Theirs by Chance

by Karen Ann Dell

  “Yes, please, inside me. I need you—”

  With a single stroke Lance buried himself inside her slick heat. The pleasure of her tight channel gripping his manhood pounded through him as he pulled back slowly and thrust into her again.

  “Oh God, you feel sooo good.” Marjorie rubbed herself against him in tight little circles as her butt slapped against the wall with each stroke. Her nails dug into his shoulders, and she sucked his tongue deep into her mouth.

  He thrust deeper. Harder. Faster. With a cry, she shuddered against him, her orgasm pulsing around him. Two more strokes and he came with a shout, pouring himself into her. He locked his knees and braced his head against the wall to stay upright while Marjorie buried her face against his neck.

  When their rasping sighs turned into more regular breaths, he lifted her off his softening shaft, and she unclenched her legs to let him lower her against the wall.

  She reached up with a heavy-lidded grin and kissed his jaw. “You are a magnificent lover, Sir Lance, and I expect you to make love to me in every single room of this house before the week is out.”

  He rubbed his thumb over her kiss-swollen lower lip. “Your wish is my command, my lady.”

  A tiny frown creased her brow. “You know, in all the excitement, we didn’t, ah . . .”

  “Use protection?”

  “Yes. I hope you didn’t mind. I just couldn’t bear to wait.”

  Mind? Was she kidding? Being inside her without a condom to dampen the sensation of every ripple, every twitch, every clench of her tight sheath, was without a doubt the best sex he’d ever had.

  On the other hand, if she worried about pregnancy, maybe not so pleasurable for her. “Are you . . .?” How did one phrase it?

  She laughed at his hesitation. “I’m not at the right time in my cycle, so we’re fine. While I adore the idea of having a child with you, I’d like us to have some time alone together before we start a family.” The frown came back. “You do want to . . .?”

  “Have kids? Hell, yeah.” He grinned. “Maybe not right this minute, though.” He ran a finger down her throat and between her breasts. “Now that we agree we’re good either way, I think I should take you upstairs and have my way with you again.”

  Marjorie brushed her fingers across the head of his cock, which pulsed at her touch. “Your wish is my command, Sir Lance,” she said with a wicked gleam in her eyes.

  Carl turned into the run-down Blue Point Cove Motor Inn and parked next to the black pickup. The man sitting in it got out and followed him inside. “I thought you were going to wait until I called you before you drove all the way here?”

  “Didn’t drive. I flew. Truck’s a rental.”

  Carl nodded. “Still, that’s must’ve cost a pretty penny when you didn’t even know for sure if it was her.”

  “My boss is kind of anxious. He wants to get back together with Sarah as soon as possible. It broke his heart when she took off after they had that argument.”

  Carl sat on the side of his bed and took the photograph out of his shirt pocket. Marjorie was still a looker. Why did she dye her hair, though? He’d always thought the red was pretty as a bright copper penny.

  “Well, did you see her?” the other man demanded.

  Carl nodded. “Yes. It’s her. It’s Sarah Beth.” He took off the blue cap and ran his hand through the sparse hair plastered to his head from the heat, and from his sweat. Seeing Sarah Beth was wonderful, even if she hadn’t been happy to see him. He hoped she’d feel differently when she found out he was helping to get her and her old boyfriend back together. Carl wanted to tell her that he’d finally done something right, but part of the deal he’d made was to let her old flame surprise her.

  The guy was a state senator now and no doubt raking in the big bucks. Sarah Beth would be living in the lap of luxury when she married him. She deserved something good in her life after what Carl had done to her childhood.

  Considering the amount of money Chesterton had already spent funding Carl’s trip out East and flying his bodyguard in from Oregon as well, he must love Sarah Beth a lot. Foolish of her to run away from something that would give her the kind of life most women dreamed of over a silly squabble.

