Mara McBain (14 page)

Gen’s long fingers trailed over his chest, combing through the patch of blonde hair and tracing the hard planes. Her voice was a contented sigh.

“Thank you.”

“My pleasure, darlin',” he replied with a rumble of laughter. His gaze darted to her face as she saucily tweaked his nipple.

“Not just for that,” she said, eyes sparkling in mischief as she leaned to kiss the offended nub, “for everything today and especially for letting Adrienne stay.”

“This is your home, too, and she seems important to you.”

“I love her like a sister. She helped me through times when I wasn’t sure I was going to make it. She has such a big heart. She deserves better than to be treated like some tawdry fling by the likes of Clark.”

Not knowing what to say to that, Trey stroked her hair and kissed the top of her head. He had a feeling that relationship had been every bit as much a financial decision for Adrienne as theirs had been, if on a different level. Lucky for Gen, he wasn’t looking for an advantageous match, just an amicable one. Clark might regret going after the money. A grateful woman was a lot better to deal with than a greedy one.

His wife’s walking fingers pulled him back to the moment. They prowled down his belly to splay over his navel and ruffle the fur there in a swirling stroke. Sliding down his side, she planted little kisses across his flat stomach. He sucked in his breath as her tongue teased his navel. She giggled.

“I love how…solid you are.”

“Are you calling me fat, woman?” he asked, raising an incredulous eyebrow at her.

“No. I don’t know any other word for it,” she said, laughing and shaking her head so her nose rubbed across his stomach.

He drew in a breath at the tickle of her hair and cupped the back of her head. She peeked up at him, humor and something else lurking in those unbelievable eyes. He shook his head. This was the woman who had described herself as plain. How wrong she’d been.

“My father was fat. Even when we were starving, his gut never really went away, but his face was drawn, and you saw it in his arms and legs. A lot of men that started out fit, their stomachs became sunken and their ribs showed like the women and children,” she said, the smile leaving her face at the memories. Her gaze dropped to his body as her hands ran over his core. “You’re muscular and solid, and as much as your size makes me feel safe, that physical reminder that you haven’t been starving makes me feel secure. Does that make sense at all to you?” 

Her words were like a mule kick to the gut. He’d admitted to himself, and even to Cole, that he’d pulled her from poverty, but she painted a picture that tugged at his heart strings and made him feel guilty. He’d never gone hungry a day in his life. There’d been times growing up that money had been real tight, or that they’d cut river grass to feed stock when it was dry, but there’d always been food on the table, be it from the farm or hunting. Even now, with the work and food shortages in the larger cities and the drought on the plains, their valley remained green and insulated for the most part.

Trey combed his fingers through her silky hair. He’d used her troubles to his advantage. It had been to his benefit that this beautiful woman didn’t take things like food, heat, or a bed to sleep in for granted. He’d offered her the bare bones of living and justified his treatment of her by her appreciation. When had he grown so callous? He frowned, shaking his head. Everything about Genevieve was the polar opposite of Catherine. Was it possible women were that different? Was she playing his emotions? If tonight was his thanks for a new winter coat, did he care? He shook his head again, trying to clear the jumble of his thoughts.

“That’s not something you need to worry about anymore,” he said, the words sounding awkward even to his ears. “And if my being big as a horse makes you feel secure, who am I to argue?”

Gen giggled, trying to hide her face in his chest again. He tilted her chin up to confront her mischievous grin.

 She waggled her eyebrows at him lasciviously, and he burst into laughter protesting: “I didn’t say hung like a horse!”

“If the shoe fits.”

He laughed harder and gave her a squeeze as she drew a horseshoe shape on his chest. Drawing her lips to his, he kissed her until she forgot about her silliness and wrapped her arms around his neck. Releasing her lips, he kissed her freckled nose and smiled at her.

“Let’s get cleaned up, brat.”

He shook his head as Gen practically ran down the hall to the bathroom. It amused him that she could be shy after being so wanton in his bed. He liked that duality in his wife. Stepping up behind her at the vanity, he pressed close, watching his big hands cover her breasts in the mirror. Her eyes widened as he rubbed against her shapely behind. Her gaze darted to the door, and he reached over to push it shut before continuing to knead her breasts. His desire so soon surprised him.

Bracing her hands against the counter, Gen pushed her hips back, matching the slow rotation he was setting. He growled in her ear, loving the feel of her body grinding back against him. He nuzzled her ear, breathing in the smell of her. Her breath came in a ragged pant. He loved her passion.

“Oh, God yes,” he groaned. “So damn hot, baby.”

He let one hand glide down her body, admiring the fine sheen of sweat that made her glow. Slipping his finger between her puffy lower lips, he caressed her ear with his lips.

