by Tia Wylder
Crystal placed the last tape over the gauze and looked up at him. Her eyes searched his for a moment, as if she was looking for something. “What do you mean?”
“I’ll admit that I’m scared. He came at me with a knife and there was nothing I could do about it. I just sat there and let myself get hurt.”
Crystal nodded, taking a seat next to him. Her hands were covered in blood. “You want me to help you with that?”
“Be my 24/7 guard and teach me self-defense.”
She huffed what Mark suspected was a laugh. “That’ll require giving me a raise.”
“Done.”
Whatever smile that had been forming faded quickly. “Alright then. You got it.”
“Good.” Mark finally looked away from her. He braced himself, pulling himself to a stand. Crystal rose with him, ready to catch him if he fell. “I’m okay. A shallow wound, remember? I think I was overreacting earlier.”
“No,” she disagreed. “You were in shock. You need to sleep it off.”
Mark wasn’t about to argue with that. He turned towards the direction of his bedroom and with each step he took, he was painfully aware that Crystal was following him. He didn’t say anything about it, not wanting to spook her.
When they reached the door, she stopped him. “Tomorrow we can start. You do work from home and we get some training in. You’ll have to learn to work through the pain.”
Mark only nodded. Crystal lingered by him, as if she wanted to say something and Mark waited for her to say it. But, instead, she stepped back, and he sagged slightly with disappointment.
“I’ll be out here,” she said.
Mark nodded. He stared at her for a moment longer, wishing he could invite her in. But it was not the time for that, so he stepped back and closed the door, allowing the resounding click to break the connection.
Chapter 6
Crystal didn’t waste any time. She didn’t start the next day as she said, saying that it was probably a bit too early for him to be doing any strenuous activity when he was hurt like that. She merely tailed him for the day, following him around throughout the penthouse as if she expected someone to materialize out the shadows. Mark didn’t mind it in the slightest, which he found weird. His personal space was precious to him and here Crystal was taking up half of it. He was paying her to be his shadow guard, yes, but his comfort with such an idea scared him a little.
But then again, he was beginning to grow used to being frightened, which he didn’t like in the slightest. Whether it was an intimidating presence watching his every move as he continued to search for this spy, or an aloof woman with the face of a model doing pretty much the same, Mark’s heart was constantly hammering. With the first, he recognized the fright instantly and worked to go past it. With the latter, he didn’t know why he was like that at all.
She gave him two days rest but that was it. Now, she was ready and they stood in the center of his living room, facing each other.
“Are you ready?” she asked.
Mark chuckled. “You make it seem like I might die while doing this.”
Crystal shrugged. “I’ve been known to get a little rough sometimes.”
“With an injured patient? Nah, you wouldn’t.”
She merely crooked an eyebrow. Mark resisted the urge to laugh, instead, motioning with his hands for her to come at him.
Crystal bridged the gap between them and Mark held his breath. As usual, she smelled so great and with her standing so close, toes nearly touching, he could look so deep in her eyes he thought he might drown in it.
“You just made your first mistake,” she said.
Mark couldn’t find it within himself to care right now. “And what is that?”
“You never let your attacker get this close to you. By this time, there’s nothing you can do about it and just like that, you’re dead on the ground.”
Mark blurted out a laugh. “Positive, are we?”
“Realistic,” she corrected as she took a step back. “Put your hands up.”
Mark did as he was told. Crystal looked down at them, then nodded in satisfaction. “When you see someone coming at you, you always raise your hands and keep your eyes on theirs. That way, you’re prepared for whatever it is they might do.”
“Got it, chief.”
The side of Crystal’s lips twitched. Mark considered it a small victory. She’s been so militant these past few days, it was hell getting anything out of her. He wondered if the ordeal had scared her as much as it scared him. In truth, everything had gone down when she was away from her post.
Suddenly, Crystal moved. Mark saw the punch a little too late and he didn’t step back in time. The punch grazed his shoulder but managed to unbalance him all the same. Mark staggered.
Crystal straightened, shaking her head. “Instead of trying to dodge it by stepping back, weave to the side. Bend at your knees and duck away from the punch. Again.”
She didn’t wait for him to be ready. This time, Mark did as she said, bending at the knees and ducking to the left of her punch. Her face came inches away from his. She turned to him, both caught in their poses.
“Good,” she breathed. “That was perfect. You’re a fast learner.”
“I’ve been told.”
They caught gazes, staring at each other for a moment. Mark saw her gaze drop to his lips for a split second but she straightened right after.
It was too late by then. He already caught the quick movement and the effect it was having on his body was nearly too much to contain. He stepped away from her, tucking his hands into his pockets as she put more distance between them than was necessary. Mark didn’t take his eyes off her, not for a second, watching her as she looked everywhere but him.
Crystal cleared her throat, dragging her eyes back to him. “This time, I’m going to throw several punches. Do the same maneuver but counterattack when you see an opening.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
She looked away again. This time, Mark could have sworn he saw her blush. The sight threw him.
