Forbidden Fruit: Volume 1 (27 page)

Chapter Four

Jackson watched as Nora fidgeted on the couch, his eyes dropping to the beautiful swell of her breasts, which was accentuated by her sweater. When he’d opened his office door, his eyes immediately did a sweeping gaze of her body, her skirt showing off the a peek of skin before her boot started, hinting at the legs that had tormented him throughout the night. Just the thought of her showing up to his office had him hard, a condition he hadn’t been able to address since this morning. He wasn’t sure whether he imagined it, but he thought her breathing had sped up while he was looking at her. Did she feel the same need he did? This was a theory he wanted to test, so he sat as close as he could without being obvious and put his arm behind her to gauge her reaction. This time he saw the little hitch in her breathing, the way she seemed to take in more air and held it for that extra count before letting it out, as well as the pink tint to her cheeks. She was just as turned on as he was, but she was trying to hide it, and he understood why. Whatever this was between them was not supposed to be there, yet it was too strong to ignore. He decided to start with some questions about her parents before moving to questions about her.

“What would you like to know, Jackson?”

What you taste like.
He shook his head to clear his thoughts. The way his name rolled off tongue had his dick twitching in his pants, which he ignored. He had to tread carefully. Earlier, he’d come up with a list of questions to ask, but now that she was sitting in front of him, he was drawing a blank. Thinking was hard, but finally he came up with a good lead-in question.

“Were your parents always this volatile around each other?

She shook her head. “No. Things were good between them when I was growing up. It wasn't until about five years ago that things started to go downhill.”

While he was taking mental notes on everything she said, he was also genuinely concerned about their life at home. “What happened?”

“You know, I'm not exactly sure what happened. One minute everything was fine, and then things changed. I spent most of my time hiding the fighting from Charlie and Jenna, so I never really bothered to look any deeper into the 'why.' ”

“Okay. So which one of your parents have you chosen to live with?”

“Actually, I don't live with either. I live in the dorms on campus. I needed time away from all of the crap so I could get my work done.”

“Really?” And what are you studying in school?” He began to notice that the more questions he asked, the more she fidgeted in her seat—picking at her fingernails and crossing and uncrossing her legs, which was doing wicked things to his body. Whatever he’d hoped to accomplish, he needed to do it fast before she found a reason to make a beeline for the door.

“I'm studying chemistry and biology. I hope to become a cancer research scientist.”

“Do you like school?”

“Umm... yeah. I've always liked learning new things.” She ran her hand through her hair. “I don't understand what these questions have to do with my parents.”

She was starting
to get worked up, so he knew he had to get her to focus again. The way her leg bounced up and down so much she was shaking the table in front of the couch, signaled her agitation. To earn her trust, he needed her to calm down. He decided the best way to do that was to ask questions she expected, something to regain her trust. “Okay, who do you think would be the best choice to place your brother and sister with?”

She stood up in a huff. “Look, I've told both of my parents this already. There is no way I am taking either side in this whole mess, and it's not fair for anyone to ask me to.” She bent down to pick up her purse, flashing Jackson with enough skin to make him lick his lips with the need to taste her. “I think I've answered all of the questions I can today. I don't know what else to tell you, but if you have any further questions, my dad knows how to get in touch with me.”

Jackson couldn't let her leave his office... not yet. Standing, he reached out and took hold of her hand, stopping her. “Nora, wait.” She spun around at the contact and looked down at their joined hands. Slowly her eyes wandered back up to his, and in them he could see the same desire that was raging through his body. That need had his other hand cupping the side of her face before sliding back into her hair. Even with the questioning look in her eyes, he lowered his head until his lips were only inches from hers. “I'm sorry, but I can't help myself.” And he let go, sliding his lips across hers in a sensual caress.

