Steam rose into the room and he stood there like an imbecile, no doubt drooling. She cocked her head and waited, clasping the towels he’d given her.
He cleared his throat. “Oh, yeah, I guess I’ll leave you to it, then.”
“Yes, I guess you will.”
“If it gets too steamy in here, I can crack open the window.”
“Thanks, that would be great.” She shifted on her pretty bare feet while he took care of the window for her. “An inch should do it.”
“I’m sure that’s fine.”
He sidled out the door, edging his way around her and damned himself for leaving. He should have grabbed her by the waist and pulled her to him, but Marnie Dawson had him by the ’nads and she wasn’t letting go long enough to let him think let alone act on his desire.
The next hour flew by as he grabbed ingredients for an omelette and groaned four hundred and ninety-five times at the thought of Marnie covered in bubbles and steam, her breasts bobbing on the surface of his tub.
Her comment still rankled him. He’d never considered that his return to the Peninsula could be construed as a failure, even by someone who didn’t know him. He thought back to this afternoon when they’d first seen each other. All he’d said was that the Peninsula was home. Which was true. He hadn’t seen the need to explain anything else. He was here now, and here is where he planned to stay.
The sound of water draining from the tub alerted him to her imminent arrival. Distracted, he burned his hand on the kettle when he reached for it to pour her a cup of tea. “Damn it.” He flicked his hand and stuck his burnt fingertip into his mouth.
“Poor baby, want me to do that for you?” she asked from behind him. Close behind him. She was light on her feet, or he’d have heard her.
She grabbed his hand away from his mouth.
And damn if she didn’t do exactly what she offered.
The feel of her warm wet mouth on his finger blew his mind. What was left of it shattered further with the way she pressed his forearm to her chest, wedging it between her breasts. Her wicked tongue swirled around his burnt fingertip once, twice.
Three times.
She released him with a soft seductive pop and then stepped back out of reach.
The kettle whistled while his pulse pounded in the rush of blood to his cock.
Every male hormone he possessed told him to lean in, grab her and finish the race, but her impish look of triumph stopped him before he made a fool of himself.
She was a witch who knew how to wield every weapon at her disposal.
With a wink, she slipped to the far side of the sandwich bar and took a seat on a stool. Like a prim miss, she gathered the sides of her short robe and propped her chin on her hand. “What’s for dinner?”
You.
Two hours after he’d had the life sucked out of his finger, TJ headed for the staircase. His cock had been hard all through dinner and hadn’t subsided until Marnie had disappeared into the guest room.
He’d taken care of some business calls and tracked his youngest brother’s movements to an island in the Caribbean. Eli answered after three rings.
“There’s a woman here, Teeje.” He used the name he’d always used as a kid.
“There’s always a woman somewhere, Eli. But unless she lives in Port Townsend and knows how to wire a log building, I’m not interested in hearing about her.”
“You’ve got to get a life, Teeje.”
He rubbed the back of his neck. Eli had no idea he wanted exactly that. A life. But for now he might have to settle for the woman upstairs. He had no doubt they were in the initial stages of an affair. He wasn’t stupid enough to say no to Marnie. But his ultimate goal had nothing to do with a temporary woman.
Caribbean music blared in the background and he plugged his other ear to hear better. “O’Banion Construction’s headed into a busy summer. We’re finally building those cabins Jon Dawson talked about.”
“I heard about old Jon. Sorry about that; I know you thought of him as a good friend.”
“I may have been his only one.” They’d never seen much of each other, but when they did, they’d packed a lot of talking in.
“You’re building these cabins for the new owners?”
“I’m building them for Jon. He’s the one I had the agreement with.”
“I see. So the new owners are on board?”
“The granddaughters inherited the inn. The first one arrived today, there’s another due tomorrow and the third one will get here sometime.” He explained that Marnie and Holly hadn’t met Kylie Keegan.
“Are they hot?”
“If I tell you they are, will it get you back here any sooner?”
“When you put it that way, I wouldn’t believe you if they all look like supermodels. Scratch that, some of them are too damn skinny. Let’s say lingerie models. Yes, I’d be on the next flight if they look like lingerie models.”
An image of Marnie’s soft cleavage flashed behind his eyes. “Never mind what Marnie looks like.”
“Oh, ho, sounds like she’s a looker. No prob, I’ll just call Deke; he’ll fill me in.”
“If you’re not here by early next week when we’ve got the foundations poured, I’ll find another electrician.” Eli knew there wasn’t enough work for two, so if he arrived late, there’d be no work for him. TJ wasn’t a man to hire a skilled trade then let him go without cause. Not for his brother, not for anyone.
“I’ll think about it,” Eli responded, getting the last word. Like always.
TJ hung up on the dial tone and considered his options for an electrician if Eli chose to stay with the woman he’d found. The pickings were lean because a lot of good men had left the Peninsula for work elsewhere. Still, he’d find someone, even if he had to bring in somebody from north of the border.
He turned off his desk lamp, shut off his laptop and headed up to bed.
As he walked by the guest room, a moan caught his attention. He stopped and cocked his head toward the door. Ah, hell. Never mind privacy, he had to listen.