“Are you sore?”

She shook her head, her lips parting as he continued to tease. What the hell was she doing to him? Skin flushed and coppery hair in erotic disarray, he wanted to press her against the mirror and watch those eyes while he made love to her. Damn, she was beautiful. He wanted to ask her if she wanted this, but looking at her face he was convinced she did. Pulling her hips back further, he bent his knees to thrust up into her.

A cry tore from her lips as she went up on tip toe. Wrapping his fist in the copper tresses at her nape, he pressed close, looking over her shoulder to watch her in the mirror while he took her. His thrusts were short and powerful, driving gasping sobs from her throat. Heart hammering in his chest, he searched her face for a clue to what she was feeling. Had she really said she loved him? He trailed his lips down the slender column of her neck. What the hell did love look like? Once he’d thought he’d known, only to watch the woman walk out of a hotel with another man. Why hadn’t he been good enough for her? How many times had she spurned his sexual advances with her bullshit excuses? Why did women have to play games? Frustration lent a roughness to his desire. Tugging her head back by the fistful of hair he held, he growled in her ear.

“Beg me for it.”

She shuddered, her lips parting on a scream, his name coming out in a plea.

“Treyyyy! Pleeasee.”

He thrust harder, driving her onto her toes until she tumbled over the edge and he fell with her.

Trey hesitated in doorway taking in the green and gold kimono robe. He must’ve made a sound because Adrienne whirled, fumbling the empty coffee cup she held. Her pointed little chin came up defiantly, and he fought a smile. She was a feisty little thing.

“Did you sleep well?” he asked.

“Once I grew accustomed to the…sounds of the house, I slept like an angel,” she said, her lips pursing in a smirk.

“I’m glad that’s not going to be an issue for you. I had to tell our last houseguests if they didn’t like it they could find other accommodations.”

“You don’t mince many words do you, Mr. McCade?”

“Nope. I’ve found saying what you mean and meaning what you say saves time.”

“Do you appreciate that in others, no matter the gender?” she asked, the honey dripping off her words almost too sweet to swallow.  

“I do, Miss Lachance,” Trey confirmed and waited. They sized one another up for a long moment, and he wondered what was going on behind her shamrock gaze.

“Good morning, Adri. I’m sorry to have kept you waiting,” Gen said, sweeping into the kitchen to give her friend a hug. “Thank you for starting the coffee.”

Adrienne stepped back from the hug with a smile and didn’t protest when Gen handed him the first cup of coffee. Blowing across the top of it, he offered Adrienne a small salute. The purse of her lips and the sparkle in her eyes warned that their conversation wasn’t over. He found himself looking forward to it.

“I’m going to get to the chores. I’ll collect the eggs this morning.”

Gen turned, a protest on her lips, but he stopped it with his forefinger and shook his head. She took a little breath but then kissed his finger softly in acquiesce. He gave her a warm wink and, handing off his coffee mug, headed for the barn.

Adrienne’s eyes narrowed in thought as she watched the big man leave the house. Trey was no dumb country bumpkin. The man was sharp. What kind of husband he was, was still to be decided and if he liked blunt, he was going to love her. She’d watched her mother be a punching bag for years without being able to stop it and when she’d met Genevieve, she’d promised herself she wouldn’t allow that to happen to the innocent redhead. She’d had mixed feelings when the local priest had played matchmaker with a man so far away. There hadn’t been anything for Gen in New York, but she’d hated seeing her go off alone.

It was funny how fate worked. When she’d needed to get out of the city, checking up on her friend had made perfect sense. The new husband had taken her surprise visit a little better than she’d anticipated. Gen’s new brother-in-law had helped. She smiled. Cole was an incredibly handsome man. Though he gave up two or three inches and quite a bit of bulk to his brother, she still estimated Cole to be three or four inches over six feet. The farm work had been kind to the boy. He had the chiseled physique of a Greek God. She wondered if his powerful brother had been sleeker in his youth. She ran her tongue over her lips. Too bad the priest hadn’t set Gen up with Cole. Besides being easier on the eyes, the younger brother seemed more laid back than Trey. 

The big man was a bit controlling it seemed, though she didn’t have a lot to base that on as yet. As much her sense of feminine equality would’ve liked to disagree with him hushing Gen just now, his method had been far from heavy handed, and that wink had been sexy as hell. Her friend had a beautiful blush to her cheeks this morning. The sounds from the night before had picked up again this morning. It seemed Gen hadn’t been exaggerating about that part of the marriage going well. Lucky girl. Feeling her friend’s gaze on her, she smiled and shook herself from thought.

