The Texas Rebel [The Armstrong Brothers of Cedar Creek 2] (Siren Publishing Classic)

by Rebecca Joyce

“Then don’t do that,” he whispered.

  “Why? Didn’t you like it?” she whispered back as she kissed his neck.

  “God damn it, woman. Yes, I like it,” he whispered.

  “Good,” she said, straddling him. Mark’s hands came up her thighs and around her waist.

  “What do you mean ‘good’?” he asked, just wondering how far she was going to take this. His body wasn’t going to be able to hold back much longer. As it was he was trying everything he could to put her out of his mind as she kissed his chest, his neck, his ears, and then his mouth.

  She took her time, torturing him. He wanted her so much his body trembled just at the thought. Fire raged within his veins as he held off consuming her. He wanted this to last, and he wanted her to remember. No matter how wrong this was, God help him, he couldn’t make his body stop.

  She was driving him insane. Her soft, sweltering tongue played havoc inside his mouth, and his erection was throbbing.

  He had to put a stop to this and now.

  Sarah leaned back and smiled at him.

  Oh, thank God. She came to her senses, or so he thought.

  He thought wrong.

  Mark watched as she slowly arched her hips up, and as she leaned down to kiss him once more, she lowered herself and Mark lost all control as she took his stiff cock into her wet pussy.

  Mark forgot about everything, his brothers sleeping in the next room, the fight, hurting her, the game, everything. It was just him and her once again, in this moment in time. Her hips slowly started to grind on him in a slow, gentle motion, as she never stopped kissing him. She was gentle, loving, and caring as she kissed his cuts on his face, the bruise on his lip.

  He felt like flying as she moved on him. She engulfed his whole body, invading every inch, awakening every sensation. He was trapped in his own little world of lust and need. She did this to him. She made him crave more, as he felt himself sliding in and out of her wet heat, beckoning him toward her light.

  He watched in awe as she drifted off toward the place he knew all too well. His own desire for her was mounting as she moved faster, and when she started to whimper, he knew he couldn’t control what was about to happen, for he, too, found it hard to muffle his own yearnings. Wrapping his arms around her waist, he quickly shifted her beneath him, taking her mouth as he plunged into her. Kissing her moans of pleasure away, he ravaged her, taking everything she gave and more as his own need for her grew. He felt her body tense, and as her orgasm over took her body, he thrust forward once more and let himself go within her.

  He fell on top of her as her arms wrapped around him, holding him tight to her. Once again she had shown him a side of herself that he couldn’t imagine ever existed in a human being, pure unadulterated selflessness. She gave her all, and he took it from her. He listened as her breathing slowed as he cradled her in his arms.

  And no matter what he thought, he knew this was a turning point for him. He would either get up in the morning, walk out to never return, or he would stay here with her, forever.

  He just didn’t know what to do.

  He was walking down a long staircase when he heard the noise coming from the kitchen. As he made his way down the hall, he noticed the pictures that lined the walls, of children of various ages, all smiling and laughing, and a woman, so beautiful he smiled at the sight of her. Slowing a little to get a better look, his eyes focused on one picture of him and her, holding each other laughing, under the night sky in a place he didn’t recognize. He looked blissfully happy and elated. He held her lovingly in his arms, and she smiled at him.

  Hearing the noise once again, he turned his attention back to the kitchen and made his way. He entered the large room to find four boys sitting at the counter arguing.

  “Hey, Dad, tell Brandon that the Colorado Cowboys are better than the Wisconsin Whips, will ya? He won’t shut up,” the small boy about the age of seven pleaded with him.

  “Don’t listen to Travis, Dad. The dork doesn’t know what he is talkin’ about,” Brandon, the blond-haired boy of twelve said, hitting his brother in the arm.

  “Will you knock it off? Dad just woke up, and he doesn’t need you two going at it already. Besides, Michael and I need to ask him something,” a boy of sixteen asked.