At first she stood frozen, almost as if she was unsure if she should return the kiss. Thankfully that didn't last long. When Jackson brought his other hand around her back to draw her closer, he heard a little moan in the back of her throat and her lips began to move in time with his. The way her soft lips molded so perfectly with his had his tongue slipping between them, seeking entrance to her mouth. He sucked on her bottom lip until she opened, allowing his tongue to tangle with hers. The kiss was sensual and erotic, her slender body trembling in his arms. Unable to control his actions as there was no longer blood flow to his brain, he took small steps until he had her pinned against the wall while his mouth continued to ravage hers. Needing to feel more of her, he slid his hand from her back up and under her sweater. The skin beneath his fingertips was smooth and soft. When his hand reached the bottom of her breast, she let out a soft moan, at least until his thumb stroked under the cup of her bra.

That was when her hips moved against him. Belatedly remembering she was wearing a skirt, he slid his hand from the underside of her breast to underneath the hem of her skirt, never once breaking the connection of their lips. He stroked his hand up and around to massage her ass cheeks, and his fingers glided down to feel her through her panties. The feel of her arousal almost had him coming in his pants. Instead he forced himself to relax and moved his fingers forward to lightly stroke her pussy. The sweet taste of her lips had Jackson forgetting about the boundaries he’d already knocked down. He slid his fingers across the wet fabric of her panties, enjoying the sensations her desire was bringing out in him. He groaned, and his dick surged with need while he slipped his fingers beneath her panties. He hissed at the sensations spinning through him at the feel of her wet warmth.

Jackson pulled from the kiss to drag his lips down her neck as his fingers swirled sensual circles around her clit, drawing a collection of enticing sounds from her lips. Those noises encouraged him, driving him out of his mind, which had him running his fingers through her folds and sinking deep into her tight passage. Fingernails dug into his biceps as she held on. Every breath she drew made him yearn to be inside her. He could throw her down on the couch, but it was still business hours, and the office was still buzzing with life. He would have to be content with just a taste and hope that there would be a chance later to get to know every inch of her. He knew she was getting close as he continued to glide his finger in and out, eventually adding a second finger and sucking on the base of her neck, and her insides began to tighten.

“Jackson,” she moaned.

Moving his lips back up, he covered her mouth with his to silence the sounds he felt building within her. The spasms started slow, turned into trembles, and finally became the full quaking of her body as the orgasm crashed over her. All the while, he swallowed her screams he longed to come with her, but in his passion-drugged mind, he knew this was not the place or the time. Reluctantly, he let his hand slip out of her panties. When the fog cleared and reality settled in, he realized what he’d just done. When Nora came, he knew that he'd never had a sexual experience like that in all his life. Unlike most of the girls he’d had in his bed, he wanted to keep Nora there for days, making her scream out his name over and over again.

Slowly, he noticed an unwelcome stiffness in her body. He looked down to see that her breathing had returned to normal, but her eyes were cast to the floor. He lifted her chin to meet his gaze, and her eyes filled with tears. “Nora...”

She pulled out of his grasp. “I'm sorry. I have to go,” she said as she grabbed her purse and ran from his office. At first he felt rooted to the spot. Why would she run from him, especially after what had just happened between them? Finally his feet started to work, and he chased her out the door, but she'd already made it to the elevator and the doors were closing.

“Nora!” he called out, hoping she'd come back to his office. He could wait for another elevator or take the stairs, but he knew when he reached the bottom, she'd be gone.

Chapter Five

Nora saw Jackson coming out of his office after her. Afraid of what would happen if he got his hands on her again, she pushed the button to fully close the doors. When the doors finally shut, Nora leaned her head against the wall. She couldn't believe she'd let that happen. The shaking in her knees continued as she worried whether he’d try and catch up to her in the parking lot. The second the doors opened, she sprinted to the parking lot. Thankfully she made it back to her car without seeing Jackson again.

The relief she felt when she was on her way home was overwhelming. She had never come so hard or so fast in her life. Most of the guys her age were more interested in getting themselves off, completely forgetting about the girl in their bed, who was left waiting, usually never reaching her own climax. But Jackson Garnes knew exactly where to touch her to make her come apart at the seams. Earlier, she was so completely lost in the euphoric bliss that she hadn't thought about the repercussions of what she was doing. The attraction to that man had kept her up the night before, but now that she’d had a taste of him, there was no possibility of forgetting him. She needed to talk to Kara—she'd help her figure all of this shit out. When she got back to the dorm, she flopped down on the bed and covered her eyes with her hands. She was exhausted and in her relief to be alone at the moment, on top of her desire to forget the mistakes of the she drifted off in seconds.

