Zoe swallowed hard. “You’re asking me to jump,” she whispered.
“No. I’m asking you to trust that I already have.”
Tears burned the back of her eyes. “Then what are you waiting for?”
His answering groan vibrated through her as his hands roamed her sides, tugging at the hem of her shirt. Zoe lifted her arms, letting him peel it away, the cool air kissing her heated skin. Every brush of his fingers made her ache—not just from want, but from the flood of memories that came with him. The first time he’d smiled after everything he’d been through. The softness he tried so hard to hide.
His mouth trailed down her neck, pausing at the swell of her breasts. When he unclasped her bra, her breath hitched, and she arched into him. She couldn’t stop thinking that this, them, felt inevitable. Like her whole life had been leading her right here, to this wild, impossible moment in their meadow.
“God, you’re beautiful,” he said, each word thick with need. He kissed lower, across her ribs, her belly, taking his time.
Zoe’s hands fumbled with the buttons of his shirt, pushing it off his shoulders, desperate to feel his skin against hers. The heat of him seared into her palms, the muscles beneath his scars shifting under her touch. She wanted to tell him how strong he was, how she saw it all and wanted him anyway. Instead, her words came out as a shaky whisper. “You don’t know what you do to me.”
When he finally slid her jeans down, Zoe lifted her hips to help, her body trembling with anticipation. The meadow around them blurred—the sunlight, the breeze, the far-off sound of his horse nickering—everything faded except Jackson.
His fingers teased at the edge of her panties, then slipped beneath, stroking slowly, deliberately, until she writhed beneath him. He kissed her deeply, swallowing her moans, keeping her grounded even as pleasure coiled tight inside her.
“I love the way you sound,” he whispered against her lips. “The way you let go with me.”
She met his gaze, her pulse racing. “I’ve never let go like this with anyone else.” Zoe gasped, clinging to him. “It’s always been you.”
Jackson groaned low in his chest as he sank into her, the sound vibrating through Zoe’s whole body. Her lips parted on a gasp, her back arching off the blanket as she clutched at his shoulders. The stretch of him was perfect—almost overwhelming—but right. So right it felt like coming home. She thought of every night she’d watched the stars over the yearsand wondered if he was doing the same. Every wish she’d made for something steady, something real. It was all here, in this one impossible moment.
Her fingers laced with his when he pinned her hands above her head.
His breath fanned hot across her cheek as he began to move, slow, deliberate, dragging out every second.
“Jackson,” she whispered, her voice breaking.
He kissed her, swallowing her cry, his tongue tangling with hers as his hips rocked against her. Each thrust sent a delicious shiver racing through her, the friction maddeningly slow.
“You feel…” His words dissolved into a groan, his forehead pressing against hers. “Christ, Zoe. You feel unreal.”
Her heart squeezed tight. She blinked up at him, her vision blurred with tears she hadn’t expected. “Don’t stop,” she begged. “Please, don’t stop.”
His mouth tipped in a half smile, half grimace of restraint. “Not a chance.”
Something primal flickered across his face then, the careful control snapping as his hips thrust harder, deeper. Zoe cried out, clutching his back, her nails digging into his skin as he set a steady rhythm that had her gasping.
The world shrank to the press of his body, the rough scrape of the blanket beneath her, the sweet ache of being filled so completely. His lips traced down her throat, across her collarbone, nipping and soothing, leaving her marked with his devotion.
Zoe wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling him deeper, desperate to take all of him. The meadow spun around her, the sunlight catching on the edge of his shoulders, the sheen of sweat glistening along his chest. She wanted to memorize it—the way his jaw clenched, the way his eyes darkened with need—as he gave himself to her.
Her release built fast, her body coiling tight, every nerve sparking under his touch. “Jackson,” she gasped, the plea spilling from her lips like a prayer.
“I’ve got you,” he groaned, his movements quickening. “Come with me, Zoe. I need to feel you.”
The world shattered as she broke apart beneath him, her cry echoing through the meadow. He followed her seconds later, his whole body tensing as he spilled inside her with a guttural cry, her name on his lips like a vow.
For a long moment, they just clung to each other, their breaths harsh and ragged, hearts pounding in unison. And in that sun-drenched meadow, with the scent of grass and the sweet clover-like scent of the Moonlight Kiss still clinging to the air, Zoe knew she had just handed over her heart completely.
FORTY
JACKSON
Thursday, March 27th
Jackson would’ve stayed with Zoe all day. Hell, he’d never move again if it meant he’d always feel that good. But he didn’t want to suffocate her—literally or figuratively. He’d been raw with her. Vulnerable. And he didn’t regret it, not one second, but he also didn’t want her to feel like she was suddenly responsible for carrying his entire happiness. Besides, the woman had a business to run, not to mention she was hosting the local crafting club at the Cherry Crush Flower Shop in a few days. She had things to do.
