Jake"I think you wore her out," Jake whispered against Kari's hair as they drove toward the church. His mom and dad were in the front seat, and his brothers in the truck behind them. With Kari tucked against him, everything seemed right."She's a great girl." Jake's mom glanced back toward the backseat and smiled. "I love her already."Jake chuckled. "I knew you guys would.""Where are her parents? She has to be missing them tonight." Jake's father reached up and adjusted the rearview mirror."I don't know about her father, but her mom is in New York. They were divorced when Kari was in high school or something. We haven't talked much about it, but her mom is a sweetheart. I met her earlier this week.""New York, hm? A bunch of city girls this time?"Jake chuckled at his father's teasing. He'd grown up talking about marrying a nice country girl who could make biscuits like his mother. Seemed so foreign now, but it was irrelevant. Kari was everything a man could want, and far more tha
KariKari woke before the sun rose the next morning. She stretched and reached for Jake, wrapping herself around him in the dark. They had on pjs, which sucked, but seemed necessary for sleeping over at his mom's house.He pulled her on top of him and kissed her a few times before running his strong hands down her back and massaging her rear. "Make love to me."She moaned and sat up to pull her shirt off. His hands were all over her before she could toss the thing back to the ground. Morning sex had to be the best. Everything was warm and snuggly."God, you feel good," she whispered roughly and rolled her hips, rubbing herself against him."Shorts off," he barked, his voice thick with sleep."So bossy." She got up and walked toward the window, opening the curtains before pulling her shorts over her legs."I'm a coach. We coach people. It's part of the job." He worked himself out of his shorts and reached for her as she moved to the edge of the bed. "So beautiful, Kari.""I'm all yours
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