by Arianna Hart
Hunter ran his fingers up and down Marley’s muscular legs. Her gasps and groans were music to his ears, and he drank them in as he teased her mercilessly. His fingers barely touched her, just enough to know her thighs were silky smooth, her knees ticklish, and her sex was hot and wet.
He could hear Marley’s breath catch as he ran his finger between her swollen folds. She was so close, but he didn’t want her going over the edge yet. He blew a whisper of air over the glistening nub that pulsed before his eyes, and smiled at her cry. He slowly kissed his way to her center and spread her lips to devote his attention to that most sensitive part of her.
Her hips bucked and shook, and he felt her tremors through his lips. When she lay quiet, Hunter left her long enough to get a condom, and slipped it on quickly.
While he took care of their protection, Marley stood up and shook her arms free. No sooner did he have himself sheathed than she pushed him down on the bench.
“My turn,” Marley said with a smile that made Hunter’s blood pump madly through his veins.
“Be gentle with me.”
“Don’t worry, I won’t,” Marley said before running her tongue over his nipples.
Hunter couldn’t believe he hadn’t caught fire from the heat surging off Marley. When she grasped his length in her small hands, he thought he would explode on the spot.
“What do you want?” Marley asked him, looking at him out of her midnight eyes.
“You, just you.” Hunter had never meant anything more in his entire life. He watched her through lowered lids as she climbed up and straddled him.
“Good.”
Hunter knew no fantasy could compete with the feeling of Marley sliding slick and hot over him. He reached up and clasped her breasts in his hands as she set a pace that left him fighting for control.
She bent over him and licked his ear, and he knew he’d met his match. He grabbed her hips and thrust into her as fast as he could until he felt her crest over him in a wave of pleasure. Her tremors brought on his own and there was no stopping the tide this time.
As his breathing slowed, he could feel Marley’s body come down to earth. The thought shot through his head that feeling her hot and wet and draped over him was better than anything else he’d ever experienced.
“Some day we are going to have to try this in a bed, but for right now I have this other little fantasy that involves you naked and soapy in a shower.”
“I think I should be insulted, but I don’t have the energy for it.”
Hunter was sure he’d be able to help her find some energy before long.
Chapter Nine
Marley couldn’t believe she was still walking after making love with Hunter two more times that morning. Her body wasn’t really used to this type of workout. It sure beat the stair machine.
Hunter had gone into the other room to get his clothes and give her some privacy to get dressed; boy, that man had a cute butt. A girl could get used to seeing that around the house.
Better to nip those thoughts in the bud. He wasn’t going to be around the house forever, and she knew it.
“Hey, Mar, is O’Malley’s still closed on Sundays?”
Hunter asked as he walked back into the room clad in only his shorts.
“Yes, Seamus always said that Sunday was a family day and people should be home instead of at a bar. Why?” Marley tried to concentrate on what he had to say instead of on the way the gold cross glinted on his naked chest.
“I told the movers I would meet them at the house tomorrow. If you aren’t doing anything, do you want to come with me?”
Marley looked at Hunter, he wasn’t his usual cocky self. His brow was creased with tension, his jaw tight with emotion, and his eyes were silently pleading with her. Her laundry could wait.
“Sure, as long as we don’t have to be there first thing in the morning. Saturdays are even busier than Fridays.”
“I’m not sure what time they will be there to be honest, that was why I had to use your phone, but I got a little distracted,” Hunter said, the cock-sure grin back in place.
“There was nothing little about that distraction,” Marley said with a grin of her own. “Why do you hate going to the house so much? Does it bother you that Seamus sold it without asking you?”
“No, not really. What would I do with a house on Long Island when I spend most of the year hopping around the country? I just hate all the memories I guess. You know, after my mother died it was like a morgue in there. It was a long time before my pop got over my mom. I guess he was depressed, but at eighteen I didn’t know what was wrong with him, all I knew was that I wanted out of there more than anything else in the world. I still do. I can’t wait until I can get out of here,” Hunter said, his words urgent.
“I know.” If Marley needed any confirmation of her earlier thoughts, here they were, out in the open.
He couldn’t wait to get out of here.
“Oh Mar, I didn’t mean it that way.” Hunter’s hand ran nervously through his already mussed hair.
“Hunter, it’s okay. I know you aren’t exactly the white-picket-fence type of guy.”
“And that is what you want?”
“Eventually, but not yet. Right now a temporary, ah, affair suits me just fine.”
“So that is all this is for you, a temporary affair?”
Hunter shoved his arms through the sleeves of the tee shirt and yanked it over his head.
“You can’t have it both ways, buddy. You can’t say you want to get out of here as soon as you can on one hand, and then complain when I don’t beg you to stay on the other. Sorry if I don’t cater to your ego, but I’m not some sop who is going to cry her eyes out when you hop on your horse and ride off into the sunset.”
Marley stalked into the kitchen furiously. What did he want her to do? Beg him not to go so he could let her down gently? I don’t think so, she was going into this with eyes wide open, and when he left she wouldn’t say a word to stop him. At least not out loud.
