Don't Call Me Sweetheart

by Codi Gary

  Kendall raised an eyebrow at her. “You actually think Sonora is going to be on time?”

  “She was on time last night.”

  “Maybe, but Sonora is not a morning person. Brunch is breakfast to her.”

  Marley chuckled, liking Kendall. She reminded her of Beth and the shit she used to give Marley.

  A wave of sadness rushed through her as she imagined Beth in Kendall’s place. What she wouldn’t give for one more breakfast with her baby sister.

  “Enough about my sister. I know you’re friends, so I’ll try to behave.”

  “That’s big of you,” Marley said. “What do you do, Kendall?”

  “I’m a photographer. That’s the only reason I was even invited to Sonora’s wedding.” Kendall’s face scrunched up in a disgusted expression. “She may hate my guts, but she can’t ignore free talent. Or actually, my parents can’t ignore the fact that I’m one less expense they have to cover.”

  “I knew they were paying for the wedding.” And considering the expense it was going to cost them, she found it odd that they wouldn’t pay their other daughter.

  “Oh, yeah, anything for their precious Sonora.” Kendall sighed loudly and shook herself. “I’m sorry, I said I’d stop. I don’t mind doing my sister’s wedding. I love my sister.”

  Marley bit her lip to keep from laughing because Kendall’s tone and expression totally belied her words. “I want to see your pictures. Do you have a website?”

  Kendall grinned and pulled it up on her cell phone, turning it over to show her. Marley scrolled through the photos, impressed at the quality and lighting. She paused on a photo of a bride and groom running through a field of flowers, the sun setting behind them and the bride turned back, smiling at the camera.

  “I love this one.” Marley showed her the photo, and Kendall’s smile brightened.

  “That’s one of my favorites too. I actually entered it in a contest last year, and won an award for it.”

  “Really? That’s amazing.” Marley handed the phone back. “Where do you live?”

  “I still live in Loco, Texas, where Sonora and I grew up.”

  “You should be in New York or L.A. Your photos are flawless. Better than some of the photographers around here.”

  “I don’t take pictures for the money. I do it because I love creating something beautiful. Capturing moments that people will treasure.” Kendall’s eyes took on a dreamy quality as she continued. “When I think that people in future generations will look at the pictures I took of their grandparents or parents, it’s worth it to me. Plus, I stay so busy I do alright.”

  Marley shifted in her seat, embarrassed. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have assumed otherwise.”

  “Don’t apologize. I appreciate someone who speaks their mind. My parents and sister are so fake, sometimes I check for batteries.”

  Marley choked on her coffee, wheezing with laughter. “Oh, my God, that visual.”

  “It’s true. My parents started the restaurant chain Sonny’s Burger Shack. From the time I learned to walk, I knew everything was about appearances. And once Sonora hit it big, they used her popularity to boost the business. They have pictures of her all over the restaurants even though she altered her last name. She changed it from Stadarski to Star because she knew she was going to make it big, they tell people.” Kendall laughed. “Sorry, do I sound bitter?”

  She did a bit, but Marley couldn’t blame her. It was always hard to live in a sibling’s shadow.

  “I shouldn’t bitch about them. I love my family.”

  Marley found herself reaching out to take the other woman’s hand. “I had a little sister, and believe me, I know how they can drive you crazy.”

  Kendall met her gaze, her blue-green eyes studying her seriously. “Had?”

  Marley realized the door she’d opened too late and her chest tightened. “Beth. She died.”

  Kendall opened her mouth, probably to offer her condolences, but Sonora chose that moment to breeze through the door in a pair of black shiny shorts, and midriff-baring black and white halter top. The straps of her wedged heels wrapped up her tan, muscular calves, and as she clacked toward their table, she slid her big black sunglasses up, her eyes narrowed on her sister.

  Kendall squeezed Marley’s hand and pulled away. She probably assumed that Marley was going to let Sonora kick her out of their table.

