The Clarke Brothers (Complete Series)

by Lilian Monroe

  When he comes back with peanut butter sandwiches, she looks at the plate of food and nods.

  “That was quick,” she says. “Thank you, Dominic.” And then she sends him to chop some wood.

  He glances at Mara, and then nods his head. I can see the relief in his eyes when he walks out of the room. Zoe keeps her head down and prepares all the towels and buckets and bits and pieces that the doctor told her to. She gets basins of water ready, and prepares plastic bags for garbage.

  Most of all, she takes care of Mara. She squeezes her hand and puts a cold towel on her head. Katie is gone with Dominic to chop some wood that none of us need chopped, so it’s just the three of us.

  “How old is yours?” Mara asks with her eyes closed. Zoe glances at me before responding.

  “She’s seven. Turning eight in two and a half months.”

  “So you’re past the baby stage,” Mara breathes.

  Zoe chuckles. “Way past it, yeah. She’ll be a teenager before I know it.”

  Mara smiles, and Zoe puts a fresh towel on her forehead. I sit in a chair, feeling generally useless. I almost feel like I’m intruding.

  I clear my throat.

  “I didn’t know you had a daughter,” I say, looking at Zoe. She holds my gaze for a few moments and then nods.

  “You never asked,” she replies simply.

  A pang passes through my chest. Even when we were entwined in bed, talking and fucking until three in the morning, she never mentioned her family. My eyes widen as another thought crosses my mind.

  As if she can tell what I’m thinking, she answers my unsaid question. “Her father died when she was two,” she says. “It’s been just me and Audrey ever since then. She’s with my mom now, until I get back to Seattle.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that,” Mara says. I grunt in agreement.

  I glance at Mara. She’s lying back, with one hand on her stomach and the other clasped between both of Zoe’s. The intimacy between them makes them look like they’ve known each other their whole lives. Maybe that’s what motherhood does to women. It gives them automatic admission to an exclusive club, where they understand each other on a level that I never will.

  I jump when the door opens, and a short woman in her late thirties comes in. She has a bit of a waddle, and grunts as she heaves a big bag of medical supplies onto the table near the door.

  “Well, what do we have here!” She exclaims. She looks at me. “Father?”

  “No, my brother is. He’s just outside.”

  “Hmph,” she says, opening her bag. “The wood chopper, I’m assuming.” I stand up and get out of her way. Zoe glances at me and shrugs. “My name is Lulu. Doctor Bertrand told me about your situation, Mara, and I came as fast as I could. Now, let’s have a look, shall we?”

  She glances at me and Zoe and I clear my throat, wiping my hands down the front of my pants. “I’ll give you some privacy.”

  Dominic and Katie reappear, and Zoe and I use the distraction to slip out the door. When it closes behind us, she lets out a big sigh.

  “I’m glad she got here when she did. I was running out of things to give your brother to do.”

  I laugh. “I thought that’s what you were doing.”

  Zoe laughs as we walk toward the front door. “He was just stressing Mara out. I can tell he loves her, but it was getting to be too much for her.”

  “Mm,” I respond. We step outside and Zoe gestures to a path in the trees.

  “You want to go for a walk? I feel like I need some fresh air.”

  I nod, and as soon as we take a few steps, both of us let out a sigh. “The air tastes so good here,” Zoe says, staring up at the starry sky. “I didn’t even know it was possible.”

  “It’s a pretty special place,” I say, glancing over at her. Her eyes are almost misty, taking in the vast expanse of stars above us. We walk in silence for a while, and I resist the urge to take her hand in mine. Every few steps, her shoulder brushes against mine and it sends a tiny thrill through my chest.

  Finally, I ask her the same question again. “Why didn’t you tell me about your daughter? We talked about so many things on Saturday night.” And it seems strange not to mention her.

  Zoe looks over at me and her face relaxes. She smiles at me, but her eyes are distant. “It seemed really personal. You were just a guy I met at a bar. It didn’t seem appropriate to talk to you about my daughter. And then I found out I work with you, and I just had no idea how to react.”

