I’m still speechless when Jake turns and stands up, his entire demeanor shifting in a split second. A moment ago, he was sweet and kind to Martha. But now…

Now, he looks as cold and cruel as ice.

“If I ever catch you doing something like that again I’ll sue you for animal cruelty,” Jake says, his voice barely above a hiss.

Tom snorts. “Jake, they’re goats. If anything, you should be suing this squatter. And grilling the goats for dinner.”

I gasp.

I steady myself, ready to launch into Tom, but again, Jake gets there first.

“These goats are Sutton’s livelihood. And her pets. Have some goddamned respect, Tom.”

Tom looks as if he’s been slapped, but he recovers quick enough to sneer at me. “Respect? I don’t think so. If one of those little feral monsters tries to take a bite out of my clothes, you can bet I’ll punt them from here to the county office. And I won’t lose a wink of sleep over it.”

He looks insanely smug to have admitted this, and I almost feel bad for him as I watch Jake’s face darken. Because anyone with half a brain would see that this was exactly the wrong thing to say.

“Get out,” Jake snarls.

“Excuse me?” Tom says, now completely confused. “Jake, let’s be reasonable—”

“You lost that chance when you insulted Sutton,” Jake says, and then he glances down at a still-shaking Martha. “Actually, you lost it when you terrorized Martha. Now, get out.”

Well, shit.

That was hot.

I’m pretty sure my entire body melts into a puddle at Jake’s words. Because up until now, I didn’t know that a man defending my—and my goats’—honor was a turn-on, but holy hell.

“I see,” Tom snaps. “Well, I’ll still be reporting this squatting issue to the city. And—”

With one fluid motion, Jake steps forward and grabs the man by the cheap fabric of his suit. Now, Jake’s a big man, and Tom is shorter than me. So I don’t totally blame Tom for the pathetic squeak that he makes when Jake grabs him.

“Maybe I wasn’t clear enough,” Jake says. “Get the fuck off my property right now, and keep your mouth shut until you’re at least ten miles away. Do you understand?”

I don’t think Tom’s used to being threatened over goats—hell, this is Reindeer Falls, he’s probably not used to being threatened over anything—but he gets the picture. As soon as Jake releases him, he turns around and hustles all the way back to his car, tires screeching as soon as he manages to tumble inside.

All I can do is stare at Jake.

Because did that really just happen? Did Jake Sheppard, lawyer and bane of my existence, just kick a surveyor off of my property? After threatening to sue him? I should probably be concerned that he’s clearly ruthless when he wants to be, but I’m too distracted by how insanely hot it was watching him defend Martha’s honor.

And my honor. I can’t forget that.

“Wow,” I say, blinking at him. “I…”

I don’t have words. He’s not facing me. He’s turned away, breathing hard. Adrenaline, obviously. I should thank him, at least.

“Thank you,” I offer. “Um, for your trouble—“

But when Jake turns around to face me, he’s looking at me with the kind of hunger that can only mean one thing, and before I know it, I’m in his arms and his lips are crashing against mine.

There’s no time to make it all the way back to the Airstream. We fumble at each other’s clothes as he lifts me up and carries me over to a fresh stack of hay. We tumble onto it, and I don’t mind that I feel bits of hay against my back or in my hair. I don’t mind that it’s a bit chilly in the barn. I don’t even mind if we have a goat audience. All I care about is ripping Jake’s clothes off.

“Just this once,” I tell him as his mouth trails down my bare neck, my shirt flung off to the corner.

“Just this once,” he agrees, helping me free him of his pants and then his shirt.

I run my hands along his chest until he’s lying on his back. He watches me as I dip down, pressing my mouth to his chest as I work my way down his abdomen.

He groans at my touch, and something tells me it’s not just because my hands are probably cold. I trace my fingers along the length of him, relishing in the chance to check him out in full daylight.

“Don’t stop,” Jake says, the words practically a hiss. “God, that feels amazing, Sutton.”

I smile against him, working my way lower, dragging my tongue just a few inches higher than where he’d really like it. He grunts again, bucking his hips upwards. I keep moving, emboldened, working him with my hand while I tease him with kisses just out of reach.

Tags: Jana Aston Romance
Source: readsnovelonline.net