Paul caught her eye and gave a slight shake of his head, as though asking her not to make the scene her instincts told her to make. They’d promised to set their mother straight if she insulted her, but so far the insults had been mild in her direction. The ones toward Paul stacked up. But if Paul didn’t make the move, she understood it wasn’t her place…yet.
“How about some dessert?” Mary stood, not waiting for a reply.
“I’m afraid dinner isn’t setting well, so I’ll pass,” Helen said. “Thomas, tell me about your new job. It’s so nice to have something to hear about other than cows.”
“Paul, I need your help please,” Mary called, ready to snap in a way she’d never experienced.
“Who needs help with dessert?” Helen muttered, but in the small space, every word carried.
Paul abandoned his plate and joined her, his expression pained and apologetic. “How can I help, honey?”
She grabbed him by his shirt front and pulled him down until her mouth met his ear. “She’s going to break me. I don’t want her to break me on our first meeting.”
“She’s usually not this bad,” he whispered. “It’s surprising me how far she’s going. Thomas will wrap things up and we’ll decide on a plan for the future. I’m sorry you have to deal with this.”
She kissed his cheek and let him loose. Her hands shook with fury, but she channeled that into fixing the pie she’d baked. Apples and cinnamon in a flaky crust should have been the perfect end to the meal, but nothing could save it. Nothing.
“Hey, Paul? I’m going to walk Mom to her car and follow her into town to check the sink,” Thomas said, already helping Helen into her coat.
Mary looked down at the slice of pie she had ready for Thomas and realized what else he would do when he went to town. He’d meet the neighbor woman Helen thought was so wonderful. She clenched her teeth together harder. The night had spiraled out of control.
“Thanks for dinner, Mary.” Thomas didn’t look happy to be going. “I’ll be back before too long.”
“Why not stay the night?” Helen said. “Pack a bag, no need to interrupt the newlyweds.”
“Work, Mom,” Thomas said. “I’ll be back. Thanks again.”
He hustled his mother out the door. Mary didn’t know if the other woman would have said ‘thank you’ or any sort of goodbye, even to Paul, but Thomas closed the door before she could.
Mary dropped the pie on the counter, disgusted with herself, with Helen, and with the situation.
“That went pretty well,” Paul said.
She looked up and he had the good grace to blush.
“Well, it did. She didn’t hit you or scream for you to leave or anything like that.”
There were no words. She pushed away from the counter without reply and began clearing the table. Not much food remained, assuring her at least that had been a success. Paul joined her, but didn’t speak. He had to know—had to—that the night hurt her.
They washed the dishes and cleaned in silence. As the chicken pan soaked, Paul turned on the television and watched the news. Mary sat beside him, but couldn’t enjoy it, couldn’t enjoy him…not when Thomas was away doing only God knew what.
Mary chewed her thumbnail, checking the door every few minutes. She wouldn’t sleep tonight, and though he most likely didn’t deserve it, Thomas was in for one hell of a lecture on worrying her. She’d made a mistake wanting to keep them secret. Now she wanted to brand both of her men. Paul probably had the equipment to do it.
“Come on, sweet stuff.”
She stiffened when he rubbed her arms. “Oh, sorry, I wasn’t paying attention.”
“Don’t worry about him. He’s just going to fix a pipe and then he’ll be back.”
“I don’t like that he left,” she muttered. “Do you think I was wrong to not want to tell your mother? Maybe we should have told the truth.”
He wrapped his arms around her waist. “I think the night ended a lot more peaceful this way. This was really a win, all things considered.”
She snorted. “How was that a win? She insulted both of us and took Thomas.”
He kissed her cheek. “She didn’t really mean the insults, so shrug them off like I do. The meal was delicious, the pie—awesome. Now you and me are alone in our home for the first time. How is that not a winning combination?”
