Hard as Stone(59)
Meeting his lips for a short, but satisfying closed mouth kiss, Harmony smiled against his lips. “Don’t blame my daughter. It’s you that’s hungry.”
“Yeah, I’m hungry alright,” he agreed against her mouth, “but, not for food, darlin’.”
“Behave yourself,” Harmony admonished breathily, thumping his muscular arm as she pulled away from his embrace. Meeting his glittering eyes, she couldn’t help her shiver. She and Jake hadn’t quite made it to consummating their relationship. She had a feeling that he was trying to give her time to adjust to having a man in her life again and was keeping her relative inexperience at the forefront of his mind when they were alone together. They’d satisfied each other numerous times with their hands and their mouths, but hadn’t crossed that ultimate line yet.
“I’m tryin’, baby, but you make it hard on a man,” he replied with a wicked grin, the double entendre hanging in the air between them.
The look she saw burning in his eyes at that moment only reinforced his statement. It plainly told her that his restraint just might finally crumble once and for all when he got her alone tonight. Her Momma had always told her that good things came to those who waited, and she was willing to place a cash bet that when Jacob did take her, it would be an unforgettable experience. And truth be told, she couldn’t deny that she was finally ready to take that step with him.
Hearing Zeke clear his throat behind them, Harmony willed herself to stop blushing. She was a grown woman. A mother. It was okay for her to want to have sex with the man she was seeing, damn it. “We won’t be long,” she promised, squeezing his hand before she hurried toward her youngest sister and Zeke.
She watched the rest of her family begin pulling out of the parking lot as she climbed into the backseat of the SUV and strapped her seatbelt.
“Looks like things are gettin’ serious between you and Jacob,” Zeke noted as he started the engine and Honor settled into the seat beside him. “You like him a lot, huh?” he asked, shooting her a curious look in the rearview mirror.
“We’re taking things slowly,” Harmony murmured, shooting Zeke a shy smile. “But, yes, I like him a lot, Zeke.”
“Heaven adores him,” Honor added enthusiastically, glancing at Harmony over her shoulder. “It’s good to see her interactin’ with men besides her honorary uncles, don’t you think? Jake is wonderful with her.”
Harmony nodded. What Honor said was true. Heaven enjoyed having each of her uncles in her life. Zeke, Cain, and Abel had each taken an active role in Heaven’s life since the day she was born, spoiling her and making sure she felt special. Her daughter also loved her two quasi grandfathers, Uncle Jethro and Cain and Abel’s father, Seth. Beyond them, however, Heaven hadn’t been around all that many men. Before Jake, Harmony had refused to date and this was the first time her child had ever experienced anything resembling a father figure. “Yes,” she acknowledged softly, “They’ve gotten really close in the last few weeks.”
“So, tell me about Jake,” Zeke invited, his gaze darting to connect with hers in the rearview mirror. “What do you know about him, Harmony? Jake doesn’t talk much about himself. What does he do?”
Harmony watched as Honor shot the Sheriff an irritated look. “Why are you pumpin’ my sister for information on her boyfriend, Ezekiel? Is there somethin’ you’re gettin’ at here?”
Harmony watched Zeke stiffen and quickly moved to intercede. Arguments between Honor and Zeke could become heated in a hurry, and it was fairly clear that this was headed toward a scene. It was much too pretty of an afternoon to waste being mad. “I’m sure Zeke is just curious, Honor. He’s right; Jake is a private person and to be honest, I don’t know all that much about what he does. Something related to security. Honestly, when we’re together we talk more about me and my new event planning business than anything else.” It was true, too. Somehow the topic of conversation always got turned back around to either her or Heaven when they talked. She had to admit, thinking on it now, it was strange how Jake always shied away from confiding much about his own life.
“Hmmm,” Zeke hummed, drumming his fingers against the steering wheel as they stopped for a red light. “Security,” he mumbled, his lips pressing together as he stared out the windshield.
“He must do pretty well, Sheriff,” Honor began primly. “He paid for his new house outright, and word around town is that he’s scouting locations for a security firm,” she continued, defending Jacob. “Not many men can say that.”