Chapter 4

4

JAX

I couldn't make love to this woman on the banks of the pond—or in the pond, for that matter. I debated taking her back to my cabin but decided against it. I wanted this first time with her to be exciting, adventurous…something that told her exactly the type of life she was in for if she moved to Rosewood Ridge to be with me.

I stood next to my fishing boat, which was only a couple minutes' walk from where we'd been standing. It was directly behind my house, though, and I often came out here in the morning and hopped in to take a quick ride around.

When I turned, the woman wasn't far behind me. My breath caught again at the sight of her wearing only her bra and panties.

She was beautiful, but it was more than that. This was the woman I was meant to spend the rest of my life with. Yes, in just under an hour, she'd somehow managed to convince me to abandon my solo life. She even had me thinking about starting a family. It made no sense, but it was exactly how I felt.

As she drew closer, her footsteps slowed. "You want me to get into that wearing just my underwear?"

You could take it all off.

Those words froze on my lips. I didn't say them, though—mostly because I wanted it to be her choice. I was being overly conscientious about consent. It had been drilled into me during my time in the military. I wanted to make sure she was okay with this.

Instead of saying anything, I did something I hadn't planned. I yanked off my T-shirt, then my shorts, which left me standing in front of her wearing only a pair of briefs that did nothing to disguise my erection. I also wore tennis shoes and socks, so those had to come off as well since she'd taken off her dress shoes at some point.

Then I walked toward the boat and held out my hand. I watched her carefully, hoping she'd trust me but not sure if I'd earned that trust yet. If she was feeling the same attraction I was, maybe I didn't have to say the words.

She looked around, as though verifying we were still alone out here, before stepping toward me. I could have told her nobody would bother us. I bought this lot and built a house on it because of the lack of homes up here. I had one guy I called a neighbor, but his house was on the other side of the trees from mine. He wouldn't be able to see us even if I pushed us out into the center of the pond.

When she slipped her hand out of mine to settle onto the seat, I was stunned by how much my body craved her touch. I needed physical contact with her as much as I needed my next breath.

I took the seat by the motor and fired up the engine. She said nothing as I motored us away from the bank. I then cut the engine to let us free float for a while.

"What if another boat comes along?" she asked, her eyes wide as she scanned the water around us.

"Nobody's coming along," I said. "This is basically a man-made pond that someone tossed fish into at some point. It's not connected to any bigger body of water."

She was staring at me now. I couldn't read her expression. All I knew was I wanted to kiss her until her eyes glazed over like they had earlier.

This woman wanted me. That meant more than anything I could think of.

"Come here," I said.

I stretched out my arm, but my hand didn't come close enough. That meant she had to push herself to her feet and slowly walk toward me.

As soon as I could, I grabbed her hands with both of mine, if only to help steady her. I pressed my thighs together and moved my hands to her hips, tugging her toward me. Her legs automatically went around me and she straddled me, settling onto my lap just as I'd intended.

God, this woman was…everything. Her kisses, the way she moved her fingers over my shoulders, the feel of her warm body against mine…

At some point, my fingers moved to her bra strap and I unclasped the hooks, but moving away from her and breaking the kiss for a few seconds was almost painful. She helped me tug the straps down and the bra ended up somewhere on the floor of the boat.

My attention was squarely on feeling her breasts against my chest as I captured her mouth in another long kiss. When she moaned against my mouth, though, I knew time was running out. I had to make her come before I got so turned on, I came in my underwear.

That was when I realized the boat might not have been the best idea. I couldn't lay her down and run my mouth over her entire body. But there'd be plenty of time for that. I just had to find a way to make love to this woman every day for the rest of my life.

Sliding my hand between us, I shoved her panties aside and slid a finger inside her. She broke the kiss and gasped, looking down at me with surprised eyes.

She was so wet. Now I was the one who groaned as my finger found her clit and I began moving over it. Her eyes drifted closed, and she began gyrating her hips in rhythm with my movements.

Just watching her was turning me on, so I had to close my eyes. But the image of her remained in my head. Those slightly parted lips, her long eyelashes fanning out, serving in sharp contrast to the fair skin beneath her eyes.

"Oh God," she gasped, then repeated, "Oh God, oh God, oh God."

