Broken Series

by Dawn Pendleton

  Wolfe was hot. Aside from the fact that he was charming and charismatic, he had shaggy black hair that I loved to run my fingers through, and silvery eyes that cut like a knife when they blazed. Kind of like they were now as they roamed over my ample cleavage and down to the short hem of my favorite dress. When he met my eyes again, I smiled at him, letting him know how much I appreciated his assessment.

  I didn’t usually like being ogled, but from Wolfe, it was like being devoured. He took his time, examining each curve and area of exposed skin like he was memorizing the image in his head, to remember for the rest of his life. He was overwhelming and my breath hitched when his eyes lingered on my lips a second longer before he licked his own. It took all my strength not to moan aloud at the movement, it was so raw, so sexual. Whether I wanted to or not, I still wanted him.

  Somehow, I managed not to erupt into flames there at the table and looked at Mallory and Luke across from us. They were both smiling like idiots. I ignored them and lifted my drink, ready to get even further lost in alcohol.

  Wolfe’s arm slid across the back of the booth, not touching me, but I definitely knew he was there. I struggled not to lean back into him and take comfort in his warmth, or do anything else that might give him the wrong idea. The man was sexy and he knew it, which was problematic. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a smile tug at the corner of his lips, making my stomach clench. He was just too attractive for his own good.

  I kept my face forward, my eyes downcast into the swirling pink liquid in my glass. I focused on the ice cubes, letting them all mesh together in my head. When I heard a cough, I looked up, dazed.

  “You okay?” Mallory asked, genuinely concerned.

  “Yeah, why?”

  “You’ve been sitting here for ten minutes and haven’t said a word,” she explained. Ten minutes? It only felt like a few seconds.

  “I’m great,” I said, tugging my shawl higher up on my shoulders.

  “You sure are,” Wolfe whispered to me.

  Mallory and Luke held in their laughter, but I didn’t. “You just can’t help yourself, can you?”

  “Not where you’re concerned, no. It’s like an addiction,” he admitted. Then he leaned closer, tucking my hair behind my ear and then pressing his lips to the lobe. “And I’m not looking to go into rehab.”

  Another shivered racked my body. I grinned like an idiot, the alcohol clouding my judgment. More than anything, I wanted to forget about all the issues we had and just end up in his bed. Aside from his ability to turn me on with a look or a few words, he was an amazing lover.

  It was possible I was biased, of course, since Wolfe was my first and only, but there were certain things a girl knew about a man, and I knew, without a shred of doubt, that Wolfe was skilled in the art of lovemaking. He took his time, even when I tried to rush him, and that spoke volumes.

  I blew out a shaky breath, biting my lip in the process. A discontented sigh escaped Wolfe’s lips. He was as turned on as I was.

  I turned to face him, hiding my face behind his as I whispered to him. “Should we go back to my place?”

  I leaned back and watched the immense struggle he had with my question. I was convinced my attire and sultry attitude would sway him, but instead, he turned to Mallory.

  “Would you guys mind taking Gabby home? I’ll just catch a cab,” he muttered. He downed his beer, excused himself, and got out of the booth on the other side, where there was barely any room. He got away from us, though.

  I watched, dumbfounded, as he left the bar, all but flying out the wooden swinging door. For a moment, I didn’t really understand. When realization dawned, I glared at Mallory.

  “Don’t follow me,” I instructed and went after Wolfe, my temper rising. He had the nerve to turn me down? I don’t think so.

  I pushed open the door he’d exited through just a few seconds before. Snow was beginning to fall, a light dusting that was sure to cover the ground just enough to turn the small town of Casper, Maine into a winter wonderland. Or so some people thought. I thoroughly enjoyed the snow, the way it smelled, and even the way it looked and felt. The fresh scent mingled with the cold air and I breathed it deep as I stepped across the outdoor patio.

  Across the lot, I saw Wolfe, hands tucked into his pockets, head down, walking briskly through the flurries.

