Tears crept out the corner of my eyes. I slashed them away, mortified that I was crying. Fletcher didn’t deserve my tears, and I sure as hell didn’t want Marcus to see them.
The cushions beneath me dipped as he scrambled to my side. His arm rested against the back of the sofa while he lightly took my face, making me look at him.
He drank me in, searching my gaze like he was pleading for me to believe him.
“You are so much more than that. You always have been.”
I let out a watery breath then pressed my trembling lips together.
“I see you, Kelly…and I love you.”
I couldn’t breathe. The world stopped moving, and all I could see was Marcus’s face. His eyes shone with a look only he had ever given me. It had a lot more impact up close.
The piano riff for “Beneath Your Beautiful” started softly in the background. Marcus grinned, no doubt thanking the music gods for their perfect timing. I closed my eyes and listened to the words, imagining Marcus singing them to me. Tears trickled down my cheeks. He gently brushed them away, and I opened my eyes and looked at him.
Gripping the front of his shirt, I closed the space between us. His lips were pliant, moving softly against mine until he opened his mouth. I responded in kind, relishing the way his tongue curled around mine, feeling safe and warm. Our hot breaths swirled together and the rattling inside of me shifted to a mounting desire that scared me.
I pulled back, out of breath and hyper-aware of the intense electricity sparking between us.
“You have to trust me,” Marcus whispered. “I’m not going to hurt you. All I want to do is love you…and make you happy.”
My heart started thrumming the way it had in his office that morning. That look was in his eyes again. It wasn’t hungry or leering, or wanting anything from me. It was an open invitation that awakened a yearning. Brushing my teeth over my lower lip, I leaned away from him and lifted the bottom of my shirt, slowly raising it over my head before laying it down next to my jacket.
Marcus hadn’t expected the move and sat back with wide eyes. His lips parted as he gazed at me with a stunned look of awe.
He tried to say something but couldn’t form any words. His eyes kept drifting from my face and down to my lacy bra and naked torso. His gaze was once again like a soft kiss, making me feel warm and safe. I wanted to wrap him around me like a cozy blanket.
The music continued to flow, inspiring me to reach for his hand and lift it to cup my breast. A short puff shot out of him as he squeezed and rubbed his thumb over the lacy fabric. My nipple hardened beneath his touch, my body and brain battling it out as I tried to ignore my nerves and let Marcus see beneath the surface.
I never liked to be visibly naked in front of Fletcher. I felt like if he spotted a blemish, he somehow wouldn’t want me anymore. We always had sex in the dark, with the curtains drawn and the lights off. I didn’t even like candles.
But it felt different with Marcus. I wanted him to see me. I wanted that sparkle in his eye caressing me and making me feel beautiful.
His fingers trailed up my body and caressed my bare shoulder, before gliding along my collarbone. He leaned forward and licked my skin then pressed his mouth against the base of my neck, lightly sucking while my senses spiraled into new territory. His firm hand wove around my back, running up my spine before expertly unclasping my bra.
I gasped as it popped open and fell off my body.
“You have to trust me,” Marcus whispered again.
“I do,” I squeaked.
He leaned back and smiled. It was a knowing one that told me he could see through my trepidation.
“We don’t have to do this.”
“Yes, we do,” I whispered, lurching forward and taking his mouth like a hungry lioness. He met my force, countering my urgent need to control the situation. His deft tongue teased and tempted mine before pulling back and skimming my lower lip.
Desire, hunger, fear battled for top position as he held me back, taking in my expression with a tender smile.
“Should we take this to the bedroom?” My voice was a shaky mess.
Marcus’s lips rose in a half-smile. Running his fingers up my arm, he unhooked my hands from around his neck and threaded his fingers through mine.
He pulled me off the couch and lifted me into his arms, carrying me like a princess down the short corridor to a dimly lit bedroom. A Japanese-style queen bed dominated the center of the room, illuminated by the soft glow of a box lamp on the bedside table.
