Scruples

by Ditter Kellen

  “It was me he wanted.” Sarina’s soft voice startled Carly. She stepped fully into the room.

  “What are you saying? Why would he want you?”

  “Because I have something he wants.” She moved closer until she stood next to the side of the bed.

  “You know that man?” Carly was sure her eyes were as huge as Cassie’s.

  “Knew. I was married to him before your father.”

  Carly sat bolt upright. “That was Mack Doyle?”

  Sarina nodded and took a seat on the side of the bed.

  “Hold the hell up. Somebody better tell me what’s going on here,” Cassie demanded.

  Carly’s mother filled them in on the sorted details of her past, ending it with; I thought he was locked up. He’d gotten life without parole.”

  Cassandra threw her hands up. “Am I the only one here who finds this story too bizarre to believe? It’s a little Jerry Springer’ish if you ask me.”

  That earned her a look from both occupants on the bed.

  “Well, it is.” Cassie muttered before motioning for her to continue.

  “He wants the money.” Sarina’s gaze bore into her daughter’s.

  “What money?” Carly gaped at her.

  “The two million dollars I disposed of almost thirty years ago. The money I served time in prison over.”

  Carly swallowed a hysterical laugh. “Two million dollars?”

  Sarina took a deep breath, seeming to gauge her words. “Mack was a drug dealer. And before you say anything, I wasn’t aware of that fact when I married him. He was larger than life, very charismatic, and one of the most handsome men I’d ever met.”

  Cassandra interrupted. “Was being the key word here. I don’t know what happened to him, but he looks like he fell from the ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down.”

  “Yes, well, prison life will do that to a person,” Sarina interjected. “He’d made a deal with a group of Columbians not long before the night of the raid. He sold them four million dollars worth of coke for half price, mostly to move the drugs, but also as a show of good faith.

  “Mack received a tip a couple days later about a sting operation involving him and that the feds were enroute to our home. He got rid of as much of the drugs as he could gather, handed me the money and sent me to hide it, stating that without evidence of money, they would never make the charges stick on what little drugs they could find on the property.”

  “You see, Mack was a convicted felon and would have gone to prison for a maximum of twenty years if caught. So, he convinced me to claim the drugs they found were mine and tell them he was innocent of any wrong doing. Since I didn’t have a record, I should have gotten a slap on the wrist. Not the case.”

  “What happened?” Cassie asked in a stunned voice that Carly could relate to.

  “I hid the money, confessed to the drugs, and spent three years locked up behind bars for a crime I didn’t commit.”

  “Are you going to tell us what you did with the money?”

  “It’s in a safe place for now.”

  “What about Mack? He isn’t going to leave without it, Mom,” Carly pointed out. “Maybe you should just give it to him.”

  “If I do that, we’re all dead. He’d never allow us to live if he got his hands on that cash.”

  “Sarina’s right, Carls. As long as she holds onto the money, she has a bargaining chip.”

  Ben stepped into the room without knocking. “Who has a bargaining chip, and Little Bit, you need to rest.”

  “I think you’re right. I’m opening Scruples in the morning, so I’d better get some sleep. Mom will fill you in on everything, Ben.”

  “You’re going back to work? But Doyle is still out there. And what about the baby?” Cassie blurted out.

  “I’m aware that Mack is on the loose. And I’m pregnant, Cass, not an invalid. Besides, Logan and Ben will be with us.”

  “Us?” Cassandra raised an eyebrow.

  “Yes. We all stay together, and Scruples is the safest place for us to be right now. Doyle won’t come near it with the Police department across the street; not to mention it’s crawling with people.”

  “Carly’s right,” Sarina piped in before kissing her daughter on the forehead and signaling for Ben to follow her from the room.

  Cassandra stood also. “I’ll let you rest. I’m kind of exhausted too. I think I’ll shower and get some shut-eye myself.”

  “I love you, Cassie Face.”

  “Back atcha, Doll.”

  Chapter Twenty Six

  Logan stepped into Carly’s bedroom to find her lying on her side, facing the opposite wall. He toed off his boots and tip-toed across the floor.

