Designer Genes - The Boyfriend Cut

by Brooks, Harley

  My hands? Probably not where they shouldn't be. Marli would have had slapped me several times by now.

  Marli. My Marli.

  The seductress was good. Too good. She straddled me, pushing the seat back, her tongue searching for my internal organs.

  Marli.

  My brain wanted Marli. My body desired whatever "flavor" I currently sampled, especially when she stroked over the swelling in the front of my jeans. Even through denim, the touch seared and my will-power slipped dangerously fast.

  You love Marli! The voice in my head screamed louder, catching my attention when my belt buckle tugged apart and the top snap of my jeans clicked open.

  She'll never be with you if you do this…and you know she'll find out.

  I clutched the siren's fingers tugging down the zipper on my jeans, and forced her into the passenger seat.

  "No." One word. Two letters, wielding a lot of power. She reached for me again and I caught her arm. "I said 'no.' Game's over…I'm taken."

  "You're sure don't act like you're taken," she spat, readjusting her top. I felt sick to my stomach knowing my hands had trespassed under there. I zipped my pants, cursing my lack of self-control.

  "I'm also a fucking jackass. Doesn't change anything." I reached across her and opened the door. "Get out." I ordered. She called me a vile name and slammed the door. I wish she had hit me. Punched me hard. Better yet, slit my throat and left me to die.

  I opened my door and puked fifty bucks of ale into the gutter. Disgust laced with a heavy dose of guilt churned my stomach. I felt woozy and angry. No way could I drive, so locked the Porsche and walked home.

  By the time I reached my apartment my senses semi-returned. I dropped into the chair by the fireplace and flipped the switch, igniting a small flame. July. Who burned fires in July? Marli. She liked them all year. I stared at the deep, furry black rug spread at the hearth and imagined myself lying there making out with her until every inch of my body ached.

  What had I done?

  I closed my eyes, willing the room to stop moving while I synchronized my breathing. One Mississippi…Two…

  My cell receptor buzzed and I pressed the speaker without looking.

  "Jordan Mason." Three Mississippi…

  "You sound pissed."

  Jesse.

  "What's it to you?"

  "You tell me. Your buddy from the bar called and said you left your car. I'm checking to make sure you aren't lying dead in some ditch. Get a bit ripped tonight? Does this have anything to do with a certain blue-eyed beauty in Italy?"

  I pounded the armrest, my knuckle catching a decorative rivet. "Shut up," I snarled, sucking the torn skin to ease the sting.

  "That's what I thought." Jesse grew quiet. "Talk to me, bro."

  "Why should I? If you hadn't taken her to your damn concert, none of this would have happened. And we're still not square on the photos." For payback, I belched into the phone.

  "Nice one. And I already explained the pictures. Marli was innocent and we both know who took them…and why. Accept that you won and let the rest go."

  Bolting from the chair too quickly, I grabbed the fireplace mantel for support. "I've won nothing! I blew it and now I've lost her." My knees folded and I dropped to the rug holding my earlier daydream. The squishy surface gave under my weight and I half-flopped, half-rolled onto my back. "Jess," I sighed, "she won't even take my calls."

  "Sounds like you're giving up. Guess Peterson gets her by default." He tsked-tsked in my ear and I wished I could rip out his tongue to stop the annoying hiss. "Hardly worth all the trouble his dad put into getting you out of the way."

  True. All Tony Peterson needed to do was wait for my self-loathing pity party. If he offered enough bribes, Marli could possibly be reassigned to Doug before her plane touched down in New York. I doubted even my "ace in the hole" could save her.

  I pinched the tender skin between my eyes in a futile effort to halt the pressure building. "She doesn't want me. My hands are tied."

  "So that's it? You're not even going to try?

  My jaw screwed tight. "Dammit Jess! What do you expect me to do? Go to Italy and drag Marli back by her hair?"

  "If that's what it takes, hell yeah!"

  It would be a repeat of Alaska. Me, crashing through airport security waving my dumbass band to bump me to the front, something I didn't believe in, but then I'd never been in love before and out of my mind with jealousy. When I found out Marli would interview with another guy who could claim her, I went bat-shit crazy. I had all the hotels in Juneau mapped out, but no plan. When she called to tell me she'd flown to California, I walked right back through the doors I'd exited and bought a ticket to Los Angeles.

