The Price (11 page)

“What’s wrong, baby?” Jack wrapped his arms around her belly and rested his chin on her shoulder.

“I wish it could have been a nicer visit, that’s all.”

She wondered why she always felt so empty after her mother’s departure. It would be nice to have a real relationship like most daughters had with their mothers, but that was never going to happen with Marnie St. Claire. The sooner Kate accepted it, the better she would feel. But still the little girl inside wished she had a mother she could lean on.

Kate brushed aside her blues and leaned back against Jack, feeling the warm safety of his arms folded about her.

“We have the whole day to ourselves.” He snuggled closer. “What do you want to do?”

“I don’t want to do much of anything today except lie next to you and play with our son.”

“I think that can be arranged,” said Jack, thinking between his son’s naps he could do a little playing of his own with the boy’s mother. “Why don’t we go upstairs and get naked.”

“I was thinking more about cuddling and watching movies in bed,” said Kate.

“We can cuddle and watch movies.” He removed the last dish from her hand and set it on the counter. “But only after I’m done loving you good, baby.”

He led her out of the kitchen and up the stairs.

“You have a one track mind,” Kate giggled.

“I know,” he grinned, and whisked her down the hallway to their bedroom.

He stopped outside the doorframe and motioned for her to enter. Kate walked through and went to the bassinet to check on her son.

“He’s sound asleep,” she said, gazing down at her son, with a full head of dark hair that was changing into strands of gold. She turned just in time to see Jack strip from his clothes and crawl into bed.

“Hurry,” he said with almost a growl. The last thing he wanted was for Jesse to wake, before he had a chance to devour his wife.

Kate shed her own clothes and climbed in to bed next to Jack. He threw the covers over top of them then slid his body against hers, pressing her into the plush mattress.

“Kiss me, baby,” he said, lowering his lips to hers until they were almost touching.

“No, you kiss me,” she said in a sweet seductive tone.

“Are we going to play games?” he asked with a twinkle in his eye.

“Maybe.” She licked her lower lip, and its wetness glistened against her pink flesh.

“Oh Kate, you are tormenting me again,” said Jack, as he slid his legs between hers and forced them wide open.

Kate gasped when she felt him hard against her. He teased her, pressing against her arousal, coaxing her to beg for more.

“Is this what you want?” His voice turned husky.

He wrapped his hands in her hair and jerked her head back. With one quick thrust, he entered her as he slammed his mouth hard over hers. He devoured her, moving in and out of her while he consumed the passion of her lips and tongue. Kate felt an instant fire burning inside her, moving from her belly to the place where he drove his need. Jack folded his hands over hers and raised them by her head, pressing them firm into the mattress.

Kate felt an explosion inside her and a sweet orgasmic rush filled her. She cried out, but her pleasurable sounds were captured by Jack’s tongue.

“Give me more, Kate,” he said, moving to her breast.

He covered the full nipple with his mouth and sucked hard, tasting the milky nectar the gods provided for man and child. He squeezed them, lifting up as he drank from her, all the while driving his need further inside her.

He paused for a moment and Kate opened her eyes.

“Why are you stopping?” She groaned in a heated passion, wanting more.

“There’s a knot in your breast, baby,” he exclaimed.

“It’s nothing,” said Kate, lifting her head and coaxing him to kiss her.

It worked. Jack slammed his mouth over hers and resumed to drive hard into her. Kate came again. She lifted her legs over his hips and locked them. She felt so damn good that he couldn’t hold back. Kate came one last time as Jack groaned and exploded within her.

He fell on top of her, locking her into his full body. Buried into her locks of gold hair, Jack smelled the exotic fragrance of her shampoo. God, he loved this woman. What was it about her that made him get totally lost? He stayed that way, feeling her beneath him. He wanted to stay like this forever with Kate buried under him, feeling her soft skin touching his, her full breasts pressed against his chest and her long legs tangled with his.

“Jack,” Kate finally whispered. “You awake?”

“Yes,” he answered, sending his hot breath against her neck.

“You going to let me up?” she asked.

“No.”

