Copper (16 page)

“Mercury, escort Tina to her desk, so she can clean it out.  She will not be welcome on Metal Cowboys’ property ever again.  Write her a check for a month’s worth of salary and escort her to her car.  The sheriff and I will escort Storey to the sheriff’s SUV, and then Sheriff Davis will see to it that he leaves the property ASAP!”

Marla watched Copper with fascination.  She loved the way he quickly and efficiently slipped into the role of leader.  It seemed as natural to him as breathing was to everyone else.  He put a plan together immediately and started issuing orders.  She could easily picture him on the battlefield, fighting the enemy until it was cowering in defeat or running in retreat. 

It was a big turn on.  It made her even more reluctant to leave his side, especially since she found trouble when she wandered off alone.  She just kept looking at Copper with a goofy grin on her face, refusing to move her feet. 

Mercury put his hand on Tina’s arm and guided her toward the garage.  Her shrill voice could be heard until they entered the large metal structure. Marla breathed a sigh of relief when they disappeared, and the irritating voice died down.  Tina’s screeching was starting to give her a headache.

  Marla eyes were still glued on Copper.  Before she could contemplate more on how he made her feel, Natalie started tugging on her arm.  She reluctantly moved her gaze from her lover to her sister.

“Let’s get out of here,” Natalie whispered.  “We are not going to let those two spiteful people ruin our day,” she said in a determined voice. She linked arms with Marla and urged her to move away from the men. 

Marla’s feet started working, and she followed along beside her sister.  That didn’t stop her from looking over her shoulder at Copper.  He and Luke closed in on a belligerent Rob.  They grabbed her stalker by the arms and dragged him out of the back yard and around the house to the front gate.

“I’m glad that’s over,” Natalie admitted in a whisper as they neared the picnic tables that were loaded down with all kinds of food. “It could have gotten a lot uglier.  He’s got to be crazy to try something with all these witnesses milling around.”

“Maybe that’s why,” Marla shrugged. “It’s obvious that Copper wanted to take him apart, but the sheriff and the threat of witnesses kept him from making a move.  Maybe that’s what Rob was counting on, no retribution.”

“It’s too bad, because Rob deserves everything Copper wants to dish out to him.”

“That’s the truth.  You know me, I am by no means a bloodthirsty woman hungry for revenge, and I don’t normally condone violence. But I really wanted Copper to hurt him. I’m tired of Rob tormenting me and the people that I love. And I’m sick of his dangerous games and retaliations for perceived slights that only happened inside his warped head.”

Natalie stopped walking and turned to face Marla.  “Do you love Copper?  It’s kind of sudden.” She gave her sister a worried look.

Marla shrugged.  “I’ve been aware of him for as long as you’ve worked here, and that’s been years, so it’s not all that sudden.  Getting shot and stalked by a crazy ex-boyfriend made me take a good hard look at the way I’ve been living my life. I’m tired of playing it safe and living a dull and boring existence just to protect myself. I want to actually live my life not sleepwalk through it.”

“Copper makes you feel like you’re doing that?”

Marla sighed and took a seat on a deserted bench.  “He is so much larger than life,” she admitted.  “He makes me see more, feel more, be more.   I’m not ready to give that up.  I’m going to fight for whatever is developing between us and hang on to the good feelings and Copper for as long as I can.” 

“That definitely sounds intense,” Natalie said with a sigh.  “But love?”

Marla lifted her shoulders once again.  “I’ve never been in love before.  What I felt for Rob, even during the best part of our relationship, pales in comparison to what I feel for Copper.  Is it love?  I don’t know.  I do know Copper makes me feel things I’ve never felt before, and I don’t just mean physically.  We’ve only been staying here a week, but I already have a hard time imagining my life without him in it.”

Natalie leaned over and hugged her sister. “Sounds like love to me but then again, I wouldn’t exactly know too much about how that feels.” She gave Marla a look filled with sadness.

The melancholy words made her realize that Natalie wasn’t as happy as Marla thought she was.  She grabbed her sister’s hand and squeezed it tight.  She wanted to say something to comfort the other woman, but she didn’t have words that were adequate enough.  Marla saw her sister as the strong one.  In reality, she knew her sister was as vulnerable as the next person was, even though she seemed invincible to Marla.

