Butterfly Madness [Loving in Silver 3] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) (23 page)

“He escaped from the jail the other night. He picked the locks and got out during the shift change. When he was being booked he made threats, saying he was going to pay Gray back by going after you.”

Anger flared. She pulled back so she could stare at him. “And no one thought to share this with me? How long has he been out?”

“Since the morning after he was arrested, after Gray left for work. He’s had a lot of experience in jails and prisons. He knows a few tricks and that helped him escape.” She slid down his body, her feet touching the sidewalk. “He’s wanted in several states, but someone is coming from Arizona to get him. He’s wanted there for murder. He won’t be getting out again. Then he’ll have bigger problems than worrying about a little payback.”

Marley pulled away to stare hard at him. Her heart was still pounding in her chest, fear taking its time in receding. “I’m still not happy. In fact, I’m pretty pissed right now. I know you guys were just trying to keep me from being afraid, but it would have been good information to have. I didn’t lock the gallery door this morning after you left. I mean, why would I? I didn’t know I had a madman after me. He could have come in.”

Though she tried not let the emotion out, she hiccupped a small sob and pushed her face against his shoulder. Roarke’s strong arms held her close, stroking her hair. It was a soothing gesture she appreciated. Her men were always very gentle, very tender with her. It didn’t do much to lessen the terror she had just experienced. Nor did it do anything to ease her anger. How could they not tell her about this guy?

Marley pulled away and wiped the tears off her face. If she was to be fair, and she always tried to be, it wasn’t just this lack of information which was upsetting her. The past few days had been frustrating for her, despite the deep feeling of happiness she was experiencing.

They hadn’t had sex since the day they’d played the “game.” She likened it to getting really great presents for her birthday, then having them all taken away. Now this. Frustration, fear, anger, just wasn’t making her a sweet woman at that moment. It was going to take them some doing to make up to her for this.

“I’m sorry, baby. Gray and the deputies have been patrolling all day. We thought you would be safe in the gallery with Martha, and in broad daylight.” He kissed her forehead, a gesture he was fond of doing and she was fond of accepting, though she was trying to maintain a severe expression. She could feel her resolve wavering even more. How could she remain angry with men who were so damned sweet and were only thinking of her? They’d had the best of intentions, after all, misguided as they had been. “We were wrong. Please don’t be too hard on Gray. He’ll do that all by himself. He wanted to tell you, but I talked him out of it. We figured with all the stuff you were going through you didn’t need the extra stress.”

Pulling away, Marley looked up at him. “I can understand why you did it, but I’m not ready to forgive just yet. I don’t want you guys to hide anything from me again. I’m a big girl. I can take anything you have to tell me.”

Martha leaned on Marley, nearly toppling her over. Roarke reached out and caught her, laughing as he did so. “You’re a good girl, aren’t you, Martha?” He scratched the dog behind the ear.

“I was shocked when she growled. I’ve never heard her do it before.”

They started walking back to the gallery. She suspected they would wait there for Grayson. She couldn’t wait to see him. Not because she wanted to chew him out, but because she wanted to hug him and make sure he was safe after having to deal with that creep again. The bruising around his eyes was finally starting to fade, which was a good thing. The poor man had to put up with a lot of teasing from the townspeople. Though he was loved and respected, it didn’t prevent good-natured ribbing.

Going inside, Roarke looked around, just as he had that morning. “This place looks fantastic. When will you start hanging your sister’s artwork?”

“I’ll do it this weekend.”

“That’s cool. Gray and I have the weekend off. We’ll help.”

Now just that morning the men had been discussing how they both had to work the weekend. They had apologized, telling her they would make it up to her. They didn’t, however, tell her how they were going to do that, though she had all but begged for details.

After sampling so many forbidden delights with the two men, Marley was now hardwired for kinky sex. She had enjoyed it. No, she had more than enjoyed it. She’d fucking loved every sizzling moment of it from beginning to end. She wanted more. A lot more and in any and every way imaginable, which was quite extensive now that she’d discovered this new side of herself.

When she relived the moments in her mind her nipples would get hard, and her pussy would prepare itself with creamy juices.

“I thought you had to work. It’s what you said this morning.”

“Yeah, well, plans have changed. With my granddad here, they’ve taken over the store.” He laughed ruefully. “They always do it and I don’t bother arguing with them. They love the place. Besides, my mom and grandmother will bake all kinds of stuff for me for letting them hang out at the store and keeping them from getting in the way at home while they visit.”

“I like your family. They’re all very nice.”

Roarke hugged her close, his gray eyes warm with emotion. “They like you, too. Granddad says you’re a keeper.”

Marley wrinkled her nose at him. “He makes me sound like a fish you just caught.”

“Nah, you’re our butterfly.” He bent and kissed her warmly on the mouth, skimming just inside of her lips with the tip of his tongue. It was something which always sent a thrill through her body. “And I think you’re a keeper, too.”

Grayson arrived at that moment, his handsome face filled with concern as she looked at him. “You okay, baby?” he asked, taking her from Roarke so he could pull her close to his hard body. “I thought my heart was going to stop when you called to say Duncan was in the park.”

“Well, my heart wasn’t doing so well itself. Next time, though I hope there is never another time like this, don’t keep it from me. Please. I need to know. Promise me.”

There was a brief nod. It was obvious that both men wanted nothing more than to protect her from the evils of the world. It warmed her heart. But she couldn’t go around thinking everything was all peachy keen when it wasn’t anything of the sort.

“I promise I won’t keep anything like this from you again,” Grayson told her quietly, regret in his eyes. “Hopefully nothing like this will ever happen again.”

Roarke nodded. “I promise, too. I was wrong.”

