“That’s so much better.” She tugged him back down and wrapped herself around him, her long legs curling around his waist. Her hair flowed beneath them, tangling around her arms as she lay back on the bed. The wild curls made her look like she’d been completely and thoroughly taken and he loved it.

He gritted his teeth and pulled back. “I really hope I have protection with me.”

He reached over the side of the bed and pulled his wallet from his pocket. When he found a condom, Ridley leaned over and plucked it from his hand.

“Need some help?”

Her eyes were hot on his as she put the edge between her teeth and ripped it open gently. The sight of her plump lips around the edge of the package made him shiver with anticipation.

Then she pushed him back on the bed and gripped him firmly, her thumb tracing gentle circles around the tip of his shaft.

“Oh, shit.”

She took him between her lips, the sight of her pink tongue lapping at him almost enough to push him over the edge. She looked up at him with a wicked grin before taking him deeper, sucking him into the soft, wet cavern of her mouth. She made a little humming sound in the back of her throat that sent jaw-clenching vibrations skittering through him.

Baseball. Musical scales. Little old ladies.

He cursed as she sat back and then rolled the condom slowly down his length, so slowly he thought he’d go mad. His blood raced through his system and he was pretty sure he’d never been so aroused in his life.

Then she proved him wrong when she climbed on top of him and took him deep.

Her head fell back, ecstasy written all over her face. He would do anything to keep that look on her face, to hear her scream, to watch her come.

“Come on. Come on.” He chanted as she rolled her hips, taking him deeper with every twitch. His palms found her breasts and he cupped the soft weights, then skimmed his thumbs over their tight tips. She moaned at the contact and clenched around him.

“Oh my god,” she cried. Her hands came up and tangled in her own hair as she rode him until he knew he was going to come just like this.

Some women faked orgasms but he didn’t want Ridley to ever have to fake anything with him. His hands left her hips to stroke between her legs, following her rhythm until she cried out her pleasure.

“Jackson, I’m coming!”

Feeling her enthusiasm made Jackson want to please her more, and he eagerly strummed until her tight clenching muscles pushed him over the edge, too.

“Yes,” she mumbled and fell forward on his chest, shuddering with him as he growled his own release in her ear. He held her close, feeling the rapid fluttering of her heart against his.

An unmistakable sense of warmth stole through him as he looked down at her. He didn’t question what he was feeling, just pulled the blanket over them and rested his chin on her head. She let out a soft sigh and cuddled closer, her hand settling right over his heart.

As much as certain, less evolved, parts of him wanted her physically there was another less easily identified desire to see her smile. He wanted to court her, to buy her flowers and take her out to dinner. He wanted her to know how deeply she affected him. He wanted to hear her laugh.

To make her happy.

She could have a good life here. She could start her business, she’d already made some friends and she’d be close to her sister. Plus, they could be together. They were good together and there was no reason they couldn’t continue things for as long as they both wanted.

Maybe if he showed her that, she wouldn’t go back to Florida. She’d overcome so much already. There was really no reason for her to go back to the life she’d left behind.

And plenty of reasons to stay.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

“MISS RIDLEY, WE got to play in the sprinklers. There was so much water it made mud!”

“RiRi, I saw a worm!”

“And now we’re going to set up a tent in the backyard!”

Ridley gave up trying to keep track of who said what as each boy tried to talk the loudest. It was amazing how lovely the chaotic sounds of a family could be.

She’d spent the morning with Katie and the kids. The second official day of summer camp had been a resounding success. Chris and Jase had been joined by the Mason boys, Hunter and Matthew to learn about the life cycle of a plant. Jase had been fascinated by the tiny seeds she’d shown them and they’d each received their own seeds, small pot and packet of dirt to practice with.

Afterward, they’d gone to Katie’s house for water play in the Mason’s backyard while she’d returned to Jackson’s house to work on her first column. It was going to be a do-it-yourself guide to planting tomatoes.

“Okay, everybody upstairs! You need to change clothes.”

Jackson came up behind them and thumped them each soundly on their behinds before hauling them up in his arms for kisses. She had never known a man could be so tender with children, and be so comfortable interacting with them. He seemed his happiest with the boys.

After their intense lovemaking last night, something seemed to have changed between them, but she couldn’t pinpoint exactly what it was. Other than the fact that he had given her the deepest, most arousing kiss before leaving for work this morning. She’d found herself staring off into space and daydreaming about him all day.

Just then he looked up and caught her staring. Heat curled through her when he raised an eyebrow. She whipped around and busied herself with the containers of food she’d been packing.

“Why don’t you guys wash your hands before dinner? I thought we’d have a picnic outside.”