Don't Call Me Sweetheart

by Codi Gary

  Marley watched him swim toward her under water, waiting for him to break the surface. Strong arms wrapped around her, pulling her down, and she squealed as he came up three inches from her face.

  “Hey there.”

  “Hi.”

  That seemed to be all either of them could say for several moments, until he smiled softly. “Just letting you know, I decided a swim sounded pretty awesome. It had nothing to do with the fact that I might find you naked.”

  Marley burst out laughing and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. “Sure it didn’t.”

  He actually looked insulted, which only made her giggle harder. “Are you questioning whether or not I’m a gentleman?”

  “Not at all. I am just pointing out that 99.9 percent of single, straight men would follow a woman to watch her swim naked. Especially if she hinted they were probably getting laid.”

  He leaned over and nibbled along her neck. “Oh yeah? And where is this scientific study published?”

  “It’s just common sense. Everyone knows men think with their dicks first.”

  Luke pulled back, and she could tell he was pretending to be shocked. “Marley Stevenson, that is sexist. I demand an apology.”

  “I will not apologize for speaking the truth. Prove me wrong.” Her hand slid down between their bodies and she wrapped her fingers around his length. “If you can walk away from what I’m doing to you right here and now, I will take back what I said about men—”

  She hadn’t even finished the sentence before he pulled away and started swimming for shore. Her mouth hanging open, she watched as he exited the river, droplets rolling down his tan back and over his firm ass. God, she wanted to get her hands on those globes and squeeze.

  Maybe men weren’t the only creatures to be led about by their hormones.

  When he turned around to face her, his arms crossed and his hard on sticking out like a dueling sword, she tried not to laugh.

  “You got something to say?” he asked.

  “Sure. But first.” She swam over to him and climbed out of the water, watching his face as his dark eyes turned black and the muscles in his jaw clenched.

  “I am so sorry that I was sexist. Can you ever forgive me?”

  She knew that the minute he moved she was about to get a wild ride. Maybe it was animalistic groan as he picked her up, or the way his mouth clamped over her breast, using his teeth and tongue to make her whimper with pleasure. All she did know was that when he stuck his fingers between them and found her clit with two of them, it didn’t take too many strokes before she ignited. The fire of her orgasm rushed through her body, warming her from the inside out, and she leaned her head back against the rock he had pushed her up against, riding the sensation out until she was trembling with aftershocks.

  “Fuck,” he groaned.

  “What?”

  He pressed against her, and she could feel the rub of his dick against her slit. “I wasn’t expecting this and my wallet is back at the hotel. No condom.”

  “I’m on the pill. If you’re clean…”

  “I’m clean.”

  She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and kissed him, pulling back far enough to whisper, “Then don’t stop.”

  Marley’s gaze held his as he reached between them and adjusted his cock. Then he was sliding inside, stretching her until her eyes closed and her lips parted in a low moan. She kissed him hungrily, messy and wet as he pressed all the way in. His hands moved around to grip her ass. She gasped into his mouth as he pulled out and slammed back in.

  Her nails dug into his shoulders as he repeated the motion, slowly out and swiftly returning. It was magic and she could feel another orgasm building inside, her muscles squeezing him and throbbing around his girth. She let him set the pace, holding on as he bounced her up and down on his dick.

  When he picked up speed and his motions became unsteady it hit her, stars exploding behind her closed eyelids as she pulled away from his mouth, crying out.

  “Oh, shit. Fuck. I’m coming.”

  He pressed her harder into the rock wall and hollered. His body shook against hers, his orgasm seeming to sap his strength as he sank against her, breathing raggedly into her ear.

  His lips moved over the skin underneath and he whispered, “Are you okay? Was I too rough?”

  At that moment, all Marley felt was euphoric and she smiled. “Uh uh.”

  He continued to lean against her, and she noticed that her skin seemed to be tingling, as if a hundred tiny wings were kissing her skin.

