“It’s pink!” Heaven squealed, eagerly grabbing the stuffed animal. “I like pink the bestest of all da colors! Look, Aunt Honor,” she yelled, holding up the bear for her aunt to praise.
“Very nice. What do you say, Heaven?” Honor prompted gently.
“Thank you, Mistah Jake,” Heaven replied, throwing her arms around Jake’s legs again.
“You’re welcome, darlin’,” Jake murmured dropping one hand to Heaven’s fine hair. “I brought a movie, too. Have you seen ‘Frozen’ yet?” he asked, showing her the DVD case. “Maybe you can watch it while you eat your cookies if it’s okay with your aunt?” he asked, glancing at Honor and seeing the woman’s soft smile.
“I think we can arrange that,” Honor agreed as Heaven hopped up and down.
Heaven took the animated movie from Jake’s hand and gave him another hug. “I like you da best, Mistah Jake.”
“Right back at ya, sweetheart,” he replied in a low rumble, returning Harmony’s daughter’s hug. God, she looked so much like her momma that every time he looked at her it made his heart clench. She was truly a beautiful child. He could tell by the stunned look on her little face that one gift was shocking, but getting two at once was almost unheard of in her tiny world. That might worry him more if he couldn’t feel the love radiating from the adults that filled this kid’s world. Heaven might not have every toy on the market, but she had an abundance of people offering her love, encouragement and support. Her pictures and drawings filled the I Don’t Care Café, and almost everybody that frequented the restaurant knew her by name and took the time to speak to the child when she was there.
Watching her niece with an amused smile, Honor directed softly, “Alright, Heaven, honey, turn loose of Mister Jake’s leg and thank him, then go wash up for supper.”
Proving she was an obedient child, Jacob felt Heaven’s grip on his legs tighten for a brief moment before she looked up at him with those wide, rounded blue eyes just like her mother’s, and thanked him again. Dropping in front of her, he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “You are more than welcome, Princess,” he stated quietly before she beamed one last smile at him and took off toward the kitchen.
Meeting Honor’s serene gaze as he straightened back to his full height, he couldn’t help grinning. “She’s something else, isn’t she?”
Honor nodded. “She’s definitely the best part of my day.”
“Won’t lie. She’s quickly becoming a big highlight to mine, too. She looks so much like her momma that it steals my breath. I hope I didn’t overstep by bringing her presents. I just didn’t want her to feel left out tonight,” he explained.
Honor offered him a tiny smile. “You didn’t. Heaven adores getting treats, and she’s been begging to see that movie. You’ll be her hero for weeks now. It’s good to see that you’re trying to spoil my sister, too. Nice flowers, by the way,” she remarked, nodding toward the bouquet he still gripped in one hand. “How’d you find out that tulips were her favorite?”
“They’re her favorite?” Jacob returned, mildly surprised as he glanced down at the flowers.
Honor hummed, “Mmm hmm.”
“I didn’t know. Dumb luck, I guess. Can’t deny that I’m a little relieved, though,” he replied. “It’s been a long time since I’ve tried to impress a woman. I’m a little rusty.” Hell, rusty was an understatement of untold proportion. He couldn’t even remember the last time he’d been out with a woman that he either wasn’t trying to get between her legs or watching for one of his undercover stings.
Generally, Jake couldn’t give a shit about what kind of impression he left on a chick. Sure, he treated them right while he was in bed with them and left them with a smile on their faces, but he couldn’t give two shits about what they thought of him. He had a three-point simple policy when it came to the women he’d taken to his bed: find ‘em, fuck ‘em, and forget about ‘em.
But, then again, Harmony wasn’t just any woman. He was quickly beginning to believe that she was the woman for him. He’d in all likelihood eventually fuck her, but there was no way in hell he’d ever be able to forget about her. Forgetting somebody as sweet and perfect as she was would be a sin. Besides, if she suited him as well as he thought she would, he’d never be letting her go.
“She’ll love them. You chose well, Jacob,” Honor complimented him as she moved toward the entry table. “Now, I have something for you,” Harmony’s sister murmured a bit uncomfortably, picking up the plain brown sack that had been sitting on the table. “This is for you.”
