision and action I had made since I became a mom; it was time to check out and be in the moment.

“You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen, Ella.” His words were a whispered caress, wrapping around me as he untied the knot holding my shirt together and then pushing it off my shoulders. Cold air mingled with desire as I shivered where I stood. His fingers found the zipper to my dress, dragging it down my back. The sound echoed around me as his hands ran over the bare skin he revealed.

My hands trembled on his arms as I grasped him, holding him to me as his mouth continued to pepper kisses on my bare skin as he exposed more of it. When the zipper was all the way down, he pushed the dress off my shoulders, catching it around my waist.

Jackson stepped back, his eyes devouring my body. Licking his lips, he took in every inch of my heaving chest and the black lace bra that covered my breasts. His hands smoothed over the sides of my ribs, pushing the dress down the rest of the way, leaving it pooled at my feet. Stepping out of the black material, I stood before Jackson in nothing but my undergarments. I fought the urge to cover up my stretch marks and the awful scar on my belly from my C-section.

“Say something,” I whispered when Jackson just stood there, staring.

“I can’t. You’ve literally struck me speechless. Fuck. I can’t believe I get the privilege of knowing what’s underneath all of that. And knowing no one else has in years, it’s making it hard not to fuck you right here, bent over the couch.”

I sucked in a breath; the heat radiating from Jackson’s eyes as he took in every centimeter of my body was more than I’d been prepared for.

One second he was searing me with his eyes, and the next, he rushed forward, lifting me into his arms as he charged through the house. A girlish giggle escaped me as he carried me, his arms banding around me tightly.

“I hope you weren’t planning on leaving anytime soon, speed racer.”

“Why?” I asked, scrunching up my nose in confusion.

“Because I know one time with you won’t be enough. I need to have you in every position I can think of. I need time to map out and become acquainted with your entire body. I want so much more, but I’ll leave it at that for now.”

Before I could respond, Jackson lowered me onto a bed and sealed his mouth to mine. My mind went offline, finally giving in to the moment as my hands threaded through his hair. Jackson moaned against my lips, his hips rocking into me and sending shivers as the hard bulge in his jeans hit me just right.

Breaking the kiss, Jackson settled onto his knees as he reached back for his shirt with one hand and pulled it over his head. The corded muscles in his arm flexed with the movement, hypnotizing me as he effortlessly discarded the material. His chest came into view, the tan and toned skin a sight for my eyes. I’d never seen a man so ripped before. Not this close-up and personal, anyway.

Blinking, my hand reached up of its own accord as my fingers trailed over the lower ab muscles that I could reach. A light spattering of hair ran beneath his waistband, his muscles flexing as I ran my fingers through it. Jackson moaned at my touch, his eyes closing as he let me feel him. Sitting up, I kneeled so I could touch him more.

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