Coming around to help her out, he took great care, remembering her bruises. Drawing her to his side, he let a profound sensation of possessiveness wash over him.
Guiding her across the yard and up the steps, he opened the massive front door. Jessie felt funny going inside. Before, she had only been on the outside looking in. In spite of her nervousness, she couldn’t help but admire Jacob’s home. It was a log house of huge proportions. She knew it would have to be big to house six men and whatever family or company that they would have. The colors were warm and inviting and the furniture was oversized and comfortable looking. There was a lot of leather and the floors and walls were a warm golden oak. Her eyes gravitated to a huge fireplace and all she could think about was how beautiful it would look decorated for Christmas with stockings hanging up for each of the family members. She could imagine one small stocking among the larger ones - one just the size for her baby. Shaking her head, she brought herself back to reality.
“Come on in the kitchen, Sweets. That’s where most of the action takes place.” Tucking her under his arm, he announced their arrival. “Libby! We’re home!”
“Jacob!” With an excited cry, a whirlwind came from the direction of the kitchen. Jessie was enveloped in a hug that smelled just like sugar cookies. “Jessie! It’s so wonderful to meet you! Thank you so much for saving my Nathan!” She was pulled from Jacob’s grasp and tugged into the most beautiful kitchen she had ever seen. It was easily the size of some restaurants she had been in. The cabinets were made of that same beautiful golden oak and the commercial appliances were made of stainless steel.
“You must love to cook in this kitchen!” Jessie was a little bit jealous.
“I do. This is the heart of our home.” Libby pulled out a chair and invited her to sit. Jessie continued to look around and take it all in. The floors were a warm, dark Mexican tile and the dining table was big enough for a dozen people. The sound of a wheelchair drew her attention. Due to the flurry of Libby’s welcome, she hadn’t realized that Jacob had disappeared. “Jessie, this is my brother, Joseph. Joseph, this is Jessie Montgomery.” Jacob pushed Joseph’s wheelchair right up to the table.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Joseph.” And it was. Even in her limited experience, she had heard of Joseph McCoy. He had broken records in every sport imaginable. Truly, he was one of the best athletes Texas had ever produced. Plus, he was one of the most handsome men she had ever met. His being in that wheelchair did not take one iota of his attractiveness away. Jessie wondered if he understood that.
“The pleasure’s all mine, Beautiful.” It was easy to see that the sweet talk and silver tongue was a family trait.
Jacob bristled, even though he knew his brother didn’t mean anything by the endearment. “Do I need to say ‘Tag’?” Jacob growled, irritably. ‘Tag’ had always been the code word that the McCoy brothers used to alert the others that a particular female had been honed in on and weeded out of the herd for his own personal delectation.
Joseph snorted. “Gotcha, brother.”
Jessie looked on, not understanding what was going on.
“Sit back down, Sweetness.” He kept a hand on her back. The gesture did not go unnoticed by either Joseph or Libby. “Libs, I know that ya’ll were going out to supper, but would you mind if we raided the refrigerator? Jessie and I are kinda hungry.”
Jessie wanted to crawl under the table. “Please, don’t go to any trouble on my account.” She looked at Jacob, begging him not to single her out. About that time, Jessie’s stomach growled loud enough to serve as a wild game call for mountain lions. Everyone laughed, but her. Instantly, Libby began pulling things out of the fridge: roast chicken, baked ham and potato salad. A huge chocolate cake was set in the middle of the table and Jacob handed her a large foaming glass of ice-cold milk. “How’s that, Doll?”
Jessie looked at the food, almost reverently. “Thank you, it looks and smells wonderful.”
“Dig in,” he ordered her.
A commotion at the front door drew their attention. “Nathan’s home!” Libby squealed as she hurried from the room, closely followed by Joseph.