  “You don’t have to be so quiet, I’m awake.”

  The exhaustion in her voice pulled at his heartstrings. “How are you feeling? You should probably eat something, love. You are eating for two now.”

  She rolled over with a sleepy smile. “I am kind of hungry.”

  “What can I get you?”

  “A turkey sandwich and some crackers would be perfect. Oh, and a soda. They’re in the bottom drawer in the fridge.”

  “How about milk instead?”

  Her hand automatically moved to rest over her lower abdomen. “I wasn’t thinking. Milk, please.”

  He bent and brushed a kiss across her lips. “I’ll be back shortly.”

  Logan padded down the hall and into the kitchen in his socks. He made Carly’s sandwich along with two for himself. After pouring a glass of milk, and grabbing a pack of crackers, he rushed back to the bedroom juggling his burden.

  Carly sat up in bed as Logan deposited her milk onto the nightstand. He handed her the turkey sandwich made the way he’d seen her do so many times, and sat on the side of the bed to eat his own.

  They ate in silence as Logan reflected on the last couple of months. His chest ached when he thought of how close he’d come to losing Carly.

  “What are you thinking about?” Her soft voice washed over him like the warmth of the sun.

  He met her gaze. “How close I came to losing you. Both of you.”

  “I’m so sorry I hurt you, Logan. I—“

  “Don’t apologize. You did what you had to do to protect the ones you love.”

  “And hurt the only man I’ve ever loved in the process.”

  “You listen to me. None of that was your fault. The man responsible for it is Mack Doyle.”

  Logan quickly recited his talk with Alfred. “He’s not entirely blameless here, but I’m relieved to know he meant you no harm.”

  Carly sighed. “Me too.”

  “It doesn’t change what he did to you on your prom night.”

  A surprised look entered her eyes. “How did you? Oh yeah, Cassie. Right.”

  “Don’t be upset with Cass. She was trying to help. And if she hadn’t told me, we wouldn’t be sitting here right now.”

  “No, I know. I’ll forever be grateful to her for everything she’s done.”

  Logan noticed Carly fighting a yawn. “Get some sleep, Love. We can talk about this later.”

  She slid down deeper into the covers. “Make love to me, Logan.”

  “Is it safe? I mean, I don’t want to hurt the baby.”

  “It won’t. Lots of pregnant women have sex right up until their babies are born.”

  Logan was achingly hard before she finished her sentence. He stood and stripped out of his clothes without taking his gaze from her. She was still naked from when they’d showered earlier.

  He crawled up on the bed and gripped her ankles, spreading her legs open to make room for his large frame. The look of love shining from her eyes only made him want her more. He leaned forward and gently nipped one of her nipples with his teeth. Carly flinched and a small gasp escaped her.

  Logan stilled. “Did I hurt you?”

  Her answer was to grab the back of his head and coax his mouth back to her breast. “You didn’t hurt me. I’m just sensitive right now
. Please don’t stop.”

  That was all the convincing he needed. He sucked the small, tight bud into his mouth, reveling in the sexy moans coming from her throat. Her nipple popped free of its confinement as he moved to the other breast, giving it equal amounts of attention.

  “Logan.” Her pleading tone brought his head up.

  He looked into her heavy lidded gaze in wonder. It was still hard for him to believe she was actually there, splayed out before him, and she belonged to him.

  “Patience, Baby.” He grinned and licked his way down her body, stopping to drop a kiss on the place their child rested.

  Carly squirmed beneath him and tilted her hips, instinctively offering herself to him. He wrapped his hands around her thighs, opening her wider for his waiting mouth. Her feminine scent invaded his senses, making it difficult to stay gentle when all he wanted was to devour her.

  With infinite care, Logan brought his hand around and lightly coasted a finger through her slit before inserting it inside her wet heat. The moan that came from her, coupled with the feel of her squeezing his finger, threatened to unman him. But nothing prepared him for what she did next.

