Because of Low

by Abbi Glines

  A small frown puckered her forehead.

  “When you say worked up?” she paused

  “I mean, hard as a rock Low.”

  A small smile spread across her face. I didn’t wait for her to say anything else. I closed the distance between us and grabbed her face in my hands before crushing my mouth to hers. She made a small little sound of surprise but then her hands ran up my arms and gripped my shoulders. She was harder to reach standing barefoot. Those heels had helped out a lot earlier. Reaching down I grabbed her waist and picked her up until she wrapped her legs around my waist. Oh. Yeah.

  Willow

  It dawned on me that Marcus was opening the door just as he backed us up inside the dark apartment. I’d been so lost in his kiss I missed the fact he’d walked up the stairs carrying me. I opened my eyes long enough to see him walk over to the couch and sink down onto it with me straddling him. Pulling back he stared at me intently.

  “We’re going to have to stop soon. I’m about at my limit,” his voice was raspy.

  “Limit?” I asked before raining kisses down the side of his jaw and neck.

  “Ah, my limit Low. You know,” he was having trouble talking and it made me feel powerful. Feeling brave I flicked my tongue out and quickly licked at his neck. He smelled so good. Moaning he shifted under me until his erection was pressed against the crotch of my panties. The sensation was too much and I cried out in shock and pleasure.

  “And that’s my limit,” Marcus said pushing me off him and standing up. I started to think I’d done something wrong again but the way he was breathing like he’d just ran a marathon I figured that must be good.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked staring up at him wanting him to just come back down here. I’d found something I really liked.

  Marcus closed his eyes tightly and let out a loud groan. “Low, baby please pull your dress down,” he pleaded. Glancing down I noticed my dress had ridden up around my waist.

  “Oops,” I said giggling and pulling it back down.

  Marcus let out a small laugh and then met my questioning gaze.

  “Low tonight was amazing. Except for the part where I hurt you and you ran away and scared the bejesus out of me. Being with you is incredible. I want to do it again. Tomorrow. And the next day,” I laughed and he grinned then continued, “You get the idea. But here’s the thing. I don’t want to move too fast with you. I’m going to have to work on that because I’m used to moving pretty fast.”

  Then why go slow with me? Frowning I stood up. I barely came to his shoulders when I didn’t have the help of heels. I wore heels on all my shoes to give me an added boost.

  “I didn’t ask you to go slow.”

  He rubbed his face and ran his hand through his hair and let out a strange tight laugh. “I know that but I want to. You’re different. And if I’m right you’re really inexperienced.”

  Warmth flooded my face. I should have known he’d be able to tell. My kisses can’t be what he’s used to.

  “No Low, you misunderstood me,” he reached out to touch me and stopped himself, “Listen to me. No one, I mean no one has ever got me so worked up with kisses alone. You’re perfect. Everything about you is perfect.”

  Well that made me feel better. It made me feel powerful. I liked it.

  I took a step toward Marcus and he laughed softly. “Don’t tease me Low,” he pleaded.

  Sticking my lips out in a pout I frowned up at him. “Okay fine. I’ll leave you alone.”

  Stepping around him I headed for Cage’s bedroom.

  “Low?”

  I turned at the sound of his voice.

  “Yes?”

  He looked unsure and nervous. It made me want to go hug him and assure him everything was fine.

  “Could you. I mean If I,” he paused and took a deep breath, “If I sleep out here on the couch would you please sleep in my bed?”

  I hadn’t been expecting that.

  “Why?”

  “Because I can’t sleep knowing you’re in Cage’s bed.”

  His simple explanation made me feel tingly all over.

  “Okay,” I replied unable to keep the silly smile off my face.

  He let out a breath like he’d been holding his. “Thank you.”

  I grinned and shrugged, “You’re welcome.”

  “But I have to go in there and get my pajamas,” I explained.

  “Just get all your clothes.”

  I laughed, “Marcus you can’t just move out onto the couch. That wouldn’t be fair. You have a nice comfortable bed in your room. You shouldn’t have to sleep on the couch.”