“You stay and eat. We’ll all be right back.” Jacob ordered her, but Jessie couldn’t keep from following him. She was absolutely taken with the whole family, and she wanted to see Nathan pretty badly herself. When she arrived in the living room, she hung back and just watched - amazed at the level of testosterone in the room. She swallowed, nervously. It looked like all the handsome men in Texas were gathered in one spot. She didn’t know the names and the faces, but it was obvious that they were all McCoy’s. And she had no problem picking out the leader of the pack. He was intimidating. Aron. Jacob confirmed her suspicions. “That big, ugly one is our older brother Aron.” By the affection in his voice and the respect in his tone, there was no doubt what Jacob’s true feelings toward his brother were.
Nathan was basking in the attention. “Aron, this is Jessie Montgomery, the woman that saved our Nathan.” Aron met Jacob’s eyes. The name wasn’t lost on him. Jacob winked, hoping to God that Aron got the hint and didn’t say anything about the baby. He didn’t have to worry; Aron was one smooth operator.
Approaching Jessie, he picked up her hand and slowly brought it to his lips. “I am honored to meet you, Jessie Montgomery. Welcome to our home.” At his sexy gallantry, Jessie glanced nervously at Libby, but she was smiling. There was no doubt, Libby was well aware she held Aron’s heart in her hand.
“My turn,” another voice broke through. Now, this was a surprise. Jessie hadn’t expected to see a biker so at home among a room full of cowboys, but here he was. “I’m Isaac, Pretty Lady. Let me add my thanks to you for jumping in after our boy.”
“She didn’t jump in, she was hit by the same fool that ran down Nathan,” Jacob clarified. “Jessie, meet our own Evel Knievel, the badass of our family.”
Isaac smiled on the outside, but bristled on the inside. Tonight was the night that he proved to his family that there was more to him than leather, chains and a bad attitude.
A touch to her arm caused Jessie to turn, finding yet another hot hunk. This one was different, with golden hair and serious eyes. He was easily the most handsome of them all (next to Jacob, of course), but his smile didn’t quite make it to his gaze. Jacob threw an arm around the younger version of himself. “This is Noah, the brains of our family.” Jessie couldn’t help but stare a little. Noah’s face was flawless; he could have been Brad Pitt’s double in the movie Troy. His hair was long, hanging almost to his shoulders. Jessie was overwhelmed, surrounded by so much male beauty.
“Hey! What about me?” Nathan was adamant that it was his turn for Jessie’s attention. She agreed. Getting down on the floor, she knelt by his side. He was in a wheelchair.
“Hey, sweetie. How are you feeling?” Not waiting for an answer, she looked to Aron. “Why is he in this chair; was he more injured than I realized?”
“Nah, we took one of Joseph’s chairs over just in case.” To prove that it was true, Nathan stood and threw his arms around Jessie.
“I’m good. Just hungry,” At that bit of information, Jacob steered them all back to the dining room.
“We were just about to have a sandwich. Anybody else want one?” There was a chorus of agreement. As the family crowded around the table, Jessie felt lost. But, when Jacob started piling food on a plate and handed it to her, the need for sustenance pushed her other fears out of the way.
Jacob watched Jessie eat. She tried to be delicate about it, but it was obvious she was enjoying it. The rest of the family dug in and ate their fill. He got tickled when he looked over and Jessie was scraping the last little bit off the bottom of the plate. “You can have seconds, Sweetheart. If you press on that plate any harder you’re gonna scrape off the design.”
Embarrassed, Jessie put the plate and fork down. “I’m sorry. It w
as really, really good.”
“Have some more, Sweetheart,” he urged. All eyes were on her. She couldn’t have eaten another bite if her life had depended on it.
“No, obviously, I need to watch what I eat.” Her downcast eyes made Jacob realize that he had made her uncomfortable. Now, she would quit before she was full. Damn!
Libby rescued him. “Who’s going to Shorty’s to hear the band with me, tonight? Ya’ll do realize the hayride and dance is next weekend. We have a ton of work to do this week to get ready.”
Joseph replied first. “I want to go. Kane is supposed to meet me there for a beer.” Kane, and his brother Zane, had known Joseph for years. They had met on the extreme sports circuit, competing in rock climbing, snow-boarding, motorcycle racing - you name it - they had tried it. When the previous sheriff had retired, the McCoys had thought of Kane and had urged him to apply for the job.
