Trouble Maker: A MacKenzie Family Novel (The MacKenzie Family) (18 page)

His eyes widened in surprise as she took off her pants completely. She felt wild and free, and the thought of someone looking through the window and seeing them gave her an added surge of adrenaline.

“Marnie,” he whispered. “Come here.”

But she surprised him again. It was rare she felt bold enough to take charge. She was still unsure of herself in a lot of areas, but Beckett was a good and patient teacher. So when she turned around and knelt down so her pussy was positioned just over his face, she reveled when he said, “Oh, hell yeah.” And then she leaned down to take his cock in her mouth.

His boots stuck out from the side of the desk, but anyone passing would have to look closely to notice. Even if they did notice, she didn’t really care. His tongue was working a miracle on her clit.

“Fuck,” he said. “I’m going to come. Ride me.”

“No,” she said around his cock. The muscles in his legs tightened and his mouth paused. And then he pulled her back down and brought her to a strong, hard orgasm just as she felt the rush of salty fluid in her mouth.

They’d barely gotten their clothes back on before her receptionist had walked up and rattled the door to be let back in. And then Marnie and Beckett had gone over to the diner for lunch like nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

But she should’ve known things were too good to last. The snow was still falling in late January, and she’d finished her last client for the day and was headed out to Hamilton House for the evening, her overnight bag beside her. She hadn’t been quite brave enough to move in her things like Beckett had suggested.

They were good at it. Keeping things nice and easy between them. Simple. There were no demands and they each had their freedom. And the more time she spent with him the more she realized that he didn’t want to control her or use her in any way. He just wanted her.

The oak tree at the center of the fork in the road no longer brought her the pain it first had when she’d returned to Surrender. She drove past it without a thought, making her way to Hamilton House, and her cell phone rang. She didn’t recognize the number, but that wasn’t so uncommon.

“Captured Moments,” she said by way of greeting. “This is Marnie.”

“I’d thought for sure you’d have gotten over your little tantrum by now and come crawling back,” Clive said.

Her foot lifted off the accelerator and the van crawled to a stop in the middle of the road. She grasped the phone tightly in one hand and the wheel with the other. Nausea rolled in her stomach. Beckett had been right. Clive wouldn’t leave her alone. Not when he had so much to gain.

“Hello? Marnie? Are you there?”

“I’m here. What do you want?”

“Don’t be ridiculous. It’s time for you to end this farce and come home. I’m sure you’ve taken some lovely photographs while you’ve been staying in Bum Fuck Montana, but it’s time to get back to the real world. I’ve got a show scheduled for you in New York at the end of May.”

“I guess you’ll have to cancel it,” she said, the anger building inside of her. “I’m not doing any more shows. And last I checked, I’m not having anything more to do with you either.”

“Unfortunately, that’s not what our contract says.”

“Not any contract that I signed.”

“That doesn’t matter. Who’s going to believe you? Certainly not a court of law or the judges I play golf with every week.”

“We’re done, Clive. You can’t have me.”

“Stupid girl. I never wanted you. Your photographs and that amazing psychic ability, on the other hand, have made me a fortune. You don’t think I just randomly walked into your studio that day, do you? It was just a fortunate circumstance that you happened to be a decent photographer with an inkling of talent that I could use to my advantage.”

She pressed down on the accelerator and the van started forward again. “I’m sure that’s fascinating,” she said, her voice dead of all emotion.

She’d already known that of course, but the confirmation was still painful. Maybe she just wasn’t the kind of person who was easy to love. Her parents hadn’t loved her. And neither had Clive, even though he’d told her repeatedly that he did. But to him, they’d been empty words. The MacKenzies were the only ones who genuinely loved her, and she still had to wonder why. She didn’t have anything to offer them in return.

“Stop pouting. I’ll be there in a couple of days to collect you and any photographs you’ve taken over the last few months. And don’t try to tell me you haven’t been taking them. You can’t go a day without lifting that camera to your face.”

