Butterfly Madness [Loving in Silver 3] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) (28 page)

Roarke held still when all he really wanted to do was run out of the room screaming. He had made the wrong choice. He should have just kept the secret to himself. What would that have hurt? Not a thing, right? Now he was putting it all out there, risking everything. And if it wasn’t bad enough Gray would know, so would Marley. Terror began to claw at his gut.

She was already taking a huge leap of faith by marrying two openly bisexual men. Not two straight men wanting to devote themselves to one woman. No, they were bi and now he was in bed with them wearing women’s lingerie.

Those hands which had held him, loved him, soothed him over the years, held him tight now when he would have tried to make his escape.

“No, stay with me, with us,” Gray said imploringly, nuzzling his jaw and kissing down his throat just the way he liked it. Shivers of pleasure washed over his burning skin. “I love you. There’s nothing you could possibly do that would turn me off.” Fingers wrapped around his wrist, guiding his hand. It encountered flesh so aroused that it was like a fiery steel rod within his grasp. Moaning, he stroked. “See what you do to me? All I can think about is seeing you in your beautiful things, spread out under me, taking my cock in your ass while you wrap me tight with your silk-covered legs.”

The moment of truth arrived when the light on the opposite side of the bed came on, illuminating the room. Gray hadn’t moved away from him, giving him time to think on his fears or to make an escape. Marley had turned on the light. His head jerked around so he could see her. She was cuddled down into the pillow, a sheet over her body, staring at him with soft, love-filled eyes. There was no judgment, no disgust, as she looked at him. If anything, they were filled with blue fire and love.

“This color looks good on you,” Gray told him, bringing his attention back to the man now above him. He swallowed hard and tried to breathe. “It’s about the color of your eyes.” A hand slid down over his ribs, caressing him through the silvery gray satin teddy until he came to the garter belt. “Sexy as hell, babe.” He stroked a silk-covered thigh. He dropped a kiss on his lips, his green eyes filled with truth and love. Roarke didn’t move a muscle, didn’t think about making an escape, as Gray left him long enough to reach into the drawer in the bedside table. When he came back, prepared for the next step, Gray reached down to be certain he was stretched. A moment later he was pushing inside Roarke’s asshole, pressing deep, filling him, as they stared into each other’s eyes. “I want these legs wrapped around me.”

Gray could have told him to climb on the roof at that moment and Roarke would have done it. Wrapping his legs around the trim, muscular waist, he locked on as his lover began fucking him into the mattress. The long, thick cock was like a piston as it was driven in and pulled out, hitting his prostate on every forward thrust. His dark channel clung to the hard flesh penetrating it. He moaned like a cheap whore, arching his hips, begging for more.

“Please,” he choked, swiftly succumbing to the emotion welling up in him, “fuck me harder! I want to feel your cock in the back of my throat.”

One thing Gray was really good at was fulfilling wishes and desperate demands. Reaching up, Roarke grabbed his head between his hands and pulled him down for a searing kiss as their cocks exploded simultaneously.

They collapsed together, breathing hard, sweat covering their skin. They stared at each other. As they did so every one of his fears died a quick death and he realized he had been a fool not to trust the man who held his heart in his hands.

The shame he was feeling must have shown in his face because Gray smiled gently and lowered his head for another gentle kiss. “Stop it. I love you, babe. That’s all you ever have to remember.”

Marley cleared her throat. They turned to see her sitting cross-legged on the bed, her eyes wide in her face. She was flushed and aroused. “Wow, can I see that again? And I really have to get one of those,” she told Roarke, eyeing the teddy. “But in coral pink. We can still go shopping together, right?”

Roarke nodded. They’d go shopping and he didn’t care if the whole damned town discovered his newest kink. No one would even blink once they heard about Marley’s adventure under the table at the Silver Garden Restaurant.

* * * *

Marley was a nervous wreck. They had spent two days hanging Callie’s paintings and doing last-minute things to finish getting the gallery ready.

