Jake"You guys are getting too old for jumping in the bed. You almost broke it this morning." Jake's mother looked over her shoulder as Jake and his brothers stood around the cinnamon rolls she'd just pulled out of the oven. Nothing had changed."You love it, Mom." Jake moved up behind his mom and ran his hands over her shoulders, squeezing softly before leaning forward to kiss her cheek. "Thanks for breakfast. It looks amazing.""You're the best cooker in the world, Momma." Clint pushed at Jake and took his place, pulling his mom in a hug."Brother." Jake rolled his eyes and looked around. "Where's Kari?""She's on the porch with your father. They seem to be out there a lot. Did you say her dad wasn't part of the picture when she was growing up?" Jake's mom turned and gave him a loving look."I don't know much, like I said last night." He wrapped his arms around his chest and let out a sigh. "I'd be happy to share Daddy with her. You too.""I don't think you have much of a choice." H
Kari"Perfect." Jake's mom picked up the pan of stuffing she and Kari had been working on for the last half hour."I've never had stuffing with cornbread." Kari held her hands in front of her and walked to the sink to wash them. Apparently in Texas, people used their hands to mash up the stuffing and stir the tea. It was odd."Then you are in for a real treat." Clint walked into the kitchen and moved around to turn the water on for Kari. He picked up the soap and squirted it on her hands while smiling."Thanks. Is this your job on stuffing days?" She chuckled at the cute look on his handsome face. How the bleach-blond hottie wasn't dating someone was beyond her."Absolutely. It means I don't have to stick my hands in that gushy stuff. Ugh." He scowled and reached for a hand towel. "Here you go.""Thanks." She took it and wiped her hands off, looking around afterward to find Jake's mom had disappeared. "Where are you living now?""I'm in San Francisco." He lifted his hands toward the c
JakeThree Days Later"Thanks for meeting up with me, man." Tyler smiled across the table at the little diner on the corner of the square in town."Of course, man. Kari was going to come with me, but some of my mother's sisters came into town last night. They're going shopping today. Antiquing. Should be fun seeing that Kari has no clue what the hell that is." Jake shook his head, not at all worried about his woman. She fit in perfectly with his family, even better than Bethany had, and she'd grown up down the road from him.Tyler chuckled. "I'm glad you found her, man. I wasn't sure if you were going to get over that shit with Bethany.""Me either." He picked up his coffee. "Kari didn't give me much of a choice. But enough about me. Tell me what's going on. You and Luke's firm is doing well?"He ran his fingers through his dark hair. "Yeah. It's busting at the seams. Luke is supposed to be looking for a senior-level investment manager, but he's too busy scoring new accounts. I swear
KariThe flight was delayed a little, so they didn't get home until three in the morning. Kari begged Jake to spend the night with her, though he much preferred them stay together out at his house. Getting up around her friends weirded him out for some reason.She woke before him and turned on her side, smiling. He was beautiful, lying beside her on his stomach, his dark hair tousled and lips so damn kissable.Reaching over, she ran her fingers down the side of his face. How did she ever get so lucky? Life with him was going to be fully alive, feeling and experiencing so much more than she thought possible.Now if her mother and brother could find the same type of relationships, everything would be great."Speaking of," she whispered softly and rolled over, carefully getting out of the bed and pulling on her robe. Marc was most likely rolled up with Lisa, but she hadn't talked to her mom in a few days. The conversation outside of the church on Christmas Eve was almost too short for he
Kari"I still don't see why you guys didn't go to the store and get all of this stuff earlier." Kari looked over at Sicily, not quite sure they weren't up to something. Sicily never left things last minute. Marc and Lisa always did, but Sicily? Not so much."I got wrapped up in spending time with Drake and my family for the holidays. It was a lot of food, loads of snuggles and some great presents." Sicily shrugged and reached down to pick up a stalk of celery.Lisa walked up holding a container of mushrooms. "Are these the ones you want?""No. I said baby portabellas." Sicily reached out and snagged the container before walking across the produce section of the grocery store."It's six at night on New Year’s Eve. Why the hell are we at the grocery store?" Kari reached out and grabbed Lisa's hands as her friend averted her gaze. "Lisa. What's going on?""What?" She looked up. "Nothing. No clue what you're talking about. The boys wanted food, and we figured chips would be enough. Obviou
Marc"It's too cold for this. You're going to owe me. Big time." Marc wagged his eyebrows as he stood at the bottom of the ladder, looking at Lisa. The redheaded bombshell was wearing a big furry white coat that wouldn’t last a day in his world. He'd have that thing coated in everything he ate, sat on, stepped in... you name it. She looked like heaven, but that was something he'd never get used to. She was far too beautiful to belong to him, and yet, she was all his."Am I?" She moved closer, wrapping her arms around him and pressing her ruby red lips to his leather bomber. Her eyes were filled with sensual mischief. "And how exactly would you like me to pay you back?""We'll start with a strip tease." He licked at his lips and studied her face as his body hardened from far more than the freezing temperatures around them."And then?" She moved back a little and nibbled on her lip."You're a tease. You know that?" He reached up and gripped the side of her face before turning and pullin
