by Hart, Romi
She swallowed, wincing as she remembered the pain and the way she’d shied away from people, becoming a shell of a person. She trembled, and Marc rubbed his hands up and down her arms for comfort. She could feel the anger growing in him as she spoke. Fighting against a quivering chin, she continued, “The night it happened…” She had to stop and clear her throat before she tried again. “The night it happened, Ethan had been drinking with some of his teammates, and he came over. I had my old roommates over, Lindsey and Carmen, to study and keep me company. Lindsey’s boyfriend, Craig, had come over to say goodbye before he flew out to his grandmother’s funeral, and he’d stayed for a while, watching television and playing Scrabble with us.
“He was leaving as Ethan showed up, and he accused me of cheating on him. I sent Lindsey with Craig and asked Carmen to go home, not wanting them to see how things had become between the two of us. As soon as we were alone, I tried to explain the situation, but he went crazy. He started screaming that I’d always been a lying whore, and he’d married me out of pity. He slapped me, and I took it, begging him to stop. And then, he went for my throat. He was choking me, and I couldn’t breathe. I didn’t want to die, and all I could think was how pathetic I would look for being with someone who could treat me like that.”
Tears were falling now, and Reesa couldn’t close the floodgates. Her voice remained calm, though, and she struggled to work through the rest of the memory. “It’s fuzzy from there. My vision started to go black around the edges, and I remember being on the couch and reaching for anything I could use to hit him and knock him away. I managed to get the lamp off the end table, and I knocked him over the head. He backed off and stumbled long enough for me to get up, but he came back at me, so I swung again. I had to get his face three times before he finally fell down, unconscious.
“I called 9-1-1, and when they came, he was awake and screaming about his face. It was a bloody, broken mess. They took me away in handcuffs, and I had to call Carmen to bail me out. It took everything I’d saved to get out, and I’m thankful I had a good public defender who sympathized. But I couldn’t go back to my life. I transferred to a different college, lost touch with all my friends. And I started fresh, here in the Bronx.”
As she finished, Marc turned her around and wiped away her tears with the pads of his thumbs, pulling her into his chest and wrapping her in a tight embrace. For the first time in years, she let the pain surface, let it consume her until she couldn’t cry anymore. It was like a purge, and Marc drew it out of her, replacing it with his gentleness.
“You don’t have to feel guilty about it, Reesa. You did what you had to do to survive. You shouldn’t have still been with him, and if he ever comes near you, I’ll kill him.” His vehemence caught her off guard, and she knew Marc meant every word of it. She’d never really worried much about Ethan’s release, but now, she desperately hoped he didn’t try anything stupid. She didn’t care what happened to him, but she didn’t want Marc risking anything for her sake.
“He wouldn’t dare,” she told him, her throat raw and her face swollen. She looked up at Marc, mortified by her outburst. “I’m more concerned with your reputation.”
He shook his head vigorously. “I’ll deal with that, and I’ll stand behind you on this, Reesa. I won’t let them tear you apart because some cowardly asshole decided to take out his insecurity on you.” He kissed her forehead and the tip of her nose, and then his lips closed over hers, drawing her in with a gentle caress of his tongue. She kissed him back, more desperate than ever for what he could offer her.
All at once, she hated that she needed him and loved that he could care for her in this way. She’d wanted this for longer than she realized, wanted someone who could bring out her desire and make her feel safe, all at the same time. Ethan had been fueled by passion, but it had been the passion of rage and violence. With Marc, it was different, coming from a deeper, more sensitive place, and she reveled in it.
He kept his kiss light, but it didn’t satisfy Reesa. She wanted more, and she reached between them, stroking his manhood until it grew hard beneath her touch. “God, what do you do to me?” he groaned, letting his head fall back and his eyes flutter closed. “I should be comforting you, not ready to fuck you.”
The harsh term did nothing to douse the flames building inside her. Instead, they fueled the fire, and Reesa moaned. “Fuck me, then, Marc. It’s what I need right now. Having you buried deep inside me will comfort me. Please, I need you.”
