This Time, Forever (7 page)

“Look,” she said, scooting as close to him as she dared. “No driver is fired less than a month after being hired. You know that and I know that. Don't stress. My brother's not going to let you go just because of a few bad finishes. I won't let him.”

His eyes never left hers. She saw him shift, felt his hand caress the side of her cheek. “Thank God I have you.”

She leaned her face into him. “See what happens when you get me drunk?”

“You weren't drunk,” he said with a laugh. Marley was glad to hear it. “You were tipsy.”

She smiled. “Ah, yes, tipsy,” she said, wishing he would go on touching her all night. But it was already late, and she had an early morning meeting. As much as she'd love to spend the night in his arms, it wasn't feasible.

“I better get going,” she said.

“Not yet,” he replied softly.

She knew what he was going to do before he did it; she could see the intent in his eyes. And just seeing that spark, knowing that was sexual interest that simmered in his eyes—it caused her own body to ignite. So she didn't draw away. She would be a fool to do so. Somehow, remarkably, she'd managed to capture the attention of this amazing man. If she were honest with herself, there was a part of her that wanted the world to know it.

Her eyes closed of their own volition. She could feel every soft curve of his lips, the pressure of his mouth increasing with every second that passed. She knew what he wanted, resisted opening her mouth. If she did that, she'd lose all sense of reason. She couldn't allow that to happen, not with Gil so close—

His tongue swiped her lower lip.

She moaned. He took advantage of her slightly open mouth. His tongue was warm, and he tasted of coffee and mints. She touched him back, lifted her hands to his chest, not to push him away, but to feel the beat of his heart beneath his shirt. She loved kissing him. Loved touching him even more. There was a part of her—even now—that still couldn't believe she was with Linc Shepherd. And so what would it hurt if she let him kiss her for a minute…just a minute—

“What in the
hell
are you doing?”

They both drew apart, and it didn't take bright lights to see that her brother was stunned to find her in Linc's arms. Worse, he was hurt. She could see how betrayed he felt in his eyes.

“G
IL
,” L
INC SAID,
tugging Marley to his side. “I know this looks bad.”

“You lied to me,” he said, staring at Marley.

“No. Not really. I mean, I told you I was thinking of dating someone in the industry—”

“But Linc Shepherd?” He ran a hand through his hair. “I can't believe you meant Linc.”

“We've been dating for weeks,” Linc felt the need to point out.

It was the wrong thing to say to his boss. Linc felt Marley tense alongside of him.

“Is this true?” Gil asked.

Linc glanced down in time to watch Marley nod miserably. “It is,” she said.

And then Gil's bewildered gaze snagged Linc's. “And you went along with her?”

“He didn't ‘go along' with me.”

“You mean he made the first pass?” Gil asked.

Linc saw Marley look away again.

Gil glared at him next. “I hired you to drive cars, not hop into bed with my sister.”

“Gil!” Marley cried.

The words stung, Linc's guilt compounded by the realization that his boss had a point. He should have been focusing on driving, not Marley. This was his
shot at a comeback and look at what a mess he'd made of it.

“Is this why your finishes have dropped off?” Gil asked.

“No,” Linc said.

But was it? Was Marley the reason why he was so unfocused? Was he shooting himself in the foot careerwise…over a woman? He scrubbed a hand over his face.

“Really,” Gil said, looking between the two of them.

“I wonder.”

Linc wondered, too.

“You hurt me, Marley,” Gil said, his eyes filled with sadness. “You should have been honest with me the other day.”

“I know,” she said, meeting her brother's gaze head-on. “But I didn't want to worry you.”

“So you snuck around behind my back.”

Neither of them said a word. “I'm disappointed in both of you,” Gil said before turning and walking off.

“Gil,” Marley said, stepping away from him.

But her brother was already gone. Marley tried to follow, Linc held her back. “Give him a few hours.”

“He's devastated. It's going to take him longer than that,” Marley said, worry creasing her forehead.

“No, it's not.”

“I've never lied to him before.”

“You had your reasons,” he said.

She met his gaze. “Did I?”

