Don't Call Me Sweetheart

by Codi Gary

  He walked into the kitchen and flipped on the light. Butters sat in the middle of the floor watching him as he pulled the container of soup out of the fridge and searched through her cupboards for a bowl.

  “Look, I’m sorry about scaring you, little man, but you can’t get up in someone’s face when he’s sleeping. You feel me?”

  The bunny’s ears flipped back and he went over to his food bowl.

  “Good talk.”

  Luke walked back into Marley’s bedroom ten minutes later, carrying a tray of food. She’d turned on the light and he could tell she’d combed her hair and washed her face. When he’d first shown up, her hair had stuck up a little on top of her head. She was cute no matter what, though.

  “Did I hear you having a conversation with my rabbit?” she asked.

  “I was just explaining why you don’t stare at a strange guy when he’s sleeping.”

  “Oh, believe me, I’ve told him not to do it to me many times, and he still does it.”

  “Stubborn vermin.” Luke put the tray with the bowl of soup in her lap. There were a few slices of fresh baked baguette and a spoon on top of a paper towel, and he’d poured her a glass of orange juice.

  “Yes, he is.” She breathed in the soup with a smile. “Thank you for bringing me the soup. It has healing powers, you know.”

  “So your mom mentioned.” He watched her dip her bread, laughing at the gusto she exuberated. She closed her eyes as she chewed and Luke’s gaze hungrily swept over her plaited blond hair, the delicate veins on her eyelids, and pink lips. Her cheeks were flushed, and his lust tempered as he remembered how sick she was.

  “Why are you staring at me like that?”

  His gaze jerked up to meet hers, and he cleared his throat. “I was just thinking that you look better.”

  “And not like a snot monster from the black lagoon?”

  “Hey, you said it not me,” he said.

  Marley pointed her spoon at him menacingly. “If I wasn’t concerned about spilling hot soup on me, I would smack you. You are not supposed to agree with me.”

  “I didn’t agree.”

  She cast the stink eye upon him and he chuckled. “Since you’re feeling so much better, I guess I should get going.”

  Did she look disappointed? “Okay. Well, thanks. I appreciate you coming by and staying.”

  “Hey, if you want me to stick around, I’m happy to. We could find a movie to watch, and I can fetch you stuff while you call me a man servant.”

  The smile on her face was almost shy. It was charming. “You say that like I won’t take you up on it.”

  He put his hands on either side of her legs and leaned closer. “So, does that mean you want me to stay?”

  Just a flutter of hesitation in her eyes, and then she smiled. “Yes. Stay.”

  Chapter 16

  Sonora’s bridal shower was held in the Kent’s Clubhouse at Castle Vineyards the next Sunday, and the event had come together rather beautifully, considering how short a time Marley was given to organize it. A hundred and fifty of Sonora’s closest friends and family were mingling on the gorgeous cobblestone patio and nothing had gone wrong…yet.

  Marley hadn’t stopped running all morning, and really just wanted to sit down and rub her aching feet. She’d danced for four hours last night at the Keller wedding at the insistence of the bride who adored Marley. By the time she’d gotten home, she’d had blisters on her feet, despite the sensible shoes she’d worn. All she wanted was ten minutes to relax.

  But Sonora kept asking for her. Actually, asking was too polite a term. Yelling for her was more like it. She felt a bit like the cartoon version of Cinderella.

  Kendall came walking down the hall toward her, a half empty champagne glass in her hand. They’d started serving the mimosas as soon as the guests arrived, and Marley was pretty sure that was at least Kendall’s forth one.

  “Hey, great party,” Kendall said, pulling her in for a hug as she passed.

  “Thanks, I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself. The guests seem happy.”

  “Why wouldn’t they be? Who’s not happy? Sonora?” Kendall shrugged. “Eff her then.”

  Marley glanced around, afraid someone would over hear, but the hum of too many voices drowned out their conversation. “Be careful. You don’t want her to overhear and ban you from all the fun.”

