Until Forever [Merricks, Montana 5] (Siren Publishing Ménage and More)

by McKinlay Thomson

  “Oh, okay.”

  Sam walked to the door and turned back to look at Cody. She knew then as she looked at his disheveled appearance and wearing a look of sated passion that she had made the right decision in seeing where this attraction would take them.

  “I’ll see you tonight,” she said and walked from the room toward the front of her shop.

  Chapter Six

  Troy slowed his Harley and turned off the highway and onto Main Street. He had finally arrived in the town of Merricks, and he was exhausted. Only stopping for food and rest breaks, he had driven straight through, with one thing on his mind. Getting to Cody before it was too late.

  He had had plenty of time to think while on the road, and one thing became perfectly clear. Cody meant more to him than any other person ever had, including Maria, and he had been a coward and treated Cody poorly.

  Troy had always been honest with Cody, telling him that he wasn’t one for relationships, but he had lied to himself and to Cody. He had also gone as far as to cancel dates with the man to distance himself, hoping that neither of them would start to feel more for each other than he was willing to give.

  He needed to make amends and make sure Cody understood what a complete ass he had been. Troy needed to put aside all his previous hurt and distrust and just let his heart lead the way.

  He planned to march up to Cody, take the man in his arms, and declare his love. It sounded like something out of a crappy romantic comedy, but he really couldn’t think of a better way.

  If that didn’t work, he was going to beg, and if Cody still rejected his apology, he fully intended to kidnap the man and tie him to the nearest bed and change his mind using the one thing he knew Cody couldn’t resist. He would take his time making love to Cody, using ever trick in his book to sensually tie the man to him forever.

  Troy rolled into the town and pulled his bike into an empty space. Half-Baked Bakery was painted on the sign of the shop in front of him. It was a good place to start his search. He was hungry and could use some food, and then he would head over to the motel. That was the more logical starting place, but his stomach won out.

  Troy stowed his helmet and walked into the bakery. The smell of fresh bread hit his nose the instant he opened the door to enter. He bit back a groan and made his way toward the counter. Luckily the shop was quiet, and he didn’t have to wait in a line.

  “Good afternoon, sir,” said the pretty blonde behind the counter. “What can I get you today?”

  Troy was still looking at the display case when a large man with long black hair and dark green eyes walked up behind the woman and put his arms around her waist.

  “Emily, you should not be calling any other man sir but Hawk and myself,” the man said.

  The woman, Emily, laughed at the man and turned in his arms.

  “Wolf,” she said, “this is my place of business, and you are being extremely unprofessional. Besides, what else am I supposed to call someone who I don’t know?”

  Wolf and Hawk? The people in this town had strange names. Troy watched the couple interact and smiled at the obvious signs of love the two shared. He also guessed from Wolf’s words that they were in a D/s relationship and apparently one that involved another person.

  “I don’t know,” Wolf replied. “Mister or guy?”

  “Yeah,” she said sassily. “I’m going to call him guy. What about monsieur or señor? Or maybe herr?”

  “I don’t even know what that last one is,” Wolf told her.

  Troy was thoroughly enjoying listening to the pair as they bantered.

  “It’s German,” Emily replied. “Now I really need to serve this gentleman.”

  Troy smiled at the couple when they both turned to face him. He looked back at the display case filled with delicious pastries and cakes and decided to settle on a croissant, followed up with a jelly donut.

  “Hello,” he said. “Can I have a ham and cheese croissant, and a jelly donut please?”

  “Sure,” Emily answered. “Will you be eating in today?”

  “Yes, I will, thanks,” Troy said. “I was wondering if you could help. My partner’s car broke down, and he has been staying in town waiting to get it fixed. His name is Cody. Have you seen him around town?”

  “I haven’t met anyone called Cody,” Wolf said. “Emily?”

  “How do we know that this Cody guy isn’t in town hiding from him?” Emily asked, but she was addressing Wolf, not him. “He could be psycho, and we are just giving up his location.”