  “Yeah, I almost forgot. Hey, Dad, you mind if Mitchell and I borrow the car? We wanna head to the pavilion for a concert tonight. Mom said we could go if it’s okay with you. So can we?” the other sixteen-year-old asked.

  He looked at both of them and for a second he thought he was seeing doubles, and then realized that they were twins. Not identical, but very much alike. It was the subtle differences that made them different. He didn’t know what to say as all of them just looked at him, staring.

  “Mom! Something’s wrong with Dad!” The little one shouted.

  She entered the room, and he was nearly floored. She was more beautiful than her pictures, and she was looking lovingly at him. Her shoulder-length auburn hair flowed, gently swaying as she moved. Her soft, white, porcelain skin was so angelic it made her sapphire-blue eyes stand out. As she approached, he was aware that not only was she the most gorgeous thing in his life, but she was also very pregnant. She hugged him and kissed his cheek.

  “You all right, Mark? Have the boys been giving you a hard time?” she asked teasingly.

  “No,” he uttered.

  “Would you like some tea?” she asked.

  “Coffee, please.”

  “Sure. Just give me a minute.”

  “Okay,” he said, sitting down next to the youngest boy, who quickly jumped into his lap.

  “Hey, Dad, who’s better?” he asked anxiously.

  “What?”

  “Colorado or Wisconsin?”

  “Colorado.”

  “See, you idiot, I told you. Dad knows all about football. He doesn’t lie!” Travis said proudly.

  “All right, all of you out of here. You are driving me nuts. Scoot!” their mother said, shooing them away.

  “But, Mom, the keys?” the teen pleaded.

  “Fine, take my car and be back by eleven. No buts either, Garrett. Take it or leave it.”

  “We’ll take it!” the teenagers said in unison.

  She walked over to him and wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him gently on his lips. He raised his hands around her waist and pulled her into him. She laughed. Sliding his hands up and down her back, she relaxed instantly. “Hum, that feels good,” she whispered, leaning against him. He continued to massage her back, and she let him. For some reason he enjoyed comforting her and relieving her pain. He felt warmth about him. Joy filled his heart as he watched her. She smiled as she ran her fingers through his hair.

  They were interrupted by a woman who had the youngest, Brandon, by the arm. He was shouting over and over, “It wasn’t me! It wasn’t me!”

  “Sorry to interrupt, ma’am, but this little hooligan just broke another vase with this!” she said, holding up a brown leather football.

  He couldn’t help himself. The poor kid looked terrified, and he started to laugh. She slapped him hard against the chest and said, “Damn it, Mark. It’s not funny!”

  “What shall I do with the little ingrate, Sarah?” the woman asked.

  Mark shot up out of bed, panting heavily, “Holy shit!”

  It was close to five in the morning and his whole body trembled, and for a minute he thought he couldn’t move. After everything that happened over the last twenty-four hours, that was the last thing he ever thought he would dream. He expected yelling, shouting, maybe even fighting, but never that. He didn’t know what to make of it, wishful hoping? But that couldn’t even be it, because he knew a life like that was never going to be for him. Looking at the sleeping woman beside him, he knew that was what she needed. She could have that life, but as for him, he was destined to be alone.

  He couldn’t be what she needed.

  His heart was still racing when he started to rise from the bed, then he felt her.
She was sleeping peacefully next to him, her naked body draped across the blankets as she nestled her arms under her pillow. Her hair was thrown about, slightly covering her face, her legs bunched and twined around blankets. She looked restless, as if she didn’t sleep well. He worried about that, hoping she didn’t regret what they did.

  He sighed.

  Once again she had opened herself to him and welcomed him with open arms. She was kind when she should have been angry. She was gentle when she should have been rough. She had taken everything and made it seem better, and he was ashamed for what he had done. He promised her that he would not hurt her and he had.

  Moving very carefully, he managed to remove himself from the bed without waking her. Covering her, he kissed her forehead then grabbed the same old pair of flannel bottoms and walked out of her bedroom, where he found his brothers awake.