If all that wasn’t enough, they had finished moving her belongings out of the Redford mansion. She left several small gifts on the kitchen table when she moved out, Colt having given her the number of members of the unseen staff which took such meticulous care of his family’s home. She gave Ellen a beautiful throw made of alpaca fiber. It was so soft and luxurious that Ellen had stood there hugging it, tears in her eyes, both women knowing they had a lifelong friend in one another.

Now she stood in the gallery. Guests and potential buyers were viewing the paintings. She heard the accolades for Callie’s extraordinary gift. Tears stung her eyes as emotion threatened to take over. She bit her lip to keep it from quivering. Then she took a deep breath and forced a smile to her lips, hoping it would hold through the rest of the night.

Though she hadn’t seen her father again, Grayson had checked around and discovered that her parents were indeed in Silver. They were staying at a motel together in the newer section of town. It was a nice motel, but certainly not what her mother was accustomed to. Either she had failed to obtain a sponsor for her expenses, or she was trying to keep a low profile. Doreen and Phillip undoubtedly didn’t think Marley would recognize her father after so many years. Whatever was going on, they had yet to make an appearance. She knew it wasn’t a matter of if they showed up, but when.

When it happened, Marley knew she would have to maintain her composure. She wasn’t going to make a scene. She wasn’t going to get angry. She would treat them politely, like the strangers they were. They weren’t her parents despite their contribution to her creation.

Grayson had told her that he was planning on doing a background check on her father. The result of the check was potentially something she wouldn’t want to hear, but per her request to not be shielded from unpleasantness again, she knew she would have to face up to anything he discovered about her father and what he had been doing the past twenty years. She would just have to suck it up and put her big girl panties on. After the grief she had given her men, she couldn’t do anything less.

The possibility of Grayson having to arrest her father for some crime left Marley feeling cold all over. Not that she could blame her man for doing his job. She never could. She respected him too much.

No, it would mean that her childhood memories would have no meaning at all. Phillip Jacobson was here in Silver for some unknown reason. With him so close she had to accept that even the few good memories of him were nothing but lies. There had been a part of her which had never wanted to let go of them. The fact that he had left and not come back meant he had never felt any love for her. She acknowledged and accepted that cold reality now.

Taking a deep breath as someone called to her, Marley turned with a genuine smile on her face. The man was one of Callie’s many doctors. As she spoke with him, sharing moments of her sister’s life with him, thoughts of her parents faded away. The negative was soon being replaced by the positive, leaving her feeling peaceful deep inside her soul.

Having thought about it long and hard, Marley decided to ask Colt to handle the sale of Callie’s artwork. He agreed to do it and was soon speaking with potential buyers. When she was called upon to give a history behind a painting, Marley would provide it. Otherwise she knew she would have to keep herself separated. It was much harder than she thought it would be. She was being selfish, of course. The sale would be the final step in finishing Callie’s dream. But every time one of the paintings was discreetly marked as sold, she felt as if a part of her was sold off with it.

How did a person balance happiness and pain?

Marley forced herself to focus again on the positive. The money raised would do so much good. Callie had been thinking of the children when she made her wishes known. She hadn’t been dwelling on the fact that she would soon be gone. Of course she hadn’t wanted to die, but had done so with a peaceful state of mind, confident with her decisions.

She smiled at the guests. Many of the town’s residents had come through, admiring her sister’s work. Several had even purchased a piece or two for themselves. With such an overwhelming number of people coming for the show, a buffet had been arranged down the street at the Silver Star Hotel. It was a relief to channel people away from the gallery. So many wanted to socialize, but it was just too crowded. She had Roarke to thank for the idea. Those who wanted to chat, but not buy, were gently invited to enjoy the buffet at the hotel.

