Page 12 of New Year's Renovations

We left Pi’s, bundling up against the cold as we stepped out into the dark night air. Harper shivered and I put my arm around her, drawing her in close to me for warmth. Her body relaxed against mine and we walked the two blocks down to the beach, a full moon lighting our way.

The ocean grew louder the closer we got, but the tide was low, so we had a wide strip of beach for walking. The white caps of the waves glistened in the bright moonlight as Harper and I stared out at the water.

“Jackson, this is lovely. Thanks for bringing me here. And thanks for taking me out tonight.”

She turned, tilting her face up towards me. Instinct kicked in and I lowered my mouth onto hers, grazing her soft lips with mine. She kissed me back, parting her full lips, and every muscle in my body tensed. Despite the cold temperature, a rush of heat surged through me as I stepped in closer, pulling her in tight. She opened her mouth to me and I slid my tongue in, a soft purring sound coming from deep in her throat. My body tensed and hardened, my hands sliding from her hips down to grip her firm ass. She responded, pressing up against me. We kissed there under the stars for a long time, until I could no longer feel anything other than the heat from her body under my cold hands.

“I should take you somewhere warmer,” I murmured, my lips still pressed up against hers.

“Okay,” she said, nodding.

“My house is nearby. Does that work?”

“Sure.”

I brushed my lips with hers one more time, then we strolled back to my truck, hand-in-hand, Harper chatting away about her plans for Bramblehill House. I listened, nodding when expected, but struggled concentrating with her body so close to mine. I hadn’t dated since my epic break-up at the beginning of the summer; I chalked my nerves up to lack of practice.

Fifteen minutes later we were back at my house. I unlocked the door, flipped on the nearest light.

“Home sweet home,” I said, motioning to the open living room/kitchen area. “Here, I’ll take your coat.” I hung our coats on the back of the barstools framing the island that divided the kitchen and living area.

“It’s small, but beachside. The trade-off is well worth it, in my opinion,” I said, crossing the room to stand next to Harper.

“Jackson, this place is great,” she said, spinning around and taking it all in. “I love the color scheme, with the light blues and grays. But I guess I’d expect nothing less from you.” She smiled over at me and my pulse shot up.

“Thanks. I bought it at auction, then we fixed it up. It used to be a dark, damp disaster, but I think it turned out nice.”

“I love it! I want to see it during the day.” She walked over to the glass doors leading out to the deck overlooking the ocean. “I bet it’s stunning.”

“We can definitely arrange that,” I said, coming up behind her and encircling her narrow waist in my hands. The scent of the salty air mingled with her floral shampoo as she leaned back against me and my muscles contracted. She turned around to face me, her fingers twining around the nape of my neck. I bent down and dropped a soft, slow kiss on her lips, sliding my tongue along her bottom lip. She let out a soft moan, so I slipped my tongue in, tangled it with hers. My hands wandered from her hips down to her ass, pulling her lower body in closer to me. She stroked the back of my neck, sending chill bumps racing up and down my spine.

I wordlessly backed her up towards the couch, easing her down onto the soft brown leather. She kicked off her shoes and I followed her lead, taking my shirt off for good measure. Harper’s eyes widened, her pupils darkening under her long lashes as she gazed up at me.

“I have a confession to make,” Harper said in a soft, breathy voice.

I tipped my head to the side, staring down at her, appreciating the soft swells of her breasts beneath her ivory sweater.

“You do?”

“I’ve been wanting you to take your shirt off since I met you.”

I chuckled, sliding down onto the couch next to her. She feathered her fingers out over my pecs, running them down the sides of my torso, then circling back to tiptoe up my abdominal muscles.

“And? How do I measure up?”

“Better than I even imagined.” She sighed, a happy grin on her face, as I cupped her chin, pressing my lips to hers. Our kiss deepened, my body tensing as the minutes passed. My hands slid from her face to her shoulders, then down to her flat stomach. I slipped one hand under the hem of her sweater, caressing her smooth skin. She leaned in to my touch, so I let my hand wander, exploring higher, my thumb stroking the satiny fabric of her bra. I traced the outline of her breasts, her nipple hardening as I rubbed the thin material.

Harper took the lead, breaking our kiss to pull the sweater over her head. She shimmied out of her tight jeans as well, then laid back against the cushions, wearing only her matching ivory bra and panties.

My breath hitched at the sight of her, illuminated only by the soft light of the lamp.

“You’re beautiful,” I said, my voice low and gravelly as every fiber in my body contracted and tensed. I straddled her, my hips directly over hers, then crushed her mouth with mine. She was sweet and salty and absolutely everything I needed right then.

Her hands moved from my shoulders down the muscles of my back, massaging, kneading, then feathering out, causing my breathing to pick up. Heat surged through me and I was hard for her, pressing against the barely-there fabric of her panties.

Knock, knock. Knock, knock.“Jackson, it’s me.” A familiar voice startled both of us out of our lusty reverie.

“Shit, it’s my brother,” I grumbled under my breath, inches away from Harper’s mouth.

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