  She nudges my shoulder with hers. “And like I said, you never asked.”

  Her lips curl up into a smile and she starts chuckling. She shakes her head and looks at me again, her grin widening.

  “What are the chances, hey?”

  I grin. “Started the job off with a bang, you could say.”

  Zoe laughs, and leans her shoulder into me. I move my arm behind her, brushing the small of her back. The path winds through the trees, and the sound of running water gets louder as we wander toward the river. Zoe stops and watches the running water. I look at the river for a moment, and then over at her.

  “That’s Lang Creek,” I explain. “What the town was named after.”

  Her eyebrows raise a bit. “Looks like more of a river than a creek to me,” she says.

  I chuckle and make a noise to agree. The moonlight is making her skin look almost silver. Her eyes look dark, and her hair is tied in a high ponytail. A few rebellious strands of hair have found their way out of the hair tie and are blowing gently in the breeze.

  Zoe looks at me, and her face is serious. “I can’t get involved with you, Ethan.”

  I’m taken aback, but I nod. “I’m not asking you to.”

  “I know. But I also know that we get along, and I’m attracted to you. I’m just letting you know that I have a family back home, and we work together. It’s just too messy. I’m not here for very long, and…” She trails off, glancing at the river’s rushing water.

  “I agree.”

  She turns toward me and looks at my face. She stares at me intently, and my chest starts to beat a little bit harder. Her words are still ringing in my ears, and I know she’s right. Her tongue darts out to moisten her lips and my cock throbs.

  Her eyes drop to my lips and she takes a deep breath.

  “What?” I whisper as she shudders.

  She lifts her eyes up to mine and chuckles softly, shaking her head. “I just really want to kiss you right now.”

  15

  Zoe

  I don’t know if it’s the fresh air, or the stress of being with Mara and Dominic, or just my own insatiable desire for Ethan Clarke, but I can’t help it.

  The words slip out of my mouth and Ethan’s eyes widen. His lips part ever so slightly and it only makes me want him more. The silence hangs between us, disturbed only by the sound of the river flowing by us and the leaves rustling in the night.

  I can’t read Ethan’s face in the darkness. My heart grows in my chest and my cheeks start to burn as we stand there, frozen in silence. I’m not sure how much time goes by. It’s probably just a couple seconds, but it feels like an eternity. Regret starts to creep into the edges of my mind, and I wish I hadn’t said anything.

  It’s a dangerous game, saying those types of things. I work with him, and I have a daughter back home, and if what Katie says is true, he’s at the heart of why I’m here. Ethan Clarke holds the key to finding out what happened at the hotel, and making sure it doesn’t happen again. If what Katie told me is true, he’s the one who lit the match that set the building on fire.

  But right now, none of that seems to matter. The breeze carries the faintest smell of his cologne, mixed with the intoxicating musk of man. My mind whirls and takes me back to our first night together, when his smell filled my nostrils and my body was his.

  Then, like a dam breaking, the tension between us cracks. Ethan takes a step toward me and wraps his arm around my waist. His other hand sweeps up along my jawline to the nape of my neck and I me
lt into his arms.

  When his lips crush against mine, nothing else matters. Not the hotel, not work, not the woman giving birth in the house down the path. Nothing.

  All that matters is this man in my arms, pressing his body against mine and taking me to a place I didn’t know existed. He kisses me fiercely, tangling his fingers into my hair and pulling me closer to him. He deepens his kiss and I tremble, gripping onto his shirt and melting into his chest until I’m dizzy. The only thing holding me up is Ethan’s arm around my waist.

  We fall apart. My hand flies to my forehead and I stand a foot away from him, panting. I drag my eyes back up toward him and see his chest rising and falling just as mine is. His eyes are dark with desire as a blush stains my cheeks.

  “Well, so much for not getting involved with each other,” I say, staring at his swollen lips and wishing I could taste them again.

  Ethan chuckles and takes a step toward me, running his finger along my cheek and tucking a strand of hair behind my ear.

  “You’re gorgeous,” he breathes. His eyes are shining in the moonlight and he takes a deep, raking breath. I wrap my arms around his neck and we stand in each other’s arms without speaking.