He touched her face, gently turned her toward him. “He'll get over it. You're his baby sister,” he said gently.

She nodded, her eyes sad. “I know.”

“But I don't think of you as a kid anymore.”

Her face softened a bit. “I sure hope not.”

And it was good to know he could kiss her now, really, truly kiss her. But when his lips lowered to hers, she didn't immediately respond. She was stiff in his arms, too.

“What's wrong?” he asked.

She shook her head a bit. “I'm just sorry Gil had to find out this way.”

“It was bound to happen sooner or later.”

She nodded. “Maybe we should cool things off for a bit.”

“No,” he said. “If we do that, it'll look even worse. Like we weren't really serious about each other or something.”

“You think?”

“I know,” he said firmly.

“You're probably right, but I should still get going,” she said. “If I'm not at work on time tomorrow, I'm sure Gil will know. He'll be keeping close tabs on me now.”

Linc released her, though he hated to do so. To be honest, he'd become more and more dependent on her in recent weeks. Not a day went by, sometimes not even hours, when he wasn't talking to her. It amazed him that the bothersome teenage girl had grown into such a complex, fascinating woman.

He refused to give her up. Refused.

“Okay,” he said, giving her a small peck on the lips. “I'll call you in the morning.”

She nodded. But as she walked away, and the drama of the night wore off, he began to wonder if she wasn't right. Gil had every reason to feel betrayed. The man
had put faith in Linc's abilities when no one else would. And what had he done? Linc had slept with his sister, behind the man's back no less.

“Damn,” he muttered. He'd have to go apologize.

And pray to God he didn't get fired.

 

M
ARLEY DREADED
going into work the next morning.

“Gil would like to see you,” Emma-Lee said, pouncing on her in the hallway.

It wasn't even eight o'clock yet. Marley had come in early. To be honest, she'd been hoping to get to work ahead of her brother so she wouldn't bump into him in the parking lot.

Oh, well.

“Okay, thanks,” she said.

“What'd you do?” Emma-Lee said, her blue eyes full of curiosity. “He doesn't look happy.”

Marley shook her head. “Nothing.”

Gil's offices were on the second floor, too, and so as she walked up the steps near the main reception area, her feet felt leaden. She didn't know what he would say to her, but she had a feeling it wouldn't be good. Despite the fact that she was a grown woman, Gil was still her older brother. She felt a lecture coming on.

She knocked on his door lightly, popping her head in before he could answer. “You wanted to see me?” she asked.

He sat behind a large desk—“the throne,” she'd dubbed it—with a window behind him. His office was done in shades of gray; the desk he sat behind made of glass and chrome. He had his chair turned away from the door. Marley realized that he'd watched her cross the parking lot. Terrific.

“Gil?” she said when he didn't immediately turn around. Her mind was filled with trepidation as she entered his office. Slowly, he turned to face her.

The look on his face was enough to make her flinch.

“Sit down,” he said, motioning to one of two chairs in front of his desk.

She didn't want to. She really didn't. Suddenly, she felt about ten years old. “Gil, about last night—”

He held up a hand. She instantly quieted.

“Marley, how many years have you worked for me now?”

Marley gulped, had to wrack her brains for a moment or two. “Since college,” she said. “About seven years now, I guess.”

He nodded, and she had to admit, he looked every inch the big brother sitting there. Face grave. Eyes serious. Back straight. “And have I ever asked you to do something you don't want to do?”

She could tell he'd stayed up all night thinking about what he wanted to say to her. “No,” she said.

“And don't I always have your best interest at heart?”

“Yes,” she said, sinking into her chair.

“Then break things off with Linc.”

“No.”

Gil leaned forward, made a temple out of his hands and tapped them against his mouth. She knew the gesture well. He was trying to formulate his words. He'd done the same thing after she'd set Linc's car on fire. And she
still
couldn't believe she'd done that.

“I don't want you dating him,” he said.

She opened her mouth to protest.

“But not for the reason you might think,” he said.

“I'm going to trust that you know what you're doing.” She relaxed.

“But this is bad timing. Linc's trying to make a comeback, and despite what you say, I'm not convinced you're not the reason why he's been off his game.”