He set me down on the edge of the bed and I stood, leaning toward the lamp, ready to snap it off and get things started. But Marcus stopped me. His firm fingers trailed down my arm and wrapped around my wrist, pulling my hand away from the switch.
“I want to see you,” he murmured in my ear.
A puff of nervous energy shot out of my mouth. During sex? He wanted to watch me? I hadn’t minded him looking before, but when things really got down to business, I…
I swallowed and, for some weird reason, almost felt like crying. I was a wreck. I hadn’t even felt this scared doing it with Fletcher the first time. It was like I was losing my virginity all over again…and maybe I was.
Fletcher had taken my body, but I’d never given anyone my soul.
I had a feeling Marcus would know just how to claim it.
Chapter Thirty-One
Marcus
I slid my hand back up Kelly’s arm, intrigued by the tense set of her muscles. I probably should have let her switch the light off, but I needed to see her eyes, to know how far she really wanted me to go.
“It’s okay,” I whispered against her skin before gliding my fingers up her quivering stomach and cupping her breasts. They fit into my hands perfectly—like they’d been made just for me.
I rubbed her nipples and she leaned her head back against my shoulder. I kissed the base of her neck, massaging her breasts until she let out a soft whimper. Heat was rushing to my crotch at lightning speed. My dick strained against my pants, yelling at me to get on with it. But I wasn’t in a hurry. It was Kelly DeMarco. You didn’t rush with a girl like that—you savored every freaking second of it.
Kelly pushed back against me and felt my erection. She stiffened and leaned away from me, spinning around to face me. She hid her nerves behind a seductive smile, sitting on the edge of the bed and brushing her lower lip with her teeth.
I stepped between her legs, holding her face and kissing her slowly. She tasted like sweet pineapple juice. I ran my tongue along her lips before dipping in for another taste. She gripped my shirt and started tugging on it. I stepped back with a chuckle and she helped me unbutton it, slipping it off my shoulders and running her hands over my torso before grazing the tuft of hair on my chest. Goosebumps rippled over my skin, and her lips quirked with a smile.
She skimmed her manicured nail over my belly then tucked it into my boxers. My dick strained to reach her, desperate for a little play. Kelly did him a favor and unbuttoned my fly, pulling the denim wide so I could have a little breathing space. With her teeth still nibbling her lip, she pulled my pants south until I stood before her stark naked. Her eyes drank me in, studying the contours of my body. Her fingers traced the V-shaped line running down from my hips before finally reaching my gaze.
I tipped my lips at her and she smiled, leaning back on the bed and slowly unbuttoning her own pants. I helped her wriggle out of them, running my hands up her smooth thighs and kissing her belly once her jeans were heaped on the floor.
I dug my nose into her belly button and she giggled, but it was a nervous, short sound.
“Relax,” I murmured, gliding my tongue up her body and between her breasts.
She lightly tugged the back of my hair so I’d be forced to look at her.
“Do you have protection?” she whispered, her cheeks flushing pink.
“Of course I do.” I smiled. “But why the hurry?”
Her eyes flashed with uncertainty as I skimmed my finge
rs up her inner thigh and explored the exquisite mystery between her legs.
She gasped. “What are you doing?” Her question came out breathy and panicked yet was tempered with an underlying desire that I didn’t miss.
“I’m touching you.” I rotated my fingers then kissed the dimple on her chin.
Her soft, sweet pants were broken by an unchecked moan. I rose up on my elbow to look her in the eye but didn’t stop stroking her.
Her hooded gaze shimmered with wonderment.
“Have you never been touched like this before?”
She shook her head, tipping it back with another moan as I teased her sweet spot. A smile lit my lips. I pressed it against her neck then trailed my tongue down to her nipple, sucking it lightly until she started moaning again.
“What are you doing to me?” She fisted my hair and writhed, her stiff legs giving way as I switched position and pushed my fingers inside her. She was a hot, slippery mess, her inner walls vibrating as I dove a little deeper.
