The Lawson Boys: Marty (13 page)

Limbs going
liquid, she melted against him. A big hand palmed her head and then
long fingers were twining in her hair, angling her head expertly so
that, unbelievably, he could delve even deeper into her mouth.

Another big
hand, this time on her bottom, fingers digging into her ample
flesh, a tickle on the backs of her legs, and then shockingly a
calloused palm was slipping beneath the waistband of her panties to
slide down and grip one buttock, long fingers caressing, following
the cleft where her bottom cheeks met.

God above, she
was going to go on fire! Blistering heat was spiralling through her
and she strained closer and closer to the man who was surely going
to make her combust, and-

Abruptly his
magic, carnal mouth left hers, his big palm was gone from her
bottom, and as she stood there, swaying and more than a little
dazed, she could only blink up at Marty in dreamy confusion.

“Belle, I’m
sorry.” He spoke quietly, huskily, and his eyes burning down into
hers were filled with regret. “I didn’t mean for this - oh hell,
yes, I did, but-”

“Marty!”

“Coming, Dad!”
Marty called back over his shoulder before he turned once more to
face Belle. “Look, I-”

It was like a
bucket of cold water had been thrown over her. Belle shoved at
Marty and to his credit he moved back, though he kept his hands
hovering outwards as though to steady her.

God, yes, she
needed steadying, but not from him.

“J-just go,”
she stammered, her cheeks flaming.

Oh God, how
mortifying! He’d had his hands on her massive backside and her
thunder thighs each side of his muscular thigh. He must have felt
every flabby bit of her, no wonder he was sorry!

Thrusting one
hand through his hair, Marty looked down at her. “Belle, it was
just going to be a kiss, just-”

“I know. I
know!” Oh God, how she did know. “It got out of hand.” Though how
the hell that could happen with her, the angels in heaven only
knew. “You got your kiss, now go.” Hands shaking, she attempted to
straighten her skirt.

Big hands
brushed hers aside and Marty pulled her skirt straight, tugging it
down, and she could only gape at him.

“Okay.” He
swiped his hand through his hair again, his grin a little rueful
this time. “You look decent.” His gaze dropped to her chest and
darkened. “Kind of.”

Looking down,
she groaned and hurriedly done up the four buttons gaping open,
wondering when he’d even had time to undo them. God, the man had
hands and fingers like an octopus!

Not knowing
where to look or what to say, Belle turned away. “You have to
go.”

“Belle-”

“Please, Marty,
just go.”

There was
silence for several seconds.

“Marty!” Mr
Lawson’s shout was closer.

“Coming now.”
Marty called back, a trifle impatiently.

Oh thank God.
Belle wanted to cry, groan and swear all at once. Her cheeks were
hot - scratch that, her entire body was hot.

“Belle, look at
me.”

Not in this
lifetime. She started walking fast towards the bed. “I have to pack
and you have to go. Goodbye, Marty.”

There was
silence for several seconds before Marty swore. She heard the door
open and gave a sigh of relief when it shut again. Thank God he was
gone, thank-

“Belle, look at
me.”

He wasn’t gone.
Sweet Jesus. “You’re going to be late.”

“If you don’t
look at me right now, Belle, I’m coming over to you.”

How could such
a threat sound so hot, sexy and threatening all at once? Mutely,
Belle slowly pivoted around but she couldn’t meet his eyes, instead
keeping her gaze on his jaw. That oh, so firm jaw.
Down,
girl.

“This isn’t
finished.”

“It is.”

“No, it isn’t.”
That jaw tightened. “I’ll be back.”

That had her
gaze flying up and she was taken aback by the darkness of his
brilliant blue eyes. “No need. I understand.”

“Do you?”

“Yes.” No.

“I’ll be back.
Be here.”

The order had
her stiffening, embarrassment or not. “Maybe I will be, maybe I
won’t. You don’t get to tell me what to do just because you amused
yourself with a little groping.”

He took one
step forward, only to halt as his father called his name
impatiently once more. Yanking the door open, he backed out, but
just outside the door he pointed at her and said softly and
dangerously, “Be here.” The door shut firmly behind him as he
turned away.