  "I couldn't find Peterson's place in Alaska with the security blocks he has set up, so I know Italy will be impossible. Plus we have no access rights internationally."

  "Alaska? You hunted Mars down in Alaska?" I shuddered when Jesse trilled a familiar chuckle. "Man, you're whipped."

  "Right now, I'm broken hearted, drunk, and queasy. Even if Wizard could figure out where Peterson has Marli, I'd never get within a hundred miles of her." I turned off the fireplace, fearing my toes would combust any second. Tears swirled the edges of my eyes. "God, I love her, Jess, but she won't even talk to me. Maybe I've got to let her find her own way instead of pushing all the time."

  Jesse's patience wore thin and I could hear the tension in his tone, which seemed beyond loud when he yelled in my ear. I held the receptor away, still able to hear every chastising word.

  "Are you listening to yourself? Try this on. Marli Peterson. Has a certain ring to it, don't you think? Where do you think Doug will take her for their honeymoon? Someplace special. You know how Mars is. Now picture this…she'll want her 'first time' to be like a fairytale. I guess Doug could pull it off, or at least her clothes. Wonder if she'll wear black lace…sheer lace—"

  "Shut. Up. One more word and I'll kill you!"

  "About time you got in the game! You love Marli, so fight for her! Make her talk to you. Fix this, Jordan, before it is too late. She loves you. Don't let Peterson change her mind."

  Sunlight burned my eyelids. My throat felt rough as sandpaper and my back ached from trying to cram my six foot three inch body onto a five foot span of wood, not to mention fighting to keep from falling onto concrete.

  The screen door squeaked. "Jordan?"

  The image of Rick Davis standing over me wearing a bathrobe open enough to answer the question "boxers or briefs," left an indelible picture in my brain. He rubbed his stubbly chin and ran his fingers through hair poking every direction.

  I groaned, straightening out my painfully folded body from the porch swing.

  "Rick, I need your help."

  23

  PUPPY LOVE

  While I beat myself up for my part in the disaster called "my life" and blamed Jordan for the rest—most of it, time ticked away. The shadows in the room had changed from bright to soft gold with the afternoon sun slipping away.

  I washed my face with cold water and poured a gallon of eye drops into my eyes to shrink the swelling. Marah jumped into the chaos, styling her hair and wriggling into a champagne colored formal that made her appear ten years older. It wouldn't surprise me if her father sent her back to change into something more age appropriate.

  I ran around in my black lace corset trying to find one of my shoes, which somehow became separated from the other.

  "Doug would love to see you in that," Marah teased.

  "If I don't hurry, that's precisely what's going to happen."

  Voices echoed from the patio below, announcing the first guests. I slithered into my dress, checking to make sure the mended tear blended into the sequined trim. Taking a gander in the mirror, I adjusted the corset, trying to hide my accentuated cleavage. Damn! Doug's father would send me back to the room, if Doug didn't ravage me first. Correction. If I didn't let Doug ravage me.

  Prom night from hell all over again.

/>   Tugging at the zipper, I remembered I could only close it so far on my own. Marah was momentarily indisposed so I explored under the bed for my lost shoe. Bingo! One silver stiletto looking for a mate. When I reached under the bed, Marah slipped out, leaving the door open.

  "Marah!" I called out, but she was already out of earshot. I strapped on the stray heel and attempted to finish zipping the dress myself. My arms were in a position a contortionist would envy, but I still couldn't get the last couple of inches.

  "Damn dress," I snarled.

  "May I?"

  The voice that made my knees quiver came attached to two warm hands, replacing mine, now cold and numb from lack of blood flow. Doug's fingers lightly brushed the length of my naked back.

  "Doug," I whimpered. "Please...don't." Stop.

  He zipped my dress, pressing his lips to my neck. "You're breathtaking, Marli." His eyes dropped to my enhancements. "Actually, you're indescribable."

  "Douglas Peterson," I warned, feeling the blush on my chest under his gaze.