“Listen to me going on and on, forget I said anything,” Natalie begged.  “We should go ahead and start loading down plates before all the food is gone,” she suggested.

Marla knew her sister was trying to make light of the conversation they just shared.  She didn’t want to let it go, but before she could say anything else, Chrome stopped by their table. 

He nodded a greeting to the two women.  “Seen Copper or Mercury lately?” he wanted to know. 

Marla glanced at Natalie to see if she wanted to take the lead, but she didn’t say anything.  “Um, Tina’s plus one turned out to be my crazy stalker ex-boyfriend.”

“Are you kidding me,” Chrome said in disbelief.  “I seriously questioned Tina’s intelligence every now and then, but this is a new level of stupidity.”

“Well, that goes for Rob too.  He accosted me when I was taking some alone time by the house.  Natalie, Copper, and Mercury came to my rescue just in time.” 

He gave a curious look around, seeking out the other Metal Cowboys.  “Where are they now?”  He looked ready to take off in a split second if his brothers needed him.

“Copper fired Tina, so you’re going to need to hire a new secretary.  Mercury is making sure she gets off the property and takes all of her things with her. She won’t be back.”

“Not going to miss her, Tina’s grated on my nerves ever since she was hired. What about Storey?”  He smacked an open palm with a big meaty fist.

“The sheriff and Copper are taking care of him.”

“Here they come now, and Copper looks as twitchy as a mountain lion that’s been denied a kill,” Chrome commented while shaking his head.

Marla glanced up and saw Copper’s long angry strides.  He was quickly eating up the space that separated them.   His good looks were marred by a harsh frown that made him look unapproachable.  It didn’t matter to Marla.  She jumped up from the bench, took two tentative steps toward him, and then she ran straight into his arms.

He lifted her off her feet until they were eye-to-eye. Then his lips crashed down on hers, and he kissed her hard.  Marla was trembling from desire when he finally pulled his lips from hers and sat her back on her feet. Her body slid down his. The friction was delicious, and she found herself pressing against him. Marla didn’t want the close contact to end.

He buried his face against her neck and rained kisses all over the sensitive patch of skin between her jaw and shoulder.  “I almost lost it when I saw him raise his hand to you.  I took off like a shot, but I was terrified I wasn’t going to reach you in time.  I swear, if he hit you, I would have taken him out on the spot.  Luke, Mercury, no one, not even a yard full of witnesses would have been able to stop me.”  His voice trembled from the power of his emotions.

Marla cupped his face with both her hands and looked right into his eyes. “Haven’t you heard? Karma can be a real bitch if you’re not living right. And sooner or later, Rob is going to be dealt the hand he deserves. And I’m sure you’ll be the one dealing him the cards of fate.”

Copper scooped her into his arms. “I’m starving for you,” he said as he started walking toward the house. Dinner is going to have to wait. I need you now!  I have to possess you, feel your wet heat surrounding me.  I have to reaffirm the fact that you’re mine and remind myself that everything is going to be all right.”

His words created all kinds of erotic images of the two of them tangled together in his bed. Her sex clenched, and she buried her face against his neck to smother a moan.  “I need to feel you moving inside me just as badly,” she whispered. 

Marla was oblivious to the many stares they received from amused guests.  She was hungry for Copper too.  She couldn’t wait to wash away the horrible events of the past few minutes with a passionate interlude in Copper’s arms. The evening had turned dicey thanks to Tina and Rob, but things were definitely looking up now.

Taking the stairs two at a time, Copper had them inside the bedroom they shared in record time.  Marla could only cling to his neck until he set her on her feet. Her hands trailed from his neck to the hem of his T-shirt. She yanked it over his head.

Not to be outdone Copper fisted the bottom of her thigh length sundress and quickly stripped it from her body.  She stood in front of him bare except for the pale pink silk lingerie she still wore.  He sucked in a deep breath.  “You’re the sexiest and most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. I will never get tired of looking at you,” he promised in a husky voice.

“Flattery will get you everywhere,” she promised.  Her hands went to the front of his jeans.  One palm caressed the growing erection pushing against the fabric barrier while the other struggled to unfasten the button and zipper.

