All Smoke No Fire (8 page)

“Oh, he left. He asked where he could get a taxi.” She set an envelope on the counter in front of Marilou. “He asked me to give you this.”

The fear took hold of her chest and she could barely breathe. “Was he sitting here the whole time?”

“Um…” Her eyes shifted around the room. “He got up and walked back toward the offices. I figured he was in the bathroom?”

Delroy pounded his fist on the counter. “You didn’t think to look? To make sure he wasn’t listening at my door?”

Marilou’s head spun and her ears rang. If Dax had heard anything they’d said…no, shouted… “Damn it.” She ripped open the envelope and pulled out a piece of Delroy’s letterhead.

Given those choices, you’d break it off with me?

Oh God, he’d heard her say that to Delroy. She shook her head, dizzying herself, then grasped hold of the counter for support and read the rest.

Given my choice, I would have told your manager where to shove his full management contract, and chosen you. I guess that’s where we’re different.

Her heart pounded, her body felt near collapse. “When did he leave?”

“About ten minutes ago.” The receptionist scrunched up her nose. “He seemed upset.”

Marilou looked at her manager. “You know what, Delroy? You’re not worth the time it’d take for me to cuss you out.” She shoved a finger in his chest. “You’re fired.”

He backed up a step. “Fuck that. I quit.” He spun on his heel and stormed back toward his office. “Goddamn prima donna princess diva bitches…” His rant went on until his door slammed shut.

Marilou knew they’d sort this out one day, but it wouldn’t be today. Tempers were soaring to an all-time high and she could barely breathe, much less talk to anyone.

His footsteps came back down the hall. He held out Marilou’s purse, giving her a nod.

She took it with a return nod and left the building, walking out into a day that had started out sunny and now looked like the clouds of hell were moving in. She glanced at Dax’s note again.

Given my choice, I would have told your manager where to shove his full management contract, and chosen you.

She raced home, but when she searched the condo, Dax was gone, along with his guitar and duffle bag. He’d left all his beads and throws on the bed, even the fancier ones he’d planned to bring back for his buddy’s girlfriends.

He’d probably be at the airport right now, waiting for the next flight out. She could chase after him, but would there be any way to convince him that if she had it to do over again, she’d tell Delroy where to shove his contract, too? No, she’d lost him. Lost her chance at love.

“Unless…” A crazy, scary plan formed in her mind and she paced the room, fleshing it out.

****

Five nights later, Dax lay on his bed in the apartment he shared with his three friends. Outside the closed door of the bedroom, Shaw, Pete, and Huck sat at the table playing a subdued version of their Sunday poker game. When Dax had arrived home late Wednesday, defeated and sullen, they’d tiptoed around him, quietly offering him support all week.

The weather had turned frigid, below-zero wind chills and snow blowing hard against the windows, accumulating in giant drifts that required even larger plows to clear. He’d worked his ass off the last three days, taking an extra shift on Saturday just to keep his mind off her.

At her manager’s office on Wednesday, when he’d heard shouting and Marilou’s voice raised, he’d stormed down the hall, intent on barging in and standing up for her. Hearing his name, he’d stopped with his hand on the door handle.

What he’d heard had chilled him, causing an ache that stabbed like a son of a bitch deep inside. He wasn’t her first “puppy.” This was her pattern, and he was just the next one in line.

Dax snorted and scratched the beard he’d let grow since he returned home. He must have just imagined there was more between them, that it wouldn’t be easy for them to be apart, even for one day. But she’d easily given up on him—on
them
—when her manager put the slightest pressure on her. His relationship with Marilou had been all one-sided, and he was the one.

Waiting at the airport that day, he’d stared at his phone, wanting her to call, wishing she had a great excuse for the things she’d said. When no call had come in, he’d slowly let go of the hope he’d been foolishly hanging on to. He was just a dumb puppy, looking for attention from someone way the fuck out of his league. “Idiot.”

“Dax.” Shaw’s voice came with a quick knock on the door.

“Yeah?” They’d been trying to coax him out all day.

“Company.” His friend pushed open the door and gave Dax a serious look. “For you.”

“Who—”

Shaw turned and walked away.