  They were all sitting at the table drinking coffee. They all looked up as he walked into the room. Nobody said a word. They all just stared. Mark ignored their glares and poured himself a cup of coffee and sat down next to Mitchell.

  He could tell they all had several questions on their minds, but most of all they all still looked angry with him. The silence between them was deafening, and Mark couldn’t take another moment of it. “What?” he spoke quietly.

  “Just what in the hell do you think you’re doing?” Marcus whispered.

  “I ain’t doing anything.”

  “That’s not what it sounded like last night,” Michael countered.

  “Hey, she woke me up and put me in that bed. I was gonna stay on the cold floor.”

  “You should have,” Mason replied.

  The brothers looked skeptically at him, refusing to say another word.

  “What?” Mark asked, knowing damn well what they all thought.

  “You don’t deserve her. She is too good for the likes of you,” Matthew said.

  “What the hell does that mean?”

  “You know damn well what he means, Mark. That woman has survived more grief than any of us can ever imagine. She is trying very hard to live her life in peace, and we are not going to allow you to take away all that she has left. She is one of the most genuinely nice, sweetest, forgiving women I have ever met. You are gonna hurt her if you stay here, and then I will be forced to call Mom. Of course, after we take you out to some field and beat the living shit out of you. So hurry up and drink your coffee. We areallleaving in ten minutes,” Mitchell said firmly, standing up.

  Mark sat there and watched his brothers gather their belongings and fold up the blankets. Mason threw a clean pair of jeans and a shirt at him, and he pointed to the kitchen to go get dressed. Mitchell was right. If he stayed he would only cause her more grief and heartache. He was only good for one thing, taking care of himself, and he barely did that. His life was already complicated enough, and adding Sarah to the mix would only make things worse. So why was that funny feeling in his gut warning him when he was about to do the right thing?

  Mark, not wanting another confrontation, did as he was told. As he finished buttoning the last button on the shirt, Marcus opened the front door for all of them to follow.

  They all had left the cottage quietly.

  Neither of them saying a word, they just got into their cars and left.

  * * * *

  Sarah opened her eyes and noticed that the house was quiet, too quiet. Getting up, she walked into the living room to find it clean and empty of all the Armstrong brothers. Walking into the kitchen, she found six empty coffee mugs washed and drying in the basin. Next to the coffeepot was a small note.

  Dear Sarah,

  Thank you so much for your wonderful hospitality.

  You were more gracious that any of us deserved. We all

  hope that you find the peace and quiet comfort once

  again. We are taking Mark back to London. If you need

  anything, just call. Thank you again for

  taking care of us. I hope I didn’t make the coffee too strong.

  Marcus

  Sarah stood there with a feeling of abandonment all around her. He left her, just like everyone else in her life did. She couldn’t understand it. Thinking she had done something wrong, she replayed last night’s events in her mind. She thought everything was forgiven after making love to him. She gave herself willingly to him, showing him how much she cared for him. She didn’t understand why he would just leave without saying anything. Not even a good bye.

  She felt like crying once again and didn’t know why. The feeling was overwhelming.

  For some reason, Mark had stormed into her life like a raging bull, and in that short time he had managed to bring life back into her world. He was the sun that wrapped her in his warm embrace, the warm air that kissed across her face. In that brief amount of time, Mark had wiggled his way deep into her heart. He became everything she wanted.

  She was happy and didn’t even realize it. She had welcomed him with open arms, and had cared for each of his brothers without truly knowing anything about them. She had opened her eyes, and no matter what she did, she could not close them. She was awake for the first time in years, and it felt great to be alive in the land of the living.

  Looking around at her modest home, she realized that she had shut herself off from the world, creating a safe haven away from everyone and everything.

  She could feel the walls closing in all around her.

  It was becoming hard to breathe.

  She had to get out before it consumed her once again.

