Heart Of Marley (27 page)

M
ERRY
C
HRISTMAS
! I’
D
BEEN
nervous about today ever since listening to Kristen’s brilliant, but nerve-wracking idea of giving Doug the gift of kink, as I’d been referring to it. I’m pretty sure Jesus would be turning over in his grave if he found out I was celebrating his birthday by allowing my boyfriend to tie me up and do what he wanted with my body. I wonder if Jesus had a kinky side. I’m probably going to hell for even thinking that.

I woke up late this morning and bounded down the stairs to see my mama sitting in the living room by the tree, reading a book. “Merry Christmas, Mama,” I said.

“Merry Christmas, Marley Jane.”

“Where’s Cam?” I asked.

“He’s upstairs. Brianna just called and said she wasn’t feeling well so she wouldn’t be able to make it today. I think he’s a little disappointed.”

I sat down next to her on the couch and she wrapped her arms around me. “I can imagine. I think he was really looking forward to giving her the gift he bought her.”

“What did he get her?”

“She’s had her eye on these pearl earrings. He saved all his tips over the past few months so he could buy them for her.”

Mama shook her head, a brilliant smile on her face. “That’s something your father would have done.” She stared at me with a contemplative look. “Have I ever told you the story about how he proposed to me?”

“No.”

“Well,” she started as I rested my head against her shoulder, “I always went to the dirt track. I loved cars…the sound of the engine, the vibrations when they revved their motors. I just adored it. That’s how I met your father. I had been seeing this guy who had this beautiful sixty-eight Roadrunner, and he would bring it to the track to race every weekend. One day, your father showed up with a sixty-six Firebird that was complete shit. I mean, it was the biggest piece of crap I had ever seen.” She laughed at the memory and I could tell she was still heartbroken that he was gone.

“But that never discouraged him,” she continued. “At first, he just watched the races. He checked out the cars, talked to the guys and, as the months went on, something would be different on that Firebird every single week. One day he showed up, and it didn’t look like the same car it had been six months ago. He completely revamped it. He took his time and was patient. I admired his dedication. This wasn’t just something he did to simply pass the time. It was something that he was passionate about. I wanted that passion in my life.”

I sighed as I recalled my dad’s exuberance for all things car-related. He loved us very much, but when he spoke of cars, there was a spark and vibrancy about him that wasn’t there any other time. I would have wanted that passion in my life, too.

“One day, I approached him to talk about his car, and there was this magnetism there, Marley Jane. I couldn’t remember feeling this way about anyone before. He told me how this was just a side project he had been working on, unbeknownst to his family, while he attended law school. I could tell that they did not approve of his fascination with cars and it killed me to think that someone had been discouraging him from doing what he loved.

“We started dating and I persuaded him to follow his dreams instead of do what was expected or demanded of him. You can probably figure out that this is why his side of the family has never really liked me. He dropped out of law school and became a car mechanic. He didn’t make nearly as much money as he would have made as an attorney, but that didn’t matter. You can’t put a price on happiness. Every week, he would race his Firebird. And nearly every week, he would win. He would take those winnings and put them into a coffee canister. I always wondered what he was saving up for.”

“I know…” I teased.

“Well, one Friday night after we got home from the track, he handed me the roll of cash that he had just won and asked me to go put it in the canister for him. This wasn’t an odd request. I had done it on occasion. But that Friday night in May, over twenty years ago, I opened the canister and in it sat a black velvet box.”

I looked up at my mama and saw tears flowing down her cheeks.

“I spun around and he was standing in the doorway of our bedroom, dressed in the most ridiculous suit I had ever seen. It was horrible, Marley Jane,” she said, laughing and crying at the same time. “Well, he grabbed the canister out of my hands, got down on one knee, and asked me to spend the rest of my life with him.” She glanced at her left hand and toyed with the simple diamond that still sat on her ring finger. “It wasn’t big or extravagant, but I didn’t care about having anything flashy. All I cared about was his love and passion. And I got to enjoy that for ten years.”

“Do you still miss him?” I asked quietly.

