Dreams of Ivory (12 page)

“Well, hell, I always knew Coopers were important,” Jordan said. “I mean, you’re sexy as hell too.”

Honor laughed as Jordan cut the tension in the room. She leaned into Jackson again, and he kissed her temple.

“Thank you for being here,” he whispered in her ear.

She looked up at him and smiled. “I wouldn’t be anywhere else.”

Now she just had to think about how long that would be for…and if she wanted it forever.

Chapter 9

“You want to go on a hike?”

Jackson ran a hand through his hair and looked down at Honor, who just smiled at him. The cut on her forehead looked as though it was healing, and she hadn’t complained about her head or side in the past two days, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t still hurting. He wouldn’t put it past her to hide it from him so he wouldn’t worry.

Too bad. He’d always worry.

He couldn’t believe she’d almost died—twice—since she’d been back to Holiday. If he could wrap her in bubble wrap he would, though he didn’t think she’d agree to that. 

“Jackson, I’m a planner. I organize,” Honor said as she put her hands on her hips. “This is my job, and frankly, I’d like to get out of the house.”

He pulled her close and framed her face with his hands. “I guess I’ve sort of locked you away in here, haven’t I.”

She gave him a wry smile. “Considering the only time I’ve been out of the house was at night to take a couple teeth and watch you sprinkle sand in kids’ eyes, yes. I know you had to work, and I can do most of my things from here, but I’d like to get out and breathe a bit.”

Jackson frowned. “I just don’t want you to get hurt.”

“You can’t wrap me in bubble wrap, Jacks.”

He could have sworn he blushed, but since he was Jackson Cooper and didn’t blush, that couldn’t be the case. “I have no idea what you’re talking about,” he lied. “I would never think to do that.”

She raised her brows and pulled her head back. “Really? Why don’t I believe you?”

Jackson just smiled and leaned down to take her lips in a soft kiss. “Probably because you’re right, but it’s not as if I’d ever act on that thought.”

Riiiight
.

“Sure, dear, whatever you say. Now, I know it’s your day off, and you’d probably like to be doing manly Cooper things, but I think a hike can fit that need.”

“Manly Cooper things?”

Honor grinned. “You know, working with your hands with your shirt off as the sun shines on your body glistening from sweat.”

He snorted and rocked against her. “That sounds like a fantasy of yours and not something I’d do with an audience. I could think of a few things we could do at home though.” Her eyes widened as he gripped her ass and pulled her even closer.

They’d been sleeping in separate rooms, even though he knew they both wanted to take their relationship to the next level. He’d been waiting for her to be fully healed, and though his cock was ready to explode, he was glad they’d waited.

He also noticed he’d said the word home with ease, but he hoped Honor hadn’t. They hadn’t discussed her moving back to the inn, and since she’d been carless, she hadn’t had a chance to go out and find a place to live.

Oddly enough, he was fine with that. For some reason, he liked the idea of Honor beneath his roof. Everything seemed less lonely and empty with her there. She filled the room with just one smile, and he didn’t want to lose that.

Okay, he needed to breathe because he was now spouting poetry in his head.

“When we get back,” she said then kissed his chin. “Come on, Jacks, I want to go on a hike. We can go to our lake.” She wiggled her eyebrows, and he grinned.

“That doesn’t sound like a bad idea,” he whispered then took her lips in a deep kiss. He pulled her flush against him, deepening the kiss even further.

She pulled back, leaving both of them breathless. “Go pack some snacks in my bag on the table, and we’ll head out. I need to put on my shoes.” She pulled away from him, and he was forced to watch her walk away.

The way her hips swung as she moved made up for the loss of contact at least.

They walked through the Cooper backyard to the trail that ran along the back of the property. They held hands like they were in high school, but he didn’t care. He liked having her close.

“Why do you live out here all alone, Jacks?” Honor asked after an hour of walking and talking about nothing in particular. 

“What do you mean? This is my home.”

“I mean, all your brothers moved away, and now you’re alone in the big empty house. Why do you insist on staying when you’re out here without anyone near you?”