It was a good start. Marley had expressed her anger and her disappointment. She wasn’t going to harp on it forever.

Smiling at them, she invited, “Come on, guys. I’ll buy you a sarsaparilla.”

“Now how can we turn that down?”

The men had their arms wrapped around her as they walked down the sidewalk toward the drugstore, which still served things like sarsaparilla, root beer floats, malted milk, and her personal favorite, banana splits that all but ran over the sides of the frosted glass boats they were served in. They were big enough for three people. Maybe they’d be able to walk into town after supper and get one to share. She smiled as they reached the quaint store, realizing she was beginning to plan, make assumptions, and have a few hopes for a future with Grayson and Roarke.

As they walked together she suddenly realized how the odd relationships in town worked. It was the bonding. It didn’t matter if it was two people or six, men with men, women with women, or a combination of both. Once the bond was made, they became a cohesive, functioning unit, a family.

Her men were evil, Marley decided when they ordered what was called “The Chocolate Monster,” but was essentially a huge hot fudge sundae buried in whipped cream, maraschino cherries, and chopped pecans. Well, so much for her idea of walking into town to get an ice cream with the guys later that evening.

As she jammed her spoon deep into the concoction, Gray leaned close and nuzzled her ear, sending a shiver of pleasure over her skin. “What are you going to do for the chocolate, Marley?”

With an evil side of her own rising up, she leaned close and whispered her answer. She grinned as the man nearly fell off the spinning stool when he processed what she told him. Roarke looked at their lover while she scooped a mouthful of ice cream and hot fudge into her mouth, enjoying it with indescribable pleasure and completely without guilt. She
loved
chocolate. She hadn’t been lying about that. It was no exaggeration. And if the men kept teasing and tempting her with it, she really would begin to pack on the pounds.

“What’s wrong with you?” Roarke asked, picking up his own spoon. Charlie, the soda jerk who’d worked in the store for almost sixty years, smiled knowingly and walked away to wipe invisible grime off the far end of the counter. “What did she say?”

“Nothing I can repeat in here. Just eat up. We’ve got to leave.”

“I can’t go home now,” Marley stated calmly, laughing inside. She would make them wait. They had been torturing her for days. “Someone is coming to measure the windows in the gallery for blinds. They’ve promised to do a rush job for me.”

Grayson wasn’t going to be put off for long. “How long will that take?”

“Well, I have to be back at the gallery by two. Then I have to go see Colt about the house. He has the papers for me to sign.”

“You’re still buying a house? Even though you know we want you to live with us?”

Marley nodded. “I have to. It’s perfect for what I have in mind.”

Should she tell them her plans? It would be mean not to, considering how much they did want her to live with them, to start their future together. Since she had all but moved in with them, not having spent another night at the Redford mansion, they probably thought she was there for good. It was something she wanted, too. Yes, she wanted to share what she had in mind. That would put their fears to rest.

Grayson, however, wasn’t going to wait around, not giving her a chance to tell them her plans. He snatched his white straw hat up suddenly and shoved it on his head. It fit much better now that he didn’t have a goose egg in the center of his forehead.

“Let me know when you decide we’re important enough for you to include in your plans.”

With that he was gone, leaving her gaping in shock after him. The bell on the store’s door jangled, echoing his emotions. Roarke stood up more slowly, a look of disappointment on his handsome face.

He was going to follow his longtime lover, leaving her behind. “I really thought you could see how much we love you. I guess not.”

He threw a few dollars on the counter, and then left Marley sitting there with a dish of melting ice cream and a breaking heart.

* * * *

Roarke followed Gray into the house, wondering how they were going to fix this mess they’d made with Marley. They had to fix it. She was the one for them. And he could see that she cared for them. They just had to get her to see it, to understand that they would be there for her forever. Yet, how could they do that when they had just walked out on her over one little hiccup?

Gray threw his hat onto the couch, which was a mistake. Chug ran across the room and launched himself on it, shaking it violently until the brim ripped off.

“Darn dog!” Roarke growled, snatching the destroyed hat off the floor before he could go for it again. He grabbed up a chew toy and tossed it to the dog that just never seemed to want to grow up. Then he was turning to his partner. Walking to the couch, he sat down beside him. “Come on, babe. It’s just a misunderstanding.”

“It’s not a misunderstanding. I understood her very well. She’s buying that house. That means she doesn’t plan on making a future with us.”

“I didn’t hear her say she was going to live there,” Roarke argued, wishing he hadn’t just left Marley sitting there. He had gone off half-cocked just as Gray had. That could have done more damage than either of them could imagine. Damn! “I heard her say it was perfect for something she has in mind. She has plans for it. She did not say she was going to live there,” he said again, hoping the man would listen to him.

Gray was a very reasonable man. It was what made him such a good sheriff. It was also one of the things Roarke loved about him. The man had no extremes. He listened. He never reacted first and thought second. Until now. And with so much at risk, that being their future with Marley, could this one time of flash anger ruin it all for them? They’d just had a close call by not telling her about Duncan making the threats against her then escaping. Now this. Fuck, could they really have screwed up again so soon?

“What else could she possibly want another house for, if she wanted to live here with us?” Gray was asking, his voice thick with emotion.

“Well, I did tell her it would be a great income property. Maybe she’s planning a bed and breakfast or something. Maybe she’ll rent it out this winter. Think about it, Gray. I’ve never seen you act like that before. I know you only did it because you were hurt by what you believe she meant, but I think you’re wrong. Actually, I think we were both wrong in what we heard. And I know we were both wrong for leaving her there like that.”

Gray reached for him, pulling him hard against his chest. Powerful arms crushed him. Gentle lips caressed his jaw. “I hope you’re right. Now, how do I apologize for being a total asshole?”