Mary didn’t want to worry, and since Paul seemed willing to be her distraction, she followed him to the bed. She pressed her lips to his for a hard, smacking kiss and pulled away. His previously easy smile turned carnal. Yes, this was exactly the kind of distraction she needed.
She grabbed the edge of his shirt and jerked it over his head, growling when his undershirt blocked her way. “Get naked now and save me some time, will ya?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Following her own command, she stripped her dress and bra. Paul’s eyes locked on her body, so she took an especially long time working her hose down her legs. She tossed everything on a chair.
“Were you going to finish?” she asked.
He nodded and worked on his fly. She pulled back the blankets and settled on the bed, reclining against the headboard while he unbuttoned his jeans.
His adoring gaze made her feel like more than an average woman with small breasts and freckles. He joined her on the bed, lying on his belly beside her. She ran her fingers through his hair and pulled his mouth to hers. She leaned against his chest until he eased back to the mattress. She planted her hands on either side of his head and looked down. Her shadow blocked the light from his face, but his pleasure and dark joy showed.
“I love you.” She brushed an eyelash from his cheek.
He squeezed her bottom. “That’s pretty amazing. I love you too.”
She hadn’t intended to feel shy, didn’t want to, but it crept up as she gazed deep into his eyes. Paul squeezed her bottom again before he captured her lips in a kiss. His fingers tangled in her hair, tugging it gently.
She followed his abs down to his open jeans. “I thought these were going.”
He shrugged. “I guess I wanted some help.”
He kissed down her neck to her collar bone. With a flick and shimmy she had his cock in her palm. She pulled away from his kiss. “No boxers?”
He nipped her lip. “I read something that said newlyweds should go bare for the first month of marriage.”
She stroked his cock twice, the already hard length adding lubricant. She tsked. “Maybe you’d better wear them. You’re entirely too ready.”
He smirked and pressed up into her hand. “Lose the panties, babe. I got a dollar that says you’re wet too.”
He’d win that dollar. Paul surged up and flipped her to her back. She pushed her hips up and let him slowly draw the cotton scrap down her legs. Once he tossed her panties aside, he kissed his way up her body, massaging her calves and thighs before dwelling at the V of her legs. He tapped his fingertips over the sides of her hips and cocked an eyebrow.
She cleared her throat. “Um, so, whatcha doing?”
He ran his tongue over where his fingers tapped, far away from where he’d teased at the hotel. His playful smile made her wiggle, but he kept gazing at her crotch and not doing anything.
“I’m thinking about the way you screamed last time I made you come with my mouth down here,” he said, and finally looked up at her. He winked. “It was good.”
Her cheeks burned. “I’m glad you thought so.”
“But I’m not going to get in the habit of making you scream the same way. No, ma’am. I’d hate for you to think I was a one-hit wonder.”
No such thought had crossed her mind. He placed a smacking kiss on her hip before making his way up her body. She moaned when his lips wrapped around her nipple. His tongue flicked back and forth over the sensitive nub, reminding her of what else he excelled at licking. He nudged her other breast and kissed the side, but finally above her, he propped up on his palms. He grabbed a pillow and tucked it under her head. She shifted
, the new position comfortable and closer to him.
She wrapped her legs around his hips. “I take it there will be a little banging going on shortly?”
His fingers brushed over her vaginal lips, dipping in a moment before he used his hand to support himself again. He grinned. “I like to think it’ll last longer than shortly.”
She had something sassy to say, but lost it when he thrust inside her. She groaned and pressed her head back against the pillow he’d so thoughtfully given her. With her ankles locked at his lower back, she used the leverage to meet every thrust. Mary shimmied after a few minutes, helping him find the perfect spot. His already intense gaze became pained.
“Harder,” she said as the head of his penis hit where she liked it so very much. She gritted her teeth and squeezed her muscles, wanting every inch of him touching the most of her. The slippery friction didn’t build into orgasm like it usually did, but overtook her without warning.
“Oh.” She held on tighter as the smallest pleasure bursts tingled through her body.