Before he could comment on it, before he could even think of something to say to that, she came at him again. Mark reacted instinctively, bending at the knees and ducking to the side. She didn’t stop at one punch, but kept going, advancing on him and forcing him to step back. Mark saw his opening soon after and he grabbed her hand, spinning her around. She collided into his chest and Mark heard the breath whoosh out of her lungs.
His arms were banded around her, holding her captive. He had a feeling she could get out his hold if she wanted to, but she didn’t.
For the first time ever, Mark didn’t know what to say to a woman. He knew what he wanted, but there were too many factors to consider first. She was his bodyguard. She was doing things to him he didn’t particularly like. And he still had feelings for Jen, feelings that conflicted with whatever it was he was feeling for Crystal. Mark didn’t want to complicate anything any further. He should let her go. He should put some space between them.
But Mark wanted to hold her longer, to kiss her on her neck. Still, he fought it, summoning everything in him to pull away. Crystal stepped away and turned to him. Mark was about to step back but she didn’t allow him. Instead, she went on her toes, grabbing him by the neck and kissing him on the lips.
Surprise held him there for a few seconds. His entire body was washed with heat at the soft press of her lips and Mark relaxed into it, wrapping his arms around her waist. She leaned into the kiss, brushing her tongue against lips and Mark opened up for her. He moaned a little, loving the feel of her in his arms, the way their lips melded perfectly. She fit into him like a glove.
Panting slightly, Crystal pulled away. Her eyes were warm with lust. “Now,” she said. Mark knew exactly what she meant.
She tugged on his hand, stepping away towards the bedroom. Mark didn’t move. “I can’t give you what you want, Crystal,” he blurted out.
She rose a brow. “In bed?”
“Of course not.
” His hand tightened around hers. “With everything that’s been going on, I don’t want anything serious. I don’t want to give you the wrong idea.”
“I didn’t expect Mark Gooden to want anything serious with anyone in the first place,” she said. “Strictly sex, then? I’m fine with that. That’s what I want, as well.”
The relief that rushed through him was heady. “Good.” With a tug, he pulled her back into his arms. Crystal gasped. “Then we don’t need to waste any more time, now do we?”
He kissed her again, this time with all the pent up passion he held in store for her. Crystal matched him in fervor, grasping his hair, tongues tangling. They lowered to the floor, already grabbing at each other’s clothes to get to the skin underneath. The moment she touched his bare chest, Mark’s entire body went hot.
He pulled away, tugging her shirt up over her head and tossed it aside. He put her hand on her neck, forcing her head to the side to allow him to trail biting kisses down her neck. Crystal moaned aloud. The normally dominant woman sagged under his touch, becoming pliant and wanting under his kisses that was steadily making its way downwards. The moment his tongue brushed her nipple, she arched her back and gasped.
Crystal might be the expert with self-defense between the two of them, but this was Mark’s domain. Here, making her writhe and moan underneath him, was what he shone the brightest and Mark was ready to put on the performance of his life.
Crystal reacted to every touch, desperate for more. Mark gave. He kissed, bit, touched, rubbed until she was begging him not to stop. Mark continued to give her everything he had but the moment he was about to go inside her, she put a hand on his chest. Mark watched, yearning tugging on every bit of her nerves, as she lowered him onto his back with that one hand. His eyes trailed downwards as she did and when her mouth covered his shaft, they rolled to the back of his head.
She did wonders with her mouth and hands. Mark has been with many women before, too many for him to keep count. But none of them have ever made him react so strongly to her touch before. Mark came, right into her mouth, and Crystal lapped it up hungrily.
With a growl, he put her on her back, ready for more. And so was she. The moment he entered her, Crystal grasped his upper arm, gasping. He pried the hand off his arm and, without even giving it a second thought, entwined his fingers with hers. He went slowly, giving her the time to get used to him, but as he steadily sped up, Crystal was matching his pace perfectly.
So perfectly that they reached their peak together. Mark squeezed her hand tightly as he came, enjoying the way she cried out his name. He collapsed to the side of her, still holding her hand.
He caught his breath first. “Did I hurt you?”
Crystal shook her head, her eyes still on the ceiling. “That was … wow.”
“Why? Thank you!”
He expected a droll response but instead, she turned and looked at him with awe in her eyes. He caught the gaze, eyes following hers when she looked down at their hands. Mark pulled away quickly. “Sorry,” he said. “I didn’t realize.”
She still didn’t say anything, not at first. But then her eyes grow more intense. “I want that again,” she stated.
Mark smiled at the demand. “Your wish is my command.”
**
“Where are we going?”
Mark shook his head at Crystal as he buckled himself into the driver’s seat, holding back a smile. Crystal narrowed her eyes at the sight. For the past hour, he’s been doing that, hinting at something they needed to do later after he was done with his work and constantly struggling to hold back that blasted smile. She has been asking him about it since the start but he wouldn’t say a single word.