  “Then sleep. Just sleep. With me, in my bed. That’s what you do with Cage now right?”

  “Yes but I’m not attracted to Cage.”

  “We’ll work around that. Just please move your things to my room.”

  As wonderful as that sounded it also sounded as if we were moving in together. Which was the epitome of moving fast.

  “Then we’ll be living together? You do realize that’s what it would be. That’s really moving fast.”

  Marcus frowned and looked back at the couch.

  “You’re right. Okay, I’ll sleep on the couch for now. Later... when we’re ready, I’ll move into the bed.”

  “Are you sure about this,” I asked.

  “Yes. I want to see where this is going with us and I can’t do that with you sleeping in Cage’s bed every night. I want you here. But not in there,” he pointed toward Cage’s room.

  With an explanation like that, how could I tell him no?

  Chapter Twelve

  Marcus

  I hadn’t thought through what I was going to say to Cage. When I’d seen Willow walking toward Cage’s room my insides had clinched. I couldn’t let her go crawl up in his bed. Jealousy was ugly and I had it bad where their relationship was concerned.

  Standing at my bedroom door with my morning dose of caffeine I watched her sleep. She was right in the middle of my queen size bed curled up into a little ball. All I could see was all that hair spread out on my pillows. It reminded me of flames. I’d always loved to watch fires. And I was pretty damn sure I’d always love to watch Willow sleep. Knowing when she woke up she’d be warm from my sheets and dressing in my room made the fight I was going to have on my hands as soon as Cage got home worth it.

  There was a possibility he’d get so angry he’d kick me out. But then I was banking on the fact Willow would threaten to leave with me and I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt Cage wouldn’t let that happen. He may be upset but he wouldn’t lose her. He’d put up with whatever she forced him to put up with in order to keep her close. I didn’t get their relationship at all. One minute he reminded me of a pussy whipped guy around her and the next he acted like her damn brother. I didn’t like it. He wasn’t her brother. I wanted him to back off. He didn’t cherish how special she was. I did.

  Low began to stretch out her legs and a soft moan drifted from the bed. I watched fascinated as she raised her arms up over her head and finally her face peeked out from under the covers. Her small little manicured hands came down to rub her eyes and she yawned before finally opening her eyes and meeting my gaze. A slow sleepy smile spread across her face. I wasn’t going to be able to sleep on the couch for long. Of this I was absolutely positive.

  “Morning,” I said pushing off from the door frame I’d been propped up against and making my way to the bed. She sat up and leaned back against the headboard.

  “Good morning,” came her reply, her voice still groggy from sleep.

  I sat down on the edge of the bed.

  “Sleep well?”

  Grinning she nodded and reached over and took my coffee. I watched as she put the rim to her lips on the cup and took a drink.

  “You like it black?”

  She shrugged, “I prefer sugar and cream but you made it look so good I thought I’d take a sip.”

  “And was it as good as I made it look?”

  She scrunched her
nose, “Nope.”

  Chuckling I took my cup back, “I’ll go make you a cup the way you like it.”

  I started to get up and her hand grabbed my arm stopping me.

  “Wait, um... we need to talk about Cage before he gets here.”

  I didn’t want to talk about Cage. I was going to handle it. Alone.

  “I’m going to talk to Cage.”

  She shook her head, “No, I don’t think that’s a good idea. I need to get him alone and talk to him. He’ll get angry at you and possibly hit you. He won’t hurt me. He’ll listen to me. I can make him understand.”

  The idea of Willow and Cage holed up in his bedroom for any length of time bothered me. I wasn’t going to let her do this alone. I covered the hand she had on my arm with my free hand.

  “Low, I started this. I didn’t stay away when Cage warned me to. He’s my roommate and I owe it to him to explain this. I’ll get him to listen to me. And if he throws a punch I can handle him. Just because I didn’t grow up in a difficult neighborhood doesn’t mean I don’t know how to defend myself.”