  “Wolfe!” I called, holding on to the railing so I didn’t fall. Just when I thought I had my bearings, I took a step and my ass hit the step I’d been trying to descend. My head cracked against the wood planks and bright stars shined in front of my eyes for a second before my focus came back. Wolfe was over me, concern in his eyes.

  “Are you okay?” he asked.

  “God, you’re pretty,” I murmured with a grin.

  He shook his head. “You’re delirious.”

  “I think I’m more clear-headed than I’ve been in a long time,” I said as he helped me sit up. His eyes met mine, pupils dilated.

  “Don’t, Gabby. I’ll help you get to your house, but it can’t go any further.”

  “You’re so serious! When we get home, I’m going to undress you and lick every inch of your delicious body,” I said with a giggle.

  Every muscle in his body tightened, a reaction that had my own muscles clenching. Just the thought of seeing him naked had me turned on again, despite my fall.

  “Do you have a concussion? You’re saying crazy things,” he muttered, his hands holding my head just under my ears. He made a show of checking each side of my face.

  When I put my hands on each of his wrists, he finally looked me in the eye. “I’m fine. I know what I want.”

  He pulled away and took my hands, helping me stand. “You’ve had a long week, Gab. Let’s get you home and tucked in bed.”

  He really wasn’t going to be seduced. Right then, I made a plan to get him into my bed. He wasn’t leaving my house that night, no matter what I had to do to keep him there. I needed to take solace in his touch.

  Wolfe helped me into a cab that seemed to appear from nowhere and then climbed in after me, our bodies close in the small space. His arm wrapped protectively around my shoulders, keeping me warm as the wind gusted into the cab just before he closed the door. He gave my address to the driver and then pulled me closer.

  I let my mind drift while we drove. Even though Rainey’s death was expected, it still tore me to pieces when she went in her sleep. Over the last few months, I was convinced she would pull through, that somehow, she would beat the cancer. But all my hopes were dashed when she passed on. I knew she left each of us letters, and although I was afraid to read hers, I also knew I had to, whenever it came. She would have had her lawyer hand out the letters at the reading of her will, which was scheduled for next week.

  According to the lawyer, she wanted Mallory, Luke, and I there, as well as Wolfe, which surprised me. She must have left a letter for him, too. They weren’t close, as far as I knew, but I vaguely remembered him having something to do with her finally accepting that Baker could love her. Theirs was a relationship almost more difficult than my own, since Rainey’s impending death was always stalking them, threatening to strike at any moment.

  I shivered at the thought and snuggled against Wolfe, soaking up his heat. My hands slid around his waist and I rested my head on his massive chest. I felt him tense but I just tried to get closer, wanting him more now than I had in a long time. It was probably the alcohol in my bloodstream, but I couldn’t make myself care. I just wanted to feel loved again, if only for tonight. One night of sexual bliss and then we could go back to hating each other.

  “I don’t hate you,” Wolfe whispered as he brushed his lips across my temple. “I could never hate you.”

  Belatedly, I realized I’d spoken my thought aloud. I sighed, content for the first time in months.

  4

  Wolfe

  When she showed up at the bar, a vision all in black, I nearly fell out of the booth. Luke and Mallory laughed at my ridiculous behavior but finally
quieted down when I sent them a chilling look, although Luke continued to chuckle silently as I approached Gabby at the bar. She was dressed to kill, the hem of her short dress barely covering her ass. If she bent over, she’d be showing the world her business, which only made me more possessive than I wanted to be.

  And when I left the bar, I was desperate for a deep breath because I’d been holding mine while she sat next to me, all but rubbing me in her quest for attention. I understood why she did it, but I wasn’t about to fall prey to her ploy. All she wanted was to forget that we buried Rainey, and in the cab, I knew exactly how.

  “One night of sexual bliss, and then we can go back to hating each other …”

  The words cut straight to my heart. Does she really think I hate her? I tried to ignore the sexual bliss statement as much as I could when I replied to her.

