by Tonya Brooks
“Are you warning me or offering encouragement?” her friend asked curiously because it was hard to tell where this was going.
“Both,” Harley assured her. “If Mark falls in love with you, it'll be forever, but if he doesn't, he'll still be there for you, no matter what.” At that point, the children raced into the room and effectively ended the conversation.
~~~~
“What's going on with you and Desi?” Matt asked as he unhooked the saddlebags from the back of the motorcycle as soon as the children ran into the house.
“We're going into business together.”
“You're sleeping with her,” his brother stated flatly as he slung the bags over his shoulder.
“And?” he asked in amusement.
“Harley will raise hell if you hurt her,” he warned his brother. Both of them knew her temper all too well and neither one of the brothers wanted to be on the receiving end of it again, but most importantly, they both loved her too much to upset Harley for any reason.
Mark frowned at that. “I have no intentions of hurting her,” he denied.
“She's not the kind of woman you can play with and you know it,” the eldest pointed out. “If the two of you are going to be business partners, that could be a problem when it’s over.”
Not liking where this was going, Mark complained, “Hell, bro, it's barely begun and you're already talking about the end. Give it a chance.”
“Is that what you're doing?” Matt asked in surprise. “Taking a chance on having a real relationship for once?”
“It can't hurt to try,” Mark admitted with a shrug.
The look Matt gave him assured him that he was completely clueless. “It can,” he said seriously since he would never forget the absolute desolation he'd felt when he had lost Harley.
“Are you trying to tell me this is a bad idea?” the younger brother asked. “Because if you are, don't bother. I've already been through that, and no matter how many reasons there are why we shouldn't be together, the only one that matters is that I want Desi more than I've ever wanted anything. The strange thing is, the more I'm with her, the stronger it gets.”
Matt stared at him in disbelief before he burst into laughter. It had finally happened. His playboy brother had fallen in love and he didn't even know it. This was priceless.
“What's so damn funny?” Mark asked in confusion.
“You are,” Matt assured him in amusement. “She makes you feel possessive, doesn't she? You want to protect her and make sure nothing ever hurts her. You'd do anything just to see her smile.”
Now it was Mark's turn to stare at his brother in disbelief. “How'd you know?”
Matt burst out laughing again and had to lean on the bike for support. “Because I've felt that way about Harley since the night I met her,” he said simply.
“Yeah, but you were in love with Harley,” Mark pointed out and then his eyes widened in shock and he began to shake his head in denial. “No. Hell, no. Don't even joke about it,” he warned.
“You're in love with the woman, puppy,” Matt informed him with a grin.
“You're outta your damn mind!”
“Then why'd you call her my Desiree?” he just had to ask.
“Hell, I don't know,” Mark grouched.
“Because you're claiming your woman,” his brother informed him seriously this time.
“Look, I'll admit I care about her, but that's it,” he said in a disgruntled tone. “I'm not ready to tie myself down with one woman permanently.”
“Oh, you'll fight it,” Matt assured him in amusement. “But in the end you'll lose. Or you'll lose her.” The scowl on his brother’s face assured him that Mark didn't like that thought at all. “Take a fools advice and give up the fight, little brother. I guarantee you'll never regret it.”
Mark watched him walk inside and resisted the urge to punch something. Matt was out of his freakin' mind. He had to be. He'd know if he was in love, wouldn't he? Of course he would. Hell yeah, he felt possessive of Desi, but that was because their relationship was still so new. And he wanted to protect her from that bastard who was trying to take her daughter away, but that was only natural since he cared about both of them. But love her? Hell, he didn't even know what love was.
~~~~
When Matt took Mark to the airport to pick up the Mercedes, Harley asked hopefully, “Would you consider letting Kylie come with us on vacation? I know Jed would have a much better time if she was there and she'd just be bored here alone.”
“I thought you and Matt wanted a family vacation,” her friend pointed out.
“Kylie is family,” she insisted. “We'd love to have her.”
“It's alright with me,” Desi admitted and had no qualms about letting her daughter go with Harley. Unlike Mark, her best friend knew full well what kind of havoc the two children could wreak when they were together. “Let's ask the kids what they think.” The children were overjoyed and raced upstairs to pack. “Maybe by the time you get back I'll have found an apartment,” she said hopefully.
“You're welcome here for as long as you want,” Harley assured her. “There's no need for you to find a place unless you just prefer it.”
“It's time Kylie and I had our own place,” she admitted. “And I really don't want my living arrangements to be the topic of local gossip.” Harley had told her how gossip ran rampant in Lakeside and having grown up as the daughter of the town drunk, Desi knew exactly what that meant.
“I might be able to help with that,” she confessed. “Matthew has a studio apartment that’s partially furnished, but I'm not sure it’s big enough for the two of you.”
“It'll do until I can find something more permanent,” Desi assured her.
When the moving van arrived a few minutes later, the two women took them over to the apartment complex and they unloaded the boxes into the studio. Harley handed her the keys and said, “Welcome home.”
