Authors: Marteeka Karland
One Night Forever (5 page)
go back to him. I want you in my life and I’ll do
anything I can to keep you there.”
She smiled. “I don’t want him and you know it. I
just hate confrontation.”
“No problem, sweetheart. Stay here. I’ll be back
in a minute.” He kissed her again before tugging on his
jeans and padding to the door ready to open a can of
whoopass if it became necessary.
Damien had just stepped outside, pulling the
door closed behind him, when Gretta stomped
furiously down the street. “I’ve had enough of this, you
son of a bitch,” she yelled as she approached the car,
Tom still revving the engine. How in the world
Damien managed to miss the huge Louisville Slugger
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One Night Forever
in her hand, he didn’t know. But one second she
hurried toward the car, the next she was swinging the
thing like Hank Aaron.
The passenger side glass burst inward. Tom
threw up his hands to protect his face, but Gretta
continued to demolish the once pristine vehicle.
Damien thought about trying to contain the little spit-
fire, but given the way she swung that bat, he decided
it would be best to not get in her way.
Standing there with his arms crossed over his
chest, he watched as she systematically demolished
Tom’s car. Instead of driving off, the dumb bastard got
out of his car, yelling for her to stop, which only fueled
Gretta further. The beat-down she gave the car made
Damien wince, but he wasn’t about to interfere. As far
as he was concerned, the dumbass got what he
deserved.
Gretta didn’t run from Tom, either. When he
approached, yelling for her to stop, she turned on him.
That was when Damien decided it might be best to
stop the battle before Tom got his head knocked off.
“Take it easy, Gretta.” He stepped between the
two rather than hauling Gretta away from behind. He
wanted her to see who she was swinging at.
“I will
not
take it easy!” Gretta spat her words
more in contempt than anger, though Damien was
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sure there was a healthy dose of both surging through
Ariel’s sister. “He’s disturbed my sleep for the last
fucking
time with this goddamned car!”
“You’re kidding, right?” Damien wanted to laugh
out loud and groan in frustration all at the same time.
There was more to it than simply lost sleep on Gretta's
part. Gretta was probably worried Tom would try to
intimidate Ariel, or worse, sabotage Ariel’s chance at
happiness with Damien. He’d known Gretta a long
time. No, this was not about lost sleep.”
“Look what the fucking bitch did to my car!”
Tom shrieked as if this were all Gretta’s fault.
Damien’s eyes wanted to cross. Had there not
been a crazy woman in his front yard wielding an
enormous bat in a very destructive arch, he’d have
laughed at the whole scene.
“That’s nothing compared to what I’m about to
do to your balls!” Gretta lunged at Tom, who skirted
out of her way. Damien caught her around the waist
and practically tossed her in the direction of the house.
It was a good thing too, because the cry of a police
siren sounded in the distance. They were about to have
the kind of company who might not like what Gretta
was about to do to Tom’s tenders.
Ariel opened the door and snagged her sister’s
hand as she hurried down the steps toward Damien.
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One Night Forever
He waved her off, not missing the fact that she’d
chosen to dress herself in one of his T-shirts. It
covered her easily, reaching to mid thigh despite the
girth of her abdomen. Damien couldn’t help but smile.
This was as good her announcing she was his. No way
Tom could deny she was over him now.
“Ariel!” Tom snapped. “Get back in that house
and put your clothes on! This nonsense is over right
now! I’m taking you home.”
That was all Damien could take. In one swift
motion, he whirled, grabbed Tom by the shirt collar,
and slammed him against what was left of his car.
“You made a deal I intend to enforce,” Damien
said. “Even if you hadn’t, do you honestly think I’d
give her up without a fight? You had your chance and
you blew it.” He looked straight into the other man’s
eyes. “Come near her again, and I’ll make what Gretta
did to your car look like a slight misadventure—only it
won’t be your car I’m hurting.” Tom paled slightly, but
stopped his blustering, not looking away from
Damien. “Do you understand?”