“What can I do to help?”

“Are you okay this morning?” Gen asked softly, worry obvious in the way she nibbled her bottom lip.

“I’m fine. I’m just trying to adapt to a new schedule. You know me. I’m usually just finding my bed when you’re crawling out of yours here on the farm.”

“Trey is an early riser,” Gen said with a relieved smile. “Maybe you can sneak a nap in this afternoon. That’s what Rose did while they were staying with us.” 

“Who’s Rose?”

“Trey and Cole’s Uncle Wade ran into some financial difficulty like so many others right now and brought his new wife, Rose, and their little girl Lilly to stay with us for a while.”

Adri frowned. She recognized fear in her friend’s voice. She’d heard it often enough when Gen was having problems with her father.   

“You haven’t been married long and everyone is just encroaching on your privacy!” she exclaimed, trying to lighten the mood. It worked. Gen giggled.

“It doesn’t slow Trey down any. In fact, he may take it as a challenge.”

“If last night is any indication, you may be right,” she teased and laughed as Gen flushed a becoming shade of red. “I guess you weren’t kidding when you said you do that part well!”

“Now I’m getting morality and manner lessons from you?” Gen scoffed, biting her lip to hold back the giggles.

“Your husband can thank me later for teaching you everything you knew on the subject,” Adrienne said smugly.

“You’re awful,” Gen giggled, biting her lip as she tried to focus on the sausage patties she was frying. They stole a peek at each other as Adrienne started to slice the bread for the French toast. “I would’ve been scared to death if you hadn’t at least told me what to expect,” Gen admitted.

“It’s something your mother would’ve shared with you if she had been here. I didn’t want you to go into your wedding night completely blind. I had no idea how much experience your groom had or if he knew his way around a woman. He’s lucky I didn’t insist on being there.”

Gen snorted, biting her lip and shaking her head desperately. Laughter bubbled forth and she half-heartedly threw her dishtowel at Adrienne. She backed away from the stove as tears started to roll down her cheeks and she held her ribs.

“I can just imagine the look on Trey’s face if you’d tried that,” she howled, still shaking her head.

Adri fanned her with the towel, laughing with her.

“Are you two okay in here?” Cole asked, staring from one to the other from the mudroom door.

The harder they tried to pull it together, the harder they laughed until both were sitting on the kitchen floor. Shaking his head, Cole stepped over to the stove to rescue the sausage. Turning off the burner, he looked back at them, bemusement twisting his handsome features. He backed toward the door, still shaking his head.

“Anyway, there’re the eggs if you need them. Try not to hurt yourselves while we finish the chores.” 

The cling of green silk on Adrienne’s delectable curves haunted Cole as he strode for the barn. He’d all but convinced himself that he’d exaggerated her beauty in his head, but when he’d stepped into the kitchen she’d taken his breath away. If anything, she was even more beautiful slightly mussed and still in her robe. He was so screwed. He had no idea what they’d been laughing at, but he knew he’d do about anything to keep that joy on her face. Trey was going to have a field day. 

“I was wondering if you were coming back.”

Ignoring his brother’s dry sarcasm, Cole grabbed the milk pail. Trey’s words from the night before looped in his head.
City girls will break your heart.
He’d never forget the pain Catherine had caused his brother. While Trey would never allow others to see it, that faithless bitch had brought the big man to his knees. He liked Gen, but it actually worried him that Trey seemed to be getting quite enamored with his new wife. As pretty as Genevieve was, that Trey put her above Adrienne said that his brother had it bad. Adrienne was stunning, an absolute angel. He groaned and leaned his forehead against the cow’s flank. Enamored didn’t even begin to cover his obsession.

“Didn’t get enough sleep last night?”

“It was a rough night. Blue balls will do that do you,” Cole growled.

“Boy, I’m telling you, take her for a ride if she’ll let you and get her out of your system.”

“Would taking Gen for a
ride
have gotten her out of your system?”

“I told you last night why she works and the songbird won’t. Gen and I ain’t a love thing.”

“So that wasn’t worry on your face when she ran off from Wade or when she decided to play tag with the cars on Main Street?”

“Of course it was worry. She’s my wife and my responsibility.”

“And that’s all it is, huh, big man? She’s just a pretty little responsibility with a convenient hole?”

Trey moved faster than he’d anticipated, catching the back of his collar and hurling him off the milking stool and against the stall wall. He shook his head to clear the cobwebs as his brother’s authoritative forefinger jabbed in front of his face. 

“Watch your mouth, boy. Show some damn respect.”

Cole nodded slowly, a grin spreading across his face.

“Yep, I was mistaken. You obviously don’t care a whit about her,” he drawled.