  Nibbling her bottom lip nervously she reached up and ran her fingers through her tangled wild mass of hair. She didn’t want to argue with me. I could see it in her worried expression. I stood up then bent over and slipped my finger under her chin tilting her face up to look at me.

  “Trust me,” I pleaded then pressed my lips against hers before straightening up and leaving the room. Hopefully she’d be in the shower when Cage got home. I’d prefer her not to be here when I talked to him.

  Willow

  I desperately needed a shower but I needed to be dressed and ready when Cage walked in the door. Picking up my phone to check the time I knew he’d be here soon. Cage wasn’t one to hang around the morning after.

  Opening my suitcase I grabbed a pair of shorts and my vintage Guns & Roses 1987 Banned Rape t-shirt. I had a thing for vintage concert t-shirts. Whenever I came across one at a thrift store I’d get all giddy. This one wasn’t a thrift store find though. It was one Cage had bought for me off Ebay for my birthday last year. I wanted to help ease his anger. I figured my wearing this shirt might help. I quickly brushed my hair then pulled it to the side and braided it. Until I could wash it, this would have to do.

  The moment I opened the bedroom door I heard the key jingle in the lock. My nerves hit an all time high as the door swung open and in sauntered Cage looking incredibly hung over. His eyes met mine and he started to grin but the grin fell almost immediately. I was standing in Marcus’s doorway. It wasn’t a detail Cage had missed.

  “Good morning Cage,” I said forcing a smile. His bloodshot eyes shifted from me and found Marcus walking out of the kitchen with my cup of coffee.

  “Morning,” Marcus nodded to Cage as he passed him and brought me my coffee. I quickly took it from his hands, for fear Cage may suddenly lung at Marcus and burn him with my coffee. I kept my eyes on Cage. If he made any sudden moves I was going to stop him.

  “Low, what the fuck?”

  I cringed at the angry growl in his tone.

  Stepping past Marcus I placed myself in front of him knowing Cage wouldn’t hurt me to get to him.

  “Cage you and I need to talk. Please, don’t do anything drastic. I’ll leave if you force me to.”

  The hurt that flashed in his blue eyes stung. I didn’t like hurting him. Other than Larissa, Cage was the only other person I’d ever loved. Hurting Cage was like hurting myself. His throat constricted and his angry glare flashed at Marcus.

  “You couldn’t stay out of her damn panties could you Marcus? I warned you she was mine.”

  Marcus tensed behind me and started to move and I followed him. I was not letting him get near Cage without me as a buffer. His hands clasped my shoulders. I waited for him to try to move me but he didn’t.

  “I haven’t been in her panties Cage. You know Low better than that. Watch what you say.”

  Cage took a step toward us and his fist clenched and unclenched reflexively his eyes never leaving Marcus.

  “You don’t fucking KNOW her! You’re a damn pretty boy with his daddy’s money. You’ll use her and walk away. She can’t handle that. Why couldn’t you have just backed the hell off like I warned you?”

  Marcus moved me to the side this time.

  “You know nothing about me. From the moment I graduated from high school I haven’t used one red cent of my father’s money. I make my own way. And I would never hurt her. You expect her to sit by and wait on you to stop screwing your way through the damn State of Alabama. That’s insane and selfish Cage. If you care about her at all you’ll let her make her own choices.”

  Marcus never yelled but his voice was hard and at times lethal sounding. I sat my cup down on the table and prepared to jump between them if Cage made any sudden moves.

  “I take care of her. Ask her! I’ve never let her down. I’m the one who has dried her tears and picked up the pieces when her sorry ass sister continues to break her heart. Since she was a little girl it has been ME whose helped her through everything. So don’t tell me how to show her I love her. Don’t you dare tell me I’m fucking selfish.”

  Marcus sighed and shook his head. I knew he didn’t understand Cage’s perspective. But I did.

  “I get that you’ve always been the one there for her. I do. But you have a life Cage. You go out with girls all the time. Why do you expect Low to just sit and wait on you? Why can’t she make her own choices?”