  “Uh, Marley?” he said.

  “Hmm.”

  “You’ve got ants crawling all over you.”

  Marley’s eyes flew open and she glanced down. The sensation she’d thought was afterglow was actually a swarm of ants all over her chest.

  “Off, off!”

  She pushed him away, and he slipped out of her. She didn’t stop to see if he was okay as she ran back into the water, rubbing at her skin and dunking her head under the water.

  When she came up for air, she frantically looked down at her body for any more insects. “God, are they off? Ugh, this is horrible.”

  She glanced toward the shore and scowled when she saw Luke rolling on the ground with laughter.

  “They’re probably on you too, jackass!”

  He sat up with a wheeze, wiping at his eyes as he continued guffawing. He stood up, and walked into the water with her, stopping a few inches away when he was waist deep.

  “Come here and I’ll make sure they’re gone,” he said.

  “No, you laughed at me. You just keep your distance.”

  “Oh, come on! It was hysterical. My first time having wild, passionate sex by a river and it ends up being an orgy with a bunch of ants.”

  “You are not funny,” she said, her mouth twitching as she suppressed a smile.

  He reached out and pulled her to him. “I’m kind of funny.”

  Marley let him inspect her, mostly because it felt good to have his hands all over her. He spread the strands of her hair and ran his fingers through them, rubbing her shoulders and easing a bit of her irritation with him.

  When they finally climbed out of the water, the sun was starting to set and the sky was turning an orangey pink. Marley picked up her clothes and groaned.

  “They’re covered in ants.”

  “Mine too,” he called from the top of the rock. He hopped down, still nude. “Naked run for it?”

  “You are so crazy. Let’s try shaking them off. We can shower when we get to your hotel,” she said.

  “Fair enough.”

  When she didn’t see any more crawly creatures she put her clothes back on, and shook her head. “I think all future sexual exploits should occur in a bed.”

  “Sounds good to me.” He grinned and took off at a run. “First one to my hotel gets to be on top!”

  Marley laughed, chasing after him. “I didn’t agree to that!”

  “Don’t be a sore loser!”

  * * * *

  Luke let Marley pass him before they reached the lobby doors of his hotel.

  “Hey, did you let me win?”

  He leaned his hands on his knees, breathing hard. “Me? I am the most competitive person you will ever meet. If you beat me, it was fair and square.”

  “Hmm.” She started walking around to the back staircase and he frowned.

  “Are we still sneaking around?”

  Marley turned, a flush in her cheeks. “It’s just for two more weeks.”

  “Yeah, I know.” He opened the door and walked into the lobby, pausing when the door opened again behind him. Marley caught up and warmth spread through him. He figured holding her hand would be pushing it, so he held back.

  “Hey Turner.”

  Turner, the owner of The Love Shack Hotel, was a bal
ding man in his early fifties who spent most of his time behind the desk reading. He looked up from the James Patterson novel in his hands and nodded. “Hey, Marley. Mr. Jessup.”

  Luke said hi, and they continued to the elevator. When they stepped inside, Marley slipped her arms around his waist and leaned her chin against his chest. “Are you happy?”

  “Just about.” The minute the doors closed he kissed her, hard and fast and he actually felt her stumble when he released her. “Even better now.”

  The doors opened and he led the way to his hotel room, hurrying with the door before she bolted.

  When Marley made a beeline for the bathroom, he went to kick off his shoes and lie down on the bed.

  “Aren’t you coming?” she asked from the doorway, dropping her sports bra on the ground.

  He paused, watching as she bent over and discarded her shorts and underwear. “Figured you’d want some privacy.”

  “And I thought we’d have a shower and then get very, very dirty again. With me on top, of course.”

  Like he was going to say no.

  Two hours later, Luke lay on his back with Marley sprawled out across his chest, her deep, even breathing telling him she was asleep. As he stroked her hair, he wondered what it was about her that was so different. From the moment he’d met her, he’d been drawn to her like a bear to honey and now, he didn’t want to ever be without her.