  But she’d been young then. Just a kid, really. Kids were stupid where love was concerned. Carl scoffed. Shit, he should talk. He’d been a stupid fool for most of his life. He hated that he’d never had the chance to make things right with Shirley. She’d put up with so much crap from him and now she was gone, along with Mary Jo. His other daughter had never figured into his plans. She was hardly a person at all, just a breathing lump of flesh that looked like Sarah Beth, but didn’t have a thought in her head.

  The other man turned to leave, but Carl stopped him. “When’s your boss gettin’ here?”

  “I don’t know for sure. Soon, though. He might have to wrap a few things up in Salem before he can get away.”

  Carl nodded. “Guess politics trumps love.”

  The other man grinned. “Every time.”

  “I was kinda hoping I could be around for the surprise.”

  “Sarah’s going to be surprised, that’s for sure. I’ll check with the boss. He wanted it to be a private reunion, but maybe he’ll consider having you there.”

  Carl thought about it for a few seconds. Seeing Sarah Beth’s happiness would do him proud. But it had been so long since she and Chesterton had seen each other, they’d want some time alone together. “Nah, it’s best if I don’t interfere where I may not be wanted.”

  “Yeah, you’re probably right.” The other man took a wad of bills out of his pocket and peeled off several Franklins. “Here’s the money for your trip back.” He put it on the desk and tapped it with his finger. “Thanks for helping us out.”

  “Glad I could do it.” Maybe Sarah Beth would write to him after she and Chesterton got back together.

  Chapter 18

  Marjorie stretched luxuriously and glanced at her alarm clock. Seven-thirty? Holy shit! She’d slept much too late. Lance would be home for breakfast in forty-five minutes, and here she was sleeping in. She threw back the covers and leapt to her feet. Ow. For the past two days, she and Lance had spent a good deal of their time in this bed, and she had the sore muscles and tender spots to prove it.

  Not that she was complaining. The man—her man, she amended dreamily—was amazing. In bed or out, he made her feel like a movie star, his only wish to pleasure her any and every way he could.

  He was doing a damn fine job.

  She took a speedy shower and slipped on a pair of cut-offs and a tank top, one she usually disguised with a flowing big shirt on top. No big shirt today, and the cut-offs she’d made from a pair of jeans were still too big, but at least they showed all of her legs, which she knew Lance liked.

  “Come on, Daisy. Breakfast for you first, then I think I’ll make pancakes for Sir Lance.”

  The dog raced ahead of her down the stairs.

  Soon she had bacon sizzling while she rinsed the blueberries for her pancakes. Outside, the morning sun floated in a cloudless sky, and thanks to a cool front that had gone through yesterday, the humidity levels were down to bearable. It would be a beautiful day.

  Only one dark cloud loomed on her horizon. She’d struggled for the past few days about what to do concerning her father. He’d said he would be heading back home soon. That meant that today might be her last chance to see him for who knew how long. Should she try to see him one more time?

  It was very difficult to brush aside the resentment she’d harbored for so many years. But she always felt everyone deserved a second chance.

  Lance’s car pulled up to the garage, and Daisy ran to greet him, her tail a furry blur. Time to put the pancakes on. She carefully stirred the blueberries into her batter and lit the burner under the gr
iddle. Then she went and stood by the back door for her morning kiss.

  She wasn’t disappointed. Daisy bounded in first, but Lance was right behind her and swung Marjorie around in a circle, then kissed her soundly. Hard to tell if her dizziness was from the swing or the kiss.

  “Good morning, Red. Did you sleep well?”

  “As well as I could with half of the bed empty,” she said, lips pursed in mock disappointment. “Come sit down while I make your pancakes.”

  He traced the curve of her cheek with a finger. “These past two days have been the best in my entire life. I do love you, Red, more than I can ever say.”

  Her heart swelled. She felt like Dorothy when she first landed in Oz and everything had gone from black and white to color. “Here’s your juice. Sit while I finish at the stove.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” he said, and they both laughed at the old joke.