  "Sorry, but it's kind of hard not to stare."

  I pushed Doug to arm's length, taking him into full view for the first time. He looked deliciously handsome in his black tuxedo, his hair slicked back, emphasizing his dark, indigo blue eyes. My insides melted when his gaze slowly traveled over my body, and my voice sounded way too breathy when I commented on how dangerously sexy he looked. He leaned in to kiss me, but a rap against the door frame kept our lips from touching.

  Jan stood in the doorway, dressed in an amazing teal green formal that shimmered from tiny matching sequins covering every inch. "Marli, may I talk with you privately? Doug drew me close. "Don't worry baby brother, I'm not going to bite her. "

  I brushed his arm. "It's okay."

  He paused in the doorway, flashing a warning look at his sister. Jan gave him a wry smirk in return. "She'll be fine. If she's not out in fifteen minutes, you can come in and search for her body." Doug snorted and walked out, shutting the door hard enough to rattle the window panes.

  Jan gracefully sat in the rocker, watching me nervously fuss with the strand of pearls my mother gave me.

  "Marli, I need to know what your intentions are where Doug's concerned. He's very important to this family and I don't want someone taking advantage of him.

  "Why do you think I'd do something so cold and calculated? All I want from Doug is his friendship." The minute I said it I wished I could take it back. "Oh my. I didn't mean for it to come out like that." I moved to the edge of Marah's bed and faced Jan.

  "I don't want to hurt him, but what Doug wants from this relationship I can't give him." I had no clue why I felt compelled to confess to her and the shock on her face made me feel horrible. Shock turned to bewilderment.

  "You honestly don't know, do you?" Her whisper sounded more like a thought than a statement. "My gosh, you're sincerely genuine." She parked beside me on the bed. "Marli, forgive me, please. I misjudged you. The only thing you could be guilty of is, like you said, innocently breaking my brother's heart. I can't believe I was so wrong."

  "Wrong about what? What are you talking about?"

  "Nothing. Nothing at all."

  Jan sighed, considering. "Marli, if your feelings aren't what Doug believes them to be, you need to tell him, regardless if it hurts. Do it for both your sakes. You can't be true to anyone, if you can't be honest with yourself." She opened the door to Doug leaning against the railing across the way.

  "That was close, sis. You had two minutes left."

  "Quit being a brute. Focus some of that testosterone positively and be a gentleman to your date. She really is lovely. I'll see you both downstairs."

  Doug's gaze locked on me as he edged closer. After spending a week with him, I could read him pretty well and knew his focus centered on what happened earlier. I also had a sense his feelings had deepened beyond some obligation to honor his father. But mine had not and after my confession to Jan I realized things with Doug couldn't go farther.

  Then he kissed me. A slow, soft kiss, that built with intensity and my body leaned into his curves, now etched in my memory, welcoming the feel of his fingers twisting into the hair at the nape of my neck, his hand spread wide at the base of my spine to ensure an intimate hold. The edges of my sanity started fraying when his cell receptor rang, startling me.

  "Sorry!" I quickly examined his lip to see if I'd drawn blood. He seductively sucked my finger into his mouth and winked. My lust meter shifted into overdrive.

  His arm slid around my waist, but immediately fell limp when he answered. He stepped back as if I'd turned radioactive. "Mr. Davis?"

  Rick? We agreed to check-in calls on Sunday nights. Today was Friday. My irritation instantly turned to worry, recalling the last time Dad called unexpectedly.

  "I'm fine, thank you. No, no problem, we're on our way to my grandparents' fiftieth wedding anniversary celebration. Thank you. I'll convey your wishes. Yes, she's right here." Doug handed me the phone, the expression on his face difficult to read. He pushed my hair to the side and pressed his lips to my bare shoulder.

  "Dad? Is everything all right?"

  "I'm not sure. Are you where you can talk? It's important."

  Hair follicles stretched on the neck Doug currently nibbled, anticipating bad news. I also heard the seriousness of Rick's tone. Doug wasn't thrilled at my suggestion he go downstairs where his family waited. I explained the urgency of my father's tone meant the call was important and I needed a moment of privacy, promising it wouldn't be long before I'd join the party. I lowered my voice just in case he eavesdropped after closing the bedroom door.

