Quickly changing into her peach sleep pants and matching tank top, she grabbed for a maroon bath towel from the cabinet below the sink and the tube of liniment from the drawer. She had a man to see to. After she helped him with his leg she was determined to have a serious conversation with him. What was the worst he could do? Deny her? He had already done that. He did that every day.
Taking a deep breath to calm herself, she pulled open her bedroom door, made her way toward the back staircase of the ranch, and slowly walked up the stairs. Standing before Jake’s bedroom door, she raised her hand to knock, hesitating slightly.
“Now or never, Claire,” she whispered to herself then firmly knocked twice.
Chapter 8
Claire heard a muffled sound coming from within Jake’s bedroom. Turning the doorknob, she pushed open the door and stepped inside. Seeing the huge bed that dominated the room she smiled, feeling as if she had just come home. She was going to be sharing that bed with her mate. It wasn’t a hope. It was a certainty.
The bedroom was empty. She looked to the left and saw the door to the connecting bathroom open. She could hear the sound of water running and knew that Jake was in there. Her heart sped up with anticipation.
“Jake,” she called out softly, glad that the quietness of the house and the calmness of its inhabitants weren’t taxing her shields.
Jake appeared in the doorway of his bathroom, wiping at his mouth with a navy hand towel. His eyes widened in surprise when he spotted her.
“Claire. What’re you doing here?” he asked, his voice gruff.
“I work here,” she said, smiling.
“Claire,” he warned her.
“Jake, I’m not in the mood to argue with you,” she told him softly, her voice tired. “Get into bed so I can help your leg.”
“I’m fine, Claire. You don’t have to help me.”
“Just humor me, Jake. Please.”
Jake threw the towel back into the bathroom then walked toward her. He was dressed only in his black boxer briefs and a white tank top T-shirt. Claire had never seen anything sexier in her life. His body was packed with muscle. She loved the way the black hair on his chest and arms was a dark contrast against his sun-bronzed skin.
When he stood in front of her, he reached out and touched her face gently. A rush of peace and desire bombarded her senses. She sighed and leaned into his touch.
“Thanks,” she whispered.
Jake nodded as he slid his fingers into the softness of her hair to settle at the nape of her neck. He massaged her gently, smiling at the soft sounds of pleasure that escaped her.
“Anytime,” he said quietly. “You didn’t need to bring liniment, Claire. I’m fine.”
“I know,” she told him gently. “I just wanted to make sure.”
She waited a moment, wanting to give him the chance to accept her offer. She would allow him the choice to accept her help or not. She looked at him calmly but her heart was pounding furiously. She needed to touch him, caress him, and love him. She needed to make sure that he was okay.
“Get comfortable in bed,” she told him after he remained quiet for far too long.
She saw the flash of something in his eyes at her command and smiled softly, knowing that he wanted to be the one to tell her what to do. All in good time. Maybe tonight. The thought made her heart rate pick up. She had to make a conscious effort to keep herself calm. She had to take care of his leg. Then she would take the chance and offer herself to him.
She was glad when he pulled back the covers of his bed and sat down. He shifted his body so that his back was settled against the heavy wooden headboard with a pillow cushioning him. He watched her warily as she sat beside him just below his knees. She smiled as she threw the towel she had brought with her across his waist so that it draped his groin and right thigh. She would not be able to concentrate on his damaged leg if she was able to see his sexiness.
Jake chuckled, settling the towel more securely around his hips. “What’s wrong, Claire?” he goaded her.
“Absolutely nothing,” she told him as she unscrewed the cap off the liniment and squirted a good amount of it onto her left palm. “Just can’t concentrate if your sexy body is in my face while I’m working.”
Jake’s laughter stopped immediately. His eyes flashed with fire as he watched Claire warm up the liniment between her hands. When she reached out and touched his left thigh, carefully covering the entire thigh with the warming lotion before beginning her gentle massage, he couldn’t prevent the moan of appreciation that left him as her fingers worked their magic on his aching muscles.
He had stopped being sensitive to Claire’s view of his scarred leg. The operation that had repaired his femur had left a long scar that ran the length of his thigh. Claire had seen it many times over the last year. She had been there while his bandages had been changed. She had been there when he had gone through his physical therapy. She had been the one to massage the abused muscles of his thigh nearly every day as he fought to get stronger. The scar never bothered her, so it never bothered him.
“You have a beautiful touch, angel,” he told her, leaning his head back and closing his eyes as he gave in to the comfort that she willingly gave him every day. It was more than just the physical relief in his leg. When she touched him, the calm that filled him gave him something that he couldn’t explain.
“Just for you, Jake,” she told him honestly.
“No, angel. You’re going to be an excellent massage therapist,” he told her, opening his eyes and looking at her very seriously. His blue eyes flashed with determination as he watched her blush prettily. “You know that, right?”
“I think so,” she said quietly. “But I’m not talking about that.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, my touch helps you just like your touch helps me,” she said calmly. “You’re not going to deny that, are you?”
