“You’re beautiful,” he cooed, and my panties flooded.
“Jake.”
“You are. You’re beautiful, and I need you to come downstairs with me right now.”
“Why?” I panicked, my mind instantly freaking out that something had happened to Cassie. Logically, I knew it was ridiculous. Between Nash, Sawyer, Taylor, and the grandmas, nothing was going to happen to that girl. Not to mention that damn bull who now lived in the paddock right beside our house because Cassie had to be the one to feed him and give him his daily cuddle, or they both became unbearable, something that chafed Jake’s ass more than he’d like to admit.
“Cassie’s fine,” Jake assured me, tracing his thumb over Cassidy’s bracelet I wore. Somedays, I wore it when I needed her strength or her guidance or just wanted to feel her close to me. Today, I wore it because everyone else I knew and loved was here, and I needed her to be too.
“Oh.”
“You need to come downstairs now because if we spend another second alone in the bedroom together, everyone we know is going to know how you scream my name as I make you come.”
“Oh,” I repeated, my thighs turning slick at his words.
“Yeah. Oh.”
Jake kissed me quickly and led me down the stairs. Everyone was crowded in our living room looking up and clapping at our appearance.
The moment my feet reached the bottom step, I was lifted from the floor and spun around, the glass or two of bubbles I’d already had going straight to my head.
“Whoa!” I said as I was set back down.
Looking up, I saw a smile that made my heart soar. He said he hadn’t been sure if he could make it. He’d been waiting on his roster and didn’t want to commit in case he let me down. He could never let me down. Not even if he tried.
“You’re here, I exclaimed, the whole room around me disappearing.
“Wouldn’t have missed it for the world,” he replied, a beaming smile covering his usually gruff face.
Behind me someone cleared their throat.
Turning, I found Jake standing there looking less than impressed that I had no issues with another man putting his hands all over me.
Grabbing Jake’s hand, I dragged him over.
“Stop looking like that. Jake, meet Hayden. Hayden, this is Jake,” I introduced.
“Hayden?” Jake questioned, a confused look covering his face.
“Yep. Hayden. He was Cassidy’s…” I let my words trail off. As much as I missed my sister and as much as I wish she could be here tonight, I didn’t want to be the sad sack bringing everyone around down. Hayden was a good guy, and what he’d had to go through after Cassidy was taken from him was something I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy. She was supposed to be his wife, his happily ever after. Instead, Cassidy was gone, and Hayden had been forced to move on. And as much as it hurt, I was glad he found Skye and had managed to be happy.
“Oh, Hayden!” Jake interrupted, sounding relieved. “Hey, man. How are you? Thanks for coming,” Jake greeted warmly, stowing his jealous bullshit.
“Is Skye…” I asked, hoping she was here.
“Is right here. It’s good to see you, Kellie.” She beamed at me before wrapping me in a hug and whispering in my ear. “Looks like someone found their prince charming.”
Pulling back, I noticed her swollen belly. “Looks like we both did,” I confirmed.
I managed to chat with them for a couple of minutes before Jake led me across the room and introduced me to his friends from Sunnyville, Zach and Lily.
“Where are the girls?” Jake asked as he exchanged manly bro hugs with Zach, who was quite possibly the hottest firefighter I’d ever laid eyes on. And that was before he opened his mouth and hit me with that Australian accent. Talk ovary explosion. Whoa!
“They stayed home with my mom,” Zach confirmed. “We’re having a couple of days, just us.”
“Sounds romantic.” I swooned, thinking about all the trouble Jake and I could get up to if we had uninterrupted time alone with no Cassie, no farm animals, and no chores. Oh my God, sleep. We could actually sleep in until after the sun had risen.
“Uh-oh. Sounds like someone’s caught the bug. You might have to whisk her away for the weekend, Jake, before she leaves your sorry ass. Actually, Kellie, I have some firefighter buddies back home…” Zach taunted as he draped his arm around my shoulder and spun me away from Jake.