  Not this time.

  Sonora stopped at the end of the table and placed her hands on her curvy hips. “What are you doing here?”

  “Relax, I just came in to grab breakfast and thought I’d get to know Marley a little.” Kendall started to slide out of the booth, but Marley put her hand on her arm.

  “She can join us, Sonora. After all, we could use the extra help if you want to get this wedding together in eight weeks.”

  Marley was sure that Sonora’s head was going to shoot through the air, there was so much steam coming out of her ears.

  “We can handle it.”

  “No, we can’t,” Marley said, firmly.

  This was it. Good-bye bonus. She was getting fired and Kelly was going to be pissed.

  To Marley’s surprise, Sonora slammed her purse down next to Kendall. “Scoot over, then.”

  Kendall’s jaw dropped, but she did as her older sister said.

  Once Sonora was composed again, she snapped her menu open and glared at Marley over it. “About my bridal shower…”

  Marley waited, hoping for Sonora’s concession that one hundred was just too many people.

  “My mother sent me a list of additional people to invite, so the count is actually more like one hundred and fifty.”

  And there it was. Her punishment for defying Sonora’s will. To accomplish the impossible.

  With a forced smile, Marley pulled out her note pad and a pen from her tote. “I’ll figure something out.”

  * * * *

  Luke went with Brent and his other groomsmen to get fitted for their tuxedos before heading out for drinks. Since the tuxes were the only task that Sonora appointed to Brent, he’d wanted to get it done and over with.

  Brent’s two older brothers, Marcus and Edward sat at the bar, talking shop, while Paul and Wes, two of his friends from college, played darts in the corner of Shotgun Wedding Bar and Grill. They had all taken the week off to help Brent get ready, but now, it just seemed more like a guy’s week.

  Brent took a long pull of his beer and set his mug down with a thunk. “I am getting married in less than two months.”

  “I know that, Captain Obvious,” Luke said, studying his friend. Did Brent look a little green around the gills? Could be the three beers prior to the one in his hand.

  “Yeah.”

  Brent got really quiet and Luke put his hand on his shoulder, giving him a little shake. “Hey, you okay man?”

  “I’m fine. Fine.”

  Luke wasn’t convinced, but he didn’t get a chance to question him further before Brent started waving.

  “Sonora. Kendall! Hey!”

  Luke glanced toward the door to find the two sisters and Marley walking inside. His heart skipped a little at his first glimpse of her in twenty-four hours. He hadn’t been able to stop thinking of her, and had looked for her everywhere today, but for such a small town, it had been easy for her to avoid him.

  Until now.

  Sonora’s face was scrunched up like she’d just sucked a lemon, but Kendall was all smiles.

  And Marley, well, she wouldn’t even meet his gaze.

  “Well, hey there,” Kendall said. “You a little tipsy, big man?”

  Brent grinned. “Men do not get tipsy. We get buzzed.”

  “Or drunk,” Luke offered.

  “Smashed!” Paul called in his British accent, making it sound like, smoshed.

  Sonora pushed next to Brent, he
r lips pursed. “Sweetie, should you really be drinking? Too much beer will make you bloat.”

  Kendall breathed out an exasperated, “Geez, chill out, Sonny—”

  “Don’t call me that!”

  Kendall threw up her hands. Luke could tell a fight was brewing between the two, but Marley stepped in, putting her hand on Kendall’s arm.

  “Come on, let’s get some drinks.”

  The younger sister went with Marley without a fight, and Luke watched Marley lean over to whisper something to Kendall. That was definitely an interesting development.

  “Why do you treat her like that?” Brent growled.

  Luke swung back to Sonora and Brent, surprised at his friend chastening his fiancée for the second time in two days. And all because of her strained relationship with her sister.

  “What? Because I hate being called Sonny? She knows that and only does it to irritate me.”

  Brent swallowed the rest of his beer and poured another.

