Wild Card (19 page)

any man now. He wanted all of her. And her own independence had held parts of herself back

from her husband. The parts that tormented her. The parts that would have given him her entire

soul. The sexuality she had never been comfortable with, the need to be wild, to be nasty, to eat

him up and make him take her hard, fast, rough, and desperate.

"And your husband is gone. And you've very nearly had sex with another man. And you liked

it." Kara came slowly to her feet.

She had been waiting for this for weeks. She had placed herself in Sienna's and Sabella's paths

years before, made friends with Sabella, knowing this chance would come. Nathan Malone had

made a mistake in hiding from his wife, and as Kira had known all along, his wife was the one

paying the highest cost.

"Damn, Kira," Sienna muttered, poured more wine and drank it. "That's harsh."

Sabella turned back to her other friend, looking at her as though for reinforcement and watched

as Sienna stared back at her with compassion, although she clearly agreed with Kira.

"This is none of your business." Sabella groaned. "Why do people suddenly think they can butt their noses in my business?"

"Because we got tired of watching you try to die with Nathan," Sienna retorted painfully. "Sit down, Sabella. Let's just get drunk like we used to. We can rip into Noah and Rick, talk about

how arrogant they are, and you can go home and live again," she whispered tearfully. "I don't

care if Noah is a Martian alien hiding horns. I haven't seen you like this in too long. Almost

alive. And I could kiss his cheek for making your eyes sparkle like that."

Sabella collapsed on the couch and stared back at the other two in bemusement. "You don't

understand. Nathan…" She grimaced. "He still holds a part of me. I dream of him. And he's

still so much a part of me."

Kira resumed her seat and poured Sabella more wine. "Don't let him go if you can't, Sabella.

But don't feel guilty because you're a woman. Because you need to be touched or you need to

be held. Take what Noah Blake has to offer." She leaned back in her seat as both Sienna and

Sabella drained their glasses and refilled them.

"He's taking it all over," Sabella snapped. "The garage. Me. As though he thinks everything Nathan had should be his."

"He could just be dominating." Kira waved the truth of Sabella's statement away. "Hell, ride him for a while, get him out of your system, then send him on his way. Things are never so

complicated as they are in the middle of a sexual crisis. Get the sex out of the way, and the

problems tend to solve themselves."

Sabella stared back at Kira.

Sienna didn't speak. She sipped her wine and watched Sabella instead.

"Are we going to get drunk? If I have to have this conversation, then I at least want an excuse

for being blunt, if you don't mind? Otherwise, Rick is going to be pissed I stuck my nose in

this. And you know, I tend to do without sex myself when he's pissed."

Sabella emptied her glass and held it out for more. Kira watched them both in amusement.

They drank that glass and started on another when Sabella suddenly sighed heavily.

"I gave him a blow job."

Kira jumped as Sienna's wine spurted across the table. The sheriff's wife choked, covered her

mouth, and turned to Sabella.

"You did what?"

Sabella finished her wine, amused that her friend was so shocked. "I told you what I did."

"Was it good?" Kira drawled.

Oh, Kira could not wait until Ian came home. This was going to be so much fun. Better yet, she

couldn't wait until she saw Noah again.

"It was so good." Sabella was tipsy. She hadn't been tipsy in years. "So good. More excellent than I imagined it could be."

"And did he at least return the favor?" Sienna sighed. "I'm going to get in so much trouble here.

You two know this. Right? Rick will just worry."

"You're going to tell him I gave Noah a blow job?" Sabella whispered. Horrified. "You

wouldn't?"

"I'll be drunk," Sienna moaned. "And we have a bet."

"A bet?" Sabella was outraged. "What kind of bet?"

"He bet me you would throw him out." Sienna glared at her. "I bet him you would pull his ears off."

Sabella blinked uncertainly. "Why would I do that?"

Sienna rolled her eyes. "'You know, sweetie. Grab his ears and pull when you come." She

wagged her brows. " 'Cause it's good."