Her moaning shifted to gasps of pleasure, her chest heaving with short, high pants.
“Marcus,” she cried out my name. “Oh, my…” A groan of desire rocketed out of her mouth as an orgasm rippled through her body. She arched her back, her heels digging into the mattress as she gripped the covers. I kept going, fondling her delicate center until I was sure she was completely sated.
My desire was in the red as I watched her sink back to the mattress. I throbbed for her, aching to get inside and feel that silky sweetness encase me.
Her chest still heaved like she’d run a marathon, and she dug her fingers into my arm. “What are you waiting for?”
“I just wanted to make sure you were ready.”
Her eyes rounded. “I’m ready,” she puffed. “I’m…that was…”
I rested my hand on her belly to quiet her. “It’s only a taste of what you deserve, Kelly.”
Her gaze met mine, a fine sheen turning it to a glossy, powder-blue sky. “I want you to show me more.”
I smiled and ran my knuckles down her torso before sitting up and reaching for a condom. I quickly wrapped myself and nestled between her legs. My tip touched the hot edge of her sweetness, and it was like trying to hold back a charging stallion. I’d wanted this for so long, but this first time wasn’t about me. I had to show Kelly what it could be like, what it was supposed to be like.
Running my hand down her leg, I lifted her under the knee and slowly sank into her. Damn, she felt good. Her core clamped around me, drawing me in and begging me to start thrusting. Kelly’s hot breath skimmed my cheek as she hooked her leg over my butt and whimpered, “You better start moving.”
I pressed my nose into her shoulder and snickered. “I just want to savor it.”
“It’s like some kind of sweet torture.” She wriggled beneath me, but I shifted my hips and pinned her to the bed.
It was taking every ounce of control I had not to start charging.
She scowled at me, her perfect nose wrinkling as she slapped my ass. I flinched from the sting, and she tipped her head back and groaned. With a deep laugh, I captured her wrists and held them above her head. A slight flash of uncertainty flickered across her face again. I smiled at her, mouthing the words “trust me” before giving in and surrendering control to my pulsing desire.
I started moving, creating a tantalizing rhythm that only grew faster as she lifted her other leg and wrapped it around my waist. I shifted my weight, digging my elbows into the mattress but not relinquishing my hold on her arms. Her sweet groans only grew louder as I penetrated harder…faster, galloping to the edge of sanity as the only thing to become real was the feel of Kelly wrapped around me.
I shifted even deeper, thrusting until she cried out, and I exploded inside her. I groaned and let go of her wrists, pushing myself up and thrusting into her one last time. I held myself there, puffing and vibrating until my eyes regained the ability to see.
My arms gave out and I slumped on top of her, brushing my lips across her cheek as she heaved beneath me. I pressed my nose into the side of her face, my lashes tickling her skin when I blinked.
She snickered and shuffled out from beneath me, rolling onto her side and giving me a dreamy smile.
“Thank you,” I whispered, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear before drawing circles around her earrings.
“For what?” She smiled. “I didn’t do anything.”
I grinned and dragged her across the bed so as much of our skin was touching as possible. “You did everything.” I kissed her nose. “You trusted me.”
Chapter Thirty-Two
Kelly
Okay, so orgasms are freaking amazing.
A grin curved my lips. I couldn’t believe I’d gone so long without one. My mother had always told me that proper ladies didn’t touch themselves. She’d made it sound like the dirtiest thing on the planet, so I’d never experimented with it. Scarlett and Isla had sometimes joked and shared stories about their experiences with their lovers, but I’d just laughed along with them, too embarrassed to admit I had no idea what they were talking about.
Fletcher had never touched me the way Marcus had. He’d kissed my breasts sometimes, but only briefly. As soon as my legs were spread, he was in there getting things done. Sex with him had been short and sweet. We undressed then I would lay on the bed and let him have his way. He’d tried to coax me into rolling over or sitting on top of him, but I’d always shied away from it. The idea of it made me feel too open and exposed. I liked him covering me, hiding me from the world. It was probably why he’d given up on us and started banging Evangeline. She did it from behind. I’d seen proof.