  “Are you sure you want to do that?” Sonora asked.

  Luke got up from the table when Brent gave Sonora a dark scowl, determined to get out of the line of fire. Walking over to stand next to Marley, he couldn’t stop from inhaling her soft, floral scent. Was it her perfume or shampoo?

  “Mind if I join you ladies?”

  Kendall smiled at him around Marley. “Sure, Luke.”

  Marley took her drink from the bartender, staring straight ahead. Just to bother her, he scooted closer and leaned over to whisper, “You look really good in those jeans, by the way.”

  A sharp jab to his stomach made him spill his beer all over the floor. She’d slammed her elbow into him.

  “Was that really necessary?” he asked.

  Marley finally turned, eyeing him over the rim of her beer mug. “Yes, because you were invading my personal space, which I value.”

  Luke was pretty sure she didn’t want him getting close because she liked him there, but he let it go.

  “Fine!” Sonora shouted behind them, and they all swung around to watch the drama unfold. “I’m going back to the hotel. You can find someplace else to sleep tonight.”

  She stomped her black heeled feet right out the door, and Luke watched Brent, waiting for him to get up and go after his fiancée .

  Instead, he sat there, tipping back more beer. Luke almost went to check on him when Paul and Wes beat him to it.

  Marley stood up. “I better go make sure she’s okay, since I drove. Do you need a ride?”

  Kendall shook her head, and Luke noticed she was watching Brent too, her face a mask of concern. “No, I’m fine.”

  Luke got up with her, leaving his beer on the counter.

  “What are you doing?” Marley hissed.

  “Calling it a night. Figured I’d walk you out.”

  He could tell by the tight set of her jaw she wanted to tell him no, but didn’t. She did do her best to ignore him as he walked along beside her out the door.

  “Damn, where did she go?”

  Luke scanned the parking lot, but there was no sign of Sonora. “She couldn’t have made it far on those heels. Maybe she grabbed a cab or something?”

  “There are no cabs in Sweetheart.”

  Luke watched her nibble her lip nervously. She seemed genuinely worried about Sonora. “Hey, she probably just needed to blow off some steam and started walking.”

  Marley pulled out her phone. “I’m just going to call to be sure.”

  Luke waited, thinking she was a better person than he was.

  “Hey Sonora, it’s Marley. I came after you, but you must have headed back to the hotel. Call me. Let me know you’re okay.”

  Luke waited until she’d slipped her phone back into her pocket to speak.

  “Hey, speaking of rides, do you mind giving me one back to the hotel? I rode with Brent, and he looks like he really wants to tie one on tonight.”

  She hesitated, and he was sure she was going to tell him no.

  “Fine, but no flirting.”

  Luke grinned. “Now, darlin’, I can’t promise that. You bring it out of me.”

  Marley rolled her eyes with a grumble, but headed into the row of cars. He followed behind, his gaze traveling down to her ass.

  He hadn’t been lying when he’d told her how good she looked in those jeans.

  She unlocked the doors but before he climbed in, she tapped the top of the car.

  “Check out my ass again, and you’re going to find your balls in your throat.”

  The colorful imagery only made him grin wider. “I love it when you talk dirty to me.”

  Chapter 7

  Marley was freaking certifiable. It was the only reasonable explanation for why she’d agreed to drive him back to his hotel.

  “Are you hungry?” he asked.

  She glanced away from the road for a second to look at him. He was taking up her whole passenger side and his shoulder was edging an inch from hers. Whether he was doing it on purpose or not, she didn’t know, but she hated the way his nearness affected her.

  A horn blared and Luke jerked up. “Watch out!”

  Marley turned the wheel in time to avoid a head on with a silver pick-up, who laid on his horn again angrily.

  “I’m so sorry!” Marley panted.

  “Jesus, I know I’m distracting, but maybe you should watch the road.”

  Marley’s face burned and she wished that there was some place in her car to hide.