  She drained the bacon on paper towels and poured batter onto the heated griddle. A few minutes later, Marjorie placed the first stack of four in front of Lance and poured batter for three more for herself. “You don’t have to wait for me, Sir Lance.”

  He obliged by picking up one slice of bacon and munching on the crispy meat.

  When she joined him at the table, they ate in silence for a few minutes, then Marjorie poured his coffee and her tea. “I was wondering.” She caught her lower lip between her teeth.

  “Yes? You were wondering?”

  She took a deep breath. “I was thinking about driving over to see my father one more time before he left.” She kept her eyes on her plate. “And I hoped maybe I could talk you into coming with me.” She shot a quick glance up from under her lashes.

  Lance put his coffee cup down. “If you want me to come with you, of course I will.”

  Marjorie sighed. “Thank you. It’s so awkward trying to talk to him. I want him to know I appreciate what he’s trying to do, now that he’s not drinking any more, but . . .”

  “But the old feelings still get in the way?”

  “Exactly.”

  “Not surprising. I guess you’ll both have to play it by ear for a while, without expecting everything to come up roses right away.” He reached out and captured her hand, bringing it to his lips for a kiss. “However it goes, I’ll be there, right by your side, so you won’t be nervous.”

  “Have I mentioned recently that I love you?”

  “Not so far today. I’m beginning to worry.”

  She laughed. “Fear not, Sir Lance, I love you today and for all the days we’ll have together.”

  “In that case, I think we should plan on meeting my parents soon. Then we can set a date for the wedding.”

  Marjorie quickly covered her mouth with her napkin as she coughed up the mouthful of tea she’d aspirated. “You do know how to drop those bombs, darling.”

  “Of course. I was in the Army.” He smiled smugly.

  “Perhaps we could invite them here for a weekend? I’m thinking your mom might like to see this place, and a weekend will give us plenty of time to get acquainted.”

  “That sounds good. How about the first weekend in October?”

  “Not until then? I thought you were in a hurry.”

  “Not that big a hurry. I need to have you to myself a lot more before I’m willing to share you with them. In fact, I believe we have another bedroom to christen if I’m to fulfill your wishes.” He scalded her with his gaze, got up and drew her into his arms, then picked her up and started down the hall.

  “The dishes—”

  “They’ll wait,” he said, stopping her speech with a kiss.

  Lenny had managed to scout the house several times while Marjorie and her lover were out walking the dog. He knew where the main gas pipeline shut-off valve was, and he knew how to disable the alarm system and the sprinkler system. He laughed to himself at Marjorie’s puny attempts to secure the big Victorian house. Amateur.

  He was still miffed that she’d escaped the explosion he’d rigged at her mom’s trailer. When Carl had shown up at the state house flashing Marjorie’s picture to everyone he passed in the halls, Bryan almost lost it. He’d ripped Lenny a new one and told him in no uncertain terms to follow the father, find the bitch, and get the job done. Right, this time.

  And he would. Yes, indeed. That smart-mouthed piece of fluff would go up in flames, along with this house. He could hardly wait to see her face when he left her tied up in the basement.

  He’d been watching the place for the past week, while Carl made his clumsy approach to his long-lost daughter.

  The boyfriend, lover, whoever the hell he was, took the dog for a walk every morning about two hours after he came home from work. Guess he spent those two hours fucking the bitch’s brains out upstairs. He stayed gone about forty-five minutes, more than enough time for Lenny to get in, Taser Sarah, and truss her up like a Christmas turkey, ready to be roasted.

  He’d start the fire in the basement with some gasoline-soaked rags. As dried out as this old place was, it would catch fire in no time, but he’d make sure by blowing out the pilot lights, then turning on all the burners on the stove in the kitchen. A little extra fuel couldn’t hurt.

  By the time the boyfriend got back, the house would be fully involved. This time, he’d be in the crowd drawn to the sound of fire engines and police sirens, watching to make sure everything went as planned.