Belle nearly
crumpled on the spot, barely making it to the bed where she plopped
down on the edge of it and stared at the closed door.

What had just
happened?

She’d been
kissed, that’s what had happened. Kissed very hotly,
very…physically. His taste was still in her mouth and she could
swear she could still feel his hot, calloused palm on her
bottom.

Sweet Jesus
have mercy, what she wouldn’t give to feel that again, but part of
her cringed at the thought of the tall, muscular body, a perfect
example of a man in his prime, a man who’s body and face had women
taking third and fourth looks in his direction, pressed up against
her own body. Her body that was so far from perfect. Too round, too
full, and definitely not a body at which men bothered to take even
a second look.

The thought had
a chill flushing out the warmth, vanquishing any tendrils of heat
that were still curling languidly through her. Trevor had said he
loved her body, had wined and dined her, made her see romance where
there was obviously none, and he’d expertly seduced her, even
giving in to her plea to make love in the dark so he wouldn’t see
her imperfections. Come to think of it, it hadn’t taken much
pleading and look how that had ended up. He’d taken her virginity,
slept with her twice more - in the dark, to make her feel better,
he’d said - and then blithely gone off to marry his
fiancée
.

Dropping her
face into her hands, she groaned in renewed mortification. Trevor
had no doubt laughed about it to his friends, shared the saga of
how easy it was to pop the fat girl’s cherry, all he had to do was
whisper sweet nothings in her ear and she’d fallen on her back like
a tipped over turtle. No wonder he’d been happy to have sex in the
dark, no wonder he hadn’t quibbled, not even once. Her thunder
thighs weren’t exactly on par with his glamorous bride’s that’s for
sure.

And damn it,
Marty was Trevor’s friend, close or not, and he’d talked to Marty.
Talked
to him for God’s sake! Had he also shared what he’d
felt while he’d had sex that night with her? All flab and rolls and
like screwing a beached whale?

Whoa
.
Realising that she was mentally tearing herself down, Belle
straightened and shook her head. No, she was worth more than that,
she wasn’t going to tear herself apart. What she had to do was go
home and push this whole unpleasant episode deep down in a dark
corner of her mind.

As for being at
the mansion when Marty returned, she had no idea if he meant that
night or the next day, but she certainly didn’t intend to be alone
with him again, even if it meant locking the bedroom door.

Right now, she
wouldn’t trust the male of the species as far as she could kick
them.

Now if she
could only smother the memory of his magic, hot mouth on hers…

~*~

The universe
was conspiring against him. Marty cursed as he waited for the taxi.
The meetings he had yesterday and the paperwork needing to be done
ASAP at the office had kept him late into the night and way too
late to go to his parent’s place to seek out Belle, he didn’t have
her mobile number to ring her from home, this morning his car was
dead for some unknown reason that his brother Alex would have
understood, and now the taxi was late.

Marcia had rung
him at the crack of dawn, interrupting a boner-causing dream that
involved Belle with her lush body and silky curls that had
entrapped him in a siren’s caress. The fact that he could hear the
early morning aerobic class in the background didn’t put him in a
good frame of mind. Personally, he thought ringing anyone in the
early morning was poor taste.

However, that
had never stopped Marcia. She’d rung to ensure he hadn’t forgotten
their date that night and without letting him get a word in
edgewise, she’d nattered on about what she was going to wear, the
new aerobics instructor who was, apparently, a tart in lycra who
didn’t know what she was doing, and the fact that the gym had run
out of apple juice, a heinous crime.

By the time
Marty managed to cut her off with the excuse of his business phone
ringing, he was no longer in the mood to go back to bed and try to
recapture the boner-causing dream. Marcia had well and truly killed
the mood, and he was also too much awake now to drift off.

Sugar bounced
around his feet demanding attention, so he dressed in shorts and
t-shirt, clipped on her little pink lead and took her for a walk
around the street. The fact that his girly dog was dressed in pink
and his friends laughed didn’t worry Marty at all. There were worse
things happening in the world, and if Sugar was happy, so was
he.

