Ashton Hill Valentines

Her knees went weak as her heart pounded in her chest. Her libido screamed 'Yes, yes, yes!' She did know why he was here. At least, she hoped she knew. She hoped that she'd been on his mind as often as he had been in hers. She hoped he still wanted to spend time with her, even if it was only a temporary thing. She hoped she was brave enough to follow through when the time came and protect her heart enough that it wouldn't be so painful when he left. They all left her eventually.

She had surprised herself last night and again today by admitting she had missed him. Missed his strong presence and quirky sense of humour. Missed the way he spoke to her and listened, really listened when she spoke. It made little sense, but it was true, she missed him, and she was so tired of being alone, and it seemed that by some miracle tonight, she didn't have to be. She closed the distance between them and, plucking up her courage, she placed a hand on his chest and leaned closer before speaking.

"Take me home, Jack," she said in a low murmur, using what little courage she had before it failed her and she turned and ran from this gorgeous man again.

He stepped aside without a word, not touching her, and opened the car door. He waited until she was settled and then climbed into the driver's seat and drove her home swiftly. Neither of them spoke, and by the time they arrived and he followed her into her apartment she felt like a nervous school girl, and Jack stood by the door as if unsure of his welcome or if he wanted to be there or not.

"Would you like a drink?" she offered into the silence. If nothing else worked, her manners were still functioning, even though her voice shook and showed her nervousness. She was silly, she told herself. She was hardly a quaking virgin. Not understanding where it came from, she approached him and put both of her hands on his chest and ran them up to his shoulders. "Or we could skip the drink," she said in a low husky voice.

There was nothing Jack wanted more, but he couldn't get the idea of his brother with her out of his head, and he had to ask the question. He took hold of her wrists before they tangled around his neck and she pressed up against him, and he lost the willpower to resist until he had exorcised his brother from the picture.

"My brother..." he ground out between clenched teeth, making her fall back onto her heels and pull her arms from him.

"It was just coffee, it meant nothing. We went to a local café and chatted for an hour," Lara sighed. This was her own fault. She'd told him and hurt him, and he deserved more than a half-hearted excuse like the one she had just given.

"Nothing," he repeated. "Are you going to see him again?"

"No," she said quickly, but she could tell by his face he wasn't convinced. It might have meant nothing to her, but it obviously meant something to him, so she went on. "No, I..." she knew she needed to be honest and make this good if she had any hope of convincing him. "I didn't want to be there with Harry when all I could think about was you." She swallowed hard and placed a hand on his chest again. "I know I've been complicated, but it's hard for me to admit that someone has gotten under my skin in such a short amount of time, I want you, Jack," she said softly, looking him in the eyes. It felt like torture to her standing there waiting for him to accept or reject her like she had done to him yesterday.

"Under your skin?" there was a small hint of a smile, or at least a lessening of his growl.

"Under my skin. In my head. I've thought of you since you dropped me off yesterday, regardless of who I've been with or what I have been doing. Honestly, it's been annoying at times, particularly at work," she admitted.

"So that's what this is? A way to get me out of your system?" he probed, the gravel coming back to his voice.

"Yes, no, maybe that's part of it," she admitted and went to turn away from him, seeing that this was going nowhere fast.

"Part of it? What's the rest?" he demanded, grabbing her hand as she turned away and placing it back on his chest where it had been.

"I told you I was considering my options. I'm still not sure this is the smartest idea, but I'm willing to take the risk if that risk is with you," Lara said quietly, not daring to look up into Jack's eyes again. This whole conversation had been nothing but disappointing. She'd put herself out there and was preparing to be squashed like a bug again. 'Would she ever learn?' she asked herself.

"I couldn't stay away," he admitted. Damn his friends and the stupid challenge. His brother had never shown any interest in Lara before, and wouldn't now if not for his friends. He wouldn't be jealous and resentful of the way she had told him about that date to push him away.

"You did last night," she said, peeking up at him through her long lashes.

"It wasn't easy, but that's what you wanted. Why else tell me about Harry?" he accused and watched her open her mouth and close it again as she struggled with why she had pushed him away.