In fact, Mark has been in a good mood all day. And honestly, so was she, although she was much better at hiding it than he was. She didn’t go home last night, deciding to spend the night in his bed though they didn’t do much sleeping. They had sex — over and over again until she fell asleep in his arms. It was the best sleep she’s had in a long while and when she woke up the next morning, she was greeted with a simple but heartfelt breakfast of pancakes and fresh orange juice. Crystal didn’t know what to say when she saw it — she still didn’t know what to say. All she could do at the time was stare open mouth as an uncharacteristically jovial Mark presented the food to her in bed. He said it was because he woke on the right side of the bed, but Crystal knew it had to be more than that. Last night meant as much to him as it did for her and, despite what they said about not wanting anything serious, she felt he might feel more for her than he was claiming.
The thought carried her throughout the day as she watched him while he worked. They spoke like they usually did, but it was clear that Mark was no longer weighed down by what happened a few days ago. Even as they went through another self-defense training, Mark was upbeat and positive, joking with her constantly. Crystal remained professional but she couldn’t deny to herself that she loved every second of it. She couldn’t help thinking it, could he actually like her? As much as she liked him?
Now, here he was buckling her into the car, mysteriously silent on where he was going. She could only stare at him, confused and a bit intrigued. “Mark,” she said again as he pulled out of the parking lot. They haven’t left the penthouse in days and Crystal has been so caught up in everything with Mark that she forgot the outside world existed. The sounds hit her instantly, bringing her back to reality and what she should be doing.
“Don’t you like surprises, Crystal?” Mark said. And just like that, she was sucked back into the world that only consisted of Mark Gooden.
“Everyone likes surprises,” she replied, looking away from the brilliant smile that was fast forming on his face. Her heart was doing so many things in her chest right now.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if you said you didn’t, to be perfectly honest. You look like the type to want to know everything beforehand.”
“It’s always better that way.”
Mark scoffed, shaking his head. “You’re such a buzzkill, Crystal.”
“Maybe if you told me where I was going I would be able to be a little more positive.” And that would give her some time to prepare her heart for whatever it was to come.
Mark shook his head again, and the shadow of a smile was back. “You look great, by the way.”
Crystal whipped her head to the side, glad for the setting sun that was hopefully hiding her deep blush. That was the other reason why she was so curious about their destination. Out of the blue, a few women showed up at his place holding clothes bags. They streamed into the living room, much to Crystal’s surprise, and laid them all out on the couch. Mark thanked them, bid them goodbye and turned to Crystal with that smile, telling her to choose.
A thought occurred to her at that moment and as she played along, she couldn’t help but wonder if he was bringing her on a date.
It couldn’t be. Could it? Was this what Mark usually did with the women he bedded or was she a special case? She didn’t want to consider the last option and bring her hopes up too much.
She looked down at the fitting black dress she picked out from the options he presented, resisting the urge to awkwardly brush nonexistent lint off. “I don’t like dresses.”
“That’s not how you say ‘thank you’, Crystal.”
“Thank you,” she said, blushing harder. “Now tell me where we’re going.”
He tsked. “So impatient. Fine. I’m taking you to one of my favorite restaurants.”
Crystal held her breath. “Why?”
“Why not? I want to take you out.”
“That’s … out of the blue.”
“Is it?”
“You’re being very weird.” And it was making her heart hammer in her chest. “Aren’t people going to notice you taking your bodyguard out on a date?”
“Contrary to popular belief, Crystal, I don’t have a hoard of paparazzi watching my every move. No one will even notice, if that’s what you’re wondering.” He g
lanced at her. “Do you not want to go?”
Crystal was too caught up in the fact that he hadn’t denied that it was a date to realize what he just asked. Once it registered, she thought about it for a moment. “I’m okay with it. But, actually…”
“Actually, what?”
“There’s someplace I’ve always wanted to go.”
Mark grinned excitedly. “Say the word and that’s where we’re headed, then.”
“Didn’t you make a reservation?”
“Things happen. So, where is it? Where does the mysterious Crystal Fey want to go tonight looking so damn beautiful?”
God, if he kept that up, she was going to burn to death from the inside out.
“An amusement park,” she states.
Mark goes silent. The quiet stretched for so long, Crystal had to look at him to see if he heard her. “Mark?”
“I’m sorry,” he said, blinking exaggeratedly. The sight nearly made her chuckle. “I don’t think I heard you right. Did you say an amusement park?”
“What’s so wrong with that?”
“Coming from anyone else? Nothing at all. Coming from you? I’m wondering if you woke up a different person this morning.”
She shrugged. “I definitely feel different.”
Mark’s grin was quick and all-consuming. “Is that so?”
She didn’t hold back her smile. It was the first time she has hinted at what they did last night at all. With the way she was acting all day, anyone would have thought nothing had happened between them.
They sat there grinning foolishly for a while before Crystal cleared her throat. “So, are we going to an amusement park then?”
“Certainly, my lady.”
With a tug of his arm, Mark whipped the car onto another street, forcing Crystal back into her seat. The sight made her chest tighten with lust. There was just something about him behind a car wheel that made him look so damn hot, she could hardly keep her eyes off him.
It didn’t take them long to arrive. Mark parked the car and was out a second later, running around the front to the passenger side. Crystal was too surprised not to go along with it when he opened the door and offered his hand.