  Kendall waved her empty hand a little sloppily. “Please, I’m about ready to cause a scene just so she’ll kick me out. Being here around these snobs is like being waterboarded.”

  “Okay, I think no more mimosas for you for a while and we should get you some of those delicious little finger sandwiches.” Marley took Kendall’s glass and led her across the room to the buffet.

  Kendall pouted and for a second, she resembled her older sister. “I’m not hungry.”

  “If you eat some of these, I guarantee you will start to feel better. My friend Rylie designed the menu, and she is amazing.”

  Kendall popped one of the sandwiches into her mouth and paused chewing, her eyes nearly rolling into the back of her head. “Good God, what is that?”

  “Yummy, huh?”

  “It’s amazing.” Kendall grabbed two more greedily.

  “I know. She’s a genius when it comes to food, so grab a plate,” Marley said, pointing to the end of the buffet where the plates were stacked, “and eat up. And stay away from the alcohol for a while.”

  Kendall made a face at her. “You’re bossy.”

  “So they tell me. I’m just looking out for you.”

  Kendall sighed, and picked up another sandwich. “I know.”

  Marley left Kendall and went in search of Sonora, who was probably ready to go off on her for something she thought was wrong with the shower. It seemed as if the closer they got to the wedding, the more demanding and dissatisfied Sonora became.

  She rounded the corner and heard Sonora’s voice coming from one of the rooms. Just before she opened the door, she heard a man talking and stopped. “Come on, Sonora. It was a little fun. It didn’t mean anything.”

  “It meant something to me. I think I’m falling in love with you, Dustin.”

  Marley’s stomach rolled violently. Dustin? As in Dustin Kent?

  “You’re lying to yourself and to me if you believe that. For one thing, I am not even remotely ready for marriage and if I was, it would be with a simple, docile little woman—not a spoiled, hysterical brat.”

  “How dare you—”

  “You sought me out at my family’s vineyard, during your bridal shower while you are engaged to another man. Believe me, Sonora, there is no way in hell you will ever be more than a fond memory. Don’t ruin that by throwing a tantrum.” Marley peeked in and saw Dustin chuck her under the chin condescendingly. The move actually made Marley want to slap him on Sonora’s behalf, forgetting for a half second that Sonora had cheated on her fiancée .

  “Besides, the most important quality I look for in a woman is loyalty to me, and we both know you’re as loyal as a cat in heat.”

  Marley covered her mouth to hold in a gasp as Sonora slapped him across the face.

  Dustin rubbed his cheek before giving her a dismissive nod. “Enjoy the rest of your shower.”

  Marley ducked out of the way as Dustin left the room, and waited for Sonora to come out. When she finally did, she was wiping at her darkly lined eyes frantically.

  Marley stepped in as though she’d come from the patio.

  “There you are. Are you ready to open gifts?”

  Sonora sighed heavily. Must we do it in front of everyone? If I hate something, I just don’t think I have the energy to fake it.”

  Why you self-centered, ungrateful—

  Marley meant to take a calming breath and coax her, but instead she snapped, “Stop that. Now you wanted this big party, and all of th
ese people, so put on a smile and open your gifts. Your guests are waiting.”

  Sonora’s blue eyes met Marley’s and Marley was taken aback to see tears spilling over her lashes and down her cheeks. “I didn’t want this. Any of it. I wanted to continue to hit the clubs with my friends, and focus on revamping my career, but when the great Brent Harwood started looking for a wife, my parents and agent saw a way for me to move uptown. My parents only agreed to pay for the wedding if I reimbursed them with interest and convinced Brent to invest in more locations for their stupid restaurant.” Sonora’s face scrunched up. “I should just walk out the door now. To hell with all of them. I don’t need their money. I’ll put out a few singles and be back on top.”

  Marley’s jaw dropped. “Are you out of your mind? Your parents are on the hook for thousands of dollars in deposits. They’ll lose all of that if you bail.”