“You’re not welcome here and I’m not going anywhere with you,” she told him.

“Be ready and don’t keep me waiting. I promise you won’t like it if you do.”

He hung up and she realized she was trembling. She had no idea what to do. But she only knew that the only way she’d be going anywhere with Clive Wallace was if he killed her first.

Chapter Sixteen

She’d almost gotten herself under control by the time she pulled into the driveway at Hamilton House.

It was just past five o’clock, and she knew Beckett would still be in the barn, overseeing the evening feeding and milking, so she at least had time to shower and get herself together before he noticed anything was wrong. But when she walked into the house, she was surprised to find company there.

“Marnie,” Mary MacKenzie said, her face beaming in greeting.

Mary and James both hugged her, and then she received a hug from Beckett’s mother, Judy, as well.

“I hope you don’t mind, but James and I are crashing your party tonight for dinner.”

“Of course I don’t mind,” Marnie said. “You’re always welcome.”

“We’re leaving for Hawaii tomorrow morning for a couple of weeks. James finally talked me into getting out of this blasted snow. We’re supposed to have another foot by the weekend.”

Marnie groaned at the news. “That should make some of my outdoor photo shoots interesting.”

“Are you feeling all right?” Judy asked, laying the back of her hand to Marnie’s cheek.

Marnie had been nervous before meeting Beckett’s parents the first time. She’d heard stories about Judy Hamilton. That she was a real hard charger and a ball buster at that. People either spoke of her with reverence and awe or pure terror.

But Judy had looked Marnie over once and said, “You look like good people to me.” And then she’d hugged her and that had been that.

They didn’t see each other often because Beckett’s parents lived an active social life and they believed in giving their son his privacy and space. But Judy had always treated Marnie with a motherly air that surprised her.

“I’m okay,” Marnie answered. “Just a bit of a headache I can’t get rid of.”

Judy and Mary both clucked like mother hens and Judy said, “Why don’t you go up and rest a little before the boys get in from the barn? They’ll be another half hour at least.”

“I think I’ll do that, thanks,” she said, glad for the escape.

She retreated upstairs and fell face first into the bed she shared with Beckett, trying not to think of Clive and what she’d do when he showed up in Surrender. And he
would
show up. Clive didn’t make empty promises.

She must have dozed for a while because she woke to the sound of the shower being turned off. Beckett came out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist and droplets of water clinging to his shoulders.

“Hey,” he said, pulling underwear and a shirt from the drawer. “Mom said you weren’t feeling good. You were out like a light when I came in.”

“Just a headache. I feel better now.”

She scooted off the bed and went into the bathroom, staring at herself in the mirror. She was pale and even she could see the strain and worry in her eyes. There was no doubt that Beckett would see it too.

She turned on the water and splashed the cool liquid over her face. And when she went back out to the bedroom Beckett was dressed.

“You don’t have to come down for dinner,” he said. “They’ll understand if you’re not feeling well. You still look pale to me.”

“I’m fine,” she said. “And I’d like to spend a little time with Mary and James before they leave. I haven’t seen them since Christmas.”

He smiled. “You would’ve seen them at the New Year’s Eve party they threw, but you distracted me with that little dress you had on before we could get there. I still have an imprint of the gearshift on my ass.”

She tried to smile, but was afraid she was failing miserably, so she held out her hand instead and said, “Ready to go down?”

He looked at her strangely, but only nodded and took her hand in his.

Beckett’s bedroom and bathroom, plus a game room, were the only rooms on the west side of the house. There was a big open loft and a railing that looked straight across to the rooms on the east side of the house, or straight down to the living area below.

“Marnie, wait,” he said, stopping her and turning her to face him before they reached the stairs. They could hear laughter from somewhere down below, probably the kitchen as that was the place almost everyone liked to gather.

“I want to tell you something.”

She looked at him and knew what he was going to say before he opened his mouth. It slammed into her and she almost stumbled under the intensity. He loved her. And after the phone call she’d just received from Clive, she couldn’t bear for him to say the words. Because she knew he was only going to be hurt in the long run.

