The Lawson Boys: Marty (24 page)

Bracing her
hands on his chest, she tried to push out of his arms, but he
simply held on and rocked her side to side, dropping a kiss on the
top of her head as he continued to laugh.

With a sigh she
stopped shoving and leaned against him. To be truthful, she wasn’t
strong enough to fight him, and when surrounded by his lethal zone
she struggled to hold onto her anger and really only wanted to
wallow in his combined scent of man and soap.

God help her,
being around Marty Lawson was turning her into a mindless
tramp.

Okay, the anger
was gone, but the annoyance remained. At least until a big hand
started to rub her back soothingly.
Mmmmm, delicious
.

“Oh honey, I
believe you. That rat Trevor was always bragging about his
control.”

“Unlike
you.”

“Hey, I have
control.”

“You didn’t
yesterday.”

There was
silence for several seconds. “Okay. One time.”

“Huh.”

“One time.”
Wrapping long fingers around her upper arms, Marty pushed her back
enough so that he could look down into her eyes. “I swear, Belle,
you were the
only
time.”

“Sure.”

Those brilliant
blue eyes never shifted. “I can’t prove it.”

“No, you
can’t.”

“You’ll have to
take my word for it.”

“I don’t have
to take your word for anything.”

“I guess you
don’t,” he said slowly, releasing her.

Not wanting to
acknowledge how much she felt the loss of his body, Belle backed
out of his lethal zone, only his lethal zone was far-reaching and
she swore she could feel those tendrils lazily twining around her,
trying to draw her back against him.

Or maybe that
was her new tramp side responding.

Blowing out a
breath, she stopped at the end of the counter and eyed him,
wondering what was going to happen now.

Angling his
head to one side, Marty studied the card on the counter before
picking it up and looking at her.

Automatically,
she glanced at the orchids. “Ummm…thanks for the flowers.”

“You like
them?” He fingered the card.

“They’re
beautiful.” When he said nothing more and the silence lengthened
between them, she cleared her throat. “So…”

He continued to
just look at her, the expression on his handsome face unreadable.
How the hell he could stroke a bloody card and somehow make her
feel like it was a poor substitute for her skin, she’d never
know.

Uncomfortable,
she tapped her fingers against her thigh. “Do you really want to
sight-see?”

“Depends what
I’m seeing.” His gaze trailed down her body and back up again, and
this time there was a definite hot gleam in his eyes.

“Sexual
harassment, Mr Lawson, is frowned upon.”

“I’m only
looking.”

“Like I
said.”

“You look.”

“No I
don’t.”

“Well, you can
look now.” He spread his arms wide. “I’ve no problems with it.”

The discomfort
vanished and she had to fight the sudden urge to laugh. Instead,
she frowned. “You really have no shame, do you?”

“Just telling
it like it is, honey.” Grin turning devilish, he plucked at the hem
of his t-shirt. “Tell me when to stop.”

“What?” When he
started to lift his shirt, she yelled, “Stop!”

“Really? So
soon?”

“Yes.” Shaking
her head, she reached for the car keys on the hook. “You really
need to get over yourself, Marty. Now do you want to go
sight-seeing or not?”

“You’re going
to remove your top? Sure.”

“No.” Mentally
fanning herself, she jingled the keys. “To look around town. That
kind of sight-seeing.”

“I think my
kind is more fun.”

With a sigh,
she grabbed her shoulder bag and walked to the back door, ensuring
it was locked before returning to the front door where Marty was
now waiting. Opening the front door for her, he waited until she’d
walked past him before holding out his hand for the keys.

“Go to the
car,” she said.

“My brother
always gets the key of the house. He does this whole manly, old
fashioned thing and-”

“The car,
Marty.”

“It won over
Harly.” Hands in his pockets, he wandered off the veranda and over
to where her car was parked. Bending down, he peered through the
window. “It’s kinda small.”

“Tough. You
pushed your way into my mother’s good books and caused this whole
sight-seeing fiasco, so now you can suffer.” In the act of
unlocking the driver’s door, she glanced over the top of the car to
find Marty watching her with an unrepentant grin. “You just
remember that when you get cramp in your long legs.”

