by Aliyah Burke
Brooke looked smug. “That’s the one.”
Mulling over her words, he tried to figure out why Niya would be living here if she was that successful. When Eliana whimpered again, he rocked her a bit before Brooke gestured with her spoon.
“Need some help with the bottle?”
“If you don’t mind.”
“You’re their guardian. As much as it kills me I don’t want her to suffer because you’re not sure how to feed her.” She backed away from the table and made her way to the kitchen. “I’ll hold her while you fix it.”
Marco handed Eliana over and followed her instructions on preparing a bottle. He was back at the table, feeding his niece and talking to Brooke when Niya finally made an appearance from her office.
Her gaze moved over all of them before she gave a nod. “Morning.” She focused on Brooke. “I’m going to crash for two, wake me if something comes up.”
“Got it.”
Marco watched Niya trudge across the living rooms carpet and vanish into her bedroom. “She looks exhausted.”
“She’s been up all night writing. J.T. will be up soon, but he can fix for himself. My guess is the weather will clear in a few days and then you’ll be able to leave.” She took her dishes to the kitchen.
“Leave?” he murmured, stroking Eliana’s cheek as she fed. “Don’t tell anyone but I kind of like it here.”
The day passed quietly. J.T. didn’t have much to say to him and Eliana wasn’t the best conversationalist. Brooke stayed in her room and Niya went back to her office, coming out at lunch to make something for J.T. and everyone before disappearing back behind the closed door.
While Eliana slept, J.T. sat engrossed in a television show, Marco made his way to her office and knocked on the door.
“Come on in,” she said.
He pushed in and gazed about. Built in bookcases lined the walls. Her desk sat positioned in front of the window allowing her to stare out at the snow-covered landscape. She spun in her chair and he knew she wasn’t expecting her visitor to be him. Closing the door behind him, he took another scan of the room. One door led to a covered porch as well.
“Nice.”
“Something I can do for you?”
“Yes,” he admitted, moving closer to her. There were pictures of the kids and Brooke on her desk.
“What would that be?” She sat back in her chair and crossed her arms, almost defiantly.
He slid her chair back until it couldn’t move any further, then he blocked her in, his hands on the arms of the seat. Lowering his face to hers, he held her gaze.
Her pupils dilated and her breathing increased. Moving slow, allowing her a chance to say no, he slanted his lips over hers. Full and lush, they parted beneath his pressure, allowing him to slip his tongue into her mouth. His fingers dug into the arms of the chair as he tried his damndest to keep this kiss gentle.
For a moment, he figured he had it all under control. Then she moaned. A moan which came up from deep within her, one which wove around them and bound them closer together. It rocked him to the soles of his feet and with a responding growl, he swept her up from her office chair, lifted her, and carried her to the lounge she had beneath another window. With strained care, he lay her down upon it before covering her athletic body with his own.
“We shouldn’t,” she murmured.
“We should.”
“The kids.”
He pulled up her shirt. “Sleeping and watching television.” Lord, her skin was so smooth, he couldn’t wait to lick it.
She sank a hand into his hair and held him close as he nibbled along her collarbone. Her shivers told him all he needed to know. She wanted this as much as he did. And he planned on not letting her down.
*
Marco surreptitiously watched Niya as she whipped up something for dinner. He was playing chess with J.T. but in truth, all he could think about was taking her on the chaise in her office. Seeing all her brown skin bared before him, tasting her, hearing her muffled cries of his name as he sank between her strong thighs and into her wetness. He stiffened again and he struggled to control his reaction.
All he wanted to do was heft her over one shoulder and carry her into her bedroom this time and start learning all over, about the secrets of her body. It had been hours ago, he lay with her and yet it seemed as if only moments. On the other hand, it seemed like forever and he wanted to do it all over.
She carried on a lively conversation with Brooke and didn’t act any different toward him. Treating him with the same cool disdain she had been from the beginning. He sighed.
“Your turn.”
Blinking, he refocused on the board. “Sorry.” Moving his knight, he glanced back to the woman in the kitchen who was driving him to distraction. Her cutoff sweatshirt hung off one shoulder and he knew her pants lovingly formed around her taut bubble butt. She didn’t wear shoes but had on a pair of thick socks.
How is it I used to think a designer dress and expensive clothing made a woman sexy? Marco wasn’t sure but her worn clothes had never looked so good to him on a woman.
Dinner went smoothly and he was anxiously awaiting everyone to head for bed. He, Brooke, and Niya sat up later and drank around the fire. Not so much talking as each being lost in their own thoughts.
After Brooke headed off, Niya went to her room. Marco checked the house one more time before slipping into his room and changing into the pants he slept in. Checking on Eliana, he left her sleeping there and walked silently back to the door which would put him in Niya’s room.
He knocked and smiled when she opened it, wearing nothing more than a nightshirt.
“I wasn’t sure—”
“Shh.” She put her fingers over his mouth even as she dragged him into her room. “You start talking and I’ll rethink what I’m doing.”
Whirling her so her back was against the closed door, he lifted one leg and put it on his hip, grinding himself against her. With one hand, he wrapped her tight braids around his fist and angled her head where he wanted it. An animalistic growl escaped him as he conquered her mouth.
