concern.
“No matter what he says, try to stay closer to him. Stop letting him run you off.”
“Cade, I can’t make Sam do anything,” she said firmly as she pushed the fingers of both hands through her hair. “He doesn’t want me around.”
“But he does, Heather.” Marly turned to her then, her blue eyes soft, understanding. “That’s the problem. Sam wants you too badly.”
Heather snorted. “And you know this how?”
“Because it’s your name he cries out while he’s coming in her,” Cade growled as Marly rolled her eyes in exasperation. “Dammit, Marly, there’s no sense in beating around the damned bush here. If she doesn’t know by now, then she never will.”
“There’s no sense in being crude either,” Marly snapped back, frowning up at him with an edge of steel that surprised Heather.
Cade grimaced as he pushed his hands in his jeans pockets and looked away for several seconds. When his gaze returned, it was softer, apologetic. “I’m sorry,” he sighed. “Marly’s right, there’s no excuse for that.”
“Cade, just because I’m aware of your lifestyle, doesn’t mean I agree with it.”
Heather crossed her arms over her breasts, watching him curiously. She had been more than aware of the speculation in both Cade and Brock’s expressions the few times she had caught them looking her way. It wasn’t lust, not in the normal sense. It was hard to put her finger on it. An emotion swirled in their eyes, affection definitely, but still, an undefined something. Sexual lust she could have understood. She saw it often when each man looked at his respective lover. But that unnamed emotion was there when they touched, or looked at each other’s lovers as well. The emotion Cade felt for Sarah, what Brock felt for Marly, and now, that same look was being shared with Heather. It was confusing, and often kept her awake long into the night as she tried to define it.
“Your approval isn’t what we’re asking for, Heather.” Marly’s voice chilled, her head raising proudly. “We’re asking you to stay closer to Sam. To attempt to temper his recklessness. Don’t pretend you don’t want him, just as he can’t pretend he doesn’t want you. Give him something besides the demons to concentrate on, if you truly love him as much as I suspect you do.”
Heather took a deep breath, her lips pressing together in irritation as she confronted Marly. She had rarely seen the other woman anything less than easygoing and smiling. This edge of finely tempered maturity she glimpsed in her was a surprise. Lora Leigh
Heather’s Gift
39
“And if you’re wrong, Marly?” she asked her softly, staring directly into the dark blue eyes that regarded her coolly. “What if it’s no more than lust? What then?”
Marly smiled, her expression softening, her eyes warming with compassion.
“We know Sam, Heather. He won’t be easy, because he cares. I can almost guarantee I’m not wrong.”
“Almost.” Heather shook her head roughly. “I can’t believe I’m about to trust my heart to an almost.”
Lora Leigh
Heather’s Gift
40
Chapter Nine
Heather knocked on Sam’s door softly before turning the knob and opening it slowly. “Sam?” She entered the bedroom, stepping slowly inside as she saw him standing at the window, staring into the distance, his body tense as she stood silently and watched him.
Their gazes met in the bulletproof glass. His hooded and dark, hers quiet and questioning. She wanted to go to him, to touch him, ease him.
“You shouldn’t be here,” he growled. “Aren’t you on duty tonight?”
She bit her lip, fighting the pain his words caused.
“I remember when you used to sneak out and meet me wherever Rick had me stationed,” she said quietly, allowing the regret to sound through her voice. “What happened to that, Sam? We were friends. For a little while.”
He had always laughed when he found her, because he had managed to slip away from Rick and his
“No matter what he says, try to stay closer to him. Stop letting him run you off.”
“Cade, I can’t make Sam do anything,” she said firmly as she pushed the fingers of both hands through her hair. “He doesn’t want me around.”
“But he does, Heather.” Marly turned to her then, her blue eyes soft, understanding. “That’s the problem. Sam wants you too badly.”
Heather snorted. “And you know this how?”
“Because it’s your name he cries out while he’s coming in her,” Cade growled as Marly rolled her eyes in exasperation. “Dammit, Marly, there’s no sense in beating around the damned bush here. If she doesn’t know by now, then she never will.”
“There’s no sense in being crude either,” Marly snapped back, frowning up at him with an edge of steel that surprised Heather.
Cade grimaced as he pushed his hands in his jeans pockets and looked away for several seconds. When his gaze returned, it was softer, apologetic. “I’m sorry,” he sighed. “Marly’s right, there’s no excuse for that.”
“Cade, just because I’m aware of your lifestyle, doesn’t mean I agree with it.”
Heather crossed her arms over her breasts, watching him curiously. She had been more than aware of the speculation in both Cade and Brock’s expressions the few times she had caught them looking her way. It wasn’t lust, not in the normal sense. It was hard to put her finger on it. An emotion swirled in their eyes, affection definitely, but still, an undefined something. Sexual lust she could have understood. She saw it often when each man looked at his respective lover. But that unnamed emotion was there when they touched, or looked at each other’s lovers as well. The emotion Cade felt for Sarah, what Brock felt for Marly, and now, that same look was being shared with Heather. It was confusing, and often kept her awake long into the night as she tried to define it.
“Your approval isn’t what we’re asking for, Heather.” Marly’s voice chilled, her head raising proudly. “We’re asking you to stay closer to Sam. To attempt to temper his recklessness. Don’t pretend you don’t want him, just as he can’t pretend he doesn’t want you. Give him something besides the demons to concentrate on, if you truly love him as much as I suspect you do.”
Heather took a deep breath, her lips pressing together in irritation as she confronted Marly. She had rarely seen the other woman anything less than easygoing and smiling. This edge of finely tempered maturity she glimpsed in her was a surprise. Lora Leigh
Heather’s Gift
39
“And if you’re wrong, Marly?” she asked her softly, staring directly into the dark blue eyes that regarded her coolly. “What if it’s no more than lust? What then?”
Marly smiled, her expression softening, her eyes warming with compassion.
“We know Sam, Heather. He won’t be easy, because he cares. I can almost guarantee I’m not wrong.”
“Almost.” Heather shook her head roughly. “I can’t believe I’m about to trust my heart to an almost.”
Lora Leigh
Heather’s Gift
40
Chapter Nine
Heather knocked on Sam’s door softly before turning the knob and opening it slowly. “Sam?” She entered the bedroom, stepping slowly inside as she saw him standing at the window, staring into the distance, his body tense as she stood silently and watched him.
Their gazes met in the bulletproof glass. His hooded and dark, hers quiet and questioning. She wanted to go to him, to touch him, ease him.
“You shouldn’t be here,” he growled. “Aren’t you on duty tonight?”
She bit her lip, fighting the pain his words caused.
“I remember when you used to sneak out and meet me wherever Rick had me stationed,” she said quietly, allowing the regret to sound through her voice. “What happened to that, Sam? We were friends. For a little while.”
He had always laughed when he found her, because he had managed to slip away from Rick and his
Similar Books
