Page 67 of The Hero
“I will.”
“Good.” He was at the door before he turned. “And that stuff about April? You were right. I wouldn’t be happy if she put herself in danger. But things are ... complicated between us.”
“Then uncomplicate them,” Bob replied.
“It’s not that easy. I wish it was. Now go talk to your woman. She needs your support. Later.”
JJ was closing the door before Bob could even open his mouth. The fact that his friend had admitted there was something between him and April at all was a step, but Bob wasn’t sure if it was a step forward or backward. All he could do was wait and see, and be there for JJ if his friend needed him.
He turned the bolt on the door and headed for his bedroom. He and Marlowe needed to talk about her crazy plan. And once that was done, he wanted to make love to his wife in his—no,their—bed.
Nothing was going to keep him from worshipping the woman he loved. From showing her that even if they strongly disagreed on how to handle the situation with Ian, he would never stop loving her.
Chapter Thirteen
Marlowe sat on the edge of the bed in Kendric’s room and bit her thumbnail nervously. He’d been so upset by her suggestion. And while she understood that meeting with Ian could be dangerous, she needed to make sure he couldn’t steal any more artifacts, couldn’t put any other archaeologists in such life-changing danger.
And she needed to clear her name.
She had no doubt she could get Ian to talk. Even if he suspected she was working with the cops, he’d still want to know what she had planned. He was also arrogant enough to think he could outsmart her—but he was wrong.
For now, Marlowe was more concerned about Kendric. He hadn’t been able to look at her before storming out to the balcony. She’d wanted to go out there to soothe him, try to talk to him, but JJ had said it would be better if he went.
So now she was stressing. She’d heard the two men come in from the balcony, then the front door shut. Was Kendric still mad? Would he give her the cold shoulder? Would he yell and insist that she was being an idiot?
She didn’t think so, but then again, she hadn’t known him all that long. Definitely not long enough to know how he reacted when he was really pissed. She wasn’t afraid of him; Kendric would never lay a hand on her in anger. But she didn’t know if he’d give her the silent treatmentor flat-out refuse to even consider her suggestion. Either of which would hurt beyond belief.
She heard a noise at the door, and her head flew up. She didn’t have time to do more than stand before Kendric was there, pulling her close and wrapping his arms around her, holding her tight.
She sighed in relief. She wasn’t sure what his mood was, but the fact that he was touching her, holding her, she hoped was a good sign. She buried her nose where shoulder met neck and inhaled deeply. He always smelled so good. Even when they’d been sweaty and dirty while trekking across Thailand and Cambodia, his scent always seemed to calm her.
After a moment, he pulled back. “We need to talk.”
Ugh. No wonder guys hated when women said those words. They sounded so ominous. But Marlowe nodded. Theydidneed to talk.
However, instead of talking, he reached for the hem of her shirt.
Too surprised to protest, she lifted her arms and let him pull it over her head. His actions were quick and methodical, not sexual in the least, but it had been so long since they’d been intimate, just standing in front of him half naked made her nipples tighten and her core begin to weep.
His lips twitched when he noticed her nipples, but he didn’t pause as he unzipped her jeans and pushed them over her hips. Marlowe let him undress her, standing stock still as he removed her underwear as well.
When she was completely nude, he nodded to the bed behind her. “Climb in.”
Feeling off kilter, Marlowe gladly got under the covers and watched as her husband removed all his clothes as well, then joined her.
He immediately pulled her into his arms, and Marlowe smiled as she snuggled into him.
“Much better,” he sighed. “I’m not happy about this,” he continued without beating around the bush. “I don’t want you talking to the asshole who got you locked up.”
“I know,” Marlowe told him, and she did. If Kendric had his way, he’d make sure she never had to talk toanyonewho’d ever done herwrong in the past. She knew that as well as she knew her name. But she needed to do this.
“I trusted him,” she said quietly. “There weren’t a lot of Americans on that dig site, and it was nice to have someone from back home. He was funny and enthusiastic, and I enjoyed talking to him. Discovering what he did was a huge shock. I never would’ve expected it from him. I think that’s why I gave him a chance to right his wrong. If I’d caught anyone else with those coins, I would’ve turned them in immediately. But Ian is so young. I really thought if he had a chance to think about what he’d done, and the potential consequences, he’d realize what a huge mistake he was making and fix it.”
“He didn’t,” Kendric said unnecessarily.
“Yeah. That’s why I need to do this, Kendric,” Marlowe told him. “What he did was so wrong, it’s not even funny. He stole part of a country’s history. He undermined the work of every archaeologist on that site. And ... he stole the confidence I had inmyself, and my ability to trust my instincts when it comes to people. I need to get that back.”
“You don’t need him to be able to do that,” Kendric said.
