Marty
“Bought an outdoor cooker,” I told Jack as soon as he picked up his phone. But I had other things on my mind as I assembled the grill.
“Is that right? What kind? Gas, charcoal, or wood?”
“One side uses charcoal or wood, the other side cooks with gas. The clerk sold me a tank of propane to go with it.” I’d arrived at the employee entrance too early, so I’d driven around the building and filled in the time checking out the store front wares—a long row of grills, every shape and size.
I’d needed an excuse for being at Holly’s place of employment, and grills offered a perfect reason. I’d already made my choice and had my card out ready for the buy when an ambulance streaked through the parking lot and circled to the back of the store. I’d left the clerk holding the sales ticket and promised to come back.
“What’s on the menu?” Jack’s question called me back to the immediate.
“Steaks. Buy a pile of thick cut. See if you can get some wholesale from Church.”
“He’ll cry.”
“Yeah. Invite him. Tell him I’ll wait till I see his bald head before I grill the first piece of meat.”
The truth was, I didn’t want to leave here. I’d had one of my paranoia fits when I’d seen the ambulance at her job. I’d driven around the building and jumped out of my ride, ready to infiltrate the E.M.T.’s before I’d spotted her coming out a different door.
“Had a scare. Before we go out of town, I need to get things settled. Bring some beer. Some food. We’ll talk.”
“I’ll call the guys. Are you telling your girl, or is this a surprise?”
My girl. I wish. I snorted at the idea. Before he ended the conversation, he managed to remind me I didn’t call the shots here. Guess it was time to test the limits of my lease.
I planned to tell her we were having company when she woke. The way she was under, I could see she was exhausted. No way was I waking her up. For a while I sat in the chair next to the bed and watched her sleep. I knew it broke several of her rules.
But, checking on her health was different. I wanted to make certain she wasn’t in a coma or unconscious. Her skin had a rosy bloom. Her lips were pursed in a half smile as if her dreams were sweet. She didn’t look sick. She looked asleep.
After I made sure she was breathing I noticed she barely moved under the light bedcovers. I mean her position didn’t shift at all. Since I floundered all over a mattress like a drowning whale, her stillness fascinated me.
Anyway, Jack arrived with supplies and I quit guarding her rest while we set up outside. When seating became a problem, we had to adjust, and the Hummer made a few trips in and out of the drive. It was a good thing she slept soundly. I’m guessing it was the music blaring that finally brought her awake.
Holly
My house had been invaded while I slept. I woke to the sound of voices, the smell of barbecued meat drifting in the air, and the startling realization that I wasn’t alone. I’d been totally wiped when I’d crashed. I vaguely remembered Marty’s grill purchase which seemed to answer the question of who’d taken over my backyard.
I lay in the bed, trying to decide my mood. Without question my renter was pushing the boundaries of our agreement. On the other hand, I wondered if he’d feed his landlord. My stomach growled to the beat of the music playing below.
I slid out of bed, smoothed the sheet and comforter, plumped the pillow, and headed for the shower. Clean, hair dried, and dressed, I followed the aroma of charcoal and steak downstairs and to the kitchen where I paused to peer out the window.
Yep, I had company. Besides Marty, I counted six more big men plus Jack, Marty’s father-in-law, and Garret all standing around an ice filled barrel holding bottles of beer. Maybe because Megan sat next to her friend on a picnic bench attached to a long table holding covered bowls, plastic cutlery, napkins, and assorted two-liter bottles of soda, I didn’t freak.
I felt remarkably calm as I surveyed my backyard. A few new Adirondack chairs had been arranged in a semi-circle around the grill, and Harley-Jane occupied one of them. Several other unknown females sat in the others. I recognized Gable Matthews as one of the men drinking beer and talking to Marty.
While I watched, Church, a.k.a. the bartender from Church’s Bar & Grill, carried a large platter filled with steaks and set it in the middle of the table.
Two children and a woman I’d never seen before had been swinging. When the main course arrived, the mom hopped from the swing and led the boy and girl toward the men. One of the big guys met them, lifted the boy onto his shoulders, and picked up the girl. Slinging an arm around the woman, he herded her toward the table. The crowd converged.
I wondered if there’d be anything left if I decided to fight my way to the food. When Marty looked at the window and caught me peering outside, he motioned me to join them.
Huh, nice of him to invite me to the party. When I remained fixed in front of the window, he left the group of men and strode toward the backdoor.
“I’ve got a plate with your name on it,” he growled as soon as he entered the kitchen.
If I intended to complain, now was the time. I turned to face him, casually leaning against the sink as I met his gaze. His expression changed.
“Come here,” he said gruffly.
Geez. My nipples went on point. What the hell is this? “Why?” I stalled. So much for my aloof indifference. Lust instead of blood pumped through my veins, heat pooled low in my belly, and my womb literally clenched.
“We need to talk.”
Shit. Talking was not on my agenda.
“About what?”
“Us. Work. Your schedule. My schedule. Us.”