Niya fought a yawn and watched Marco walk across her blue carpet to the door of her room. Sinewy grace. Predator. The scars on his back only adding to his mysterious allure. For the past four nights, he’d spent them with her, always sneaking out before anyone else woke.
She couldn’t say no. He was her new drug. It bothered her to be so attractive to the man who was about to take the kids from her. They were leaving today, the airport had said they were going to be open for a short window today during a lull in the storm. She didn’t want any of them to go. Not even Marco.
He paused at the door and peered over his shoulder at her. The light from her bedside lamp enhancing the golden hue of his skin and making her want him all over again. As if he sensed her dilemma, he moved back to her side, sinking to the mattress and reaching out to brush some of her braids from her face.
“You should be leaving before anyone wakes up.”
“I shouldn’t be hiding from anyone.” He brushed their lips together. “We’re good together, Niya. You can’t deny that.”
True. She couldn’t. “What’s your point?”
“Come with me. With the kids.”
Instantly ice coated her heart. Had this been his reason for sleeping with her? Get his own itch scratched and try to soften her enough to go with? Forcing all anger to remain free of her expression, she smiled.
“I can’t, my life is here.”
He kissed his way along her jaw. “Are you sure I can’t convince you otherwise?”
Right about then she was killing him in a book. Benefit of being an author, killing was legal.
“You need to go.”
He took her mouth in one fast kiss, one that had her body ready for so much more and arching into his. “I’ll see you at breakfast.” Then he walked away and she succumbed to tears.
It took a bit for her to drag her leaden body to the shower but she eventually
got that out of her way. Once dressed, she made a beeline from her room to Brooke’s where she knocked.
“Brooke?” she asked, putting her head in as she whispered. Nothing. “Brooke?”
“Hmm?”
Stepping in fully, Niya shut the door behind her and went to the bed. “Brooke.”
“What, Niya?”
A click preceded the light which flooded the room. Brooke’s brown eyes were full of concern and without a word, she patted the bed beside her. Niya climbed in and drew up the other comforter as she snuggled her head into Brooke’s shoulder, the tears once again sneaking free.
Before the rest of the house got up and stirring, she had managed to pull herself back under control. And kept it. During the final breakfast, loading of the car, right up until the goodbyes. She and Brooke watched from the porch as they backed down the driveway and turned onto the road. Niya didn’t move until she could no longer see the vehicle, then and only then, did she take herself back into the warmth of the house.
Stretched out on the couch, she watched Brooke near her head. “Want to talk about it now?”
“No.”
“Okay. I’m here when you’re ready.”
Later that night as she was still on the couch, her phone rang. She had no desire to answer it, but reached out and did so without checking her caller id.
“Hello?”
“I miss you.”
She bolted upright. “Marco?” Across the room, she saw Brooke’s piqued interest as well.
“Have someone else who calls you to tell you that?”
“Is everything okay?” She ignored his question to ask her own.
“Fine. The kids are here and sleeping right now.”
Her sigh of relief could be felt to her bones. “Thank God.” Covering the mouthpiece, she told Brooke and saw the same reaction on her friend’s face.
“Are you going to have phone sex with him?” Brooke asked.
“Guttermind.”
“Proudly.”
“No I’m not going to have phone sex with him.” She stuck her tongue out at her friend before returning to the call. “I’m glad you made it safely.”
“We have you to thank for that. Thank you for letting us stay with you and for taking such good care of us.”
“I told you, those kids mean the world to me.”
“I’ve come to realize that. I don’t want you to not be part of their life, Niya. You and Brooke are so important to them. Give me a few days and we’ll work something out so you can still be part of their lives.”
Ignoring the slight bit of hope that flared in her heart, she nodded. “Fine. Thank you.” Before he could say anything else, she ended the call.
“Well?” Brooke implored.
“He said to give him a few days and he’d work something out so we could still be part of their lives.”
“Is he coming back for you like Richard Gere did Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman?”
“Are you calling me a hooker?”
She crossed her arms. “Can you sit there and tell me you didn’t do the horizontal mambo with him while he was here?”
“Such a snide bitch.”
Brooke sniffed. “Deflecting.”
“I’m still no whore.”
“I know, but she got everything she wanted with him.”
She sighed. “I had everything taken away.”
Brooke came to her side and covered her hand. “I know it’s hard, sweetie. I miss them too. Unfortunately we can’t do anything about it.”
“I know. Damn it, I know but...I just wish I could.”
“I know. Now, come on. Tell me all about how good he was.”
Niya rolled her eyes. Brooke could be like a dog with a bone when she wished it. Dragging the quilt from the back of the couch to cover her legs, she sighed dramatically. “Fine. I’ll tell you all about the rug burn I have, the doors he took me against, and how my office, will no longer be solely a place for working.”
Brooke stared with wide eyes. “Your office?”
“My office.”
“Lucky bitch.”
“No argument here. Although I will say at the end I was wondering if he hadn’t done all that just to get me to move to Texas with them.”
“Why would you think anything like that?”
“Because he asked me to. Even wanted to know if there was a way he could convince me.”