If he could
figure out the issue of Belle, he’d be even happier.

As he walked
along, he dwelled on the previous days happenings. Belle leaving
had surprised him, though he could understand why she did it, but
what he didn’t understand was his reaction to it. He’d gone
upstairs simply to say goodbye. At least that had been the
intention at the forefront of his mind. Who knew what had been
simmering in the back of his mind, because one look at her with her
eyes snapping fire had had his libido firing up in turn. Meaning to
claim one kiss, it had burnt totally out of control.

Totally.

Holy cow,
totally
.

Her lush body
was so soft against him, generous curves nestled close and the
sweet scent of her inflaming his senses. He felt like he could
drown in those brilliant pools of green, those eyes that held so
much passion and sorrow and confusion. And heat.

God, the heat.
That lush body was all heat.

And now she was
going home. Just that knowledge alone had him cutting short the
walk and heading for home, much to Sugar’s indignation, which he
fixed by cradling her in his arms as he walked the last block home.
Lying back in his arms, little feet dangling, she’d happily watched
the world go past.

A quick shower
and he should have been in the car and off to his parent’s mansion
in time to talk Belle out of leaving straight away. He wanted to
explore this startling turn in their relationship a lot more. But
then his business phone had rung, curse it, and he’d been stuck
dealing with last minute hitches, resulting in several other calls
he had to make, none of which he could do in the car on his mobile
while driving.

By the time
he’d sorted everything out and finished the calls, it was getting
late. A dash to his car and his hopes dashed in turn as it refused
to start. Not wasting time, he’d called a taxi and now here he
stood waiting for the taxi which was running late.

Glancing at his
watch, he swore. It was now going on for ten fifteen. He’d have to
hot-foot it to the airport terminal instead of his parent’s
house.

The taxi
finally pulled in and he practically threw himself into the
backseat. “The domestic airport and don’t spare the horses!”

The driver
backed out onto the street. “Late?”

“Whatever gave
you that idea?” Marty phoned his parent’s house and his mother
answered on the third ring. “Mum, has Belle left?” Stupid
question.

“Yes, dear.
Why? Is something wrong?”

“No.” Yes.
Maybe. Shit, he didn’t really know. Talk about confused. “Do you
have her mobile phone number?”

“No, I
don’t.”

Damn.

“Okay.”

“Marty, are you
sure everything is all right?”

“Its fine,
Mum.”

“Okay. Your
father is going to be at the office today. Cindy has the background
paperwork on the Rawlins franchise and he wants to go through it
with you and see what you think.”

“No worries.
I’ll be there by twelve. Gotta go, Mum. See you.” He flicked the
phone shut and leaned back in the seat, watching the houses flash
by as the taxi continued onwards.

At the rate
they were going, he’d be bloody lucky to even find Belle in the
terminal.

Even that hope,
however, was dashed when the taxi was forced to halt due to a
traffic jam. With a mental groan, Marty slumped back and closed his
eyes.

“Guess you’re
not going to make the airport in time after all,” the taxi driver
commented easily. “What time is your plane?”

“It leaves at
eleven.”

“Huh.” The taxi
driver checked his watch. “Hate to tell you this…”

“Yeah, I know.
I’m missing the plane.” Goddamn it.

“You might want
to call ahead and see if you can get the next flight.”

“It’s not my
plane.”

“Meeting
someone?”

“Seeing them
off.” Not wanting to talk anymore, Marty moodily stared out of the
window.

Damn it, damn
it, damn it. After a few minutes of silence he relaxed and sighed.
Maybe it was for the best. He didn’t really know Belle, he’d
probably feel a lot differently in a day or two. He just had to
give it a day or so, get back into his routine, and the memory of
Belle would fade. The kiss was magical, sure, but maybe it wasn’t
as magical as he remembered it. Maybe…

Maybe he was
just an idiot.

What was he
doing, anyway? Chasing after a woman he didn’t know, his usual
smooth self vanishing to be replaced with going all caveman the
previous night and ordering her to wait for him, and now he was
chasing her plane.

Not cool. Not
cool at all.