Hard as Stone (Passion in Paradise: The Men of the McKinnnon Sisters)

by Sarah O'Rourke

  “The rain?” Jacob asked against her temple.

  “Mmm hmm… seems like the sunniest days are always followed by the rain.”

  “I can’t promise clear skies, darlin’,” Jacob admitted quietly. “But I can damn sure be there with the umbrella when that rain falls.”

  Harmony smiled. Because really? What more could she ask for from him. He couldn’t stop the storms that rolled in from the horizon. A vow to keep her from getting wet, though? Yes, she’d take that.

  “Need to take care of the condom, babe,” Jacob murmured, brushing her hair off her neck and dropping a kiss against her collar bone. “Be right back.”

  Sighing as she watched his well-defined ass saunter toward the bathroom, Harmony came down on her hip, rolled to her back, and stretched languorously. Arms sprawled above her head, she stared at the ceiling. She listened to the muted sounds emanating from the bathroom and offered the ceiling fan a tiny smile.

  She’d meant what she’d shared with Jake. She felt happy… and hopeful… and all those other girly emotions that she’d trained her body not to feel since Tanner. There was no denying that she was terrified, but in a good way. Other than her sisters and her daughter, no one had told her that they loved her in years...but most especially no man. And when she had heard a man – or a close impersonation of one, anyway – other than her father say those words in the past, they had always felt empty. Flat. Lacking in a way that left her feeling, well – flat and empty. They were the words that her ex-husband had tossed at her to fill the void when he’d invariably stepped across the line with her. They hadn’t held any real meaning for him, and she’d finally realized over the last several years that the reason for that was that he’d never meant them. After a while, Tanner had stopped using them at all, fully aware that she wasn’t buying his particular brand of bullshit anymore.

  With Jake, her heart was sure he did mean them. Her head was slowly accepting the possibility that he could mean them. And her too long ignored girly bits? They were all happily dancing the Jake Love Mambo any time he got close.

  Running a hand through her tangled hair, she sighed. She was screwed. Literally and figuratively. Swallowing the panic rising in her throat, she reminded herself that this didn’t have to end like it did with Tanner. People had happy, healthy, normal relationships every day. Couples did get their happy endings. Sure, they had to work for them, but it happened. Look at Faith and Cain, she reasoned to herself. A year ago, she’d have placed money against them ever being able to make a go of their ruined love affair again, but with hard work and a little helpful meddling from her and the rest of their wacky family, they’d salvaged their relationship.

  She could do this, too, her invisible inner angel - that sounded remarkably like her baby sister, Honor - promised her in one ear. She just had to trust her instincts.

  Of course, those instincts had nearly gotten her killed once before, the little devil - that voice bore a scarily marked resemblance to her other sister, Patience - reminded her in the other ear.

  Scratching her nails against her scalp, she had the urge to scream. “Errrrggghhh, get out of my head, you two!” she groaned softly, tightening her fingers in her hair. This was just perfect. Now, she was hearing voices? Love had driven her straight over the edge into a great big pond called schizophrenia.

  Wait! Harmony jerked upright in the bed, her naked breasts bouncing against her chest. “Love?” she whispered as her hands slapped against the mattress. Love had driven her over the edge? Was she in love with Jacob Stone?

  No, couldn’t be. Not yet. She wasn’t ready. Sex was good. Sex with Jake, even better – in a big, big way. And she cared for him. She wanted to be with him. Besides her daughter, he was her first thought when she opened her eyes in the morning and the last person running through her mind at night, but love? He made her feel safe… protected. He made her little girl feel special and adored. He made them, her and Heaven, the center of his world. Who wouldn’t be sucked in by that?

  Shit, damn, and fuck! She did love him.

  “Oh, shit,” she breathed, her mouth going dry as she sat in the center of his ginormous bed. “Oh, shit, shit, shit!” Christ, now she was whimpering. Jerking her gaze toward the bathroom as she heard a toilet flush, she struggled to control her breathing.

  This couldn’t be happening. She wasn’t prepared to deal with this. She’d just wanted to have sex – really, really good sex.

