by Candis Terry
And he gave.
Long, slow strokes with passionate kisses and the murmurings of a lover’s language. Touches both gentle and rough. Tender and careless.
With each push and pull of his cock inside her body, she drifted a little higher. Reached a little further. Panted a little harder. She encouraged him with words no lady would ever speak and touched him with every ounce of what was in her heart. Faster he plunged and retreated, pushing her toward the edge of the cliff. Then one slight change in motion, one small adjustment in position, and she exploded. Flew over that cliff and took him with her.
Hearts pounding together, Jake wrapped her tight in his arms and leaned all his weight into her. When she climbed down from the top of the roller coaster, she worried that the strain on his injured thigh might have been too much. Then she felt his smile against the bare slope of her shoulder. Felt his gentle laughter against her breasts.
“Are you okay?” she asked, stroking her hands up and down his back.
“No.” He chuckled. “Thank God.”
“Oh, Jake.” She wrapped her arms around him. Wanted to tell him she loved him. But it was too soon.
“Annabelle? Anytime you want to take matters into your own hands, I’d be happy to be at your mercy.”
“I’m so glad to hear that.” She kissed the center of his chest. “And since you seem to like the red outfit, I can’t wait to show you the black.”
“You ever decide to show up in one of these lacy things in white? I might have to marry you.”
She knew he’d meant it as a joke, even as she wished it wasn’t. “Is that a threat or a promise?”
“You can look at it anyway you want.” He kissed her again. “As long as you only look at me.”
Why would she want to look anywhere else?
“Jake? We didn’t use a condom.”
“I know. And I’m sorry. So sorry.” He kissed her three times quick. “Lack of control. Completely. Tell me you’re a hell of a lot more responsible than I am.”
“I’m on the pill. I learned my lesson.”
“That’s good. But just so you know for peace of mind, I’ve been poked, prodded, and put deep under the U.S. Marine’s microscope. And I guarantee I’m cleaner than the window wizard on a sparkling day.”
The comparison made no sense, but it made her laugh anyway. “I kind of like that I made you lose control.”
“Maybe so. But I want you to know I’d never run out on you.” He tilted her chin up, looked her deep into her eyes. “Never.”
Nothing in the world could have prepared her for the tidal wave of emotion his words brought. Even greater still was the look of sheer determination on his face when he said them.
“Ditto.”
Jake reached across the chaise lounge and took Annie’s hand. Above them, a million stars dotted the velvet sky. Between them, the light of one small candle. In front of them, his dream.
“Can you picture it?” he asked, giving her hand a squeeze, needing some kind of reassurance that he wasn’t just some crazy dreamer.
“I can. And it’s beautiful.” She closed her eyes. “I think you have an amazing imagination. And I can’t wait to see the results.”
He’d spent nearly an hour walking her through every step he’d planned in his mind and on paper. He’d shown her the sketches. For whatever the reason, her approval meant everything to him.
“I don’t know anything about decorating the inside of the house,” he said, giving her hand a squeeze. “Might have to call Charli in for that. But this . . . this I know.”
“I remember you were always building stuff when you were a kid. But the things that always got me the most were the birdhouses you made from the fallen wood you found on the hillsides. The careful details you put into the designs always inspired me.”
“To build birdhouses?”
“To become a bird.”
He laughed. “They were the only things I could make that didn’t turn out to be a competition with the others. Jared was always good at being the peacemaker. I figured one day, he’d go into some kind of philanthropic career though he swore he wanted to be in law enforcement. Reno had the artistic talent. Jesse was the one who shone when it came to caring for the animals. Jackson always got the most attention because he was the one who’d put himself out there the most. For a long time, I didn’t know where I fit.”
“I never knew that bothered you,” she said. “Usually, the baby of the family gets the most attention.”
“I never looked for the attention. Just wanted to figure out what it was that got my mind working and my heart spinning.”
“And you found that in working with things from nature?”
“I got satisfaction from that. But you . . .”
“Me?”
“Yeah. You.” He pulled her close and kissed the tip of her nose. “You make my heart spin.”
“Oh, Jake.”
“Oh, Jake what?”
“Oh, Jake . . .” She leaned her head on his shoulder. “If I’m not careful, you’ll completely steal my heart.”
“I’m a bad risk, Annie.” Even as he said it, he tightened his arms around her. “You’d be smart to run fast in the opposite direction.”
“Maybe.” She smoothed her hand in little circles right over his heart. “But I’ve never been very good at running. Too top-heavy for that.”
He chuckled. “I’d pay to see it.”
She rolled over on the chaise and ended up on top of him. His dick instantly grew hard. He’d had women, and he’d wanted women. But he’d never wanted a woman as much as he wanted her.
Her hands stroked through his hair as the plump lusciousness of her breasts pushed into his chest. “I ran once . . . all the way to Seattle,” she said. “It was a stupid thing to do, and it brought me nothing but heartache. So if you don’t mind, I’ll stay right here and take my chances.”
Relief eased through his veins like slow, melted honey. “Are you sure?”