Jake was quiet for a minute. How could he deny what he felt every time she touched him? He watched her silently as she slowly manipulated his damaged muscles. Because of Claire, he had recovered. She had been the one who had stayed by his side throughout every bit of his recovery and therapy. She was the one who wouldn’t allow him to give up. She had eased his pain when the exercises had caused him such exhaustion and frustration he swore that he was finished with the entire healing process.
“Are you going to deny it, Jake?” she asked him softly, never stopping her massaging.
“No, angel,” Jake said softly. “Your touch helps me. It always has.”
Claire looked up at him and smiled. He couldn’t help but smile back. He loved seeing her so happy. If he wasn’t careful, he was going to do something that he knew he shouldn’t.
Claire didn’t say anything. She had already won the battle. He had admitted that her touch helped him. Now she just had to get him to want her touch all the time—as his mate.
She felt his thigh muscles relax under her manipulations. Continuing with the massage for another ten minutes, she settled into the peace of the moment. Taking the towel from his hips, she wiped down his leg then stood and carefully pulled the sheet and the blanket across his legs to keep his muscles warm.
She walked toward the bathroom, planning her next move. Melanie said she was going to be a married woman within the next six months. Well, she was going to set those wheels in motion right now. Washing the liniment from her hands, she wiped them dry and left the towel on the counter. Shutting off the bathroom light, she walked over to the door of Jake’s bedroom and turned the lock.
“What’re you doing, Claire?” Jake asked, his voice hard as he watched her lock the door.
“Be quiet,” she said gently.
Turning, she walked over to the opposite side of his bed, pulled back the covers, and climbed in beside him. She faced him quietly, waiting for him to make his decision. When he looked down at her, she could see the indecision in his eyes. She wasn’t going to touch him. He had to come to this decision on
his own.
When Jake slid his body down to lie beside her, she couldn’t help but smile. The soft sigh that escaped her when he pulled her against him to tuck her against his side was one that she wanted him to hear. He settled her. He made her feel good. He made her need.
“Thank you, angel,” Jake whispered against her temple. “My leg feels better.”
“Good,” Claire whispered.
“As much as I love having you in my arms, you can’t stay,” he told her firmly.
“Wrong.”
“Claire.”
“Jake, I’m tired,” Claire stopped him. “I haven’t slept well in a very long time. If you’re honest with yourself, you’ll admit that you haven’t either.”
“You can’t sleep here, angel,” he told her firmly once again.
“Shh. You can tell me in the morning,” she told him, cuddling against him and holding him gently. “Jake McKade, I’m exactly where I’m meant to be.”
Jake remained silent.
“You’re a stubborn man,” Claire whispered. “You know what else you are?”
“What?”
“You’re my mate.”
Jake’s arms tightened around her, drawing her closer. “I can’t be, Claire,” he told her quietly.
“Why not?”
“Because I’ll hurt you.”
Claire laughed softly, reaching up and tugging on Jake’s hair lightly. “Do you know how stupid that is?”
“Claire, there are things you don’t know,” Jake tried to explain.
“I know more than you think I do, Jake McKade,” she whispered. “There are things you don’t know about me.”
“Like what?”
“Well, let’s see. I’m shy.”
“I know that, Claire.”
“I’m embarrassed by my boobs.”
“What?” Jake looked down at her in complete shock. “Why the hell are you embarrassed by your boobs?”
“They’re too big.”
Jake shook his head, trying very hard to remain serious. “Claire, your breasts are perfect,” he said gently.
“No. They’re too big. If I ever get pregnant, they’ll be so big I’ll knock people over if they’re standing too close to me when I turn around.”
Jake’s bark of laughter made her smile. She could feel his joy and it made her happy. She could also feel his desire. That was fantastic.
“I’m staying here with you tonight, Jake,” she said after a moment. “I’m going to stay with you every night from now on.”
“I don’t think that would be a good idea, angel,” Jake told her softly.
“Well, you don’t have any say in that, cowboy,” Claire told him firmly, cuddling against him and kissing his neck lightly.
“I do have a say in it, Claire,” Jake said quietly.
Claire pushed herself up so that she could look down at him. “If you really want me to leave, I will, Jake,” she said finally, accepting that her gamble hadn’t paid off. She was wrong. Melanie was wrong. She felt sadness creeping into her heart and holding on tightly, sharing the space with complete devastation.
Jake tightened his hold on her, surprising her. She looked at him and waited. She could see his struggle in his face. She could feel the way he was torn. He knew that she was his. Would he finally be able to understand that she would be exactly what he needed?
“Claire, there isn’t anything I want more than to have you in my arms every night,” he told her quietly. “But I know I should give you the chance to find someone who will give you the gentle life that you deserve.”
“I don’t want anyone else,” Claire said firmly. “You’ll give me whatever it is you think I deserve. I know that you’ll give me exactly what I want.” When Jake remained silent, she knew she had to continue with her admission. “There’s something else.”
“What?”
“I have dreams all the time about being with you,” she said softly. “I dream that we make love.”