  She looked surprised when I told her I didn’t hate her, which led me to believe she hadn’t meant to say it aloud. Another confirmation that she was drunk and possibly had a concussion. It didn’t matter that her words had me hard as a rock or that I wanted nothing more than to lose myself in her sweetness; I refused to give in tonight. I wanted her, of course, but I wasn’t going to let her get away with it tonight. When we got back together, she needed to be sober. So as much as it hurt, when the cab stopped in front of her house, I asked him to wait while I got her into bed and promised to return in ten minutes.

  When Gabby stumbled for the third time, I lost my patience and lifted her up in my arms, surprising her. Her arms flew around my neck and then she seemed to realize she was safe, so she relaxed against my chest, her right hand resting on my neck. Her fingers danced over my throat, so softly I almost couldn’t feel it. And then she leaned in and pressed her lips to my stubbly skin.

  I wanted to stop her, but I was too busy getting turned on. When we were actually together, she knew exactly how to push my buttons, and it was nice to know she hadn’t lost her touch. She sucked on my neck, hard. With a deep breath, I managed to maintain my resolve to leave her alone tonight. She was going to have to come to me when she wasn’t intoxicated.

  I got the front door open and it swung wide, revealing traces of the flowers she destroyed. Although it crushed my heart, the scent was so appealing, I smiled. It smelled even better than when I left the flowers in there earlier in the day. It was like her destruction created the sweetest potpourri that ever existed. I walked into the foyer, my boots crunching over the flower petals and stems. I looked down at Gabby, who stared at me, her eyes ablaze. She wanted me, I was sure, and I wanted nothing more than to get her in bed, moaning underneath me, but I reigned in my desire.

  Soon, I promised myself. She wouldn’t be able to keep up this front for much longer. I headed for the stairs, my footsteps loud as they hit the hardwood of the steps. When I reached the second floor, I turned to the master bedroom. I didn’t turn on the lights, as the streetlamp just outside lit up the room, making it clear Gabby hadn’t been staying in here. When I was in the house that day, I never went upstairs, since my attentions were focused on the flowers on the first floor.

  Gabby was peacefully asleep in my arms already, which made me surer of my decision to not pursue anything tonight. She needed to come to terms with everything first, and that meant she needed to sober up and figure things out herself. I pulled back the covers and gently laid her down. Her big blue eyes fluttered open.

  “Wolfe?”

  “I’m right here, baby,” I smiled at myself, still using my pet name for her after all this time.

  “Will you stay with me? I don’t want to be alone,” she whispered, like it was a secret she didn’t want anyone to know.

  “I can’t, Gabby. You know that,” I replied.

  Her eyes closed, her expression turning painful. “I hate sleeping in this bed alone. I miss you.”

  Her words struck like a knife to my heart and I almost caved. Climbing into bed with her would be easy, natural. A short beep from the cab driver reminded me he was waiting for me and brought me back to reality. I wouldn’t sleep with Gabby tonight.

  Unable to resist, I sat on the bed next to her and brushed her hair away from her face. Her eyes opened again and she smiled at me, the first time in a long time that she wasn’t scowling at me. She didn’t speak, just stared at me, her eyes wide. When she licked her lips, I threw caution to the wind, lowering my head to hers.

  I meant it to be a sweet, loving kiss, but when our lips touched, every synapse in my whole body lit on fire, desperate for more of her. Her sweet moan and the way she opened her mouth to me without any resistance at all didn’t help matters. My tongue dipped into her mouth, the sensation like coming home. She was sweet and pliable and tasted like cherries, and I never wanted to leave.

  Her hands wrapped around my waist, her nails digging into my back so deep I felt it through my light jacket. Her hair was wet now, the snow having melted, but as I ran my fingers through it, the tresses cooled my heated skin. With both hands, I picked up her head up off the pillow, pulling her closer against me, her breasts crushed against my chest. She moaned again and broke the intense kiss, her head thrown back in near ecstasy.

  I took advantage, my lips pressing to her throat, holding her there while I suckled the sensitive skin just below her jawline. She arched into me, her nails digging deeper. I ran my tongue along her jaw, up to her lips, and thrust into her mouth again. When she sucked on my tongue, I knew it was time to stop.

