Jake (Men of Clifton Montana Book 1) (13 page)

“How long have you
been training horses?” Becca asked him.

“Five years now.”
Jake shrugged. “I’ve always loved being around them. I worked at a ranch when I
got out of high school. I have a rapport with horses. Training was just
something I wanted to get into.”

“It sounds like you
really enjoy it.” Becca smiled.

“It can get
tedious, but I love doing it. I stay busy.” Jake glanced down at his plate.

“Gabe and Wyatt
stay busy too?”

Jake’s head snapped
up. “Yes. Why?”

Becca snickered.
“Just wondering…they’re very good-looking. Are they married?”

Jake growled. “No.”

She burst out
laughing. “I’m teasing you, Stone. You’re the only one I’m interested in.”

He raised an
eyebrow.
“That so?”
At her nod, he went on. “Damn good
thing, Red.”

An hour later, they
sat on the sofa in front of the fireplace drinking wine. They laughed and
talked about their families. Becca learned that Jake’s father had virtually
given up once his wife died of cancer. He and his brothers watched as their
father faded away. The same way they’d watched their mother die. He told her
about Gabe taking the original farmhouse, and he and Wyatt building their
homes.

“Wyatt is the only
one of us who has even come close to getting married,” Jake told her.

“What happened?”

“She broke off the
engagement a week before the wedding.”

“Was she nuts?”
Becca practically shouted the words but then threw her hand over her mouth
making Jake chuckle.

“I’m well aware of
the effect Wyatt has on women. I think it’s his I-don’t-give-a-fuck attitude.”
Jake shook his head. “He did take it hard for a while, though. He drank.” Jake
shook his head again. “So much so, that I finally told him to suck it up and act
like a man or stay the hell away from me.” He shrugged. “He turned himself
around but now he’s a real cynic when it comes to women. He doesn’t trust them
at all. That little bitch did a real number on him.”

Becca told him all
about Olivia, and about the accident that had claimed her parents’ lives. She
also told him about finding the pictures of herself in Hattie’s closet and
talking to Stan about it. “I can’t believe my dad treated her that way.” Becca’s
voice cracked as she spoke the words.

Jake put his hand
over hers. “We all believe we have all the time in the world. I’m sure if he’d
known how things were going to go he would’ve talked to his mother. Hattie was
a wonderful woman who had a good bit of sorrow in her life. I miss her every
day.”

Now as they sat in
front of the fire, Becca had the sensation she’d known Jake her whole life. Was
this love? Becca mentally shook her head. How could she love him when a little
over a month ago she hadn’t even known he even existed?

She glanced over at
him and discovered he was looking at her. He reached out, took her glass from
her hand, and set it on the table along with his. Pulling her onto his lap, he
cradled her close. “I’ve been waiting all night to do this.” He took her face
between his hands, lowered his head, and ran his tongue along the seam of her
lips.

Becca shivered and moaned,
wrapping her arms around his neck. She opened her mouth to him, surrendering to
him. His tongue moved inside hungrily as he pressed his lips against hers. Jake
tilted her head back to deepen the kiss and moved his tongue even deeper,
making love to her mouth. Becca reached out, unbuttoned his shirt, and pushed
it off his wide shoulders. Her hands moved over his solid pecs, feeling his
skin quiver. She smiled at the power she had to make this man tremble. To her
delight, he moved his hands down her shoulders to her breasts and gently
squeezed them, making her groan. Becca felt her nipples harden against the
fabric. His hands moved to the bottom of her sweater and lifted it over her
head. She laughed softly when he growled and closed his eyes at the sight of the
black lace bra she wore.

“You like?” she
whispered in his ear.

“Hell yes. Did I
tell you black is my favorite color?” he whispered then took her earlobe
between his teeth.

Becca shivered.
When he set her down and stood up over her, she gazed up at him. He leaned
down, scooped her into his arms, and carried her toward the fireplace. He
gently laid her down on the rug. The firelight played over her skin, making it
glow.

Jake lay down
beside her and touched her lips with his finger then he leaned close and kissed
her softly. Becca put her hands on his shoulders and pushed him over onto his
back. She let her restless hands roam over his hard chest. Taking little licks
and nibbles on his skin, she allowed herself to run her fingers through the
light dusting of hair on his chest. Lord, she couldn’t wait to have him. Jake
reached for her but she pushed his hands away, and lowered her head to kiss his
chest.

