Mayor Tipton leaned in and lowered his tone. “Just try to control yourself there, Chief. We wouldn’t want you to get permanently removed from your position.”
Drake reached behind him, absently reaching for a brush sitting in a cup of paint. His fingertips slid carefully along the table until he found one. Bingo. He swirled it around to get it good and coated.
“Oh, I can control myself,” Drake stated with a smile. “Oh, here comes Carrie from the Daily Times. You’ll want to make sure you get a good picture so she can write up all the lies you pay her to print.”
His face reddened. “You better watch it. You’re skating on thin ice.”
Carrie approached. “Mayor, could I get a picture of you with the chief?”
Oh, the timing... Drake couldn’t have planned it better himself. Just as she raised the camera, Drake pulled the brush from the cup and streaked it across Tipton’s nose. And glory, glory—without even looking, Drake had been dipping the brush in hot pink.
“You...” The mayor stumbled over his words and Drake thought his head was going to explode. “How dare you.”
Drake turned, placed the brush back into the cup and gave a wide-eyed Willow a wink. “It’s paint. It’ll wash off. Although I’m sure one of these lovely high school students from the art program would love to finish my masterpiece. I don’t have time right now. I have to go check on the dunking booth. I assume you’ll be heading there next to wash off the paint?”
The mayor’s jaw clenched, his eyes narrowed. “I’ll see you Monday.”
Drake held out his hand for Willow to take, and he pulled her to his side. “Can’t wait.”
* * *
The pies were gone, the bake sale table empty, and the silent auction had raked in more money than they could have ever dreamed of. Marly couldn’t wait to present the check to Shawn and Amy. Neither had been able to make it today, understandably, but it seemed as though all of Stonerock had come to show their support for sweet Jeremy.
Even Mayor Tipton had made an appearance...and the highlight of the day was when Drake had “accidentally” painted the man’s face. Marly had mentally high-fived Drake for the genius move, knowing full well he couldn’t help himself. Actually, the mayor should be glad Drake had only settled for the immature act.
Marly knew Mayor Tipton’s type. He’d only come for the grand show of it all. He needed to be seen, have a few pictures taken and offer fake smiles and empty promises.
Yeah, she knew his kind all too well. And Marly knew one thing for sure: if she was still here when election time came around, he certainly wasn’t getting her vote.
Drake and Eli were loading tables onto the back of Drake’s truck. Willow was with Drake’s mother, and from the looks of it, those two had become fast friends. The love these virtual strangers had shown Marly’s daughter was overwhelming. They had taken Marly and Willow in without question...all because of Drake.
Marly loaded all the signs and the cash box into her car. After locking the doors, she set out to find Willow. Of course, she was still with Drake’s mother and the two were headed her way...hand in hand.
“Thank you so much for staying with her while we packed up,” Marly told Bev as they approached.
“Oh, she was an absolute delight. I raised three boys, so having a girl around is quite different, but fun.”
Willow bounced from one foot to another. “Mrs. St. John said I could come over and spend the night. She said we could watch movies and make cookies and then for breakfast she would make her famous French toast.”
Marly jerked her gaze back to Bev. “Oh, um...”
“I was serious,” Drake’s mother said with a smile. “I’d love to have her over, but I completely understand if you don’t want her to. I mean, you barely know me.”
Marly swallowed, more than surprised that this woman would welcome Willow into her home so freely.
“Please, Mommy,” Willow begged, still holding on to Bev’s hand. “I promise I’ll be a big girl and I’ll be good for Mrs. St. John.”
Torn, Marly looked between the older woman and Willow. Both held the same hopeful look on their faces. Marly couldn’t help but laugh.
“Are you sure?” Marly asked. “I don’t want you to feel put on the spot.”
“Oh, honey. I invited her, she didn’t ask me.” Bev looked down at Willow and winked. “Besides, I just discovered my new friend here loves Mulan, and that happens to be one of my favorite movies.”
