Jake laughed softly, unable to do more than turn his head to the left on his pillow as he tried to look back over his shoulder. He regretted the movement immediately as the muscles in his shoulder and back protested the move.
Claire put aside the bottle of oil and leaned forward to hover above him, placing her right hand beside Jake’s right shoulder as she gently tugged the pillow from beneath him so that his head could rest flat on the bath towel. She kissed the back of his neck gently and nuzzled against the mating mark and the tiny link that represented their baby.
“Sorry. I should have moved the pillow before you got on the bed to lie down,” she apologized.
“Angel, if you rub your breasts against my back again just like you’re doing, you can do anything you want to me,” Jake told her, his voice muffled by the towel.
Claire laughed softly as she eased back, picking up the bottle of oil that she had discarded against Jake’s left hip as she settled herself carefully on the swell of his ass. Jake slid his arms down so that they were resting against his sides. His moan gave her pause, but the way he wiggled his bottom beneath her made her know that he was feeling no pain from the way she was resting lightly on him.
“Keep your thoughts out of the sexy realm, Jake,” Claire told him firmly. “You need to let everything go and just relax.”
“Easy for you to say, angel,” Jake groused. “You don’t have a nearly naked woman sitting on your ass.” He grabbed for her knees and squeezed them lightly. “Don’t move. I like you there.”
Claire laughed softly, pouring a line of the heated oil across Jake’s shoulders, down the back of his arms to his wrists, and down the center of his back. She closed the cap carefully and set the bottle aside, keeping it close to Jake’s right hip for when she would need it again.
“It smells good,” Jake said, taking in a deep breath and letting it out slowly.
“The lavender is meant to help you stay calm and relaxed,” Claire explained as she began to massage Jake’s tight muscles starting with his shoulders. “Just keep your eyes closed and enjoy my touch.”
“I always do, angel,” he told her quietly.
Claire could only smile. She never thought she would ever be able to touch a man the way she touched Jake. She never thought she would ever love a man the way she loved Jake. Hell! She never thought any many would ever love her. She was a freak. Hadn’t her mother and sister told her that nearly every day of her life? She wasn’t smart. She wasn’t pretty. She wasn’t tall or thin like her sister Elise. She was nothing, right?
Wrong.
She was something. She was a woman who was valued by a man who was amazing. Jake and his family found her to be special. They found value in her. Claire didn’t feel stupid, she didn’t feel worthless, and she didn’t feel ugly. They made her feel cared for, respected, and loved.
She massaged the muscles in Jake’s neck, shoulders, and arms, sliding her fingers through his and pulling on them lightly to release the tension in him in a continuous pattern until she felt Jake’s entire body relax beneath her. Slipping her hands across the muscles of his waist, she followed the contour of his spine, repeating the process over and over again to help the muscles of his sides and back lose their tightness.
Pressing her thumbs deeply into the muscles along his spine, she smiled at the soft groans of pleasure that left her man. She exerted just the right amount of pressure, paying attention to the rippling of Jake’s back muscles beneath her hands, allowing her empathic gift to connect with her mate to feel the pain that he was feeling. To her great relief, she felt only a small amount of pain. What Jake was projecting to her was complete peace, happiness, and relaxation. She could feel his muscles releasing their tension.
When she started to massage his lower back and the hard muscles of his ass, she couldn’t help but smile at the way Jake’s moans became deeper. He always made her feel like gold. He gave her the gift of believing in herself because he believed in her and loved her. She was determined to do the same for the baby that she was carrying. She loved their baby so much.
“I’m never going to make our child feel inferior,” she whispered to herself as she massaged Jake’s upper thighs, easing back so she could reach all the way down to his calves.
“Of course you wouldn’t,” Jake said firmly. “What makes you say that, angel?”
“I was just thinking about my mother and my sister,” Claire said softly. “They always made me feel as if there was something wrong with me—like I wasn’t good enough.”