He just grinned
wider, ducking to get into the car when she unlocked his door,
folding his tall, muscular body into the seat and settling back
with all the air of a contented man.

Shaking her
head, Belle started the car, backed out of the driveway and pulled
onto the street. She hadn’t even put the car into first gear before
he was fiddling with the radio. Not having any objections because
she liked music when she drove, Belle didn’t say anything until he
switched to an opera channel. “Are you kidding me?”

He laughed and
switched it back to the light pop station to which she always
listened.

“You are
seriously touched,” she muttered.

“Huh. That’s
what Alex and Cindy always say.” Winding down the window, he
breathed in the air, unbothered by the fact that the wind ruffled
his hair. “Where are we going?”

“I’m afraid the
strip joint is shut right now.”

“What a
shame.”

“How about the
museum?”

“Hmmm. How
about we park and neck?”

“Museum it
is.”

The museum only
had a few people in it. Brody, who was manning the entrance, smiled
at Belle before she caught sight of Marty, her eyes widening
appreciatively. “Hi,” she said, all but climbing the counter in her
bid to lean forward and hold out her hand. “I’m Brody, Belle’s
friend.”

Smiling easily,
Marty shook her hand and said, “I’m Marty, Belle’s boyfriend,”
before wandering off to wait for her near the entry to the
shipwreck room.

Brody’s mouth
fell open.

That was
nothing. Belle’s jaw nearly hit the floor.

“
Boyfriend?
” Brody stared at her. “He’s your boyfriend?”

She was going
to kill him. Slowly. “No. he - uh, he’s kidding and-”

Marty chose
that moment to look over and drop her a slow, sexy wink.

Flustered,
Belle barely restrained herself from snatching the visitors guide
from Brody’s hand. Swinging on her heel, she hurried over to
Marty’s side, but before she could say anything he took her hand
and wandered into the shipwreck room, towing her behind him.

“Stop it,” she
hissed when he halted before a display.

“Mmm?” His
thumb stroked lazily over her hand.

Oh God, her
knees were going to go weak. This was a bad idea but she couldn’t
jerk her hand away, not when there were several couples in the room
who glanced at them and smiled, and certainly not with Brody
peering around the door. All she could do was fix a smile on her
face and squeeze Marty’s hand in warning.

When he simply
squeezed her hand back in turn, a very gentle yet firm squeeze, she
was lucky her knees didn’t give out on the spot. That combined with
his thumb stroking her skin, his lethal zone pulling her in, and
the pleasant - very pleasant - sensation of just having her hand
held, was enough to make her decide to hell with it, she’d go along
with his devious move and wait until they were outside before she
blasted him verbally.

Meanwhile,
she’d enjoy it.

Yes
, she
admitted to herself,
I said that. Enjoy it.
Throwing caution
to the wind for the first time in her life, she shifted closer and
gave herself up to the moment.

She didn’t even
remember any of the exhibits. Marty seemed quite content to meander
along clasping her hand in his, his free hand in his jeans pocket,
stopping now and again to peer at exhibits and read the notices.
Before she knew it, they were outside walking to the car, her hand
still in his.

Still caught up
in a pleasant haze, she automatically handed the car keys to him
and watched as he unlocked the car. He held the door open for her
and she slid into the driver’s seat. He slid the key into the
ignition, dropped a quick kiss onto her lips, straightened, closed
the door firmly and strode around the car to open the passenger
door and fold himself into the seat, snapping the seat belt into
place before winding down the window and leaning his arm on it,
watching in quiet contentment as the world passed by on the other
side of the windscreen.

Belle didn’t
quite know what to say or do. He made no reference to their hand
holding, no reference to the kiss, nothing. And she didn’t know
what the hell to think. He wasn’t coming on strong, he -

“What the
hell?” She looked at him. “My boyfriend? You told Brody you were my
boyfriend
?”

In seemingly
innocence, he glanced at her out of the corner of his eyes.
“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Why not?”

“What - forget
it.” Twisting the key in the ignition, Belle tried to gather her
frazzled nerves and thoughts into a semblance of order. “Just
forget it.”