“Mmm-hmm.” She kissed his mouth, slipping her tongue inside and tasting him like he was one of those watermelon candies she favored. “Just tell me one thing.”
“What’s that?” He smoothed his hands down her back and squeezed her sweet ass.
“What are you running from? I mean . . . I know what happened. And I understand—the best I can. But that day I walked up and you were holding Max and Adeline in your arms, I could tell something was really wrong. And then you rode off and—”
“I know.”
“Talk to me, Jake.” She kissed him. “It’s important that you talk.”
He nodded, then rolled them both so they were lying on their sides looking at each other. Annie meant a lot to him. And he knew, eventually he’d have to tell her the truth.
“I’m running from myself, I guess.” He glided his hand over her shoulder and down the curve of her waist. He couldn’t stop touching her if his life depended on it.
“I can’t ever forget the part I played in Eli and the others getting killed or injured. Eli was my best friend. His wife is expecting their first child. Because of me, that child will never know its father. It’s guilt at the highest level, Annie. I want to forget. Every damn time I look at those babies, I want to forget, so I can pick them up in my arms and love them. But it’s not right. Not right for me to feel that love—that simple pleasure—when Eli is cold in the ground because of me.”
“Oh, Jake.”
“I made a promise to Eli. A promise that I’d look after Rebecca if anything happened. A promise that I’d make sure she was taken care of.” He took a breath and closed his eyes because the pain hit him square in the chest. “I haven’t contacted her once since I’ve been home. Not. Once.”
“I’m sure she understands that it’s painful for you.”
“Doesn’t matter. I pussed out. Eli would be s
o pissed at me right now. But he could never be as pissed at me as I am at myself.”
She cupped his face between her hands, leaned in, and kissed him with so much heart that it almost shattered his. “I think you’ve got it all wrong.”
“What do you mean?”
“I don’t think you need to forget.” Her fingers tenderly stroked his face. “I think you need forgiveness.”
Dawn broke through a crack in the curtains, and Jake eased his eyes open. The first thing he noticed was the extra warmth in the bed. Then came the sweet scent of the woman curled up next to him, one arm across his chest, one leg thrown over his thigh. That it was his injured thigh didn’t matter. The extra weight added comfort. Still, with the effects of helping move all those boxes and furniture yesterday, then the sexual acrobatics he and Annie seemed to favor, it would take him a bit to get moving.
Not that he was in any hurry.
Hank, his usual nighttime partner, had disappeared during the night. Instead of sleeping at the foot of Jake’s bed, he kept watch at the foot of the crib.
Rolling to his side, Jake smiled when Annie gave a little sigh, then snuffled right back into his arms. He had to wonder how it would be waking up like this every morning. If it would always be like this. For two people who never seemed to get along, he was surprised to find how well they fit. And right now, with her so warm and enticing, he planned to take advantage.
He slid his hand down the curve of her waist and hip, then back up to cup the plump weight of her breast. He leaned in and placed featherlight kisses over the slope of her smooth shoulder. He teased the peak of her breast with a swirl of his tongue, then drew the puckered flesh into his mouth. A long moan hummed in her throat. When he looked up, she was smiling. He took one last lick and kissed his way back up to her neck before he rolled her beneath him.
“Mmmm. I hope you’re not going to stop there.”
He chuckled. “Not unless someone breaks through the door with a shotgun.”
“There’s one over the front door, but I can’t think of a single soul who’d be brave enough to interrupt.” She slid her hand between them, curled her fingers around his erection, and gave him a long stroke with such perfect pressure it nearly crossed his eyes. Then she guided him to her slick, moist entrance, and he pushed inside.
For thirty-one years, he’d woken alone in a bed, except for the times he and his brothers would watch a horror flick that left them all too scared to sleep alone, and they’d pile up in the middle of the living room floor. Or the times after Reno came to live with them, and he’d have a nightmare. They’d all pile up together in the middle of the bedroom floor. Jake had slept in women’s beds, but he’d never woken up with one in his arms come morning.
Annie was his first.
In many ways.
Unlike last night’s frantic mating, he made love to her sweet and slow. And when they came together, he knew he’d probably look far and wide before he found anything or anyone to compare.
They’d barely finished when Max began to stir in the bedroom next door.
Annie chuckled. “Right on cue.”
“He an early-morning riser?”
She nodded. “He’s only just started to sleep until the sun comes up. Before that, he was as nocturnal as a bat.”
“Mamamamama.”
“Annnnd . . . there’s the clincher.” She pushed the covers off her legs to go to her son.
Jake pushed the covers back over her legs and got out of bed. “I’ll get him.”
The look on Annie’s face was priceless. “Are you sure? Last night you—”
“Last night made everything different.” He pulled on his jeans and leaned in for a quick kiss. “I’ll get him.”
“Okay.” She leaned back on the pillows.
It felt good that she trusted him.
Now he just had to trust himself.
When he went into the bedroom and turned on the light, Max was obviously surprised to see Jake and not his mommy. Hank was less surprised as he stood up and stretched, then instantly found another spot on the floor to lie. Max stood up in the crib, gripped the rails with his chubby little hands, and gave Jake a smile. He’d been so taken with waking to find Annie in his arms and wondering how that would feel every morning. And now, he wondered how it would feel to be a part of Max’s life too. To watch and help him grow. To teach him the things a boy needed to know—like realizing that a good woman didn’t just fall into your lap every day.