“I’m not through yet.”
Her fingers trailed over his nipples, making him quake. The hard muscles
beneath his hot skin quivered in anticipation, she presumed. Her fingers moved
lower over his six-pack stomach and he sucked in his breath. She knew the
muscles came from work and not from working-out.

“Becca, you’re
killing me,” he groaned.

“I’m having a good
time.” Becca’s mouth followed her fingers’ path while her hand moved to the
hard bulge behind the zipper of his jeans. “You feel so good.” She undid the snap
and slowly tugged the zipper down. Slipping her hand inside his boxer briefs,
she wrapped her fingers around him.

“Damn, Red.” Jake
pushed the jeans down and off before reaching for her again. “Come here.”

“Not yet. I want to
savor you,” she said, throwing his words back at him.
      

 
Jake hissed in a breath when she kissed
the tip of his hard shaft then ran her tongue just underneath it. A groan came
from deep in his chest when she took the swollen head into her wet mouth and
suckled. His hips arched uncontrollably. His hands went to her hair and he tangled
his fingers through the long locks, holding her captive.

She peeked up at
him and saw him clenching his teeth. He was close and tried to pull her away
but she wasn’t going to let him.

“Becca,
please.
You have to stop,” he begged.

Becca lifted her
head and heard his sigh of relief. She smiled at him when their eyes met.

“Why? Why do I have
to stop?” She shook her head. “I’m not done with you yet, Jake.” She then
lowered her head, drew him back into her mouth, and sucked harder.

“Jesus, Becca,
please…” he moaned as his orgasm hit him. He exploded in her mouth, his chest
heaving as she continued to suck him until he was completely spent.

Becca slowly kissed
her way up over his hard body until she lay on top of him. Gently, she kissed
his lips. “Did I do okay?” she asked.

Jake burst out
laughing. “Are you serious?”

Becca couldn’t meet
Jake’s eyes as he sat up and took her in his arms. “It was wonderful, Red.”

Becca smiled shyly.
“Good, ‘cause I’ve never done that before.”

Jake’s eyes
widened. He shook his head as if in disbelief.
“Never?”

Becca shook her
head. “I never wanted to until…”

“Until?”

“Until
you, Jake.
I liked doing it for you.”

Jake chuckled. “I
liked you doing it for me, Becca. And now I’m going to return the favor.” He
grinned wickedly as he kissed his way down her body to the red curls beckoning
him. Jake moved his tongue through those curls until he moved it against her
clitoris.

Becca arched
against his mouth. Jake licked and sucked on her. His teeth rubbed against her.
Becca grabbed fistfuls of his hair as she felt the pleasure rushing over her.
She cried out his name as she came. After he’d pleasured her within an inch of
her life, Becca smiled as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close.

“I love the way you
taste.” They lay together like that on the rug until the fire was almost out.
Then Jake stood and put his hand out to her.

Becca reached up
and took his hand. He pulled her to her feet and hand in hand, they walked to
his bedroom. Once inside, he led her to the bed. He pulled the quilt back and
lay her down in the bed. Getting in beside her, Jake pulled her close to him.

With a groan, Becca
surrendered to him. How could she want him so much so soon? As he kissed,
caressed, and worshiped her body, Becca admitted to herself that she craved him
like a drug. With force and passion, he plunged deep inside of her, carrying
her to an overwhelming orgasm before he joined her groaning her name as he came.
After their breathing slowed, Jake dragged the quilt over them. Becca laid her
head on his shoulder and they fell asleep holding each other.

Chapter Seven

Two days later,
Becca and Olivia took a ride into town to have lunch with Emma. They drove to
the feed store, parked, and walked through the front door, hearing the jingle
of the bell announcing them. Emma was at the counter waiting on a customer but
she waved when she saw them walk toward her.

“Hi, Emma,” Becca
said smiling.

“I’ll be ready in
just a minute,” Emma told them.

Becca watched Olivia
look around the shop and wondered what was going through her head as she took
in the old-fashioned store. “Quaint, isn’t it?”