  I chew my lip for a moment and stare at his face. The corner of his lip curls up.

  “Why are you looking at me like that?” he asks. His hands are on the small of my back, and they drift down toward my ass.

  “Did you burn down that hotel?” I blurt. My heart is thumping, and I study Ethan’s face as my cheeks start to burn. Ever since Katie told me the rumors, my mind has been whirling. If it wasn’t for Mara going into labor, I would have asked her a thousand questions.

  Ethan’s hands stop and he stiffens ever so slightly.

  “What?” He says slowly, barely above a whisper.

  “I’ve just… Did you?” My voice almost breaks on the last word. I so badly want him to say no. I desperately want the rumors to be just that — rumors. Ethan stares at me for a few moments, his eyes dark and his face completely still. Finally, his face breaks and he chuckles, shaking his head.

  “You shouldn’t listen to Katie so much, Zoe,” he says. “She’ll tell you everything except the truth.”

  “So you had nothing to do with it?”

  “No. I did not burn down that hotel,” he says. He shakes his head again and kisses the tip of my nose. I relax, and a smile floats over my lips.

  “Sorry,” I shake my head. “I just–”

  “Shh,” he says, laying his lips softly against mine. He squeezes his hands over my bottom and desire floods between my legs. I grab the collar of his shirt and kiss him harder, feeling his heartbeat against mine as the memories of our night together flood my mind.

  He pulls away from me, glancing down the path as he takes my hand. “Come on,” he says, and I follow him without a word. He leads me through the trees to a small clearing before turning back toward me and running his hands up under my shirt. I shiver at his touch, letting out a soft moan as his fingers send sparks flying off my skin.

  My eyes are low as I look at him again, panting. My hands drop to my jeans, and I start unbuttoning them. His eyes brows rise up and his lips part.

  “What are you doing to me, Ethan,” I breathe. “You’re making me crazy.”

  He runs his hands down over my hips, helping me pull my jeans down to mid-thigh. He groans, running his fingers under the waistband of my underwear. “So are you,” he says, before he turns me around and wraps his arms around me. One arm covers my chest, letting his hand rest over my breast as he nuzzles my neck. His other hand dips down under my panties. When he feels the wetness of my desire for him, he groans. I put my hands up to brace myself against the nearest tree, pushing myself back against him.

  I’m shaking with excitement, biting my lip and glancing back at him until I feel him pull my underwear down to meet my jeans. He trails his fingers through my slit and groans again, and I close my eyes, exhaling. I hear the crinkling package of a condom and I hold my breath until I feel him enter me, and I’m in ecstasy.

  “Come on, we should get back,” I say, as Ethan kisses me gently. We’re dressed again, and I pat my hair to make sure it’s mostly presentable.

  He sighs, and nods. “We probably should, yeah,” he agrees. He hooks his fingers into mine and leads me back down the beaten path toward Dominic’s house. My body relaxes and I take a deep breath. My heartbeat starts to slow down again.

  No, I did not burn down that hotel.

  I hear his words over and over in my mind as we walk hand-in-hand back toward the town. As the lights of Dominic’s house get closer, I drop his hand and he nods.

  “Probably for the best.”

  “Probably,” I say. “Wouldn’t want Katie starting any more rumors.”

  I mean it as a joke, but Ethan just grimaces. The workshop and house come into view, and I peer at the light at the back of the house. I can’t see anything through the curtains, but I know that behind them, Mara is either in immense pain or her body is flooded with joy and endorphins as she holds her new baby.

  We walk in silence the rest of the way. The lights in the house seem unnecessarily bright, and as we make our way back to Mara’s room, the noises from inside seem unnecessarily loud.

  When we push the door open, I once again feel like I’m out of place, like I’ve been admitted to this inner sanctum where I have no business being. Mara’s hair is matted to her head, and Dominic is sitting on the far edge of the bed with his back to us. Katie is busy tidying up with the midwife.