“Thanks,” Desi laughed as she took them. This would be the first place that she and her daughter had on their own and she was determined to make the best of it. Harley hadn't been kidding about it being small, though. The one room efficiency had a king size bed and a sofa and there wasn't much room for anything else. “I love the view of the lake.”
“It is nice, isn't it?” Harley asked as she looked out the Arcadia doors.
“I really appreciate this, Harley.”
“You're the one doing me a favor,” she admitted. “This was where Matthew brought his women before we got back together. I'll rest a lot easier knowing it’s occupied.”
“You don't honestly believe the man would cheat on you again, do you?” she asked in surprise.
“No, but I'd rather see the place being put to good use than just sitting empty,” her friend admitted. “Mark has the apartment next door.”
“Does he now?” Desi asked jealously.
“Having you here might deter him from straying as well,” she pointed out with a devilish smile.
“You're as devious as Mark,” she said with a laugh. “It's no wonder the two of you are such good friends.”
“I learned from the best,” Harley acknowledged. “Come on. Let's get these boxes unpacked and get you settled in.”
~~~~
“It's legitimate,” Luke said with a frown after he read the legal document that evening. “How the hell did he convince a judge to grant the order?”
“He's Kyle Chadwick,” Desi admitted dismally.
“Senator Kyle Chadwick?” the attorney queried and whistled softly when he recognized the name listed on the petition. Ah, hell. This could be difficult. He was sure the politician had used his influence to get the order, and having it revoked might be a problem if that were the case.
“What damn difference does it make?” Mark wanted to know.
“Because the issuing judge is the only one who can revoke the order,” his brother explained.
“And?” the elder brother demanded and did not understand why that
was an issue.
“A US Senator has a hell of a lot of influence, Mark,” Luke pointed out dryly. “If the judge is a personal friend, or if he's just looking to further his own political ambitions, he might not be willing to comply in order to keep Chadwick happy.”
Mark did not like what he was hearing and dammit, Desi looked like she was going to cry again. He put his arm around her and held her in a comforting embrace against his side as he demanded, “Can't you do anything?”
“I can petition the judge for a reversal, but it’s entirely his decision one way or the other,” he assured them and couldn’t help noticing the way his brother was holding his lady so protectively.
“Please try, Luke,” Desi said brokenly. She couldn't bear the thought of Kyle ruining her daughter’s life.
“I'll do my best, Desi,” he promised and left them alone.
“Luke will handle it,” Mark said confidently. He'd damn well better. The thought of Desi losing her daughter was unacceptable.
Desi offered him a watery smile and said, “I don't know how to thank you for everything you've done, Mark.”
“I can think of a few ways,” he said with a wicked leer and saw her smile brighten a bit. “They all begin with me peeling those jeans off of you.” Her eyes softened with desire and he bent his head to kiss her, his hand sliding up to cup her breast and felt her heart pounding in anticipation. The kids ran into the library and the couple reluctantly pulled apart. Mark sighed in resignation. Kids could ruin a perfectly good seduction, dammit.
~~~~
“You did what?” Mark barked when the family gathered for dinner and Harley informed the men what they had done that afternoon.
“I moved into an apartment,” Desi said cheerfully. “Apparently you and Matt own the building and since there was a vacancy, Harley and I decided to take advantage of it.”
“Which apartment?” Mark asked in confusion because he didn't know of any vacancies in the building except...
“101,” Harley supplied smugly and heard her husband make a peculiar gurgling sound while his two youngest brothers tried to hide their laughter without success. Jedidiah just grinned in amusement because Harley was still as sly as a fox. The look on Mark's face was priceless and she had to bite her cheek to keep from laughing. “You know the one. It's right next door to 102.”
Mark gave her a look that could have melted steel. “I know where it is,” he said dryly. Dammit, she'd moved Desi right next door to him. There was no way in hell that he could take another woman to the apartment without her knowing about it. Then again, he didn't have any plans to sleep with another woman any time soon and having Desi next door could turn out to be very convenient. “You could have stayed here,” he pointed out.
“You and the lil' gal are more than welcome,” his father assured her. The precocious child had won his heart this week and had even started calling him grandpa much to his amusement. If his son had a brain in his head, he'd marry the girl’s mother and really make them a part of the family. Then again, it looked like Mark might have figured that out for himself, Jedidiah decided in satisfaction.
“I appreciate the offer, Jed, but it's time Kylie and I had a place of our own. The studio is small, but it'll do until I can find something permanent,” she explained.
“Just don't be a stranger,” he warned with gentle gruffness.
~~~~
Since Matt and Harley were leaving early in the morning, Kylie was spending the night with the Baker's and Desi was going to stay at the apartment. “I don't like you being there alone,” Mark said with a frown as he walked her out to her car after dinner. The complex was in a good neighborhood or he never would have bought it, but he did not like the idea of Desi being in a strange place by herself.
“Who said I had to be alone?” she asked with a seductive smile.
He hauled her flush against him for a kiss that left both of them breathless. “You won't be,” Mark promised.