Perplexed, Jacob stared at the bag she lightly shook at him before reaching for it with his free hand. Crinkling the paper as he opened the bag and peered inside, he sensed Honor shifting nervously on her feet in front of him. And after seeing the contents of the bag, he couldn’t helped lifting shocked eyes to stare at her. “Condoms?” he choked, unable to believe the shyest and most reserved of the McKinnon sisters had just handed him a bag containing enough birth control to keep him baby-free for several years to come.
“Let’s not discuss it.” Holding up her hand, Honor blushed deeply. “I just need you to understand that we’re out of bedrooms in this house, Jacob. There’s no room left at my inn, so to speak, and I want you and my sister to be prepared for any….eventuality,” she informed him in a voice just one decibel above a whisper.
Dumbfounded, Jacob could only stare mutely at Honor for what seemed like forever.
After a long, fraught minute, Honor asked him worriedly, “Jacob, you aren’t having a stroke, are you?”
“No,” he finally forced himself to reply hoarsely. “No, I’m fine. And, don’t worry, I take your meaning.”
Honor sighed in relief. “Thank goodness.”
It was a toss-up which of them was more gratified to hear the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs a moment later.
It was only when Jake turned around and saw that Harmony had reached the bottom step that he offered up silent thanks for Honor’s impromptu gift as he stared right at a walking, talking temptation in high heels. Seeing Harmony in a sapphire silk wraparound dress that kissed every curve a very generous God had given her, he knew that whatever well-intentioned plans he’d had to keep his hands to himself tonight had just gone right out the window.
Like a gift begging to be unwrapped, she stood there, tempting him to act on his primal instincts and throw her over his shoulder and carry her away where he could take his slow, sweet time worshiping all that was her.
It wasn’t until he heard her soft, uncertain ‘Hi, Jake,” that he was shaken from the sexual stupor she’d cast over him. Jacob Stone took a step forward to claim the woman he knew without a single further doubt in his mind would be his in every way there was.
Chapter Six
As Harmony’s heart hammered in her chest, she slowly descended the stairs on feet that were loudly protesting the three-inch heels that she’d shoved on them. Twice, she’d nearly turned around to change into a less-revealing and more mom-like outfit. The only thing that stopped her was the solemn promise she’d gained from both her sisters and Aunt Orla: as long as she went out dressed like this, they would stay locked inside her bedroom until she and Jake were safely out the door.
A deal was a deal, after all.
Rubbing her sweating hands against the smooth fabric stretched across her hips, she gnawed her lower lip as Honor and Jake’s low voices grew closer. Why hadn’t she skipped that second helping of blueberry pie last night? Tugging ineffectually at the thin material that was plastered to her hips, she sighed. There was no help for it now, she told herself morosely as she took the final step.
Meeting Jake’s eyes as she reached the bottom of the stairs, she felt her heart jump into her. He looked delicious. No, he was beyond delicious, she decided quickly with a slow blink of her eyes.
Jacob Stone was YUMMY with extra emphasis placed on the YUM. Completely freaking edible, her libido sang joyously as her girly parts did a happy little dance beneath her dr
ess.
Dressed in a fitted, collared black dress shirt that clung to his sides and his normal tight fitting jeans, he stood with his legs braced slightly apart, a bouquet of tulips clutched in one manly hand. Tonight, he’d traded the motorcycle boots for tan Justin boots, and he’d obviously shaved his handsome face, leaving only a shadow of his whiskers behind. Swallowing, she forced herself to smile and offer a low, breathless “Hi, Jake,” in greeting.
She could feel his warm gaze caress her as his eyes slowly slid over her face and down her body. Her heartbeat noticeably shifted into overdrive when his hooded eyes seemed to stall over the low bodice covering her breasts before leisurely moving down her legs. Before she realized it, he’d moved to stand in front of her, and even with her standing in heels a step above him, he towered over her.
Licking her lips quickly as she felt his wide palms reach out and grip her hips, pulling her toward him, she stumbled slightly. Bracing her hands against his solid chest, she caught herself against him, enjoying the feel of his muscles jumping beneath her fingertips.
