“And we appreciate it, sweetheart, but not today. Today, you’re going to rest.”
“Jake.”
“Claire.”
Claire had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing. Jake was looking at her with the fiercest expression of determination she had ever seen. He was such a softy. He may not think so, but he was.
“Okay, I’ll rest,” Claire conceded. “But, I’m going to help make dinner.”
“No, you’re going to rest and allow us to take care of you for a change,” Jake said firmly. He looked up and saw his oldest brother Deuce coming through the kitchen doorway. “Deuce, we can deal with dinner. Claire won’t be cooking.”
“Absolutely,” Deuce said as he walked toward them. “Gracie has already got it covered. She and Jamie have already shooed me out of the kitchen. You might want to go on in and visit with them, Claire. They said they wanted some alone time with you and didn’t want us men to bother any of you.”
Claire laughed as she stepped out of Jake’s arms, a small thrill going through her as he tightened his hold on her and hugged her tightly before releasing her. Her tough, dominant, and serious man was proving himself to be a liar. She always knew that he was going to be a loving and gentle mate. He just proved that to her once again. Everything about Jake McKade was exactly what she wanted and needed. He may not believe that he was a gentle soul, but she knew better.
Turning back to him and stepping close, she placed a quick kiss on his lips then nuzzled into his neck before he could press for more. His soft growl made her smile. She wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him gently.
“I love you,” she whispered against the side of his neck before reaching up and placing a soft kiss on his cheek.
“I love you, angel,” he whispered, closing his eyes and absorbing the goodness of his woman. “I’ll check on you in a little bit.”
“Okay,” she whispered. “Whatever you need, sir.”
She laughed softly as Jake tightened his hold on her. Oh, she was going to love pushing this man’s buttons. She couldn’t wait to see what he was going to do once she knelt before him and bowed her head. He might think he was controlling her, but he was wrong. She was a very willing participant.
When she turned in his arms and stepped away, she couldn’t prevent the grin that appeared on her face as she felt his reluctance to let her go. She looked at Deuce and smiled. She needed to ask a favor of Jake’s brother, but she would not ask him while Jake was around to hear her.
“Jake, I could use some help with the horses if you’re not going back to the construction company,” Deuce said after a moment.
“Sure, Deuce. Madison is running the office today,” Jake said quietly as he watched Claire walk away from them. “She’s doing a great job. I know that Marc will be there to help her. He’s sure to watch over her and make sure she doesn’t need anything. He’s pretty protective of her.”
Deuce laughed softly. “Yeah, he is,” he agreed. “I think he’s finally accepting that Madison is meant to be his.”
Deuce thought about John’s cousin and knew that there had to be a reason that Marc had been so adamant that he couldn’t get close to Madison Allen and her daughter Cooper, but Marc wasn’t sharing why. Even Deuce’s best friend John wouldn’t tell any of them. John would only offer that Marc had a good reason. He hoped that Marc would get over his reluctance. All of them knew that Madison was perfect for him. She had been friends with Gracie and Melanie for years, and they knew her kindness. She was exactly what Marc needed.
Marc was a good man who had isolated himself from his friends and family. He didn’t want to open his heart to anyone, but Deuce knew that opening his heart was exactly what John’s cousin needed to do. He also knew that Madison would be the one to show him that allowing love to enter your heart was what was important in this life. She was a good woman with a kind and nurturing nature—exactly what Marc said he didn’t want or need. They all knew that he was a liar.
Gracie had told Deuce that when you want something so desperately and find that you can’t have it, it makes you deny that you ever wanted it in the first place. His Gracie was one smart woman. Just thinking about her made Deuce’s heart light with love and happiness. He wanted Marc to feel the same with the woman who was meant to be his mate just as he wanted his brothers and all of their friends to finally meet and commit themselves to the women who were theirs.
So far, all the women who were their destined mates were good friends. It was as if the Great Spirit had planned that the friends would remain together and become a family. Deuce was pretty happy about that. Loving Gracie had been the best thing in his life. He was loving sharing her pregnancy with her. He loved touching her belly and kissing it and talking to their baby as it was growing inside of her.
Each of the McKade brothers and their friends were desperately in love with their women. Luke adored Melanie and their two children Robbie and Mary Grace. Melanie’s ability to see the futures of all of them had helped them to know that the love they were destined for was true.
The psychic gifts that their women brought to McKade land were unique. Deuce was becoming more aware that those abilities were not just part of the females. The men were also blessed in that way. John had the vision at the age of fourteen that had made him know that Jamie was his. Marc’s vision had brought him to McKade land in search of the woman with blue eyes that he had to help protect her little girl. Madison was that woman, and Cooper was that little girl.
Deuce had always suspected that their father had his own gift. He could tell that Pa used his gift to know something special about each of their futures by the advice that he often gave to his sons. Even little Robbie had proven that he had inherited Melanie’s psychic ability. None of them ever questioned or thought that any of the gifts that their family possessed was anything other than a good thing that was completely normal and accepted without question.