  And he’d obliged. Boy, had he obliged. By last count, he’d obliged her six freaking times! With his lips and tongue and fingers and –

  Freaking, focus, Harmony, she silently shrieked at herself!

  What she was not supposed to do was fall in fucking love!

  “It’s too late” she heard Honor’s voice chiding in her left ear.

  “Way late, pushover,” Patience’s voice drawled in her right ear.

  Crappity crap, crap, crap!

  Was it too late to backtrack? To get a do-over? Gnawing her lower lip as she stared at the closed bathroom door, she doubted it. Jake had made himself pretty clear. She was his. And she had a sinking feeling that he was a man that rarely changed his mind once he’d decided on something. He’d made it clear in word and deed that he’d decided on her.

  “Harmony?”

  Jerking her eyes to where Jake now stood in all his naked glory framed in the doorway, she realized that she’d been so wrapped in her thoughts that she hadn’t heard the door open.

  “Darlin’, what is it?” he asked, his dark eyebrows pulling together as he walked toward her, eyes on her face.

  “Nothing,” Harmony lied, pasting on what she hoped was a convincing smile. “Just waiting for you to come back to bed.”

  “Hate lies, Harmony,” Jacob rumbled.

  So much for him letting her off the hook, she thought unhappily. Shake it off, she told herself sternly. “Really, honey, it’s nothing. Just got lost in my thoughts for a minute. That’s all.”

  “You look like you swallowed a bitter pill in the time I took to hit the head,” Jake noted, crawling back in the bed and stretching out on his side.

  “Don’t be silly,” she dismissed, rolling into him and leaning forward to plant her lips against his. It was dirty pool, trying to distract him, but she wasn’t ready to share.

  Not yet. Maybe not ever, but definitely not yet.

  Scratching her fingers through the hair on his chest, she drew back enough to smile at him. “I think my problem is that you’ve burned through all my fuel reserves. I need a snack.” There, that would work. She’d escape the bedroom for a minute, grab a little snack, and get her head back on straight.

  “A snack?” he echoed, lifting one eyebrow as he stared back at her.

  “Uh huh,” she agreed with a nod before rolling away from him and climbing to her feet. “Can I bring you something back up?” she offered, reaching for the overnight bag she’d brought with her and that he’d conveniently placed by the bed earlier in the day.

  “Just you,” she heard him say quietly. She found the nightgown she’d painstakingly chosen for their evening together, but hadn’t had an opportunity to use. Sliding the low-cut, deep emerald satin confection over her head, she turned to face him.

  Jake’s eyes darkened as they traveled up and down her body. The material clung to her curves in all the right places, and his body instantly responded to the visual, his dick growing hard and impatient against his belly. “You really expect me to let you out of my bedroom wearing that? Jesus, darlin’, I think you’re trying to kill me.”

  “Don’t complain. You didn’t give me time to model it for you earlier,” Harmony chided, adjusting the straps on her shoulders.

  “I ought to be shot for that,” Jacob returned with a grim nod, his eyes glittering as he watched her glide toward the door. “Hurry back to me, baby.”

  Harmony nodded over her shoulder and shot him a grin. “You might want me to take my time, Jake. In fact, I suggest you rest up. I plan on finding those chocolate
cookies you bought for me yesterday. Once I get a little energy burst, who knows what creative ways I’ll think of to burn off the calories?”

  She walked out on his low groan.

  Walking lightly down the stairs, she headed for the kitchen, flipping the lights on and locating the bag of cookies easily. Smiling as she pulled one out of the bag, she had to admit that after her crying jag a month ago, Jacob Stone had learned phenomenally fast. The man was never without at least two kinds of cookies. Grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge, she carried both toward her favorite room in the house.

  Entering his den, she hit the light switch with her elbow and looked around the room. It was one of the few areas in the house that was completely decorated. The walls painted a soothing taupe while the floors were hardwood. Thick scatter rugs were placed throughout the room, offering it a homey feel. He’d invested in a sumptuous brown leather couch and armchair that called to a person to sit down and stay awhile; an oversized plasma television dominated one entire wall. His heavy oak desk sat at the back of the room, facing a set of French doors that led to the back deck and offered a fantastic view of the mountains.

