Page 45 of Tangled Threats on the Nomad Highway
“Einstein.” The demand in her tone stoppedhis feet in place, but he kept his back to her as he waited. “I’mnot upset at you.”
“Maybe I’m upset at myself.” Shaking hishead, he tightened one hand into a fist. “I should have knocked. Anopen door isn’t an invitation.”
Stuck there, he waited, listening to eachbreath echo through his head. In and out, and again, and again. Shesighed and finally said, “I’ll be out in a minute.”
Mug in hand, he plotted a dozen differentconversations he could introduce as soon as she came out. Safetopics, things they’d discussed before, nothing risqué and nothingpersonal.
That all went to shit as soon as she cameback into view.
Einstein’s mouth dried up like theSahara.
Marian was wearing shorts that hit high onher thigh and a shirt with a wide neck that drooped off oneshoulder, leaving her collarbone bare.
His first instinct was to look around theroom to ensure no one was there who might creep on this view ofMarian. Then he checked the windows, then the stairs, and finallydropped his gaze to his half-empty mug, focusing on the shiftingliquid as if it held the secrets of the universe.
She closed in on the island near him, andher hand appeared in the edges of his vision, lifting the mug ofcoffee he’d prepared for her.
“Mmmm.”
Her soft vocalization of pleasure sent thetingles that had been dancing through his chest and belly straightto his dick, taking him from slowly thickening to fully hard withinone breath and the next. Mug to his lips, he tried to take a sipbut choked when the sound came again.
“So good. Mmmm.”
The bottom of his mug thudded against thecountertop, rattling edge to edge before he could still thetrembling. Einstein flicked a glance at Marian, then back to hismug, but in that instant, something about her face stuck out athim. He angled his eyes upwards again to take another look,freezing when he saw the broad grin.
“Oh my God.” She burst out laughing, bendingover the countertop and continuing to belly-laugh until each breathturned into wheezing. “Your face.”
“What the hell, Marian?” He watched herrearrange her clothing, the collar now covering her demurely. Shebent over, and when he glanced around the island, he caught aglimpse of fingers working to unroll the hem of her shorts. “Whywould you do that?”
“Because if I didn’t do something to knockyou out of your head, you’d wreck our friendship.” Surging upright,she angled her chin at him defiantly. “What we have means a lot tome, Jim. The relationships I have with Bane, Horse, Gunny, orTruck—those’re important, and I’d do a lot to make sure they staystrong.” The smile she gave him was strained, corners of her mouthpulled down. “But for you and me? I’d do anything.”
“I saw you naked.” He reared back andthudded against the edge of the counter with one fist. “Naked.”
“It’s just skin, Jim. I’ve seen as much andmore with most of the boys who wander around here.” She lifted hermug and sipped, this time refraining from making the obscenesounds. “Like I’ve heard Truck say a thousand times, ‘It ain’t nothang.’ Not to me.” She slowly lowered the mug. “Hmmm. Now, if ithad been one of the others, like Horse, I don’t think I’d be asokay with it.”
“What? What does that mean?”Does she notsee me like that?Why did that thought bother him so much?“That I’m okay but he’s not?”
“I can only give you what I have in myheart, Jim.” She carried her mug towards the refrigerator, settingit down on the side counter. Opening the door, she surveyed thecontents without looking back at him. “And that tells me confusingthings sometimes. Yes, if one of the others had seen me like that,I would likely avoid them for at least the near future.” Her headdisappeared inside, voice floating out to where he stood. “I justknew I had to fix it fast, before you built it up into something itwasn’t.”
“I’m still sorry.” He stepped to the side ofthe island and stopped in place. Her apple-ass was right there,muscles of her calves bunching and flexing as she moved itemsaround inside the refrigerator. Swallowing hard, he stepped upbeside her like he normally would and held out a hand. Striving fora voice as close to normal as possible, he asked, “What are wemaking this time?”
“Eggs and sausage.” She nudged the back ofhis hand with the egg carton, and he took it, then the package ofpork. “Thad has early practice, so he’ll do a shake instead of realfood.”
He shuddered at the idea, then twisted toset down the items. When he looked back, she was holding out acontainer of cheese, so he took that and placed it alongside theeggs.
“Maye loves scrambled eggs.”
“How’s she doing?” Maye was Bane andMyrtle’s daughter, born following an early, short labor not longafter Myrt proposed to Bane. The little girl was adorable, and fromthe pictures Einstein had been sent through the most recent months,was growing like a weed.
“Maye is her mother’s daughter, full of sassand vinegar.” Marian turned from the refrigerator, a couple moreitems in her hands that she placed on the counter as the doorclosed silently behind her. “Did you hear the good news?”
“Apparently not.” Rummaging through thecabinets, he found his favorite bowl for the eggs, bringing thatand a whisk with him as he returned to stand next to Marian. “Clueme in, friend.”
“We’ll have another little one in a fewmonths.” He couldn’t help himself, his gaze sweeping down to grazeacross her belly. Marian caught the glance and laughed. “No, silly.Not me. Why would you even—” She huffed a laugh. “No, Myrtle is duejust around Thanksgiving. This one snuck up on her. No morningsickness, so she didn’t pay close attention. Would you believe itwas Bane who put two and two together?”
“I would. That man is smart as a whip.”Unsettled by Marian’s dismissal of his consideration, Einstein feltunbalanced. “Do you not want kids?” Poking around in his memories,he couldn’t find any recollection of having that kind ofconversation with her before. “I’m surprised.”
“Not a lack of wanting.” She spoke easily asshe laid out the pans while he cracked eggs into the bowl. “More alack of opportunity.”