“Look, don’t get all pissy with me. I’m sorry if it sounds like I want to have my cake and eat it, too.”
He ran his hand through his hair again, obviously searching for words. “It’s just, this is different, and I don’t like it when you refer to it as, well, something cheap.” Hunter looked decidedly uncomfortable.
Marley’s temper slid back down. It’d be a lot easier if she could just stay mad at him. His soft words just sapped her of her protective anger. “If it makes you feel any better, I don’t think of it as cheap.”
“Well, that’s something, at least.”
Again, the hand went through his hair. She was beginning to pick up on some of his quirks, and that nervous gesture was one of them. She wracked her brain for something to ease the tension and change the subject.
“Hey, why don’t we go out and get something to eat before we open the bar?” Food was always her answer to any crisis. She’d certainly worked out enough this morning where she could afford to indulge a little more.
Hunter looked at his watch. “It’s too late for breakfast, but there used to be this great little diner a few blocks from here that had the best bagels in New York.”
“The Queen’s Diner? It’s still there. Come on, if we hurry they might still have some chocolate chip ones left.” Marley grabbed her purse and headed out of the apartment, grabbing Hunter as she went.
They had just locked the door when she heard her phone ring.
“Do you want to get that?” Hunter asked when she hesitated.
“No, if it’s important they’ll leave a message. I’m not expecting anyone, anyway.”
“Then let’s go, I want a chocolate chip bagel, too.”
—
Marley hadn’t been joking when she said Saturdays were busier than Fridays. Johnny was back tonight so Hunter was helping Ricardo work the door. With the number of people coming in and out it took both of them to control the crowd.
Hunter hadn’t spoken much to the oliv
e-toned bouncer he shared guard duty with, but from what he saw he liked him so far. Ricardo was a little shorter than Hunter, but had the body of someone who spent his every waking hour in a weight room. He didn’t take any nonsense from the crowd, but neither did he put on a tough guy routine that was almost guaranteed to start trouble.
“So, Marley said it’s like this every weekend?”
Hunter asked when there was a brief lull in the action.
“Yeah, for the last two years since I started it’s been busy Thursday through Saturday. When the college kids are in town, it’s even worse. Tiger complains because they don’t tip worth spit, but you know, quantity makes up for the lack of quality.”
“You’ve been working here for two years?”
“Yeah, your dad saw me picking fights for money on the streets. He asked me what I needed the money for. When I told him it was to eat, not for drugs, he handed me a fifty and told me to get cleaned up and come here if I wanted to work for an honest wage.”
“Really? He just hired you off the street?”
“Yup, one of Seamus’ Strays. We all are. That is why we are like a family now. Tiger, he was homeless when he started working here. His old man kicked him out of the house when he was sixteen. Seamus found him almost dead digging in the dumpster out back, cleaned him up, helped him get his diploma. Oscar was a drunk, he had been a big time chef once, but the pressure got to him and he started drinking to get through it. Pretty soon he got fired for drinking on the job, but he still couldn’t stop drinking. He had lost everything by the time Seamus found him and got him help. Told him if he could get strong enough to work in a bar and not drink he’d have a job when he got sober.
“My dad did this? I never knew.”
“Your dad was straight up, man. He was like a father to all of us.”
“What about Marley?”
“What about Marley?” Ricardo asked, suddenly on guard.
“Is she another one of my father’s strays?” Hunter asked, thinking about what she had told him yesterday in the truck.
“That’s her story to tell, if she wants to. I should keep my mouth shut. I just want you to know, your dad meant a lot to us. O’Malley’s is more than just a job, for us it’s a family.”
“Don’t worry. Nothing is going to happen to Marley, or O’Malley’s.” Ricardo’s words made him understand Marley’s possessive attitude a little better.
She wasn’t just worried about losing her job, she was worried about losing her family.
“Hey, can you cover the door for a few minutes while I go take a leak?” Hunter asked, hoping he’d be able to get Marley’s attention on the way in or out.
“No prob. Bring me a soda on your way out, will ya?”
“Sure, I’ll be quick.”
Hunter ducked back into the bar. The place was packed to its absolute limit. He couldn’t understand how anyone could dance when they were smashed together like sardines, but he figured that dancing wasn’t what they were really out there to do.
He tried to get Marley’s attention on his way to the kitchen, but she was pouring beers and mixing drinks with both hands. He’d talk to her tomorrow when he had her trapped in the truck for the ride back to the house.
Marley kept six-packs of soda in the kitchen fridge for the staff. It saved her the bother of pouring it from the bar if they were busy. As he was headed back out with two cans, the kitchen phone rang.
“I got it!” He called to Oscar who was chopping and flipping for all he was worth. Hunter had a newfound respect for the cook. It took a great deal of inner strength to come to work everyday surrounded by booze when that was your addiction. Hell, he’d even forgiven Oscar for the scowl Oscar had given him when he and Marley had walked in the bar together. Oscar probably hadn’t appreciated the broken bottle of pickles that had smashed all over the kitchen floor. So that was what that noise had been last night.
Balancing the drinks in one hand he grabbed the receiver, “O’Malley’s,” he answered.