  Wandering toward the doors as she chewed on a cookie, she felt her shoulders relax. Even in the dead of night, the view of the snowcapped mountains was stunning, and she felt the tension seeping from her body just looking at it. Reaching behind her, she pulled Jake’s desk chair toward her, plopping her ass in the seat and resting her head against the pillowed headrest.

  This wasn’t bad, she assured herself. Falling in love was supposed to be scary, right? She could love Jake and still remain with her feet planted firmly in reality. She didn’t have to be one of those women that lost herself in the act of doing it. No. She was a McKinnon woman, dammit. Strong, determined, and self-reliant. She didn’t need a man. Having one was a choice she could make.

  She could also un-make the decision at any time, she reminded herself firmly. She was just going to take things one step at a time, enjoy the walk she was on, and remember that she could turn around and go home any time she wanted.

  Yeah, that would work, she told herself as she spun around in Jake’s desk chair and prepared to rise. Frowning, the manila folder on the corner of his desk caught her eye. Narrowing her gaze on it, she squinted her eyes and tried to see the name on the tab. It wasn’t really snooping if he left it in plain view, was it?

  Extending her arm, her fingertips had just grazed the corner of the folder when she heard footsteps on the stairs.

  “Babe?” Jacob called, rounding the corner and filling the doorway before she could blink. “I got lonely,” he admitted with a grin when she met his eyes. “You comin’ back to bed willingly or am I gonna let my inner caveman out to play?” he questioned, his lips tilting up in a wicked grin.

  “Wellllll…” she hedged, rising from his chair.

  “Caveman, it is,” he declared with a shrug, suddenly charging toward her like a bull and gently pulling her over his shoulder.

  Upside down, Harmony braced her hands against his hips and giggled. “This really isn’t necessary. I was going to come back all on my own,” she argued as he began to round the desk, carrying her like a sack of potatoes.

  “I don’t know. I kind of like the view of you from here,” he said, palming one globe of her ass and squeezing as he turned his head and nipped her satin clad hip.

  Lifting her head, Harmony caught a fleeting peek at the file she’d been trying to see before she was interrupted as he walked around the side of his desk. Unfortunately, she could only make out one word on the tab: McKinnon. Opening her mouth to question it, she gasped as she felt Jake’s hand slide underneath her nightgown and up her bare thigh.

  Then, all thoughts, questions, and musings fled for a very long time.

  Chapter Twenty-seven

  Pacing the length of Jake’s wraparound front porch nine hours later, Harmony chewed on her thumbnail and kept an eye out for her sisters’ cars. She’d activated the McKinnon phone tree an hour ago; she knew they’d show up. If there was one thing she could count on, it was that. They’d always show up if they were called. It’s what they did for each other.

  Turning to stare at Jake’s locked front door, she bit her lip. She was about to do something bad. Very bad. Awful, if she was honest about it.

  But she didn’t have much choice – not if she was going to remain sane. And since she had a kid, sanity wasn’t optional; it was necessary.

  She’d stayed up all night after he’d fallen asleep, doubts plaguing her as she remembered the file she’d seen on the corner of his desk. After she’d let him distract her – two more times- her thoughts had automatically gravitated back to his den and that damn file.

  She could have asked him about it. She probably should have asked him about it.

  Of course, she hadn’t asked him about it.

  Nope, instead, she’d lain beside him all night, wide awake, and wondered what was in that damn file. Her mind had manufactured some pretty interesting scenarios - everything from a background check to a contract for a hit had been deliberated by her overactive imagination.

  She also knew that Jake had been confused by her mood this morning. Quiet and withdrawn, she’d tried to put on a happy face and failed miserably. She’d blamed it on the change in weather – it had grown much colder overnight – but, she knew he wasn’t buying it. Luckily, he had let it go. She figured he was trying to offer her the time she needed to come to grips with the shift their relationship had taken. It’s what a good man would do.

  And she really hoped Jake was as good a man as she thought he was.

