Sweet On You

chapter Twenty-seven



With her head resting directly on top of the bar at Grounds for Thought, Marley could feel the vibrations from the espresso machine reverberate through her brain. She hoped it'd shake some sort of idea into her, but so far it hadn't done anything but give her a headache.

Valentine patted her shoulder. "You should have taken my matchmaking abilities more seriously. I'm always right about these things."

"You're not helping," she mumbled against her arm.

"What?"

She lifted her head and frowned at her friend. "I have plenty of guilt on my own right now. I don't need more."

Valentine smiled sheepishly. "Sorry."

"I need help figuring out how to win Brian Benedict back."

She shook her head. "That's not going to be easy. You're not his favorite person right now."

"You've talked to him?" Marley grabbed her arm. "Where is he? I've tried calling but his phone is off. I've even tried going to his apartment but he doesn't seem to be there."

"He went away to Mexico for a few days."

A sick feeling churned in her stomach, and she couldn't help asking, "By himself?"

"Of course, by himself." Valentine rolled her eyes. "Although it'd serve you right if he had a rebound fling. He's a great guy, and you took him for granted."

"Rub it in, why don't you?"

"Well, you don't seem to hear otherwise." She took a sip of her tea. "I gave you the perfect guy and you didn't treat him like the gift he was."

"I know that. I'm kicking myself about it every second I'm awake and even in my sleep." Marley faced her friend. "Tell me the truth. Is it too late to try and get him back?"

Valentine studied her for a long, silent moment. Whatever she saw must have passed the test, because she shook her head. "I don't know. Brian said he needed a change of scenery to think things through. He's coming back in a couple days."

Panic spread icy through her veins. "What's he thinking through?"

The matchmaker threw her hands in the air. "I don't know. Whatever stuff guys need to work out."

"I've got to do something."

Valentine rested a hand on her arm. "You really like him?"

"I hadn't realized how much until I'd screwed it all up."

"Are you willing to do whatever it takes? Even if you have to beg?"

"Yes. I love him," she said without hesitation, and the words felt so true and real that she wanted to smack herself on her head for not realizing sooner.

"Okay." Valentine nodded, her demeanor all business as she pulled out her phone. She swiped the screen a couple times. "He comes back in two days. I'm supposed to pick him up at the airport, but you're going in my stead."

Marley worried her lip, thinking of all the things that could go wrong. "What if he doesn't want to go with me?"

"That's not an option. Failure isn't one of the choices here. You need to make him see reason."

"I can't make him love me."

"You don't have to." The matchmaker slid off the stool and tugged her skirt down. "Come with me. We need to arm you for battle."

She obediently got off her seat. "Why are you helping me?"

"Because I'm a love advocate." She marched out the door, a skinny redhead on the charge.

Just as Valentine was about to exit, the Hulk stepped into the doorway, blocking it with his width. He glared at her like she was a gnat harassing him.

Valentine, who looked tiny compared to him, just glared back. "You're in my way."

Marley thought he was going to growl—maybe even bite the woman in two. But he surprised her by stepping aside.

"I can help." Valentine handed him a card. "Call me," she ordered as she primly walked by, her purse swinging in the crook of her elbow.

Marley followed before the Hulk decided to take it out on her. "That was impressive," she said to her friend under her breath.

"I'm going to match him up." There was a determined light in her eyes.

"I believe you." Marley strode after her. "How did you have that card ready so quickly? Do you have some stashed in your bra?"

Valentine gasped. "A bra with a built-in card holder. That's brilliant. I may have to work on that."

"Valentine, where are we going?"

"Here." She swept into Romantic Notions, the posh lingerie store, and walked right up to the young woman manning the counter. "Nicole, we need something saucy to wear. For her."

Both women turned to inspect Marley.

She wanted to duck under their calculating gazes, which she equated to being much like Superman's laser vision.

"How saucy are we talking?" Nicole asked.

"Garters," Valentine said decisively. "Stockings."

"Stockings?" Marley gulped. "I don't—"

"Really saucy then." Nicole rubbed her hands together gleefully. "We can do that."

The two women discussed her like she wasn't there. They picked out some things, debated color, and then settled on a lacy garter and black stockings, with a matching bra.

Marley held up the bra, which seemed to be missing essential parts and pieces. "This has no cups."

"I know." Nicole winked wickedly at her. "He's going to love it."

"Where are the panties?"

"No panties," Valentine said.

She shook her head. "I can't not wear panties."

Valentine narrowed her eyes. "You can when the stakes are so high."

Could she go without underwear? She tried to picture it.

"Look at it this way," her friend said. "If it ensured you being loved for the rest of your life, would you take the risk?"