Those gifts were valued. They had led many of the members of the McKade family and their friends to their mates. Deuce thought about all of them and said a silent prayer to the Great Spirit to help all of them find the love and happiness that awaited them. He was glad that many of them had already found their mates. They may have had a rough road in getting their mates to accept them, but their struggles were worth it. You could not put a value on the love that mates shared.
John was head over heels in love with Jamie, the McKade brothers’ cousin. He had waited his entire life to find the woman who would complete his life and love him. He had found that in Jamie. She loved him so much it made him question his worth. He had been the recipient of prejudice and cruelty in his life, and he worried that Jamie would also be treated with disrespect because of him. Jamie had convinced him that he was a worthy mate. She was a proud woman who loved her mate, and no one would ever make her think differently about him. She loved the life that she shared with him. Both of them were thrilled with the news that they were going to be parents. The baby she was carrying was certainly a miracle that she and John were thankful for.
She had been injured years before when she had been attacked by a man she had gone to college with and was told that she would never be able to have children. The Great Spirit had other ideas about that. There was no doubt in any of their minds that He had healed Jamie and had given her the gift of being able to conceive and carry John’s babies. Deuce thought about his best friend and smiled. John was going to be a terrific father.
Spence and his friend Tim were happily mated to Lainey Markham, a somewhat different relationship to be sure, but it worked for them. It had been a rough road for the two men to convince Lainey that she belonged to both of them, but they had persisted, and Lainey was now theirs and very happily pregnant. The mating marks on their necks were unique in that they were of two golden links joined with a rose gold link between them—representing the two men mated to Lainey.
Spence and Tim were thrilled that Lainey was pregnant. Deuce was happy that his brot
her and Tim had found their perfect mate in Lainey. She was a wonderful, loving, and kind woman. She was the one who made them both feel whole. It was obvious how much she loved them both. Deuce was honest with himself when he realized that their relationship couldn’t be any other way. The three of them were just meant to be together.
An added blessing to them was the two tiny links that hung from Lainey’s rose gold link that represented the twins that she was carrying. Those two links were on all three of their necks. The Great Spirit had let it be known that the children that Lainey carried belonged to all three of them.
Rafe was so much in love with Becca Markham, Deuce could actually feel how his brother ached from it. He was worried about Rafe. Ever since Rafe had been a teenager, he had kept himself closed off from the family. Only Rafe’s paintings had alerted Deuce to how much his brother was hurting. Rafe had never revealed to him what was bothering him. Deuce hoped that Becca’s love would help heal his brother. He knew that Becca was Rafe’s mate. He just wished that the two of them would take that final step toward making it a permanent love.
Looking at Jake as he faced the closed swinging door to the kitchen, Deuce sighed with relief that his little brother had finally taken his head out of his ass and had claimed his woman. It had been a rough year for Jake since his accident. Claire was the one who had pulled him out of the depths of despair and had refused to give up on him. It looked as if Jake had finally accepted what was meant to be.
“She’s something else, isn’t she, Deuce?” Jake asked softly, turning to face his brother once Claire was no longer in sight.
“She is,” Deuce agreed.
“We’re mated,” Jake said simply.
Deuce nodded, smiling. “Took you long enough, baby brother.”
Jake laughed softly. “Yeah, I guess it did.” He was quiet for a moment, his features very serious as he looked at Deuce. “I’m afraid I’ll hurt her, Deuce.”
“Hurt her? How?”
“I don’t want to hurt her when we make love.”
“Jake, you won’t.”
“You don’t know that, Deuce,” Jake stopped him. “I might.”
“Bullshit.”
“You don’t know.”
“Hell, yes, I do.” Deuce reached out and rested his right hand on Jake’s left shoulder and squeezed it firmly. “You would never hurt your mate. You’ll know exactly what you can and can’t do. Claire will guide you.”
Jake looked directly into Deuce’s blue eyes and saw the unwavering belief his brother had in him. He wished he had the same belief in himself.
“I need…”
“Jake, you don’t have to tell me,” Deuce stopped him. “I have the same needs. Gracie surprised me with how much she loved what I needed. Sure, there are things she doesn’t like, but we talk about stuff, and we figure out together what works for us. You and Claire will do the same.”
“Maybe.”
“There’s no maybe about it, Jake. If you and Claire are mated, you’re meant for each other. Do you have the mating mark on your neck?”
Jake nodded.
“That’s all the proof you need,” Deuce told him with surety. “The Great Spirit has blessed you both. You’re meant to be together. You’re meant to share your life. You’re meant to raise a family. And, Jake, you’re meant to have a sex life that both of you will want and need. You won’t be disappointed, Jake. And you won’t have to hold back. Trust me.”
Jake hesitated then nodded. He had to believe that Deuce was right. He had to believe that the Great Spirit matched him and Claire as mates because they were perfect for each other. All he knew was, he would do anything to make Claire happy. He would never hurt her.
“Claire and I are going to look at the house plans I had drawn up,” Jake said after a moment. “I want her to check them over and tell me what changes or additions she wants made so I can break ground for the foundation soon. I want the foundation poured well before the first frost and the shell constructed so the workers can complete the inside during the winter.”