  He was impressed that she would protect Cody from him in the event he was a psycho, but she had nothing to worry about. Not that she would know either way.

  “Emily does have a point,” Wolf told him. “What is this Cody to you?”

  “Like I said,” Troy replied, “he is my boyfriend, and we live in Minneapolis. He was on his way to Seattle for work when his car broke down.”

  “What kind of man lets his partner drive long distance alone?” Wolf asked, his voice deepening and a dark look coming across his face.

  “I’ll be honest,” he said. “I fucked up and let the most important thing in my life walk away. I am here to make up for that, and hopefully he will take me back. I wouldn’t ever let anything bad happen to Cody, let alone inflict it myself. You have nothing to worry about on that front.”

  Troy waited while the pair looked at him and then at each other. He was still undecided whether they knew something or not, but at least it would be decided if he was going to be run out of town or not.

  “I believe him,” Wolf said. Troy didn’t know that he had been holding his breath until it whooshed out of him. He was relieved. It would be hard to track down and apologize to Cody if the whole damned town was out to get him. “I have met many men in the Marines and out, and this one isn’t very hard to read. Tell him what you know.”

  “Sam has been spending time with someone who just arrived in town,” Emily said. “It could be him. She owns the boutique, Natural Woman, down the street. Otherwise I would start at the motel, maybe check the mechanic if he needed his car fixed.”

  “Thanks,” he told them, smiling. “You won’t regret helping me. Do I still get my croissant?”

  He gave her a big smile and winked in her direction.

  He knew that he was being cheeky, but she had been most helpful and he was happy. She was a smart woman. He hadn’t thought to ask the mechanic for information. He wasn’t a total airhead. He would have thought of it eventually, but she had thought of it straight away.

  “Oh, sure,” she said. “I’ll just grab it now. Please take a seat.”

  Wolf gave him a dark look and growled low in his throat.

  “Stop flirting with my woman,” he said.

  “I wouldn’t dream of it,” Troy answered and walked over to take a seat, shaking his head, the smile still wide on his face. Maybe he was flirting just a little.

  Troy sat and looked out the window at the passersby while he waited for his croissant and donut. He needed to eat quickly and get over to the boutique. Hopefully this Sam person knew where to find Cody. It would make his search all the quicker.

  A thought struck him, and he frowned. What if Cody had already gotten his car fixed and left town? He would be chasing him all the way to Seattle if that were the case. Troy knew which chain of coffee shops Cody was going to work for, so he had that lead, but he hoped it didn’t come to that and he was still in town.

  Troy thanked Emily when she placed his food on the table in front of him. He didn’t even bother with utensils and just picked up his croissant and demolished it. Damned he was hungry and could have easily eaten two more.

  It helped that it was delicious. The pastry was flaky yet melted in his mouth, and when the ham and cheese hit his tongue, it was like a flavor sensation. Whoever the chef had been, they could certainly cook.

  Troy finished off his donut and wiped his hands on the napkin. He paid for his food and said goodbye to Emily. Wolf was not around so he told Emi
ly to say thanks for the help. He also thanked her for the croissant and donut and told her they were good enough that he was sure to be back before he left town.

  Making his way into the street, Troy walked toward the boutique. He was starting to get nervous. What would Cody say when he saw him? Would he be surprised to see him? And would it be a good surprise or a bad one?

  He stopped in front of the store and wiped his sweaty palms on his pants. He needed to calm down. He wasn’t even sure that this Sam knew who Cody was yet.

  Troy sucked in a big breath and pushed the door open. He was about to find out. There was no point in procrastinating. Like it or not, Cody, here I come.

  * * * *

  Sam heard the bell over the door jingle and laughed at Cody. He was helping her sort stock in the back room and was saying the silliest things. Since Cody’s arrival in town nearly a week ago now, Sam and Cody had spent every day together. Whether it was just hanging out at her boutique or going out to dinner, they were starting to become inseparable.