"More like I wanted to see if you stayed away," she admitted finally, and saw the admission rocked him by the way he looked at her.

"I almost did," he said. "But you're under my skin too, and in my head," he admitted, finally touching her and placing his hands on her hips and drawing her closer. He'd almost convinced himself that walking away was the best for both of them, The only problem was that he hated admitting defeat, even to his brother. So, he'd come back, unwilling to give up on her just yet.

"Trying to get me out of your system too?" she teased, placing both hands on his chest again.

"Maybe," he smiled softly and skimmed a hand from her hip up to her ribcage and over the swell of her breast, appreciating her curves. The hand moved slowly up and over her shoulder and curled around the back of her neck, his fingers twisting into her hair to pull her head back to look up at him better. "But it will probably take a few times to be entirely sure."

"More than likely," she agreed, and glided her hands up his chest to twist around his neck.

"Definitely," he brushed his lips over hers, "It will most definitely take more than a few times," he murmured and brought their mouths together.

He kissed her deeply, and the taste of her roared through him. He could feel her hip, tummy and breasts pressing against him, and his control almost slipped, but he fought to retain it. He wanted to take his time and savour this moment. It wasn't every day a man had the chance to take his fantasy woman to bed, and he wasn't going to rush it. He kissed her again, slow and deep. The hand at her hip slid under the material of her shirt, feeling the warmth and silky smoothness of her skin. She rolled her hips in response, causing him to groan and him to grab her hip, stilling her movements against his growing hardness, he needed to keep himself in check and maintain control.

"Mmm," she murmured into the kiss before breaking it and moving her head back to look up at him. "It's not going to work, you know?"

"It'll work, trust me," he grinned.

"I'm sure it will," she laughed, rolling her hips against his cock. "I'm talking about you trying to slow us down," she nipped at his earlobe and them kissed it soothingly. "I don't want you slow and careful and sweet. It took me so long to admit I want you, need you. I don't want tender or soft this first time, I want heat and desire and pure unadulterated needful lust." Now that she had admitted that to herself, more so than him, she felt like a different woman. A woman who could rival the super sexy and confident Carly.

"What I need," she said, stepping back and making him drop his arms from her as she cupped her breasts through the tight tank top. "Is to feel your hands here," she ran her thumbs over the hardened buds of her nipples. "To feel your mouth here, and," she reached her hand forward, running her fingers over the swollen ridge of his cock beneath the denim of his jeans, "I want to feel you inside me. Hard and fast and deep!" she said breathlessly. "That's what I want right now," she moved to kiss him again, but it was his turn to step back. Lara thought she'd gone too far, been too forward, and he was going to slow them her down or stop what was happening entirely. Then she saw him pull off his shirt in one slick movement and tossed it aside.

Jack moved quickly to kiss her again, helping her to pull off her top and unbutton the jeans. When she stepped back slightly, he didn't protest as he took in the red bra that had matched her tank top and, as she pushed her jeans down, the matching red panties. They came together for a kiss, and he didn't offer even a murmur of protest as her fingers flicked open the button of his jeans and her hand delved into his underwear to encircle his cock. When her fingers trailed up its length and squeezed out a pearl of pre-cum, he groaned deeply into the kiss and savoured the massaging feel of her thumb rubbing it over the head of his cock.

Hearing him groan filled her with a sense of feminine power, and she eased his jeans and underwear down his hips and thighs and broke the kiss as he kicked them away. Her eyes were drawn immediately to the impressive erection on display. She saw a tremor run through him and she got a heady rush that she could make such a strong man weak just by touching him, that she knew she could make him lose control. She sank to her knees before him and looked up.

"Lara." He moaned. It wasn't a question, and it held so much meaning for her, it was almost as if her name on his lips was a plea. Then she bent forward and wrapped her lips around him. She didn't feel submissive in the moment, regardless of being on her knees. She felt strong and powerful and shared in the power he gave her over his arousal. She bobbed her head, taking more of him and swirling her tongue around the head as she went. She felt rather than saw his hands fly to her head and his fingers twist into her hair. His hold was firm but without force, and he let her, for the most part, set the pace. His hips began to move slightly as he pushed into her mouth, and she looked up at him through her lashes.