  He’d reminded her that he had business this morning when he’d taken her home and that he’d see her later in the day so that they could have their talk. She’d waited a whole forty-five minutes before she’d driven back to his house and called Faith, thus putting the sisters on alert.

  Now, she was waiting for back-up.

  Because she was about to be bad. Very bad.

  She was about to break into her boyfriend’s house and find out what was in that fucking file. Worse yet, Harmony fully intended to take her sisters along for her first foray into the murky world of illegal activity. It was only a mild comfort to remember her Daddy’s demand that his girls always stick together. She could still hear him saying, “Wrong or right, thick or thin, Harmony, girl, rely on each other. At the end of the day, all else might fall during a fight, but family will hold.”

  Man, she hoped he was right about that.

  Hearing a car motor approaching, Harmony turned her head and watched as Patience’s bright yellow convertible zipped up the driveway. Honest to God, she loved her sister’s flamboyant sense of style, but it was damn hard to fly under the radar in that kind of car. Wincing as the vehicle screeched to a stop just a few inches shy of her sedan, she sighed and reminded herself that lecturing her sister on her driving skills would only end in tears. Hers! Her sister couldn’t help herself. It was Patience’s way. The woman went full throttle in everything she did; it didn’t matter if it was living her life or driving her car. Full speed ahead was her sworn motto. She wished she’d gotten just a little of her wacky sister’s fearlessness.

  Slamming the door as she climbed out of the Mustang, Patience eyed her sister warily as she walked toward the steps. “Okay, I got the callout about half an hour ago. This better be good, sis! Your kid was up until after two this morning!” she threatened, tucking a lilac wisp of hair behind her ear.

  “Two?” Harmony balked. “Her bedtime is nine, Patience!”

  “Yeah, well, we got creative. We both took a nap after we got home from the cookout yesterday and might have decided that a pan of brownies made a better choice for supper than the lasagna Honor sent home with me. The sugar rush hit us around midnight and we had a Wiggles dance marathon. Sue me.” She shrugged carelessly. “I’m the fun aunt. You knew this when you enlisted my services.”

  This was true. Patience wasn’t much on discipline. Or diaper
s. She had steadfastly refused to hold Heaven for any length of time when she was a baby. She’d had strict potty control parameters. But once her daughter had gotten older and was able to maintain control of her bladder, her sister had kicked her auntly ass into high gear, regularly stealing Heaven away for many a sugar-filled slumber party. It was a hard fact; Patience definitely loved her niece and wasn’t shy about spoiling her now.

  Ignoring the thunderous look on Harmony’s face, Patience forged ahead with her typical bluntness. “Why the hell did you drag my flawless ass out of bed, Harm? What’s goin’ on? Where’s Jake?” she asked, looking around and seeing his Harley missing. “Is he even here?”

  Taking a deep breath, Harmony replied, “Jake’s at some kind of business meeting. He shouldn’t be back for hours. As for why I called, I’d rather explain that just once. Let’s wait for Honor and Faith. They were gonna leave that new waitress they hired last week in charge, but Honor wanted to make sure that Aunt Orla could stay with her in case she had any problems. They should be here anytime.”

  Tilting her head to the side, Patience narrowed her eyes. “Uh huh,” she grunted. “Oh-kay. I’ll let the reason behind this impromptu mission go for now. On the condition you spill about last night,” she continued with a wink. “I want details. How was your sleepover with Mr. Badass Biker Babe? Does he look as delicious in bed as he does out of it? And do those tats of his go anywhere interesting?”

  “Patience!” Harmony gaped, her eyes going wide as she felt her cheeks begin to burn.

  “Hmmm. I can see by the fetching shade of bright red your face is turning that he was and they did,” Patience cackled, propping a hip against the porch banister. “So, are we talkin’ cucumber or banana?”

  “What?” Harmony choked, shaking her head at her crazy sister’s probing questions.

  “His dick, Harmony! Chicken snake or mighty Python?” she asked unrepentantly, an impish smile curving her lips. “C’mon! I watched your kid so your hoo-hah could get the workout it’s needed for freaking years! Help your little sister out here. Let me live vicariously through you. Jake looks like he’d be packin’. Is he packin’?” she asked eagerly.