“Because she’s so strong,” Willow beamed. “She doesn’t care about a crown or a dress. She’s the coolest.”
Marly shrugged. “How can I argue, then?”
“Why don’t I go ahead and take her home?” Bev suggested. “Take your time cleaning up here and just run her pajamas by anytime.”
Bev gave Marly the address, and Marly barely got a kiss before Willow skipped away with Drake’s mother.
No, Marly would never let Willow go to the house of someone that Marly had just met, but she was confident that Bev wasn’t some ogre or would put her child in danger. The woman had managed to raise three strong, upstanding men.
Once the park looked back in shape, the random garbage was picked up, all tables were loaded and Cameron and crew had headed back to the police station, Marly found herself alone with Drake.
“Where’s Willow?” he asked, shoving his hands into his pockets.
“Believe it or not, she went for a sleepover with your mother.”
Drake laughed. “Oh, I believe it. She’s been chomping at the bit to get grandchildren. My brothers and I have tried to rein her back in, but she’s so excited. Now that Eli has one, she’s backed off me and Cameron.”
Marly yawned. “Sorry,” she muttered around her hand. “I’m exhausted, but this was a good day.”
“Any idea how much we brought in yet?”
Marly shook her head. “I know we have at least a couple thousand, but I plan on counting it all later once I’m not so sleepy.”
“Need me to follow you home?” he asked, his brows drawn together.
His genuine concern continued to win her over.
“No, I’m fine. I’ll call you later tonight or tomorrow with the amount and we can go present Shawn and Amy with a check when we can catch one of them at their store.”
“Sounds good to me.”
He stared at her for another moment. The sun had started setting, and the air had turned a bit cooler now. But the shiver that raced through her had nothing to do with the dropping evening temperatures and everything to do with the man who stood before her and had made it no secret that he wanted more than friendship.
“If you need anything or if you run into a problem, don’t try to be a hero. Call me.” Drake slid her hair away from her face, pushing her bangs away where she knew he could see her scar. “I expect nothing in return. You know that, right?”
Marly nodded. “I’ll call if I need you.”
And those words held so much more meaning than she’d intended.
“See you later,” she told him, needing to get home and get Willow’s things gathered.
Drake nodded his goodbye, and a part of Marly was relieved he was letting her go without the flirting. But then she realized he was giving her the space she’d requested, he was being noble and, darn him, he was letting her decide what she really wanted.
Marly drove home and grabbed some pajamas, clothes for tomorrow, a toothbrush and Willow’s favorite pillow. After shoving it all in Willow’s small horse tote bag, she headed back out. She’d stashed the money box in her bedroom and intended to count the proceeds as soon as possible. Hanging on to that much cash made her nervous. Money was Kevin’s thing... It had never been hers.
Turned out Drake’s parents didn’t live far from Marly at all. That was an added comfort. The neighborhood with its tree-lined streets and simple cottages with window boxes full of colorful flowers and neatly manicured lawns just screamed small-town USA. Marly wanted to be a part of this community more tha
n she’d first thought possible.
In the beginning, coming to Stonerock had just been a means of escape. But now that she was here, Marly realized she wanted to stay, wanted to put down roots here for herself and her daughter.
After Marly dropped off the bag and got in one more kiss good-night from Willow, she was more than ready to go home, soak in a tub and do absolutely nothing. When was the last time she’d done nothing? Or pampered herself? She didn’t have to work tomorrow and she planned on taking advantage of that fact.
She started her engine and pulled out of the subdivision, but instead of heading home, she turned toward Drake’s house. She’d never been to his house, but he’d told her where he lived and she figured she’d just drive by to see it...just in case she ever wanted to visit.
Oh, who was she kidding?
Pulling into his drive behind his black truck, Marly called herself all kinds of fool for being there.
