by Ali Parker
She bit her tongue as she thrashed beneath him, the pleasure drowning her in thick waves. He moved up to his knees as she let out a string of praises for his efficiency.
"Hush, silly woman." He reached down and gripped her hips, pulling her closer to him as he gripped his cock with his free hand and rubbed the thick tip of it down her sex. "God, that's hot. You're so wet and warm. I love you so much."
She laughed. His words were out of place. Naughty and sweet, but that was Jake.
He froze and lifted his eyes to her face. "What's so funny?"
"You. You're just precious. Stop talking and come here." She reached for his forearm, wrapping her fingers around it and pulling at him. "I want to feel you pressed against me."
"Me too." He moved down and pressed into her as he flattened himself to the top of her. "Smells so good in here, like your lust."
She pressed her mouth to the side of his strong neck and ran her hands down his back to grope at his ass. "Our lust."
"That too." He rolled his hips, filling her completely. They groaned in tandem and he wedged his hands in between the bed and her, wrapping his hands around her ass tightly as he drove into her.
The sound of him enjoying himself combined with the deep thrusts of his body into hers left her coming unglued quickly. "Jake. Shit."
"Yeah, baby?" He pressed himself to the hilt and lifted up on his hands, the movement leaving his thick arm muscles locked in place.
She reached up and ran her hands down them before pumping her hips a little to massage his thick cock. "You're almost too much for me."
"I don't think so." He glanced down and let out a low groan. "I love watching you fuck me."
"Good. I plan on doing it for a long time." She wrapped her hands around his neck and pulled him down to rest against her before wrapping her legs around his waist. He took back over their sex and they both let out soft cries as their orgasms hit around the same time.
Jake bucked against her, forcing her to ride out both her pleasure and his. It was blistering and yet loving all at the same time.
"I'm so glad you came to Bar Harbor, baby. What would I do without you?" He snuggled against her, his warmth and strength all-consuming.
"Me too." She ran her hand down his back, memorizing the beautifully sculpted muscles from all his hours in the gym. "We don't have to consider what we would do without each other. It's a wasted thought."
"Very true-"
Kari yelped as someone banged on the door loudly. Clint. "Merry Christmas. Get up you horn-dogs. It's time to do presents!"
"What are you? Twelve?" Jake lifted up and yelled over his back as Kari scrambled to get the covers while pushing Jake off of her.
The door never opened, but just in case it did...
"Damn, that scared me." She finally pushed him off, and enjoyed a little too much the chance to watch him roll across the bed naked.
"He wouldn't open the door. He values his life." Jake chuckled and got up, his ass on full display.
Kari rolled on her side and studied him as desire swelled deep inside of her stomach. "Damn."
He glanced over his shoulder and gave her a cocky smile. "See something you like?"
"Yes. I like it a lot." She giggled as he turned and jumped back on the bed, tickling her as he pulled her close.
"Good thing it's yours then. Otherwise you'd be a very naughty girl. Coveting some poor man's body." He nipped at her nose. "And I bet you're having dirty thoughts about all the pleasure you might find with him too, aren't you? Just tell me. I know it's true."
"I always think about all the naughty things I can do with my man's body." She squeezed him and rolled out from underneath him before getting up.
"Can we go over these things? Like a game plan. I'm a coach. I like knowing what the strategy looks like before we start the play."
"Behave and get dressed." Kari laughed over her shoulder at the look on his handsome face. He was an amazing boyfriend, and he would be the perfect husband and a great father. Her heart swelled in her chest just thinking about it.
The sound of Jake breathing in deeply had her turning as she reached back to buckle her bra.
"Mom made her breakfast casserole. It's a Christmas tradition." He smiled and walked toward the door with his t-shirt in his hand. The plaid sleeping pants he had on fit him almost too well.
"It's five in the morning. She got up at four and made breakfast?" Kari pulled her shirt over her head and leaned down to get her pants, putting them on quickly as Jake's hand hovered over the doorknob.