  He’d thought about having Carl join his daughter for the main event, but it turned out the old man left town yesterday. Lenny shrugged. No biggie. The worn-out alkie would just have to live with the fact that Marjorie went to heaven to join his wife and other daughter. A family reunion, so to speak. Lenny chuckled to himself.

  In twenty-four hours, he’d be back in Oregon picking up a nice piece of change for today’s work.

  Marjorie hummed as she cleaned up the kitchen from breakfast while Lance took Daisy for a walk.

  When they came back, she and Lance would drive over to the Blue Point Motor Coach motel and visit her father.

  Just as she put the griddle into the sink full of suds, the front doorbell rang. She grabbed a dishtowel and dried her hands on the way to the door. The man standing on the other side wore a brown uniform and cap and held up a package plus a clipboard and pen. Obviously this was something she needed to sign for, but she couldn’t imagine what it was.

  She hadn’t ordered any jewelry-making supplies, or anything else for that matter. Maybe it was something Lance had sent for. Most of the delivery people didn’t know to go around back to his apartment, so she usually signed for anything he’d ordered.

  She opened the door, realizing too late that there was no nametag on the man’s shirt. When he pushed up the brim of his cap, she froze as she stared into Lenny’s black eyes.

  She jerked and tried to slam the door closed, but Lenny was too fast for her. He stuck his foot in the door and shoved her backward, getting inside and closing the door behind him. Marjorie turned and fled down the hall.

  Halfway to the kitchen, something hit her in the back. The pain was incredible, and she screamed as all of her muscles spasmed. She fell face first, unable to even put her arms out to break her fall. Her nose crunched against the hardwood, and she felt the warmth of her blood pour over her mouth.

  Lenny was on her in a flash, zip-tying her wrists, then stuffing a gag in her mouth. Her thoughts were still scrambled from the pain of the electric jolt she’d received, but her muscles began to work again.

  Marjorie tried to crawl away, but he grabbed a handful of her hair and jerked her head back. “Don’t annoy me, Sarah. It will only make things harder on you.” He slammed her head against the floor and stars exploded behind her eyes. She lay still for a moment, waiting for her head to clear. She heard his footsteps retreating and turned toward the sound. He took the front plate of the
alarm keypad off and clipped some wires. Her last hope for rescue faded.

  Marjorie watched as he retrieved the package and walked back down the hall to her. She focused on his boots as he stood next to her, trying to think. Then he crouched down and grabbed her left hand. The sparkling diamond Lance had given her had caught his attention.

  “Well isn’t that just another fly in the ointment, Sarah,” he said. “I wonder how much your new fiancé knows about your past? Did you tell him everything, Sarah? Does he know about Bryan and me?”

  Oh, crap. She tried to talk but the gag made it impossible. She shook her head violently side-to-side. No! Lance doesn’t know anything! Tears flooded her eyes at the thought that she would be the cause of his death. She should never have let her guard down. Never have thought she could have a normal life.

  “Get up, bitch. Let’s go take a gander at your basement.” He picked up the package and dragged her to her feet. “I might have to adjust my plans now. If your asshole boyfriend knows about me, he won’t take too kindly to your death. Will he, Sarah?” He shoved her in the direction of the kitchen. “Seems like you just bought him a ticket next to you on the train to the hereafter.”

  He propelled Marjorie down the hall into the kitchen, opened the door to the basement, then wrestled her down the stairs. She stumbled on the next to the last one and fell the rest of the way.

  “Jeez, Sarah, you’re a mess. But what are a few more bruises? By the time the firemen sift through the ashes, nothing will be left but your bones.” He left her lying there and unwrapped the package he’d brought. In it was a two-liter container of gasoline. He set it on her workbench and explored the basement, coming back in a moment with a stack of old newspapers and a few pieces of lumber left over from her apartment renovation.