He took a deep breath, mostly to clear his thoughts, try to push the anger away, and he was flooded with a mix of Angie’s emotions.
She’s angry, but not at me. She’s not even angry at him, not really. She’s mostly angry at herself. And there, shame. Worry. Worry so heavy that it’s almost unbearable.
“Angie,” Marcus said, his voice low. His anger began to fade away. “You can talk to me, you know. Whatever is on your mind – you can tell me. And if you don’t want to, that’s fine, too. I respect you, and if you don’t want to say anything, don’t. I’ll be here no matter what.”
Those words seemed to take a weight off of both of their shoulders.
“I did some bad things with him, years ago, Marcus,” Angie said. She put her head in her hands and Marcus could tell she was on the verge of tears. He reached across the table and extended a hand. She took it with one of hers and he squeezed. “I didn’t know it at the time. But it doesn’t matter, now.”
“Blackmail. He’s blackmailing you?”
Angie nodded and said, “He funded almost all of the money for my first restoration projects. They were small, at first. But things started to really turn around. Money came in and the projects kept coming. Bigger and better. Things were going good.
“Only the money that we’d used – the money that he’d given me – it was stolen. Embezzled from all sorts of government contracts, agencies, wherever Jonathan could get it from. He’d worked so many jobs over the years, jumped through so many loopholes, that it was a lot of money.
“And when I found out, I cut ties with him. My business was already a success. I didn’t need him or his money any longer. He didn’t take it lightly – but he let me go. But I knew he would never forget about it.”
“So, what? He’s going to take you down?” Marcus asked, unbelieving. “If you go down, he goes down. Doesn’t he realize that?”
Angie shrugged and said, “He doesn’t care any longer. He’s already made a bad deal with some other investors. He owes them a lot of money. A lot. And if he doesn’t pay, and soon, they’re going to kill him. Prison is the least of his worries.”
“He wants you to pay him, then,” Marcus said, putting the pieces together. He was naive in business dealings like Angie made, but he knew enough. “Under the table. Enough to pay off those who want him dead. So what, you cooperate with him and then you both go your separate ways?”
“That’s what he says.”
Marcus leaned back, then got to his feet and paced across the kitchen. He felt like a trapped animal with no way out – only it was Angie who was in trouble, though Marcus would never leave her alone in a situation like this.
“Marcus, I don’t know what to do.”
“We’ll figure it out,” he assured her, though at that moment he couldn’t think how. If the evidence was stacked against Angie as much as she’d made it out to be then the situation was dire.
“Maybe I can just work with him,” Angie said with a shrug. “Hope he goes away once this is all said and done.”
Marcus shook his head. “He’ll never leave you alone. Not if you give in to him, Angie. He’ll just keep coming back. The hole will get deeper and deeper until you can’t even see the sunlight. You can’t. We have to think of something.”
“And Marcus?” she asked. He looked at her and finally stopped pacing when he saw the terror in her eyes. “What if he kills me over this?”
“He’ll never touch you again,” Marcus vowed, coming close to her. He gently lifted her to her feet and embraced her tightly. “If he’s the one who kidnapped you, I promise you that he’s going to regret ever hurting you.”
Marcus knew in his heart that if he found out Jonathan Hall had been the one to kidnap and hurt Angie in a bid to coerce her – he would kill the man. The thought of it began to make his blood boil, so he forced it down and turned his attention back to Angie. She needed him. Finding out what to do with Jonathan Hall could come later.
Because I will do something about it.
“Marcus?” she asked. He could tell she was close to tears again and before he could answer, she was crying against his sleeve.
“Shhh,” he whispered, holding her close and stroking her hair. “It’s okay. We’ll get through this.”
She looked up at him with her wet eyes and Marcus felt his heart break.
“I’m sorry.”
“You don’t have to apologize to me for anything.”
“I didn’t know, Marcus. I never meant to use the money. I never meant to break the law. I never meant for any of it to happen,” she said through tears. “And more than anything, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you.”
“It’s okay,” he told her. “It’s in the past, now. It’s okay.”
“Is it?” she asked. “Is it really okay?”
He took her then, gently, grabbing her by the sides of her head and wiping away her tears with his thumbs.
“Yes,” he told her. “Angie, I love you. There’s nothing you can, or have, or will do that will ever change that. I’ve known it since the minute I met you. I love you.”
“Marcus,” she said, crying even harder. Then she looked up and smiled, fighting through the tears. “I love you, too.”
And Marcus kissed her.
Chapter 13
The moon was bright overhead, the stars out in full force – something that Angie had never seen before living in New York City. She’d been in Charming for months now but had never stopped to look up at the blazing night sky.
But what made it truly wonderful was that Marcus was right next to her, laying by her side, looking up at the same night sky as she was.
They’d grabbed a pile of blankets and headed out into the pastureland that Marcus owned. They’d walked past the cattle – she’d been terrified of them but they had moved aside easily as Marcus led the way into the pasture.
Her next worry were more of the attackers coming out and finding them – but Marcus had told her that they were safe out there. He’d assured her that no one could find them, or even if they somehow could, they couldn’t sneak up on him. Not out in the pasture.