A beautiful song wafted through to the bedroom from the living area. We’d never turned off the music, and I liked hearing it. “This Is What It Takes” floated in the air like a lullaby, filling me with all kinds of emotions I wasn’t prepared for. I gazed at Marcus through the darkness. It had been a few hours since our interlude, and my body was only just starting to simmer down. I thought I’d never stop buzzing. That had been unreal. Marcus didn’t know it, but I’d been looking right at him when he came inside me. His muscles had been taut and sexy as he held himself above me, filling me with a pulsing pressure that had sizzled every nerve in my body.
He’d stroked me and teased me until I’d fallen apart, shouting his name like I was on some movie set filming a love scene. It was ridiculous. I’d never even whimpered during sex before. I was the silent partner, there to pleasure, not…
I traced the curves of Marcus’s face as he slept beside me, running a finger along a faint scar beneath his eye. How was it possible that a man who wasn’t even my type was turning into the most perfect human I’d ever met?
He’d unlocked something within me, made me feel like I was all that mattered. I didn’t have to prove myself to him or do anything to win his affection. He saw me, and he loved me.
The thought made my insides spasm and I flinched away from him, wondering if I should sneak home. I could leave him a note, thanking him for a great evening.
I could…
Marcus’s hand clamped onto my hip, pulling me back toward him. “Where you going?” he mumbled.
“Just thinking I should head home,” I whispered.
His eyes popped open. I could see them twinkling in the soft moonlight. I ran my thumb across his lips and he whispered, “Stay.”
“I shouldn’t.”
“Why?”
“Because you’re not my boyfriend.”
“I could be.” He grinned, his white teeth flashing in the darkness. “Please, let me be.”
My heart wriggled in my chest, squeezing tight before taking off like a sprinter. “You’re not like the guys I’m used to.”
“Perfect.” He smiled. “The guys before me have all been dicks. I’ll treat you right, Kelly. I won’t hurt you. I’ll respect you and love you any way you want me to.” He cupped the side of my face, caressing my cheekbone. “I’d choose you every time. Y
ou’re the only girl I’ve ever wanted.”
Tears built on my lashes without my say-so. I blinked and they spilled down my face. Marcus shifted onto his back, pulling my arm until I was nestled against his chest. He brushed my hair back and kissed my forehead, murmuring, “Stay. Be my girl.”
I closed my eyes and cried against his chest—slow, soft tears that felt like comfort rather than pain. Marcus’s arm wrapped around my back, and he held me tight until my soft sniffles changed to even breaths of sleep.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Marcus
I didn’t want to leave.
It was Thursday afternoon, and I was hitting the road with Chaos in less than an hour. A month ago, I would have been pumped to get the out-of-state tour started. But things had changed.
I grinned…again. The smile on my face came quick and easy these days. I’d had the best week and a half of my life. Kelly stayed. She stayed!
We woke up next to each other on Tuesday morning and headed to the gym together. I did my workout while Kelly attended Isla’s aerobics class. She disappeared after that, and the next time I saw her, she’d been at work, looking edible and giving me coy smiles that did embarrassing things to my body.
I made excuses to take her out for a “business” lunch, and we ended up back at my place, rolling in the sheets and forgetting there was such a thing as “the world outside.” We’d returned flushed and giggling. I swear if I was Peter Pan, I would have been flying. I didn’t need happy thoughts—I was living them.
Kelly had spent seven nights in my bed, including most of the weekend. I didn’t want to leave her. When I woke that morning, she’d already been up and feeding the cats. She’d been really quiet, and I had to assume she was feeling the same way as me. A nine-day honeymoon period was way too short.
“You okay?”
I heard Marcia’s voice before I saw her. I had three coffees in my hand, two for the ladies and one for me. I was hoping to quickly down my cup before rushing out the door to the airport.
Troublemaker (Songbird #6) Page 16