Sabella turned to Kira as she snorted, nearly choking on her wine.

"We know better than to let her get drunk," Sabella reminded Kira. "She gets naughty.

Remember?"

"Yeah, like that night Nathan had to come get you from the house." Sienna laughed. "Do you remember, Sabella? I told him we were going to buy you an electric blanket and a vibrator?"

Sabella had to laugh. "I don't know if he was fascinated or outraged."

"He was definitely thinking about the vibrator," Sienna said, laughing even more.

Sabella smiled. It was a good memory. He had carried her out of Sienna's house and taken her

home. And he had loved her.

"I miss him," she said softly, finishing another glass of wine.

"But he's gone." Sienna said, her voice quiet.

"Yeah," Sabella breathed out, watching as Sienna refilled her glass as well. "He's gone."

And now Noah was invading her life.

"What do I do now?" She looked at the two women.

"I'm all for you pulling his ears off," Sienna said.

"Nathan left you, Sabella," Kira told her gently. "Do you think he would berate you?"

Sabella was quiet for long moments before she whispered, "I promised him forever."

"Forever with him. Is he here now?" Kira pointed out gently. "You don't have to give Noah

forever, Bella. Give him a night. Get over the sex and take your life back."

"I'm not cheating," Sabella said, her gaze meeting Kira's.

Something inside her loosened. Something fell into place, but she was just too damned tipsy to

realize what it was. "Ami?"

"Oh dear, trust me." Kira smiled back at her. "The last thing you're doing is cheating. You can take that one to the bank."

Glasses clinked, refilled, and the three women sat back and proceeded to get outrageously

tipsy. Well, Sabella thought several hours later as Ian walked in and stared at them in shock,

maybe they were a little bit drunk.

"Oh hell!" Rory groaned as he hung the phone up then covered his face with his hands.

Noah turned from where he was watching the driveway through the windows of the office and

glanced at his brother with a frown.

"What?"

Rory had that look. One of trepidation. Warning. Male amusement.

"Belle's drunk."

Noah froze. There it went. His balls drew up in fear. Pure, unadulterated male fear. Because

Sabella did not pull her punches when she was drunk.

"Tell me she's not at Sienna Grayson's?"

"That was Ian Richards. She's at his house." Rory sighed. "The sheriff is there to pick up Sienna. He's threatening to lock Belle, his wife, and Ian Richards's wife up for the night if I

don't come get her. Evidently, they're trash-talking men in general and having a hell of a lot of

fun doing it. I think I heard something about a sexual crisis in the background, and Ian is

cracking the hell up with laughter."

Yeah, that was fear pinching his balls.

"Call him back," Noah breathed out roughly as he grabbed his jacket from the wall peg and

grabbed the keys to Rory's truck from his desk. 'Tell him we're coming after her."

The garage was already closed and everything locked up for the night. They had just been

waiting for Sabella to return.

"Should I wish you luck or order roses for your new gravesite?"

"Just call Ian and tell him we're coming," he growled and headed out the door. "I'll pull the truck around and pick you up."

He should have known when he saw her drive off. Hell, he had known. A part of him was well

aware that his wife was pissed off and would head to Sienna's. He hadn't expected Kira. He

knew they'd connected as friends, but not to this extent. There would be hell to pay now, and

not just from Sabella, but Kara as well.

He and Rory arrived at the house, pulling in behind Kira's small sports car, and Noah shook his

head. He knew Kira. She was a troublemaker. A former Homeland Security agent with too

damned much time on her hands now. She had driven Ian insane until he married her in what

Nathan swore was an attempt at some peace.

The door opened as he neared it, and Rick Grayson stared at him with narrow-eyed displeasure

from across the room as Ian stepped back and allowed Noah to enter the house. Amusement

glittered in his commander's eyes and tugged at his lips. Damn. Noah didn't need this.

And there they were. Sabella was sprawled out on one end of the couch, Sienna on the other.

Kira was reclining on the love seat. They all stared at him.