“Not one second of any day goes by that I don’t miss him, Marley Jane.” She wiped her tears and her eyes settled on me. “Did you know that he’s the one that picked out your name? We knew we were having twins, but they thought that you were both going to be boys. You can imagine our surprise when you popped out.”

“I never knew that!” I exclaimed, my eyes growing wide, pulling out of her embrace.

“The second the doctor said that you were a girl, your father started sobbing like I had never seen him cry.” She pulled me back into her arms and I looked up at her as she continued her story, “He wanted a little girl so badly, although he would never admit it. We had always said as long as you both arrived happy and healthy, that was all that mattered. Cam was always going to be Cameron Michael. You were supposed to be Declan Joseph.”

“I was supposed to be a Declan?” I said in disbelief. “I’m glad I’m a Marley.”

A genuine smile crossed Mama’s face. “When the doctor turned to us after delivering you, we could sense that something was wrong. We were so worried that you weren’t going to make it. When he said that you were a girl, your father grabbed you out of the doctor’s hands and held you. He whispered ‘Marley Jane’ without giving it a moment’s thought.”

She brushed my hair out of my face. “He loved you very much. And I know he’d be so proud to know what a strong, beautiful, amazing woman that his Marley Jane has become.”

“Thanks, Mama.” I hugged her and thought how different our relationship was since just a few months ago.

“Good. Now that’s out of the way, call Douglas and remind him to bring condoms with him for this weekend.”

I shot out of her arms, my eyes wide with shock. “What do you mean? We haven’t…”

“Marley Jane, I was not born yesterday. I am perfectly aware of what you two were doing up in your room when you were here for Thanksgiving. And you’d have to be a complete idiot to think that I didn’t hear him sneak into your bedroom after I went to sleep. So let’s not pretend. He’s more than welcome to stay here the weekend and sleep in your bedroom with you. I’m not going to be one of those parents that ignores the fact that their child is having sex. I know you are. Just be safe.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“And have fun.”

I giggled. “Don’t worry about that.” I winked, bringing a smile to my mama’s face.

Doug arrived a short while later, and Cam came down to join our small Christmas celebration. I could tell that he was upset about Brianna.

“I’m sorry that Bri couldn’t make it,” I offered as we were washing dishes, allowing Doug and Mama to get to know each other a little better, considering he was sleeping with her daughter and she knew about it.

“Me, too,” he responded. “I just feel like she’s been avoiding me.”

“What makes you think that?”

He shrugged, keeping his attention on the dish he had been drying for the past few minutes. It couldn’t be any drier if it had spent the last several months in the Mojave Desert.

“It’s hard to say. I called her Friday night after I got home from my study group because we were planning to meet at the beach, and she didn’t answer. Then, on Saturday, I went to the gym and she was working at the front desk, but she tensed up when she saw me.”

He lowered his voice. “I noticed a bruise on her arm and when I asked her about it, she flipped out on me. It’s not the first time that’s happened. Maybe it’s not over with Mason. Maybe they’re still fooling around with each other.”

My mind flashed back to Friday night and running into Mason and Grady. Brianna had been working at the gym that night. Did they go find her after they left me?

“Bri would never do that.”

“Then what am I supposed to think?”

“Be patient with her, Cam. It’s nothing. I think you’re so conditioned to think the worst of everyone because of what we went through, you’re trying to find something that’s not there. Hell, I bruise all the time. All I have to do is bump into the couch the wrong way and I have a mark on my leg for weeks. As for her not calling, you know how her mother can be at times.”

He nodded as he continued drying the same dish.

“
It’s fucking dry, Cam
!” I shouted, grabbing it out of his hands and thrusting a wet one at him.

He chuckled. “I was wondering how long it was going to take you to do that.” He nudged me.

“You suck sometimes.”

We continued washing and drying the dishes in silence as the sound of Christmas carols rang through our house.

“Thanks, Mar,” he said.

“For what?”

“For talking some sense into me. I know I’m overreacting. I just… It’s just…”

“I get it, Cam. You love her. And you miss her. You don’t have to explain it to me. You’re preaching to the choir. But you have nothing to worry about with Bri. You should see the dress she got for the New Year’s Eve Gala. All I’m going to say is you better stock up on condoms because you will definitely be needing some.”