Jake’s entire body tightened at her words. He had the same dreams every night. Those dreams both delighted and tortured him.
“When we make love there are things that you do to me that I really like,” Claire told him, blushing lightly as she looked up at him.
“What do I do to you?” Jake’s voice was hushed as he spoke. “Do I hurt you, angel?”
“No, Jake,” Claire said gently. “What you do is hold me exactly the way I like to be held.”
“How?”
“I like to feel you wrap yourself around me and hold me tight. I like when you cover me with your body and press me into the mattress. I like when you grab my wrists and hold them above my head and hold them there while you’re deep inside of me.”
“Angel,” Jake whispered, his body hardening in an instant at her words. “Doesn’t that scare you?”
“No.”
“That’s because it’s just a dream,” Jake explained quietly. “If I did that to you, you would be afraid. I could hurt you if I restrained you.”
“I don’t agree,” Claire said with determination. “I want you to make love to me, Jake. I want you to be the only man who ever makes love to me.”
“Sweetheart,” Jake whispered, closing his eyes as he fought to control his desire to do exactly what Claire was asking of him.
“I know you’ll be exactly as I want and need you to be.” She leaned up on her forearm and looked down at him. “I want to make love with you.”
Jake felt paralyzed with the instant desire and fear that raced through him in equal measures. He wanted Claire with an intensity that encompassed every waking moment and every sleeping dream. But he couldn’t. She deserved a lover who was gentle.
Claire moved slowly until she was kneeling beside him. “I want to make love with you,” she repeated.
When he remained silent, she lay across his chest, straddling his hips and resting on the definite bulge in his boxer briefs. She smiled softly. He may deny her with his mind, but his body told her how much he wanted her. She knew that it was more than physical, though. She could feel his love, and hear his thoughts. They were mates. She had accepted that when they had slept together that one time in the hospital. She wished that he had, too. As far as she was concerned, it was a done deal. Jake was her man. And she was his woman.
Easing up, she reached for the hem of her tank top and slowly pulled it up her body, smiling at the way Jake’s eyes filled with desire as he saw her body revealed to him. She pulled the garment over her head and tossed it aside to allow it to fall to the floor. She waited while Jake’s eyes drank in her nudity. When he looked up at her and a soft growl left him, she checked off a mental mark in her list of things to do to drive her mate crazy.
“I want to make love to you,” she whispered, reaching down and taking his hands in hers. She drew them up her body to rest on her ribcage. His broad hands spanned it easily, and she sighed at the feel of his strength.
She waited. There was no way she was going to force him to go further. He had to make that decision. She could feel his thumbs moving in a gentle caress on her torso, the tips of them just barely touching the underside of her breasts. She sighed softly when he finally moved his hands and slowly stroked each full mound, running the pads of his thumbs around her areolas and teasing the tips of her nipples.
“I like that,” she said softly, smiling down at him. When he pulled his gaze away from where his hands touched her and looked up at her, she leaned into him, glad when his hands squeezed firmly and held her in place. “Do you like touching me, Jake?”
He nodded slowly, leaning forward and kissing each breast tenderly before capturing her left nipple and sucking on it firmly. Claire felt her body clench and knew that she was dripping from the desire that he made her feel. She could feel the throbbing that pressed against her pussy and moaned softly. She wanted Jake to bury himself deep inside of her.
“Do you want me as much as I want you, Jake?” she whispered. “I don’t see how you can, because I want you pre
tty bad.”
Before she could say another word, she suddenly found herself lifted and pushed onto her back. The strength of this man sent a surge of pleasure through her. His broad shoulders felt good beneath her hands. His strong body covered her completely. His hips were nestled deliciously between her thighs. She wrapped her legs around his thighs, careful not to exert too much pressure on his left leg.
When he pressed against her core, she moaned softly at the feel of his hard cock so close to where it belonged. She moved her hips slightly, loving the feel of him rubbing against her. His mouth sought hers, and she opened to him without hesitation, loving the taste of him as his tongue plunged deep inside her mouth, sweeping inside of it and laying claim to her. His arms slid beneath her body, pulling her tighter against his chest and holding her firmly. His strength surrounded her. She loved it.
“Claire,” he whispered against her mouth, kissing her deeply without saying more.
She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly. She loved Jake McKade so much it almost hurt. When he pulled away and started to kiss his way down her neck, she arched up into him, moaning when he bit down on her shoulder and held her still. She melted beneath him.
His hum of excitement against her shoulder shot pleasure through her. When he licked at his love bite then kissed his way down her body, she couldn’t help but push her body upward to seek out his mouth and his touch. He didn’t disappoint her. His mouth worshiped every inch of skin, laving and leaving little bites along his wake. She gasped with pleasure as he squeezed the fullness of her right breast and drew her nipple into his mouth and sucked on it firmly. With each draw of his mouth, Claire’s channel clenched in response. She could feel the desire dripping from her and was excited by the changes that Jake caused within her body.
Jake's Angel [Cowboy Mates, Psychic Connections 4] (Siren Publishing Classic) Page 8