Kate could feel his grin all over her neck. God, he was intense. Most men would have been ready to roll over right after, but not Jack—
never Jack
. He liked to cocoon her in, wrapping his hard body around her and oozing his raw male scent all over her. Nothing Jack McBride did was in a small way; he worked hard, he played hard and he loved hard, and Kate loved that about him.

Jack lifted his head and folded his arms around her hair. He stared at the line of freckles along her nose and the top of her cheeks, trailing them with his finger.

“Do you love me, Jack?” she asked.

“More than anything in the world,” he answered. “Do you love me?”

“More than anything in the world,” she smiled.

“Good. Let’s keep it that way, baby.” He nodded then rolled over, taking Kate with him.

Jack lay on his back and rubbed her arm with light strokes. He closed his eyes, basking in the feel of her skin while his thoughts drifted back to the dream—the original dream that sparked it all, catapulting his need for wanting her, though if truth be told, it was the moment he first lay eyes on the pretty, blue-eyed blond at the
Bucket of Blood Saloon
that got his attention and he’d been lost ever since.

He couldn’t get that ring on her finger fast enough, or walk her down the aisle in the
Virginia City Church
to say,
I do,
a month later. She looked beautiful that day, wearing a long, crème-colored gown and baby’s breath scattered in her hair. His heart almost stopped upon sight of her.

He smiled inwardly with fond remembrance of both and pressed himself a little tighter around her so his hands could do more wandering. God, he loved touching her, every part of her. Her skin was soft and smooth like the petal of a rose; her hair always smelled so good like after a summer’s rain and her breasts were ripe and full, the perfect size to cup in his large, work-worn hands. Jack’s eyes darted open.

“Kate, lay back,” he directed, pressing her back into the mattress.

“Why? You ready for round two,” she almost purred.

“No, I want to check your breast,” he stated, as his hand moved over her breast, like he was searching for something.

“What are you doing?”

“I felt a lump before,” he said, squeezing her ripe mound until he found what he was looking for. “There it is. Can you feel that?”

He pressed against the tiny lump.

“No,” said Kate, taking her hand and checking it herself. “That feels like it could be a clogged milk duct. The nurse practitioner said I should call if I think I might have an infection.”

“Then call her,” said Jack in an authoritative tone. “The last thing we need is for you to have a full-blown infection so soon after giving birth.”

“It doesn’t hurt, and I don’t think I have a fever,”

Jack placed his hand on her forehead to make sure.

“No fever, baby,” he breathed a sigh of relief. “But you should still call.”

“I’ll call tomorrow and make an appointment,” said Kate. “There’s nothing they can do about it now since it’s Sunday, and I’m not about to waste the rest of the day sitting in some emergency room waiting to be seen.”

“Fine, but tomorrow I am taking you to the doctor.” He pointed an overbearing finger at her.

“Whatever you say, Jack.” Kate attempted to hide her grin and failed. His green eyes slanted on hers, and she knew damn well what that look meant. There was no point in arguing with Jack when his mind was made up. She was going and that was that.

She’d almost forgotten, after an unusually quiet Sunday afternoon, spending time with her two favorite men and no Marnie St. Claire to spoil their lazy mood. But come Monday morning, Jack made the appointment, not taking no for an answer when the receptionist advised they were booked solid. It didn’t hurt that Jack had influence and the stubbornness of a mule.

By late morning, Kate sat in the exam room with her husband by her side. It was rather embarrassing, Jack hovering over her, as the nurse practitioner performed her examination. To both Kate and Jack’s relief, it was nothing more than a clogged milk duct. They left the office with prescription in hand.

“Do you want to grab lunch in town before heading home?” he asked her, now sitting in the truck as Kate stared out the window.

“You hungry again, Jack?” she asked shaking her head, already knowing the answer.

“I’m starved,” he grinned and gave her leg a quick squeeze.

“I was hoping we could go straight home. I don’t want to leave Jesse alone all morning and afternoon.”

“We’ve been gone a couple of hours and you’re already missing him.” It was Jack’s turn to shake his head.

“I can’t help it.” She shrugged. “I want to be with him all the time.”

“Well you better get used to it, baby, if you’re going to be teaching this fall,” said Jack.