She could see his control slipping and what it cost him to maintain the control he retained. His teeth clenched together as he groaned out his pleasure. She wanted more than anything to give him what he needed, what he wanted, and she sucked deeper, sliding her lips over him, again and again, taking his tentative hip movements until he let out a vicious curse.

Jack was beside himself. Those lips, those wonderful, beautiful lips that he had fantasised about for so long were wrapped around him, and she was giving him the blowjob of a lifetime. He had to use all his strength to hold back and not fuck her oh so willing mouth. His hips seemed to move of their own volition. Then, suddenly, he could stand it no longer.

"Fuck!" Jack roared, and pulled her off his cock and up to face him again where he kissed her like a man possessed. It took a moment for his head to clear enough to think straight, and he reached for his jeans between kisses and found the condom. He tore the foil packet open and rolled it over his cock with easy well-practised movements.

Excitement coursed through Lara as she heard the rip of foil, and he wrapped his hands around her hips, kissing her deeply as he dug his fingers into the side of her panties and ripped them from her, tossing the remnants away. When he picked her up she wrapped her legs around his hips, then he turned, pressing her back against the wall and, while still kissing her, guided himself into her.

"Oh, Jack, yes!" Lara hissed as he began to fuck her. Their bodies moved in unison, and she bucked her hips as he thrust into her. It was only a matter of minutes before she raised her head back and growled, "Fuck, Jack, please..."

Jack shifted his weight and his hold on her, freeing one hand to slide between them and rub her clit as he continued to fuck her hard and deep.

"Cum for me, baby. Cum for me!" his words a low growl as he gripped her between his body and the wall as she began shaking through her whole body, her head tipping back and her back arching as she cried out for him and became loose-limbed and pliable as she came down from the high. One of her legs started to slip from his hip, and he changed his stance, again gripping her ass. "No!" he said, hoisting her higher, seating himself even deeper. "We aren't done yet, not by a long shot," he growled. "Cum for me, Baby, cum again!"

She was helpless against the onslaught, his husky, growling demands, the feel of his hard body moving against her and in her. She lost what little control remained as she looked up at him, her hands tangled around his neck and into the back of his short hair as she held on tight.

"Cum with me!" she begged. "Not alone!" she whined as if holding back the floodgates. "Cum with me, Jack!" she begged in long drawn out high pitched tones. "Please," she breathed into the kiss he planted on her lips. She felt him swell impossibly bigger and she topped over the edge of her next climax, her hot body jerking and quivering in his arms.

Jack felt her cum and her inner muscles milking at him. Her begging so sweet and tempting, he growled deeply and let go, giving her all he had. He held her against the wall for a long time, his legs protesting but unable to move as he rested his face in the crook of her neck. It was better than he ever could have imagined, and would only get better each time, he knew.

*****

Chapter 6

Jack slid from the bed and looked down at Lara. He'd spent the last two days with her here in this bed, aside of when she had gone to work, and he had gone home to see his mother and change his clothes, packing a small overnight bag into his car. He hated to leave without saying anything, but the alarm on his phone, which he'd managed to turn off before it disturbed her, had reminded him that he had a meeting this morning with Paul Ashton about the project the man was setting up.

He wrote a note saying he would call her later and slipped out, being sure that the door locked behind him. If he did a three-kilometre run instead of five he should have just enough time to fit it in before he had to go to the meeting, he thought as he drove home to his mother's house. It was still too early to disturb the house, so he parked his car and took off for his run. Once again, he marvelled at how familiar and welcoming the rain forest was as he ran along the track. This was the best part of coming home, and beat running in the city hands down every time.