  Which is why the reason behind why they couldn’t go public bothered him so much. For the first time in his life, he was falling in love. Imagining a future, marriage, kids…

  And she wanted to move to New York and start her life.

  He didn’t want to go back to New York and he definitely didn’t want to raise a family there. But if it was what Marley wanted, and she wanted him too, was he really going to not follow her?

  Why was he even thinking about this now? They had two more weeks. Then they could talk about life after Brent and Sonora’s wedding. Right now, he should just enjoy what they had.

  Too bad his brain wouldn’t shut the hell up.

  Chapter 18

  The next Friday was the Bachelorette party, and Marley was already exasperated with Sonora. Tahoe was bustling in the summertime, and as Marley and Kendall walked behind the group of scantily clad bridesmaids led by tiara and boa wearing Sonora, Marley had a sudden urge to disappear into the crowd.

  “I guess no one was interested in my spa idea,” Marley said.

  Kendall smiled and nudged her shoulder. “I was, but I was outvoted.”

  Instead, the girls had all decided they wanted to go dancing and get hammered. Forget dinner or gambling—Marley was still going to end up taking care of a bunch of drunk girls all night.

  They walked into Harvey’s and through the lobby until they reached the club. Marley could feel men’s gazes following them as they passed, and it made her feel like a slab of beef on the grill. Damn, when had she gotten so old?

  Sonora walked right up to the VIP booth, and flashed a smile at the bouncer, whose eyes widened in his dark face. “You’re—”

  “Yes I am. You should have us on the guest list.”

  “Of course I do. Come right in.” The bouncer pulled back the rope and stamped each of their hands in turn with a little neon yellow bumblebee. They followed him into the club as another thick-necked man took over the booth. The club was dark, with strobing lights, and women in go-go boots and silver miniskirts and bras dancing on a catwalk above their heads. A couple of shirtless guys in fedoras and metallic MC Hammer pants danced and gyrated along with them.

  “Here you go. Enjoy,” the bouncer said, waving them up to a secluded table behind a roped off section.

  “Thank you,” Sonora said sweetly, nodding back at Marley. Marley pulled a five out of her pocket and gave it to the bouncer, who frowned.

  “What?”

  “I think you’re a little short,” he said.

  Marley took back her five and slapped a twenty on his palm. It wasn’t her money, at least.

  The man gave her a gap-toothed grin. “Pleasure.”

  Marley walked away from him and sat next to Kendall, grumbling.

  “Someone flag down the server! We need shots!” Emma, an actress that Sonora had been friends with since they were both on the Mickey Mouse Club, bounced in her seat until her short black skirt was practically at her waist. Marley wanted to reach out and yank it down, but she didn’t know the girl that well.

  “God, you are shouting right in my ear,” Sonora griped, before waving at Marley. “Go get us some drinks.”

  “I think they have bottle service. If we wait just a minute, I can probably flag someone down.”

  “Do you have to argue with me about everything, or maybe, for once, can you just do what I ask without being a giant pain in the ass?”

  Sonora’s two friends giggled, and Marley felt like she was back in high school, trying to be friends with the popular kids and getting shit on again.

  Marley raised her eyebrow. “Do I look like your bar wench?”

  “No, you look like my maid of honor, whose sole purpose of being here is making me happy as a clam, so how about you run along and do that?”

  Marley gritted her teeth and stood up, heading down to the bar on the far side of the club.

  Kendall caught up alongside her. “Why do you let her talk to you like that?”

  Because it’s part of my job.

  “Because she’s right. It’s her last night of freedom and I signed up to make sure it goes off without a hitch.”

  “Seriously, though, she is such a bitch sometimes.”

  Marley grinned at her. “Only sometimes?”

  “Okay, all the time, but that doesn’t mean we have to bend over and take it. One of these days, I’m going to let her have it.”