“Bastard.” Brooke waved her off. “I’ll be mad at him later, right now I want the gory details.” She waggled her brows. “All of them.”
*
A month later Brooke knocked on her office door, with a package in hand. “Who’s this from?” she asked, taking it.
“Not sure. It’s from Texas though.”
Her heart skipped a few beats. She’d not heard from Marco since he called that day he left. While she wanted to talk to the children, if they were settling in, she didn’t want to push them back any by dredging up old memories.
“No return address.” She frowned and reached for some scissors to open it. A thick packet of papers fell out. Hefting them, she scowled. “It’s from an attorney.” Rage began to boil within her. The further she read, the more pissed off she got. “He is treating me like we’re fighting for custody and visitation.”
“What?”
She tossed the papers to Brooke and reached for her phone, her hand shook so bad it took two attempts to lift the receiver. Once done, she peeked at the number again and dialed it.
“Anson Costa’s office. This is Tiffany, may I help you?”
“Yeah, you can put Mr. Costa on the phone.”
“I’m sorry, do you have an appointment to speak with him?”
“I just got a packet of papers he sent me. Until they crossed my threshold I’d never heard of the man, so of course I don’t have one. Put him on and let me talk to him.” Brooke sent her a look she well knew to mean calm down. Trouble was, Niya didn’t know if she could.
“I’ll see if he’s available. Please hold.”
The hold music had her gritting her teeth. “Yeah, you do that, sweetheart,” she drawled sarcastically.
“This is Mr. Costa, may I help you?”
The bastard even sounds coldly arrogant. No wonder Marco was such an uptight prick. “Yes you can. You can tell your client to shove it up his ass. We’re not married and I’ll be damned if I agree to something like this. I’m not fighting with him over visitation. I’ll call J.T. and tell him why I’m not able to see him again but it’ll be a cold day in hell before I agree to these shitty terms.”
“Who are you?”
“Niya Bell. Just pass the message along.” Click. She dropped the phone back in it’s cradle.
Brooke glanced up, fire in her own eyes. “This is what he does after sleeping with you?”
“I’m sure the sex was just something for him to pass the time in this small unimportant town.” She had no wish to acknowledge how painful that was for her to admit. “But if he thinks me some backwoods dumbass just because I don’t live in some huge penthouse or condo, that bastard has another thing coming.”
Her fury such she actually shook. Brooke covered her hand and squeezed it. “You need to get out of the house. Why don’t you go skiing or something.”
She really wanted to hit something. And that thing went by the name of Marco. Nodding, she pushed her chair back and stood. “I’m calling J.T. then I’ll head out. My editor should be calling soon, let her know I’ll get back to her if she does call while I’m out.”
“Not a problem. You go, work it off and I’ll have something to eat when you get back.”
Niya went to her room and changed before swiping her cell and calling J.T. as she made her way to the garage and put on her snow boots then grabbed her skis.
Chapter Six
“J.T.! Let’s go or we will be late,” Marco called out as he smiled down at Eliana who garbled happily in her car seat. “Your brother has been moody for a while now, sweet pea. We need to change that.�
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Eliana giggled and waved her arms and legs at him. He chucked her under the chin and hefted the seat by the handle. “J.T.!”
“I’m here.” The words were low and angry.
Marco looked at his nephew. His blond hair could use a good cutting but the boy seemed to prefer it hanging in his eyes like that.
“Not sure why I have to go to this thing.”
Fighting the eyeroll, Marco ushered them out the door of their hotel suite. He was working on the house but hadn’t found one he liked yet. “Because Torrye is my friend and she wanted me to come to her husband’s birthday party.” Yeah, I still wouldn’t consider Niall a friend. Marco would admit however that the men had come to a truce given their love for Torrye. A tenuous one, but a truce nonetheless.
“Great, so I get to sit around while a bunch of old people talk and drink.” At the elevator bay, J.T. headed for a different one. “I’ll ride down alone.”
“Teens,” Marco muttered to himself.
The ride was silent as they drove through the streets to Niall and Torrye’s house. As he pulled into the drive, Marco found himself wondering if a place like this would be right for him and the kids. A nice house with a small yard. It wasn’t anything like they had in Maine that was for sure. Niya had nearly forty acres of property. Even his sister and her husband had had ten.
That’s what J.T. had grown up with. The country. Not living in the city. He’d grown up with snowmobiling, four-wheeling, skiing, and more. All in his own backyard. Here he had to be looking over his shoulder every time he went outside.
Marco sighed and shook his head. Niya. She’d been in his dreams every night since he’d left her. Since arriving back in Texas he’d also since purchased all of her books, both romance and mystery, and read them.
Parking behind Niall’s truck, Marco waited a few moments before he shut off the SUV. With a head jerk to J.T., he went to get Eliana from the backseat. Up to the front they trudged and he pressed the doorbell.
Torrye opened it with a huge grin on her face. “Marco,” she said affectionately. “Hello, J.T.” She reached for the carrier and took Eliana away. “Come on in.”
Marco slapped a hand in front of J.T. before they followed. “Look kid,” he rumbled. “You can not like me all you want but you had better be polite to my friend.”