She believed him.
So they lay underneath the stars, each enjoying the silence and just being together. Their world seemed ready to crash down around them and they were no closer to figuring out who was after them or what they needed to do – but right then, things felt okay.
A shooting star flew across the perfect night sky and Angie said, “Make a wish.”
Next to her, Marcus smiled and said, “What’d you wish for?”
“You know I can’t tell you!”
“Why not?”
“Then it won’t come true,” she told him. “Everyone knows that!”
I wished for us. Happiness no matter what, through everything. That we’ll grow old together in each other’s arms. That our love will carry us through everything.
Maybe I should have wished to find out who was behind the kidnappings, or who hired those men to kill us. Maybe I should have wished for Jonathan to go away and never to bother me again.
But I just want Marcus. I want us.
She rolled over onto his warm chest and kissed him.
“Let me see you,” she whispered.
“I’m right here,” he said, holding her close.
“No,” Angie said. “Let me see you. Up close.”
“I don’t normally like to show people,” Marcus told her. “Especially after what happened last time.”
“I promise that I won’t shoot you again,” Angie told him, a large grin on her face. She was relieved to see that Marcus was smiling too. She remembered back to the first time she’d seen him in his bear form – and she’d shot him.
That seemed so far and so long ago.
Marcus stood up and slowly peeled off his shirt. Angie took it from him and set it down next to her. Then he started to unbutton his belt; his shoes and socks were already on the ground. She watched as he dropped his pants until he was standing there, si
lhouetted in the moonlight, clad in only his underwear.
“Are you sure?”
“You won’t hurt me, will you?”
“No,” he said, looking up towards the moon. “I can control myself.”
With that, he dropped his underwear to the ground and stood there completely naked. Angie couldn’t help but feel a stirring in her legs as she saw his naked form. Toned, strong, covered lightly in scars and body hair – just enough to be sexy and not enough to be too much. His chiseled jaw was clad in the beginnings of a beard, his hair wild.
He was rough around the edges, but he was hers.
He took a few steps out into the short pasture grass and began to shift. She’d never seen him shift into his bear form before, only seen him shift back into a human after she had shot him.
It was unlike anything she’d ever seen before. He let out a loud, bestial roar, and his body started to grow thick, almost as thick as a barrel. Thick, brown fur started to sprout from every inch of his body. His arms and legs began to lengthen, his fingers and toes growing long and razor sharp looking claws.
And then it was over. A bear – the largest she’d ever seen – was standing in front of her. Angie couldn’t take her eyes off of Marcus. He was wonderful, even in this form.
She couldn’t help herself. Standing up, she walked close to Marcus, almost hesitant to be close to something so large, powerful, and dangerous. She knew that if he had wanted to, Marcus could have killed her without even lifting a muscle. But he would never do that.
She raised a hand and felt him just above his shoulders. She’d expected his fur to be rough and course but it was anything but. She ran her fingers along his back and his golden eyes – much more pronounced, now – watched her lazily.
After a few minutes, she walked back and nodded at him, and he began to change back. Within moments, Marcus was standing in front of her, completely naked.
“Thank you,” she said. “For sharing that with me. I know it’s not easy for you to show yourself.”
He came close to her and wrapped his arms tightly around her. Without a word, he was kissing her, pressing his soft lips upon hers, kissing like she’d never experienced it. She felt his warm body against hers pressing firmly, one of his arms around her back and the other on her thigh.
Marcus picked her up then and swept her off her feet, pulling her even closer to his body. Angie wrapped her legs around his midsection and she could feel his member growing hard between her legs. His hands came up from behind, grabbing the bottom of her shirt and pulling it over her head. He flung it away and then his lips were upon her bare skin: nibbling her ear, shoulder, neck, chest, everywhere he could find. His fingers deftly undid her bra and then his lips were upon her breasts, sucking one nipple and then his tongue sliding over the next. Her moans filled the warm night air.
He laid her down on the blanket, the soft breeze rustling the grass around her. Angie unbuttoned her pants and let Marcus slide them off of her. Her panties were soaked and she looped her fingers through the waistband and slid them off. They were both laying completely naked in the night.
Marcus moved to go down between her legs but she was faster; she pushed him back and forced him to lay down. If he had wanted to, he could have fought back, but he went easily enough and laid on his back on the blanket.
Angie moved down towards his midsection and grabbed his thickness in one hand. It was so large she could barely wrap her hand around it, yet she did her best, and then moved her mouth down to it.
When her lips wrapped around his cock, his moans were almost as primal as when he had shifted. She opened her jaw wide, feeling the warmth slipping between her lips, and pushed down as far as she could manage. She felt him hit the back of her throat and she eased back, sliding her tongue against his length as she did so. When she’d pulled him completely out of her mouth, she twirled her tongue around the tip and then slid it back inside.
As she pulled her mouth up, she slid her hand up his wet shaft as well, then moved over the head of his length and then put it back in her mouth. She used her tongue to slide all of the way from the base to the tip and back again, over and over, listening to his moans and reacting just how he needed.
