by Tawna Fenske
He was only a few beats behind her, and she knew the instant he’d tipped over the edge. His body tensed, and he gripped her shoulders hard as he drove into her again. Marley screamed again, both from her own pleasure and the awareness of his. She opened her eyes, surprised to see his open too, flashing with bliss and something deeper. He smiled and drove into her again, slowing now that both of them were drifting back down to earth, washed in waves of gratification as the river surged beside them and wind tickled the pine needles above.
As soon as she caught her breath, she arched up to kiss his shoulder.
“Well that was different.”
Will rolled to his side, pulling her with him to snuggle tight against his chest. “I hope Bambi didn’t see that. It’ll scar him for life.”
Marley giggled and buried her nose in his chest. “So what’s next on the outdoor sex agenda—hunting or gathering?”
Will tightened his arms around her and nuzzled her hair. “How about you build a shelter while I go kill a bison?”
“Deal,” Marley said, and sighed with bliss.
Chapter 19
Will drove slowly back to Cheez Whiz with one hand on the wheel and one hand on Marley. He really should have both hands on Marley. Ostentatious displays of wealth annoyed him, but maybe if he had a car with a driver, he could keep both hands on her at all times.
“What are you thinking?” Marley asked, reaching over to squeeze his knee.
“Thinking about fondling you,” he admitted. “All the time, as much as possible.”
“Sign me up for that,” she said, grinning. She was quiet a moment, and Will looked over to see her looking thoughtful. “What do you mean by all the time?”
“Well, I do like to go to the restroom alone, and I’m not sure you’d be allowed in the locker room at my gym, but other than that—”
“I didn’t mean literally,” Marley said, gripping the door handle as Will took the corner to Cheez Whiz a little too sharply. “I guess I just wondered if this was a misguided workplace fling we’re going to pretend never happened, or if it’s something a little more serious.”
“Definitely not serious,” Will said, glancing at her again. Her expression was impassive, but he thought he saw a flicker of hurt in her eyes.
“Oh. Right, sure, of course.”
“I’m rarely serious,” Will said. “But if you can tolerate a committed romantic relationship filled with bad jokes and good sex, I’m your man.”
Marley laughed. “Relationship,” she repeated, trying the word on for size. “Is that even possible, given the circumstances?”
“Do you want it to be?”
“Kind of,” she admitted.
She looked out the window again, her hand still on the door like she was poised to jump from the moving vehicle if the conversation took a wrong turn. She cleared her throat. “What about the fact that you oversee the board that oversees my position and the strict rule about—”
“I’ll step down,” Will said so abruptly Marley whipped her head around and stared at him. “I’ve been on the board for years, so someone else can have a turn. Or I’ll talk with Susan about the conflict. Hell, maybe I can work to change the rule. Really, Marley, it’s not as big a deal as we’ve probably been making it. The obstacles to us having a relationship aren’t that serious.”
She was quiet again, and Will stole another look at her. She was still flushed from their lovemaking, and the faint scent of juniper clung to her clothes. He reached over and plucked a pine needle from her hair.
“My turn now,” he said. “What are you thinking?”
She didn’t answer right away, and her gaze was still fixed out the window. “Just thinking about work. There’s a lot going on right now, and I want to do a good job.”
“Is that why you were working on a Saturday?”
She shrugged. “Pretty much.”
“In that case, I’ll drop you at the front door instead of your car,” he said, pulling the Volkswagen into the loading zone. “Can I call you later?”
“Definitely. I have this wine and cheese tasting event with a handful of donors at four, but I should be home by about six.”
He braked in front of Cheez Whiz and unbuckled his seat belt. Leaning toward her, he cupped her chin in his hand and kissed her softly on the lips. “I hope to do that again very soon.”
She smiled, and Will waited for it to reach her eyes. “Me too,” she said.
She kissed him again, longer this time, and they were both breathing quickly when they broke apart. “I’ll talk to you tonight.”
“Looking forward to it,” Will said.
She got out of the car and closed the door gently behind her. He watched her walk away, enjoying the sway of her hips as she disappeared into the building. So beautiful, he thought.
He was going to need to call Susan right away. To let her know he was either resigning his position on the board, or to demand they change the rule. One way or another, he had to make this work.
He glanced at his phone before pulling away and saw two text messages from Bethany. He scrolled through them and saw she’d asked him to drop by their house on the way home so she could give him some sample packs of doggie treats she’d gotten at the Humane Society. He buckled his seat belt again and headed that way, rolling down the windows to breathe in the scent of river water and sun-baked ponderosa pines.
No matter what happens, that scent will always remind me of Marley.
He shook his head, trying to get a hold of himself. They’d only known each other a couple weeks, and here he was using words like always and relationship and considering giving up his position on the board. Surely he was rushing things.
But it didn’t feel like it. This thing with Marley—it was the first time since his divorce that Will had really thought about a future with someone. Not just someone. A future with Marley.
He pulled up in front of April and Bethany’s house and killed the engine. There was an extra spring in his step as he hustled up the walkway and banged on the front door.