  Cage’s angry glare finally left Marcus and his focus shifted to me. The betrayal in his eyes almost undid me. The snarl left his face and a concerned frown took its place.

  “Is this what you want baby?”

  I nodded feeling the tears fill my eyes.

  “Okay. If you want to do this thing with Marcus then fine. I’ll take it and deal with it. But when he hurts you. When he lets you down, I’ll be here. My arms are always open for you to run into. I want you happy and if you think this asshole will make you happy then fine. You need to live a little too. I can’t protect you from everything,” his gaze shifted back to Marcus, “but I can be here to hold you when he breaks your heart.”

  Marcus may not like it but I didn’t care. Cage was going to accept this. He really would do anything to make me happy. I went to him and hugged him tightly.

  “Thank you,” I whispered in his ear.

  His forehead touched my shoulder and he squeezed me tightly. “If he hurts you I’ll kill him,” his words were for my ears only. I didn’t doubt him but I knew Marcus would never hurt me. He was one of the good guys.

  “He won’t,” I assured him.

  Cage let out a sigh and kissed my temple, “Yes baby, he will.”

  Then he let me go and turned and walked to his bedroom without looking back. Once his door closed I let out the breath I’d been holding and my shoulders sagged in relief. That wasn’t nearly as bad as I’d imagined.

  Two warm arms wrapped around me and I was pressed tightly against Marcus’s chest. Smiling to myself while he nuzzled my neck.

  “I won’t hurt you Low,” he promised.

  I nodded. Because I believed him.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Marcus

  Willow had gone to take a shower. Apparently she’d put that off afraid I’d face Cage alone. The fact she’d stood between the two of us to protect me would be funny if it didn’t piss me off a little. It made me want to go out and beat the shit out of someone so she could see I wasn’t some spoiled rich kid who’s never had a busted lip or black eye. She’d met Rock, Dewayne and Preston. Could she not tell I didn’t exactly run around with the country club crowd? I flipped the last pancake and reached to get the butter out of the fridge.

  “She moved her stuff. You make her do that?” Cage asked from behind me.

  Guess we were going to get that private confrontation after all. I pulled out a stick of butter and turned around closing the door behind me.

  “I didn’t make her do anything.”

/>   Cage snarled and glanced back at my bathroom door. This was the first time she’d showered in my bathroom too. Normally she used Cage’s.

  “Why Low? You could’ve had any damn chic in this town. Why’d you have to go and mess with Low?”

  When he said stupid shit like that it made me question his belief she was special.

  Sitting the butter down I reached for a knife to slice off some pats to put on our pancakes. Without looking back up at him for fear I’d lose my temper I responded, “You of all people should know how special she is. Girls like her aren’t easy to find. From the moment I opened that door,” I stopped slicing and looked up at him. I wanted him to see my face when I told him this. I needed him to believe me. “I knew she was going to get under my skin. Then the more I got to know her. The more I watched her and talked to her I wanted to get closer to her. And as much as you hate to hear this she wants to get close to me too.”

  Cage let out a hard laugh and turned to go back to his bedroom. I went back to slicing the butter.

  “I want to believe you won’t hurt her. But I know you will. I’m going to stand back and let this play out. Because in the end, she’ll come running back to me.”

  His door slammed behind him.

  He was wrong. But I wasn’t going to argue with him about it anymore. As long as he stood back and left us alone I was good. That was more than I could have hoped for.

  I set the table and poured us both coffee adding some cream and sugar to Low’s. I also placed a glass of orange juice beside her plate of pancakes. I wasn’t sure if she liked coffee with her meal. I liked cold milk with my pancakes so I poured her a glass of that too.

  The door to my bathroom opened and she stepped out dressed in the clothes she’d had on earlier but this time her hair hung damp and loose down her back. The ends curled just a little when wet. Her face was scrubbed clean of any makeup and she was beautiful. Big green eyes taking in the table then lifting to meet my appreciative gaze.