Her hips began moving faster, and I took that as a sign to increase my speed. Together we worked out a rhythm that had her gripping my shoulders and saying, "Ahh," her voice carrying through the balmy night air.

When finally, her orgasm was complete, she lowered her head slightly, rubbing her forehead against mine as she struggled to catch her breath. I withdrew my finger and put both arms around her, pulling her close as my cock throbbed in my underwear against her now-covered pussy.

"I want to feel you inside me," she said. "But we have to take it slow."

I pulled away slightly and looked at her. "Of course. You set the pace."

She shook her head. "You don't understand. This is my first time. Ever."

My eyes widened. I thought she was in her mid-twenties, but I had a moment of panic. I did some quick math, though, and remembered she was in her second year of veterinary school, so she'd at least have a four-year degree. That would put her at twenty-three at least.

That led me to my next concern, though. "Are you sure you want to do this here? Your first time should be special. We can go back to my cabin."

She was shaking her head again. "I want it here. Now. I want you ."

She wasn't the only one. I wanted her so badly, my cock ached. I didn't want to go another second of my life without knowing what that sweet, wet, pussy felt like as it surrounded me.

"Get those panties off," I growled.

I winced inwardly at my own insensitivity. She was a virgin. As much as I wanted to slam into her, filling her with my hard cock, that couldn't happen. Not this first time.

But she had a smile on her face as she wiggled her way off me, then slid the panties down. She was working hard to look seductive as she did so, and everything she did turned me on, but there was also something adorable about it. In fact, I might already be falling in love with her.

That thought landed in my brain like a firework going off. Love. That was a word I never thought I'd even think again, let alone say out loud. But suddenly, my future looked completely different from how I'd pictured it.

And then she was moving over me again, straddling me, her hands lowering as she prepared to strip off my underwear. I let her do that, lifting my butt off the seat to help, but I didn't take my eyes off her face. Off the way her gaze centered on the impossible-to-ignore erection that popped out of my underwear as she tugged.

If she had any doubt I wanted her, the thick, rock-hard shaft in front of her should have erased it. Instead of straddling me again, though, she tossed my underwear behind her, then went to her knees, sliding between my legs.

She didn't take her eyes off my face as she wrapped her hand around my cock and stroked from tip to base and back out again. Still watching me, she moved her mouth to the tip, snaking out her tongue and running it over me. Slowly, she traced around the rim, then lowered her hand to the base and followed it with her tongue.

I couldn't keep my eyes open anymore. They slid shut, and I allowed myself a couple of minutes to savor the sensation of this beautiful virgin licking and sucking me. She took me into her mouth, wrapping her lips around me and going as deep as she could. That was when I had to stop her.

"Come here," I said, placing my hand on her shoulder.

She looked up at me with wide-eyed confusion. Yes, she might take this as a rejection when it was anything but.

"I'm trying to hold out, hon," I said. "And you're making it hard."

She smiled. "In more than one way."

I'd respond, but she'd moved up and was now straddling me again. She positioned herself so that my tip was probing her entrance, and I had to stop myself from plunging in.

In the process of finding some self-restraint, something hit me. "You can get pregnant your first time, you know."

Again, she shook her head. "Not me. I'm on birth control. Although…"

She didn't finish that thought. Instead, she shook her head yet one more time. It was like she knew what she wanted to say, but she was afraid to say it.

"I can't wait for you to have our babies," I said. "If that's what you want, of course."

Was it weird, discussing this when we'd just met? Maybe for someone else, but I was a no-nonsense guy. I said what was on my mind. Why would that be any different now?

"That's what I've been thinking too," she said with a smile.

As my heart soared, another part of my anatomy was also swelling. She was gradually lowering herself onto me, going much farther than I would have expected. Her grip on my shoulders tightened again, but this time I knew it was likely because she was in pain.

"Your own pace," I reminded her as I watched her face closely.

She didn't open her eyes even at those words. But she did slow her movements, seeming to get my message. We were in no hurry. We could stay on this boat until sunrise for all I cared. Hell, we could stay here for the rest of our lives.

"Okay," she said after several minutes of easing her way downward and making very little progress. "I think it's getting easier."

Still, I didn't move, letting her control things. It was the only way. But holding back was the hardest thing I'd done in a long, long time. I was doing this for her. In the end, it would be well worth it.