“Hey, Will!” Bethany said as she flung the door open. “Just in time to play Monopoly.”
“Try greeting me with, ‘You’re just in time to have an appendectomy on the kitchen table,’ and I’ll be more likely to come in.”
“Come on.” She grabbed him by the arm and dragged him inside, towing him into the living room. “Aunt Nancy is here, and we think she’s cheating.”
“Aunt Nancy always cheats at Monopoly. You don’t need me to tell you that.”
“No, but we need you to distract her so we can cheat, too.”
“The moral code in this family leaves something to be desired,” he said, but followed her to the living room anyway. April and Nancy looked up as they entered.
“Will, it’s so lovely to see you,” April said, smiling sweetly as she picked up a pair of dice.
Aunt Nancy grunted and used her elbow to knock a game piece into her lap. “You missed a good conversation at lunch today,” she said. “Doug Parker and I discussed the fine points of agalmatophilia.”
“I can only imagine,” Will said, trying not to.
“That’s the sexual attraction to a statue, doll, or mannequin,” Bethany supplied. “In case you were wondering.”
“I wasn’t.”
Aunt Nancy shook her head and palmed an orange $500 bill, sliding it into her lap while April’s head was turned. “It’s a good thing you got Marley away from that Doug character,” she said. “Did you know he was married?”
Will frowned. “Married?”
“He slipped once and mentioned a wife,” she said. “He tried to cover it up, but I heard. Do you think Marley knows?”
Bethany frowned and looked at Will. “Marley was on a date with a married man? That doesn’t sound like her.”
April picked up the di
ce and shook her head. “I’m sure there’s some mistake. Marley’s such a lovely person. There’s no way she’d knowingly engage in an extramarital affair.”
Will rolled his eyes. “Because what kind of person would do something like that?”
April flushed and looked away, and Will felt bad. Bethany just slugged him in the shoulder.
“We’re immoral, lust-driven bitches,” Bethany said cheerfully. “Marley isn’t.”
“Pity, that,” Will said. “Look, I don’t think it matters right now. I doubt she’s going to see him again.”
“I don’t know,” Aunt Nancy said, stealing a hotel from April’s pile. “Before I left, he said he was seeing Marley again tomorrow.”
“Seeing Marley, or seeing Marley?” Bethany asked, planting her hands on her hips as Aunt Nancy plucked two plastic hotel properties off the edge of the board and slid them up the sleeve of her dress.
“You know, in some families, words mean exactly what you think they mean and no one speaks in code,” Will said. “We should try it sometime.”
“Those families sound boring,” Bethany said. “We’re definitely not boring.”
“Can’t argue with that.”
April frowned and looked up at Will. “Do you think it’s possible Marley is dating a man who’s trying to hide the fact that he’s married?”
“No.”
Aunt Nancy grunted. “So you think she’s dating him knowing full well he’s married?”
Will threw his hands up in exasperation. “No. Look, I don’t think she’s dating him at all. Not seriously, anyway. But if it makes you all happy, I can call Pete and have him check the guy out.”
Bethany grinned. “I love that you have a friend in the FBI. If I were straight, I’d totally date him.”
“I’ll be sure to tell him,” Will said, eager to flee the premises. “I’ll give him a call tonight, okay? Not that I think it’s necessary, but at this point it’s worth it just to get you all off my back.”
“That’s the spirit,” Bethany said.
“Whatever. I know how you all love Marley.”
“Not the way you love Marley,” Bethany said, grinning. “So are you going to stay and play?”
Will shook his head, already making a beeline for the door. “By the time Aunt Nancy’s done, there won’t be any game pieces left anyway. Besides, I need to get home and walk the dogs.”
Bethany grinned. “Is that what the kids are calling it these days?”
Will tried not to laugh, but failed. He tossed his keys in one hand and made a move toward the door. “Where are those dog treats?”
“They’re on the kitchen counter,” Bethany said. “Just grab them on your way out.”
“Thanks, ladies.” Will waved to April and Aunt Nancy, who waved back and refocused on the game board. Bethany gave him another smack on the shoulder before marching back toward the coffee table to take her place between April and Nancy.
Will drove home the short way, driving along back roads and cozy neighborhoods. He was eager to see his dogs and even more eager for six thirty to roll around so he could call Marley. Maybe she’d be free for dinner, or maybe—
Will’s phone rang as he pulled into his driveway.
“Hello?”
“Hey, Will,” Bethany said, and Will felt a tinge of disappointment at hearing his sister’s voice instead of Marley’s.
Will tugged his keys out of the ignition and pressed the phone to his ear. “I know we’re close, but don’t you think conversing every five minutes is taking it a little too far?”
“Shut up, Will. Look, I just wanted to tell you not to forget to check into that Doug guy, okay?”
Will shifted the phone to his other ear and opened his car door. “Why are you so concerned?”
“Because we care about Marley. If some dirtbag is screwing around with her, she deserves to know.”
“I’m sure she’d appreciate your concern.”