"No, it's an overnight casserole, so she made it last night while we were playing games. You didn't smell the sausage last night?" He reached over and flipped on the light.
"Yeah, but I guess I didn't put two and two together." She picked up her socks and nodded. "I'm ready."
"Good. I love Christmas morning." He opened the door and laughed. Landon and Clint were in the hall, looking like they were up to no good. It was a look she was getting used to expecting from both of them.
"All right. I'll get Mom. You get Dad, Clint, and Jake, you jump in the middle of the bed. Kari can flip the lights in their room off and on like Kade would normally do." Landon wagged his eyebrows and glanced around. "Everyone know their place?"
"Wait. What?" Kari took Jake's hand and walked down the hall toward his parents’ room.
"Just flip the lights off and on really fast. We've always scared the shit out of my parents on Christmas morning. It's tradition."
"Well, we should stop that tradition here with your family." She gave him a look.
He laughed. "No way. Our kids are going to covet this tradition."
"You guys ready?" Clint glanced back as Landon reached out and gripped the doorknob. "You have to be ready. It's a concerted effort, a joined mission."
"Oh, brother. Let's do it. Stop talking so damn much," Kari mumbled and moved through the boys as the door opened. She turned and flipped the lights on and off, putting her back to the Isaacs just in case.
"Merry Christmas!" the guys yelled as screams and laughter filled the room.
Kari glanced over her shoulder to see the guys bouncing on the bed and their parents swatting at them. Joy choked her at the sight before her.
Jake's family was perfect, and hopefully before long, they would be her family too. It was more than she could dream about, and yet it would be hers.
She was far too blessed.
Chapter 15
Jake
"You guys are getting too old for jumping in the bed. You almost broke it this morning." Jake's mother looked over her shoulder as Jake and his brothers stood around the cinnamon rolls she'd just pulled out of the oven. Nothing had changed.
"You love it, Mom." Jake moved up behind his mom and ran his hands over her shoulders, squeezing softly before leaning forward to kiss her cheek. "Thanks for breakfast. It looks amazing."
"You're the best cooker in the world, Momma." Clint pushed at Jake and took his place, pulling his mom in a hug.
"Brother." Jake rolled his eyes and looked around. "Where's Kari?"
"She's on the porch with your father. They seem to be out there a lot. Did you say her dad wasn't part of the picture when she was growing up?" Jake's mom turned and gave him a loving look.
"I don't know much, like I said last night." He wrapped his arms around his chest and let out a sigh. "I'd be happy to share Daddy with her. You too."
"I don't think you have much of a choice." His mom glanced over her shoulder and scowled. "Did you boys already eat half of that pan of cinnamon rolls?"
"Duh, Mom." Landon laughed and licked at his fingers. "Why in the world wouldn't we?"
Jake walked back toward the counter where the pan lay and picked up a plate, hoping to save Kari one of the rolls before his brothers ate them all.
"Pig," he mumbled at Landon and glanced up to find his little brother watching him closely. Landon's blue eyes were filled with some hidden emotion, his messy blond/brown hair making him loo
k ten years younger than he was.
Landon snorted and reached out, stealing the sticky bun off Jake's plate before running to the living room.
"There are five more. Nugget head." Jake got another one and walked toward the back door. "I'm going to go out on the porch with Kari and Dad. Make sure they aren't naming our kids together."
"You know your father. He loves the sound of little feet. I'm sure he's ready to have some around here again." Her voice was filled with emotion.
It was time. Where Jake's older brother, Kade, should have been the first to produce kids, he was too busy with his military career. He wasn't involved with anyone, or no one that Jake knew of. A sharp echo of pain rolled around in his chest over Kade not being home. It didn't seem right.
"You haven't been home for Christmas in four years thanks to Bethany," Jake mumbled under his breath and walked out onto the porch as Kari and his father turned their attention on him.
"You talking to yourself, son?"
"Sure am, Dad. I'm the only one that won't disagree with me." He offered them a cheeky smile and sat down beside Kari, lifting the plate toward them.
"Thanks," his father responded and grabbed one of the two rolls.