"Oh Sabella," Kira drawled mockingly. "I disagree, he looks like a very shady character." She looked at Sienna. "Has your husband run his background check yet? I bet he has a record."

"Twice. He's clean," Sienna announced blithely, peeking over the back of the couch as Noah

winced. "You know who he reminds me of?"

"A thief?" Kira answered quickly.

"No." Sienna frowned. "You know…"

"Do you think his ears are big enough to pull?" Sabella peeked over the back of the couch,

narrowed her eyes, and stared at his ears consideringly.

The three women erupted into gales of laughter.

"I should arrest you," Rick muttered to Noah. "This has to be your fault."

Noah grunted, strode across the room, and picked his wife up gently from the couch.

She stared at him in surprise, but she didn't fight him.

"I can walk," she assured him.

"Of course you can." He nodded seriously. "But Rory has a date, so we're in a hurry."

She thought that was funny. But as she laughed she laid her head against his chest and her little

hand rested over his heart.

"Night, Rick. Ian. I've had fun," she called out as they passed the two men.

"Stay out of trouble, Belle," Rick grunted before shaking his head as Noah passed.

"Everyone thinks you're very sexy, you know?" Sabella piped up as he carried her to the truck.

"Really?" He glanced down at her. She was watching him, drowsy, a little too tipsy.

"Really." She sighed. "Do you know Gaelic, Noah?" she suddenly asked.

His heart clenched. It actually hurt, as though spikes of steel had been dug into it.

"Should I?" he asked her, moving to Rory's truck as his brother headed around to Sabella's car.

Thankfully, there had been a spare key to the car at the garage.

"Maybe not," she mumbled as he opened the truck door and slid her across the seat before

getting into the truck, sliding it into gear, and heading home.

She was silent then, staring out the window as though she were interested in what they passed.

As he pulled into her driveway, she stared at the house silently, her expression somber.

"Sometimes, I'm very lonely here," she suddenly said as he cut the motor and clenched the

steering wheel furiously.

"You didn't have to stay alone," he told her hoarsely.

"Yeah, that's what Kira and Sienna seem to think." She sighed deeply, still staring at the house, as Noah winced.

"Why did you stay after he died?" he asked.

She didn't turn to look at him, just stared at her home, the grief on her face twisting his soul,

wringing it dry.

Finally, she said, "It's home."

Shaking his head, he got out of the truck and strode to the door she was pushing open. He lifted

her from the truck, steadied her, and helped her to the house.

"You can't come in," she told him.

"Sabella, this is the wrong damned time to push me." He'd just about had enough. He'd had

enough of the hollow grief raging inside him, and the hunger ripping him apart.

"I'm drunk. Are you going to take advantage of me?" she asked him blithely as he unlocked the

door and led her inside.

"Not tonight. Maybe I'll take advantage of you tomorrow night instead."

He caught the little pout on her lips as she gave him a glare.

"You're being very mean to me, Nathan. I think you should know that."

He almost flinched as she used his real name in her tipsy state. She couldn't know what she was

saying. A slip of the tongue, he reminded himself. A ragged, pain-filled groan nearly tore from

his chest though. She said it so easily as she stumbled against him. Just as she would have years

before when she was put out with him. As though she knew, or sensed the truth.

He lifted her into his arms again and carried her up the stairs, but his throat was tight with

emotion. The hollow emptiness that had filled him for so long now seemed to overflow with

feelings, with emotions. With grief.

He laid her in their bed, watching as her head settled on the pillow, her lashes fluttering

drowsily.

He untied her boots and set them carefully by the bed. He pulled her jeans from her, and

because he knew she hated sleeping in a bra, he unhooked it and removed it from beneath her

shirt.

She stared up at him. "You can take advantage of me. I promise not to get mad."

"Later," he promised her as he sat on the bed beside her.

"Would you hold me?"

Hold her? When everything inside him was screaming for so much more. But it wasn't so little

to give her, when he had taken so much from her.

He pulled his boots off, moved to his side of the bed, and lay down beside her before pulling