One thing which had brought her joy was the appearance of her best friends Teddy and Wesley Kimura. She had to admit she had missed them more than anyone else. She had spoken to them several times since leaving California, but it was very nice to see them and have their support.

They tried to keep a low profile, but both men had made something of a name for themselves in the fashion industry, and the wealthy people in the room either recognized them or knew them personally. They stayed long enough to show their support, and then told her they would see her the next day when she would need help with preparing the artwork for shipment.

When the last sale was made all the tension and worry left her body. Not only had the sale gone as planned, she was relieved she hadn’t seen either of her parents.

Something else occurred to her as she locked up the front of the gallery and closed the blinds. She turned to look at the people still inside. Colt was there with Clarissa and Bliss standing close to him as he spoke quietly with Roarke. The musicians were still in the gallery, preparing to leave. The uniformed servers from the catering service, which happened to be owned by Clarissa and Bliss, were cleaning up. The man she had hired just the day before to come in to clean on a permanent basis was cleaning the floor, a smile on his face, a wiggle in his hips, and earbuds stuck in his ears.

There was no sign of Grayson. He should have been there. Maybe something had happened and he’d been needed in an official capacity somewhere else. Frowning, she looked at Roarke again. He seemed to sense her distress and came to her quickly.

“What’s wrong, baby?”

Marley was still frowning as she looked up at him. “Do you know where Grayson is?” She had a very good idea where Grayson was.

“I believe he got a call. It was something very boring and official. He should be back anytime.” Roarke looked around the gallery. “It went well. Would your sister be pleased?”

“Yes, very pleased. But so are the people who bought her work. Not just anyone was invited to attend. They were chosen because she knew each, and liked and respected them. It wasn’t just about money. Everyone who knew her work, and bought something here tonight, knew they were getting something special and would appreciate it.” She turned toward the end of the gallery where the life-size self-portrait of Callie was hung. “I was offered a million dollars for her self-portrait.”

“You didn’t take it, did you?”

She shook her head, smiling. “No. You know I couldn’t do that. Callie painted it as a gift for me.”

Her eyes swept over the incredible likeness of her sister. It was so detailed it looked like a photograph. The blue-green wings highlighted in gold, of a fantasy butterfly, sprouted from between her shoulder blades. Her long, dark hair was blowing gently in the wind, as was the gauzy, yellow dress she was wearing. She was standing in a meadow of wildflowers, snow-covered mountains in the background. Butterflies of every description were flitting from one flower to another as their world was bathed in soft golden light.

As beautiful as it was, it was Callie’s eyes which captivated her. They were a darker blue than Marley’s eyes. They were soft and full of life. She had captured her own inner beauty and it shone brightly. So brightly, Marley could almost believe her sister could step right out of the painting.

Tears stung her eyes and her throat tightened. With a sob she turned toward Roarke. The man, her love, caught her close and held her tightly within the circle of his strong arms as she cried out the last of her sorrow. She pressed her face into the solid, comforting wall of his chest, her tears soaking his shirt, until there were just no more tears to shed.

A handkerchief was pressed into her hand as Marley finally pulled away. “I’ve ruined your shirt,” she sniffled, wiping the tears away then dabbing at her nose. She glanced around. They were alone in the gallery. Relieved, she looked up at him. “Can we go find Grayson?”

Roarke hesitated a moment, then said, “Sure, baby. Let’s just go let Dave know we’re leaving.” Dave Elliot was the guard they had hired to stay in the gallery while Callie’s paintings were there. “Just wait here. I’ll be right back.”

Since he appeared to be trying to make an escape, avoiding answering her question, Marley stopped him with another. “What’s going on, Roarke? Where’s Grayson?”

The man looked like he wanted to be anywhere but where he was. A look of pain crossed his face, which alarmed her. “He’s at the office. He had to make an arrest tonight.”

“Who is it?” She knew without being told the identity of the person, but her mind just couldn’t grasp it completely. Her heart pounded in her chest and her mouth went dry.