Copper made a strangled noise and shoved her hands aside to finish the job himself.  Then he expertly removed the matching bra and panty set so that she was completely nude.  Before Marla could take another breath she was lying on her back with Copper on top of her.  His mouth claimed hers in a kiss that held hints of the intense passion to come. 

She rubbed her hands up and down his back, pushing him closer.  She needed the close contact after the ugliness of before. She wanted him deep inside so that Copper was the only thing she could see, feel, or think about.

She tore her lips from his and buried her face into his neck. “Please, take me now,” she begged.

Seconds later, he slid inside her body, pushing them both toward another mind-numbing climax that blocked out everything else.  His lovemaking was much more frantic than before, but she met him thrust for thrust. She wrapped her legs around his lower back, crossed her ankles, and held on tight. The tightening of almost every muscle in her body and the increasing pulsations inside her sex completely took over, drowning her in pleasure.

Copper was right there with her.  His erection plunged inside her twice more before his body froze, and his husky groan filled the bedroom.  He collapsed next to her and pulled her into his arms. 

Her entire body felt boneless, but it was a good kind of feeling.  Marla was facing Copper, and she rested her head against his chest.  She could hear the solid beat of his heart, and she sighed at how safe and cherished it made her feel.  She fell into a deep sleep, knowing she could face almost any challenge Rob threw at her as long as Copper was at her side.

ELEVEN

“I’m done waiting!  Storey’s in your face move yesterday proves he is going to keep coming at Marla.” Copper slammed the palm of his hand down onto the large sturdy oak table, causing it to shake.  He looked around the kitchen and into the faces of the other four Metal Cowboys.  They looked just as ready for action as he was. He knew his brothers had his back, and it was a big relief.

“Sometimes the best defense is a good offense,” Mercury reminded the group of men. “Luke Davis and his restraining orders ultimately won’t do anything to protect Marla.  We’re the last line of defense, and we’re the best chance she has of surviving this maniac.” 

“Yes, we are,” Copper agreed. “It’s up to us to protect her.”

“Don’t forget about Natalie,” Chrome added in a gruff voice. “We should strike hard and fast, end this cluster fuck now before one of them is irreparably harmed.”

Steel nodded his head up and down. “Her stalker is not going to stop until either Marla is as insane as he is from being terrorized, or she’s dead, whichever comes first.”

“Whatever you want to do, Copper, we’re with you, brother.”  Iron smacked his open palm with a meaty fist. 

“I want to draw the son of a bitch out of hiding and finish him off once and for all, because Steel is right.  Regardless of the restraining order, he’s going to keep coming at Marla until his warped mind is satisfied with the results.  Whatever it is he thinks he wants to accomplish can’t be good for Marla.”

“You can set a trap for him that he can’t resist. I’m willing to be bait,” Marla’s gentle voice said from the entryway of the kitchen. 

Copper sprang up from the chair he was sitting in, causing it to fall to the floor. The sound of the chair crashing against the hardwood floor echoed around the room. “I’m not condoning anything that puts you in danger,” he said in a deadly serious voice.  “You should still be sleeping not listening in on our strategy sessions,” he growled.

Marla ignored his blustery words.  She walked up to him, wrapped her arms around his neck, and rested her head against his chest. “I trust you and the rest of the Metal Cowboys to keep me safe.”

“Even after yesterday?” Copper’s voice was filled with doubt.

“Yes,” she answered with a firm nod of her head. “Absolutely.”

“I think we should do it,” Mercury spoke up in that no nonsense voice of his.

“I’m sure you do,” Copper glared at his brother.  “It’s not your woman wanting to put herself at risk to stop a madman.”

“Maybe not, but it’s the best option we’ve got if we want to end this thing quickly,” Steel pointed out.  “The more time and chances Marla’s stalker gets, the higher the probability he might get lucky. Given enough chances, he’ll eventually do permanent damage.”  Mercury gave Copper a meaningful look over the top of Marla’s head.

Picking up the chair he’d just knocked over, Copper let out a deep sigh.  As much as he hated the idea, he knew it had to be done.  Waiting for Marla’s stalker to deliver a deathblow went against every fiber of his being.  He sat in the chair, taking Marla with him.