Lisa"Thank you again, baby." Lisa leaned in and pressed her lips to Marc's as he sat in Jake's old truck outside of Trisha's house."Anything for you." He slid his cold hand into her hair and pulled her down again, pressing his lips to hers. His tongue brushed by hers, and the taste of him lit her on fire. There was nothing like Marc Martin, which was so odd seeing that she usually went for older men.She sucked on his tongue and reached out to run her hand down his tight stomach before cupping him. He groaned and she leaned in farther to deepen the kiss. Lust was ever-present between them, but scary enough, they were moving fast into something more serious - love. She was in love for the first time in her life, and it was terrifying.He gripped her hand and moved back. "Stop teasing the monster or he'll come out and whip you.""Cock-spanking?" She nipped at his lips and whimpered. "Please?""Keep it up, bad girl." He tugged at the back of her hair, his grip still tight around a thic
Marc"Why did we have to get the biggest tree in the whole damn place?" Marc gave Jake a look as he leaned over to grip the tree trunk. They'd had a little too much fun actually cutting the thing down, or him and Jake had. Drake finally opened up during the ordeal to let them both know that his mother passed away a month before. It was shocking, and a little too sobering.All Marc had left was his mother, his father having cheated on her and run off to California when he was just a boy. If it wasn't for his mom and sister, Kari, life would have hardened him into the type of man he'd never want to be."You're the one that picked it out." Drake reached down to help him pick it up and drag it toward the truck. The bad boy gym owner had started to grow on Marc. He was quiet and didn't say much, but there was a side to him that was funny, and the guy was giving, whether he wanted to admit it or not.Might as well get along with both of them... we've got a long life together.Being the youn
Drake"You sure you don't mind stopping by my momma's house real quick? I just want to give everyone a hug before we head back to Maine." She leaned over and puckered up, looking too cute for her own damn good."I don't mind at all, plus, we're already here." He kissed her. "Tease.""You don't have to come in." She kissed him once more and got out of the truck, jogging toward the door. Her white coat fit her well, her jeans beautiful on her pert little butt.He smiled, letting his thoughts dive into the night they would have when they got back to his place.A knock right beside his head on the window had him stifling the need to jump. He turned to find Johnny standing out in the snow.Drake rolled down his window and nodded. "What's up, man?""I was thinking about what you said the other day about loving my sister." He glanced around, obviously uncomfortable. "I can't do anything about who she falls in love with, and I know I don't need to do the 'kick your ass if you hurt her' spiel,
Drake"You sure you don't mind stopping by my momma's house real quick? I just want to give everyone a hug before we head back to Maine." She leaned over and puckered up, looking too cute for her own damn good."I don't mind at all, plus, we're already here." He kissed her. "Tease.""You don't have to come in." She kissed him once more and got out of the truck, jogging toward the door. Her white coat fit her well, her jeans beautiful on her pert little butt.He smiled, letting his thoughts dive into the night they would have when they got back to his place.A knock right beside his head on the window had him stifling the need to jump. He turned to find Johnny standing out in the snow.Drake rolled down his window and nodded. "What's up, man?""I was thinking about what you said the other day about loving my sister." He glanced around, obviously uncomfortable. "I can't do anything about who she falls in love with, and I know I don't need to do the 'kick your ass if you hurt her' spiel,
DrakeDrake woke up the next morning before Sicily, realizing it was Christmas and he had everything he needed. He rolled onto his side and reached out, brushing his hand down her back as gratefulness washed over him in suffocating waves.D and Michael Carrington had gone to great lengths to help him restart his life. They'd helped fake his death in a warehouse explosion, put on the funeral and D had played the part beautifully through the event. It was horrifying to think he let his brother go through that shit, but D wouldn't have had it any other way.Drake rolled out of bed, his heart aching in his chest. He'd been wrong the night before. He and Sicily couldn't just look away from D and Izzy's bullshit situation. Where he wasn't sure he could get involved in the syndicate again, he could browbeat his brother into being a man and taking Izzy as his woman. There was no other girl for Demetri.After ordering a huge Christmas morning breakfast, Drake wrapped up in an extra blanket, sl