What seemed like only moments later, Kara was shaking her awake.

“What time is it?” Nora asked, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

“Almost seven.”

Five hours. She'd been asleep for five hours. Her body must have been exhausted from the day’s events, and she still had no idea how to handle it.

Kara touched her shoulder. “Hey, are you all right?”

So lost in her thoughts, Nora didn’t realize that Kara had said anything. “Huh?”

“I asked if you were all right. I wanted to know if you wanted to go out for dinner tonight, but you've been sitting there spaced out for the last five minutes.”

Nora sat silently. For a moment, she was going to spill and tell Kara everything. Then at the last minute she clamped her mouth shut. Was it really worth telling Kara anything? Maybe parts of it, but not everything. She was not ready for anyone to know about her horrible decision-making skills. She shook her head. “Between the hearing and now there’s this guy I'm interested in—but he's a little older than me.”
A little?
Well if that wasn't an exaggeration of the truth.

“Oh, a new guy? Do I know said guy?” she asked, getting all excited.

“No. But I'd rather not talk about him right now.”

“Umm... okay.” She looked confused but went with it. “So how did the meeting today go?”

Nora shrugged her shoulders, trying to play off the meeting as no big deal even as her mind replayed the events in vivid detail. “Same questions, different day,” she managed to mumble. When she didn't continue, Kara filled the silence.

“Since you had such a crappy day, how about I pick up a pizza for dinner and we can talk more when I get back?”

Nora nodded, figuring she could use some alone time to get her thoughts together. Time that wasn't spent sleeping. “That sounds good.”

Kara stood and made her way to the door. “I'll be back in a bit.”

Nora was finally alone with her thoughts when her cell phone rang. Figuring Kara had forgotten something, she answered the phone without checking the caller ID. Big mistake.

“Hey. What did you forget?”

“To get your number,” the smooth baritone replied casually.

“Jackson?” Nora asked, a slight tremor in her voice. “How did you get my number?”

“You're a hard woman to get a hold of.” His words made Nora's stomach flutter, but this time she was sure if it was out of desire or fame, maybe it was a little bit of both “I had to call your father and tell him I had a couple more questions.”

“Jackson, this is a bad idea. I have to go”

“No, Nora, wait. Please just listen.” Nora stayed silent, her breathing picking up as she waited to hear what he had to say. “You ran away before we had a chance to talk about what happened.

She sighed. “I'm not going to tell my dad, if that's what you're worried about. Besides, I had somewhere to be.”

“No you didn't,” he said. “And your father is the least of my concerns. You're afraid of what happened between us. But you need to know I wanted it as much as you did. I knew you wanted it because I could feel it in your touch, the way your body reacted to mine.”

“Jackson,” Nora whispered.

“Look, I know this isn't the ideal situation, but I can't deny the pull I feel toward you. From the moment you walked into the courtroom, I wanted to run my hands all over your body and taste every inch of you.”

Nora shivered in delight at his words. It was as if he was in the room touching her instead of on the phone. The idea that he was as attracted to her as she was to him released some of the tension in her shoulders. Flashes of memory from earlier this afternoon barraged her mind, making it harder to concentrate on the conversation.

“Nora? Nora?”

She gave herself a mental shake. “I'm sorry, what did you say?”

He chuckled, and the rich, throaty sound had her nipples growing hard and dampness spreading between her legs. She squirmed, trying to find some friction from her clothes When none came, she once again considered slipping her hand under her skirt to relief the ache.

“Have dinner with me tonight.”

Desire was wreaking havoc to her body. She wanted his hands on her again. This was not normal behavior for her. Nora was no longer a virgin, but the only two guys she’d slept with were her ex-boyfriends. Yet everything about Jackson overwhelmed her senses, making her do things she normally would. Yet still in some small, lust-free part of her mind she wondered about the sanity of meeting him.

