Wild Rogues (third in lone wolf series)

Chapter Eighteen

                "What?" Tanner asked as he tried to balance an apple on his head.

                Julian snatched the apple with a smile and took a bite, "We're having sloppy joes."

***

                Abbey stared down at her plate full of sloppy joes and corn and fought back tears.

                "Dammit, Julian, leave her alone," Marcus growled slamming back his chair and yanking open the refrigerator door with much more force than was necessary.

                "I just asked her what her favorite meal was!" Julian exclaimed defensively.

                "And I done told you earlier that that questions makes her cry," Marcus grumbled, flopping back down in his chair. "I think your blood flow was limited in the birth canal, big brother."

                Abbey snorted with laughter despite her tears and smiled gratefully at Julian as he handed her a napkin to wipe her eyes with before taking her hand, "Abbey, what's wrong?"

                Abbey was grateful that the kids had already finished their meal and gone because she couldn't have spoken so openly if they'd been here. It wasn't in Abbey's nature to be open about her problems simply because she'd never before had anyone interested in listening to them. But she did now. She had two strong, able men who wanted to take care of her.

                "I don't know what my favorite meal is."

                "How is that?" Julian asked with a shake of his head.

                "Joseph never cared what I liked. It was what he wanted or it was nothing and most times with the lack of money laying around to spend on groceries, nothing was exactly what we ate. Since we've been here the children have had more real meals than I'd been able to give them in years."

                "Stupid bastard," Marcus growled. "I should have killed him slower."

                Abbey winced at the reminder of just what Marcus was capable of and laid her hands on the table, "For ten years Joseph ruled everything in my life."

                "Well he ain't ruling it anymore," Marcus stated before stuffing his mouth full of his fifth sloppy joe sandwich.

                Julian slid his seat closer to hers and smoothed a stray strand of hair from Abbey's face, "You have to have some idea what you like the most, Abbey."

                Abbey knew this was ridiculous. Her tears and so much drama over dinner but it wasn't just dinner that Abbey was thinking of. She was thinking of the fact that she had no idea who she was or what she liked in any area of her life.

                She couldn't tell them her favorite dinner, her favorite dessert, heck she couldn't even tell them how she liked her eggs the best. Abbey had no idea what she liked to do for fun other than spending time with her children—fun was something she hadn't been allowed to have in ten long years. She had no idea what her favorite past time would be, what kind of music she would like the best or what types of movies she preferred. She didn't know what sexual position was the most pleasurable for her or how she liked to be kissed. She knew nothing about who she was after spending so much time as nothing but a battered wife and a struggling mother......

                .....and she hadn't realized she'd said all that out loud until Marcus's growl filled the kitchen.

 He grabbed her by the hips, hoisted her onto his lap and pressed his lips to hers in a motion that was achingly tender, "Do you like that?" he whispered against her mouth, "Or this..." he deepened the kiss, nipping at her lips and tracing the line of her bottom lip with his tongue. "Or maybe this..." Marcus mouth became more demanding and Abbey's head reeled as she parted her lips and allowed him access. His tongue warred with her own, seeking dominance which Abbey was happy to give.