“You look beautiful.” His deep voice rumbled against her ear as he leaned forward and brushed his lips against her cheek. “Glad you decided to let me cook for you tonight. I’d really hate sharing this view with anybody else,” he murmured for her ears alone. “With you in that dress, I’d be beating the men back with a stick and probably spend my night in Zeke’s lockup.”
“I seriously doubt that.” Harmony laughed self-consciously even as she felt herself warm under the glow of his flattery. She wasn’t used to compliments like that. She’d had exactly one serious relationship, and it hadn’t exactly been filled with praise.
“You shouldn’t, darlin’. You’re gorgeous,” Jacob replied, taking a small step back and pulling her off the last step. “These are for you,” he stated, passing her the arrangement of long stemmed tulips.
“Jake, you didn’t need to do that,” Harmony whispered, taking the flowers from him and running a finger over the delicate petals. She loved tulips. Now how did he ever know that?
“When a man gets lucky enough to take a pretty woman like you out for the evening, then he damn well should show up with flowers, Harmony. If he doesn’t, you kick his ass to the curb.”
Harmony swallowed hard as she listened to his quietly offered advice and felt her stomach do a little summersault. She hadn’t been prepared for him to say all the right things to her. In her experience, men were mostly concerned with what they wanted out of life… whether it be for the length of a date or the length of a marriage. She’d supposed she’d just automatically assumed all males of the species were all selfish creatures and liars by nature.
It probably wasn’t fair of her to cast all men with the same dye that had colored her relationship with her ex-husband. After all, in recent years, she had seen examples of several men that had broken that mold she’d become all too familiar with. Cain Turner and Ezekiel Monroe, for example, had proven over and over again that they were exceptions to the rule. Each man had put her sisters’ needs above their own in an effort to make them happier. Experience, however, was a valuable teacher; therefore, she still had a healthy distrust for the male population as a whole. Being married to and having a child with an abusive jackass would do that to a girl.
At any rate, Jacob’s kindness was doing strange things to her equilibrium and she wasn’t quite sure what to do about it.
“I don’t think I like those shadows in your eyes, Harmony,” Jacob noted, his voice pulling her back into the moment with him. “The flowers were meant to make you smile,” he chided gently.
“I’m sorry,” she apologized quickly, embarrassed that she’d allowed her thoughts to drift to her asshole of an ex-husband when she had a perfectly nice guy standing in front of her. “I’ll just put these in some water and say goodnight to Heaven then we can go.”
“Whenever you’re ready, Harmony. There’s no rush,” he assured her with a hushed calmness, his dark eyes flashing with understanding as they stared at her.
Staring into his compassionate gaze, she briefly wondered just how much he knew about her. Living in the small town of Paradise her whole life, she realized that she probably had very few secrets left. He’d probably heard all about her disaster of a marriage to Heaven’s father. Oh sweet Lord, she thought wildly, please don’t let him know it all! Shooting him another smile, she hurried into the kitchen, feeling him follow a few steps behind her.
She moved toward the tall cabinet above the sink as soon as they entered the kitchen, pausing only to grin at her daughter coloring at the kitchen table. “That’s looking good, sweetie,” she praised her little girl as she pulled down a heavy glass vase and filled it with water. “Who’s that pretty picture going to be for?”
“This one is for Uncie Zeke,” Heaven announced as her little eyes narrowed on the page and she carefully colored between the lines. “He’s bringin’ me popcorn for my new movie night, Momma. Auntie Honor said so, but she weren’t happy ‘bout it. She called my Uncie Zeke a mule-headed bad word that I can’t say cuz you it was a word little ladies aren’t allowed to use.”
“What movie?” Harmony asked over her shoulder, her eyes catching on the pink teddy bear sitting beside Heaven at the table and Jake leaning against the door frame. She ignored the part of Heaven’s conversation about her Uncle Zeke. Honor and Zeke would still be arguing about something when Gabriel blew his horn. That wasn’t exactly news hot of the press. But where had Heaven gotten a new movie?