  “Whatever.”

  “No.” Marley grabbed her arm and squeezed. Dragging her into the nearest empty room, she closed the door and turned on Sonora, furious. “I have taken your shit, and tried to create the perfect wedding day for you, and you will not stick me with having to explain to your guests why you took off.”

  “Get your hands off me! You’re the help—”

  “That’s right, I’m the help. I am here to help you, and you know what will not help you? Insulting one of the richest and most powerful men in America within hearing distance of over a hundred guests at your bridal shower! If you don’t want to get married, that’s fine. Tell Brent, tell your parents, but you need to give up on this notion of you and Dustin Kent because he is not going to be your knight in shining armor. He’s not even a toad in tin foil.”

  Sonora’s blue eyes narrowed into slits. “How do you know about Dustin?”

  “Because I saw him coming out of your hotel room a few weeks ago.”

  Sonora started tapping her nails on the tall glass table next to her. “And are you going to tell someone?”

  Marley’s stomach twisted. Kelly had told her that she couldn’t reveal what Sonora was doing unless she wanted to break the confidentiality clause, so she was stuck keeping her mouth shut.

  “No, I’m not going to tell anyone. I just want you to know that if I saw you, other people could too. You need to be careful, especially if you decide you want to go through with this wedding.”

  Sonora crossed her arms and struck an arrogant pose that told Marley she would not like what came next. “While I appreciate…actually, I don’t appreciate your opinion. At all. Here’s the deal, Marley. If you say a word about me to Brent or anyone else, I will destroy you and everything you love. Your mom owns that crap diner? I may be broke, but I still have friends in very important circles. If you say a word about any of this, I will bankrupt her.”

  It was one thing to mess with her, but threaten her mother? Hell no.

  Marley stepped into her to the point that she either had to back up or fall over. “Do not threaten me or my family ever again, or I will piss on that confidentiality clause, Sonora. And let’s face it, a washed-up diva can only survive scandal so many times before she’s done.”

  Marley expected her to slap her too, but instead, Sonora smiled like a Cheshire cat. It was too damn creepy.

  “Well, Marley Stevenson, check out the pair on you. I didn’t know you had it in you.” She patted Marley’s cheek. “But you shouldn’t mess with me, sweetheart. I’ve been chewing up little mice like you since I was in my first beauty pageant.”

  Marley jerked away. “Don’t call me sweetheart.”

  “Oh, did I irritate you?” Sonora’s sweet tone turned into a scoff. “Like I give a shit. Now get out there and make sure everything is just right. If I am going through with this sham of a wedding, then I want it perfect.”

  Marley left the room, wishing like hell she could just keep walking, but she was only two weeks away from the end.

  She could make it. Even if she had to gag and hog tie Sonora to shut her up.

  * * * *

  Luke was hanging out in his hotel room Saturday evening, looking out the window as he sipped on a glass of whisky. He was supposed to meet Brent at the bar in a few hours, but Brent had been called back to New York for a work emergency. So, he decided to just take it easy instead. He would have texted Marley, but he had no idea how long she’d be at the bridal shower, and he wasn’t sure if things were better since he’d taken care of her. He knew he agreed to wait, but it was still weird that Sonora and Brent’s wedding was the deadline.

  A lone figure in a pink sports bra and black jogging pants ran in front of the hotel, her blond hair swinging as she moved. Luke didn’t have to get any closer to know it was Marley.

  Setting his whisky down, he pulled on his tennis shoes and ran down the stairs. He raced past a startled couple coming through the entrance of the hotel, hoping to catch Marley before she disappeared out of sight.

  When he turned down the way she had, he saw her heading for the dirt road that lead to Buzzard Gulch. Why was she jogging up there?

  Luke picked up the pace to catch her before she took that first hill. When he was about ten feet behind her, she glanced over her shoulder at him. Her gaze went from worried to irritated in three seconds flat.