His face flashed red and I laughed. I loved embarrassing him.

“Or you can just borrow some of mine.”

“Jesus, Marley Jane. Enough already.”

I stood on my tiptoes and planted a kiss on his cheek.

“You irritate the piss out of me nearly every day,” he said, “but I couldn’t imagine a day without you.”

“Merry Christmas to you, too.”

After finishing the dishes, we went back into the living room and spent the next few hours watching Christmas movies with Mama. I rested my head on Doug’s lap and propped my feet on Cam’s.

“You’ve certainly got both these boys wrapped around your little finger, Marley Jane,” Mama commented as she observed Doug caressing my head and Cam rubbing my feet.

I yawned and stretched. “Yup. I sure do.” I looked into Doug’s eyes and my heart began racing in my chest. “Want to go to bed?”

He nodded eagerly.

I shot off the couch. “Okay. See you tomorrow.” I grabbed Doug’s hand and practically dragged him up the stairs. Closing the door to the bedroom, thankful to finally be alone, I jumped on him, pressing my mouth against his, kissing him like it would be the last time I ever would.

“Damn, Marley,” he said, tearing away from my lips. “What’s gotten into you?”

I brought my bottom lip between my teeth and shrugged, giving him my most coy look. “Nothing. I just missed you. And now that we’re alone, I can give you your real Christmas present. That wallet was
not
your real present, by the way.”

“I’m happy with the wallet. You don’t have to give me anything else.”

I pressed my finger over his mouth, hushing him. “Believe me. I think you’ll want this.” I winked as I slowly unzipped the black dress I had been wearing. Shrugging it over my arms, I allowed it to pool at my feet.

His eyes grew wide, his jaw dropping.

“You like?” I asked as he scanned my body, taking in my red lace bra, matching thong, and a garter belt clipped to my stockings.

He simply nodded. “I’m beginning to really like Christmas.” He drew me into him as he devoured my mouth. His hands roamed my frame, leaving fire in its wake.

“Doug,” I exhaled. “There’s more.”

“More? How could I possibly want anything else?”

I raised my eyebrows. “I’m just full of surprises today.”

Grabbing his tie, I led him toward the bed and pulled him down on top of me. I wrapped my legs around him and forced his mouth against mine. I could tell he was unsure about how I would react to him being on top of me. It had usually been the other way around, but that needed to change.

Reaching for the bag that I had placed on the nightstand, I handed it to him. “Here. Open it.”

“Can I open you first?”

I shook my head. “No. That one first. It’ll make opening me more fun.”

I could feel him harden against me as he reached into the bag and began to rummage through the tissue paper. He pulled out the first item he came across, his eyes narrowing in lust and uncertainty at the same time.

“Marley… You don’t have…”

“Doug,” I interrupted. “I trust you. I love you with all my heart and I know you love me. I want you to feel free to do what you like when we’re having sex. I know we’re both kind of new at this so we’ll figure out what we both like together. I’d be lying if I said the idea of you handcuffing me wasn’t a big turn-on. I got a little wet buying those.”

He groaned and licked my lips as if begging for permission to enter. Grabbing my wrists in his hands, he raised them over my head as his tongue caressed mine. I smiled when I heard the click of the handcuffs.

He nipped on my earlobe and began lowering himself down my body.

“There’s more,” I exhaled.

“More?”

“Yup.”

He returned his attention to the gift bag and pulled out the eye mask. “Are you sure, Marley?”

“Douglas Evan, if my kinky ass boyfriend didn’t have me handcuffed to the bed right now, I’d slap him.” I winked.

He laughed and raised my head, slipping the eye mask over my face, my world growing dark.

“Holy shit,” I breathed.

“What?” He quickly removed the mask, his face awash with concern.

“Don’t you dare! Put it back on. It’s the coolest thing ever.” I giggled. “It heightens the rest of my senses, especially touch.”

He lowered the mask back over my eyes, his breath dancing on my lips. A sensual tingle spread through my body. “This is fucking hot. You need to try it sometime.”