A growl rumbled from Trey that sounded like it originated in hell. Cole closed his eyes. As fun as goading his brother could be, this was going to hurt. He was jerked up and off his feet by the lapels of his work coat. He only had a moment to brace himself before Trey drove him into the nearest post. The rough hewn oak shuddered under their combined weight and his back complained at the violent treatment. The man was a bull.

“I think you dost protest too much, big man,” he groaned.

“Why do you prod me until I want to kill you?” Trey ground out between clenched teeth.

“Because now that Mama is gone, no one else will do it,” Cole said softly. “Mama would sit there and look at you until you poured your heart out or admitted the truth. Now everyone is afraid of pissing you off. They just nod and go along with whatever bullshit you feed them and yourself. You need at least one person that isn’t afraid to tell you when you’re full of shit.”

Trey let go of his lapels and stepped back, adjusting his Stetson and flexing his fingers. As always, the thought of their mother sobered him, and Cole could see the wheels turning. Straightening against the post, Cole rolled his shoulders, wincing. His brother was a good man, and a smart one, but the wounds Catherine had left behind still festered. He’d hoped that time would heal things, because he had no idea what to do to help Trey move on. All he knew was that this bitterness toward women wasn’t the Trey he’d grown up with. His brother loved women. He’d championed every damn girl in the school at one time or another, even taking on a teacher when he’d felt the man was wrong.

“Look, I don’t know that there could ever be something between Adrienne and me. You might be completely right, but you need to quit putting restrictions on what your marriage is or isn’t and what you’re allowed to feel just because you might get hurt again. You decided to take this chance with Gen. You owe it to her to let her try and be a real wife to you. Otherwise you could very well lose her.”

Trey’s eyes hardened and his big hands curled into fists. He leaned close. The low timber of his voice made the hair on Cole’s nape stand on end.

“Let’s get one thing straight. That ain’t happening again. Wade was a free pass because I know the type of predator he is. The next man that touches my wife is a dead man and she better pray she can convince me of her innocence or I’ll make her life hell.”

 Gen turned from the stove with a smile as Trey entered the kitchen, but he walked straight to the head of the table and took a seat. She hesitated for a moment then hurried to pour him a cup of coffee and set it in front of him. Adrienne caught her eye and arched a raven brow in question, but she shook her head. She swallowed hard, glad it had been Cole that walked in on their silliness earlier and not her taciturn husband. Heaping a plate with sausage and French toast, she gingerly picked up the small pitcher of hot syrup and served him. Nodding to Adrienne, she encouraged her to take her seat as Cole came in the back door.

Breakfast was a silent affair. Trey shoveled food in without seeming to taste it. Cole didn’t meet his brother’s gaze, let alone engage him. When he was finished, Trey stood and left without a backward glance. Gen opened her mouth as Cole stood with a sigh, but he shook his head and followed his brother from the house. She let out a slow breath and stood to refill their cups.

“That was pleasant,” Adri murmured around a sip.

“I’m so sorry,” Gen whispered, starting the dishwater.

“What’re you apologizing for? Men will be men. Who knows what crawled up his ass and died?”

“Adrienne!” Gen chided, her eyes darting nervously to the backdoor. Her friend threw her hands in the air in innocence. Swirling her hand in the running water, she whipped the dish soap into suds. Cole’s silence led her to believe that he had something to do with her husband’s ill temper. The wind rattled the window over the sink and she studied the clouds, suddenly dreading the idea of a storm that would trap Trey indoors.

“When they’re in this type of mood, it’s best to just leave them to their sulk. I’m sure he will get over whatever it is by dinner,” Adri said, picking up a dishtowel.

“From your lips to God’s ears,” Gen said fervently.

“You know, whatever it is, you didn’t do it.”

“Oh, I know. I just hate to see him upset.”

“Is he upset often?”

“Truthfully, Trey’s moods are dizzying,” Gen admitted softly.

“That has to be hard. Is Cole the same way?”

Gen looked up from the dishes in surprise, her head already shaking in denial. “No. Cole is generally even tempered and has a great sense of humor. Unfortunately, he takes great delight in tormenting his brother.”

“In my experience with brothers, that’s to be expected,” Adrienne said with a smile. “It’s too bad the good father didn’t connect you with the younger brother, or is he already spoken for?”

“Trey is a very good man, Adrienne,” Gen said, her tone disapproving and a little hurt.

“And little brother is extremely handsome, closer to your age, and reportedly even tempered with a great sense of humor. You can’t blame me for wishing for you.”

“Please stop. Cole is a sweetheart, but I wouldn’t trade Trey for anyone.”