“It looks like our girls are going to be best friends, Gracie,” Melanie said softly.
“It does,” Gracie agreed. “That’s great.”
“Yeah. It is.”
Elise Hamilton stood outside the McKade ranch home and looked around with wide eyes. It was obvious that the McKade family had plenty of money. She thought about the money that Jake McKade would give her once she was pregnant with his kid. She didn’t want a kid, but if a kid was what would take to ensure the financial security of her future—then that’s what it would take.
She had heard that Jake had been injured on the job and was home recuperating. This would be the perfect time to use her kindness to suck him in. Didn’t every man like to be fussed over? She could do fussing. She could do kindness. She was a pro at presenting herself just as every person wanted her to be. He didn’t need to know that she had no care for him or his state of health. All he needed to see was her beauty and her sexiness. The rest would take care of itself.
She walked up the four steps of the front porch and stood before the front door. Taking a deep breath, she raised her hands and knocked on it firmly with two sharp hits. She tapped her foot impatiently as she waited for someone to answer the door, her designer heels clicking on the wooden flooring.
When it was opened, she took a step back in fear as the biggest man she had ever seen opened the door and stood before her. He was tall, bulging with muscles, and wore an angry expression on his face. She thought he looked unkempt with his long hair hanging loosely around his shoulders and wearing worn jeans and a red flannel shirt that had obviously seen better days. Elise dismissed him as unimportant immediately. He wasn’t a McKade. He probably worked for them, and that made him below her.
“What do you want?” Marc asked as he looked at the woman who stood before him. He didn’t like the look of her at all.
“Excuse me?” Elise said, showing her disgust by the tone she was using. “I’m here to see my sister Claire. I heard that her friend Jake McKade was injured and I wanted to see if she needed any help taking care of him.”
“You’re Claire’s sister?” Marc asked, surprised. How could such a sweet and genuine woman like Claire be related to this woman?
The golden flecks within his brown eyes swirled as he used his gift to see into her soul. She was a conniving, false woman. She held no compassion or caring within her. He saw the blackness of her heart and knew that this woman was one to be watched. She wished harm to those around her. He felt the hatred within her that was directed at him, but he also felt the way that she despised Claire.
“Who is it, Marc?” John asked as he came up behind them.
“She says that she is Claire’s sister,” Marc said, his deep voice filled with the anger and the mistrust that he was feeling.
“I’m Elise Hamilton,” Elise said calmly, doing her best not to insult the two lowly men who stood before her. She knew that she had to get past them if she wanted to enter the McKade home. “I’ve come to help Claire.”
“Help Claire with what?” John asked, his own voice calm as he looked down at the woman who stood before them on the porch.
She was certainly attractive with her long blonde hair, blue eyes, and pretty face. She was tall and thin and was wearing a very stylish red coat over a black dress. The high heels that she wore were black and had to be some well-known designer’s shoes. The matching black purse with red edging also announced the woman’s penchant for buying only the best.
This woman screamed selfishness. John was disgusted by her. He looked at his cousin and saw the way Marc’s eyes were swirling with gold, attesting to the fact that his cousin was using his gift to look into Elise’s soul. He would bet good money that Marc was going to tell him that Elise wasn’t a good person. John felt it in his gut that this was a woman who was up to no good.
“Claire isn’t home right now,” John said after a moment. “You should come back later this afternoon. She’ll probably be home by four.”
“I’ll just wait for her,” Elise said, determined not to be turned away.
Marc looked at John and shook his head slightly. He didn’t want this woman inside the McKade home. The family had accepted him as part of them, and it was his responsibility to protect them to the best of his ability.
“I doubt my sister would appreciate you both keeping me outside in the cold,” Elise said tersely.
John looked at Marc and hesitated. If they kept her restricted to the living room, it might be okay. Claire could tell them what she wanted them to do with her sister when she got home. Although he didn’t like it, he knew that Claire had to be the one to make the decision about having Elise there or not. Reaching up, he settled his hand on Marc’s shoulder and pulled at him gently.