“Hey, little man. I’ll bet you’re ready for a diaper change.” Inhaling a “you can do this” breath, Jake reached into the crib and lifted Max into his arms. A rush of emotion clogged his chest when Max patted his cheeks and grinned. He cupped the back of the boy’s sweaty little head and pressed his cheek against the unruly blond curls. Guilt swarmed him like he’d stepped into a hive of wasps that stung him deep.
He took another breath, felt the beat of Max’s little heart, and emotion overwhelmed him in a completely different way.
With Max snuggled in his arms, Jake felt love. And protectiveness. And hope.
“I’m not that experienced with all this,” he said to Max. “So bear with me. Okay?”
Max guffawed and eased Jake’s pain to a degree. He laid the boy down on the floor and unzipped the diaper bag to pull out a fresh diaper and wipes. Max escaped Jake’s single handhold like Houdini. Before he could crawl away, Jake grabbed him and pulled him back. Max giggled. When Jake reached for the bag, Max escaped again. He crawled farther this time and, grinning, looked over his shoulder at Jake. Game on, he seemed to say. Jake laughed, grabbed Max’s chunky ankles, and pulled him back again. “So that’s the way you want to play this?”
Max chortled.
“Dude, you’re messing with a Marine. There’s no way you’re going to win.”
Max slapped his little hands against his belly and continued to laugh, while Jake managed to get the sleepers unzipped and off one foot before he escaped again.
Female amusement came from the doorway. “How’s it going, Lieutenant?”
“The target is restless.”
“You need some help?”
“Nope. I got this.” Jake pushed away the pain and allowed himself to enjoy the fun and games. “I’m all in, Annie.”
“I can see that.” She crossed the room, leaned down, and kissed the top of his head. “How about while you wrestle with Hulk Hogan, I go wrestle us up something to eat?”
“Sounds good.”
She turned to leave the room.
“Hey, Annie?”
“Yeah?”
He looked up, caught her smile, and returned it. “Thanks.”
“For?”
“Not giving up on me.”
She came back into the room, tucked her hand beneath his chin, and kissed him again. “No problem, Jake. I’m all in too.”
Chapter 13
Grocery shopping before a busy lunch shift at Bud’s wasn’t Annie’s preferred way to spend the morning. But after she’d dropped Max off at the sitter’s, she had to deal with the Old Mother Hubbard syndrome and admit her cupboards were bare. Normally, she didn’t allow things to become so depleted, but for the past two weeks, she and Max had spent more time at Wilder Ranch than her own house. Which worked out just fine for her. Because spending more time with the man she loved and being able to help him put together his house in a fashion that made it feel more like a home than an empty shell was Annie’s own version of heaven.
As she pushed the wobbling cart with the wiggly wheel down the pasta and soup aisle of the Touch and Go Market she dodged the oncoming cart of Pauline Purdy. Pauline and her husband Paul owned the T&G. Pauline, in a very 1960s way, had hair that nearly reached to the overhead lights and enough food storage going on beneath her girdle to see her through several winters. In Annie’s eyes, Pauline wasn’t a nice perso
n. Not just because the woman liked to throw her ample weight around town to try and make everyone feel inferior but because the overly made-up biddy had once falsely accused Abby of having an affair with her husband Paul.
Paul was the other half of his wife. There was plenty of him to go around too. Except at the top of his head. There, one would find a gnarly comb-over that could star in its own Saturday Night Live skit. Annie knew that no matter how desperate her sister might have been at any point in her life, she’d never be desperate enough to give Roly-Poly-Paul a roll in the hay. Not even if she’d been starving. Still, he’d never come to her sister’s defense when Pauline had fired her. For that, Annie was sorry there was only one grocery store in town where she could shop.
“Why, Annie Morgan.” Pauline pressed a hand to the side of her overly lacquered hair. “Imagine seeing you here.”
“It’s a surprise that I need groceries?”
Pauline’s cart was filled to overflowing whereas Annie had to carefully pick and choose after doing price comparisons.
“It was just an expression, dear.”
“Was it?”
“I see you’re stocking up on diapers. Did you know the most popular brand keeps a baby drier?”
Yes. And the most popular brand cost two dollars more a box. That was two dollars she could use on food for his tummy.
“Thanks, I’ll keep that in mind.”
“And how is your little one?”
Was it Annie’s imagination that the woman’s lip lifted in a sneer? And why was Pauline talking to her anyway? On any given day, the woman would tip up her nose and keep walking.
“He’s fine.” Annie eased her cart by and tried to keep moving.
“Oh. By the way.”
Annie rolled her eyes. Nothing good ever came from a by-the-way.
“I heard Jana Wilder moved out of her house and is living in sin with that good-looking Mr. Lane now.”
“Is that a question? Or are you trying to make a point?”
“Just making note, dear. No need to get in a tiff.”