But for once in her life, she wasn’t going to second-guess herself. So before she could sit in her used SUV and talk herself out of it, she jerked open the door and marched right up to his entrance. She knocked on the door and waited. Nerves were starting to consume her, but before she could turn and walk away, the door swung wide-open and Drake stood there wearing only a towel and water droplets all across his bare, chiseled chest.
Marly’s eyes widened as she took her visual sampling of the man who had consumed her thoughts, her fantasies, for weeks.
“You flatter me with that look,” he said with a grin. “But I’m assuming you didn’t come here to stare at my chest.”
Digging up courage from deep within, Marly squared her shoulders and placed a hand on his chest. The hair between his pecs tickled her palm.
“That’s where you would be wrong,” she told him, backing him into his living room. “I did come here to stare at your chest, and to take you up on your offer of going beyond friends.”
His heavy hand came up to cover hers. “Not that I’m complaining, but why the change of heart?”
Marly focused on his mouth, his eyes. “Because I’m finally taking what I want. And I want you.”
Chapter Fifteen
Drake had waited for this moment. Had fantasized about it to the point where it had become real in his mind.
But nothing had prepared him for the confident, passionate woman standing before him with determination in her eyes and a defiant tilt to her chin.
“Are you sure?” he asked, praying she was. “I don’t want regrets later.”
That delicate hand of hers rested against his bare chest—just that simple gesture had his blood soaring. He ached for those soft hands of hers to be all over him.
“I have no regrets where you’re concerned,” she told him, her voice husky with arousal.
This was the moment he’d been waiting for...a moment he didn’t think he’d ever be ready for after Andrea died. But he’d gotten stronger each day, had finally come to realize that he was still alive, that he needed to move on.
Drake reached around her and gave the door a firm shove to send it closing with a click. Then he fisted his hands in her hair and set his mouth over hers, needing to feel her.
Stepping fully against her, Drake slid his hands down her back to cup her rear and tug her hips toward his. Her purse and keys fell to the floor as her arms wrapped around his neck.
“It’s late. I probably should’ve called,” she muttered against his lips. “I just didn’t think...”
“Good.” He tugged her long-sleeved T-shirt over her head and tossed it to the side. “When you think you start to pull back. You followed your instinct, your heart. And you’re in the right place.”
Drake stepped back, ready to take his fill of the woman who had caused him many sleepless nights and cold showers. A shiver swept through his body.
“Are you sure?” she asked, holding on to his shoulders and studying his face. “I mean, I assume I’m the first since...”
“You’re the first since Andrea passed,” he confirmed. “I haven’t wanted anyone else.”
Marly closed her eyes. “I hope you’re not disappointed. I’m not that experienced, and I just want you to—”
He cut her off with another kiss, then eased back. “Doubts have no room here. Deal?”
Nodding, she looked up at him and smiled. “Deal. But you’ll tell me if you don’t like something, right?”
“There’s nothing you could do that I wouldn’t like.”
Marly’s fingertips trailed over his chest, down his abs, and he nearly fell to his knees right there. He was so in for it. Any control he’d thought he had was gone and Marly held all the power. This beautiful, vibrant, vulnerable woman had more power than she could ever imagine. She might not realize how far she’d come since she’d first jumped beneath his touch, but she’d scaled mountains. Here she was, standing before him with all the confidence of a woman taking charge of her life.
Her courage was beyond sexy.
“I’ve only been with one man,” she told him, eyeing the knot in his towel. “I’m just scared, I guess.”
Tipping her chin up with his thumb and finger, Drake bent his head to look her in the eyes. “Don’t do this because you feel like you have to.”
“I want to be with you,” she told him. “I want to move on. I want to prove to myself that I can do this and not be afraid, that there’s a man who will treat me like I should be treated. But most of all I’m done denying what I want. I need you, Drake. I just need you to go slow. Is that okay?”
“You humble me.” Drake framed her face. “I’m nervous I won’t make this perfect for you.”