“It’s not just me. Aunt Nancy seems worried too. She insisted on looking in Doug’s car before we left.”
“Aunt Nancy broke into his car?”
“She didn’t break in,” Bethany insisted. “Just peered through the windows a little.”
“And?”
“And she saw a gun. A least she thought she did.”
“A gun?” Will tried to keep the alarm out of his voice.
“It was sticking out just a little bit under a blanket on the floorboards in back, so we can’t be sure.”
“We?”
“I might’ve been peering too.”
Will sighed, grateful at least that he hadn’t been called to bail his sister and his aunt out of jail for breaking into cars in the Cheez Whiz parking lot.
“Look,” Bethany said. “I’m sure it’s nothing, but just check, okay? Call Pete right away.”
“That was my plan,” Will said. “I’m heading inside to do it right now.”
“Thanks, Will,” Bethany said and hung up.
Will stuffed his phone back in his pocket and headed to his front door, stepping back to allow all three dogs a chance to bowl him over with their enthusiasm. “Hey, girl,” he said, scratching Polly behind the ears before bending down to rub Omar’s belly. Rosco dropped a soggy tennis ball at Will’s feet and gave him a hopeful look.
“Give me five minutes, okay, guys? I just need to make a call.”
The dogs trotted off, appeased by any word that sounded like ball. Will moved inside and set his keys down before pulling out his phone again. He scrolled through contacts until he found Pete’s number. His friend picked up on the second ring.
“Yo, Will!” he shouted into the phone. “Long time, no see!”
“Howya doing, Pete?” Will said, rummaging through the basket by the door to find the dogs’ leashes. “You coming out here to mountain bike before the snow starts flying?”
“I’m hoping to. Janice and the kids want to wait ’til ski season opens, but I always think this is the best time of year to visit Bend. So what can I do for you, man?”
“If it’s not too much trouble, I was hoping you could check someone out for me.”
Pete laughed. “Running with gangsters and thugs out there in the high desert?”
“Pretty much,” Will said, pulling a Frisbee off the top shelf of the hall closet. “It’s probably no big deal, but a friend of mine went on a date with a guy who seemed a little shady. Bethany and April will feel better if we have him checked out.”
“Anything for Bethy and April. Give me his info.”
Will rattled off what he knew about Doug, then hesitated. There was something else he wanted to ask, but his conscience was standing in the corner of his mind with crossed arms and a disdainful expression.
Don’t be a jerk with trust issues.
Will cleared his throat. “While you’re at it, could you check out one more person?”
“Sure, what’s his name?”
“Her name,” Will said, ignoring the stabs of guilt that felt like pinpricks in his spleen. “Marley Cartman.”
“Marley Cartman. Got it. What are we looking for here?”
“I don’t know,” Will said, balling his fist around Rosco’s leash. “Just being paranoid, I guess.”
“Ah, I see. New girlfriend of yours?”
“Something like that.”
“Say no more, my man. Can I call you back in about an hour?”
Will nodded and grabbed a handful of dog doo bags from a basket in the foyer. “Sure. Thanks for doing this. I owe you one.”
“No worries. Catchya soon.”
Will hung up the phone, feeling like a jerk. Why was he snooping into Marley’s life?
Because you’re a suspicious jerk with trust issues, his conscience suggested.
His conscience had a point. But didn’t it c
ancel things out that he was going out of his way to figure out if a guy she might be dating had secrets?
You know she isn’t dating him, his conscience argued. Not after this afternoon, anyway.
“Come on, guys,” Will called to the dogs, herding them out the front door. “Let’s go to the dog park.”
He’d been gone a little over an hour when his phone rang. Will glanced at the readout, disappointed once more to see it wasn’t Marley. So what if she wasn’t off work yet? He wanted to hear her voice. To make her laugh, to make her moan, to make her—
“Hey, Pete,” Will said. “What’s up?”
“Got some good dirt for you this time, buddy,” Pete said. “You owe me for this one.”
“Dirt on Doug Parker?”
“Doug Parker, sure. The guy’s a private investigator, married with a couple kids. But that’s not what I meant.”
Will stopped walking, and the dogs looked up at him with questioning eyes. Polly yapped once, but Will barely heard her over the roar of dread in his brain.
“What did you mean?” he asked slowly, wishing like hell he didn’t have to hear the answer.
“This Marley Cartman, man,” Pete said. “Wait’ll you hear what I’ve got on her.”
***
Marley arrived back at the condo exhausted and mildly queasy. She kicked her shoes into a corner of the foyer as Magoo came running over, furry paws flailing. Marley bent to pet him and felt her stomach lurch. She dropped to her knees, mostly to make it easier to pet Magoo, but also because it put her a few inches closer to the garbage can in case the queasiness took a turn for the worse.
“Hey, buddy,” she said, scratching her dog’s ears as his stubby tail thrummed the ground. “Remind me why I agreed to go to a cheese tasting event when I’m lactose intolerant?”
Magoo licked her knee before flopping onto his back and looking up at Marley with pleading eyes. She began rubbing his belly as her own rumbled in warning.