I opened my mouth to tell him there was no us, but couldn’t quite choke out the lie. Oh yeah, there was a Marty, there was a Holly, and, growing in my tummy, there was the conjunction tying us together.
I didn’t feel pregnant. I felt horny as hell. I wanted to jump his bones. Instead, I shrugged and, turning my back on him, walked to the refrigerator. The weight of his stare blanketed me, made me breathless, and I resisted the urge to run. The question in my mind though was, should I run toward or away from him.
I reached for the fridge handle. He moved, the floor shifted under him. It was no surprise when his body heat and scent announced his presence before he wrapped an arm around my waist, drawing me back. My butt fit against his groin perfectly. It was difficult, but I resisted the urge to grind against his package.
I’d pulled on a pair of running shorts and an oversized tee. He slid his hand under my top and up my torso, cupping my breast, kneading it while he pressed his hard-on against my behind.
“You listening?” he growled in my ear and pinched my nipple. Well that got my attention, but not the kind he was after.
“No fair,” I panted.
“Fair,” he muttered, nibbling on my ear lobe before he sucked on it. When he turned me, so my back rested against the refrigerator door, I resisted the urge to jump up and wrap my legs around his waist.
I focused on his mouth instead of meeting his gaze.
“I think we should rewrite the lease agreement to include the master bedroom, specifically me and you in the bed.” He stated his opinion in one long growl that didn’t end when his lips covered mine. Only the growl became a rumble that vibrated through me by way of the chest plastered to my breasts.
I tore my mouth away long enough to mutter, “Fat chance.”
He huffed in laughter, stretched my wrists above my head, and proceeded to nuzzle my neck.
“What the crap is happening?” I gave up asking nicely. My garbled question ended when he took my mouth again, and this time he used his tongue. He went so deep, I thought I’d strangle on it. No, I was choking on the pheromones resonating inside me.
Oh God. He pressed against me and nudged my thighs apart, sharing his real reason for our conversation. His stance shifted, he held my wrists in one hand, and cupped my breast with the other. Liquid heat gathered between my legs. This was ridiculous.
He slid his hand down to my crotch and I struggled to release myself from his grip.
“There are people outside.” My snarl sounded more like a whimper. My nipples were completely stiff, topping already sensitive breasts. They itched, and I needed to rub them against his chest. Lower on my body, his hand lazily stroked between my legs, feeding the ache growing there.
He didn’t free me, though he dropped his hold on my arms and used his extra hand to cradle the back of my head as he deepened his kiss.
Someplace along the line I wound my arms around his neck as my body took control, absorbing pleasure through every pore. I leaned into his touch, grinding against his fingers…
“Harder,” I moaned into his mouth, willing him to obey.
“Oh yeah,” he muttered, and his gruff voice only made me hotter. As if he knew I teetered on the precipice, he renewed pressure on my clit, releasing my mouth long enough to whisper, “Come for me baby.”
Skyrockets went off. I mean I flew apart. Thanks to his pressing, and rubbing, and groaning into my mouth, I had an off-the-charts orgasm that left me sated, pliant in his arms and totally vulnerable.
While my legs threatened collapse, he held me against his body, rested his chin on the top of my head, cuddling me against his chest while I caught my breath and waited for my legs to stop trembling. He stroked my hair, patted my back, and hummed, making this deep sound of contentment that rumbled under my ear.
I don’t know how long we stood that way. It was long enough for me to gather my senses. Back in my right mind, I stood in his embrace, breathed his scent, and felt his hard length pressing against my mound. Not nudging, pushing, or insisting. But he was big and ready.
“Marty. You’re needed outside.”
Whoa. I didn’t know which crew member stood in the doorway, but Marty sighed and gave me a squeeze.
“Busted.”
“I need to use the bathroom,” I managed through lips puffy from his kisses.
He leaned his forehead against mine. “You all right?”
“Yeah,” I lied. “Just need to uh, refresh, you know.”
He kissed my forehead and stepped aside. I rushed into the downstairs john, put the lid down on the toilet, and sat. I felt a little dizzy, embarrassed, and really tired which was stupid since I’d just slept nine hours.
I needed to cry but I wasn’t sure why. I stood and peered at my reflection. I looked pretty much the same. No scarlet A stamped on my forehead from having sex against a refrigerator. Well not full sex. But sex. Geez, I came.
“And he’s going,” I muttered, splashing water on my face to get my brain firing. Our arrangement wasn’t going to work. This was way too personal for me.
I intended to refund his rent and send him on his way when I reentered the kitchen. But he’d left the room, and his go-bag sat on the table, suggesting his imminent departure. Before I joined him in the great outdoors, I inspected the bag’s contents.
Hmmm… Clothes. My stomach growled, announcing its disinterest, and that seemed as good an excuse as any to follow him to the backyard.
“Hey, I like your place.” Harley-Jane waved me over to her and handed me a plate as soon as she saw me. “Marty says he rented a room from you. You’ll be amazed at how much work you can get out of him while he’s bunking here.” Janie’s easy acceptance made my weird situation seem almost normal.