  “Or, if you really can’t wait to get me alone, you could pull over and—”

  “Not. Going. To. Happen,” she snarled.

  “There she is. Thought you’d gone mute for a second.”

  “You’re a jerk.”

  “Now, come on. I’m just messing with you a bit. I know you aren’t attracted to me.”

  Marley figured he was fishing, so she didn’t respond, even though her first reaction was to tell him not to be an idiot.

  “Because if you were attracted to me, then there would be no reason for you to pull the plug on whatever was happening between us.”

  Okay, that was just about enough of that. She made a hard left into the hotel parking lot. Once she’d slipped her car into an open space, she shoved it into park and turned to glare at him.

  “Look, you’re hot and I get that you can’t fathom one single reason why that wouldn’t be enough for most girls to just hop into the sack with you, but I am actually thinking about the big picture here. You are coming up here every other weekend until your best friend gets married, and then you’re not coming back again. I am planning to move across the country come September. Sure, I could jump into bed with you and it might be great for a fling, but then again, you might be lousy in bed and then I have to deal with seeing you all summer, and it will be awkward and horrible and I just don’t want to take the chance.”

  Luke had turned in his seat midway through her rant and now, faced her with an annoyingly amused smirk. “I can’t believe you imagined me in bed after one date.”

  Marley wanted to reach out, grab him by those interesting ears and yank.

  “Out of all that very clear reasoning, all you got was that I imagined sex with you? Believe me, you’re not that special. The other night while watching Supernatural I imagined a three way between me, Dean, and Sam.”

  “That’s either kinky or disturbed. You know they’re brothers, right?”

  Marley laughed before she could stop herself. “God, is everything a joke to you?”

  “I’m sorry, I just assumed you were joking about fantasies involving fictional characters.”

  “The actors are real.”

  “And married,” he said. “I never pegged you for a home wrecker.”

  “I would never! My whole point is that I think about sex with random people, especially if I go
on a date with them, but you are my friend’s fiancée ’s best man. That alone is a recipe for disaster. Can you just forget about that one, insignificant date and try to act like an adult about this?”

  Luke got a naughty grin on his face, and he leaned forward, his lips mere inches from hers.

  “I tell you what. If I kiss you right now, for fifteen seconds, and you feel absolutely nothing, I will treat you like I’ve never imagined you naked and writhing beneath me.”

  Oh for the love of chocolate, why did he have to say something like that? The sheer imagery was making her knees tremble… and she was sitting down!

  I can do this. I am a professional. It’s just one little kiss. Think about the job. The check. Getting the hell out of Sweetheart.

  “Fine.”

  He pressed a finger to her lips. “But if you kiss me back, then you can’t keep treating me like a freaky fungus attached to your shoe.”

  “I haven’t—”

  The pressure against her mouth increased, silencing her. “You have.”

  Marley swallowed. Hard. “Then I apologize.”

  Luke slid his thumb across her cheek as he tucked a piece of hair behind her ear, and she struggled to hide the shiver his touch created. “I don’t want your apology, darlin’. I want you.”

  Marley’s heart slammed against her chest as he lowered his head and took her mouth with his.

  And kept taking it. His tongue teasing against her sealed lips and she fought the trembles, the shocks of electricity as his hand came up to cradle the back of her head.

  Five. Six. Seven. Eight.

  Too late, she realized her mouth had opened and his tongue was tangling with hers. She stopped counting as her hands came up, cupping the sides of his head as she kissed him back, forgetting that she was supposed to be resisting his warmth, the spicy scent of his cologne and the deep, rumble in his chest as he groaned.

  A loud knock on Marley’s window made her jerk away from Luke in horror, while he cursed a blue streak. What the hell had she been thinking? Kissing a man she hardly knew in the parking lot of The Love Shack Hotel?

  She rolled down the window and found Dustin Kent standing outside her door, grinning.

  “Hey, Marley, I thought that was your car.”