Paul kept his rhythm, but grabbed another pillow and shoved it under her hips. The quick change in penetration threw the little bursts to full fireworks. She sunk her nails into his back, holding on.
Chapter 9
Paul’s brain hurt. When Thomas had been reading and learning, Paul had enjoyed being outside and using his hands. Sure, he could focus, but spending hours on end in a stuffy room talking procedure and contracts made him want to run.
He stepped out of the ranch truck, grateful for the rusted piece of shit, but wishing Thomas had returned the other truck. When Thomas hadn’t come home the night before, Paul hadn’t worried. Their mother had rooms set up for them still, so it made sense to him Thomas would stay if it got late. But Mary had gotten quieter throughout the night. He’d woke to find her already up and working on accounts. She’d maintained her silence, though wished him good luck before he left for work.
He was glad to see Thomas had returned. Hopefully they were inside, all made up and happy again. For a second Paul considered knocking, but didn’t. He wasn’t going to start that because he sure as hell didn’t want to continue knocking on his own damn front door. If Mary and Thomas were in bed, he’d join in or take a nap on the couch.
Paul stepped in and the tension from the day paled in comparison to the weight of the cabin. The air smelled like fresh cookies, but the homey welcome ended there. Thomas sat at the table, hanging his head. Mary leaned on the kitchen island, glaring at him.
“Hey, guys.” Paul wished he’d stayed in town until they’d figured things out. “How’s it going?”
“Badly,” Thomas muttered.
Paul didn’t know how to deal with this. Mary and Thomas fighting seemed like something they should work through themselves, but he didn’t like seeing either unhappy, especially Mary.
“Stay at Mom’s last night?”
Thomas looked up, misery in his expression. “Yeah. She set me up with her neighbor.”
“He took her out for dinner.” Mary’s false brightness branded the room. “He didn’t mention if he gave her a kiss goodnight, so your guess is as good as mine.”
“Damn it, Thomas. Why’d you do that?”
“Because I didn’t have a reason not to.” He pushed to his feet. “You guys said to keep this from Mom for a while and I agreed. What was I supposed to say?”
“You were supposed to tell her no,” Paul said, matching his anger. “No wonder Mary’s pissed at you.”
“Don’t tell me why Mary’s pissed at me. I know. We’ve been doing this all evening, and it’s not my fault. We should have come clean from the start. It can’t be my fault for doing what you wanted even if you don’t like it.”
“You’re a wimp.”
Thomas shoved him. “Fuck you.”
Paul laughed and shoved Thomas harder, pushing him to the ground. “Oh no, college boy, fuck you.”
The door slammed, breaking them out of their fight. Paul looked up, but no one entered. He spun back at the kitchen to find Mary gone.
“See what you did, dumbass,” he said.
“Me?” Thomas pushed up from the floor. “I may have screwed up, but I did it thinking of her. I didn’t kiss Alice last night. I didn’t make another date, but I did go out to make things look normal. I don’t want to again, Paul, but I don’t know how to tell Mom about us either.”
His head pounded harder than ever before. He wanted to lie down and sleep until after Thomas fixed this shit, but that never worked. Paul slipped his boots on.
“Where are you going?”
“To find Mary and make things better,” he replied.
“I’m the one who did this, I should go.”
Paul kicked off his boots and headed to bed, stretching out on top of the blankets.
“Seriously? You’re not going to help?”
Paul put the pillow over his face. “You’re the one who said you did the crime, you can do the time. I’m going to bed.”
* * * *
Thomas hadn’t done anything wrong, not a damn thing. He stormed out of the cabin, intent on finding Mary and reminding her she was the one who said they needed to keep secrets. He hadn’t argued with his mother, afraid to tell her the truth as well, but it wasn’t only his lie.
The wooded walking path to the barn was littered with green leaves from the wind the night before. Wind hit the mountains harder than in town. Soon the night air would bite enough to bring out the yellows and reds of fall he enjoyed so much. For now, though, he sweated through his shirt in the July heat.