  She stopped jogging and yanked out her earbuds.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Checking on you. I saw you jogging and thought I’d join you.”

  She was shaking her head before he finished his sentence “No. Not right now. I just want to be alone and run my feelings into the ground.”

  Without giving him a chance for a rebuttal, she replaced her earbuds and started up the massive hill.

  If she’d been anyone else, he’d have given her space, but he didn’t like her out here all alone.

  So he followed behind at a slightly slower place, smiling as he took in the pretty fantastic view of Marley’s tight butt jiggling as she moved.

  One thing he would say about Marley was she had stamina. She just kept pushing until she reached the ghost town, and only then did she slow to a walk, sucking in air.

  “You do this run a lot?” he asked loudly.

  She pulled out her earbuds, still breathing hard. He figured she’d probably heard him, but when she leaned against one of the buildings to take a drink, she looked at him with surprise. “You’re still here?”

  “Yeah. Figured when you were done working your feelings out, you were going to need a shoulder to cry on.”

  She slapped her palm against the top of her water bottle, closing it with a snap. “I’m not going to cry. I want to hit something. Pummel it to a bloody pulp.”

  “Well, in that case,” he joked, pretending to run backwards.

  “Not you. Sonora.” She kicked the side of the building and released a guttural scream. “She’s just such a blood-sucking bitch.”

  “That would explain Brent’s Renfield-like behavior.”

  She gave him an exasperated look. “Can you please take this seriously? She is toxic like a black widow spider and once she has you in her web, you can’t escape. Everything is on her terms and she is a horrible human being and I just want to tell her to suck it and—”

  He put his hands on her shoulders. “Hey, hey. It’s okay. I know better than anyone how fucked up she is. Just take a breath.”

  Marley did, her breathing labored. “I thought a run would help me blow off some steam, but it seems like it just riled me up more.”

  Luke chuckled. “I’d suggest another activity, but we still haven’t hit our fifth date according to you.”

  Marley’s expression changed and he suddenly understood how prey felt when a predator spotted them.

  She came toward him, rolling her hips, her waist appearing longer in the low riding shorts and sports bra. Luke’s heart kicked up, and she placed her hands on his chest, running them over his pecs and down…<
br />
  When she held his cock through his shorts, gently squeezing him, he swallowed hard.

  “I think we can go ahead and count you taking care of me as date number four. Don’t you?”

  “What are you saying?”

  Marley stood up on her tip toes as the other hand cupped the back of his head, pulling his mouth down to hers.

  “I’m asking where you want to fuck me. Against the wall of one of these old buildings? In the dirt? Down by the river?”

  Holy shit! And she accused him of talking dirty.

  “Marley, I don’t think—”

  “Don’t think. Please.” She released him, and turned toward the river trail. “I’m going down to the water. If you want me, all you have to do is follow behind. If you aren’t down there a minute from when I strip off these clothes, I’ll know you aren’t interested and I’ll go for a swim anyway.”

  Luke watched her and her ass before she disappeared down the slope. If he was a good man, he wouldn’t go along with this. He’d wait for her here until she cooled off and save their first time for when it wasn’t about her working off her frustrations.

  If only he were that good.

  Chapter 17

  Marley slipped into the cold water, the slow-moving current sliding across her skin as she swam. She wasn’t sure if Luke would follow her, and uncertainty started to creep through her frustration and anger at Sonora. She wasn’t sure if she actually wanted him to follow her… but what if he didn’t?

  She rolled over onto her back. Her cheeks warmed just thinking about the embarrassment of throwing herself at him and him not taking her up on it.

  She looked up when she heard a thump and saw Luke on the rock, taking off his shoes. Her heart felt as though it were going to explode as he peeled off every layer, revealing the hard, rippled body beneath.

  Finally, he slid his boxer briefs down and did a cannon ball into the water from the top of the jumping rock. Marley laughed as water sprayed her the second he connected.