“They’re wrong.” Jake spoke those words firmly, doing his best to remain calm. “Claire, I need to turn over.”
“Not yet.”
“Claire. I need to turn over right now. You’re either going to help me so I don’t hurt myself, or I’m going to do it myself and undo all the good that you’ve just done for me.”
“Okay, just give me a second,” Claire said, easing off of Jake’s legs and making sure that his left arm was flush against his side. “Let me do the turning, Jake. You try and stay as relaxed as you can.”
Jake remained silent as Claire took careful hold of his waist and slid her hand beneath him to rest her palm against his chest in a careful hug. She pulled him slowly, using his body as a fulcrum to facilitate the flip. Once he was lying on his back, she adjusted his arms so that they were resting across his chest. She also adjusted his legs so that they were straight and his hips were settled comfortably.
“Are you doing okay?” she asked quietly.
“I feel great, but I’m a little lightheaded from the pain pill,” Jake told her honestly.
“Let me get the bottle of water for you,” Claire told him, slipping off the side of the bed and grabbing for the bottle on the bedside table. She removed the cap and offered it to him, sliding her hand beneath his neck to tip his head just slightly so he could drink the water without choking or spilling it. He drank a good amount of the water, stopping once he was satisfied.
“Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.”
She placed the bottle on the table and sat on the bed at Jake’s hip. “How are you feeling?”
“My muscles are good, but my heart is hurting,” he told her honestly.
Claire rested her right hand over his heart and rubbed his chest lightly. “Why?”
“Angel, I know it’s hard to let go of the past. God only knows what kind of crap your mother and sister fed you over the years. But they’re wrong. What they said to you was wrong. What they did to you was wrong. You’re never going to have to listen to them or be with them ever again. We have our own family now.”
He reached up and slid his hand across her belly. Claire could feel the love in his heart. She could also feel the happiness that was bright within him. She was glad that she was a part of that happiness.
“Claire, you’re not a part of my happiness. You’re the reason for my happiness,” Jake said calmly, feeling her thoughts like he had never felt them before. “You have to know that, angel.”
His father had told him that once a man mated and he and his woman created their first child, the feelings that the mates had were more easily felt and shared. His father had been correct. He could feel Claire’s worry as well as her happiness as if she was speaking the words out loud to tell him.
“I know.”
“Do you?”
“Yes, Jake. I know.”
Jake looked at her silently for a long moment, searching her face and her heart for her feelings. He felt only happiness and love emanating from her.
She moved to straddle his legs and picked up the bottle of heated oil. Pouring a line across his chest, down his arms, and over his thighs, she set the bottle aside and began to massage his chest, She rubbed her thumbs across his pectoral muscles and massaged up the column of his throat to massage his neck carefully, using just the right amount of pressure.
Over and over again, she repeated the process, adding in the massage of his arms and thighs as she worked to relax him
. She pointedly ignored the raging erection that he was sporting. Looking down at the long and thick shaft, Claire smiled at the slight curve to it. She loved that curve. It touched the place inside of her that made her eyes nearly cross with pleasure.
“Are you relaxed?” she asked him, finally relenting and reaching out to take gentle hold of his hard shaft.
“Almost all of me is relaxed,” he said, laughing softly.
“I should probably make sure that all of you is relaxed.”
Jake’s eyes flashed with desire as he looked up at his woman. “I told you I wanted you to take my cock inside of you,” he told her firmly.
“I know. But that would mean you would have to move, and I don’t want you to move. I just want you to enjoy.”
“What do you have in mind, angel?”
“Just leave that to me.”
Flipping open the cap of the bottle, she poured a line of the lavender scented oil through the valley of her breasts, closed the cap, and threw the bottle onto the bed near Jake’s head. She reached up and spread the oil slowly, covering her breasts with the oil with one hand and slicking up Jake’s erect shaft with the other.
Jake watched in complete awe as Claire settle herself carefully over his thighs so that her legs were snug between his. She placed his cock between the valley of her breasts so that it pointed straight up to her chin. She pressed her full breasts together, creating a tunnel for him to push through.