“Can I talk to Marley?” The voice was a woman’s, but gravelly, like someone who had smoked too much for too long.
“I’m sorry, she can’t come to the phone right now, but I can take a message for her, if you want me to.”
Hunter wondered what idiot called a bar during peak hours to talk to the bartender.
“Yeah, tell her Vivian called.”
“Okay, I’ll tell her, but it will be a while, she’s pretty busy now.”
“No rush, Sugar.” She hung up before Hunter had a chance to find out if she wanted anything else.
He made a mental note to tell Marley about the call, and wormed his way back to the front of the bar.
He was able to catch her eye on his way out and he shot her a grin and a wink, which she returned.
Hunter felt his loins tighten when she licked her lips and smiled at him. If he could get this hard just watching her across the room, after having sex with her three times that day, he knew he was in trouble.
But man, he could handle this kind of trouble for a while.
He didn’t have a while, though. He only had six months. And by the sounds of things, that was all Marley expected of him. What if he wanted to stay around longer? What would she do then?
What was he talking about? He couldn’t wait to get out of here. He was so close to reaching his dreams.
With the money he would get from the insurance and the sale of the house he’d be able to do so much more.
Win so much more, and then it was just a matter of picking the right sponsor when they came calling.
Maybe he wouldn’t sell the bar. He could be a silent partner. That would give him an excuse to come back and see Marley on a regular basis. And when he decided to retire, he’d have something to fall back on.
Yeah, that was a good plan.
Hunter stepped back out into the muggy summer night, pleased with his course of action. Maybe he could have his cake and eat it, too. He passed the time telling Ricardo about the racing scene. He thought about what modifications he’d make on his car, who he could hire for a mechanic, which races he’d have the best chance of winning, and which would give him the most exposure just for placing.
By the time they had everything cleaned up later that night, Hunter had his dream crew assembled and his car picked out. All he had to do was get through six endless months of waiting and all his dreams would be in his grasp. He watched as Marley bent down to lock the door behind Tiger, and realized the six months wouldn’t be as long as he had thought.
Being with Marley was the next best thing to flying around the asphalt faster than sound.
“Are we all through here?” Hunter asked as she finished with the door.
“That’s it. Let’s call it a night, I’m beat.”
“How beat?” Hunter asked, feeling himself get harder as she walked towards him, hips swaying.
“Too beat. I didn’t sleep well last night, and you kept me damn busy this morning. I’ve worked twenty-four out of the last forty-eight hours on very little sleep. I’m just dog tired.”
Hunter suspected that Marley was making excuses, but without acting like a complete jerk he couldn’t try to change her mind. It was best to give in gracefully, and surprise her in the morning. She never did take the key back from him.
“Me, too, plus the movers will be at Pop’s house at noon tomorrow, and that isn’t too far away. I’ll let you get some sleep tonight, but tomorrow you’re mine,” Hunter said playfully, feeling anything but.
“Hmm, we’ll see about that.”
Hunter was following her to the back stairway when he saw the phone and remembered the call for Marley.
“Oh, Mar, I totally forgot. Someone called for you tonight, but you were so swamped I just took a message. I hope that was okay?”
“Yeah, that’s fine. Who was it?” Marley had a worried look on her face. Hunter wasn’t sure why she should look so apprehensive about a phone call, but something told him she wasn’t happy about
it.
“She said her name was Vivian, but that’s all. She didn’t leave a message or say what she wanted.”
“Oh, I know what she wants,” Marley said bitterly.
Hunter watched as Marley’s beautiful mouth pressed into a thin line. He could see the muscles working in her jaw, and the crease of tension between her raven brows. Whoever this Vivian was, she wasn’t going to be welcomed with open arms.
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner. Are you okay?”
“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine. I should have known it was coming. She may be stupid, but she can still read the obituaries.”
“Who is she? A scam artist? Some opportunist?”
Hunter couldn’t understand what his father’s obituary would have to do with the woman on the phone, but it obviously wasn’t good.
“All that and more. She’s my mother.”
Chapter Ten
Marley knew she should probably fill Hunter in a little, but she just wasn’t up for it. She was bone weary, and just couldn’t handle thoughts of her mother right now. She’d worry about what Vivian wanted in the morning. Marley was sure she would be calling again and again until she finally answered the phone.
Vivian must have seen Seamus’ death in the paper and figured Marley had come into some money.
Marley knew her mother thought that she had been sleeping with Seamus all these years. It never occurred to her that Seamus might just be a tenderhearted old man who had always wanted a daughter.
Hunter had been so good about not pushing her to spend the night together. She was disappointed that he hadn’t tried to change her mind, but only a little.
She really was tired if she would willingly give up time spent next to him for sleep.
Boy, she was getting addicted to him and it had only been three days! She needed to make some space, give herself a chance to catch her balance. The last thing she needed was to get used to having him around. Maybe it wasn’t a good idea to go with him tomorrow?
No, he needed her. He might not be afraid to strap himself into some tin can and race around a track at speeds faster than any human should go, but he was terrified of facing his past. She was starting to see through his tough guy exterior.