“How do you take your steak?” Church manned the grill while Marty and the other men, huddled up for a meeting.
“Medium.”
Harley-Jane nudged me toward the assorted bowls which proved to be potato salad in an iced down bowl, baked beans in a pan covered in tin foil, and a heap of roasted corn on the cob.
“Better eat dessert first if you’re going to have any,” Janie suggested eyeing the last piece of apple pie and an almost empty bowl of crushed strawberries.
While I hesitated, she darted forward, claimed the pie, cut a piece of golden sponge cake, drizzled the remaining strawberries over the top, and paused by the whipped cream. “Yes?”
Embarrassed at my own gluttony, I nodded approval as she piled on the sweet topping. “Midnight snack,” I told her, wrapping the plate in plastic wrap. “I’ll put this in the fridge and be right back.”
The steak and fixings were great. Megan slid in beside me, I introduced her to Harley-Jane, and they talked while I ate.
Most of their discussion centered on speculation about the meeting taking place.
“They might be leaving early for New Mexico. I hope not.”
“Gable said it’s a government job,” Harley Jane offered.
“They’ll be on the ground fighting fire where ever they are,” Megan said. Both women frowned.
I decided to listen in on the meeting. I stood, grabbed the back of an unoccupied chair, and dragged it toward the crew’s powwow zone.
“Did you need something, Holly?” Marty asked.
“I’m good,” I answered and plopped myself down. He nodded, continued talking to the men, and pretty much ignored me. I studied him as much as I eavesdropped.
The upshot of the whole thing was, I didn’t have to evict Marty; he was leaving today. Janie had been right about their destination. New Mexico. Twelve thousand acres of forested area on fire, with a hundred men already on the ground, and less than ten percent containment.
Their plans had been moved forward and a government plane awaited their departure. The men were grim-faced, the women tense.
I understood enough to know Smoke, Inc. had been hired to penetrate the interior of the fire zone. According to Marty’s plan, they’d use explosives and foam to create a control line. Then they’d parachute into the cleared zone and fight the fire from the inside moving toward the firefighters already on the outer perimeter. It sounded dangerous. Janie’s expression telegraphed her terror.
The afternoon picnic ended with crew and families leaving. Gable and Janie were first to go. Everyone else followed quickly. I half-expected Megan to stay, but she said, “I’ll call you later,” before she left with Teague.
As the charcoal turned to ash, Marty tidied the backyard then went into the house. When he re-emerged, he carried the duffel bag in one hand and an envelope in the other.
“Take care of yourself, Little Bit,” he growled, pulling me close.
Little Bit? What kind of a nickname was that for someone my size? Did he have me confused with Kit again? I didn’t have time to ask before he tilted my head and kissed me silly. When he let me, I came up for air, and of course, he had orders ready.
“Instructions inside. Behave.” He wore his bossy frown as he shoved the envelope in my hand.
Behave? I felt an aching emptiness as I watched him walk through the gate, climb into his Hummer, and drive away, leaving me wondering how he’d managed to become such a huge part of my world in such a short period of time.
I sat in the swing and surveyed my kingdom. Except for the new lawn furniture and grill, the backyard showed no evidence of the gathering. Not so much as a napkin or plastic fork had been left behind.
The swing creaked as I pushed higher, closing my eyes, enjoying the breeze on my face. I still held the envelope in my hand. I opened my eyes and stared at it. As if he had a hidden spy camera monitoring my activities, which given Marty’s controlling instincts seemed possible, my cell phone rang.
Marty
“What?” she answered on the first ring like she’d been expecting me.
“Did you read through the contents of the envelope yet?” I asked. Long pause. I could almost see her looking at the sealed envelope. No surprise in her answer.
“No.”
“Well open it.” It had occurred to me as I’d readied to leave, that I needed to secure my kid’s future before I jumped again. I didn’t intend to die, but if I did, the little fellow would be taken care of.
“Do you have a spy-cam on me, for Pete’s sake? Monitoring me somehow?”
“No. Why, someone bothering you?”
“You are. What do you want? You just left here. I thought you were going out of town.”
“I’m getting ready to depart. Knew you’d sit on that envelope and do nothing with it. Read through it. Elaine expects to hear from you tonight. She’ll give you your schedule.” I’ve found that telling people what to do works well. Most would rather get along than argue. Holly demonstrated loudly she wasn’t most people.
“You have clearly lost your mind. I have my own schedule, thank you. And why would Elaine try to give me one? Never mind. I don’t want to know.”
“Insurance. Yours sucks. You said so yourself. Mine doesn’t. I can’t insure the kid without insuring the mother he’s gestating in. So, you work for Smoke Inc., now. After Junior’s born we’ll figure out something else.”
“You’re claiming me on your insurance?”
“I hired you. Elaine’s cutting the papers now. She’ll tell you when to report and what documents she needs—”
She hung up on me.
That went well.