by Tonya Brooks
“The lake,” Mark said before he kissed her.
Harley smiled hazily up at the handsome man who held her and laid her hand against his cheek. The resemblance was so strong; she could almost pretend that he was Matthew. Almost, but not quite. The desire that she had felt for his brother just wasn't there. “Why couldn't he be more like you, Mark?” She whispered dejectedly, her hand dropping back into her lap. “Why couldn't he really want me?”
“What?” Mark asked with a frown and hoped like hell he hadn't heard her right. When you finally got the girl of your dreams in your arms, the last thing you wanted her to do was talk about another guy.
Harley laid her head back on his shoulder again and for some unfathomable reason, felt the urge to bare her soul. “I went to the party to surprise him and caught him dancing with someone else,” she said sadly.
Damn. That explained why she'd been drinking, he deduced. And why she hadn't ignored his advances for once. Harley was on the rebound. “He's a damn fool.” Mark assured her and was determined to make her forget the idiot.
“He said I was jailbait, but he couldn't stay away,” she murmured in a groggy tone. “He said he was all mine... but he lied.”
Jailbait?
“Who lied?” Mark asked as the frown deepened and an uneasy feeling filled his gut at the use of that particular term. “Who lied to you, Harley?”
“Matthew,” she whispered just before she passed out in his arms.
Sonuvabitch! His brother had been after Harley, he realized jealously. It was no wonder he'd gone after Charlie with a vengeance. Matt was used to getting what he wanted and if he wanted Harley, she didn't have a chance in hell. It was just too damn bad she'd caught him with someone else. At least now she knew that his brother didn't have it in him to be faithful.
But he knew that wouldn't stop Matt. His older brother didn't know how to give up on something he wanted. He'd keep right on chasing her until he got her and the thought infuriated Mark. There was no way in hell he was gonna let that happen. Matt wasn't getting a second chance with Harley. She was too special for his brother to play with. Hell, she was too special for him to play with.
He tilted her head back and looked down at her beautiful face in frustration. Harley was out cold. He couldn't even make love to her now, dammit. That wouldn't have stopped a lot of guys, but Mark could never take advantage of a woman like that. No matter how much he wanted her. God, how he wanted her. He brushed the hair from her cheek and placed a tender kiss on her lips. Harley smiled in her sleep and he found himself smiling back at her. Yeah, she was special alright.
Sighing in resignation, he knew he couldn't take her home in this condition. The only thing he could do was to let her sleep it off. Mark carried her to the rear of the car and placed her carefully in the hatchback before he climbed in beside her and closed the door. The temptation to explore her perfect body was strong as he took the jacket and boots off so she'd be more comfortable. Dear God, the lace camisole exposed more of her beautiful breasts than it concealed and his mouth went dry at the sight.
If ever a man had been tempted to do something he knew he shouldn't, Mark was. He quickly covered her with his cape so he wouldn't be tormented by the sight of all that gorgeous flesh. Stretching out beside her, he lay on his back and curled her possessively against his side, her head cushioned on his shoulder. Content to just lie there and hold her, his fingers brushing lightly through the silken tresses, it wasn't long before he fell asleep with Harley in his arms.
~~~~
Matt wasn't particularly happy. He'd had a hell of a day to begin with and it just kept getting worse. After Harley had left him this afternoon, he'd been in such a state of arousal for the rest of the day that it had been painful. He'd gone to Timmy's party just to get her off of his mind and hadn't had much success.
Lauren had pulled him onto the makeshift dance floor the minute he arrived and he'd had a hell of a time getting away from her. She hadn't been particularly pleased when he'd refused her blatant advances, especially since it had been obvious that he was aroused. But dammit, she wasn't the one he wanted and he didn't want a substitute any more. He wanted Harley and no one else would do.