“This was my parents’ house, just like it was their parents’ before that. The eldest always gets the house eventually. If life hadn’t taken over and ruined everything, I wouldn’t be living here now. My parents would be.”

That familiar pang echoed in the hollow part of his heart where his parents would have been. 

“What happened, Jacks?”

He stopped along the path and sat on a rock, pulling Honor down next to him. “I forget sometimes that you didn’t grow up here and weren’t here when they died.”

“You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to. I’m sorry for asking.”

He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. “No, I’ll talk to you about it. I need you to know.” He swallowed hard. “My parents loved each other very much. Even though some of the people in town have happy endings and marriages that lasted, I always knew that what my parents had was different. They were truly in love—like a fairy tale. They were high school sweethearts like Matt and Jordan, but instead of breaking up like Matt and Jordan did, they married right out of high school, went to college, and had me. They were always hugging and kissing, not afraid to show their five sons that love could really happen.”

Honor smiled up at him. “I’m glad you had that.”

“Me too. In retrospect, I think that’s why my brothers seem to have the relationships they do with their wives. It’s all still a bit new, but when the Coopers love, they love hard.”

He looked into her eyes and tried to get her to know what he was thinking. He loved this woman, but he knew it was too soon to say the words, too soon to really believe them since they were just starting out. That seed of…
something
…though was there, and he didn’t want to let it go.

Though he’d spent most of his life shying away from relationships, he didn’t want to shy away from this one. Was it because of what his parents had? He put that aside for now, knowing that what he had to say next would be hard, but with Honor by his side, he thought he could get through it.

“What happened?” Honor asked, her voice low.

“They were out on a drive. I’d come back home from graduate school for the holidays. Matt was just starting high school, and the rest of my brothers were home from either college or were living here since they were too young to move out. It was snowing hard, but Mom and Dad wanted to make sure they got a few of their surprises done before we were all settled.”

He remembered that night as though it was yesterday. His mother had smiled and kissed his cheek. He’d been old enough then to start to be able to hug back again—not like he’d been as a teen who’d shunned his mother’s attention. His dad had rolled his eyes and pulled his mom out the door, telling him and his brothers that they’d be back soon.

He remembered the way his parents had looked at each other as if they had a secret that only the two of them knew, as if they were as much in love as they had been when they’d first married.

His father had kissed his mom like they hadn’t a care in the world and gotten in their car.

“Tyler’s old boss came to the door, this was before Tyler was working there, and we knew something had happened. Everyone knew the Coopers, and it had spread over town before we could even process the words coming out of the man’s mouth.”

His parents’ car had hit a patch of ice, and despite how well his dad could drive, nothing could have saved them from crashing into the icy river. 

“They might have made it if my mom’s seatbelt hadn’t gotten caught.” He swallowed hard, knowing he had to get through this part. “They were only partially in the water, but the car filled up pretty quickly. My dad stayed in the car with my mom, trying to cut her out, but it was too cold. Apparently the water was filling up too quickly for him to get out and call for help. There was no one around to help anyway.”

Tears fell down Honor’s cheeks, and he pulled her close. “They died from hypothermia relatively quickly, but in each other’s arms…just the way they’d left the house.”

“Oh Jacks,” Honor whispered as she moved to wrap her arms around his waist. “I’m so, so sorry.”

“People kept telling me when it first happened that at least they had each other. God, I hated when they said that. All I wanted was my parents to come back. I didn’t want to lose both at once. I know I was old enough to be on my own, but I didn’t want to
be
on my own. I know it was selfish of me. I
know
this. I just didn’t want them both gone.”

“It wasn’t selfish, Jackson. No one deserves to lose both parents at the same time.”

“Now though? Now I’m glad they had each other in those final moments. I’m glad they weren’t alone and were able to be with each other when it really mattered.” He took a shaky breath. “God, Honor, if I ever lost you…”

It was the closest he’d come to telling her he loved her. They knew each other better than most people did because of their past and the past week of being in each other’s pockets, but it was still too fast.