“I couldn’t deny you if I wanted to,” he breathed, coming back down on her mouth with bruising force. Gasping at the bold move, she matched it, unzipping his jeans and shoving her hand into them, grabbing his cock and releasing it from the denim prison. She stroked him harder, faster, and he all but growled at her, like an animal barely in control and ready to spring.
Reaching behind her with her free hand, she shoved the few dishes on the counter into the sink, the loud clanging hard on her ears, but she didn’t care if everything broke. She was too desperate and didn’t want to wait for the niceties, the foreplay. Pushing her own jeans frantically down, she hoisted herself up on the counter, spreading her legs and grabbing Marc by the shoulders.
His lips were slightly parted, his eyes dark with arousal, and he didn’t fight her, letting her guide him toward her throbbing pussy. She scooted to the edge, making it easy for him to find her opening, probing only for a moment before thrusting into her.
Reesa had known pleasure with him, but this was different, rougher and more carnal. She screamed, the orgasm instantaneous, and she dug her nails into Marc’s flesh, knowing she was going to leave her imprint and not caring. As he pounded into her flesh brutally, she met his frenzied pace, rocking back and moving her hands to the counter to brace herself against his powerful movements.
His fingers found her hips, helping to steady her as their tips dug into her until she thought they might fuse to her skin. She wouldn’t have minded; she wanted this feeling to last forever, to overwhelm her senses and flood her until all the horrid memories were forced out and washed away. She brought her knees up, bracing the soles of her feet on Marc’s shoulders, and the new angle took his cock deeper into her, until he hammered against her end.
Reesa’s eyes rolled back in her head, her body racked with shockwaves as her pussy spasmed with a violent orgasm. Marc’s scream as he joined her in the freefall over the edge carried her higher, until she lost herself, lost track of time and space. There was only Marc and the pure bliss that coursed with her adrenaline through her veins.
Her chest ached, and she grew lightheaded, unable to think as she fought for some sense of control. When she felt Marc slipping out of her, Reesa finally found a modicum of reality to cling to and chuckled softly. “Wow,” she said simply, not quite sure how else to address what she’d just done. Her whole body was sore, and she knew it would only be worse in the morning. Still, she was drained, and though she longed for bed and the chance to be cradled in Marc’s very capable arms, she felt like she had to say something.
“Wow doesn’t even begin to cover it,” Marc sighed, finally lifting his head from her shoulder. His eyes were hooded, his crooked smile lazy and his dimple deep. “I hope you didn’t just use me.”
This time, she laughed louder, and then she groaned as the muscles in her stomach tensed painfully. “I’m not that kind of girl, Marc. But if it makes you feel any better, we can spoon now.”
He chuckled at that, lifting her off the counter and carrying her in his arms toward the bedroom. She could tell he struggled, his steps uncoordinated and his arms shaking beneath her weight, but she appreciated it, knowing her own knees would never support her. They fell into bed, and she snuggled back against him, letting him drape an arm and a leg over her. He buried his face in her hair and kissed her neck before yawning.
“Goodnight, Reesa,” he whispered.
“Goodnight, Marc. And thank you.” Reesa yawned, too, her eyes too heavy to open again. She knew in that mom
ent she was too deep to let him go now. After tonight, if Marc decided to cast her aside, her heart would shatter because she had fallen in love with him, and there was no turning back.
She could only hope he felt the same about her.
Chapter 8
Reesa hadn't considered the backlash of such public accusations on her business. She lost several potential clients, who didn't express particular concern over the allegations, but she could tell by the looks on their faces when she met with them and the immediate fallout of calls canceling other meetings.
She didn’t say anything about it at first, hoping things would level off when the sensationalism died down. She didn’t need Marc coming in with some gallant offer of money to help her out or charity jobs he talked wealthy friends into just to generate income. And she certainly didn’t want Kylie to step in. her best friend would offer to share her apartment, and that would be awkward. Reesa still didn’t feel very comfortable at Marc’s swanky bachelor pad, and she couldn’t imagine getting intimate with him when she had a roommate.