At one point he'd even imagined he'd seen her in the crowd and had actually searched the house looking for her. Much to his disgust, it had turned out to be a guy in a blonde wig. Matt assured himself that it was just as well that Harley hadn't been there. If she had been, he would have carried her off to his car, much as his brother had done with his own blonde, and found someplace private where they could continue what they had started without interruption.
Instead, he'd spent the rest of the evening drinking and had arrived at home to have his irate father send him back out to look for Mark. Little brother was in the dog house with both of them now. Pop was gonna kick his ass for breaking curfew and Matt was gonna help because he was half drunk and ready for bed.
Having seen Mark leave with the blonde, he had a pretty good idea where the puppy would be, as well as what he'd been doing. He hoped she was worth it. The old man was madder than hell. Sure enough, he found Mark's car down by the lake where everyone went to park, but didn't see any movement from inside. Walking up to the rear of the car, he saw his brother asleep with the blonde sprawled across him. At least one of them got lucky, Matt thought grumpily.
Rapping his knuckles against the glass, he growled, “Your ass is grass, puppy.”
“Matt?” Mark asked groggily as he opened his eyes and recognized him through the fogged up hatchback window. His arms tightened possessively around the girl snuggled against him. No way in hell was he letting his brother near her again. Especially not while she was drunk and vulnerable.
“It's after one and the old man’s on the warpath. Take Blondie home and make it quick.”
Blondie? What the hell? Mark looked down to see that Harley's hair was covering her face so Matt hadn't recognized her. There would have been hell to pay if he had. “Okay,” he agreed and waited until his brother drove away before he shook her awake.
“What?” She complained sleepily.
“It's after one, Harley. I fell asleep.” Mark said as he sat up, lifting her up with him.
“Mom's gonna kill me.” Harley gasped.
“Join the club,” he said as he stretched.
Wide eyed because she vaguely recalled getting in his car, but had no idea how she had gotten in the hatchback, Harley asked anxiously, “We didn't...?”
“We would have if you hadn't passed out.” Mark grinned devilishly at her.
“Oh, my God,” she moaned in disbelief and embarrassment. “Tell me you're kidding.”
“Hell, no,” Mark assured her. “I've been chasing you too long to joke about that.”
“Mark, I didn't mean to... I mean, I wouldn't have... Dammit!” She growled in frustration, her brain was still too muddled by alcohol to make sense even to herself.
“We'll talk about it tomorrow,” he said and kissed her tenderly. “Right now I've gotta get you home before we both get killed.” Mark dropped her off and went home to explain to his father what had happened. Well, most of it any way. The old man figured out the rest on his own.
Once Jedidiah realized his son had been looking after an inebriated woman, instead of seducing her, he sent him to bed with a stern warning to call if the need ever arose again. He knew Mark was crazy about Claire Abbott's daughter and had been for quite a while. Since the girl looked like her mother, the attraction was understandable. The Abbot women were stunning. As bad as Mark wanted her, for him to pass up the opportunity to take advantage of the situation had been a hell of a temptation. Jedidiah was proud of him. But if it happened again, he'd kick his ass.
~~~~
Mark lay awake for a long time thinking over the situation and came up with a plan that just might work if he could get Harley to agree to it. Nobody got between Matt and what he wanted. That was more than evident since Matt knew how much he wanted Harley and had gone after her
anyway. But if his brother thought she and Mark really were together, he'd back off and leave her alone.
He knew the big dog would be pissed, but if he pretended he didn't know his brother was after her, Matt might not pulverize him. Just to be on the safe side, he'd make damn sure the old man was there to referee. A fight with his brother would more than likely force him to sit out the game on Friday and that was not an option since college scouts were coming to watch him play.
Pleased with the idea, he was surprisingly chipper when he went down for breakfast a few hours later. “Good morning.”
“You're too cheerful for someone Pop chewed out.” Matt commented.
“Why shouldn't I be? I spent half the night with a beautiful woman in my arms,” he reminded him with intense satisfaction and saw his father’s look of amusement from where he stood at the stove.
