Free Butterfly Madness [Loving in Silver 3] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) by Lynn Stark

sidewalk. It was nearly six o’clock and activity was lessening in the downtown area. As she walked down one of the few side streets she found herself passing in front of the liquor store which had been robbed. When she looked inside she was surprised to see Roarke standing behind the counter and speaking with a customer.
    On impulse she went inside, Barney and Martha sighing. She smiled and patted them. They wanted their dinner and had obviously expected her to get right on that. Roarke and the man he was talking to turned at her entrance. She left the dogs sitting at the door, not wanting their large tails wiping shelves clean. She had spent enough time the day before cleaning up broken glass and pools of alcohol from the time-worn, wooden floors.
    The men smiled at her. “Hi, Marley,” Roarke greeted warmly, his gray eyes filled with pleasure. He came around the counter to wrap her in his strong arms and hug her tight. Considering what she and his partner had done together that morning she could hardly protest. And, if she was honest with herself, and she usually was, she wanted to feel his body up against hers. “Marley, this is Nick Walker. Nick, this is Silver’s newest resident, Marley Jacobson.”
    Extending her hand, she took the one Nick offered. The man smiled politely, but as she looked up at him she saw a great deal of pain in his dark eyes. “It’s nice to meet you,” she said quietly, wondering what his story was. Everyone had one.
    “It’s nice to meet you, too. How do you like Silver so far?”
    “It seems to be a wonderful place. The longer I’m here the more I’m amazed.”
    Nick and Roarke both nodded. “It’s not perfect, but most residents try hard to make it a good, solid community.” Nick moved a little and she stepped aside automatically, which brought her in closer contact with Roarke. “Well, it was nice meeting you. There’s a party out at my parents’ ranch this Saturday. Roarke and Gray know the details. Everybody’s invited.”
    “Thanks.”
    Then he was gone, a shadow of a man. “He seems like he’s in a lot of pain.”
    Roarke’s handsome face was grim as he watched his friend go. “He is. His partner and their wife were killed in a car accident last fall. It’s coming up on the anniversary. It’s going to be a rough time for him.”
    “Is he drinking?”
    “Do you mean do I suspect he’s become an alcoholic?” Roarke shrugged broad shoulders. “I don’t know. I haven’t seen a lot of him since the accident. He’s been living out at his parents’ place. He’s got a lot of support there. I suspect they know what he needs.” He took her by the shoulders, pulling her close. There was a more than a little mischief dancing in his gray eyes. “I hear you like chocolate.”
    Marley thought she would die of embarrassment right then and there. While she had known Grayson would share with his partner, she hadn’t expected to have it brought up so soon. Or, maybe she had. Was that why she had really come into the liquor store when she had seen Roarke? Had she wanted to relive the heat of her encounter with Grayson with him?
    “Wait one moment.” He walked to the front of the store where he locked it securely, sliding the closed sign into place. Then he walked back, the dogs following behind. She held her breath until they made it along the aisle without knocking any bottles down. “I have some chocolate in Ned’s office.”
    “You do?” Marley squeaked, not knowing if she should follow the man to the back of the store. If she went, he might expect her to have sex with him, too.
    “Yes. I went to the candy store and got a one of their samplers. They have the best chocolate. There’s a factory just outside of town. They ship it all over the world. I was thinking,” he said, as he closed the door and the dogs out in the hall. She heard them thump against the wall as they sat down and leaned. Barney woofed his protest, but she knew neither dog would move. She