  “And I will pay to see it.”

  They got in line and the guy in front of them with slicked back hair and a smarmy grin said, “Well, hey there, ladies.”

  “Hi,” Kendall and Marley said politely.

  “Are you having a good time?”

  “We just got here,” Kendall said.

  “Me too. It gets busier as the night goes on. Can I buy you a drink?”

  “Thanks, but there’s a group of us, and we’re in charge or procuring liquor for them.”

  The lined moved, but Casanova hadn’t given up yet. “Oh, yeah? You guys here for a bachelorette or a birthday party?”

  “Bachelorette party. My sister’s,” Kendall said.

  “Nice, either one of you married?”

  “No,” they said at the same time.

  “But we both have really big, burly boyfriends who’re in court-ordered anger management,” Kendall added.

  Marley laughed as the guy turned away from them, probably figuring he wasn’t getting laid by either one of them tonight.

  “Gee, was it something we said?” Kendall said.

  “Maybe he’s just not into drama.”

  “Shame, cause it seems like we got nothing but drama.”

  “Amen, sister,” Marley said.

  By the time they made it back to the table with six shot glasses, there was a bottle and glasses already on the table. They set them down and Sonora took one. “We flagged down a server while you were gone, since it took you forever.”

  “Well, I’m sure you’ll drink it,” Marley said, irritated.

  The night just went downhill from there.

  Maybe it was the fact that she was the only sober one; even Kendall had started taking shots and had deteriorated into a giggling whoo-hooer. Or that the drunker Sonora got, the meaner she became.

  Either way, by midnight Marley was ready to go back to the hotel and sleep.

  Fiona, one of Sonora’s back-up dancers, sat down next to her, weaving a bit in her seat. “I don’t feel g
ood.”

  By the green tinge to her skin, Marley had a feeling she was going to blow. “Okay, let’s get you to the bathroom.”

  Marley put her arm around the stumbling redhead and they managed to get to a bathroom stall in the nick of time. She spent the next thirty minutes holding Fiona’s hair while she puked. When Fiona finished, she could hardly stand, and Marley ended up practically carrying her back up to the room to sleep it off.

  When she got back to the club, the bouncer stepped up to her, and her eyes narrowed.

  “Seriously?”

  “What? I ain’t ever seen you before.”

  “Then what is this?” She waved the stamp on the back of her hand at him.

  “No ins and outs. Those are the rules.”

  Marley gave him another twenty with a slap in his hand, and headed back in to make sure everyone was still in one piece. She found Emma and Caitlyn, Sonora’s cousin, grinding on the floor to the delight of a group of salivating men. Kendall was at the bar, laughing with some guy who looked like he should be modeling underwear for Calvin Klein and Sonora…

  Shit.

  Sonora was up in someone else’s VIP lounge, sitting on some guy’s lap.

  Marley made a beeline for them, and when she came up alongside them, one of the other men at the table laughed. “Whoa, sweetheart, no need to look so cross. It’s a party.”

  “Don’t call me sweetheart.” Standing over Sonora with her hands on her hips, she said, “Come on, let’s get you some water.”

  “Fuck off, I’m talking to Gregg.”

  Marley grabbed Sonora by the arm and lifted her off the man’s lap. When he started to protest, she stared right at him, and snapped, “So help me, if you touch her again, I will bust your nut sack with my three-inch heels.”

  Gregg threw his arms up and shifted away. Marley pulled Sonora along behind her.

  “You big pussy, she isn’t even wearing heels!” Sonora hollered over her shoulder. She started fighting Marley at the bottom of the stairs. “Get off me, you aren’t my mother.”

  Marley let her go and squared off with her. “No, and I shouldn’t have to be, but you were about one lap dance away from ending up on TMZ, and then there’s no way Brent would marry you. So, maybe instead of acting like an idiot, you might want to thank me for making sure you still have a fiancée in the morning.”