“Yeah, right,” Thirteen year old John derided.
Mark gave him a superior look and suggested slyly, “Ask Matt. He saw us.”
“I saw you alright.” Matt agreed dryly. “He was asleep in the hatchback with a blonde wrapped around him, but I have no idea what she looked like.”
“Sure you do.” Mark said smugly as he poured himself a cup of coffee and leaned back against the counter to judge his brothers reaction when he announced, “You've met my Harley.”
“No way!” Luke enthused wide eyed. Harley Abbot was the hottest girl in school and Mark had been chasing her forever.
Matt looked like he'd been sucker punched. “That was Harley?” He choked out in disbelief.
“It was and Alan has the pictures to prove it,” he assured his brother smugly and could tell he did not like what he was hearing.
“How the hell did you wind up with her?” Luke wanted to know.
Deciding to stick with the truth as much as possible, he admitted what he'd already told their father the night before, except for the part about her passing out on him. “She went to the party to surprise some guy and got hammered when she caught him dancing with someone else. His loss is my gain, 'cause I ain't giving her up now that she's finally mine.”
Without a word, Matt rose from the table and walked out the back door. He jumped in his car and drove straight to Ted's in a daze. He couldn't believe it. Harley was his, dammit! Drunk or not, there was no way she'd slept with his brother last night. No way in hell. He wouldn't believe it unless she told him herself.
So what if she'd seen him dancing another woman? That was no reason for her to just jump in bed with Mark. His Harley would never do something like that. She was too sweet and innocent and that was the only reason he'd managed to keep his hands off of her for as long as he had. But that was about to change, he decided grimly. Matt didn't give a damn about their age difference or anything else any more.
He intended to make damn sure that everybody knew Harley was his. Especially his brother. Just as soon as she denied sleeping with Mark, Matt was gonna claim his woman. Then he was gonna beat the hell out of Mark for trying to take advantage of her. It was high time the puppy found out who Harley really belonged to.
Once inside the diner, he went straight to his usual table at the back, well away from the rest of the crowd and waited for Harley to come take his order. She was taking her own sweet time about it, he noticed impatiently. When she finally arrived, she sat a carafe of coffee on the table with a bang and glared at him with a mutinous expression that he'd never seen before.
“Where were you last night?” He demanded bluntly.
“Watching you play grab ass with a Playboy bunny,” she snapped back angrily and saw him pale. Harley gave him a scathing look and added, “Apparently, I'm not the only woman you want, Matthew.”
Harley had seen him dancing with Lauren. That in itself told him more than he wanted to believe about his brothers story. “Is that why you were with Mark?” He accused furiously as jealousy burned through his veins like hot lava. “To get back at me?”
Harley had a hangover and a broken heart and the last thing she felt like doing was face the man responsible for them both. But when Matthew dared complain about her being with his brother when he'd been the one cheating on her, she became absolutely livid. “You told me to go out with him,” she reminded him viciously and drew the attention of the diners seated nearby.
Matt completely forgot about where they were and the fact that their relationship was supposed to be a secret as a jealous rage consumed him. “I didn't tell you to screw him!” He snarled and every head in the room turned to stare at them in avid curiosity.
“Damn, bro. Thanks for letting everybody know that Harley's mine now.” Mark joked as he walked up behind her and slid his arms around her waist possessively. He knew that he was really pushing his luck with both of them when he placed a kiss on her temple and murmured huskily, “Hello, gorgeous. Did ya miss me?”
Harley was hurt beyond belief that Matthew could accuse her of such a thing. How could he believe she'd have sex with his brother when he knew that she was in love with him? Thank God Mark arrived when he did, because she was on the verge of tears and dangerously close to losing complete control of her emotions. Pride came to her rescue and she refused to cry in front of Matthew, no matter how much he hurt her.