But when it came time to pay rent and she had to pull from her meager savings a second month in a row to make the bills, Reesa started to worry. Luckily, not all of her clients abandoned her, and she caught a couple of extra jobs from obviously sympathetic women and even got hired to put together a Halloween party for the women’s shelter. Otherwise, she might have considered giving up. It still seemed like a pretty solid prospect. She had a degree, so she could get a job just about anywhere. This was New York, after all.
After that, Marc noticed her anxiety and wouldn’t let the matter rest until she told him what was going on. He took her to a café, bought her a mocha with a triple shot of espresso, and demanded answers. Blinking back tears, she explained the situation. “I don’t want handouts, Marc, so don’t even try. I’ll do what I have to do to make ends meet.”
“Absolutely not,” he denied. “You’ve built your business from the ground up, and you’ve put too much time and effort into it to turn away now. Why don’t you let me invest in the business, give you some capital until things get going right again?” He smiled mischievously. “Or, you could always move in with me.”
Reesa stared at him across the table, her mocha forgotten. “I told you I didn’t want charity.”
“It’s not charity, Reesa. We spend most of our free time together anyway, sleep in the same bed as often as possible. I want the extras. I want to know that, when I come home from a trip, you’re there. I want the smell of your shampoo in my bathroom.” He reached out and took her hands in his. “I don’t want to waste time going back and forth. I want to share my space with you.”
Alarms sounded in Reesa’s head. They’d been seeing each other for less than three months. The last time she’d jumped into a relationship headfirst so quickly, it had ended in disaster, and she’d nearly died. Marc wasn’t Ethan, but she still had her reservations. “Isn’t it a little soon?” she squeaked.
But Marc laughed and brought her knuckles to his lips. “I thought it was men who had the problems with commitment.” Reesa started to protest, but he shook his head. “I know that’s not it. I know you’re scared, and I know you don’t like my place. What if I gave you free reign to redecorate however you liked? I love your style, and I trust you. Besides, I’d do just about anything to get you to move in with me.”
She snorted. “You better watch it, or I’ll think you engineered this whole media frenzy around my past just so I’d be in this situation.” He looked so sincerely offended she burst out laughing. “I couldn’t believe that of you if I wanted to, Marc.” She gave him a genuine smile, despite her heart racing. The part of her she’d buried, the part that knew she was falling in love with him, was eager to accept the offer, thrilled it had been made to start with. But the part that suffered at the hands of another man had oxygen breathed back into it, and now, it cowered from Marc and his excitement.
“I know it’s a huge leap of faith,” Marc said, his voice softer now, more coaxing and gentle. “But we’re good together, Reesa. I know I’m better with you than I ever was without you. And think about being able to wake up in the morning and not have to worry about one of us rushing off and leaving the other one behind or hurrying them out the door.”
That part, at least, sounded good. Reesa hated rushing Marc out of her apartment in the mornings when she went to work and felt equally guilty about leaving him there to fend for himself. But she had to ask herself if she was really ready for this. In her mind, it was a major commitment, and she refused to enter into it lightly. Did Marc understand what he was asking? Trying to quell her nerves, Reesa took a deep breath. “If we do this, it’s like a binding contract for me. It kicks everything into high gear for me.”
Marc’s smile widened, the dimple deeper, and his eyes twinkled. “Did you not think I was dead serious about us before? I’ve been crazy about you from the start, and this has always been serious for me, Reesa.”
He was crazy about her. But he didn’t say he loved her. Could that possibly be the same thing? She shouldn’t get ahead of herself; she needed to focus on making a decision. Being able to redecorate certainly brightened the prospect. “Here’s the deal, then, Marc. I refuse to live with you for free. I’ve taken care of myself for a long time now, and I won’t become dependent on someone else.”
Spreading his hands in a gesture of surrender, he said, “I would never want to take away your independent spirit. I love how self-sufficient you are.” There it was again. She had to stop reading into things. “But when someone cares about you, it’s okay to lean on them for support. We’ll work something out. You can buy all the food and household supplies or something. But you’re not going to strain yourself, either. It’s time you let someone pamper you a little.”