Should have brought three.
"Share this one with me?" Kari picked up the other one and gave him a knowing smile, reading him like an open book.
"Yeah." He smiled and took the bigger half when she offered it. "Thanks, baby."
"Thank you." She took a bite and groaned. "Wow. These are the best rolls I've ever had. Don't tell Sicily."
"Never." Jake winked and wrapped his arm around her shoulders as he continued to eat the sticky goodness. "Hey, Dad, what's going on with Kade? When is he coming home again? Will he be here for PawPaw's birthday?"
"He should." Jake's father cleared his throat. "I'm hoping we get to talk to him on Skype here in a few hours. He usually calls on the holidays, so maybe we'll get lucky today. He's asked about you several times."
Jake's relationship with his older brother was a little more tense than his younger brothers, but that was Kade's fault. He was a withdrawn, unhappy type of guy no matter what was going on around him. His soured expression and stiff disposition probably fit well in the military. Chances were that no one was messing with him in the slightest. Jake could only hope that he had a few friends, or at least someone to talk to.
The back door opened, and Jake's mom leaned out. "I'm getting ready to start the stuffing prep. We'll open gifts after that."
"You need help?" Kari moved to the edge of the swing, and Jake couldn't help but notice the slight downturn in his father's expression. He didn't want Kari to leave. Too funny.
"Absolutely. You need to know this family recipe. It's Jake's favorite." She smiled and moved back, letting the screen door slam shut.
"All right, boys. I'm needed in the kitchen." She got up and walked toward the house, but paused and turned. "And I like the name Thomas. Thanks."
Jake rolled his eyes and glanced over at his father. "You're naming my kids already, aren't you?"
"You know I love naming things." He smiled. "Come here."
Jake moved over into his open arm and rested against the older man. "I love her. I'm going to ask her to marry me at New Year’s."
"You knew I was going to ask?" His father chuckled deep in his chest.
"Of course I did. You've been waiting for me to get married since I was a boy." He patted his hand on his knee and let out a content sigh. "She's perfect for me."
"I couldn't agree more. We weren't sure you would survive losing Bethany, but she was never good for you. She was convenient and you loved her because she was in your face, loving you. That's not true love, Jake. It's settling."
"I get that now." Jake leaned forward and pressed his forearms to his thighs. "You like her, hm?"
"I do. I always wanted a little girl. Your mom and I prayed hard for a daughter, but it never happened."
Jake glanced back as his father's voice broke a little. "Us boys weren't enough?" He chuckled as his dad gave him a look.
"You were more than enough. We're beyond proud of all of you. There's just something soft about a woman that keeps the wheels turning. I think if we had to live without them we would be far too stiff and unyielding. Your mom makes me the man I'm proud to be today." He squeezed Jake's shoulder. "You know we need to get into the kitchen and pick things out of the stuffing bowl."
"Yeah. We should totally annoy them. It's our job." Jake stood up and turned to pull his dad into a tight hug.
"It's our duty." He wrapped his arms around Jake tightly. "I love you, boy. I'm so proud of who you are, but I'm excited about who you're about to become. Kari will make you better, stronger, and your kids will help you enjoy all of it more."
"Thanks, Dad." Jake pulled back and turned, trying like hell not to get choked up. His father had always been an open kinda guy in the context of family. He was only getting softer as he got older. Without a doubt, he would be the perfect grandfather to Jake and Kari's kids.
Gotta give her the ring first.
"You ladies need a little bit of help in here?" Jake walked in as Kari and his mother glanced up from their cooking.
"No. And don't come in here messing with us." His mother put her hand on her hip. Her gaze shifted to Jake's dad. "I'm warning you, handsome. You come over here and start taste testing before it's done and you're going to be in trouble."
"Define trouble." Jake's dad wagged his eyebrows, and Kari laughed loudly as Jake gagged and made a beeline for the living room. A nap sounded perfect before the festivities of the day began. Now, if he could just get Kari to join him. By the sounds of things, he was out of luck.