Marley turned to Nicole. "No panties, please."





Marley teetered on the heels she wasn't used to wearing as she moved out of the way of a large family with a hundred suitcases. One of the children eyed her. Could the kid see that she was naked underneath the trench coat?

Well, she wasn't completely naked. After all, she was wearing the peek-a-boo bra, the garters, and the stockings. Otherwise she had nothing on but the expensive lotion Daniela had given her for her last birthday.

Still, just in case, she cinched the belt of her coat tighter.

To distract herself from her nerves, she pictured herself getting arrested by the airport police. She looked around, wondering if she looked like a hooker, standing against the column, waiting. She imagined being put in handcuffs and frisked.

She imagined Brian Benedict frisking her.

She fanned herself with her hand and then lifted all her hair off her neck. It was hot in this coat.

A wave of people poured out from the terminal. Marley stood up straight. Was this part of his flight? The monitor said it landed ten minutes ago.

She surveyed each passenger, looking for the right one. Just when she'd given up hope, she saw him striding through the security checkpoint.

He looked familiar but different—more tanned, his hair disheveled. He wore sandals and cargo shorts, with a long-sleeved dress shirt, sleeves rolled up, of course. His bag was slung on a shoulder, a baseball cap in the other hand.

Something inside her eased when she saw him. For the first time in days she had hope that this would turn out right.

Then he saw her, and he slowed as though he was reluctant to meet her.

No. She shook her head, tightening the belt one more time. She set her sights on him and went to meet him halfway.

She cleared her throat. "Welcome home."

"This is unexpected," he said, shifting his bag higher on his shoulder. He stopped directly in front of her. "Or are you on your way to a flashers' convention?"

She flushed, making sure the belt was still securely fastened. "Actually, I came to take you home."

Brian didn't say anything, just gazing at her like he was trying to figure her out. Then he shook his head. "I can take a cab."

"No, you can't." She stood straight, ignoring that she wobbled in the spiked heels. "Wonder Woman wouldn't let her man escape."

"Does that mean you have a red, white, and blue unitard under that trench?"

Taking a deep breath, she stepped right up to him, so she was pressed against the front of his body. In her heels, she was almost as tall as he was, so he met her gaze dead on. "I'll show you what I don't have on under here as soon as you forgive me for being slow."

He settled his glasses up his nose. "I'm not sure which part of that statement I'm supposed to glom on to."

"The part where I asked you to forgive me." She took his free hand, realizing she hadn't really understood how much she'd missed him until this moment. "I was so focused on the idea of what I thought I wanted, I didn't see what was in front of me until it was too late."

"What's in front of you?"

"A friend and confidante. A partner in crime." She squeezed his hand. "A lover."

"Those are my words."

"You were right. I'm not good with words, and you said it best. But they say a picture is worth a thousand words, so..." She reached into her purse and pulled out a framed photo.

He put his baseball cap on his head and took the picture. She watched his face, trying to measure how he'd feel seeing physical evidence of their love in the kiss on the pier.

Brian's expression didn't change.

Swallowing thickly, Marley said, "We looked happy. I was happy. I hate that I messed that up. But now that I know what I want, I'm not going to back down. I should warn you that I'll resort to anything, even not wearing panties, to get you back."

She thought his lips twitched, but she must have imagined it. "You said you didn't see what was in front of you until it was too late," he said.

"I know," she all but wailed.

He brushed her hair back. "It's not too late."

"Good." She reached up and pulled his mouth to hers. A sigh of relief went through her body the moment their lips touched. She pressed her heart to his, hoping he could hear that it beat for him.

Dropping his bag, Brian pulled her to him, squeezing her tight against him. "I was miserable this past week. The kind of miserable where I drank myself silly, only not even that helped."

She remembered the hangover she'd had after her night of drunken debauchery with Daniela and winced. "Me too."

"I was really angry with you."

"I was, too." She whispered in his ear. "But I'm going to make it up to you."

"I hope however you do it includes what you haven't got on under this coat." He tugged lightly at her belt.

"It's not much," she said with a big smile. "Want to see?"

"Yes, please." He picked up his bag, not letting go of her hand. "I hate that I have to wait till we return home."

She shook her head. "I planned ahead. I brought Daniela's delivery truck, and I parked it on the top floor of the parking lot, away from all the other cars."

Brian's grin was slow but full. "Then lead the way, Super Marley."

"Super Marley. I like that." She pictured herself in boots instead of the uncomfortable spiked heels. With a cape, of course. "What's my superpower?"

"Love," he said, squeezing her hand.

She nodded as they walked out of the terminal. "I think you may be right."