by Tonya Brooks
Mark took control of the kiss and showered her with the tenderness that she was desperate for. His mouth left hers to place kisses over her damp cheeks before he kissed her lingeringly, then he laid her head on his shoulder and just held her. 'Friends and partners,' he reminded himself sternly. 'You can never be more than that, no matter how good she feels in your arms, dammit.' Having a conscience was a bitch, he realized.
“I'm so sorry, Mark,” Desi apologized a few minutes later when she had control of herself again. “I've been behaving like a crazy woman. You must think I'm unhinged.”
“I know you're a worried mother,” he corrected with a smile. “You've got a right to be upset.”
“I think I went past upset and straight into meltdown about an hour ago,” she admitted self-consciously and slid off of his lap. “I'm not sure why you came, but I'm glad you did.”
“I came because I have a plan,” he assured her as he stood. “Did you call the movers?”
She nodded her agreement. “I had to promise them double the usual fee to get them here on such short notice,” Desi informed him as she picked up the court order and stuck it in her purse. “Why do they have to be here at three?”
“Because I'm calling the police to report the guy watching the house and we need to make sure the truck is loaded and out of here before he gets out of jail,” he explained.
“How do you know they'll arrest him?” she asked curiously.
His smile was wicked. “When I get through painting him as a child molester, I guarantee they'll haul him off to jail,” Mark assured her.
She stared at him incredulously before she smiled. “You're devious.”
“They don't call us the bad Baker boy's for nothin',” he said, that bad boy grin in place. “Where's Josie?”
“Right here,” she said with a knowing smile as she came into the living room. “It looked like you had the situation under control so I decided to stay out of the way. Thanks for coming, Mark. I don't know what we would have done without you.”
“No problem,” he smiled fondly at her. “Did you get everything packed?”
“We did,” Josie assured him.
“Good,” he nodded his approval and looked at his watch. It was two-thirty. “Time to make the call.” Mark pulled his phone out of his pocket and dialed 911. When the operator came on the line he said in an angry sounding tone, “I'd like to report a pervert lurking in the neighborhood.” He paused while the woman asked him what the person was doing. “My wife says he's been sitting in his car in front of the house all day watching a couple of little girls playing in the neighbor’s yard and I saw him taking pictures of them a few minutes ago. He could be a child molester or a kidnapper or God knows what. I'm afraid to let my daughter go outside.”
The two women were covering their mouths so their laughter couldn't be heard and he grinned at them like a kid playing a prank. Mark gave them the address as well as a description of the car and requested, “Please don't send an officer to the house. I don't want him to know who turned him in. He might come back and mess with my kids to retaliate.”
When he hung up, Desi burst out laughing and accused, “You really are devious.”
“That was brilliant,” Josie commended.
“Let's hope it works,” he said seriously and walked over to the window to peer through the blinds at the sedan. In less than ten minutes a patrol car arrived and when the officers approached the car, its occupant cranked it up. One of the officers ordered the driver to step out of the car while the other one approached with his weapon drawn. The man complied and was shoved face down across the hood and handcuffed while the second officer reached inside the car to get the camera. Within minutes they had put him in the back of the patrol car and drove away.
No sooner than they left, the moving van pulled up in front of the bed and breakfast and Desi whooped with glee. She threw herself into Mark's arms and hugged him fiercely. “Mark, you're a genius,” she enthused happily. “A complete genius.”
“Thank me later,” he said with a wicked grin. “Let's get that van loaded and get it the hell out of here.”
The three of them helped the two men load the van. It didn't take long and Mark tipped them well in appreciation. He gave the movers the address to his father's house and they assured him it would be delivered no later than tomorrow afternoon. He ushered the ladies back inside and said, “We need to leave.”
“I know,” she sighed and looked regretfully at her friend. “I'm gonna miss you so much, Josie.”
“Me, too,” Josie assured her with tear filled eyes. “You go get that restaurant set up and I'll be there for the grand opening.”
“Alright,” Desi agreed and hugged the older woman fiercely. “Take care of yourself.”
“You, too,” Josie smiled before she gave Mark a stern look. “You take care of my girls.”
“Yes, ma'am,” he agreed just as seriously and kissed her cheek. Mark gave Josie his business card and said, “Call me if you need anything.”
“You gonna fly down here and take care of it if I do?” she teased.
“I've already got my hands full, Josie. I'll send Pop instead,” he informed her with a wicked smile since she'd been interested in his father.
Josie shook her head in amusement. “Claire might have something to say about that,” she pointed out.
Before Mark could ask what she'd meant by that, Desi held out the keys and asked, “Would you like to drive, Mark?”
“Sure,” he agreed and took the keys. She led him out to the garage and he stared at her car in astonishment. “You didn't tell me you drove a toy car.” The damn thing looked like a Tonka toy on steroids.
“You didn't ask,” she said in amusement.
“What the hell is it?”
“It's a hybrid,” Desi explained. “They're very good for the environment.”
“What kind of mileage does it get?” he asked as he looked it over dubiously. The damn thing was less than half the size of a normal car and he wasn’t even sure he could fit in it.
“About two hundred.”