He shut his eyes to focus on the sound. Panting. And the faint buzz of a small appliance. Hot damn. Another moan.
His cock, never far from hard since Marnie’s arrival, responded. Behind his eyes he saw her in his guest bed, covers thrown back, legs open and heading for orgasm. The head of the vibrator circled her delicious pink lips, then touched lightly on her clit.
Was the lube she used strawberry, like her lip gloss had been? He slid his hand to the doorknob, then stilled. If he turned it and walked in, would she welcome him? Ask him to take that vibrator’s place? He wanted to.
Scratch that. He’d love to walk in, but she’d sent so many mixed signals he hesitated. And he couldn’t quite get over the insult to his ambition she’d lobbed at him.
Marnie was driven to succeed. Obviously she expected the same drive in a man she was interested in. But to assume that because he’d chosen to build a business on the Peninsula he was somehow lacking, piqued his pride.
He hated that pride would get in his way, but there it was.
She’d dangled herself like a carrot all day and the move with his fingertip had been the clincher.
After dinner, he’d noticed a slight flush to her cheeks and her nipples on high beam. Then he’d realized that she wanted the byplay, the press and retreat, the game, as it were.
So, was he up for a full-court press? Damn straight.
He turned the door handle and walked in.
5
TJ stepped into his guest bedroom and closed the door behind him. Marnie yelped and scrambled to a sitting position with her back to the headboard. “What are you doing?”
“You want to be in control of where and when with us?” He pressed his back to the door because if he moved so much as one more inch into the room, he’d lose this round. To a woman like Marnie, winning was more important than sex, or need or attraction. If she won now, he’d be nothing but a convenient partner.
He would not be relegated to convenience.
The pretty skin of her neck flushed as she gathered the sheet to cover her breasts, just visible in the gloom. He caught a scent exotically, erotically, hers. The burn of need thrashed him, nearly bringing him to his knees.
But the door at his back grounded him as he squeezed the doorknob in both hands.
“Get out. This is private.” Her fevered glance slid down his waist to his crotch. “I’m a guest, not a convenience for your pleasure.” But her knees were still splayed open and with her right leg still exposed. A rhythmic rocking screamed invitation.
“I would say the same to you. But you’re a tease and I’m not.” To succumb would be so damn easy, so fun for both of them. “Question is, what should I do about it?”
“Do what you want.” She lifted a four-inch silver vibrator into the air and turned it on. Hypnotic buzzing filled the space between them.
He waited to see if she’d lift the sheets and continue, but her eyes took on a hard gleam of daring and he laughed. If he walked out right now, this moment, he’d win.
She’d lose.
And that would make her nuts.
“Think I’ll take a shower,” he said. “Just so you know where to find me.”
He walked out, leaving the door open as he moved down the hall, fighting his raging hard-on all the way. The slam of the door made him grin.
Soon, she’d come to him and plead. Maybe even beg.
If the pressure in his balls didn’t kill him first.
With a cock as hard as iron, he could barely slide his jeans off. There was only one thing to do if he wanted any sleep tonight. He didn’t need an appliance, not when he had the five sisters.
He turned on the water in the shower stall and stepped in. Warm water sluiced down his body, washing away the grime of the day. He bent his head into the spray as he soaped up. When he got to his cock and balls, he nearly spewed immediately. An image of Marnie slid sexy and hot through his mind and he went back to her on her knees in front of him behind the registration counter. Except this time, the outcome was more in keeping with what he wanted. She smiled and gripped his cock with a firm hand then slid her mouth down, down, down until he felt the back of her soft throat. He groaned and increased his strokes as her mouth worked his shaft. She took his sac and squeezed until he shot deep into her wet, hot throat. He had to slam his hand on the cool tile to stay upright while he shot a full load into the pulsing jet of water. Shudders racked his body while he came.
When he was done, he turned off the water and hoped to hell this was the last time he’d have to take care of himself. He was damned tired of coming alone.
As he dried himself and walked through his dark room to climb into bed, he heard Marnie’s steady descent down the stairs.
Naked, he walked to his door and opened it a crack to see what new torture she was bringing to the game. He could just make her out as she walked through his great room and into the kitchen. The fridge door opened and the light made her body glow. Straight square shoulders, fine trim waist, long legs. She wore the short robe again.
She helped herself to a small glass of milk by the fridge light, drank it quickly then rinsed the glass and set it in the sink.
He breathed deep into his lungs and held it while she drifted absently back up the stairs and down the hall to her room, apparently unaware of him watching. Apparently unaware, but probably fully aware, as he was of her.
Then he headed back into the shower for round two.
The next morning, edgy and out of sorts, TJ stood in the checkout line at the hardware store. He’d left Marnie at the inn, deep in a phone conversation with some guy named Dennis. Something about her club. They were apparently in the midst of a staffing crisis and she’d been laying it on pretty thick that it was Dennis’s turn to step up and handle things in her absence.
An unreliable partner. He wouldn’t wish it on his worst enemy. The stress of covering for him, doubting his word, double-checking his work, putting out fires he’d made, all of it sucked. Working with family wasn’t ideal, not by a long shot, but having Deke home, even as broken as he was, was better than being on his own. Eli would settle down soon enough. A good woman would anchor him.