She inhaled shakily and tore her eyes from the fury in his obsidian gaze. Harley turned in the circle of Mark's arms and kissed him in front of Matthew, God and the Sunday morning breakfast crowd. By lunchtime, everyone in town would believe that she’d had sex with Mark, but right then she just didn't give a damn. By the time Mark finally released her, his brother was gone and her already flawed reputation was in tatters.
~~~~
Matt drove home in a red haze of fury and went straight to the gym to work off his aggression on the heavy weight punching bag. The pain in his chest was nearly suffocating in its intensity and the sense of betrayal he felt was beyond description. He couldn't believe it. He just could not believe his precious Harley had slept with someone else. The fact that she had chosen his own brother made it all the more painful to accept.
But he'd seen them with his own eyes and there was no denying the truth. Harley had slept with Mark and there wasn't a damn thing he could do about it. If it had been anyone other than Mark, he would have killed him for touching her. As it was, he'd been sorely tempted and had forced himself to leave rather than give in to the nearly overwhelming desire to tear his brother apart.
His fists pummeled the bag the way he wanted to pound on Mark as sweat began to roll down his body in rivulets. He didn't bother with gloves or the regimen of well trained and precise moves he usually practiced. There was no discernible pattern or style, just pure rage and bare knuckles slamming mercilessly into the bag until each powerful blow spattered it with his blood. The damage he was inflicting on his hands couldn't even begin to compare with the pain he already felt.
How could she, he wondered in despair. How could she do something so completely out of character just because he'd danced with another woman? It wasn't like he'd been the one grabbing ass. Hell, all he'd done was dance with Lauren and he sure as hell hadn't wanted anything more from her. Not after he'd tasted Harley's passion and known what he could have. What should have been his. What his brother had taken from him.
The knowledge that Mark had taken Harley’s innocence and reveled in her passion drove him over the edge of sanity. Matt began to attack the bag with all of the fury raging through him. He simultaneously raised his knee and rotated his body ninety degrees, jumped straight up, quickly extending his leg, striking the bag with the heel of his foot. The roundhouse kick made contact with enough force to rip the I-bolt from the ceiling beam and send the one hundred pound bag crashing to the floor.
He continued to kick and pummel it until in a fit of sheer rage, he snatched the bag up and threw it across the room where it slammed into the weight bench and flipped it over backwards. At that point Matt began to overturn the rest of the equipment, throwing and smashing anything within reach until the gym was
completely destroyed. His soul eviscerated, he sank desolately to the floor in the middle of the destruction and cried for the first time since he was eight years old.
~~~~
Jedidiah heard the commotion and went running to find out what the hell was going on. The scene before him was the last thing he had expected to find. It looked like a bomb had gone off in his gym. The entire room had been completely decimated. But the most shocking sight of all was seeing his eldest sitting in the midst of the wreckage, sobs of pure anguish racking his body, his clenched fists dripping blood. Matt appeared to be as devastated as the gym.
Thank God the boy had taken his anger out on the room instead of on the person who had caused it. He could only think of one reason that would have brought about this type of reaction. It had to be a woman. The woman his son wanted to marry. He shook his head in dismay. It looked like the girl had turned him down.
He stepped silently back out of the room and closed the door without a sound. The last thing Matt would feel like doing was talk about it. His eldest was gonna be hell to live with until he came to terms with this. For the boys own sake, Jedidiah really hoped it didn't take him too long.
~~~~
“Mark, you can't be serious!” Harley exclaimed when her shift was over and she and Mark sat outside the diner in his car. “It would never work.”
“It worked this morning,” he countered. “Trust me, Harley. I know my brother. He won't stop chasing you until he catches you and once he does, he'll break your heart. Matt just doesn't have it in him to be faithful to one woman.”
She had little doubt of that after last night. She also knew that she was still susceptible to him even if she did know the truth. Since she was being brutally honest with herself, Harley knew she'd give him another chance. She loved him too much not to. Sooner or later, Matthew would finish breaking what was left of her heart, and that was a risk she wasn't willing to take.