  After their small interlude in her kitchenette, Sam and Cody had refrained from anything other than small touches and hot, steamy kisses. She fully intended to have her way with the sexy submissive but thought that they shouldn’t rush into the sexual side of their relationship too soon.

  They needed to build trust and learn each other outside the bedroom before taking things further. Cody, while by his own admission was frustrated and horny, was also happy to follow where Sam led him. As the dominant partner in their budding relationship, she expected nothing less and would reward him for his patience.

  “I’ll be right back, sweetness,” she told him. “That was the bell.”

  Sam put down the shirt she was unpacking and started for the door.

  “I’ll be here,” he replied as she walked from the room.

  She walked into her shop and came to a stop when she saw the huge man standing at her counter. He was well over six foot and wearing black jeans with biker boots and a thick leather jacket. His short-cropped dark brown hair made her wonder if he was ex-military. He certainly had the muscles for one.

  Her mouth dropped open when he turned to face her and he smiled in greeting. He was devastatingly good-looking with his dark stubble and dark-chocolate eyes.

  “Hi,” he said. “I’m looking for Sam. You wouldn’t happen to know where I can find her?” His voice was deep and gruff, and parts of Sam that had been dormant until meeting Cody were now screaming and waving hysterically.

  “I’m Sam,” she told him. “It’s short for Samantha. What can I do for you?” She knew what she wanted to do for him, but she doubted he had that in mind.

  “I’m looking for my boyfriend, Cody,” he said. “Emily at the bakery said you might know where I can locate him.”

  Cody? What did this man want with her Cody? She wondered who he was, and then it came to her. Surely not. Could this be the man who had pushed Cody to the curb and left him brokenhearted? Was this Troy?

  Now that she looked at him closely, she could see it was him from the description Cody had given her. He was just like she’d pictured from his explanation and wondered what had brought him to Merricks.

  She wasn’t about to give up Cody to the other Dom without a fight. He was hers now, and she didn’t care that they had history and that he was drop-dead gorgeous. He needed to prove himself before she let him anywhere near her man.

  “What do you want with him?” she asked. “And what makes you think I will tell you where to find him?”

  “That is between me and my boyfriend—”

  “Ex-boyfriend,” Sam cut in.

  Troy gave her a dark look and crossed his arms over his big chest. She could tell he was trying to intimidate her, but it wasn’t going to work. Hadn’t he met the men in this town? They were all big and every bit as intimidating, and they didn’t scare her either.

  “Just tell me where I can find him,” Troy demanded. “I have come a long way, and I need to speak to him.”

  Sam crossed her arms over her chest and matched his stance. Two could play at that game, and she intended to win.

  “What makes you think he even wants to see you?” she asked, raising her eyebrow in question.

  “What makes you think he doesn’t?” he replied. “And why is it any business of yours?”

  Sam didn’t want to be so hostile toward Cody’s ex-lover, but she was protective of her sweet-hearted new man, and Troy was pushing all her buttons with his defensive attitude.

  Then there was the fact that she found him so damned attractive. She didn’t want her body to tingle and her girly bits to spring to life. Not for a man who she knew had hurt Cody.

  “Oh, it’s my business all right,” she snapped. “Cody is mine.”

  “Glad to hear that, love,” Cody said from behind her. “I was starting to think that I was going to lose my mind.”

  Sam turned and faced Cody, feeling a little sheepish at her feisty declaration. Cody smiled down at her before placing a hand on her shoulder.

  “Sorry,” Sam said. “I probably shouldn’t have said that.”

  “Not at all,” Cody said. “I am more than happy to be yours. I do need to talk to Troy though. At the very least to see why he has come all this way and how he knew where I was.”

  Sam knew that she couldn’t stop Cody from talking to Troy, but she really didn’t want them to. The only reason that she could see as to why Troy would come all this way was because he wanted him back.

