by Marlee Wray
She bit down on her lip.
“Put your hands over your head,” he said.
She did so, and it lifted her breasts above the water. He never seemed to tire of looking at the marks he made on her. She liked to see them too when she passed a mirror, but not with the same sort of satisfaction and excitement that he took from it.
She arched her back and sank her fingernails into him.
“Sore, kitten?”
“A little,” she said with a wince.
He pulled his cock out.
“No, I didn’t mean for you to stop!” she said, trying to pull him back. He resisted, kneeling between her legs and stroking himself.
“Slide up that ramp,” he said, reaching back and draining some of the water.
She did as he asked, and he studied her as he stroked himself. It didn’t take him long to finish himself off, painting her with his seed.
“You’re so gorgeous.”
“Back at you,” he said, rising from the tub. “Stay here in the room. I’ll go down and get rid of them.”
She watched him go to the shower to wash off. She didn’t move, other than to add a little more hot water to the tub. When he crossed the bathroom and saw that she hadn’t washed him away, he smirked. He bent down and kissed her, sucking on her tongue.
Finally he pulled back, shaking his head. “You’re gonna lie there tempting me? What are you trying to do? Get me to leave them down there till they’re drunk?”
“Or till they take a hint and wander off.”
He smiled. “You’re pretty mad at them.”
“No, not really. But it’s a tug of war, and I want to win.”
“You won. Believe me.”
* * *
Stacia, Cindy, Laurel, Mark, and Liam were having a pitcher of sangria with their shrimp cocktail.
“Garrett passed? Or passed out?” Rory asked when he reached the table.
“He’s watching the kids,” Stacia said.
“And he didn’t think we should come,” Cindy added.
“Where’s Kate?” Liam asked.
“Soaking in the tub, waiting for me to get back.”
A hush fell over the table.
“God, Rory,” Stacia said, clucking her tongue.
Rory stood with his arms folded across his chest, staring them down. A little yelling while drunk wouldn’t normally have been a big thing to him. If Kate hadn’t been there, he’d probably have laughed it off. But she had been there, and it had upset her. They needed to understand that where Kate was concerned, they’d better control themselves.
“Garrett was right. Bad idea to crash the hotel,” his brother-in-law Mark said with a small smile.
“That it?” Rory asked, glancing at his watch.
“No, that’s not it. I thought we should clear the air,” Stacia said.
“Go ahead,” Rory said.
“I was a little drunk. So were you,” she accused.
“Agreed.”
“Well, why did you bring her if you didn’t want us to spend time with her?” his sister Laurel asked.
“She was in the house seven hours yesterday.”
“But we didn’t really get to talk to her,” Laurel said. “We thought we were going to see her today. We’re usually together all weekend when you’re in town.”
“Is she upset?” Stacia blurted.
“No, she’s fine.”
“So why wouldn’t she come down?” Stacia asked.
“She’s busy.”
“Busy soaking in a tub?” Stacia said tightly.
“You’re going to have lunch anyway. Why not ask her to come down?” Cindy asked lightly. “Garrett says we were like a drunken gang and overwhelmed her. We wanted to apologize.”
“And to make sure she’s all right,” Stacia said, then pursed her lips.
The corner of Rory’s mouth curved up. “Yeah, you’re just the cure when someone’s upset.”
Stacia glared at him.
“C’mon, man. Don’t wind her up,” Liam said.
“You guys have about thirty seconds left on the clock,” Rory said evenly.
“Mom thinks you’re coming to dinner tonight,” Laurel said. “What should we tell her?”
“Tell her we’re going to eat on the road on the drive back.”
“Are you driving back tonight?” Cindy asked.
“See you guys later,” Rory said, turning and striding back to the bank of elevators.
“Rory,” Stacia called, hurrying over. “I’m sorry about almost slapping you. I shouldn’t have done that.”
“It’s all right.”
“Really?”
“Yeah.”
“What would you have done if I’d connected?”
“You wouldn’t have. I’d have stopped you in time.”
“What if I’d tried to give her a shake?”
“Who? Kate? Why would you?”
She shrugged. “She seems like she could use something to help wake her up from that trance. She tiptoes around, talking so softly it’s practically whispering. Seriously, it’s weird. She’s like a deer in headlights who needs to be rescued from the road. And she certainly got us all wound up. I heard you nearly punched Garrett just for trying to talk to her. What’s up with that?”
“What happened to you, Stash?” Rory asked, fury suddenly spiking in his blood.
“What do you mean?” she said defensively.
“Have I been a good older brother?”
“I mean, you’ve paid for things. You can afford it. You’ve hit the lottery with some of your investments. Any of us would’ve done the same for you and each other.”
“That it? The money’s the only thing I’ve done?”
Color rose in her cheeks. “I guess you came home whenever something happened. But all of us would do that too.”
“Uh huh.”
“We would!”
“You’ve got my back, huh? That’s how you see it?”