Sicily"That was fun tonight." Sicily squeezed Drake's hand as they walked toward Kadia in downtown New York. The sign lit up the night, taking attention from anyone who passed by. It was magnificent, the largest club she'd seen."Yeah. I had a good time," he glanced down at her, "and I was serious about what I said. We can go back and join your family after we spend a little bit of time with D and Izzy. I doubt they’re staying long. We just wanted to see each other, and it's safer if we do it in the middle of a large crowd."The line was wrapped around the building, people huddling together and singing Christmas songs with all sorts of odd costumes for the event that night. Sicily smiled and snuggled closer to Drake as they walked to the front of the line."The line is back there, man. Go get in it." A sexy bouncer with a great smile and beautiful aqua-colored eyes barked at them. She let her eyes move down to his name tag, wondering who he was for some reason. Had she seem him befor
DrakeDrake let his eyes run across Sicily as she stood in front of the mirror in the hotel bedroom and turned slowly, checking herself out."You look amazing."She walked toward him as he fiddled with his tie, taking over and working on it for him."My brothers never could get a tie on right. The last time I did this for someone, it was at Momma’s funeral." Her hands shook a little. "I did it multiple times that day."He reached up and ran his hands over her hips, enjoying the soft silky black material of her dress. "I'm really good at it. I just wanted you closer."She laughed as a tear ran down her nose. "I'm sorry.""Don't be sorry." He stood and pulled her into a hug, kissing the top of her head as he brushed her hair back. "You can be sensitive over your mom anytime you want, for as long as you want. I'm right here to hold you up."She nodded and pressed her face to his chest. "I just have so many memories of Christmas Eve with her. My chest hurts so bad it feels like acid is ea
Sicily"What did you do while I was shopping?" Sicily stood beside Drake later that afternoon as he loaded up the truck with her packages."I was taking a nap honestly." He put the last of them in the truck and gave her a look. "What in the world did you get?""Presents for all of our friends and something for you." She shrugged and walked around the truck, getting in on her side.He got in and buckled up as the scent of his cologne filled her nose. She breathed in deeper and let out an appreciative growl.Drake chuckled. "What was that for?""You smell good.""Stop diverting. You shouldn't have gotten all those gifts, baby.""Why not? We didn't fly. We'll just put them all in the back seat when we go back home, right?""It's not about where to put them on the ride home, Sis. It's about you spending your hard-earned money on gifts for us. We don't need anything, at least I don't. I have you, baby. That's more than enough." He pulled out his wallet. "Let me give you some money so you c
Sicily"You sure you don't want to come with me?" Sicily forced a pout on her face. She knew without a doubt that Drake would do anything she wanted him to, but shopping was too much. Having some time with her brother and sister for the afternoon would be fun for her, but most likely a drag of sorts. Especially seeing that the brother going was Johnny."I’m sure, beautiful girl." He pulled up to her mother's house. "I'll catch up with you this afternoon.""Will you take me out to see my momma’s grave before we have to get ready for dinner and church?" She leaned over and touched the side of his handsome face. Butterflies danced in her stomach, which seemed silly, but she hoped that he would always have such a strong pull on her."Of course I will." He leaned in and kissed her softly before deepening it a little. She opened herself up, letting him in as he rolled his tongue past her, dominating the kiss in a way that made her blood boil."Behave." She pulled back and smiled."You're th
DrakeThe night was filled with him and Sicily taking turns to explore each other. By the end of it, he was weak, exhausted and completely infatuated with the beautiful woman tucked against him. Not ever being able to sleep well, he was shocked when he woke the next morning to the smell of bacon and the sound of Sicily talking.He jolted up in the bed, worried that he had missed something. "Baby?""Right here." She opened the various trays sitting on the counter by the TV. "I ordered room service because I didn't want to get dressed yet. Besides, it's snowing like crazy out there."He dropped back down and ran his hand over his chest, watching her as she moved around in a large fluffy white robe. She looked adorable. Sexy."Mine," he grumbled and pulled the covers up. "You know that? You're mine.""I know, you gorilla. You made that more than obvious last night." She nibbled on a piece of bacon and walked over to sit down on the edge of the bed. "You want some?""Of course I do." He r
Sicily"Wow. This place is...""Fancy?" Drake asked as he pulled out her chair. "I heard they have the best steaks in New York.""Something tells me that you're probably right." Sicily sat down, feeling way underdressed for the steakhouse Drake had brought her to. He had on a sports coat over his jeans and white polo, and looked like a million bucks. The best thing in her suitcase was a plain white skirt and a blue sweater with winter boots. She felt cute, but that didn't seem like enough."Evening, folks. Glad to have you in the city and here with us tonight for dinner. May I make some suggestions?" The server wore a white pressed shirt, black slacks and a tux jacket.Sicily sat quietly as Drake encouraged the guy to give his spiel. Once he was done, Drake ordered their drinks and an appetizer. He moved his seat closer to hers and draped his arm over the back of her chair. "You look amazing.""You're just being sweet." She smiled and worked to get her napkin in her lap, not wanting t