Jasper #2
I slid an arm beneath her back, drawing her closer until no space remained between us.
She wrapped her legs more tightly around my waist, ankles locking at the small of my back.
The deeper angle let me grind against her with every slow, rolling thrust, my pelvis rubbing firmly against her clit.
Each grind sent sparks of pleasure through both of us.
The river murmured steadily through the open window, underscoring our mingled breaths and her quiet, urgent sounds. I kept the rhythm deep and steady until her body began to tremble violently beneath me, her inner walls fluttering wildly around my cock.
She came a second time with a sharp, helpless cry that broke into a long, shuddering moan, her whole body seizing and pulsing around me in intense waves.
The tight, rhythmic contractions dragged me over with her.
I groaned her name, burying myself as deep as I could go as my release crashed through me in powerful pulses.
Afterward, I stayed buried inside her for a long, trembling moment before gently withdrawing, disposing of the condom, and rolling to my side. I pulled her against my chest and drew the quilt over us. Her hand rested over my heart as we lay tangled and breathing hard.
I loved her so much it hurt.
The truth settled deep inside me, warm and undeniable. I loved the way she handled books like treasures, the care she took making a grilled cheese, and how she spoke to her cats as if they were old friends. I loved her quiet courage and the perfect trust of her body curled against mine now.
But I still hadn’t told her I wanted the job.
I held her closer, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.
She stirred against my chest. “Jasper?”
“Yeah, sweetheart?”
“You’re thinking too loud.”
I smiled faintly and kissed her forehead. “Just thinking about how lucky I am to have you here.”
I pressed another kiss to the top of her head and whispered into the dark, “You’re everything I’ve ever needed.”
In the morning, I woke to the river’s murmur and the weight of Cara sleeping against me. Pale gold light filtered through the window as I lay still, savoring the sight of her in my bed.
When she stirred and lifted her head, eyes soft and unguarded, my chest tightened with pure joy.
“Morning, sweetheart,” I murmured, voice rough.
She smiled sleepily and brushed her fingers across my cheek. “Best way to wake up.”
I made coffee. We carried the mugs out to the deck. The mallards floated lazily on the far bank, and sunlight danced across the water in soft gold ripples. We sat side by side for a while, sipping in comfortable silence, her shoulder brushing mine.
She took a slow sip, then glanced at me with a shy little smile that made my heart flip.
“So, you know I’ve been planning the next Mystery Night,” she said, her voice soft and a touch hesitant.
“It’s soon, and… I don’t know, I’m kind of nervous about this one.
The case is trickier, and it will be Halloween.
” She bit her lip, cheeks turning the faintest pink.
“You could be my good luck charm again if you came. And maybe you could wear a costume?”
I grinned, warmth spreading through my chest at how sweetly she asked. “Your good luck charm, huh? That’s a pretty important job.” I reached over and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, letting my fingers linger. “I wouldn’t miss it for anything.”
Her smile bloomed, bright and relieved, with a flirty little spark in her eyes. “Good. Because if you don’t show up, I might have to come drag you there myself. And I look very cute when I’m demanding.”
“Threatening me with costumes and cuteness?” I leaned in and stole a quick kiss. “I’ll be there. Promise.”
Then she set her coffee aside, turned to me with that shy, steady look that always undid me, and climbed into my lap. Her knees settled on either side of my thighs, her hands resting lightly on my chest as she looked down at me, the oversized flannel shirt slipping off one shoulder.
“Jasper,” she whispered, her voice soft. “I keep thinking about how fast this is happening and how right it feels. Like I’ve been falling for you without even realizing how deep I was going.”
“I’ve been falling too. I think I started falling in a school library when I was seventeen and didn’t know what to do with it, and then I left and told myself it was the right thing, but it cost me something I didn’t fully account for until I walked back into this town and you were still here.
” I traced slow circles against her skin.
“I want more of this. You, here with me. Just like this.”
She was very still for a moment. Her hands had stopped moving against my chest, and she was looking up at me with an expression I felt in every part of my body—something cracking open slowly, something that had been held carefully closed for a long time.
“I spent years convincing myself I’d made it up,” she said quietly. “What I thought I saw between us back then. I had this whole internal argument I’d won, very thoroughly, very convincingly.” A breath. “I’d really like it if you knew what it does to me to find out I was wrong about that.”
“What does it do to you?” I asked.
She looked at me for a long moment. “It makes me feel like something I’d given up on came back,” she said. “And that’s—” She stopped. Pressed her lips together. “That’s a lot to feel, Jasper.”
“I know,” I said. “I’m sorry it took so long.”
“Don’t be sorry,” she said softly. “Let’s not waste any more time.”
She leaned down and kissed me, slow and deep at first, then hungrier, her fingers sliding into my hair as her tongue met mine.
I groaned into her mouth, already hard beneath her.
My hands pushed the flannel shirt open, exposing her breasts to the cool morning air.
I lowered my head and took one nipple into my mouth, sucking gently at first, then harder, flicking my tongue over the tight peak while my hand cupped and kneaded the other.
She arched into me with a soft, needy whimper, her hips rocking restlessly against my erection.
I reached into the pocket of my sweatpants and pulled out the condom I’d slipped there earlier.
She watched me with heavy-lidded eyes as I tore the packet open and rolled it on.
Then she lifted herself just enough to slide her panties aside, positioned me at her entrance, and sank down slowly, taking every inch of me in one smooth, slick glide.
A low groan escaped me as her tight, wet heat enveloped me completely. “God, Cara, you feel incredible.”
She rode me, rolling her hips in a slow, sensual rhythm that quickly grew deeper and more urgent.
Her breasts bounced gently with each movement, nipples still glistening from my mouth.
I gripped her hips, guiding her as I thrust up to meet her, the wet sound of our bodies mixing with the rush of the river below.
Her pace quickened, grinding down harder, her clit rubbing firmly against me with every roll. I slid one hand between us, circling her swollen clit with my thumb while the other held her steady. Her head fell back, soft, breathy moans turning into sharper cries as pleasure built fast and intense.
“Jasper, right there—don’t stop,” she gasped, her inner walls starting to flutter around me.
I sucked her other nipple into my mouth again, tugging gently with my teeth as I thrust harder into her.
The combination sent her over the edge. She came with a sharp, breathless cry, her body clenching tightly around my cock in powerful, rhythmic pulses that milked me relentlessly.
The intense squeeze dragged me over with her.
I groaned her name against her breast, holding her hips down as I spilled deep inside the condom in long, pulsing waves.
We stayed locked together afterward, foreheads pressed close, breathing each other in as the river continued its steady song below us. Her body still trembled with aftershocks around me.
“I don’t want this feeling to end,” she whispered, her fingers tracing my jaw.
“Neither do I,” I murmured, kissing her softly. “We’ve got time, sweetheart. All the time in the world now.”