“You can come in and wait for Claire,” John said calmly. “When Claire comes home, she’ll let us know if she wants to talk to you or not.”
“My sister will want to talk to me,” Elise said smugly. “The two of you will owe me an apology when she gets here.”
Marc snorted with disgust. “I doubt that,” he said, his voice clipped and hard.
Elise stepped forward, turning her body so that she didn’t brush against either man. Untying the belt of her coat, she shrugged it off and draped it across the back of one of the couches as she placed her purse against the arm of the couch and sat down on the edge of the cushion, crossing her long legs and pulling up the length of her black dress to show a good amount of thigh. The men may not be worthy of her attention, but it was important to keep them interested. She knew how to play men—even if they were unimportant. Every man could be used in some way. It may take her some time to figure out how, but she would figure it out.
John looked at Marc, unsure what to do. Marc looked angry. It would be interesting to find out exactly what Marc had seen when he had used his gift. He turned to face Elise Hamilton, knowing he couldn’t allow her to hurt Claire.
“Stay here,” he said finally, his gray eyes stormy as he looked at her. “You will remain on that couch until Claire returns.”
Marc’s insides were churning at the thought of this woman being inside the McKade home. He supported his cousin’s decision, but he didn’t have to like it. He certainly didn’t like Elise Hamilton.
“If you cause any commotion, I will take great pleasure in throwing you out,” Marc warned her, his voice deep with promise.
“Aren’t you special,” Elise said, sneering at the man who looked at her with such hatred.
“Not special. Determined,” Marc told her firmly. “I will enjoy removing you from this family home.”
Elise turned away from him, effectively cutting off anything further that he might have to say. She ignored both men as they left her alone in the large living room.
She looked around and sniffed haughtily at the rustic motif. If she were the woman of the house, she would do a complete overhaul of the design. It was a large room with a beautiful slate fireplace, but its design was deplorable. The overstuffed couches and chairs were so boring. She would definitely change that. This would become an elegant sitting room with settees and antiques when she lived here.
Her mind raced with ideas of how she would change the furnishings and the look of the entire ranch house. When she was finished, this would be a grand showplace for all the members of Denver’s elite society to see. And she would be the reigning queen.
“I don’t know about leaving her alone in the living room, Marc,” John said worriedly as they stood together in front of the kitchen sink. “I’ve got a bad feeling about her.”
“You are correct, cousin,” Marc told him without hesitation. “She is havese.”
John’s eyes widened in surprise at the vehemence in Marc’s voice. He had called Elise evil. Marc’s gift had certainly come in to play in his evaluation of her.
“You saw?”
Marc nodded. “Her heart is black with jealousy and cruelty. She wishes Claire harm.”
“Then why the hell are
we allowing her to sit in the living room?”
“I did not tell her to stay in the living room. You did, cousin.”
“Yeah, but you should have stopped me.”
“And tell you what?”
“I don’t know! That’s she’s havese? You know I trust your gift, Marc. I always have. You’ve never had to hide it from me.”
Marc grunted as he nodded. It was too late to do anything about it now. He and John would just have to keep an eye on Elise Hamilton. If she caused one bit of trouble or pain, he would take great pleasure in throwing her out on her ass.
Chapter 36
Jake mumbled in his sleep. He was running in molasses again. The pain pill was causing him to have nightmares. He saw Robbie floating above the ranch home. He saw Cooper standing on the porch steps looking up at him and giggling. He saw Deuce picking flowers and eating them. He saw Spence riding a bicycle. Rafe and John were climbing trees, and Marc was swimming in the horse trough. Everything was ridiculous. Nothing made sense.
He turned over in his bed to lie flat on his back and groaned as his back muscles protested the move. Kicking the sheet and comforter off, he growled as heat swept his body. He needed Claire.