Deuce smiled and reached up to tug on the length of his brother’s hair. “I’m going to miss having you and Claire here at the ranch home, but I understand your need to have a place of your own,” he said quietly.
“I think we need to move the construction as fast as we can. I want us to start a family,” Jake told Deuce firmly. “I know it’s quick, but I’m looking forward to having a family with Claire.”
“It’s not quick, Jake. It’s the way it’s meant to be.”
Jake nodded and walked toward the staircase, climbing it quickly to change into his work clothes so he could help Deuce with the horses. Stopping at the top step, he turned and faced his brother who was still standing in the entryway.
“Deuce, please make sure that Claire doesn’t do too much,” Jake asked him quietly. “I’ll be down to help as soon as I change.”
“No problem. I’ll take care of it.”
Jake nodded and turned to head toward his bedroom. He was looking forward to sharing it with Claire. Opening the bedroom door, he stood in the doorway and surveyed the large room. It was a comfortable room with a bed that was specially made for him. He liked having room to accommodate his height. He also liked to have plenty of room to play. Not that he had ever taken a woman home with him. That was the one thing he had never done. He wanted only the woman that he was destined to mate with share his bed in his home. Now he had that. He had shared his bed with Claire and was looking forward to sharing his life with her every day and every night from this day forward. He was glad that Claire wanted that, too.
Thinking about making love with Claire sent warmth through him and made him hard instantly. He took a calming breath and did his best to relax. Thinking about Claire and how he was going to make love to her was not helping. He had to think of something else. He laughed as he thought about mucking out the stalls of the barn. It was a gross but necessary job. It should help him calm down.
“It’s not going to work if I picture Claire naked in the barn with me,” he muttered to himself.
Walking over to the large chest of drawers, he pulled open the second drawer from the top and removed a pair of work jeans. Throwing them onto the bed, he unbuckled his belt, unbuttoned the top button of his jeans, and unzipped them, quickly pushing them down his legs. Toeing off his boots, he stepped out of his jeans and tossed them onto the foot of the bed.
Reaching down, he cupped himself through his underwear and sighed as his hand made contact with his hard cock. He squeezed it and groaned at the pleasure that shot through him. He pictured Claire touching him, opening her mouth, and taking his shaft deep. His heart sped up at the erotic picture within his mind.
He wanted that to happen. He wanted so many things to happen. He hoped Deuce was right in saying that Claire would be open to his needs. Whatever Claire wanted, Jake was going to provide. If she needed him to hold back that part of himself that demanded control and dominance then that’s what he would do.
Only time would tell.
Chapter 14
Claire looked around the kitchen of Melanie and Luke’s home, smiling at the women gathered there. It was nice and warm inside the welcoming home. There was love and laughter there, something that was a unique thing for Claire to be a part of. She had never experienced any of those feelings or emotions when she lived with her mother and sister. Meeting the McKade family had certainly changed her life so much.
She thought about the man who owned her heart. Jake McKade made every romantic novel she had ever read look pale in comparison to what a real mate was. He was goodness and kindness. He was just and caring. And he was hers.
The weather was quickly changing from the cool days of the fall months to ones that were a bit colder now that winter was approaching. It wouldn’t be long before the first snowfall. Claire always liked the snow. As a child, she had hidden in the attic of her home even when her mother hadn’t locked her away. She loved the isolation. Bundling herself wit
hin the many blankets she had secretly brought up there to make her own comfy nest, she had dreamed about a life with love and children and the one man who would make that dream come true. When she had watched Jake, his brothers, and their friends from her vantage point through the tiny window of the attic, she had seen her destiny. Jake had been her destiny.
The McKade family and their friends were the nicest people she had ever known. In the few days since she, Becca, Lainey, and DelAnne had come home from the hospital, each one of them had been so caring and kind. It was amazing to her that she was now a permanent part of this extended family.
She knew that her new relationship with Jake hadn’t been the reason for their friendship. They had all accepted her and looked out for her from the time she had begun working on the McKade Ranch more than a year ago. They had welcomed her with open arms. It was the first time in her life that she had friends.
The McKade brothers, as well as John, Tim, Marc, and now Bryce, were protective of all of them. Their cousin Brody had made sure to check up on them often just to be sure that they were doing well. It didn’t matter if they were blood related. They were truly a family. Since the incident at the diner, the men and women who made up the McKade family had been even more protective.
Claire knew that it was in their genetic makeup. The women were nurturing and supportive. They were also understanding and kind. Claire counted her blessings to be taken within their hearts. The men were just as kind. Their deep love for the members of their family gave Claire a deep sense of belonging. They could not help but care for the women and look out for their safety. The goodness of the men filled Claire with a warmth that she didn’t shield herself from. It was nice for a change to be filled with such positive feelings. Yes, the protectiveness of the men was a bit overwhelming at times, but the underlying reason for it made Claire feel the love that it grew from.
Jake had been beyond concerned. He had become obsessed with Claire’s safety. There wasn’t a moment during the day when he was with her that he wasn’t touching or holding her. That was a very good thing as far as Claire was concerned.
Jake's Angel [Cowboy Mates, Psychic Connections 4] (Siren Publishing Classic) Page 14