Marly slid her hands inside his towel until it loosened and slid to the floor. “Just let me be in charge for now and I should be okay. If you start getting too dominating, that may scare me. I’m sorry.”
Drake glanced down to where her hands had rested on his bare hips. “If you want to take charge, baby, I’m certainly not going to stop you.”
Laughing, Marly went to unfasten her jeans. “I should’ve known you’d be fine with being manhandled.”
“Handle me all you want.” Drake spread his arms wide. “Where do you want me?”
Marly shoved her jeans down her legs, toed off her flats and kicked them aside, leaving her standing before him in a pale pink bra and panty set.
She glanced down at her body and shrugged. “Cotton, sorry. I wasn’t planning on this when I got ready for the festival. But that’s me, so...”
“They’re coming off, so I don’t care what they look like,” he told her truthfully, though he would say anything to put her at ease.
“I’m not sure what kind of woman you’re used to, but I hope the added weight and stretch marks are your thing,” she joked, but her voice was laced with insecurity.
“Everything about you is my type of woman.” He slid his hands over her hips and up to her waist. “No matter what you look like, no matter what battle scars you sport from a pregnancy or from defending yourself, you’re the exact woman I want.”
Marly trembled between his hands, but he slowly ventured on up and reached around her back to unhook her bra. With her eyes locked on his, she held out her arms as he slid the garment down and discarded it somewhere in the vicinity of the couch.
“I need you against me,” he murmured as he splayed his hands across her back and pulled her body flush against his. “You feel so good, Marly.”
Damn it, his hands were shaking. He didn’t want to mess this up, didn’t want her to worry about doing something wrong or not living up to his standards.
What the hell had her ex filled her head with? The man had obviously been mentally abusive, as well. But there was no room for him in the relationship Drake and Marly were building, so Drake shoved all thoughts of the ex aside and focused on the nearly naked woman in his arms.
Hooking his thumbs into the waistband of her panties, he shoved them down as far as he could and let her take it the rest of the way as he nibbled on her thr
oat.
Marly arched her back, her breasts brushing against the hair on his chest and sending jolts of need through his body so intense he was afraid he would snap. But he had to rein his desires back in and take all leads from her.
“Where’s your bedroom?” she whispered.
“Too far away.”
Molding her breasts in his hands, wanting to feel all of her at once, Drake walked backward until the couch hit the back of his legs.
Marly smiled up at him. “You ready?”
“Baby, I was ready weeks ago, the second you started lecturing me about the healing of burns.”
Flattening her hands on his chest, Marly gave him a shove, sending him back onto the oversize couch. Looking up at her, with her swollen lips, her disheveled hair and totally naked body, Drake wanted to take a mental picture because he never, ever wanted to forget this moment.
Drake grabbed hold of her rounded hips and tugged her to stand perfectly between his legs. Her fingertips dug into his shoulders as he dotted kisses along her abdomen.
After a moment, he rested his head on her stomach and closed his eyes. He was falling apart. Inside, where Marly had penetrated so deep, he was crumbling, because he wanted to be it for her. Not just her protector or even her lover, he wanted to be it. As in, happily-ever-after.
What an awkward time to come to that realization.
Drake breathed in and exhaled. No way could he confess this to Marly. He wanted her to stick around, not run away.
“You okay?” she asked, sliding her fingertips along his shoulders.
“Yeah,” he said, his head still resting against her stomach. “I’m just trying to take it slow. I don’t want to scare you, and I’m holding on by a thread here.”
Her soft chuckle vibrated him. “I’m not scared of you,” she murmured. “But we need a condom before this goes any further.”
Condom. Yes. Why hadn’t he thought of that? Oh, yeah, because he’d been finishing his shower when she’d knocked and he’d lost all rational common sense after that.
He came to his feet. “Don’t move.”
In a mad dash to his bathroom, he grabbed a condom, slid it on and returned to the living room, where Marly literally hadn’t moved.
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