As long as Eli met his woman on the Peninsula, everything TJ wanted for him and his brothers would come to pass. Full-on partnerships in O’Banion Construction. Homes and families would come along in time and their lives would build into something of lasting value.
When his turn to cash out came, he slid two boxes of security lights on the counter at the front of the hardware store.
“G’morning, Thomas John. Lighting up the night?” He was caught midthought by Alice, one of the local single women. She grinned, overbite gleaming in the fluorescent lights overhead.
“The Friendly Inn’s had some late-night partying since Jon died. Now that we’re working there, I don’t want my equipment vandalized the way they’ve ruined the interior.” He shook his head in disgust and Alice clicked her tongue in sympathy.
“You’re finally adding those cabins?”
He nodded and handed over his credit card. He waited, knowing she’d wind herself up, wishing she wouldn’t.
“I hear the old man cut all his kids out of his will and left it to someone in the city.” She leaned in close. “That’s not all I heard.”
He steeled himself. Right here, in this moment, listening to her giggle in anticipation of sharing her insight, was the reason Alice was off-limits. He held a distinct dislike for stupid women. He let the muscles in his face drop to blank. She didn’t even notice, just barreled on, listening to her own voice.
In the typically gleeful voice reserved for the juiciest gossip, she kept to a stage whisper. “I hear he left it to a group of lesbians and that they’re going to move in. Think they’ll bring a bunch of gays here? Huh? What d’ya think?” Her avid expression turned his stomach. For a moment he wished what she said were true.
“I think that’s as true as the last rumor I heard. That the place was haunted by the bodies of thousands of hitchhikers old Jon had cut up in the woods behind his house.”
Her off-colored eyes went wide with shock. “Really? Is that what that old man was up to?”
“Know what else I think?” Alice should have hitched a ride with the old man.
Avid Alice paused, caught by the image of Jon slicing and dicing innocent kids.
“I think you should take payment for these lights and let me get back to work.” He forced his jaw to unclench. “Alice.”
“Oh, uh, sure.”
Barry Fogarty snickered behind him and TJ cut him a glance. The snickering stopped. Barry always was a dickhead.
On his way out the door, he felt the unmistakable relief of seeing Marnie again. Not only was she unbelievably easy on the eyes, she was smart and witty. Being with her made his steps lighter and his day brighter. And God, what a challenge she’d become. He hadn’t had this much fun with a woman outside of bed in, well…since that summer with Marnie nearly fifteen years ago.
He wondered what she’d think of Alice and the inane chatter that made up most of his days in town. Putting Marnie in a place like this seemed a sacrilege.
Some women were meant to live in the thick of things, in high-powered careers and stilettos. Marnie was one of them. Which meant even if they did share some good times, she’d be gone and he’d be here.
Shit.
He opened his truck door, but Barry called his name. He might be a dickhead, but they’d made a lot of money together over the years, so he turned and plastered a welcoming smile on his face.
Barry hustled over. “God, that Alice can talk. Sucks a good dick, though.” He slipped his hands in his pocket and adjusted himself. “Maybe I should head back in?” He chuckled.
TJ waited, trying to blank out the image of Alice and her overbite sliding over Barry’s distended skinny cock. Sometimes high school gym showers gave a guy too much information.
But the whole thi
ng made him think of getting head. Marnie. “Not a bad idea, Barry. Alice always liked you and right now, she’s peeking out the door. If you hurry you might get lucky.”
Barry actually jumped and turned to look while TJ laughed and climbed into his truck. Christ, he just wanted to get out of here. Normally, he was fine with the quirks and idiosyncrasies of the people he’d known all his life.
But not today. Not when Marnie was at the inn and his workday had just begun. He shouldn’t have left Deke there with her. His brother wasn’t blind. Any red-blooded male would want to take a crack at Marnie. And Deke, with his new plan to fuck ’em all, may just go for it.
Barry put a hand on his truck door and stopped him from closing it. “You going to have any work for me this summer?”
Barry ran a painting crew, and since construction starts were down, he was suffering. “Probably. I’ll let you know.” He’d sit the cousins down this evening and talk about the plans for the cabins and his schedule for completion. He wasn’t sure of the details of the will, but if he got two-thirds of the owners to agree, then that should probably be enough.
If he could think straight with Marnie in the room.
He nodded a good-bye to Barry and backed out of his spot. He chuckled when he saw Barry glance left and right before he reentered the hardware store. It looked as if he really was hoping Alice would oblige the way she always had in high school.
She must be pretty good at blow jobs by now; she’d certainly had enough practice.
The racket outside the inn was unbelievable. All morning while she worked in the great room, earth movers shook the foundations of the building, roaring and chugging out back. No birds tweeted, no squirrels scurried, no deer came to graze the way Marnie remembered.
TJ and Deke were in their glory as they tore out the massive stumps left behind by the tragedy they called progress. So okay, it was a churlish thought, but who could blame her?
TJ had rushed in here unbeknownst to the family and started a project of which they’d had no prior knowledge. The whole thing smacked of underhanded greed.
Men Times Three Page 6