“Claire!” he called out, unsure if his voice was loud enough. He needed his mate. “Claire!”
He saw Claire floating toward him on a cloud, smiling at him as she dropped her clothes as she neared him. It wasn’t long before she was completely naked and standing beside the bed. She reached down and touched his arm, scraping her nails down his forearm and laughing softly.
“I think it’s time for you to know what it’s like to make love to a real woman,” she said softly, her voice harsh in the quiet of the room.
She climbed on top of him and straddled his hips, rocking forward over his shaft. She took his hands and placed them on her breasts, pressing them tightly against their fullness and moving seductively against his large hands.
Jake’s brow furrowed in confusion. Something was wrong. Claire wasn’t loving him like she normally did. He craved her tenderness. He needed her touch. He wanted to make love to her, but something wasn’t right. Claire’s scent was different. The feel of her breasts beneath his hands felt wrong. He slid his hands down her sides to hold her hips still. Her lush body felt wasted away as she sat on top of him. Her curves were gone. Was Claire sick?
“Claire,” he whispered, moaning slightly as the pain in his back flared and took firm hold. He was filled with worry. “What’s wrong, angel?”
She rubbed against him, sliding her pussy over his cock through his sleep pants, but he felt no desire. He didn’t get hard. He didn’t feel need. What he felt was sickening fear.
Elise stood up and walked toward the main staircase that led up to the second floor. She assumed that the bedrooms were up there. Jake had to be in one of them. He was hurt, so he had to be resting.
She looked over her shoulder to make sure that she was alone. The two minions of the McKade family were nowhere to be seen. Taking off her high heels, she kicked them to the side of the staircase then slowly made her way up the wide stairs. When she reached the top, she hesitated. There were several doorways on either side of the hallway.
“How many rooms does this place have?” she asked of no one as she started to walk down the hallway.
“Claire!”
She heard a man’s voice calling out from the room at the end of the hallway. Walking down the hallway quickly, she stood outside the door and listened.
“Claire!”
She heard the voice again, smiling when she realized that she had located her prey. Opening the door quietly, she stepped inside the large bedroom and closed the door behind her. Jake McKade was lying on his back in the large bed. He was dressed in a white T-shirt and black sleep pants. He was restless. Elise could tell that he was asleep, or mostly asleep anyway.
She decided that now was the time to take advantage of the situation. Pulling her black dress up and over her head, she dropped it to the floor. Unhooking her bra, it, too, followed her dress, landing on the heap of material on the floor. Pushing down her underwear and nylons, she stepped out of both and walked toward the bed completely naked.
Reaching out, she scraped her long nails down Jake’s forearm. She loved the marks her manicured nails made on his skin. She was going to make more marks on his body to show him exactly who he belonged to.
“I think it’s time for you to know what it’s like to make love to a real woman,” she said softly, pleasure filling her that her plans were turning out to be so easy to accomplish.
She climbed on top of him and straddled his hips, rocking forward over his shaft. She would get him hard then pull down his sleep pants and take his cock deep inside of her. If all went well, he would spew his seed before he even woke up. She nearly cackled at the thought of stealing his cum. She would be pregnant with his brat and be the happy recipient of his money when she sold him his child.
She took his hands and placed them on her breasts, pressing them tightly against their fullness and moving seductively against his large hands. He was resisting her. That would not do at all. She rocked her hips faster, doing her best to stimulate him.
When he remained flaccid, she knew that she was going to have to touch him to jerk him off just to the point of his release then impale herself on his cock and catch all of his seed. The thought of his cum filling her made her snarl with disgust. She didn’t want his cum inside of her. She didn’t want his baby. But she did want his money.
“Claire,” Jake moaned, holding her hips still. “What’s wrong, angel?”
She didn’t answer him. If it took him thinking that she was Claire to get him hard, that was fine with her. She never planned on repeating this act with him. Once she was pregnant, she would sit back and watch the money come rolling in.