“Hey, stop that. I’m back, and I’m okay.”

“I was just thinking of the accident on the sidewalk and then the car accident. You’ve had a couple close calls recently.”

“I know, crazy right? I’m fine though. I’m healed and perky as ever, so stop worrying about what could happen and live for the now. Okay?”

He smiled and kissed her softly. “I think I can do that. Let’s get going because we’re close to the lake.”

She grinned at him. “I know what you’re thinking. Just because we’re going to the place where we used to sneak around doesn’t mean you’re getting any hanky-panky there.”

He raised a brow. “I think I can change your mind.”

“Sure, all you have to do is crook your finger, but shut up about it.”

He laughed as they made their way to the lake. “I don’t think you’re right about the crooking my finger thing. If anyone has that power, it’s you.”

“I guess you’re right. Now we’ll just have to see what happens when I crook that finger.”

Jackson groaned then swatted her on the ass. “You’re a tease.”

“True, but I’m
your
tease.”

Jackson liked the sound of that. They made their way to the lake, and Jackson stopped at the edge to take a deep breath. The sun beat off the water, making the blue even bluer and the water look even more enticing. Maybe he’d convince Honor to go skinny-dipping later.

The thought of her naked with water running down her full breasts made his cock hard, and he groaned. 

They were all alone, and he knew no one came around this area of land, so he could have his way with her—and she with him—if they wanted.

“Jackson?” 

He turned away from the lake and about swallowed his tongue.

Honor stood naked on a blanket under a tree, a wicked smile on her face.

“Jesus,” he whispered.

“I was going through ways of trying to seduce you in my head and came up short. Will this do?”

“Fuck yeah,” he said and practically ran as he tore off his clothes.

Honor laughed and shook her head. “Don’t trip. Here, let me help you.” She knelt before him and untied his boots and took them off.

He took a deep breath, trying to slow down his racing heart. This was Honor, for fuck’s sake. They’d made love countless times before—in this very spot in fact—and this wasn’t any different.

Yet he knew it was. They were older, and she wasn’t leaving. 

This meant something beyond a good time, and they both knew it.

She looked up at him, kneeling at his feet, and smiled before undoing his pants then pulling them down his legs along with his boxer briefs. He moved so she could take them fully off then cupped her cheek.

“God, you’re beautiful.”

She sucked his thumb into her mouth, and he groaned. His cock stood at attention, and he gripped it at the base so he could slowly trace the seam of her lips with the tip.

She opened her mouth, and he sucked in a breath as her tongue darted out to lick the seam. 

“Fuck. I’m not going to last long with you in this position. I want to taste you.” He pulled away then lay down on the blanket. 

“I wanted to suck your dick, Jackson. You can’t just leave a girl hanging like that.”

He laughed as she tried to pout but smiled with him. “Oh, you’re gonna suck me, but I’m going to taste that pretty pussy at the same time. So come straddle my face and suck my cock.”

She blushed at his graphic words, and he ate it up. He wasn’t usually so wordy while they were going at it. He hadn’t been since he’d been with Honor the last time. Others wouldn’t be able to handle him, but he knew Honor would.

He knew Honor loved the darkness and touch just as much as he did.

“You have it all planned out, don’t you?” she asked even as she moved toward him.

“Yes… no… give me that pussy.”

She straddled his face, facing away from him, and bent so all he saw was her pussy.

Seriously. Best. View. Ever.

He gripped her ass and spread her then licked her core, her body shaking as he did so. He licked and sucked, closing his eyes at her sweet taste. He sucked in a breath as Honor licked up his cock then sucked him down, humming along his length as she did so. 

Jackson nibbled on her clit and hummed, knowing the vibrations would send her over. She came hard against his face, and he licked up everything he could. Then he moved her off him and onto her back so he wouldn’t come.

“Jacks, why did you stop?”

“I don’t want to come down your throat—not when I can come inside of you. Now get on all fours because I want you from behind.”