  Running for the front door, she ran outside into the wide open and took a deep breath. She was hyperventilating and couldn’t stop herself. She fell to the ground crying uncontrollably. The wind blew all around her as she tried to gain control of herself. The pain was unbearable. Her chest felt constricted, like someone was trying to grab a hold and squeeze life into it.

  The wind howled, and a large gust of wind flew through her. “Go, Sarah, live.”

  Sarah looked around and found no one, but those three simple words rang clear in her soul. Scared and unsure, she knew what she had to do.

  Chapter 13

  February 19th

  The flight from Heathrow to Cedar Creek, Texas was exhausting. Mark sat quietly looking out the window, while his brothers never said a word to him. They talked among themselves, and he thanked God Michael had the good sense to send Bridget, Rachael, and Abby ahead. It would have been a very long flight with those three hovering around him asking all sorts of questions.

  Every once in a while they would all venture a glance at Mark and smile. They all knew he was fighting with himself. They knew Mitchell felt it the hardest.

  Since birth, Mark and Mitchell literally shared the same brain, emotions, everything. Inseparable, they were a constant headache to their parents, themselves, and even the teachers who taught them. If one would break an arm, the other would feel it. Their mother explained it as a twin connection, since they both shared the same sack in the womb, but the brothers and their father just thought they were just plain freaky.

  Every once in a while, Mitchell would look up and scowl at a feeling Mark had and just shake his head. He hated seeing his twin go through all this, but he knew he was making the right decision. He was no good for her, and if he stayed he would only cause her more misery and heartache. He wasn’t good for anyone.

  “What’s the matter now?” Mattie asked.

  “Oh, dipshit over there is feeling useless,” Mitchell responded.

  “Why is he feeling that? It’s not his fault they postponed the game. Shit, he has another three weeks to get prepared now that the commissioner has moved the game to New Orleans,” Mason said, looking at Mark.

  “He has been going through the motions since we left London. He is wondering if there is anything he can do to get his head back in the game, how can he ever apologize to me, can he forgive himself for causing her pain, will Abby like her gift, hell, the list goes on and on,” Mitch said, taking a drink of hi
s soda.

  “How can you stand it? I would be going nuts,” Marcus said, looking out from under his hat.

  “It’s not so bad. That’s why I live very far away from him. The closer we are, the stronger the emotions. He has been avoiding everything in his life for so long, he is overwhelmed right now. He is confused and scared.”

  “Scared, ha! What a crock. That boy hasn’t been scared a day in his life,” Michael replied.

  “Oh, he’s scared all right, but it’s not what you’re thinking. He likes her. He likes her a lot. Only he hasn’t figured that out yet. That’s what scaring him. He is dealing with emotions he has never had before. It’s actually scaring the living shit out of him.” Mitch smiled.

  “Too bad he screwed it all up. She won’t give him the time of day,” Mattie offered.

  “Oh I don’t know about that, Matthew. From what I know, she might just feel the same way, too.” Mitchell smiled.

  “You’re joking! She damn near ripped his head off. I think you’re crazy,” Matthew playfully countered.

  “I’m dead serious. She may have hated him to the core the other day, but my gut is telling me that she forgave him the moment she walked into that bedroom of hers. Besides, that boy looks green between the gills, and after his awful display back in England, I would bet a thousand bucks that within the couple of weeks, he makes a complete ass out of himself and wins that girl’s heart,” Mitchell said, offering his insight to the situation.

  “You’re nuts, but I will take that bet,” Matthew said, shaking his hand.

  “I bet she shoots his ass,” Michael offered.

  They all just laughed and enjoyed the rest of the flight back home.

  * * * *

  England, February 19th

  “Sarah, honey, is that really you?”

  “It sure is, Bucky. How are things in the biz?” She smiled, thinking of her old friend.

  “Not so good lately, honey. What have you been up to? I saw that horrible display the other night on YouTube. You okay?” he asked.