by Lynn Stark
He threw a few dollars on the counter, and then left Marley sitting there with a dish of melting ice cream and a breaking heart.
* * * *
Roarke followed Gray into the house, wondering how they were going to fix this mess they’d made with Marley. They had to fix it. She was the one for them. And he could see that she cared for them. They just had to get her to see it, to understand that they would be there for her forever. Yet, how could they do that when they had just walked out on her over one little hiccup?
Gray threw his hat onto the couch, which was a mistake. Chug ran across the room and launched himself on it, shaking it violently until the brim ripped off.
“Darn dog!” Roarke growled, snatching the destroyed hat off the floor before he could go for it again. He grabbed up a chew toy and tossed it to the dog that just never seemed to want to grow up. Then he was turning to his partner. Walking to the couch, he sat down beside him. “Come on, babe. It’s just a misunderstanding.”
“It’s not a misunderstanding. I understood her very well. She’s buying that house. That means she doesn’t plan on making a future with us.”
“I didn’t hear her say she was going to live there,” Roarke argued, wishing he hadn’t just left Marley sitting there. He had gone off half-cocked just as Gray had. That could have done more damage than either of them could imagine. Damn! “I heard her say it was perfect for something she has in mind. She has plans for it. She did not say she was going to live there,” he said again, hoping the man would listen to him.
Gray was a very reasonable man. It was what made him such a good sheriff. It was also one of the things Roarke loved about him. The man had no extremes. He listened. He never reacted first and thought second. Until now. And with so much at risk, that being their future with Marley, could this one time of flash anger ruin it all for them? They’d just had a close call by not telling her about Duncan making the threats against her then escaping. Now this. Fuck, could they really have screwed up again so soon?
“What else could she possibly want another house for, if she wanted to live here with us?” Gray was asking, his voice thick with emotion.
“Well, I did tell her it would be a great income property. Maybe she’s planning a bed and breakfast or something. Maybe she’ll rent it out this winter. Think about it, Gray. I’ve never seen you act like that before. I know you only did it because you were hurt by what you believe she meant, but I think you’re wrong. Actually, I think we were both wrong in what we heard. And I know we were both wrong for leaving her there like that.”
Gray reached for him, pulling him hard against his chest. Powerful arms crushed him. Gentle lips caressed his jaw. “I hope you’re right. Now, how do I apologize for being a total asshole?”
“You can both start by saying, ‘Marley, I’m sorry I’m an asshole’ and we’ll leave it at that,” a sharp female voice declared from the wide archway between the kitchen and living room. They looked to see her standing there with a scowl on her beautiful face and her arms folded across her chest. “I’ll forgive you this time, but if you ever leave me like that again, you can darn well bet it’ll be a cold day in hell before you get even a smile from me.”
Roarke was all but dumped on the floor as Gray shot off the couch to go to their woman. As he righted himself he watched as Gray swept her rigid body up against his body, binding her to him with his powerful arms.
Gray nuzzled her neck, spreading kisses over her face. “I’m sorry for being an asshole, baby. Will you really forgive me?”
“Yes, I said I would. I can understand why you got angry. You guys have been thinking that I’m probably going to move in here with you. And I haven’t said I wasn’t. I was planning on it. I was just keeping it for a surprise.”
“Well,” Roarke said with a grin, “if it makes you feel better, it’s still a surprise. You’re surprised, aren’t you, Gray?”
Gray chuckled as he smoothed Marley’s dark hair away from her face, looking down at her adoringly. “Yes, you could say I’m surprised. I’m sorry I left you there, baby. I’ll never do anything like that again.”
She nodded. “I know you won’t. Not if you want balls left for Roarke to play with. Charlie said I should kick both your butts.” She reached around him to plant her hands on the firm mounds of his ass. “But I said they were too nice to kick.”
Gray chuckled as he stroked his fingers down her cheek. “Forty years ago Charlie would have offered to kick them for you.”
Marley nodded and leaned her head against his chest. It was only then Roarke let out a sigh of relief. Hope flared again. They had to figure this out and move ahead. They couldn’t have any more misunderstandings like the one they just had. It had been a real close call.
“Roarke pointed out that I only heard what I wanted to hear or, rather, what I was expecting to hear. He said you said you had plans for the house. Can I ask what are they?”
“Well, I was thinking of making it a place where cancer patients and their families can come and stay for a week or two. With so darn much money invested in it, the hospital here is exceptional, so there would be medical care if it was needed. But the house would be a place where they could come to get away from it all. There’s so much to do here all year around.”
“That’s a great plan, baby.” Gray hugged her tight and kissed the top of her head. “We’ll help you with anything that needs done.”
“The house has three rooms downstairs which could be converted into bedrooms without having to make structural changes. They may have been bedrooms at one time. Anyway, I thought those could be used by the patient and parents, with the third room for small children, which need to be kept close. The upstairs rooms could be used by older children or family members. The hallways and doorways are wide, so someone using a wheelchair should be able to get around easily.”