  My decision was confirmed when a second beep came from the cab outside. I set her head on the pillow gently and gave her one last sweet kiss, one I hoped she would remember when she woke up.

  “Goodnight, Gabby,” I whispered.

  “Goodnight, Wolfe,” she returned, her voice already starting to fade into sleep.

  I left the house, hopped back in the cab, and directed him to the place I was renting. After I paid him a generous tip, I slowly made my way to my front porch. Just before I reach the steps, though, I turned my gaze up to the sky, where the snow was beginning to thicken. I pulled my jacket tighter around me, though my chill wasn’t from the cold.

  Doubt crept into my head, making me second guess my decision to kiss my wife. She might feel like I took advantage, even though she was all over me. It wasn’t like I could say that to her; she’d be horrified by her own behavior, but that was only if she didn’t remember it in the morning.

  With snowflakes already covering the ground, I walked into the house I’d been calling home for the past year. It was cold and forbearing, too big and lonely for me. I went to the large woodstove in the center of the living room and began the tedious task of starting a fire.

  Days like this reminded me why I loved Florida. My parents had been seasonal people, living in Maine during the summers and always moving us back to Florida in the fall. That was how I met Gabby; she was working at the local ice cream parlor in Casper when I was twenty-one. She was only seventeen that summer, but I knew she was it for me. I was so unhappy in Florida, but the day I met her, everything changed. I transferred to the University of Maine and within two weeks, we were dating, her an untried freshman and me an experienced senior at the same school.

  Less than four months later, she turned eighteen and agreed to marry me, something I never thought I’d want during college. But that was it. She was the one. We had a small ceremony on Christmas Day, something I wish we could change, since the holiday would be ruined for me if our divorce went through. I was hoping it wouldn’t, but even I knew I had to be realistic. There was a good chance she was going to go through with it, and I was going to be left alone forever.

  Most people would be able to move on, but not me. I couldn’t get over her. Luke had tried to tell me that time would heal my broken heart and I would eventually move on. I countered with a question about him and Mallory, and how he never truly moved on. And in that moment, he got it. He completely understood the pain, the agony that flowed in my veins every day that I was apart from her. He lived that pain himself w
ith Mallory. We had been best friends ever since.

  With the fire roaring, I took off my jacket and boots by the front door and then grabbed the cloth sweeper to dry up the melting bits of snow. Once the wood was dry, I sat back on my haunches, warming myself in front of the blazing fire. The warmth it emitted was welcome, despite my mood. Thoughts of Gabby had me feeling sorry for myself, like she was further away than ever. I tried my best to make her feel something, anything, for me today, but I failed. I needed to step it up.

  With that thought, I went over to my favorite chair, the one Gabby had bought as a wedding and Christmas present our second year together. It was worn and faded, but so comfortable. I reclined back, staring at the glow of orange flames through the wood stove window, and then I finally drifted into sleep.

  * * * * *

  The next morning, the air inside the house was brisk. The fire had long since died out and I slept like the dead. Dreams of Gabby flooded my subconscious. I pushed thoughts of her away as I made my way to the bathroom. I passed the front door and took a glance outside. At least four inches covered the walkway, if not more. With a heavy sigh, I continued on, knowing full well that my morning would be filled with shoveling.

  Less than twenty minutes later, dressed in my heavy Carhart jacket, snow pants, and my boots, I was outside, shoveling my walkway. Luke showed up a few minutes later with the plow on his truck. Mallory was in the passenger seat. He dropped the plow and pushed back a lane of snow to the side of the house. He let Mallory out near my car and then backed up.

  “Where are the keys?” she asked, gesturing to my Jeep.

  “They’re in it,” I told her.

  In a small town like Casper, crime wasn’t as rampant as it had been in Florida, and I thoroughly enjoyed being able to trust my neighbors. Mallory hoped in the Jeep, started the engine, and then backed out of the driveway so Luke could finish plowing. They had it handled, so I continued to shovel the walkway.