Read Jake (Men of Clifton Montana Book 1) for Free Online Page B

what was she going
to do then, hop outside to get wood, and then hop back into the living room?
Taking a deep breath, Becca stood, picked up the paper, and hopped back to the
living room. She was out of breath by the time she reached the couch. Taking a
deep breath, she called his cellphone and waited.
    “Jake Stone,” his
sexy male voice answered.
    Oh dear Heavens, his voice is amazing. “Jake,
this is Becca…Becca Daniels.”
    “Hello, Becca
Daniels. So did you decide you want me to come over and tuck you in?”
    “I, uh…oh, damn it!
I fell down the stairs and twisted my ankle, the power is out, and I need wood.
I can’t hop out there and hop back in, and…I don’t know what to do,” she
exclaimed as she choked back tears.
    “You fell down? Are
you all right?”
    She heard the
concern in his voice. She didn’t want him to be nice.
    “Look, Stone, are
you going to help me or not?” She wanted to snap at him, but her voice came out
almost pleading instead.
    He cleared his
throat. “I’ll be there as soon as I can.” Then, he hung up.
    Becca collapsed on
the couch, shaking like a leaf. With her emotions a wreck and a throbbing ankle,
she was a mess. On the coffee table, her purse lay open. Inside, she spotted
the bottle of painkillers she’d gotten three months ago when she had a wisdom
tooth pulled. She took the bottle out and removed two pills. Throwing them into
her mouth, she took a drink of water to swallow them. Becca propped her foot on
a pillow and laid back. She didn’t want to take the boot off yet. She would
wait for Jake.
    About that time,
the power came back on. Wonderful!

 
    * * * *

 
    Jake stood in the
doorway of the living room and looked at the woman lying on the couch. She appeared
to be asleep. Her booted foot was on a pillow and the fire was almost out. He’d
brought wood in when he got here but she hadn’t stirred, and he’d made several
trips out and back. Shaking his head, he walked over to her and gently shook
her shoulder.
    “Becca.”
    He shook her again.
She moaned and Jake groaned in response. He did not need this. She was too
beautiful. He wanted to lay down on the couch with her, hold her, and kiss
those soft Cupid’s bow lips. When she opened those green eyes, looked up at him
and smiled, his heart hit his stomach.
    “Hi Jake,” she
murmured. “I fell down the stairs and hurt my butt.” She giggled.
    Jake jerked back. “Have
you been drinking?”
    She shook her head.
“Nope, took painkillers so my ankle would stop hurting.”
    “Painkillers …well,
just great.”
    Jake lifted her
foot from the pillow, took a seat on the couch, and laid her foot in his lap.
    “You know I have to
take your boot off. I need to wrap it for you. I’ll be careful not to hurt you,
but it will hurt.” He frowned at her when she giggled again and waved her hand
around.
    He untied the boot
and started to slip it off when she hissed in a breath. Jake stopped, glancing at
her. She nodded for him to go on. He took her boot and sock off then swore
aloud when he saw the bruises already forming. Gently, he put her foot back on
the pillow as he stood and went to the kitchen. Jake came back a few minutes
later with an elastic bandage. When he lifted her foot to sit down, she jerked
her foot back, and gasped as pain shot through it.
    Seeing she was in
pain, he grimaced. “Sorry, Red.” Touching her skin was going to be delightful
torture. “This will help you feel better, and make it heal quicker. But you
need to rest your foot and keep it elevated too.” Jake began gently wrapping
her ankle.
    “Okie dokie,” Becca
said with a snort followed by another giggle. “Those painkillers are making me
goofy.”
    “Is that what’s
doing it?” Jake replied with irony. “I’ll get going. Sleep it off.”
    He stood and turned
to go. Getting away from her right now seemed the smart thing to do. If he
didn’t, he was going to take advantage of the situation. Jake wanted to kiss
her more than