“Okay,” he
replied agreeably. “Where now?”

“Where do you
want to go?”

There was
nothing innocent in the way his gaze slid down her body.

“No,” Belle
said.

“Then you
choose. You’re the guide, after all.” He practically melted back
into the seat in lazy contentment.

Those were the
words to describe him right then, lazy contentment. He practically
oozed lazy contentment. Combined with his naturally sexy appeal, it
was just as lethal a combination as when he was being dangerously
sexy, because now Belle could imagine him all lazy and content
after a hot lovemaking session and- “God.”

“We’re going to
look at churches? Nice.”

“No. I mean - I
need a drink.”

“Great
idea.”

Pulling back
out onto the road, Belle drove to the nearest café, pulling up out
front and switching off the engine. “What do you want?”

“Seriously?” He
eyed her lazily, his eyes glinting. “You don’t know?”

She wasn’t even
flushing anymore, so that showed just how immune she was becoming
to his dirty hints. Pleased with herself, she opened the car door.
“I mean to drink.”

“Iced
coffee.”

“Fine. I’ll be
back in a minute.” She hopped out of the car.

Marty leaned
towards the driver’s side and looked up at her. “You don’t want me
to come inside with you?” Laughter echoed in his tone.

She pointed a
finger at him. “Stay.”

“I love it when
you get tough, honey.”

She had to bite
off the sudden urge to laugh. He was playing with her, she had to
remember that, and if she let him into the café with her, he’d only
have a joke at her expense.

Or she’d jump
his bones behind the booth.

Geez, his
perverted humour was rubbing off on her.

Reaching the
counter, Belle waited until the man ahead of her finished ordering
before asking the teenage boy serving for the drinks. After paying,
she turned to leave and was halfway across the café when she was
hailed from one of the tables. With a silent groan she realised it
was some of the garden club members, and it was Mrs Harris who was
waving to her.

“Yoo hoo!
Belle!”

“Hi, Mrs
Harris,” she replied quickly, but her efforts to continue walking
to the door without another word were foiled by Mrs Harris calling,
“Come here!”

It all came
crashing back, the photo in the newspaper, her declaration of
virginity lost, and she felt like a complete fool.

That was until
Mrs Harris grabbed her arm and pulled her down onto a chair that
another lady whisked out.

“My dear,” Mrs
Harris said, “You are such a brave woman!”

Confused, Belle
blinked. “I am?”

“Yes.” Mrs
Morrison nodded, her white curls bobbing around her face. “Facing
up to that cad. That took a lot of nerve.”

“Wish I’d done
that when I was young,” Mrs Baxter added. “Of course it wasn’t the
done thing then, to admit to losing one’s…you know…” She peered
around before whispering, “Virginity.”

Belle
blushed.

“That cheating
swine,” Mrs Morrison said indignantly. “Thought he’d get away with
it, but you showed him, Belle.”

“You surely
did.” Mrs Harris patted her arm. “We’re proud of you.”

“You are?”
Belle blinked.

“We are.”

They all
nodded.

“Well, thank
you.” Completely bamboozled, Belle glanced around, her gaze falling
on Marty where he waited in the car. “Oh, I have to go. I have
someone waiting for me.”

That
announcement had all three ladies turning to peer out the
window.

Marty waved to
them and blew Belle a kiss.

Belle went
bright red. She was going to kill him!

“Ooohh.” Mrs
Harris simpered. “Belle, you do know how to catch the
good-lookers.”

“Just be gentle
with him,” Mrs Morrison advised.

Be gentle with
Marty Lawson? If they knew him as she did, they’d be cautioning her
against him, not the other way around.

“It’s a good
thing to see that you’re not wasting any time getting back on the
horse.” Mrs Baxter giggled suddenly, her frail cheeks pinkening.
“Oh, I didn’t mean-”

“Yes you did.”
Mrs Harris retorted. “Riding!

The ladies all
giggled in delight.

“I have to go.”
Belle shot out of the chair at the sight of Marty opening the car
door. “Now.”

“No wonder.”
Mrs Harris nudged her friends, eliciting more giggles.