“Good,” Libby was pleased that Joseph was getting out of the house. “Isaac will be there, of course.” She hadn’t meant a thing by it, but Jessie could see a shadow cross Isaac’s face. “And Pookie has promised to teach me how to line dance.”
Jessie laughed out loud. Pookie shot Libby a look that was at the same time sheepish but full of more love than Jessie had ever been privileged to see. Aron McCoy would do anything for his beloved, even be Pookie. In retaliation, Aron scooped Libby out of her chair and started blowing raspberries on her neck. “Don’t you remember that your pet name for me is Krull the Warrior King?”
Giggling, Libby spilled the beans. “That’s not your pet name, Sweetums. That’s what I call your -” Realizing what she nearly confessed, Libby cuddled close to him and hid her face in his neck. Aron wouldn’t let it go.
“Yes, that’s right. She calls my . . . “ Seeing Nathan looking at him curiously, Aron immediately switched gears. Clearing his throat he rephrased his sentence. “That’s right. Libby calls my horse Krull the Warrior King.” Guffaws went around the table. Even Nathan didn’t look convinced.
“How about you, Noah?” Libby asked shyly, still cradled in Aron’s arms.
“I’d like to go. I hear Tequila Sunrise is a great band.” And Harper Summers was back in town. Not that she’d come to the bar if she had any inkling that he’d be there. For some reason Harper was avoiding him like the plague. Something weird was going on. “But, if I need to stay with Nathan, I will.”
“We’ll stay with him,” Jacob volunteered quickly. That would be perfect. He and Jessie needed to talk and Nathan would go to bed early, leaving him the rest of the night to see how many times he could make Jessie whimper with delight.
“Are you sure, Jessie?” Libby asked. “Don’t you want Jacob to take you dancing?” Put on the spot, Jessie was flustered.
“Oh, no. You’ve got it all wrong. Jacob and I aren’t dating. We aren’t a couple. I’m only here, because . . .” her voice trailed off.
“She’s here because I want her here.” Jacob settled the matter.
Tucking Nathan in, he brushed a soft, dark lock off his forehead. “I’m glad you’re okay, Buddy,” he whispered. Closing the door, Jacob was more than ready to spend some time with Jessie. The rest of the family had been gone about forty minutes but they had waited to let Nathan wind down and get sleepy. Returning to the den, he found her sitting in the corner of the couch, lost in thought. Not waiting for permission, he picked her up and started down the hall with her.
“Where are we going?” she asked, holding on to him tightly.
As he walked, Jacob began a serious kissing campaign. The end of her nose needed kissing. Both eyelids needed kissing. That cute little frown line between her eyes, definitely, needed kissing. “I’m taking you to my room,” he whispered. “Where my bed is.” Pushing the door to his suite open. He sauntered in and sat down in his favorite recliner with her in his lap.
“You shouldn’t be carrying me like that. I’m too heavy.” If she lived to be a hundred, she would never forget how it felt to be held by him. Storing up memories, that was what she was doing.
“How did you get the idea that you are anything but perfect, Baby?”
Jessie tried to avoid the question, looking around at his tastefully decorated, yet masculine room. The colors were shades of browns and blues. The furniture, as it was everywhere, was oversized and beautifully made. His room looked like him, she decided.
“Answer me, Precious. Don’t you know that you have a body that makes men’s eyes bulge and their packages swell?” Her look of disbelief answered his question.
“You don’t have to say that,” she protested. “I know exactly how I look.” She tried to get up, but he held her with a firm, yet gentle hand. He was about to protest again, but she covered his mouth with her own, giving him something else to think about. One quick kiss, then she pulled back. “I have a lot to tell you, Jacob. And some of it is going to be hard for you to hear. It would be better if I gave you some space.”
He tightened his arms around her. “I don’t need any space.” He inhaled her sweet scent.