“Yes! If you needed something—”
“If I needed something? I brought the girl I’m crazy about to meet you, and you tried to drive a wedge between us. When that didn’t play, you try to tear Kate down and imply it’s her fault? Fuck off, Stash. Seriously.” He pressed the elevator call button.
“I shouldn’t have said those things, but you know there have been rumors for long time about what you were into when we were growing up. So forgive us if we wonder what’s going on when you bring a girl who’s like a decade younger than you to a family party and she barely talks to anyone over the age of twelve. I want to believe you’re a good guy and that she’s a normal girl, but you guys don’t make it easy. And she tells Garrett some bullshit about the only thing she likes in the world is you. She doesn’t sound normal-person happy. She sounds brainwashed. What would you think, Rory?”
He stepped onto the elevator. She followed him. She was so spoiled and so exactly like him when it came to being suspicious. He wanted to shove her off the elevator and also to tell her she was right to suspect him of corrupting Kate. He was corrupting her. She was just one of the ones who wanted that.
“We love you, Rory. All of us. I love you to goddamned pieces, but I’m also really scared of what you might do. I wish I could be sure you are who I think you are.”
There were tears in her eyes by the time the doors opened again.
“For fuck’s sake,” he muttered. He hugged her and pulled her out of the elevator with him. “Stay,” he said, outside the hotel room door.
He used his keycard and stepped inside. Kate was sitting on the bed wearing one of his T-shirts and painting her toenails.
“I decided I did need a pedicure,” she said with a smile. When she looked up she froze. “What’s wrong?”
“My pushy little sister is in the hall crying. I can either bring her in or go back out and take her somewhere else to talk to her.”
“You should bring her in.”
Rory opened the door. “Come in, Stacia.”
; Stacia dried her eyes and pulled herself together so fast that Rory almost wondered if the tears had been a ploy to get into the room.
“Does she like tea? We could order some from room service.”
“I’m right here, Kate. You don’t have to ask Rory what I like.”
Kate arched a brow. “I know you’re right there. Rory said you were upset. I thought you might need a minute.”
“I don’t like tea,” Stacia added, then looked at the bottle of nail polish at Kate’s feet. One foot had crimson polish, the other was bare. “I thought you didn’t care about painting your nails.”
Kate glanced at him with a questioning look.
“Tell her anything you want or nothing at all,” he said.
“Why does she have to check with you?” Stacia yelled.
“Raise your voice again like that and I’ll put you out,” Rory said. Why the hell had he let her get on the elevator at all?
Kate was like a duchess, sitting up straight, her hands folded in her lap. “I said I didn’t like pedicures because I didn’t know what else to say to get you to leave us alone.”
“Why do you need to be alone?”
Kate tucked her hair behind her ear. “Why does anyone?”
“So it’s just a normal relationship? He didn’t like… buy you online?”
Kate laughed. “Yes, exactly. He bought me online. It’s a new fundraising campaign Yale has. Everyone has to do her part.”
“Where is Yale again?”
“New Haven.”
“Which college are you in?”
Kate’s smile widened. “Wow. You really think your brother resorted to human trafficking to get a girl? And then brought her to his nephew’s birthday party? He’s pretty fearless, but I believe even he’d think twice before doing that.”
Kate rose from the bed, walked to the bedside table and unlocked her phone. She handed it to Stacia. “Plenty of pictures of the campus.”
“Why weren’t you like this yesterday?”
“Yesterday I was afraid of you.”
Stacia looked up. “What? Why?”
“You matter to him, and there were so many of you. I wanted to make a good impression, but I always freeze up in situations like that. It’s a low level social anxiety, I guess,” she said, stealing a glance at him.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” he asked.
“Because you were going to be there, and I figured if things didn’t go well, I’d just find you.”
“Find him so he could do what? Hold your hand? Keep you right next to him?”
“Sure, whatever he decided to do. With your brother, I’ve found that the plan just really needs to be the one step. Find Rory.”
Rory smiled at her with a wink.
“You guys are kind of nauseating. He can’t fix everything, you know.”
“Maybe not, but he fixes most things. He held off the entire group of you when you freaked me out in the hallway.”
“We were trying to help you.”
“So you say…”
Stacia gritted her teeth, then said, “Answer one thing. Has he ever done anything to make you afraid of him?”
“No. The opposite.”
Rory walked over to the door and opened it.
“I just needed to know. Now I do,” Stacia said, walking to the door. “You should really come to dinner so people know you guys aren’t mad. At least for Mom, Rory.”
He said nothing and very nearly gave her a little shove to get her out the door. He let it swing shut and then climbed on the bed and collapsed face down.
Kate rubbed his back. “I’m sorry. People are exhausting.”
“Especially my people.”
“No comment.”
He smiled and then turned his head to study her. “Low level social anxiety, true or false?” he asked.
“True.”
“I never would’ve known it. You were perfect.”
“Of course you think so. Every time I couldn’t decide whether to do something, I asked you. That’s your bread and butter. You like to be in control of what I do,” she said, bending to press a kiss onto his arm.