“I don't think we should,” she said, her voice a little huskier than before. “Someone might see us and tell my father.”

“I'll pick you up and we'll go back to my place. We'll order in.”

Needing a clear head for the conversation, she tried to shake off the memories from earlier in the day.. The silence stretched, and he pushed for her to agree to see him. “Please, Nora, I think this is something we need to explore.”

She wasn't sure what to do. The age difference between them was monumental, and that didn’t take into consideration her father's reaction if he found out. Then again, the temptation to see him again was overwhelming. What she needed was relief. Relief? Was that what she needed? Hadn’t she just gotten some? But it wasn’t enough. Her body had been in a constant state of sexual tension since seeing him yesterday. She took a deep breath, not sure if this was a smart move, but she was doing it anyway. “All right. I'll come over.”

“I'll be there in twenty minutes.” He hung up before Nora could say another word.

Once his sexy baritone was gone from her ear, she started to panic. Oh god, what had she agreed to and how did he know where she lived? She sent a quick text to Kara.

Nora: Heading out. Sorry about dinner
.

Without waiting for a reply, she threw her phone on the bed. She looked around the room. Clothes and a shower—they were the most important things. She could worry about the rest later. The simple outfit she’d chosen earlier in the day not give the impression she wanted to give Jackson when he arrived. It was simple, yet conservative. After about five minutes she found the perfect outfit: a black skirt with a blue, low-cut, V-neck sweater and black boots. She jumped into the shower and changed. Checking the time on her phone, she realized he would be there any minute to pick her up. She threw her phone in her purse and grabbed her keys from the table by the bed. The back stairs were the quickest way to the parking lot. In her excitement she took them two at a time.

As soon as the car pulled into the lot, she knew it was his. Not many college students drove a Porsche. It was ostentatious and flashy, but she had to admit that  the sleek, elegant design suited him perfectly. Without giving him the opportunity to get out of the car—she couldn't risk them being seen—she moved around the front and got into the passenger side, her hands shaking as she faced her fear.

“Hello, Nora.” His eyes swept an appreciative gaze down her body, lingering a bit longer on her legs. She gave him a shaky smile. Those perceptive blue eyes returning to hers, he laid a hand over hers and leaned in to whisper in her ear, “There's nothing to fear.”

The warmth of his lips along the sensitive column of her neck sent her pulse racing and quickened her breath. This time it wasn't out of fear, the fire burning through her was all it took to forget her fear for the moment. His eyes were drawn to the rapid rise and fall of her chest. His hand left hers to cup her face and slide around to the back of her neck. Bringing her face closer, his lips connected with hers, and the lust they shared earlier came slamming to the surface. His tongue slipped between her lips, forcing her to open her mouth wider as he devoured her. Her heart was pounding in her chest as he set a rhythm to the thrusts of his tongue that made her wild. Needing to breathe, she slowly pulled back from the kiss. The lust in his eyes changed them from a light sky blue to a deep ocean blue.

“We need to go,” he said, putting the car into gear without another word.

While the drive to his house wasn’t extremely long, it seemed to take forever in the state of unfulfilled desire she was in. The need to run her hands through his hair and hold his mouth to hers was overpowering. It took everything she had to keep her hands to herself; she wanted more than anything to slide her hand in his pants and stroke his dick. Even better would be to lick it all over.
What is wrong with me? When have I ever had a guy affect me this way.
There was something about Jackson that had Nora doing things she’d never done before. It was one of the reasons she’d agreed to dinner. She knew this was a rash decision based solely on sexual desire, but she didn't care. This was something she needed to figure out. She'd spent so long looking after others she just wanted the chance to do something wild for herself.

They pulled up in front of a beautiful two-story house. There wasn't much time to examine it, however, as Jackson was out of the car and around the front in a flash. After opening the door, he reached in to help her out. Once she was out of the car, he pulled her to his body, his lips lightly skimming hers. “Come on, let's go inside.”

Nora nodded, afraid to speak and break the sensual spell surrounding them. Deciding to leave her fear outside, she followed behind him, watching every step he took and wondering if all of this was going to be everything she’d dreamed.