The way she was sitting, she couldn’t miss the huge erection under her bottom. The realization that she excited him thrilled her. Still, she had to tell him her story. It was time. Taking advantage of his closeness, Jessie raised her hand and cupped his face. It might be the last chance she got to touch him.
Closing his eyes, he rubbed his cheek against her hand, and groaned his enjoyment. God, what he wouldn’t give to lay her down and love on her. But, first they had some fences to mend and bridges to build. “So, tell me what you were doing playing Lady Godiva in my barn this morning?”
At this angle, she could look her fill at him. Jessie had to bite the inside of her cheek to stop herself from running her fingers through his sable brown hair. It was cut short and spiked a little on top, but if you looked at it closely - it was full of tiny curls. Jessie bet that he would have thick curly hair, if it he allowed it to grow out to any length. Jacob’s face was Greek God Gorgeous. His eyes were almost navy blue and his jaw line was chiseled and strong. High cheekbones, a sexy dimple near the corner of his mouth, and a deep cleft in his chin just begged for kisses. It all came together to form the sexiest face imaginable. “I didn’t mean for you to see me like that.” Glancing down, she couldn’t look him in the eye. “I know I was trespassing. I only wanted a safe place to stay for just a little while.”
Her answer surprised Jacob. She didn’t feel safe? He caught her chin in his hand and held her face still. With his thumb, he gently traced her full lips. “I don’t know what you’re afraid of - or who you’re running from - but, I can promise you this: you are safe with me.” Jessie didn’t say anything right away. Nor, did she flinch from his touch. Her big eyes shone with unshed tears. Jacob could read uncertainty mixed with a desire to hope and believe in his words.
With a tentative touch, she placed her palm over his heart.
Jacob’s whole body tingled at the slight pressure. When he made love to her, and the operative word was WHEN, not if - it was going to be incredible. Jacob had never felt this explosive excitement in his veins. All it took was being near to her and his dick was like a stick of dynamite.
“Thank you, Jacob. It would be wonderful to have someone like you to stand up for me. I’ve never had that. When I’m all alone and afraid, I’ll remember your words and it will make me stronger.”
Jacob eased in closer, until their faces were near enough that he could feel her breath rushing across his skin. “You won’t have to remember, Sweetheart. I won’t give you time to forget. Now, I want to know everything about you, Angel.”
“I’ll tell you all you need to know. But, first I need to thank you for not calling the police this morning. Although you might when you find out what else I’ve done.” They were whispering. Their eyes were locked. Jessie wanted to kiss him so bad that she ached.
“Impossibl
e. Tell me what you’ve done that makes you think you deserve hard time, Sugar.” He was teasing, but her face fell. A look of abject sadness washed over her features.
“I was the one that picked the lock at the Little League Park building. I watched you with the children. You were very good with them. They love you.” He noticed that her whole body was trembling and it was all Jacob could do to keep from telling her that he already knew what she was so desperately trying to confess.
“So, you’re the culprit that knocked off the concession stand.” His voice was soft and tender. Someone had misused this little doll and he was determined to find out her story.
“Yes, I broke into your building and I stole some food,” she hung her head in shame. “And then I stowed away in your truck and came to your home and stole some more.”
“Yea, I heard you took ketchup and bread at the concession stand. Is that about what you took at my house?” At her nod of affirmation, Jacob gently cupped her cheek. “And then you left ten dollars and an apology taped to the refrigerator at the ball park. I would say that you are a major felon. A dangerous criminal. Maybe, I ought to call for a SWAT team.” His teasing voice made her smile.
“I put some money on the seat of your truck for what I took from the refrigerator in the studio. I know it was wrong, but I was hungry and scared.”
“You don’t have to be scared of anything, Angel. You’re here with me, now. There ain’t nobody gonna lift a finger against you as long as I’m around.” He rubbed her arms with the palms of his hands. She was chilled and tense. The only thing that kept him from acting on the strong impulse to hug her up to his hungry body was his fear that she would bolt before he could beg her to stay. “You should have come on up to the house, not tried to hang out in that dusty old cave of a barn.”
Hell Yeah! Box Set With Bonus Cookbook Page 23