“Don’t move, Jake,” she told him softly. “Let me do everything.”
“I don’t know if I can stay still, Claire,” he told her honestly. “It feels too good.”
Claire licked at the tip of his cock as the bulbous head peeked over the swell of her breasts. Opening her mouth, she sucked him into her mouth, licking at the underside of it before pulling back and kissing the tip tenderly.
Pressing her breasts tighter together, she moved up and down, slowly at first to slide his shaft through the warm valley of her skin. She saw Jake clench his jaw and stopped all movement.
“I’m not going to do this if you clench your muscles, Jake,” she warned him.
“I’m trying not to come,” he said hoarsely.
“I want you to come,” Claire told him, reaching up and touching his chest lightly. “I want you to come and let me swallow down every bit of seed you can give me.”
Jake looked down at her with fire in his eyes. In that moment, he wanted her more fiercely than he had ever wanted her. He was stunned by her selflessness and aroused by her sexiness.
“Relax and let go, Mate,” she whispered, pressing her breasts together once again and moving so that his shaft slid within their warmth once again.
It was only a matter of seconds before Jake felt the tingle at the base of his spine and his balls drawing up tight against his body. There was absolutely nothing he could do to prevent himself from coming. Looking at Claire and seeing the happy sparkle in her eyes, he knew that she wanted him to find his release.
“Claire,” he moaned, unable to do anything but give in to the pleasure that she gave him.
Claire immediately wrapped her lips around the head of Jake’s cock, sucking on it firmly and closing her eyes as his body exploded. The warmth of his seed filled her mouth to overflowing, making her swallow quickly to take every bit of the bitter sweetness of his release. She loved the feel of his shaft pulsing with each spew of seed.
She swallowed quickly, unable to keep up with the amount that he gave her. Some of his precious seed dripped from the sides of her mouth as she fought to contain it all. When she felt the small waves of pleasure pulsing through him, she eased back to allow his sensitive shaft to slip free of her mouth and her breasts.
She kissed her way up the length of him, tracing a loving path up the heavy vein on the underside of his erection. She was careful to hold herself above him as she straddled his hips. Carefully kneeling above him, she rested her hands on the mattress on either side of his head as she looked at him. Smiling down at him, she saw the completely peaceful expression on his face and laughed softly.
“You look all sexy and satisfied,” she whispered.
He opened his eyes and stared up at her, love filling his blue eyes. His gaze held with such gentleness that Claire nearly cried at what she saw there. When Jake reached up and touched her cheek, she nuzzled into his palm to soak in his love.
“Angel,” he whispered.
“What?”
“I adore you.”
Claire smiled. When he swiped at the seed that dribbled from the corner of her mouth, she opened her mouth and waited patiently. She saw the flare of heat igniting his blue eyes just before he pressed the pad of his thumb into her mouth to have her lick off his seed.
“That is the sexiest damned thing I have ever seen,” he said softly.
“You say that every time we make love,” Claire said, laughing softly as she leaned forward and kissed his lips gently. She pulled away before he could intensify the kiss.
“Come back here, Claire,” Jake demanded, reaching out to hold her hand as she climbed off of him to stand next to the bed.
“I will. I just need to get you dressed so you’ll stay warm,” she told him patiently, pulling free of his hold and reaching for his white T-shirt and black sleep pants.
She dropped both items beside him onto the bed then reached forward to slip her hands beneath Jake’s torso and slowly pulled him up into a sitting position. She quickly slipped the T-shirt over his head and helped him to place each of his arms within the short sleeves. Once she was able to pull the shirt down his torso, she helped him to lie back on the bed, pulling the bath towel away so that he lay directly on the sheet and tucking the pillow beneath his head so that his neck was fully supported.
