Marly's Choice (26 page)

“You don’t have a kingdom,” Marly informed him as she stared at him from the bottom of his bed.

He gave her a narrowed look promising retribution.

“Fine, then. Cade’s kingdom for a beer. My fucking Harley for a beer. Some one get me some damned alcohol.”

“What kind of drugs are you on?” Marly frowned down at him, wondering at his morose state of being.

“None of your business.” His mouth turned down, his blue eyes staring moodily up at Marly. “Did you bring me a beer, Sweetness? Please say you did.”

Marly tilted her head, then checked the doorway, ignoring his hopeful look.

“You brought me a beer?” Pleasure infused his voice.

“No, I didn’t bring you a damned beer,” she bit out, turning back to him and reaching into her large purse. “I did better than that. I made Cade stop at BK. That’s even better.”

His eyes lit up at the familiar bag, and he eased himself into a sitting position as Marly set the bag on the bedside table and wheeled it closer. Then she pulled out a large cola, poured it into his ice pitcher and set it beside him. Sam dug into the bag, emitting pleasured whimpers as the smell of the Whopper with the works wafted across his senses. Within seconds he was biting into the huge burger, growling like a starving bear as he ate.

Marly sat down in the chair beside his bed, a smile crossing her face at his enjoyment. Sam was nothing more than a little boy in a man’s body. He wasn’t dominant like Cade, or intense like Brock. He enjoyed the simple things, and found laughter where he could. If there was one person she knew cared about her, it was Sam.

“Oh man, Marly, I knew you loved me the best.” He smacked his lips as he swallowed, then bit into another bite as he plucked several fries from the box and stuffed them in behind it.

Marly propped her chin on her fist as she watched him eat. Gusto. That described Sam. He did everything with gusto. Whether it was a ball game, a fight or a feast, he went after it with everything he had. She fought her blush as she wondered if he had approached sex with the women he had shared with his brothers in the same way.

“Do you have any idea how lousy their hospital food is?” he mumbled around the burger. Then he grinned. “Sorry hon. Forgot.”

Lora Leigh

Marly’s Choice

146

Marly shook her head. How could he forget all the times she stayed in the hospital?

It was usually him Cade hit for being in on whatever put her there. She frowned. She wanted to hit Cade. The man should be outlawed for being a nuisance.

“I’m glad to see you’re doing okay.” Marly felt tears gather in her eyes as she watched him. “I’m sorry about this, Sam. It’s all my fault.”

Sam frowned. “How?” he asked her around another mouthful of food.

“I know who did it, and why.” She wasn’t going to allow him to lie to her. Not Sam. She couldn’t handle it. “I know everything now, Sam.”

Sam sighed, plopping the last bite of burger and fries in his mouth and chewing thoughtfully as he stared at the ceiling. Several long drinks of soda later, he finally brought his gaze back to hers.

“None of us could have predicted what he would do.” He shrugged carefully. “I don’t blame you, Marly. None of this is your fault.”

“Did you know Cade was sleeping with me to keep me protected?” She had to know the truth. She had to know who was in on it.

Surprise lit his eyes, then amusement. “Oh yeah. I forgot. Cade’s dick gets hard for every damsel in distress he meets. Get serious, Marly.”

Marly lowered her head, relief rushing through her.

“I heard him talking to Rick Glaston. Rick told Cade to keep me in his room, and Cade said that was why I was there to begin with,” she told him softly, the pain of it still present in her voice.

Sam frowned. He sniffed thoughtfully, then pursed his mouth in consideration.

“And you believed it?” Sam asked her, narrowing his eyes on her. Marly shrugged. “He said it, Sam.”

He belched softly, then leaned back, his eyes never leaving hers.

“He hurt you, huh?” He frowned at the thought of that.

“Yeah.” Marly lowered her head, her fingers picking at a loose thread in the knees of her well-worn jeans. “He did.”

“So you two had a huge fight, and you’re refusing to have sex with him, and he’s now on the defense trying to worm his way back into your pants?” Sam laughed at this, shaking his head. “I love it. I couldn’t have planned this one better myself.”

Marly’s eyes narrowed. “You sure that bullet didn’t travel to your brain, moron?”

He chuckled again.

“It’s perfect. See, Marly. Knothead has no idea just exactly how much he does love you. He’s been fighting it for years. Now, he’s gonna have to come off his little island long enough to prove it.” He nodded as though it had been his plan all along. Marly blinked.