“I know that.” Kate hated to be reminded of the inevitable—especially by Jack.

“You know there is an easy solution to all of this,” He glanced in her direction. “You don’t have to teach.”

“Jack, do we really need to go there again?” She sighed.

“All I’m saying is that if you are having second thoughts, then maybe teaching right now is not the answer. Stay home and take care of our son like we discussed in the first place.”

“No,” stated Kate, and she crossed her arms over her chest.

She looked out the window, shielding her thoughts from Jack’s scrutinizing green eyes

“Kate, you want me to take you home?” His hand brushed against her shoulder, and she turned just in time to see him give her that too-charming, boyish look.

“Fine. Let’s stop somewhere for lunch,” she relented, giving in to him like she always did.

“You want to go to
Bodine’s
?” His face flickered confidently in his small victory.

Maybe if she got a small taste of what it would feel like to be away from her son, she would have second thoughts about leaving him all day when she went back to teaching.

“Can’t we just go to a drive-thru or something,” asked Kate, knowing the famous restaurant would be crowded this time of day and it would take forever, plus she was overdue as it is for another breast pumping.

“That food is God-awful,” exclaimed Jack, “and bad for the baby.”

“As opposed to the burgers at Bodine’s?” Kate scowled and rubbed the side of her hard, engorged breast, wishing she’d brought the pump.

“My eating burgers doesn’t affect Jesse. Besides, you always get their salad. That’s good food to keep your milk supply going.”

Jack thought of everything, and it annoyed the hell out of her. What was even more grating was that while they were arguing, he was driving straight for the restaurant. Kate watched Jack pull into the parking lot. She didn’t utter a word when he turned off the engine and strolled around the truck to her side, opening the door for her to step out.

Kate climbed out and Jack took her hand, leading them into the restaurant and straight up to the hostess. The hostess looked up and a huge smile planted across her face, seeing Jack.

“Hi there, stranger.” The pretty brunette curled up her bright red lips to show a perfect set of teeth. “I hear you’ve become a daddy as of late.”

“I have,” Jack beamed, taking out his cell phone from his pocket. He flipped through his photographs and came to the perfect picture of his son. “This is Jesse.”

Kate watched on the sidelines, while Jack paraded his son’s picture to the cute hostess.

“Why, he’s the spitting image of you,” she said with a gleam in her eye. “You better be careful when he gets older. All the women are going to fall all over him.”

“I think he looks more like his momma,” said Jack, as he pulled Kate up alongside him.

“Hi Mandy,” said Kate with no emotion.

“Hi Kate,” said Mandy in the same bland expression. “So where is that little bundle of joy?”

“He’s home,” Jack interjected before Kate had a chance to. “We had a doctor appointment this morning and decided to go out for lunch by ourselves, before heading back to our little foal.”

“If it were me, I would be biting at the bit to get back to him,” said Mandy, picking up two menus and motioning for them to follow.

She sat them at their usual booth. Kate shimmied in to the seat and flopped back against the vinyl. She was biting at the bit all right, but for more reasons than just missing her son.

“Your waitress will be right with you.” Mandy’s smile returned when she looked at Jack. “Congrats again, Daddy!”

Kate’s frown deepened, watching the brief exchange, before Mandy left their table. But before she had a chance to re-group, another pretty young thing strolled up to their booth and the entire process repeated itself. Jack, being the proud Papa, showed the pictures of their newborn son and the waitress, a salty, little red-head named Cherry, gushed all over the pictures and Jack.

“Well isn’t he the sweetest thing?” Cherry awed and cooed to the point Kate thought she might get sick.

“He’s strong too.” Jack seemed to burst with pride. “You should see the way he grabs hold of my finger.”

“Well of course he does,” Cherry smiled wide, shaking a pair of cheap, dangly earrings. “After all, he’s a McBride.”

“He’s got a little of his momma in him too,” Jack looked up at Kate and smiled.

“I thought you were starved?” Kate stated in a rather annoyed voice.

“I am,” said Jack, and he returned his attention back to the redhead. “I’ll have my usual, Cherry.”

“One burger coming right up.” She turned. “And what would you like, Mrs. McBride?”