  Chapter Twenty Seven

  If Carly lived to be a hundred, she would never forget the rush she felt or the pure, unadulterated groan that came from Logan when she locked her legs around his torso, flipped him over and straddled his face.

  She’d seen the position in movies, had even read about it a few times, but staring at Logan’s erection now, she suddenly felt insecure. And then he swiped his tongue over her aching heat and all doubts fled.

  Carly wrapped her hand around his thick shaft and lowered her mouth to the tip. She could barely think beyond the sensation of him sucking on her sensitive bundle of nerves as she coasted her tongue through the small opening of his sex.

  Logan’s entire body tightened with the contact, and a growl came from him that sounded inhuman. She didn’t care as long as he didn’t stop the onslaught of his tongue.

  The feel of his thick erection entering her mouth simultaneously with his fingers penetrating her, sent Carly on a high she’d never known existed. His flavor was unbelievable, like nothing she had tasted before and she wanted more, all of him, now.

  Carly let her instincts take over and she gripped him tighter, following her hand down with her mouth, only to trail it back up with her fist. The noises coming from him matched her own as she attempted to pleasure him while teetering on the edge of coming apart above him.

  He pulled back slightly. “You have to stop, Baby. I won’t last much longer this way.”

  The desperation in his voice brought a powerful rush crashing through. She took him deep into her mouth once again; amazed that she could blindly bring this big man such pleasure with her lack of experience.

  Logan shifted his weight and rolled out from under her. He covered her with his large frame immediately, staring into her eyes with a hunger that matched her own. His breathing had accelerated and he shuddered above her.

  “I need to…” Logan began before looking away briefly and slowly lifting his gaze back to hers. His eyes gleamed in the shadows, different, yet the same. Something lurked in their depths, something she’d never seen before. Oddly enough, she felt no fear.

  “Tell me.” She laid her palm against his cheek, noticing his skin was hot to the touch.

  “I need to mate with you. No, it’s more than a need; it’s like a craving, a drug that I’ll die without.” His voice dropped, part human, part animal. “You’re mine.”

  Emotion overwhelmed Carly in that moment. He was letting her in, allowing her to see all of him, not just the man that lived on the surface, but also the beast that dwelled within. “Yes.”

  Relief was evident as he shut his eyes and dropped his forehead to hers. “I need to mark you. You will feel a little pain, but I promise to—“

  “Logan?”

  “Yes, Baby?”

  “Mark me.”

  Another growl vibrated from his chest and Carly opened her thighs, cradling his narrow hips. He nudged her head to the side and buried his face against her neck. “You smell so good.”

  Carly held her breath as Logan licked her neck and touched his erection against her opening. “Don’t tense up, I’ll go slow.”

  She took a deep breath and forced her body to relax as he gently eased inside her, inch by aching inch. He was suddenly touching her everywhere. The slide of his calloused palms on her arms, her face, and ribs only added to the pleasure of him filling her, stretching her.

  “Logan,” she moaned and wrapped her legs around his waist, taking his unhurried thrusts with a building frenzy that would soon have her biting him if he didn’t help her find what her body desperately craved.

  “Carly, relax. I don’t want to hurt you.”

  Fire raced up her back, through her stomach and straight to a place he brushed against on every gentle slide inside her body. “More. Please, Logan. I—“

  “I got you.” His arms came around her, wrapping her in a tight embrace as he ground against her over and over. She wasn’t sure where she ended and he began. They became as one, moving together in mind, body and soul.

  He suddenly tilted his hips and Carly saw stars. Her mind blanked of everything but the guttural sound of his voice in her ear. His words blended together to form a haze of non-sequential declarations of love, lust and desperation.

  The sharp sting of his teeth sinking into the fleshy part of her neck rocked Carly to her core. Her entire body seized with an orgasm so intense her eyes rolled back, her nails dug into his shoulders, and she flew off into an abyss of bottomless wonderment she never wanted to return from.

  Carly was vaguely aware of Logan’s shout and the slide of his warm tongue on her neck shortly after. Her mind remained centered on the feel of him throbbing inside her. Small pulses of mini aftershocks still had her in the grips of the most mind blowing orgasm imaginable.