Roarke and Gray listened intently as Marley began laying out the plans for her house. She was going to name it after her sister, so technically it was to be “Callie’s House.” Tears were streaming down her face as she described all she wanted to do, from making a play yard and a patio where the family could spend quiet hours, to planning excursions which would be exciting, but not too draining for children recovering from intense cancer treatment, or those like her sister, who knew they were going to die, but wanted to keep on experiencing life for as long as they were able.
By the time she finished both Roarke and Gray were wiping tears off their own cheeks. There was no way they could sit there and not be affected by the passion she had inside her. Their woman was a marvel. She was fantastic. She had a heart of gold, just as her sister had while she lived, doing things for others as her own illness returned. Even now, Callie was working to help others.
“We’ll do everything we can to help you get it done, baby. I can make calls, get the painters in to paint the house as soon as the colors are approved. You’ll need to have ramps built. I can get the paperwork approved on that. And it will probably need to have the heating system updated.”
As they continued to make plans, Roarke with a pen and a pad of paper to write everything down, including ideas to be considered later, they became totally engrossed in the process. It wasn’t just Marley having to cope with countless details on her own. Marley had them now to help with everything.
“My foot’s asleep,” Marley announced unexpectedly. They looked down to see that Chug had decided her foot was the place to rest his heavy body. He looked up at her with innocent, adoring eyes. “Hey you crazy little sweetie puppy.” She rubbed his head, then his tummy when he rolled over, relieving her foot of his weight. “You’re a good boy.”
“He ate Gray’s hat.”
Chug looked at Roarke, then Gray, and then scooted his butt so he was sitting beside her. “You wouldn’t do a bad thing like that, would you?” One tooth and half his tongue was hanging out.
“He would and he did. Don’t let that blank look fool you. That was about the tenth hat he’s killed,” Gray
confirmed, giving the dog the evil eye. Chug slumped down, resting his chin on her foot. “Do you have to go meet Colt now?”
“Yes, I called and said I had a little side trip to make.” She pushed Chug off her foot and got up. “Now that we have our little misunderstanding straightened out, I have to get back to work. The draper will be at the gallery at four to measure for the blinds.”
When she stepped up Gray looked down at her for a long moment. Roarke watched the silent communication between the two. It felt good to see that they were reconnecting.
“I really do forgive you, big guy,” Marley said softly, her heart in her ocean-blue eyes. “I was thinking I would go get more of my things from Colt’s house after I sign the papers. If that’s okay with you,” she teased, running her finger up and down along the line of pearl snaps on his shirt. “You do have a place where I can keep them, don’t you?”
Gray finally grinned, flashing his straight white teeth. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her so close she gasped for breath. “I have a room in mind. It’s perfect for you.”
Roarke stepped up behind her, sandwiching her in between their hard bodies. “It’s right across from ours. If you ever need anything, all you have to do is call and we’ll be there.”
“Really? You won’t be sharing it with me?” She tilted her head so she could see his face.
“Only if you want us to. We know we deserve to be in the doghouse for a while.” He tried giving her his best apologetic look, hoping it worked.
“And you guys really want this? You’re sure? I don’t want to move my stuff again. It’s a real pain.” Her words were cut off as the man holding her lowered his head and captured her mouth with his.
When Gray finished kissing her, he held her face between his huge hands. “Sweetheart, you will never have to move your stuff again. Ever.”
“Nah,” Roarke teased, “we’ll keep it and kick you out. Problem solved.” When a small hand reached back to grab his crotch he squeaked in alarm. “Joking, baby. Now let go of my goods.”
Marley laughed and released him. Then she was squeezing out from between them. As she headed for the front door, she said casually, “There’s a box by the back door. It has your name on the label, Roarke.”
Chapter Thirteen
After hurrying to kiss Marley, Roarke snatched the box off the porch and quickly disappeared with it. Gray followed him, but he tucked the box into the closet after shoving a collection of boots out of the way. Roarke closed the door firmly. When he turned to Gray he knew his face was hot with color. He didn’t need to look at the label to know what was inside.
“What’s in the box, babe?” Gray asked, blocking the door when he would have escaped downstairs. “Hmmm?”
“Just some things I ordered. Nothing special.” He couldn’t meet Gray’s eyes.
“Are you sure?” The tall man crowded him back toward the bed. “Not keeping secrets again, are you?”
He was obviously keeping a secret. “I have one secret in almost twelve years and I’m never going to hear the end of it,” he said weakly. They hadn’t talked about his newly acquired fetish. Somehow they just hadn’t gotten around to it. “I need to go down and see what there is to make for supper.”
Gray moved closer, close enough that he could feel the heat coming off the man’s body. The heat, the scent, was enough to drive him crazy. None of them had had sex in days, giving Marley time to recuperate from their game. Jerking off in the shower wasn’t a whole hellava lot of fun. Now all he could think about was Gray throwing him down on the bed, ripping his clothes off, and fucking him until he couldn’t walk.
“I’m going to take you and Marley out tonight to celebrate. Now, what do you have in the box?”
“Just some stuff I ordered.”