Lora Leigh

Marly’s Choice

147

“You know, Sam. I’m real glad I’m not blood relation to you in particular, because you are certifiably insane. And I really don’t want to pass that gene to my children later.”

He looked at her in amazement.

“Hell, Marly, Cade’s my brother. Course it’ll get passed.”

“Not if I never touch him again,” she snarled, thinking about last night, the domination, the wild pleasure. The self-confidence of a man who knew what he was doing and what he wanted.

“Whoa!” He blinked now, amazement crossing his face. “You look like you mean that, Munchkin.”

Marly rolled her eyes. She hadn’t spoken to Cade since the night before. Since her last gasping moan, her last desperate plea deep into the night as he used the large rubber dildo in sync to his own deep thrusts inside her body as he whispered to her. Reaffirming the wild rumors, warning her, daring her to push him into it. Daring her to make the choice by denying him, by whispering the forbidden word, ‘no’.

“Son of a bitch, I get laid up here in the hospital and all the good shit starts happening and I can’t even be blamed for it,” he moaned. “When did you decide to grow teeth anyway?”

“When my lover decided to fuck me to keep me from getting killed instead of because he just couldn’t keep his hands off me,” she informed him bitterly. When her lover had jerked her out of the fairy tale she would have been content to live in. Marly didn’t like the things she was learning about herself, or the depraved images her lover had put in her head.

“You think so, huh?” He asked her softly. “Interesting.”

“You don’t act convinced.” Marly crossed her arms over her breasts as she watched his psuedo-innocent expression.

His brows arched.

“Brother Sam knows many things, little Munchkin,” he chuckled. “But trust me, you’re way off base. But give him hell anyway; he needs it. You always were too agreeable with him.”

Marly sighed in resignation, watching him with his former morose expression. She had expected Sam to be just a tad bit more sympathetic to her plight here.

“Tell me, Marly, what’s the one thing about Cade that you love the most?” he finally asked her gently.

She lowered her head, fighting to control the hurt and the tears.

“Come on. There has to be one thing,” he urged softly, his hazel eyes velvet soft as he watched her with affection.

She lifted a shoulder negligently.

Lora Leigh

Marly’s Choice

148

“Let me see, we’ve had a lot of conversations in the past,” he mused quietly. “But the one thing that comes to mind, is the fact that Cade is always so determined. No matter what, to see to your happiness, your safety, your smiles and your pleasure. You’ve always been in awe of that, haven’t you Little Sister?”

She looked up at him with a frown. “That has nothing to do with it.”

How could he have her pleasure in mind? Her needs uppermost. He wanted to share her. He wanted to watch her writhe under the touch of his brothers’ hands. Marly shook off the flare of excitement, attributing it instead to fear and disgust. She wouldn’t enjoy such a thing, she couldn’t.

“Doesn’t it, Marly?” he asked her patiently. “Come on, Marly. Cade wouldn’t make love with you if he loved you like a sister or a niece. He wouldn’t be so concerned with all those things in any other instance unless he loved you like a woman. Cade just doesn’t realize it yet.”

Marly shook her head. “You’re wrong, Sam,” she denied painfully. “I wish you weren’t, but you are. It’s not love, as much as I wish it were.”

Sam sighed roughly. “Come here, Munchkin, if you have to cry, at least let me pet you while you do it.”

Marly shook her head. She couldn’t go into his arms. She couldn’t. Did he get hard when he held her? Did his mind fill with sexual thoughts, sexual needs? Her hands shook as she remembered her own flare of desire the other morning, the hot flush of arousal at his touch. The information Cade had given her only made it worse. Could she handle it now, without wondering—

“Marly?” He tilted his head, his blue eyes quizzical and faintly hurt. “You won’t let me hold you?”

She couldn’t hurt Sam. She couldn’t let her fears do this to her. They wouldn’t force her. She knew they wouldn’t. But could she keep herself from wanting?“Now, here’s what you’re gonna do,” he advised her quietly at he patted her shoulder. “You’re gonna give him hell for being a knothead. And he deserves it. But be careful, Marly, because he can be hurt, too. And you are the only person guar-an-damn-teed to be able to hurt, Cade.”

“I couldn’t hurt, Cade,” she whispered. “Even now, when it hurts so bad, Sam. I can’t hurt him.”

