Overtime

Chapter 28

Jackson rents kayaks and some life jackets. He straps it on my body before putting on his own. After helping me into my kayak, he gets into his own. The guide, whose name is Tom, hands us our paddles and pushes us further into the water then gets into his own kayak. He promised to show us the best spots while only taking the safest routed because Jackson threatened to ruin his life if I got hurt. "I've taken my daughters down this river - I promise no one will be harmed," Tom says. "Just stay behind me and everything will be fine."

All tour guides carry waterproof cameras so whenever we stop, we pose for a couple of photos. I point down towards the water when a school of fish swims right past us. "Look!"

Jackson grabs the side of my kayak and pulls me toward him. My kayak bumps his and he leans forward, kissing my shoulder. Smiling, I kiss him before we continue moving to the next location. When we come to a rocky area where the water falls slightly, my eyes widen. "This isn't anything," Tom says. "But if you don't stay calm you might tip your kayak so just take a deep breath and keep paddling."

I glance at Jackson who gives me a reassuring smile. "You got this. I'll be right behind you, babe."

Taking a deep breath, I nod. The guide makes it past the rocks smoothly which helps calm my nerves. I continue paddling, keeping my kayak straight. Before I know it, I am right behind Tom, breathing a sigh of relief. I glance back just in time to watch Jackson make it past safely. Tom glances back with a smile. "The store is just around the curve. I'll give you two some space."

He leaves us behind, disappearing around the curve. We slowly make our way towards the store, simply soaking up the sun and enjoying our time together. "It's so beautiful here. I can't believe I've been kept away from all of this," I say, turning towards him. "I couldn't possibly thank you enough for everything you have done for me. I probably never would've left the state if it weren't for you."

He smiles sweetly at me. "I will show you the world. You deserve everything."

My heart swells with emotion and I can't stop smiling. What did I do to deserve such a great man?

We make our way back to the store where Tom is waiting. He pulls my kayak onto the sand and takes my hand to help me up before going to help Jackson. Once he's out, we head over to the helicopter where the pilot is still waiting. We climb on and buckle before placing our headsets on. "Drop us off near the restaurants, please."

Now that he mentions is, I realize how hungry I am. The pilot lands the helicopter in a secluded area where he slows the rotors but they don't completely stop. "Is seven thirty okay?" the pilot asks.

"Yes. We'll be waiting right here," Jackson responds.

After unbuckling, we climb off. Jackson takes my hand and leads me towards a small building ahead while the helicopter rises and flies over us. The restaurant, I realize, is a pizza place. My stomach growls when he opens the door. "How are you two doing today?" a worker asks with a polite smile.

"We're good," Jackson replies. "How about you?"

"I'm great. My name is Zach and I'll be your waiter tonight. Will it be just you two tonight?" I nod and he grabs two menus. "Right this way."

He takes us to a booth where Jackson sits across from me and we each take a menu. "What do you want to drink?" he asks me.

"Coke is fine," I answer.

"Two cokes, an order of breadsticks and a pepperoni pizza," Jackson says. "Do you want anything else?"

I shake my head. "Okay. I'll be right back with your drinks," Zach says.

When he walks away, I slide out of the booth and sit beside him. My hand slips onto his leg beneath the table as I plant a kiss on his cheek. "Thank you," I whisper.

He turns his head towards me. "You're welcome."

His eyes flicker down to my lips before he closes the space between us. I turn my body to get more comfortable before slipping my hand around to the back of his neck and deepening the kiss. After a short moment, he pulls away. "You've been so young and carefree today," he says softly. "You looked so happy. I want to see that side of you every day."

"You bring out the best in me," I smile.

He pecks my lips. "As much as I'd like to keep kissing you, I am too tempted to take you right now."

"So take me," I whisper sweetly.

His eyes darken but he shakes his head. "You told me you didn't want to have sex until we were married."

I bite my lip. "What if I changed my mind?"

He takes a deep breath. "There's no going back. I promised to respect your wishes."

I frown. "My wishes have changed."

He sighs. "We can talk about it tonight."

I glance around, noticing the waiter coming with our drinks so I return to my side of the table. Jackson keeps his eyes on me the entire time. Yes, I said that I wanted to wait, but women change their minds all the time. I thought his reaction would be different - that he'd be happy. Any guy would be more than willing if a woman gave them the okay to have sex but Jackson is something else. I know he's doing it out of respect but what's the problem if we're both consenting adults?

I sip on my drink while I check my phone for any missed calls or texts. As usual, the only notifications I have are dumb emails to websites I unknowingly subscribed to. After erasing them, I slip my phone into my pocket and question Jackson about the rest of our day.

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