  Troy and Cody had a history, and all she’d had was a week. She couldn’t compete with that, and though Sam and Cody had agreed that they wouldn’t hurt each other, she was afraid that her heart was already too involved to come out of this unscathed.

  Cody let go of her shoulder, and she felt the loss emotionally as well as physically. He walked past her and closer to Troy before stopping and crossing his arms over his chest in the same defensive action that Troy and Sam had been using moments before.

  “Why are you here, Troy?” he asked. “You made everything perfectly clear back at your place.”

  “Cody,” he said, “can we go someplace more private? Somewhere we can speak alone.”

  Cody shook his head at Troy, and Sam wanted to cheer. It was wrong of her, but she couldn’t help it. Sam was jealous and angry at Troy’s intrusion into the little world they had created for themselves over the last week.

  “Anything you need to say to me can be said here,” Cody told Troy. “Sam already knows everything anyway.”

  “Fine,” Troy said. To Sam, it seemed more resigned that angry. “I made a mistake. What I said back home was cowardly and wrong. I do want a life with you, and I wanted you to know you are the best thing that ever happened to me.”

  “I don’t understand,” Cody said.

  Sam did and felt her heart break at Troy’s words. She couldn’t expect Cody not to go back to someone he loved deeply for her.

  “I know I’m not very good with words,” Troy told him. “I’m muddling this up, I’m sure.”

  “No, Troy,” Cody replied. “I understand what you are saying. I don’t understand why.”

  “Why, what?” Troy asked back.

  “Why come all this way when you made it plain from the get-go that you didn’t want a relationship?” he said. “I always knew you liked me well enough but didn’t want a commitment.”

  “That’s what I’m trying to tell you,” Troy replied. “I do want a relationship with you. I realized I love you and letting you go was the stupidest thing I had ever done. You aren’t Maria and—”

  “Wait,” Cody cut in. “Go back. Say that bit again.”

  “I do want a relationship with you,” Troy said.

  The way he was smiling down at the slightly smaller Cody melted Sam’s heart, and she thought maybe it was time to leave and let these men reconnect.

  “No, not that part,” Cody said. “The other part.”

  “Cody,” Troy said and moved forward, “I love you. I was just
a stupid ass, but I know better now. Please give us another chance. Don’t tell me that I am too late.”

  Sam sighed as hoped faded. How Cody could reject Troy’s heartfelt plea was beyond her. She was getting choked up at his words. So much for fighting for her and Cody’s relationship.

  “Troy,” Cody replied, “you don’t understand how badly I wanted to hear those words.”

  Sam knew it was time to go. Quietly turning on her heels, she moved toward the back of the shop. Cody belonged with Troy, and as much as it hurt her to let him go, she would. Cody deserved to be happy.

  “Sam. Don’t go.”

  She heard Cody call out, making her stop. She turned back toward him and smiled sadly.

  “It’s okay, Cody,” she told him. “I don’t want you to feel bad for following your heart. I’m just glad for the time we were able to spend together. Be happy, sweetness.”

  “Oh, I fully intend to be happy, Sam,” Cody said. “You know how much I feel for Troy, and I need him in my life, but it turns out that I need you too.”

  “Cody—” Troy began.

  “No, Troy,” Cody cut in. “You need to listen. I was willing to give you everything, all that I am, and you threw it back in my face. I am prepared to accept your apology and let you back into my life, but I have one condition.”

  Sam had no idea where he was going with this. He wanted Troy back, so why wasn’t he letting her walk away?

  “What, babe?” Troy asked. “I’ll give you anything.”

  “I’m really glad you said that,” Cody replied. “Because I want Sam.”

  “I don’t understand,” Sam said. She stared at Cody and waited for him to answer. He smiled at her like a starving man who had just been presented a big bucket of fried chicken.

  “Yes, Sam, you do,” Cody told her. “You have lived in this town for how long? Of course you know what I’m talking about. Most of the town is in some sort of ménage relationship.”

  “You want to have a relationship with both Troy and me?” she asked.