“Hell.” He sat, putting his stocking feet on the floor and made himself get up. Probably one of the girls, Harper or CJ, called in to help perk him up. He shuffled into the living room.

A petite woman in a long, light-blue parka with a fur-trimmed hood pulled off her tall white snow boots. By the height, it had to be Harper.

Behind her, the guys shrugged into their parkas and stepped into winter boots. Where the hell were they going? Dax sure as hell hoped they didn’t expect him to go with them.

The woman flipped back her hood. Black hair. She turned to look at him. Hazel eyes, slanted up at the corners.

Marilou?

His heart stopped, then restarted with a bang.

“Dax. Can we talk?”

As his mouth dropped open, the guys shuffled to the door.

“We’ve got to go to…” Pete’s lips moved but nothing else came out.

“Church.” Huck flung the word at them and disappeared out the door. Pete and Shaw followed.

“Church? Really?” Shaw’s voice reached him as the door swung shut. “That’s the best you could come up with?”

Then he was alone with Marilou.

Dax stared at Marilou as she pulled off her mittens and stuffed them in the pockets of her parka. The apartment went deadly silent as neither of them spoke. He moved forward, wanting to pull her in for a hug, but not daring to hope she was here for a reconciliation. “Can I take your coat?”

She nodded and unzipped it, then handed it to him. “Cold here, today.” She rubbed the red tip of her nose.

He hung the coat in the little closet beside the door. “You want some coffee or hot chocolate?” How the hell could he be so polite when he just wanted to drop to his knees and beg for another chance?

“No, thank you.” She gestured to the couch. “Can we sit and talk?”

He nodded and they sat on opposite ends. “Is your bus outside?”

She shook her head and smiled. “I flew. Got on a plane from Billings, Montana to Denver, then another one up here to Dickinson.” She looked so proud of herself, he wanted to pull her in for a hug and tell her how amazing that was.

“That’s…really great.” He sounded so stupid, but this conversation was out of his normal zone. No one had ever done anything like this for him. She’d braved her biggest fear to come to him. How did he deserve anyone this wonderful?

“It is.” She tucked one leg up under the other and turned her body to face him. Her thick pink sweater cupped her pretty breasts and her jeans looked worn and comfortable. He must look like a slob in his black sweatpants and U.N.D. sweatshirt. “And I want to tell you why.”

“Okay.” He narrowed his eyes, waiting for some sign from her, something to tell him what she was doing here.

“What you heard in Delroy’s office, that was just stupid. I was hungover and not thinking. He backed me into a corner, figuratively.”

He nodded, wanting her to go on, and also in agreement of her assessment of what she’d said. It had been stupid.

“You probably heard him yelling about the men I’ve been with. Guys who I wanted to help in the business, but who used me to get what they wanted.” She stared down at her knee. “The last one, Bradley, he did a number on me.” She tipped up her chin. “No, I let him do that to me. I was in a vulnerable place and I let his leaving me take away part of my world.”

“I don’t understand.” Dax needed to hear it all.

“I let this breakup keep me away from my family.” She held up one hand. “But I’ve rectified that. On the ride from New Orleans to Montana, I had Joe make a detour. I spent a day with my family.”

“Really? I’m surprised your schedule let you take the time.”

“Contractually, I was supposed to be in Great Falls on Thursday, twenty-four hours prior to my Friday concert, but I had Delroy call and make up something to give me an extra day to get there.”

“Good. I’m glad you saw your family.” Dax forced a small smile, but wished she could skip ahead a ways and tell him what this had to do with him.

“Two nights onstage at the casino, then I hopped a plane to see you. It’s as soon as I could get here, Dax.” She opened her mouth, but nothing came out for almost a minute. “I wanted to talk to you, but not over the phone.”

“I understand.” Was this the
official
breakup?

“In Delroy’s office, all I was thinking about was the meeting with my manager I’d promised you. I got so focused on keeping my word, that I said something I didn’t mean.”

His breath barely moved in and out as he waited and prayed for her to say what he needed to hear.

Her lips quivered. “I’d never give you up, Dax. Not unless you said you didn’t want me anymore.” Her voice cracked, and her eyes filled up. “Please forgive me. Give me another chance?”