When Tom nodded, Damien let him go with a
little shove. Without a word, Tom got back in his car
and drove away as fast as the battered car would let
him—just as the police showed up.
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Marteeka Karland
The officer got out and shook Damien’s hand.
Brett Carter was a part time cop, and a full time ER
doctor with an attitude. Such was the beauty of a small
town. “Neighbors called.” He crossed his arms over his
chest. “Something about a GTO and a Louisville
Slugger.” He raised an eyebrow as his gazed wandered
to Gretta’s direction. “Is there a problem?”
Grinning, Damien shook his head. “Since Tom
took off, I’d say no. Though, I’m sure you’ll be hearing
about it from him later.”
Brett shook his head and chuckled. “No doubt. I
can handle him. You should really use more restraint,
you know.”
“Wasn’t me.” Damien shook his head. Jerking a
thumb over his shoulder, he indicated Gretta. “She has
a soft spot for her sister.”
Brett’s face split with a wide, satisfied grin.
“Indeed.”
Watching the street until he could no longer see
the car down the block, Damien remained on alert. He
wasn’t taking the chance Tom would change his mind
and come back looking for trouble. He noticed Brett
watching too and met the other man’s eyes before they
turned to the women.
Gretta hugged Ariel fiercely, saying something to
her sister that Damien couldn’t hear. Ariel nodded and
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One Night Forever
smiled, the conversation ceasing as Damien neared
them.
“I think you need to tell me your intentions
toward my sister.” Gretta lazily hefted the bat to her
shoulder, her gaze drifting past him to Brett. She
didn’t act the least bit intimidated. If anything, she
looked a little more fierce. Challenging even.
Damien smiled. “I intend to make her my wife, if
she’ll have me. Though, I confess, you caught me
before I was prepared to ask her properly. I don’t have
a ring.”
Tears formed in Ariel’s eyes. She squealed and
threw her arms around Damien’s neck, raining kisses
over his face as the tears fell in steady streams down
her face.
“I didn’t mean to make you cry, sweetheart,” he
murmured, holding her tightly but always aware of the
babe between them.
“It’s okay,” she sniffed and laughed as she
swiped at her eyes. “I’m happy.”
“So...” He let the word hang between them,
suddenly aware of his nerves. Gretta had forced his
hand. He wasn’t prepared for this yet, not having time
to woo Ariel like she needed.
“Yes,” she cried. “Absolutely I will marry you!”
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Marteeka Karland
“Are you sure? We’ve only had one night to,
uh…discuss this.” He smiled at her. He wanted to
shout for joy and swing her around in the air in shear
delight, but he was too afraid of doing something that
might hurt the baby.
“One night is all I need, Damien. I’ve never been
more sure of anything in my life. Well, except when I
knew I wanted to make love with you,” she laughed.
He hugged her to him, kissing her mouth
tenderly. “One night forever then, sweetheart. One
night forever.”
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Epilogue
“I understand you have some anger issues we
need to discuss.” Brett cocked his hip lazily, his
forearm resting on the butt of his weapon. “Perhaps I
need to frisk you. You know. Make sure you don’t have
any concealed weapons.”
Gretta met his gaze, daring him to try. Brett’s
cock was at immediate attention. He’d always known
the woman would be a handful.
“I don’t need to conceal my weapons.” She let
the bat fall from her shoulder to rest one end of it on
the ground. Her hand remained on the hilt. “Anything
I use will be out and in your face.”
A slow smile spread across Brett’s face. He
couldn’t help it. In that moment, he knew he was in
love.
**
arteeka**
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Marteeka Karland
Erotic romance author by night, emergency room tech/clerk by
day, Marteeka Karland works really hard to drive everyone in
her life completely and totally nuts. She has been creating
stories from her warped imagination since she was in the third
grade. Her love of writing blossomed throughout her teenage
years until it developed into the totally unorthodox and
irreverent style her English teachers tried so hard to rid her of.
Want to see what’s up with Marteeka? Check out her website at
www.marteekakarland.com or join her Yahoo! group at
Marteeka
always welcomes e-mail from her readers. You can reach her at