“That’s because you love him. And I know Cade didn’t deliberately hurt you. He’s just a little fried in the brain from all that rough and ready kitchen sex you two have been having. Dangerous for the mental faculties there, Marly-girl,” he told her halfseriously. “Not to mention my mental well-being. I’m young and impressionable, ya know?”

“Yeah, sure you are. I heard about you too, Big Boy,” she muttered. “Dillon Carlyle has nothing on your little exploits.”

At least he had the grace to blush.

Lora Leigh

Marly’s Choice

149

“Get the hell out of that bed, Marly.” She jerked in surprise at Cade’s furious voice as he spoke from the bottom of the bed.

She frowned. “Don’t you get tired of skulking around?” she asked him irritably, but didn’t move from Sam’s arms.

“Last warning.” She was amazed to see his face flushed, his eyes dark with fury.

“Get the hell out of that bed and let’s go.”

“Damn, Cade, I can’t even have sympathy now.” Sam was more than put out with Cade’s attitude as well if his rough voice was anything to go by. “What the hell is your problem anyway?”

Cade’s eyes flashed with dark fire.

“Eager to start already, Marly?” he asked her coolly, his look suggestive as he flung his threat in her face.

Marly tensed with her own anger, and felt Sam do the same. It wasn’t jealousy. It was need. She could see the lust riding Cade, the inner fury at himself, not at her. But it hurt all the same.

“Damned good thing I’m laid up, Cade,” Sam bit out. “Cause we’d fight for that one.”

He hugged Marly tightly for a second, then lifted his arm from her shoulder.

“Remember what I told you, sweet thing.” He winked slowly, but there was no amusement in his smile. “I’ll be home in a few days, I promise.”

“Thanks, Sam.” She kissed his cheek softly, then rose from beside him, moving quickly past Cade. “Maybe when you come home, asshole will be in a better mood. Or I’ll be gone.”

She heard Cade curse behind her, but continued until she was outside the door, and standing silently in the hall, staring in silent determination at Rick and Brock as they blocked her way. She sighed deeply, fighting for patience and tolerance as she faced them.

“One of these days,” she mused. “Some big dumb man is gonna stand in my way at the wrong time.”

“Long as there ain’t no crazies stalking in the shadows at the time, then I’m with you, honey.” Rick’s lips quirked in amusement as he watched her. Breathing out as she raised her eyes heavenward, she sat down in a hard plastic chair and resigned herself to waiting, if a bit impatiently, for Mr. Ass to decide to leave.

* * * * *

Cade wanted to hit someone. Preferably Sam. But how do you hit a man that took a bullet for you? He escorted Marly into the waiting limo, watching as she moved to the far corner of the seat. He sighed wearily, entering and closing the door behind him. Lora Leigh

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He allowed his head to fall back and rest along the seat, closing his eyes tiredly. Marly was, once again, not speaking to him. She sat in stubborn silence, staring outside the tinted window, her arms crossed over her breasts. Her long hair was tied back, falling over her shoulder, shielding most of her face, and her expression. She was beautiful in her anger, but he was getting tired of seeing her so damned mad. He couldn’t make her understand, no matter how hard he tried. Hell, he didn’t understand his feelings sometimes himself. All he knew was that he needed her. Needed her unlike anything he had ever needed in his life.

“What do you want, Marly?” He was tired of fighting with her. He wanted to hold her; he wanted her close to him. Just in his arms if nothing else. He hated frightening her. He hated pushing her. He wanted her, needed her.

“I don’t want anything, Cade.” Her voice was calm, cool. She didn’t look at him, didn’t acknowledge his presence in any way other than to simply answer him.

“I’m tired of saying I’m sorry,” he sighed. “I’m who I am, Marly. I warned you of this.”

“A liar?” She turned to look at him with haunted eyes. “I never thought you would lie to me, Cade. Until now.”

“I didn’t lie to you.” He raked his fingers though his hair impatiently. “I couldn’t have resisted much longer, Marly. You know that as well as I do. But the threat against you terrified me. It just sped things up.” Frustration and aggravation lined his voice.

“This isn’t even about that anymore, Cade,” she told him hoarsely. Cade knew what it was about. She was worried, concerned. But she wasn’t running.

“Is it about the sex?” he bit out. “Dammit, you enjoyed it. I know you did.”