The warmth that flooded through him made him want to shout, to laugh, to hold her… Dax reached over and hauled Marilou onto his lap, burying his face in her neck, just breathing in her soft, floral scent. “One more chance, kitten. Today. Then another one tomorrow, another the day after that…”

She shook as she cried out everything she’d kept bottled up inside her.

He stroked her hair, whispering soft words for her, just keeping her tight until all the tears, all the shaking ended. Tipping her head so he could see her eyes, he kissed her wet cheek. “I’m glad you came to tell me. And I want to show you, right now, how much I care for you.” The thought of her in his bed caused an instant bulge in his sweatpants. “Can the rest of our talking wait until after?”

She nodded, quick and jerky. “I want that, Dax, to know that we’ve got a chance. That we can get past this.”

He stood, lifting her in his arms and taking her into the bedroom he shared with Shaw. Kicking the door shut behind him, he stood her next to his bed and just looked at her. “You’re the most beautiful, complicated, outrageous woman I’ve ever met. And while I know you’re way far out of this country-roughneck’s league, I’m gonna ignore that fact and make you mine, Marilou Roselle. My woman.”

Her bottom lip shook again and she sucked in an uneven breath. “You are so good for my ego.” She laughed a couple short bursts. “So good for my heart.”

Placing his hand between her breasts, he felt the fast pace of her blood pumping through her body. It was too soon for either of them to be making vows of love and forever, but he needed to let her know how he felt—after he made love to her. “Hold that thought.” He didn’t have enough blood left in his brain anyway, and he’d just make a mess of it.

Her mouth curved into a smile. “I will.”

As he pulled off her sweater, she ordered him to get naked, and with a pile of clothes on the floor, he laid her on her side on the bed. Lying opposite her, he lifted her top leg. “You are so pretty, so tempting.” He kissed her thighs, her belly, and finally, the soft folds at the apex of her legs, inhaling her sweet, musky scent.

She moaned and grasped his hard cock in her hands, sliding her palms along his length, her strokes firm, perfect.

Tasting her, sliding his tongue along her softness, he concentrated on pleasing Marilou, making his own pleasure secondary.

When she lapped at his cock head, the urge to let himself go nearly overwhelmed him, but he wanted this to be all hers.

Rearranging himself, he propped up her leg and sucked her hot pussy lips into his mouth, teasing and tickling her everywhere, loving the moans and sighs coming from her throat.

She wrapped her lips around his shaft and took him in deep.

His balls tightened, swirling heat through his groin, making it difficult for him to concentrate. Shifting back from his own pleasure, he used his thumbs to spread her open for him and used his tongue to lick at the opening where her honey coated his tastebuds with the fresh proof of her desire.

Her hands continued to caress him, her mouth to tease and please, and Dax had to distract her before she overwhelmed him and his body made him take his own release.

Finding her tiny bud nestled inside the soft folds at the top of her pussy, he swirled his tongue in a figure eight. Slowly at first, waiting until her body shivered and stiffened, then he flicked and licked faster and faster.

She cried out, her hips shuddering, her grip on his cock loosening as he pressed one long finger deep inside her canal. Her orgasm ripped through her, shaking her body as she cried his name three times, then making her every muscle go limp.

Dax turned and lay next to her, kissing her cheeks, her chin, her lips, breathing in her panting breaths, holding her to feel the aftershocks ripple through her body.

Her eyes focused on him and a soft, completely satisfied smile curved her beautiful lips. “So perfect, Dax. You are my dream come true.”

His chest filled with a soulful ache that made him want to hold her close forever.

“But…” Her hand slid down his chest, over his belly, grasping his hard shaft, threatening to detonate his whole body, sending him into a wicked climax. “Your turn...” She started to slide downward, but he caught her.

“I want to be inside you, kitten. Deep in your hot, slick pussy.”

She bit her lip and her eyelids fluttered. “Mmmm.”

Rolling onto his back, he arranged her on her knees, sitting on his thighs. From the nightstand, he produced a condom and handed it to her. “Cover me.”

Her nipples hardened as she sheathed him, her breath fast and uneven. “As you command.” She looked into his eyes, hers a dark hazel, heavy-lidded with her desire.

“I like that. Commanding you, and you obey.”