“Good,” she said in satisfaction and traced his lower lip with her fingertip. “I hate sleeping alone.”
“Since when?” he teased because he knew damn well that she had slept alone for the last eleven years.
“Since I woke up in your arms this morning,” Desi confessed.
The simple honesty of her response took his breath away. Desi was completely transparent about her feelings for him and Mark knew he'd never met anyone like her before or ever would again. She wanted him to know how much she wanted him and the knowledge flooded him with that peculiar sensation again. “Damn, Baby, if you keep this up, I'll never make it to work tonight,” he complained because he wanted nothing more than to take her to the apartment and make love to her.
“You will,” she said with a laugh and pulled away from his embrace with some effort because he didn't want to let her go. “I'm going home to change and then I'll meet you there.”
“You're coming to the bar?” he asked hopefully. Mark had wanted to invite her, but he assumed she'd be too tired after their trip.
“I want to dance with you,” she informed him as she slid into the driver’s seat. And to make damn sure no one else poached on her territory.
“I can pick you up,” he offered.
“I still have some unpacking to do, so I'll meet you,” she declined the offer and knew if she got him alone in the apartment, that neither one of them would leave again until morning.
“Alright,” he agreed in reluctance and closed her door because he knew the same thing.
Desi drove to the apartment and rummaged through the closet until she found the perfect outfit. It was a dress that Harley had talked her into buying and she'd never had the nerve to wear it before. However, it was the sexiest thing that she owned and she was determined to keep Mark's attention focused on her tonight. She dressed with care, piled her hair loosely atop her head and drove herself to the bar.
~~~~
Mark had looked expectantly at the door every time it opened and the breath lodged in his throat when Desi finally walked inside. Every man in the room noticed her entrance and their eyes followed her as she made her way toward him, that seductive smile on her face as she stared at Mark. He bounded over the bar and pulled her into his arms for a kiss that left them both wanting so much more.
“Damn, you look incredible,” he said as his hungry gaze roved over her. “That dress is sexy as hell.” And it was. The neckline plunged daringly low between her beautiful breasts and the silky emerald green material revealed every luscious curve to perfection.
“I wore it just for you,” she admitted as she draped her arms over his shoulders.
“You did?” he asked absently, his eyes glued to her breasts and the ample amount of cleavage on display.
“So you could take it off,” Desi added and saw his smile become wicked.
Heat filled his body. “Now?” Mark asked hopefully as his hold on her tightened.
“Later,” she said with a laugh. “You have to work now.”
“John can close up for me.”
“I thought you were going to dance with me,” she reminded him with a seductive pout.
“Yeah. I am. We will,” he stammered and couldn't get his brain to form coherent sentences since the only thing he could think about was peeling that dress off of her and making love to every delicious inch of flesh it covered. Mark tore his hungry gaze away from her lips to lead her to the dance floor. “Play something slow,” he told John and received a nod from his grinning brother.
The band began to play 'I Could Not Ask For More' and they moved slowly, her body pressed intimately into his. As usual, John had read him correctly and played the perfect song. At that moment, Mark could not ask for more than the woman he held. He loved holding her in his arms and his need for Desi grew by the moment. The feel of her body moving seductively against his, the scent of her filled his senses and that smile... lord, the things that smile promised had him as hot and bothered as a teenager on his first date.
“I want yo
u so damn much,” he whispered against her temple.
“Not as much as you will,” Desi promised as her nails toyed with the hair at the back of his neck. “I intend to drive you just as wild tonight as you made me last night.”
Stunned velvety brown eyes met hers and he realized that she was completely serious. “You do?” Mark asked huskily. She laughed softly, such a deliciously wicked sound that he shivered in anticipation.
“Oh, yeah,” Desi promised in a voice breathless with anticipation, her eyes sparkling like emeralds as her hand slid down to his firm, muscular bottom. “Tonight, you're all mine, Mark.”
That did it. Without a word, Mark led her off the crowded dance floor and directly to his office. He kicked the door closed behind them and pinned her body between his and the wall, his mouth claiming hers with a hunger that refused to wait any longer. He had to have her now.
It was obvious that Desi felt the same way as she unbuttoned his jeans, lowered the zipper and grasped his arousal. She heard his growl of pleasure as his hands slid her dress up to her waist to discover she wasn't wearing panties. “I thought I'd save you the trouble of removing them this time,” she breathed.
In the soft glow of the lamp, he could see the myriad of emotions that played over her face and the knowledge that she was as excited as he was, drove him completely over the edge. Mark didn't even think about what he was doing. He lifted her leg and hooked it around his waist as he entered her and Desi's moan of pleasure was the sweetest sound he'd ever heard. He made love to her like a man possessed and she reveled in his passion, her nails scoring his shoulders through the shirt as she clung to him and demanded more.
God, he loved watching her while they made love. Her face was so expressive that he knew everything she was feeling, and the fact that he was pleasing her was more than obvious. When she arched her head back and closed her eyes, he knew she was nearing a climax and he stared into her beautiful face in supreme satisfaction as she came unglued and cried his name.