Olivia smiled. “It
does have a certain appeal to it.”

Emma joined them
and the three stood talking. When the door opened, Becca and Emma instinctively
looked to see who had entered.

Becca grinned when
she saw Wyatt step in. She discreetly elbowed Liv, nodded toward him, and
waited for Olivia’s reaction as she turned to look. Becca heard Olivia’s breath
whoosh out of her. Olivia whipped her head back to face Becca.

“So that’s what
drop-dead gorgeous looks like,” Olivia whispered low as she licked her lips. “He
is the most gorgeous, sexiest man I’ve ever seen. God! I feel like I’m on fire.”

Becca noticed how
Olivia’s eyes ran all over Wyatt, stopping at the fly of his well-worn jeans. “Get
your eyes off his crotch for heaven’s sake, Olivia,” she muttered as Wyatt
ambled toward them.

He stopped in front
of them, smiling down at Becca and Emma but when his eyes met Olivia’s, he
frowned. Becca saw his mouth tighten into a flat line.
What the hell?
She watched him put his fingers to his hat and shift
his gaze to Becca. She gave him a smile even as she wondered what his problem
was. “Hello, Wyatt. This is my best friend, Olivia Roberts, Liv, this is Wyatt
Stone.”

Olivia smiled and
put her hand out. He didn’t even acknowledge it, just gave a terse nod of his
head, and strode away. Emma and Becca gasped but Olivia smiled as she watched
him walk off. She turned toward her friends. “Looks like I’ve got my work cut
out for me with this one.” She shivered. “I just about had an orgasm looking
into those gorgeous dark eyes.”

“I have never known
Wyatt Stone to be so rude,” Emma exclaimed, setting her hands on her hips. Becca
agreed but Olivia continued to smile. Becca watched as Olivia’s eyes followed
him around the store. When she glanced at Becca, her silly grin grew. Becca
recognized the look in Olivia’s eyes. She burst out laughing.

“What?” Emma asked
with a confused look of innocence.

“Liv is set on
getting him.” Becca laughed.

Emma shook her
head. “A woman hurt him bad, and he has no desire to get involved unless it’s
just for sex.”

Olivia laughed. “Ooh,
that, I can definitely do.”

Emma’s cheeks
turned red, but she laughed with her friends as they left the store and headed
toward the diner across the street.

Becca sighed as she
thought about being with Jake again. She shivered as she thought about his
gorgeous hard body. Oh, yes. She wanted him again, and soon.
                                 
               

* * * *

Jake was in the
barn when he heard Sam pull up. Throwing down the pitchfork, he went out to
meet him.

“Hey, Sam, is there
any news on anything?”

Sam shook his head.
“I was out this way and thought I’d stop by to let you know there’s no news
yet. I’m going to stop at Becca’s too…” he said, and then hesitated.

“What is it?” Jake
asked.

“You know she
suspected you in all this?”

Jake swore. “Yeah,
I know. I told her over and over that I had nothing to do with it. God, I hope
she still doesn’t think it’s me—not after
we
…”

“After
you…what?”
Sam raised an eyebrow in curiosity.

Jake shook his
head.
“Nothing.
It doesn’t matter. Son of a bitch, just
her thinking it was me was one second too long,” he exclaimed then glanced at
Sam. “You don’t believe it’s me, do you?”

“Hell no, and I don’t
really think she does either.
Although, Miss Daniels does
strike me as a stubborn kind of gal.
It must be that red hair.” He
grinned as Jake glared at him. Sam shrugged.

Jake muttered under
his breath. After the night he and Becca spent together, there was no way she
could still possibly think he had anything to do with the missing horses. He
knew he was falling for her, and he’d hoped she was feeling the same about him.
The idea still hurt like hell. He rubbed the spot over his heart.
Shit!
“I need you to find out who did
this…pronto.”

“As soon as I hear
anything, I’ll let you know,” Sam told him as he walked toward his SUV.

Jake nodded and
watched Sam drive off. None of this made any sense, especially how he felt
about Becca. Jake had never felt like this before. She’d become everything to
him and he wanted her in his life—permanently. But, what if Becca didn’t want
the same thing?
Christ!