Marti looped her arm through Jacqueline’s and led her to thelobby. They entered one of the elevators, and Jacqueline selected the buttonfor her floor.
Minutes later, Jacqueline opened the door to her room and letMarti enter ahead of her.
“What, no suite this time?” Marti teased her as she turned aroundand trapped Jacqueline against the wall by the door. She bracketed her hands oneither side of Jacqueline’s shoulders.
“Sadly, no.” Jacqueline slipped her hand along Marti’s hip.
“Disappointing.”
“Does that change your mind about coming up?”
Marti turned away and strolled across the room, obviouslypretending to be considering her answer.
“You’re thinking too hard.”
“I have a lot of attractive offers. Lucky for you, you’re oftenat the top of my list.” She glanced around her. “But, eh, this room.”
“I get upgraded one time, and you get spoiled.” The king-sizedbed took up most of the space, and the bathroom was small. The décor wasoutdated, but everything seemed clean, and she’d stayed here so often the stafftook good care of her, hence the occasional upgrade.
Marti turned toward her. “Come over here and distract me from mydismal surroundings.”
Jacqueline moved closer and let Marti pull her in. Marti kissedalong Jacqueline’s jawline, sliding her hand beneath the hem of Jacqueline’sshirt to stroke her belly. Jacqueline closed her eyes and tried to immerseherself in the sensation. But behind her lids, she saw Casey’s face, herexpression kind and determined as she’d insisted on helping Jacqueline throughthese weeks. She jerked and opened her eyes.
Hoping to erase the image, she pushed Marti back on the bed andclimbed on top of her. She straddled her, then rose and unbuttoned her ownshirt from the bottom. Marti shoved her hands inside the fabric, caressing eachexposed inch until she reached Jacqueline’s breasts. She paid extra attentionto her nipples before moving up to push Jacqueline’s shirt down her shoulders.
When Jacqueline tried to shrug out of the garment, it caughtaround her arms and pinned them to her body. Marti sat up and grabbed thecollar. She pulled Jacqueline close and rasped in her ear, “Let me help youwith that.” After throwing it to the side, Marti pulled her own shirt over herhead.
Let me helpyou. Casey had said those words just before Jacqueline broke down inher arms. She shook her head against the sound and buried her face in the curveof Marti’s neck instead. When Marti grabbed her wrist and guided her hand toher breast, she felt Casey’s fingers circling her wrist. Casey’s arms aroundher. Let me be familyagain.
Crying out, Jacqueline wrenched free and got off the bed.
“Jacqueline?”
Casey’s voice filled her head as she slammed her back against thewall between the bed and the bathroom. She slid to the floor, her elbows on herdrawn-up knees, and covered her face.
“Jacqueline, what’s wrong, baby?” Strong arms circled her andtried to pull her close. Too strong. They held her too tight. Not like Casey’sarms—supporting her without restraining her. Baby?Casey didn’t call her baby. Not Casey. Marti.
Jacqueline lifted her head and stared into concerned brown eyes.Not Casey’s beautiful blues.
“Hey, talk to me?”
“I’m—I’m sorry. I need a minute to clear my head.” She heldMarti’s gaze, trying to seem reassuring. Marti hadn’t done anything wrong.She’d been headed down the exact path Jacqueline had led her.
“What’s going on?” Marti tightened her arms, maybe hoping thepressure would help, but Jacqueline couldn’t breathe.
“I can’t—” She pushed her hand against Marti’s chest until shemanaged some separation between them. When Marti released her altogether, shegot to her feet and stumbled toward the bed. She scooped up her shirt and heldit to her chest, realizing the ridiculous gesture of covering what Marti hadalready seen countless times, but needing the barrier between them.
“Jacqueline?”
“I’m sorry. I’m just tired. I didn’t realize the toll this weekhas taken.”
“That was more than fatigue just now. What’s going on?”
She slipped her arms through the sleeves of her shirt and held itclosed with one fist. “Suddenly, I have a headache. Can I take a rain check ontonight?”
“A headache?”
Jacqueline met her eyes and nodded, seeing the disbeliefreflected there.
“Sure.” Marti’s smile was forced as she retrieved her own shirtand put it back on. “Get some rest. Call me later, so I’ll know you’re okay?”
“Of course.” Jacqueline followed her to the door, squelching thedesire to apologize again. Contrition would be meaningless without anexplanation, and she wasn’t prepared to offer one.
“Take care of yourself, Jacqueline.” Something in Marti’sexpression hinted that she thought this might be their final good-bye.
“You too.” If she received any confirmation from Jacqueline itwouldn’t be verbal.
She closed the door behind Marti and rested her forehead againstit. What the hell wasthat? Even after her most stressful days, she’d never had troubleletting go for a few hours with a woman. As much as she liked and respectedMarti, her feelings for her never ventured beyond friendly—sex was just sex. Sowhy, all of a sudden, were thoughts of Casey intruding? Why had touching Martifelt disloyal to a woman she hadn’t had a physical relationship with in eightyears—well, six years if she counted that one slipup, but she didn’t.
Chapter Nine
When Jacqueline stopped next to the curb in front of herfather’s house on Friday afternoon, she saw Casey’s car in the driveway. Herheart kicked in her chest and nearly took her breath away. She almost droveaway. Only Sean’s Camry parked next to Casey’s car made her pause. And heroption was taken away completely when Sean opened the front door. She got outbefore Sean could wonder what was taking so long, but her legs felt shaky asshe went up the walk.
He stepped out the door and greeted her with a quick hug. Ascruff of hair, a new addition to the landscape of his face, brushed her cheekas his pressed against it briefly.
“Hey, son. What are you doing here?”
“I’m helping Mom with a wedding tomorrow. My afternoon class got cancelled,so I came up early to see Poppa.”
“What’s going on here?” She grasped his chin and pretended toinspect the scattered growth.
He pulled his head away and shrugged. “It’s a beard.”
She laughed. “It looks like it’s trying to be.”
“Very funny.”
“How’s school?”
“Tougher than last year.”
“Not partying too much, are you?”
“No, ma’am.”
“Good.” She threw an