  "Okay, I'm alone. What's going on? Is everything all right?"

  "Well, I'm not sure. You see, this morning when I let Muffy out, I found a stray sleeping on our front porch. I need your opinion on whether we should keep him or not."

  "Seriously? You've called me in Italy to discuss a lost mutt?"

  "I know it sounds strange, but hear me out, please. I said it was important."

  "Okay, I'm listening."

  "Like I said, your input matters. Now, how to describe him? First, you should know Muffy's already likes him. In fact, he can hardly move about without her on his heels. Mars, he's got the saddest eyes—the kind that tug your heart. He's looking for someone to love him."

  "You're such a sap, Dad. What breed is he? If he's going to grow close to Muffy's size, you should think twice. Remember I'll be away at college and two large dogs will tear your house apart."

  Dad chuckled lightly in response. "I can tell he's been obedience trained. He only barks if he feels protective. He's a bit spooked by me, but I think with the right person, he'd probably share a few wet kisses."

  Oddly, I found myself intrigued, wanting to know more. "What does he look like? Is he furry? Stocky or lean?" He laughed, my nerves calming with the lighthearted sound.

  "Definitely lean—long legs for his breed. His fur? Thick, a little wavy, and sort of a caramel color. Shiny. He's been taken care of. I hope he's pretty much full grown because believe it or not, he's taller than Muffy. He stands way over six feet on his hind legs."

  What? All the giant breeds ran through my head: Great Pyrenees, Mastiff, Russian Terrier, possibly a Scottish Deerhound, although none of them had fur the color Rick described. Still, any dog, even a tiny Chihuahua loose in the house with Muffy spelled disaster. I was about to paint the destructive picture in Rick's mind, when he brought me up short and sent a shock wave rippling through my universe.

  "Interesting thing is when I discovered him, he wore those fancy jeans you kids like so much. Apparently, he comes with a fine white Porsche, too."

  Tears pooled along the edges of my eyes and dripped silently from the corners. "Jordan," I whispered.

  "Yes, Pumpkin. Jordan. I found him asleep on the porch swing this morning. I think he's had a rough go of it and desperately needs to talk to someone, and it isn't me. What do you say?"

  I looked around. The party had moved on
to the lawn by the pool and Doug appeared engaged in an intense conversation with his grandfather.

  "Yes! Please! Thank you Daddy!"

  "I thought that would be your answer. You can't fool your old man...for very long, anyway."

  I slipped into the shadows of the doorway where I could keep watch. My heart raced and my lungs felt like they'd burst any second.

  "Marli?" Jordan's usual smooth, confident voice sounded small and pensive.

  "Jordan!" I said in a rush. My voice cracked and tears strangled in my throat.

  "Please don't cry. We don't have long and there's so much I need to say."

  "You drove all the way to Ohio to call me?"

  "You weren't exactly returning my calls and I knew you'd talk to your dad, so I took a chance. Besides, I needed to apologize to him, too. I know I made a mess of things, Marli, but I'm lost without you. Believe me, the last thing I want is to control your life. I just want to share it. Tell me I'm not too late? I don't want another assignee. I want you. I love you, Marli. Only you. Please give me another chance and let me back in your heart?"

  I clenched my fist to my chest, unable to stop one tear chasing another. "You never left it." I swiped my cheeks with the back of my hand. "I thought I'd lost you," I quietly confessed. "Jordan, you're the only one I want to be with. I love you so much it hurts."

  Jordan sniffed. "Damn, I can't believe I'm crying. You have absolute power over me."

  "Then I command you to stay in my life."

  "Yes, Master," he replied around a gentle laugh.

  My voice steadied. "So what now? I'm in Italy and you're in Ohio. Neither of us is where we should be—together."

  "How is Italy?" he asked, the apprehension in his tone unmistakable.

  "You were right. Italy is beautiful and don't worry…nothing's happened." I swore I felt the sigh on the other side of my ear. "I'm okay, especially now I have you back."

  "You've always had me, babe.—'butterflies,' remember? You hooked me the moment you fell into my life and our first kiss cinched it."