She gulped. Was her brother right? If she'd been honest with herself, that same fear had kept her up half the night.

“Gil—”

“Please, Marley.”

The fight drained out of her. “I'll think about it,” she said. But deep inside she wondered: What if she really
was
the problem? What then? What if, later on, Linc came to the same conclusion? What if he blamed her for his failed comeback?

Dear God, she didn't think she could take that.

“Just don't ask me to do anything right away,” she said, holding up a hand when it appeared as if her brother would say something else. “I need some time.”

He seemed to accept that.

Her shoulders were as heavy as anvils when she turned away. She knew what she had to do. Deep inside, she knew. She just hoped she had the courage to go through with it.

 

“W
HAT DID
he say?”

Linc knew he'd surprised her by the way she jumped. Her hand was to her chest as she turned to face him. “Linc. What are you doing here?”

“What do you mean what am I doing here?” he asked.

“I work here.”

They were in the hallway, not far from her office.
Linc glanced inside a nearby office. It belonged to somebody in marketing, judging by the nameplate on the outside wall. He ducked into it, hoping the office's owner didn't come into work early.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

He'd expected her to follow him, and when she didn't, hooked an arm through hers. “I want to talk to you.”

“We can go into my office,” she said, digging in her two-inch heels. She was dressed in her usual uniform. Black suit, light blue shirt beneath, hair swept back in a ponytail.

“Not if your brother might track you down there.”

He could tell she wanted to tell him that Gil wouldn't do that, but they both knew he might walk down that hall at any moment. She shut the door.

“So?” he prompted.

She glanced over her shoulder, as if worried the owner of the office—or her brother—might burst in on them. “He asked me to break things off with you.”

Linc couldn't keep the disappointment from his face, and he was certain she could see it. “You're not going to listen to him, are you?”

“I think I should,” she said.

“Why?”

“Because I think he's right. I think I might be the reason you're in a slump. I think I owe it to my brother to back off and see. I think taking a breather might be good for us. Everything happened so fast.”

He came forward. “You are not the reason why I'm performing so miserably,” he said, clasping her shoulders with his hands.

She shook her head, her teeth working her lower lip as if she didn't trust herself to speak. When he saw
her chin jut out, he almost groaned. “Are you sure of that? Can you honestly say you haven't felt the tiniest bit guilty about sleeping with the boss's sister?”

Her arrow hit the mark.

“You have, haven't you?”

“Only because I hated sneaking around behind your brother's back.”

“I know. Me, too.”

“We don't have to anymore.” But he could tell by the look in her eyes that she wasn't going to listen to him.

“One of us has to be sensible,” she said. “You've got so much riding on this. So does my brother. We all have a lot at stake. I've spent years and years watching my brother build this team. I'd hate to be responsible for taking it down.”

“Marley,” he said, “that's not going to happen.”

“Do you love me, Linc?”

He drew back in surprise. “Of course I care for you. You know that.”

“Enough to forgive me if it turns out my brother was right? If looking back on things two, three, four years from now you think to yourself, maybe she was right? Maybe I should have focused a little harder?”

“That's not what I would think.”

She shook her head. “But I suppose in the end it doesn't matter. I can't risk it. I can't let my brother down. I can't let
you
down. I can't let the employees of Double S Racing down. Not for a few hours of pleasure.”

“We have more going for us than lust. I care for you.”

“Enough to stick by my side for the rest of our lives?”

He scrubbed a hand over his face.

“Really, Linc?”

He had no answer. He heard himself ask, “Are you saying
you
love me?”

She looked away, nibbled her lips some more. “To be honest, I think I've loved you since I was seventeen.”

He felt his heart drop. “Marley—”

She was backing out of the office. “Goodbye, Linc.”

“Marley, no—”

“This was a mistake,” he heard her say.

“Damn it, it's not a mistake.”

“Stay away from me, Linc. You'll see. This is for the best.”

Two seconds later, the door closed behind her. He slammed his fist against the wall. “Damn it,” he yelled.

But his voice echoed through an empty office.