She rocked her hips, rubbing against him and sliding her bare pussy over his cock through his sleep pants. She moved faster, determined to make Jake hard. Why wasn’t he turned on? She never had any trouble turning any man on in her life. There must be something wrong with him.
She laughed softly, looking down at the man who wanted her sister, of all people. Of course there was something wrong with him. He was attracted to Claire. What a loser.
“Come on, cowboy,” she said in her most seductive voice. “Get that dick nice and hard for me. I need you to knock me up. Your money is going to help me and my mother for the rest of our lives,” she whispered as she moved roughly across his groin.
Melanie sat next to Gracie on the double recliner in the nursery, laughing softly at the way their daughters were cuddled so closely against each other. She was so relaxed and happy. Being with Gracie and knowing that they had finally found a loving home with loving men was all that she could have ever wished for. It was what she had wanted for both of them ever since they had been old enough to understand that their own home was not ideal. They had certainly come a long way from the scared, abused kids that they had once been.
“It’s great, isn’t it, Mel?” Gracie asked quietly as she watched their daughters sleeping.
“I was just thinking the same thing,” Melanie said, reaching out and holding Gracie’s hand in hers.
She gasped suddenly, gripping Gracie’s forearm with her other hand as a vision exploded within her mind. She saw a woman on top of Jake. She was naked. Jake was not. He was holding her waist and asking her what was wrong. He was calling her Claire.
Bile rose up in Melanie’s throat as she realized that Jake thought that the woman was Claire. Whoever the woman was, she was taking advantage of him. Melanie could see that Jake was hallucinating and knew that it had to be from the pain pill he had taken. She could also see the woman on top of him looking down at him with pure hatred and disgust.
“Come on, cowboy. Get that dick nice and hard for me. I need you to knock me up. Your money is going to help me and my mother for the rest of our lives.”
“Melanie, what are you seeing?” Gracie asked he
r gently, concerned by the soft growls that were escaping her sister. She had never seen Melanie get angry during a vision before.
Melanie shook her head, pushing herself from the recliner and bringing Gracie with her. “We have to help Jake,” she said angrily. “There’s a woman in his room pretending to be Claire.” She pulled them both from the nursery and ran toward Jake’s room as she spoke. “She’s trying to get him hard and come inside of her so she can get pregnant and take his money when he pays her so he can keep his baby.”
“What?” Gracie asked, horrified. She ran ahead of Melanie and grabbed for the handle of Jake and Claire’s bedroom door, turning it quickly and pushing open the door with a shove that made it slam inward and bounce against the wall.
She and Melanie stood frozen at the entrance to Claire and Jake’s bedroom as they witnessed the scene before them. There was a naked woman rocking on top of Jake as he lay on his back on the bed.
Gracie didn’t hesitate. She raced forward, reached up and took firm hold of the woman’s long blonde hair, and wrenched her backward. She pulled the woman off the bed and held on to her hair tightly, ignoring the way the woman clawed at her hand to get her to release her. She yanked her backward, taking great satisfaction in dragging her ass across the bedroom floor until they were beside Melanie who stood at the doorway with her hands over her mouth.
Gracie wasn’t sure if Melanie was covering her mouth in horror or if she was trying to hide her laughter. Probably both. As angry as Gracie was, she had to admit that she enjoyed pulling this woman across the floor and gripping her hair. She had always thought of herself as a pacifist. She would have to rethink that stance. Right now she wanted to beat this woman silly.
“Claire?” Jake asked, sitting up slowly and blinking his eyes as he tried to clear his fogged brain.
“No, Jake. It’s not Claire,” Gracie said angrily. “I don’t know who this bitch is, but she was trying to rape you.”
“He wanted me!” Elise yelled, swinging out her right hand and connecting with Gracie’s left cheek.
Jake's Angel [Cowboy Mates, Psychic Connections 4] (Siren Publishing Classic) Page 38