He looked around for Mary, but she wasn’t on any of the stumps or downed trees near the path. Paul called them benches, Thomas called them safety hazards. She hadn’t been at the ranch long enough to have a logical hiding space, so he went to the barn.
The hands lived in the bunkhouse nearby, the scent of their dinner on the air. She could have gone to visit them, but that didn’t sound like Mary’s style. Finding the barn empty save for the horses in their stalls, he headed back outside. This was supposed to be easier. He loved her, she loved him. Why would she run?
He and Paul hadn’t been fighting that badly. They’d scuffled much worse over the years over less important issues. She’d have to learn the difference between brother shit and real anger. The sound of cursing brought him out of his thoughts and to the parking lot to the right of the barn where Mary worked on her hands and knees pulling weeds near the main entry.
She scowled at him. “Aren’t you supposed to be beating up Paul? Or was he beating you?”
He hadn’t been able to beat Paul since they were ten, but she didn’t need to know that. “What are you talking about? That was nothing. Why’d you take off?”
She threw a weed to the side and continued ripping them out of the ground. “I didn’t want to watch you two fight.”
He could understand, but figured there had to be more. “Is it the Mormon thing?”
She shrugged. “Not really. My brothers weren’t encouraged to be violent but we were physical. Obviously, I don’t mind whacking someone when they deserve it. It was different with you two.”
“We weren’t that mad,” he said. “Paul was on your side.”
“I don’t care whose side he was on. When you fight like that it makes me think we aren’t family. I need you guys to be my family. If you can’t act like family to each other after almost thirty years of it, how can I expect it?”
She’d read entirely too much into everything. Thomas blew out a big breath and stepped closer. “Woman, you’re going to make me crazy. Paul and I—and Duane—are guys. We’re physical by nature. Hell, we even show affection through mild violence. You’re going to have to get used to it.”
“Like I’m going to have to get used to you kissing some other girl?”
He hadn’t kissed anyone since he met her. He lifted her under her arms until she stood, kicking and fussing like the pistol he saw more and more she was.
“So much for a no
nviolent home,” he muttered.
She froze. “You’re right. That was bad behavior. You have a gift for bringing it out in me, but I should have better control. I don’t want to hear your excuses. You said you loved me—considered us married. You don’t date other women when you’re married.”
He settled his palms on her shoulders and fought for calm. “Mary. You didn’t want to tell my mother about our relationship. You asked me to keep it from her. To do that, I had to go along with this.”
“Why?” Tears welled in her eyes. “Why not tell her no?”
He didn’t know anyone who had ever told his mother ‘no’ and stuck to it. He was a son and she the mother, usually her requests were reasonable. If legends of her stubbornness being matched only by her ill temper when crossed also kept him in line, he focused on the love. Now, what once seemed simple treaded on the life he wanted to build.
“I’m sorry I didn’t,” he said. “I swear to you I didn’t do anything but take this woman out for dinner. That’s it. I wouldn’t do more, not when I love you.”
He leaned slowly to close the distance between them, brushing a kiss over her lips. Though she didn’t respond, she also didn’t push him away.
“Mary, come on,” he said. “You saw how much I was willing to do to get you here. Do you really think I’d throw that away?” He kissed her again, pressing gentle pecks around her cheeks. “You know I love you, baby. This stuff with my mom…I’ll straighten it out. If you want to keep things quiet, that’s fine. I’ll find another way to keep her from setting me up with other women.”
“Promise?”
He nudged her chin up until her lips met his. She participated in the kiss, but remained stiff.
“I promise.” He rested his forehead against hers. “I love you, Mary.”
She squeezed him close. “I love you too. That’s why it hurt so much. We have to do something else. I don’t know what it is, but pretending we’re not involved is only going to cause more trouble. I just… I don’t know.”
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