“Mistah Jake bringed me ‘Frozen’, Momma! See!!” she beamed, grabbing the DVD off the table and holding it above her head. “He also gotted me Mistah Paws,” she announced, picking up her new bear and holding it against her chest. Looking toward Jake, she tilted her head. “Dat’s what I named him,” she informed him seriously.
“Sounds like a good name to me,” Jake replied with a wide grin.
Harmony looked from Heaven to Jake and back again. “You brought her presents?” she whispered, biting her lip as her eyes filled with surprised tears. This sweet side of him was really going to throw her for a loop if he didn’t stop soon.
“Pretty girls deserve gifts,” Jake returned with an easy shrug as if it was no big deal that he’d taken the time to include her daughter in tonight’s plans. “Since I’ve gotten lucky enough to spend time with two lovely ladies, I decided that I should come prepared. Did I do good, Princess?”
“You did good, Mistah Jake,” Heaven said with a giggle. “You gotted Momma purty flowers and me a teddy and a movie. Momma,” the little girl announced, “We is gonna keep him, ‘kay?”
Harmony choked on a surprised laugh as Jake beat her to a response.
“I’d be much obliged if you would keep me, Heaven. I’ve been lookin’ for somewhere to belong,” Jacob answered her daughter with a wink.
Clearing her throat, Harmony slipped the blooms into the water and moved to set the flowers in the center of the kitchen table. “Okay, baby, give Momma a kiss goodnight. I’ll be home later, but Aunt Honor and Aunt Patience are going to tuck you in tonight, okay?”
“Uh huh! Auntie Patience pr’mised me three stories!” Heaven exclaimed with excitement.
“Well, you make her read every one. Tell her I said that she’s not supposed to skip pages,” Harmony said, ruffling her daughter’s hair as she pressed a kiss to her warm forehead. “I love you, Heaven,” she whispered.
“Love you, too, Momma.” Heaven giggled. “I give Mistah Jake night night hug and kiss, too?” she asked innocently.
“I’d love a night night hug and kiss,” Jake said smoothly, pushing away from the door before Harmony could open her mouth to speak.
Harmony took a step back and watched as Jake crouched in front of her daughter, drawing her little body into the curve of his arm as Heaven popped a loud kiss against his cheek.
“That was the best kiss I’ve gotten all year, Princess,” he informed the happy little girl as he stood.
“Wait ‘til yo
u get one of Momma’s kisses, Mistah Jake. Her kisses are the bestest ever cuz they got magic in ‘em!” Heaven informed him with a little laugh before she ran toward the door.
Watching as the little girl disappeared out of the room, Jake chuckled before turning glittering eyes on a blushing Harmony. “Now, Momma’s magical kisses are definitely something I’m looking forward to sampling.”
Chapter Seven
Ninety minutes later, Harmony swallowed the last bite of one of the most delicious meals she’d ever eaten. Wiping her mouth with her napkin, she smiled across the candlelit table at her companion. “That was delicious, Jake. Are you sure you’re not really an undercover chef?”
“Nope… grilled steaks and baked potatoes are pretty much the extent of my culinary genius. You’ve now tasted the best meal I can provide,” he returned with a grin as he topped off her glass of wine.
“It was amazing,” Harmony praised truthfully, flashing him another slightly surprised look when Jake rose from his seat and circled the small table to pull her chair out for her. These seemingly small gentlemanly courtesies he kept plying her with were disconcerting. First, he’d brought her flowers and her child gifts, then he’d held open the truck door for her when he’d walked her to his truck. He’d refused her multiple offers to help him with supper, and he’d seated her at the exquisitely-set table before he’d taken his own chair. Now, he was pulling out her chair for her, taking her hand and guiding her toward the comfortable couch in the three-room hunting cabin he’d rented while he visited Paradise. She couldn’t deny that it felt nice to have someone wait on her, but it definitely wasn’t something she was accustomed to experiencing. And something told her that Jake knew that, too.
Hard as Stone (Passion in Paradise: The Men of the McKinnnon Sisters) Page 7