  There are a million things to look at, but my eyes are immediately drawn to the tiny bundle in Mara’s arms. Five impossibly tiny fingers are wrapped around Mara’s index finger, and a serene glow envelops the couple.

  I step to the side with Ethan, exchanging a glance with him. I smile, feeling my heart glow for Mara, Dominic, and their new child. I make to leave, but Mara lifts her head up.

  “Zoe,” she says, as if noticing me for the first time. “Would you like to meet the newest member of the McCoy family? This is Hailey.”

  I glance at Ethan again and take a step forward. My eyes start to mist up and a smile stretches across my face.

  “Oh, Mara,” I breathe. “She’s beautiful.”

  “My little potato,” Mara says, laughing and stroking the newborn’s scrunched-up face. She glances up at me, her eyes shining. “Thank you for everything.”

  I shake my head. “I didn’t do anything,” I answer. It’s the truth. All I did was call the doctor and made sure no one panicked. And then I disappeared into the forest with Ethan. I blush.

  Mara smiles at me. “It would have been a lot more tense in here without you.” She glances at Dominic and chuckles, but he’s too busy running his huge fingers gently over his daughter’s cheeks.

  I stay for a few minutes, but I can’t shake the feeling of being out of place. I say goodbye to the family, and with one last glance at Ethan I leave them and make my way back to the hotel.

  When I lie back in bed at the hotel, I stare at the ceiling and a torrent of emotions rages inside me. I’m not sure what to think about Ethan, or work, or the fire, or the baby. My hand rests on my stomach, and I think of the way it felt to have Ethan inside me. It felt too good to ignore. He’s woken something up inside me that I can’t ignore.

  I turn to my phone and find a photo of my little Audrey, and my heart finally quiets down.

  16

  Ethan

  I’ve never seen Sandy’s face light up as much as when I showed her a picture of my new niece.

  “Hailey Jane Clarke,” I say, as she thumbs through the photos. I glance at my boss’s face and I think I see her eyes misting up. She straightens herself up, handing me my phone and clearing her throat.

  “Beautiful,” she says, turning away from me. I think I see her wipe her eyes but she turns back around and nods at me. “I’ll have to go meet her and say hello to the new parents this week. I’m sure they’re exhausted.”

 
“Mara had a rough night, that’s for sure,” I say.

  We both turn when the door to the building swings open. Zoe steps through, and my breath catches in my throat. She’s wearing her uniform, same as yesterday, but something in the way she walks makes my heart thump. She’s almost glowing. She looks to me right away and a smile creeps over her face before she catches herself. Looking away, she drops her things on the desk we cleared for her and starts chatting with our coworkers.

  Sandy brushes past me. “So I hear you were quite the hero last night!” She says to Zoe with that misty look in her eyes again.

  Zoe blushes and shakes her head. “Not really,” she laughs. “All I did was call the doctor. The midwife did everything.”

  “Don’t be modest, now,” Sandy says. “Everyone’s talking about how calm you were and how you handled Dominic for Mara.”

  “Everyone? The baby was only born about eight hours ago,” she laughs.

  “Welcome to Lang Creek,” Bryan says with a grin. Zoe’s eyes widen and she looks at me as a blush creeps over her cheeks. I try not to grin. Bryan glances at me and winks, and I’m not sure why. Did he see something between the two of us?

  I watch Zoe sit down at her desk with her back to me and I do the same. My thoughts drift back to last night, with Zoe in the forest. My cock pulses in my pants at the thought of it. It was probably the hottest thing I’ve ever done in my life. She wanted me just as badly as I wanted her, and that felt almost as good as being inside her again.

  But then I think of what I told her.

  No, I did not burn down that hotel.

  I close my eyes and lean back in my chair, rubbing my temples. I lied to her. Bold-faced, no-question-about-it, definitely lied.

  I did burn down the hotel last year. So did Dominic, and Sheriff Whittaker. We did it for the benefit of the town and the people that live here, but that doesn’t change the fact that we did it. Zoe didn’t seem to understand why we did it when I showed her the site of the fire. She seemed so happy when I told her I hadn’t done it — when I lied.