“Per tank?” Mark frowned because his Mercedes got a hell of a lot better mileage than that.
“Per charge,” Desi corrected as she unplugged the cord from the socket on the wall. “It's electric.”
“Great,” Mark grumbled as he opened the passenger door for her. “At that rate we'll make it home in three or four days.”
She laughed and slid inside. “It also runs on gas.”
“Thank God,” he said in relief as he closed her door and walked around to the driver’s side. Mark managed to maneuver his six foot frame under the steering wheel without too much difficulty and backed out of the garage to ask, “Which way is home?”
“To the left,” she said with a smile because she was headed to see her daughter in their new home.
~~~~
Mark drove for a couple of hours as they tossed ideas for the new place back and forth before he said, “I'm starving.”
“So am I,” Desi admitted and checked the web browser on her phone for places to eat. “Fast food or real food?”
“Real food,” he decided.
She tapped the touch screen with her fingertip and when the selections came up, she asked, “Steak, seafood or buffet?”
“All of the above.”
Desi shook her head in amusement and told him there was a well known buffet franchise a couple of exits ahead on the right. Mark pulled into the parking lot and they both stretched tiredly when they emerged from the car. The food was decent but nothing to get excited about. Neither one of them cared at this point. She’d barely slept a wink the night before and the stress and strain of the day was catching up with her. “I'm too tired to eat,” she sighed and pushed her plate away.
Mark had no problem eating but he knew he was too tired to keep driving. He hadn't slept much after he'd talked to Desi last night and after traveling all day, he was worn out. “We need to get a room.”
&
nbsp; “I beg your pardon?” she asked uncertain as to his meaning.
His wicked grin assured her that he knew what she was thinking. “And get some sleep,” he added to ease her mind. “Did you pack an overnight bag?”
“No,” Desi denied wide eyed because she'd been so anxious to pack everything up to move that she hadn't even thought about it. “I don't even have my toothbrush.”
“Neither do I,” he grinned at her. “Find a nice place that provides the necessities.”
She pulled out her phone and found a well known resort nearby. “We may not get in without a reservation,” she warned.
“We'll get in,” he assured her. True to his word, Mark procured them a room. That bad Baker boy charm hadn't failed him yet and the desk clerk had been more than happy to bump a late arrival so he could have the room. Unfortunately the only thing they had available came with one bed but at least it was king sized. He stretched out on the bed and Desi said, “I'm gonna take a bath and try to relax.”
“Want me to wash your back?” Mark teased before he thought better of it.
It was a tempting offer but she knew she couldn't afford to accept. “No, thank you. I can manage,” she refused and made a hasty retreat into the luxuriously appointed bathroom. Desi sank into the jacuzzi tub and let the water swirl around her until she was so relaxed her body felt limp. She shampooed and conditioned her hair before stepping out of the tub and drying off with the big, fluffy bath sheet. Dressed in the bathrobe the hotel provided, she went back into the bedroom and hung her clothes in the closet to prevent further wrinkling.
Damn, she was naked under the robe, Mark realized as his body hardened instantly and his hungry gaze followed her movements. The oversized bathrobe hid her shape completely but he vividly recalled what he had seen of her body and his imagination filled in the rest. She removed the towel from her head, the mane of damp curls cascading around her shoulders as she sat down at the dressing table and began to run her fingers through the deep auburn tresses.
Their eyes met in the mirror and he saw the recognition in hers when she saw the hunger in his. They stared at each other for endless seconds that lasted a lifetime before she looked away and he closed his eyes in resignation. It was what he had expected, Mark assured himself. He knew their relationship had to remain platonic, but that didn't mean he had to like it, dammit. Biting back a curse of frustration, he slid off the bed and said, “I'm gonna take a shower.”
The shower had all the bells and whistles and he stood under the steaming spray from the rain head above and let the wall jets pulsate over his tired body. Man, he had to get one of these at home. Within minutes he felt rejuvenated and continued to stand there just for the sheer pleasure of it. When he finally got out, Mark wrapped the bath sheet around his hips and carried his clothes back into the bedroom to hang them beside Desi's in the closet.
The sight of his clothes hanging so intimately next to hers filled him with a strange emotion and he closed the closet door to shut it out. The feeling remained as he walked out onto the balcony and saw that Desi had removed the robe and was now wrapped in the towel. She looked so lost and alone staring out at the lush, tropical scenery before them that it tugged at his heart. Mark walked up behind her, slid his arms around her waist in a comforting embrace and they stood there drinking in the beauty and serenity in companionable silence.
Desi closed her eyes and leaned back into his embrace, her head resting on his shoulder and she wished with every fiber of her being that she could give in to the desire that filled her. But she was more perplexed than ever now. Mark had dropped everything at a moment’s notice and come to her aid when she had needed him the most and that confused the hell out of her.
There was no reason for the man to behave in such a manner unless he cared about her, but how could that be true when he'd been with another woman last night? Thankfully he hadn't tried to deny it or offer an explanation. Mark was a player and made no pretense about it and that was an example of his honesty. It was almost as if he wanted her to see him for what he was so she wouldn't have any false expectations.