Closer. Roarke trembled with need. If Gray didn’t do something to ease the ache in his body, especially the one in his cock, he was going to resort to doing something drastic, like ripping the bigger man’s clothes off and throwing his delicious body onto the bed. He had topped Gray before. This was one of those times he was thinking he should do it again. His balls jerked at the thought of losing his load in the dark heat of Gray’s delectable, practically virgin ass.
“Tell me.”
“Maybe I will later, big man, if you play your cards right.”
“You shouldn’t be keeping secrets.”
“And you shouldn’t be poking your nose into places it shouldn’t be.”
“Roarke.” Strong hands settled on his waist, pulling him tightly to the object of his desire, the object of his love. “I would never force you to do anything.” He grinned and lowered his head to press a hot kiss to his mouth. “It’s up to you, if and when you want to share. I love you. I made a mistake twice with Marley today. I’m not going to fuck up a third time by pushing this. I know you’ll share when you’re ready. I love you,” he said again, the note in his voice conveying how serious he was on the subject.
Relief swept through Roarke. He should have known, should have trusted his longtime lover more than he had. But there was still some fear. He wanted time to adjust to this new aspect of his life. He wanted time to open the box and look over the contents. He just needed time. Especially if he was going to try them on and see how his purchases looked. His cock ached at the thought.
“I love you, too. Thank you. Now, shouldn’t you be getting back to work?” The sooner Gray was gone, the sooner he could delve into the box. How would silk stockings feel on his legs?
“I’m going. But not before I get a blow job. It feels like my dick’s about to fall off. Now get on your knees and suck me off.”
Roarke was on his knees before Gray had his belt unbuckled. He had his own cock out by the time the other man had released his. When Roarke’s mouth opened and slid around the broad, mushroom-shaped head, he was stroking his own steely shaft in a tight fist, his rhythm matching that of Gray’s cock sliding in and out of his hungry mouth. Strong fingers wrapped around Roarke’s skull as the man began fucking his mouth. He moaned around it as he rubbed his tongue over the flat, arrow-shaped plane beneath, knowing how much Gray loved having that sensitive spot stroked.
His lover’s taste and scent drove him wild. He enjoyed the musk of an aroused male, the salty flavor of pre-cum exploding over his taste buds. Moaning again, Roarke took as much of the thick cock into his mouth as he could, swallowing around the spongy head. A moment later Gray’s body was jerking and he was roaring his pleasure as his fingers tightened almost to the point of pain in his hair.
His own climax came a moment later, splashing against the polished floorboards between Gray’s spread and quivering legs. The softening cock slipped from between his lips and he leaned forward to rest his head against a powerful thigh.
“Feel better, babe?”
“You have no idea,” Roarke moaned, trying to catch his breath.
There was a throaty chuckle above him. “Yeah, I think I do. I don’t think we’ve ever gone that long without sex after our first time together. Let’s try not to go so long again, hmmm?”
Roarke smiled as he rose to his feet and planted a kiss on the firm mouth. “Your wish is my command, sheriff.”
And it was.
* * * *
The man was twenty years older, but there was no mistaking who he was. Marley swallowed hard as she recognized her father. An odd mixture of emotions churned deep inside her. First, lost memories came to her, of how she had felt about him as a child. Her heart thumped heavily with love and fondness. Next the reality came, washing the love away. After that was the reality of Phillip Jacobson being in Silver, leaving her cold with dread. It could only mean one thing. He wanted something.
He and her mother, his long-abandoned wife, shared a common thread in their lives. Greed was a big thing with the both of them. It wouldn’t surprise her in the least to discover her mother was in Silver as well.
Grim, feeling pain and resentment welling up inside her, Marley went to the front door
of the gallery and locked it. He hadn’t approached, but stood on the sidewalk in front of the neighboring business, looking across toward the green space in the center of town as if he were undecided about what he should do.
She was so angry that he was in town, that he had found her. With the exception of her closest friends, she had made a point of not telling anyone where she was going. Oh, she knew her location would get out eventually. But she had hoped she would have more time. She had never expected to see her father. He had been gone so long from her life and Callie’s that he was only the vaguest of memories. No, she had never expected to see him again.
Now here he was.
The show was the lure. The sale of Callie’s artwork would bring in hundreds of thousands of dollars. When she sent out the catalogs she knew her mother would get wind of it, simply because she had insinuated herself into the lives of many wealthy people, the kind of people who didn’t blink an eye at spending thousands of dollars for a museum-quality drawing or painting of a favorite butterfly or moth.
There was even the odd gecko and snake, three tarantulas, and a three-toed sloth which had been so curious about Marley being in a tree with it that it had investigated her fearlessly. He was a young orphan and used to human contact and treats. But in the end she had gotten the photographs and a good story. Butterflies and moths had been her sister’s specialty, but there were other creatures many would collect simply because they were so beautiful.
And they would all bring an enormous amount of money her mother would want, believing she was entitled to it. Her father, too, it seemed, wanted a share.
Well, Marley was no one’s fool.
Going out the rear of the gallery, she set the alarm and locked the door. She was relieved to see none of the local fauna frolicking in the parking lot as she got into her restored SUV. Time. She needed time to think.