He stood, reaching for her hand, and she took it, letting him help her to her feet. “Where are we going? I haven’t finished my coffee.”
“Bring it with you. I’m excited. I want to help you pack.” He looked like a little boy on the first day of school, and even if it felt like things were spinning out of control, she couldn’t help but smile and feel a little giddy, his mood contagious.
Outside, she tugged on him, stopping him in his tracks. Growing serious and perhaps a bit sentimental, she locked gazes with him, hypnotized by his deep green eyes. “Thank you, Marc.”
He combed tresses of hair behind her ear and kissed her softly. “You don’t need to thank me.” Pulling back just a little, he cupped her cheek in his palm, his expression strained and his eyes more intense than she’d ever seen them. It took her aback, and she held her breath, wondering what was on his mind. “I love you, Reesa.”
She nearly choked on the breath that released with such force it made a puffing sound. I love you. He’d said it. A voice in the back of her head reminded her that Ethan had said it, too. But she resolutely sent that voice back to the dark reaches of her psyche, refusing to let it discourage her. Marc was not Ethan. He was nothing like Ethan, and she needed to grow up and be strong. She couldn’t make Marc suffer for her ex’s mistakes forever.
“I love you, too,” she whispered, barely able to speak the words that had floated through her head for weeks now. But almost before they were out of her mouth, Marc silenced her with a hasty kiss filled with pure bliss. Her body heated, and had they not been in the middle of Midtown, Reesa probably would have stripped him down right then and there. As it was, she had a sudden carnal need to fulfill and an urgent desire to get home alone with him.
She broke the kiss, giving him a salacious grin, and he grunted. “We’re not going to pack your apartment when we get there, are we?” he asked, seeming just as heated as she felt.
Reesa shook her head. “Well, we might, but I have other needs first. And I think you do, too.”
Chapter 9
“Are you sure you want me to come?” Reesa stared at herself in the full-length mirror of her otherwise empty bedroom. She had another few days before she had to be out of th
e apartment, and she wanted to get the last details in order at Marc’s place before she called it her own, and she’d moved her things over slowly.
Stepping up behind her, Marc settled his hands on her hips, accented by the form fitting black dress and grinned at her reflection. “How could I not? I’ll have the hottest date there!”
Her brows drew together. “Thank you, but that’s not the point.” This would be their first public appearance together at a function, and with the story about her supposed abusive tendencies, she didn’t want to bring any additional controversy down on Marc’s head. “You can go without me. I won’t get upset.”
Marc’s jaw set in a hard line, and his eyes sparked with determination. “You’re more important than anyone else in my life, Reesa. I’ve waited too long to fall in love, and I won’t leave you behind. I don’t care what anyone thinks, and you shouldn’t, either.”
But she did, and it would only take one whisper to ruin their night. Scathing looks and judgmental sneers didn’t appeal to her, and she didn’t want to do anything to hinder the world’s adoration of People Magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive this year, especially at the celebratory dinner. She smiled briefly at the thought of that – her man had been the ‘most eligible bachelor’ in Sports Illustrated for three years, and now, he’d been chosen as the representation of what every woman coveted.
But the sense of pride she felt at calling Marc hers quickly vanished as she thought about how that could ruin him. Turning her away from the mirror to face him directly, Marc told her, “I can handle anything hurled at me, Reesa. Stop worrying so much, okay? We’ve got this.”
The scent of his cologne and the way he looked as at home in his tux as he did on the field did wonders to reassure Reesa. Marc exuded confidence, and she found her doubts slipping away, replaced by excitement at what the evening might offer. Considering the men who had been named with this honor before, she had a feeling she was about to meet some very famous and influential people. And she couldn’t help wondering if she could network a little and maybe salvage her business, even as she considered collecting autographs like some fanatic. Her thoughts went to Kylie, and she decided she’d let her friend have all that fun. She’d started seeing Jordan, the burgeoning couple joining them at the gala.
