Marly's Choice by Lora Leigh Read Free Book Online Page A

turned away quickly, going instantly for the bottle of liquor at his desk. His hands shook as he poured the drink, his chest heaved. He felt like screaming in frustration.
    “Cade?” He closed his eyes as her voice speared through his body. Hot, husky, needing. God, he was so far over the edge that he was lending to her his own unnatural desires. He had raised her for God’s sake; he had no business acting this way. He had no business stealing her innocence and drawing her into his nightmares.
    “I’m sorry I—” Cade lowered his head, watching desperately as the liquid filled the glass. “I promise, I’ll not jump so quickly to conclusions from now on. You’re right, you’re a woman…“ he couldn’t go on.
    He downed the whisky, welcoming the burning that tore into his gut and almost replaced the other heat searing him from the inside out.
    “So I can sleep with whoever I want?” Cade knew he was imagining the bitterness in her voice. A bitterness seeping into his soul.
    “I can’t stop you.” He shook his head, taking another drink desperately, praying to God that something, anything would wipe the sight of her welcoming some bastard to her bed, out of his head.
    “What if I want you, Cade?” Her whispered question seared his skin. His hand shook. Cade had to take precious moments to control the instinctive reaction in his body to her soft question.
    “No, Marly.” He shook his head tightly. “You don’t want me. Not really. You just think you do.”
    There was silence behind him now. Tension flowed around him, choking him, making his stomach rebel at the amount of liquor he was consuming. Surely to God he would drink enough soon to drown this awful ache.
    Lora Leigh
    Marly’s Choice
    29
    He needed a woman, Cade told himself desperately. That’s all it is. A woman. He wondered how long it had been since he had taken one to his bed? Years, he knew. He couldn’t remember the last time he had tested the wet heat of a woman’s desire. He had been busy; he excused the lack of desire in the past years. The ranch, Joe’s illness. There were a million details to go over every day and he just hadn’t had time. And once again, in his mind’s eye he saw Marly, inviting, open. But it wasn’t the pale little puke of a boy upstairs moving between those slender thighs that he saw. It was him, covering, moving over her—God help him, it was time to get laid before he did something stupid.
    “I have work to do, Marly.” His voice was harsher than he meant it to be as he sat down at his desk and began riffling through the drawers for his address book. Surely it hadn’t been so long that he couldn’t find a willing woman.
    “Sure, Cade.” There was no mistaking the anger in her tone now. “I wanted to go swimming anyway. Sorry I put you out.”
    “Marly.” He stopped her before she could turn away.
    Turning slowly, breathing harshly, he fought to explain.
    “I didn’t mean—“ he didn’t know what the hell to say. “I’ve been without a woman—” he shook his head. Dammit.
    “You’re just horny and I was just here. Right?” She nearly snarled the answer for him. “I’m the same as your niece, and please don’t read any more into it than that.” Her voice was mocking and cold. “Save it, Cade. Because it’s not something I want to hear. She turned and stalked from the room as he finally raised his gaze. Good thing she didn’t want to hear it, he thought morosely, because it sure as hell wasn’t what he wanted to say. As she stalked from the room, he had a perfect view of her round buttocks and lithe, jean-clad legs as she left the room. He closed his eyes tightly, fighting for control, fighting to halt the visions rolling through his head. If he didn’t do something soon, the steel hard erection in his jeans would take control for him. His father’s accusations haunted him now. The old bastard had known how much Cade wanted her, had seen it when no one else had. Seen it, and