Grabbing for his sleep pants, she quickly slipped them over his feet and up his legs, taking firm hold of each of his hips to tug the material up to his waist. Taking the bath towel off the bed, she brought it back to the bathroom. Washing up quickly, she couldn’t help but smile at her reflection in the mirror. She pulled on her pink velour sleep shirt before returning to the bedroom, climbing into bed beside Jake, and pulling the sheet and comforter up over the both of them.
Leaning over Jake carefully, she turned off the bedside light and settled beside her mate. She kissed his shoulder tenderly, smiling when she heard the deep, even breathing that told her that Jake was already asleep. She knew it was because of the pain pill that he had taken, but she also knew that her loving on him had contributed to his satiated state.
“You know what, Jake?” she whispered, knowing that he couldn’t hear her. “I think you are the sexiest damned thing I’ve ever seen.”
She closed her eyes and allowed herself to relax completely. She was exhausted, but she had never been happier. Taking care of the man she loved was wonderful.
Jake smiled in the darkness of their bedroom. He wouldn’t let Claire know that he had heard her words. He didn’t want to embarrass her. He felt her warmth against his side and gave in to the feelings of complete happiness and contentment that being with his mate and the mother of his child gave him.
He said a silent prayer of thanks that he had been gifted with both of them and asked the Great Spirit to watch over his little family. He asked for the gift of a lifetime with Claire and their children.
Claire sighed in her sleep, resting her hand on his stomach as she cuddled against him. He finally fell asleep with a smile on his face and hope in his heart.
Chapter 34
There was a soft knock on their bedroom door. Jake was awake in an instant, cringing at the flash of pain that raced through his body as he sat up quickly. Claire sat up beside him in an instant.
“What’s wrong?” she whispered, reaching out and holding him gently against her chest.
“Someone’s at the door,” Jake said, clenching his teeth as his back screamed out in pain.
“Come in,” Claire called out, gently pushing at Jake’s shoulder to get him to lie back down.
The door opened and Melanie stood there holding her baby daughter Mary Grace. Robbie stood before her, his blue eyes filled with worry as he looked at them. Madison was beside Melanie. Her daughter Cooper was standing beside Robbie and holding his hand.
“Unca Jake?” Robbie called out softly. “You fell?”
“I sure did,” Jake said quietly. “I wasn’t careful when I was climbing an old ladder. It broke and I fell.”
Robbie ran over to the big bed, taking Cooper with him. He looked up at his Uncle Jake with wide eyes. He touched his uncle’s forearm and squeezed it gently.
“Mommy saw you fall, ’member, Unca Jake?” he asked him.
“I do, Robbie. I should have listened to your mommy. Her vision was exactly right. I should have remembered that your mother has a gift. I should have listened to her and taken better care of myself. She knew exactly what would happen, Robbie. I should have listened to her.”
“I didn’t want you to fall, Unca Jake,” Robbie said softly.
“Robbie feels bad,” Cooper said quietly. “His heart hurts.”
“Come on up here and cuddle with us,” Claire said, reaching out and tugging on Robbie’s hand as he immediately reached out to her.
Robbie pulled Cooper up with him since he never let go of his grip on her hand. Claire moved over slightly so that the two of them could sit comfortably between her and Jake.
“I know you feel bad that Uncle Jake got hurt, Robbie,” Claire told him calmly. “Your mommy told him that he had to be careful. Sometimes, people don’t get it when we use our gifts.”
“Do you have a gift, too, Aunt Claire?” Robbie asked, his blue eyes wide with surprise.
“I do. I can feel what other people are feeling. It used to hurt my heart and my head all the time, but Uncle Jake used his gift to help me.”
“Unca Jake, do you have a gift?” Robbie asked, looking up at him with wonder.
“I do. I can help Aunt Claire so that she doesn’t feel hurt anymore,” Jake said calmly. “I guess I act as a kind of a shield so no bad feelings can hurt her.”
Jake's Angel [Cowboy Mates, Psychic Connections 4] (Siren Publishing Classic) Page 36
