He stepped back, cocking his eyebrows. "Are you an adrenaline junkie?"
"Not really, but it's something I've always wanted to do, and no one will do it with me. Everyone in my family thinks it's insane. Will you do it? Will you jump out of a plane with me?"
"Let's keep that one on the maybe list."
"Are you scared of heights?" I asked in disbelief.
"Not exactly. It's just not that appealing to me. Everything else sounds fun though. Make a list, okay?"
"Okay, but I'm seriously just happy having dinner and … dessert with you, especially German Chocolate cake."
Rick laughed. "Me too, Marley, but I think we should do more than that. I want to make some memories with you."
The idea was bittersweet. It reminded me that Rick was a moment in time for me. Temporary was what I wanted too, so I had no idea why I was so depressed.
"Hey," Rick said, lifting my chin to meet his eyes. "I have to go to New York this weekend."
"Why?" There was a desperate hysteria in my question, and I hated myself for it.
"I have some things to take care of at home. I usually go home a lot more than this when I'm on assignment in the States. A certain irresistible girl has been keeping me occupied." He pressed a kiss against my cheek. "Also, I promised a friend I'd go to his engagement party this weekend."
"Sounds like fun," I said, trying to ply my voice with enthusiasm.
"Come with me."
I experienced a fleeting moment of happiness at the invitation. It was so fast that I wanted to swat the air to catch it again. "I can't."
"Come with me, sweetheart. You can see my place, I can show you my town and introduce you to some of my friends."
"Stevie needs my help with wedding stuff this weekend," I blurted out.
He searched my face, but nodded in understanding. I breathed a sigh of relief and immediately regretted it when Rick's expression registered hurt. My sigh had just confirmed for him that I was lying. Thankfully, Rick was too much of a gentleman to say anything.
Open mouth-insert one fierce, Michael Kors platform heel.
"I understand. We'll just stick to your list then. One question though … " He pulled me in for a long kiss until I broke us apart.
"Yes?"
"How do you feel about phone sex?"
I slapped his chest playfully. "Oh, that sounds stupid." Rick's face fell in obvious disappointment. I stood on my tiptoes so I could get close to his ear. "Why would we have phone sex when we can have video sex? You're so old fashioned, Rick!"
He chuckled, bringing his mouth to my earlobe. "You're such a smart girl."
"Rick, we have to stop making out in my driveway."
"Why is that?"
"We have an audience," I explained, pointing to the picture window. All six pairs of eyes saw me gesturing to them and scattered in ten directions, except for Van Morrison, who remained perched on the windowsill, happily licking himself.
* * * *
It took all but two minutes for Billie and Stevie to stomp into my room after Rick had left.
"Dish now!" Stevie demanded, climbing into my bed.
"Nope, no dessert, no dish," I replied, nonchalantly.
Billie revealed a bakery box from behind her back. "We've got contraband," she said, opening it.
I gasped at the sugary, powdery doughnuts inside. I'm sure they were chocked full of milk and eggs and white sugar. My mom would probably faint at the sight. They might as well have slaughtered a cow in our living room. I reached in to grab one and Billie closed the lid on my hand. "Nope, not until you dish."
"What the hell! You've already met him and asked him a million questions. What can I possibly tell you?" I pouted, leaning back on my bed. I took one of my Velcro handcuffs, turning it around in my hand. My mom had found them for me. They were soft and adjustable, so I wouldn't hurt myself during nightmares, but they had a tendency to redden my wrists.
Stevie took it out of my hand and replaced it with a doughnut. "He's ridiculously hot." I had to smile at that because Stevie was fussy about what constituted attractiveness in the opposite sex. It confirmed that it wasn't just my imagination that Rick was super sexy.
"He drives a Beemer," Billie added.
"He knows how to dress," Stevie supplemented.
"He brought you that cute cactus plant. It's quirky like you, Marley!" Billie said as if that was a telltale sign of Rick's awesomeness. Well, I guess in a way, it was.
"What's your point, cowards? Just ask me."
"How is he in bed?" they asked in ridiculous unison as if they'd been practising it. They probably had.
I swallowed the doughnut, trying not to choke on it. I should have expected this question. My sisters had never once met a guy I'd been interested in. Now that they had, they wanted all the delicious details.
"Nope, I'm not gonna tell," I replied, wiping sugar off my lip.
"Why?" Stevie wailed. "I tell you all about what Adam and I do."
I grimaced. "And I wish you wouldn't."
"Oh, come on, give us something. We're already going to kick Dillon off the island for being so silent about this," Billie said, bouncing up and down on my bed as if she was eight instead of eighteen.
"Okay, why don't we talk about this first though?" I held up my handcuff. "It's the reason you guys don't want to move out, right?"
They both shut up, gawking at me sheepishly. "Marley, I like living at home," Stevie finally said half-heartedly.
"Jesus, Stevie! You're freaking twenty-three and about to be married. I know you and Adam have good jobs, and he has no interest in moving in with us. You need your own place."
"I agree with Marley," Billie asserted.
"And you, young lady, need to go to Columbia!" I screamed at her.
"Why?" she asked, putting her hands on her hips and narrowing her eyes. Her pouty stance only made me laugh.
"Because, little bird, it's what Jo did. It's what you want to do. It's what you've always wanted to do. I'm not so fucked up that you have to put your lives on hold."
Stevie took the cuff out of my hand again. She squared my shoulder, staring at me hard. "There is nothing wrong with you. Do you understand that, Marley? This total hottie likes you and you like him. You're going to fuck that up because you think there is something wrong with you. Billie and I can make our own decisions, so leave it alone."
It was disconcerting to have your younger sister speak to you like that, but then again, Stevie and I had always regarded each other as equals. It hurt more that Billie was also chiding me.
"Marley, let's talk about the future later, we want to know about the present. There's a chocolate crème in here just for you. You might as well tell us, because we have ways of making you talk."
I eyed the box carefully, wondering which of the remaining doughnuts held the chocolate I so desired.
I stood up, walking over to my iPod on the dresser. "I'm not giving details, but why should I?" They both had such disappointed expressions that it was hard not to laugh. I flipped through my playlist. "Why should I need to spell it out when two sisters by the name of Ann and Nancy Wilson have so clearly written about it?" I found the song and turned it up to the loudest volume setting. My room filled up with the sweet, sultry lyrics of Magic Man.
Billie and Stevie burst out laughing. I knew they got the message I was conveying. We did this all the time. Why say it when you could sing it, dance it and feel it? That's just what we did. We floated around my room like three little giddy girls to the sound of Magic Man.
Chapter Twelve
Rick and I decided to stay in. He was back from New York and we'd been busy going on dates that ended so late it was difficult justifying returning to his apartment only for me to leave again. We both craved sex more than anything else tonight. We spooned on the bed, my back against his chest while he lazily traced figure eight patterns on my arm. I was satisfied and sated, but sad too, because I had to leave soon.
He stroked my hair and pressed sweet kisses into my neck. "Can I ask you a question?"
"Sure," I replied, shifting closer to him, wanting to feel his body against mine.
"Why don't you ever want to spend the night with me?"
I tensed immediately and Rick felt it too, because he tightened his arms around me, drawing me closer. "I'm sorry to bring it up again. I'm just curious because we've crossed all the other barriers. I've taken you on dates, I've asked you a million personal questions without you passing on me and I've even met your family. Marley, I want you to spend the night with me."
"Why is it such a big deal to you?"
"Because I love making love to you. I think I'd also love to watch you sleep and wake up next to you." He trailed kisses down my shoulder. "I promise to wake you up in the most pleasant way."