  “Are you okay?”Logan’s deep voice seeped into her psyche, filling her to overflowing with love for this man.

  Tears swam in her eyes and she turned her head to face him. “I love you, Logan. More than I ever thought possible.”

  His gaze bore into hers. Gone were the insecurities, the doubts; in its place lived adoration, a promise of things to come, and an unmistakable bond. “You’re mine, Carly, forever, and even beyond.” Logan brushed his lips across hers once, twice. “Mate.”

  “Mate,” Carly repeated softly.

  Chapter Twenty Eight

  Carly arrived the next morning to find Scruples abuzz with activity. Logan was practically glued to her back as they entered the front door with Ben, Sarina and Cassandra in tow.

  They’d awoken to find Alfred gone, which was fine by Carly. She wasn’t ready to face the man who had been partly responsible for her last two months of hell on earth.

  “You’re back,” Chelle announced with a grin, wrapping Carly in a hug.

  “It’s good to be home.” Carly returned the embrace before stepping back to take in her surroundings. Nothing looked out of place in the dimly lit room. Familiar faces smiled at her from their scattered locations throughout the dining area, and Carly felt her shoulders relax.

  “How about some coffee?” Chelle rounded the bar and began taking out several mugs.

  Logan piped in from his hovering position. “Decaf.”

  Chelle’s eyebrows shot up. “Since when do you drink decaf, Sanders?”

  “Yeah, Sanders.” Carly glanced over her shoulder with a wink. “Since when?”

  “It’s not for me, Chelle,” Logan responded in a teasing tone. “Carls can have very little caffeine and even less sugar. Something in her contract about weight gain and skin blemishes.” He shrugged.

  “And pregnancy, I’m assuming,” Chelle quipped without looking up from her task.

  Carly’s mouth dropped open. “How did you know?”

  Chelle’s head disappeared behind the bar for a second before reappearing with a smir
k. “I knew the moment you walked through that door.”

  “Well, I’ll have mine with enough caffeine to fell an elephant,” Cassandra boomed as she made her way to the bar and took a seat. Sarina and Ben sat on her right, leaving two vacant stools for Carly and Logan.

  The seating arrangement wasn’t lost on Carly, or the fact that she’d be on the end farthest from the door, and away from the window.

  Logan helped her onto the stool and took up residence on the one next to her. “How are you feeling, Carls? Do you need to go lie down?”

  “I’m fine, really. I could use something to eat though.”

  “Chelle, can we get some food for the ladies, please?”

  “Of course. Would you and Ben like something too?”

  The corner of Logan’s mouth lifted. “Does a bear shit in the woods?”

  “You probably do too, you gigantic freak,” Cassie interjected from her position down the way.

  The sound of laughter filled the room, and Carly soaked it up. It had been so long since she’d found anything to be happy about, much less find amusing. Leave it to Cassandra to inject humor into an otherwise tense situation, she thought with a smile.

  Chelle took everyone’s order before scampering off toward the kitchen. Carly sipped at the milk that had been placed in front of her as apposed to the coffee she’d originally requested. She understood their need to coddle, but a decaffeinated coffee wouldn’t have been the end of the world as they knew it.

  Sarina slowly climbed down from her stool and approached her daughter. “Can I speak with you a moment?

  “Of course,” Carly agreed, moving to stand.

  Logan immediately got to his feet. ”I’ll escort you to the office.”

  “I’m coming too,” Ben announced with a frown.

  “Oh, for crying out loud. Will the both of you calm down? We’re not going outside, and Logan can check the room before we enter it.” Sarina nodded at Ben. “Keep an eye on Cassie. We’ll be back soon.”

  Carly hadn’t seen her mother move with such determination in years. It seemed she had more pep in her step, more energy radiating from her small frame. She wondered how much of it was a result of Ben’s presence. The tension between the two certainly hadn’t gone unnoticed, and frankly Carly was a little shocked that Cassie hadn’t taken the opportunity to throw Ben and Sarina both under the bus before now. She must be slipping.