Maybe he had come to the same conclusion that she had and realized that if they were going into business together that their relationship needed to remain strictly professional. It had to. Desi knew she'd be a fool to allow anything else to happen between them. The hardest thing to accept was the fact that she knew it would be wonderful while it lasted. But in the end both she and her daughter would be hurt and that was a risk she wasn't willing to take.
“I need to call Kylie,” she said softly to break the spell he was weaving around her.
“That's a good idea,” Mark agreed as he reluctantly released her and stepped away.
Desi entered the room and called her daughter to tell her that she'd be there tomorrow afternoon. As expected, the child was a fount of questions. “Why are you coming back to Lakeside, Mom? Are you okay? Is Uncle Mark with you? Why'd he go to Miami?”
She interrupted the flow with a smile to reply, “I'm fine and yes, Mark is with me. He came to get me because you and I are moving to Lakeside.”
“We are?” the child asked in disbelief and then squealed in excitement. “Seriously? You're not kidding, are you Mom? Ohmigod! Trey, we're movin' here!” Desi laughed because the two children were talking to each other in obvious excitement interspersed with whoops of glee at the announcement. “Does this mean you and Uncle Mark are getting married?” Kylie asked suddenly when the thought occurred to her.
“No!” Desi exclaimed quickly and should have known her daughter would jump to that conclusion. “We're going to open a restaurant together and that’s all.” she said firmly. That revelation brought about a new battery of questions and Desi shook her head in amusement. “I'll tell you all about it when I get there,” she promised.
“Can I talk to Uncle Mark?”
“Alright. I love you, honey.”
“Love you, Mom,” Kylie said happily.
Mark took the phone when she held it out to him. “Hi, Kylie.”
“Uncle Mark, you are the best!” the girl enthused merrily because he'd made her dream come true. She and Trey would never have to be separated again. “I love you.”
He smiled because the girl was so happy and admitted, “I love you, too, precious.” She began to ask him a dozen questions at once and he laughed at her curiosity and enthusiasm. “We'll explain everything when we get home. I promise.” She chattered away for a minute before Jed began to pester her to get off of the phone and finish the game they'd been playing. “Go play with Jed. I'll see you tomorrow,” he told her and ended the call. Mark turned to hand her the phone and saw Desi's hungry gaze staring at him as if he were a buffet.
Desi hadn't been able to prevent herself from looking at Mark while he was on the phone. The sight of all that beautiful flesh covered muscle made her mouth go dry and stirred up long forgotten desires that she wasn't prepared to deal with. Lifting her gaze to his, she saw the same need in his eyes that she felt in herself and this time she wasn't able to look away. She wanted him. Dear God, she wanted him so much. Her body began to tremble with the need she'd kept bottled up inside.
“Mark,” she breathed his name in invitation.
Mark didn't think. He just reacted. The phone hit the floor as he pulled her into his arms, his mouth devouring hers with a hunger that would no longer be denied and she melted against him. His conscience began to scream at him. “We shouldn't be doing this,” he said as he released her mouth to trail kisses down her neck, the action in complete contradiction to his words.
“I know,” she answered without concern as her hands familiarized themselves with the breadth of his muscular chest and shoulders.
“There are so many reasons not to,” he said as he tugged on the edge of the towel she wore and let it drop to the floor. His eyes feasted on her body and Mark was lost. There was no way in hell he could stop now. Not when he wanted her in something akin to desperation. “But I need you too damn much
to care,” he confessed in that silky voice that never failed to send shivers down her spine.
“That's the only reason that matters,” Desi agreed and then gasped in surprise when he swung her up in his arms and laid her on the bed.
Mark stood there feasting his eyes on the bounty before him. Her body might be petite, but it was packed full of curves in all the right places. “Damn, you are beautiful.” he said huskily, the velvety brown eyes caressing every inch of flesh exposed.
“I want to see you.” Desi said boldly as she rose up on her knees and pulled the towel from his hips. Her eyes widened in awe of the masculine beauty before her and she looked her fill at his muscular body. Focusing her attention on his very aroused state, she licked her lips in anticipation and said, “Damn, you are built.”
“All the better to please you with, my dear.” he grinned wickedly as he took her hands in his. “And I do intend to please you until you beg for mercy,” Mark promised silkily and placed her hands behind her back. “No touching.” he commanded. If she touched him he’d never be able to stick to his goal. Well, he had two goals actually. The first one being to assuage the need threatening to consume him, but the most important was to show her pleasure such as a woman had never known.
He started by circling the tips of his index fingers very slowly around her nipples, but never actually touching the nipple itself. Oh, so slowly, he made the circles tighter, moving closer and closer to the edges until they were hard little buds. When Desi shifted restlessly he dropped to his knees, gently blew on one and lightly nipped the other with his teeth. Back and forth he teased her nipples until she moaned softly in frustration. Only then did he take one rigid peak into his mouth and apply suction.
Desi almost cleared the bed at the contact. Her nipples were aching, demanding satisfaction, and oh, God, did he provide it. She gripped her hands together until her nails dug into her palms to try and keep from reaching for him. By the time Mark moved his attention away from her breasts, she was panting his name.