“I do, but you don’t always need me. You talked Garrett and me down from a fight. You made Stacia think we’re a normal couple. You might think you’re not good with new people, kitten, but you are.”
“It doesn’t count the same way. I’m not really doing it on my own. I’m doing it for you. And it’s safe because I’m with you, so nothing bad can really happen to me.”
“Glad you know it. Turn off the lights and our phones. I’m tired. Think I need a couple more hours of sleep.”
She slipped from the bed and did as he asked. When she crawled back to him, he wrapped his arms around her from behind her, spooning her.
“Tell me you love me.”
“I do. I love you.”
“Okay, don’t talk, kitten. I’m trying to sleep.”
She smiled and said nothing more. And he did fall asleep.
Chapter Twenty-Six
The trip to Lancaster wasn’t something either of them was really looking forward to. His family drama had been more than enough for one month. Heading into another potentially chaotic scene was the last thing they wanted.
Mostly they wanted to be alone or at the club, but they’d made a commitment, so they went.
Entering Kate’s parents’ house was eye-opening for Rory. Everything was white on white, and there were vast open spaces. Three thousand square feet for two people who seemed to have very few possessions.
It was evident right off the bat that her dad wasn’t happy Rory was with Kate. They’d insisted that he and Kate stay at the house. Kate in her old room; Rory in a guest room. Rory wanted to tell them that Kate was in college, not a convent. Her dad, a psychologist, had to know the statistics, but Rory knew it had to be different when it was your own little girl.
Rory and Kate had their own rhythms. He had to stop himself from ordering her to do things and from calling her kitten. She had to stop herself from occasionally calling him Sir and from looking to him for approval or permission to do so many of the little things she did.
The other thing that seemed to be putting Kate on edge were the frequent mentions that girls’ goals and potential were often interrupted or lost when they got too involved with a guy. Her dad in particular seemed to want a thousand reassurances from Kate that she would finish her degree. He even said that women should delay marriage until after grad school or later.
Rory felt like punching the guy, but didn’t. He also tried hard not let his frustration show. Kate had been worried enough about this interaction. If she sensed he was upset, that would probably be the last straw.
The roasted rosemary chicken was delicious, and Kate’s mom seemed smart and talented. She painted as a hobby and had a studio in the back of the house. He wondered if Kate got her creative side from her mom. Kate looked more like her dad and her drive seemed to come from him, or at least because he’d pushed her her whole life to excel.
Rory got the tour of the wall of Kate’s academic achievements. There were framed certificates and trophies from various academic contests she’d won.
Kate was mortified by the display and kept apologizing, but Rory got it. The old man wanted him to know she wasn’t just any girl. She was bright and special, and Rory’s decisions should be influenced by that knowledge. Rory could’ve told the guy he already knew it, but he liked seeing Kate’s trophies and ribbons. He liked seeing the pictures too. This was how his kitten had grown up and turned into who she was now. If it had been anyone else Rory would’ve walked out the door and not come back, but it was about Kate, so he stayed.
* * *
Kate was so angry at her dad. He’d promised he’d be polite to Rory if they stayed at the house rather than a hotel, but the entire day had been full of pointed remarks and looks. Her dad basically implied in a bunch of not very subtle ways that Rory wasn’t good enough for her and that he was a pointless distraction
from her studies. Her dad had remarked that young women often squandered their potential by too highly prioritizing dead-end relationships, and then they lived to regret it.
“I’m not going to regret anything,” she said, fuming.
“I didn’t say you, Kate. I’m saying young women in general. Though you should bear it in mind. Always better to learn from someone else’s mistakes or from the data than to make the mistake yourself.”
“I don’t think I’m hungry anymore,” she said, lurching to her feet.
Rory glanced at her and shook his head.
“Why?” she said, her hands balled into fists.
How could Rory be so calm? He never let anyone disrespect him. She knew he understood the subtext of the conversations.
“I need more ice,” she said.
She bolted into the kitchen and stood at the sink, angry tears filling her eyes. How could they not see that this wasn’t some childish crush? That she was in love with Rory and would abandon school and everything else to be with him, but he wasn’t asking that? She felt like telling her dad that it was Rory who insisted that she bring her schoolwork to his place and made her work on it on weekends when she was with him.
“I thought you were getting ice, kitten?”
“I am. A whole bucket, to throw over his damn head.”
“Easy.”
“How can you say that?” she snapped.
“Watch your tone,” he said.
She sagged against the counter. “I can’t take anymore. I’m going to tell him off.” Her lip trembled. “Seriously.”
“Yeah, that’ll make you feel better,” he said mildly. He pulled her into his arms and hugged her. “I’m not mad because he’s your dad and he’s trying to look out for you. Plus I know he can’t take you back because you’re mine now, so I feel kind of bad for him.”
“He broke his promise to be polite.”
“No. He’s been perfectly polite while acting like a dick.”
She laughed through her tears. “Please don’t make me come back to the table.”
He kissed her on the mouth, then said, “Fix your face, then get that juicy ass back in your seat.”