His breathing became fast and labored and she knew he was going to cum. He arched his back. His body went stiff and his hands gripped the blanket underneath them. He pushed upward and Angie felt him slide deep into her throat but she pushed even deeper, tongue never stopping, and he came inside of her throat.
She felt the first hot spray of cum hit deep inside of her and she swallowed eagerly, easing him out of her mouth. Then there was another load of his seed and she felt that explode against her tongue. She swallowed and kept moving her lips and tongue around him until he was completely spent, gasping for breath, eyes closed.
But Angie wasn’t done with him. It was her night, her time to do exactly what she wanted. So she swung her leg over his prone body. She felt his wet member slide against the inside of her thigh and leave a trickle of cum, then she grabbed it with one hand and angled it towards her dripping slit.
She lowered herself onto him, their moans of pleasure filling up the night sky together. His hands grabbed her by the hips and she rode him, letting him guide her when she needed to and taking control when she didn’t.
Angie had no idea how long they made love. The moon was bright in the sky and she arched her back, his hands on her breasts, and tilted her head back and saw the brightness and smiled. It was perfect.
Deep within her she felt the familiar sensation of an orgasm approaching – something Marcus was always able to bring her. She pushed it away and pushed it away, willing it to dissipate, not wanting their lovemaking session to end, but she was powerless to resist the pleasure he was bringing her.
Finally, deep within her, the waves of passion overwhelmed her and she came. She screamed out into the night, feeling her body going hot and limp, and Marcus grunted and wrapped his arms tightly around her, sitting up and kissing her, and she knew he was cumming, too.
They came together, bodies aching in pleasure, wrapped tightly in each other’s arms and lips pressed firmly together. It seemed to last for hours but finally, it was over.
Angie’s body was flushed, her nipples hard, when she finally rolled off of Marcus and they lay there catching their breaths. She felt his large hand reach over, sliding across her belly, and grab one of her hands. Then she rolled over to him, one leg over his own, getting herself as close to him as possible.
“What do you want out of life, Marcus?” she asked. She hadn’t even meant to ask the question, hadn’t even known it was coming, but it had slipped out just the same.
He didn’t hesitate for a second. “I want you.”
“That’s not much,” she said. “You have to want more than that.”
“You’re all I’ll ever need, Angie,” he told her, turning his head to her and pressing his lips against her own. “I love you. You’ve taken me – a broken man – and you fixed me. Gave my life purpose again. There’s nothing else I want in life but you. You’ve made me happy.”
She smiled.
“Okay,” she said. “I’m glad.”
“What do you want, Angie?” he asked, and his smile finally faded. “I don’t have much to offer. There’s me, my little old ranch, and that’s it.”
“That’s more than enough.”
“Is it?” he said, sitting up and looking towards the night sky. “There’s so much more out there. And you know it. The big city. Big career opportunities. There’s something out there for you, Angie. I don’t want to see you give up your life for me, because I can’t offer you what you deserve.”
“I want you, Marcus,” she told him, sitting up and grabbing his hands. “I don’t care about any of that stuff. Wherever you are is where I want to be. If it’s here in Charming, on your ranch – I’m happy. And if you want to go somewhere else, just say the word. I’ll be there with you, through thick and thin. No matter where you are,
it’s where I’ll call home.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m positive, Marcus.”
“We don’t have to do it alone, you know,” he told her.
“What do you mean?” she asked, but in her heart she knew and she felt her heart flutter a beat and warmth settled over her.
“Look at this place,” he saw, gesturing across the open pasture. “There’s room for more than just us, Angie. We can make something here. Make a family. Build our lives. That is, if you’d want to.”
Truthfully, she hadn’t given it much thought, but it sounded beyond perfect to her.
“Sheriff Stone, I think I love you,” she said, and leaned in and kissed him.
Chapter 14
Life. It was what they were building. It wasn’t just a life for them – it was a life for a family.
It was something Marcus had never truly had. He looked down at the revolver strapped to his hip. It was the one possession of his father’s that he still owned. His mother? He’d never known her.
He thought of Lindsey and smiled. They’d been in love but they had never talked about starting a family. With Angie, it was different.
He still loved his first wife – and he always would. But she wouldn’t have wanted him to wallow in his own self-pity for years. She’d want him to be happy and he was going to do his best to try.
Marcus had dropped Angie off at the coffee shop against his best wishes. He’d wanted to be by her side through her entire deal with Jonathan Hall – but she’d told him he couldn’t be there or else he’d blow the whole idea.
Thinking about her with that man made Marcus’s blood boil. But Angie had her little pistol and she was in a public place. Angie promised him that she wouldn’t leave the building until Marcus came back to get her once the deal was done, and though Angie had been headstrong and went against his orders before, he knew she wouldn’t risk it now.
The plan had been simple. Angie was going to agree to work with Jonathan Hall. Marcus didn’t like it, and Angie didn’t either, but it was necessary to bring him down. They were going to set a trap for him just like he’d done to Angie so many years ago. Marcus would be the first to admit that he was a little bit hazy on the details but he trusted that Angie knew what she was doing.
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