All Chapters of Jaded: Chapter 181 - Chapter 190

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

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

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

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

MarcThe night before putting up the tree had been far more fun than Marc expected. Everyone couldn't help but be in a good mood around each other. Kari and Sicily had a little too much to drink, but as per usual, Lisa held hers just fine. Making love to her later in the comfort of her cold sheets was the perfect ending to a good night.Marc lifted his hands into the air and yawned loudly as he waited outside the gym. He'd left Lisa sleeping soundly back at the house to join Drake. The fire station was having a teddy bear collection for Christmas Eve, and where Marc wouldn't have usually signed up for such a sappy event, Jake asked him to. It was hard to tell Jake no. He was too good of a guy."Hey, man. Come on in." Drake opened the door and motioned for Marc to join him. "I gotta wrap up a few more things and then we'll head up to the fire station. You're going to freeze out there.""I'm enjoying it. I'm used to freezing in the winter. It's part of the charm of the holidays." Marc m