He opened his mouth to speak, but she threw herself at him, kissing him with everything she had. He caught her against him and met her mouth with his own. There was nothing sweet or gentle about this kiss. It was carnal and full of need and desperation.

She tore at the shirt he wore, pulling it from the waistband of his jeans, her nails raking across his taut abs. It was then she realized where she’d experienced this before. This was how the vision started she’d had so many months before—the one that constantly left her aching and wanting more.

Beckett wasn’t sure what had happened. He only knew that when he saw her standing there pale and looking a little lost, he’d had to tell her he loved her. He’d always loved her, and he’d known somewhere deep in his heart that she would always be the only woman for him. He’d known she’d have to return to Surrender someday, only because God wouldn’t have been so cruel as to let them find love if He didn’t mean for them to end up with each other.

But before the words could come out of his mouth, something came over her. Lust slammed into his body as her mouth fused to his, and all the blood drained from his head and straight to his lap. His cock went rock hard in an instant, and before he knew what she was about, her hot little hands had undone his belt, pushed down his jeans, and were wrapped tight around his dick.

Laughter wafted up from below and he tried to pull her back, farther from the railing so they wouldn’t be seen if someone walked by below, but she stood her ground and squeezed him, her eyes glinting wild and wicked.

He must have lost his mind to strip her out of her clothes so she stood naked on the landing. But he was long past the point of rational thought. His clothes had disappeared somewhere along the way too and he held the length of her hair as he spun her around so her hands held tight to the railing.

She tugged against his hand and then looked at him over her shoulder, daring him to take her. And he lost complete control. He kicked her legs apart and thrust into her with one hard push. She gasped loudly and he clamped a hand over her mouth.

She bit his finger. Hard. But she was oblivious to what she’d done. Her muscles tightened around him and she was already coming. He slammed into her over and over again, a beast inside of him coming to the surface and claiming what was his.

The upper half of her body hung over the railing and he grabbed onto her breasts as he continued to fuck her with abandon. Tiny mewls escaped her lips with every thrust and he felt his balls draw tight as his orgasm drew closer. And then he pinched both her nipples and felt her tighten around him again.

Her muscles milked him, massaged him, and then he felt the liquid gush of her orgasm and barely got his hand over her mouth as she screamed out his name. Come exploded from his body and he jerked against her as jet after jet of semen coated her vaginal walls. It was like he’d stuck his cock into an electrical socket. The tremors seemed to last forever and he was wrung dry and exhausted by the time the last one came. And then he heard it.

“Beckett? Is that you?” his mother called out.

He heard her footsteps on the hardwood floor below and jerked Marnie back from the railing, pulling them both to the floor. If he hadn’t been so tired and mortified at the thought of almost getting caught by his mother, he would’ve laughed. As it was, he looked at the woman trapped beneath his body and laid his forehead to hers.

Her eyes were closed but she rubbed his back soothingly.

“I love you, Marnie,” he said.

Chapter Seventeen

Two days later Beckett was still wondering what he’d done wrong.

He’d told her he loved her. That was the natural progression of things. But by the way she’d reacted you would’ve thought he’d told her someone had died. She wiggled out from under him and crawled into his bedroom on hands and knees since there was a possibility his mother was still standing below.

She’d gotten dressed without a word, given him a fake smile, and then headed down to eat dinner with his parents and the MacKenzies. As if nothing life-altering had just taken place. Then she’d made an excuse of why she couldn’t stay the night and hadn’t answered his calls the next day.

He needed answers, and he was going to get them. He loved her. And he knew that she loved him too. They had too much between them—past, present, and future. The more he thought about it the more determined he was to get answers. Why didn’t she realize they could be so much more together than apart? She still had her freedom. Her independence. But they could make something special together. She was just stubborn. And afraid. Loving him was a risk. But he liked to think he was worth it.