Chapter 16
Kari
"Perfect." Jake's mom picked up the pan of stuffing she and Kari had been working on for the last half hour.
"I've never had stuffing with cornbread." Kari held her hands in front of her and walked to the sink to wash them. Apparently in Texas, people used their hands to mash up the stuffing and stir the tea. It was odd.
"Then you are in for a real treat." Clint walked into the kitchen and moved around to turn the water on for Kari. He picked up the soap and squirted it on her hands while smiling.
"Thanks. Is this your job on stuffing days?" She chuckled at the cute look on his handsome face. How the bleach-blond hottie wasn't dating someone was beyond her.
"Absolutely. It means I don't have to stick my hands in that gushy stuff. Ugh." He scowled and reached for a hand towel. "Here you go."
"Thanks." She took it and wiped her hands off, looking around afterward to find Jake's mom had disappeared. "Where are you living now?"
"I'm in San Francisco." He lifted his hands toward the ceiling and stretched, the movement showing off his chiseled abs. "You guys should come and visit sometime. We could go see the bridge and stuff."
"I'd love that." She reached over and tugged his shirt down. "Why aren't you dating anyone? Jake mentioned that you're going to be forever single."
"Because women are either beautiful or smart. I need both." He shrugged and moved around her to reach for the cinnamon rolls, obviously not getting the intensity of his insult toward Kari. "I hate coming to Mom’s because I'll gain ten pounds, but it's just so-" He turned back to Kari and lifted a roll toward his mouth, but paused. "What? Did I do something?"
Her eyebrow was lifted as far as she could force it to. "So am I pretty or am I smart, because I'm not both, right?"
"Oh, fuck. That's not what I meant." His cheeks burned red, leaving him beyond cute. Jake was right to be worried around his brothers. He was handsome as hell, but Landon was playboy cute and Clint was stunning. Good thing she already saw them as brothers. She felt nothing for anyone but Jake Isaac. He had the lockdown on her emotions, her desire and her future.
"No? That's what you said." She gave him a cheeky grin as Jake walked up behind him quietly and wrapped him in a bear hug.
"What did you say to my girl?" Jake sho
ok his brother, and Kari was a little surprised he could pick Clint up. He was buff, body-builder buff.
Wait... did Jake say he was a body builder? It wouldn't surprise her in the least.
"I told her that she was brilliant and beautiful," he mumbled between laughter. "Put me down you old ass."
"Old ass?" Kari moved toward them and reached up to tickle Clint.
He squirmed and kicked as she backed up, laughing. Jake put him down only to be tackled in the middle of the kitchen floor.
"Oh, Lord." Kari rolled her eyes and walked around them to the living room. She paused at the edge of it to see Landon talking to someone on a laptop. He glanced up and smiled.
"Come here and meet Kade. He's the oldest of us." Landon waved her over.
She glanced back, hoping like hell that Jake was there. It seemed weird to not have Jake beside her when meeting their older brother.
"This is Kari, man. She's Jake's soon-to-be wife." He reached out and Kari sat down and leaned against him as she lifted her hand.
"Hi." She forced a smile as the air sucked from the room. He was so far beyond beautiful he didn't look real. Photoshop would have had a run for its money.
"Hi, Kari. Nice to meet you. My brother taking good care of you?" His voice had no inflection, his blue eyes no life. What in the world would cause someone like him to live in numbness? He was numb. There was little to no life in him as they spoke for a few more minutes. He was nothing like his brothers.
"I told Jake he doesn't deserve a girl this pretty." Landon laughed, and Kade nodded, his expression tight and unyielding.
"I agree." His eyes shifted over toward Kari. "And you're from New York?"
"Yes. We live in Maine now, but my family is still in New York. In the slums of New York." She gave him a cheeky grin and he nodded.
"Nice place up there. I love the snow especially."
Jake walked into the living room and extended his hand. "Come on. Let's go make out in the barn."
She rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to Kade. Dark hair, tanned skin, deep blue eyes the color of the ocean. Gorgeous and yet completely dead on the inside.