He let his mind wander over everything he had done and all he needed to do since arriving home four days ago. "Four days?" he asked himself. It seemed like a lot longer than that, he'd spent two of those days chasing Lara and the other two plundering the spoils of winning that battle. The image of Lara as she had been when he had left that morning appeared in his mind. He was an idiot for leaving a gorgeous naked woman alone in bed to come out here and pound this track again, no matter how much he loved this forest.

No, this was for the best. He was a man of routine, and jogging every morning was part of that routine. Harry was an impulsive one who lived by the seat of his pants and let his gut feelings lead the way. Jack was more thoughtful and considerate. He thought things through before making any decisions. He had a plan when he came home this time, and falling for Lara Collingwood hadn't even made the shortlist. Mainly because he had never believed it could or would happen. "Shit!" he cursed out loud into the forest, disturbing the wildlife who scattered even faster than just at the sound of his pounding feet.

The stray thought continued to bounce around his mind. He had a crush on Lara in high school and still found her unbelievably attractive. Sure, the sex was amazing, it had been far more than his teenage fantasies had allowed him to believe, and even some of his adult ones, he admitted. But falling for her? Could he possibly have fallen for her in less than a week? He wasn't impulsive, or reckless. No, it couldn't be true. His jogging slowed to a walk as the realisation hit him. He stayed awake for over thirty minutes last night just watching Lara sleep and trying to work out if he could possibly make this deal with Paul Ashton work, and, if he couldn't, how much leave he had owing to him at work that he could take to spend with her.

It hadn't occurred to him at the time, but all the signs were there, he was, at the very least, falling for Lara, and falling hard. The problem he had now was working out what to do next, now that he had this information. Did she even want a future with him? Or had she seen this as purely a temporary affair, an attraction she needed to get out of her system, as she had said? He suddenly wished he had left a better note for her, but he would call her once he had gotten home and taken a shower. He began to jog again, turning it into a run as he neared his mother's house. There was no sign of Harry, and he wondered if his brother's strange behaviour recently meant that he too had found a woman that was making him rethink bachelorhood.

*****

Lara woke, and before even opening her eyes she rolled and reached out for Jack. Her hand flew through the thin air and landed on the mattress. She opened her eyes and realised he was gone. The bed wasn't even warm on his side, so he had been gone for a while, and she lay there quietly just looking at the indentation of the pillow where his head had been.

She had known this was only temporary. She had gone into this with her eyes wide open and told herself she could handle the consequences. She wasn't some wide-eyed school girl with fairy tale ideas of falling in love and living happily ever after anymore, but she had thought it would take longer for him to have his fill of her and move on. She sighed and pushed herself out of bed. She pulled on a tank top and some boxers and padded out into the kitchen for coffee.

Jack had left her a note! A few lines in neat printing to tell her he had a business meeting while in town and had to go and that he would call her later. Lara thought about saving it, but shook her head. How far gone was she that she would save a hastily scrawled note on the back of an old envelope? She purposefully tore it in half, then half again before throwing it in the bin and made herself a cup of coffee.

A small coffee machine was the one luxury she had allowed herself when moving back to Ashton Hill. She chose a Brazilian mix pod and only half concentrated on the task. So, he'd left her a note, so what. He'd still left without a goodbye, and he hadn't said he would be back or when he'd see her again, just that he'd call. She knew a brush-off when she saw one, or read one, in this case. She'd hoped beyond hope that he wouldn't be like every other man in her life. She went into the small living room, grabbing her phone from where it had been charging and curled up in her favourite chair to sip her coffee.

She'd known this was only temporary, she told herself again. The man had a career; he saved lives and was a fully-fledged hero. He was hardly going to stick around a small town he had escaped once already. Especially not for a girl who was still trying to work out who she was and what she wanted to do with her life. She sighed heavily.

She'd known this day would come, and she should be happy that it was now rather than in a weeks time when it would hurt that much more. She'd been stupid to think she could play with fire and not get burnt. She spent another ten minutes sitting there feeling sorry for herself when her phone rang. Despite her resolve to be stronger and smarter and protect her damaged heart at all costs from now on, she felt it constrict as she answered the call and heard Jack's deep warm voice.