“She’s a good one,” Zaid commented, surprising Marcus. Zaiden was not a feelings kind of man. He was known to be rude, arrogant, and as ruthless as could be. But Grace reached them before he could say anything. Zaid gave her a big smile.
“Grace, will you be a doll and teach this man how to hold a real woman?”
“What?” she laughed, her eyes wide, her nose a little pink from the sun, but with the make-up Michele had put on her and the way her hair flowed down in soft curls, he couldn’t resist touching her.
“Come here,” Marcus ordered and pulled her into his arms the moment she was within reach. She laughed.
He could hear the snapping of Zaiden’s camera, but he ignored it. Looking into her dark eyes, he couldn’t look away. Though seeing her without any make-up and her hair thrown up on top of her head, he had the same problem. Nothing felt better than having her in his arms.
She smiled, and he smiled back then leaned forward and kissed her. Fuck, if that didn’t make everything in his world right. He felt her laugh and pull away from him as she tried to get out of his arms, but Zaiden put his arms out, shouting orders for them to pose, and she looked at him, raising that cute attitude-filled eyebrow at him.
He leaned into her soft body, pressing his mouth to her temple, his arms around her waist as his front pressed to her back. “Go with it,” he murmured against her skin, and she looked up at him. Fuck! He hoped Zaid was as good as his cocky ass thought he was, because he wanted to have the look on her face immortalized in a print.
She loosened up and did what Zaid asked. Even grabbing a bucket of water and tossing it over him. Her laughter rung in his ears. The moment she dropped the bucket, he grabbed and kissed her, telling her she should expect payback for that before he returned to the shoot.
Then Zaiden got to work.
There were some pictures of Marc jumping into the pool and coming out of it. He also got pictures of him unbuttoning his shirt slowly, though when he did, Marcus was not looking at the camera. His eyes were set on the beautiful, curvy woman who had made him feel like he could actually breathe whenever he was around her. The only thing that had ever come close to that since he had become a household name was his home in Montana.
He was shirtless and in nothing but dark grey slacks, a straw fedora, and sunglasses as they went back to the ledge of the roof to get the last of the pictures just as the sun began to set. Finally, Zaid yelled it was a wrap. He shook the photographer’s hand and hugged Michele then dragged Grace with him to his dressing room to get out of the wet clothes and sneak in some more alone time.
Chapter Fourteen
Grace
“I have no idea how you do that!” I squealed as I sat at the make-up chair, while he changed behind me in the makeshift changing room.
“What do you mean?” he asked lightly. I tried hard to behave and not imagine what he looked like completely naked.
“Grace?”
“Oh! Umm, you were on the ledge of a roof of tall-ass building!” I told him, trying to control my dirty, dirty thoughts about what I would like to do to him. Hearing the deepness of his chuckles made me smile. “Then you were in and out of that pool in all those clothes! And shoes! Those poor Italian leather shoes!” I still couldn’t believe all the work it took to get the shots us normal people just skimmed through in a magazine.
“You get used to it.” He peeked his head out through the curtain. “Any chance I could talk you into going to Palm Springs with me?” he asked, giving me puppy dog eyes. I shook my head.
“I’d love to, but Lexi…”
“Bring her,” he suggested without hesitation.
“What?”
“Bring her,” he repeated, his tone and expression serious.
“Marc…”
“I’m serious.”
“I know. I just, I can’t.” I shook my head. The smile disappeared from my face and something tightened at the pit of my stomach.
“Why not?” he scowled.
“Marcus.” I sighed as I stood from the chair and walked toward the small futon where I had left my laptop bag.
The seriousness inside of me casted a shadow over the joy I’d felt throughout the day. His head disappeared behind the curtain, and I could hear the rustle of clothing behind it, but I wasn’t focused on that.
“She has school. Plus, honestly, I don’t think getting that close to all this is a great idea,” I shared, the knot in my belly tightening.
“You’re probably right,” I heard him agree as he stepped out. I was ready to say goodbye and make a run for it, my hands holding on to the shoulder strap of my bag.
In a simple everyday outfit of jeans and a grey tee, with one gentle glance at me, he locked me to the floor. I couldn’t get myself to connect two words as he stood in front of me. My eyes drifted from his wide chest to his great neck, not too thick or too slender, just perfect, until they landed on his eyes.
“She has school and needs to rest,” he wisely told me. I was confused.
“What?” God, what was it about him and his damn eyes and body that turned me into a stammering mess?
Controlate, Graciela! I mentally reminded myself in Spanish to get a grip.
He was just a man. A sinfully sexy, sweet man, but a man nonetheless.
“Lexi has school, and you probably have to work. I shouldn’t throw things at you last minute.” He shrugged, and I could tell he was beating himself up. I didn’t like that.
“You’re not used to the kid schedule thing.” I cut him some slack and watched his eyes warm.
“I'm a quick learner,” he instantly answered, and my heart went into overdrive.
There was no hiding the shock on my face. I opened my mouth to say something, anything, to maybe lighten the mood, but I couldn't think of any two words that could somehow connect with one another. Especially since I couldn't look away from him.
The look on his face, the warmth in his eyes, I knew he was serious. Unless he was acting. Playing me like an acoustic guitar, just like Gloria had warned me. I watched him shake his head and running his fingers through his hair.
With a sigh, he kept surprising me. “What are you doing to me, Grace Rivera?”
"I haven't done anything," I whispered, and he smiled and leaned in closer. The anticipation worked its magic through my body. His smell, the heat of his body, the light touch of his hands on my hips.
"Imagine if you did," he weirdly shared before crushing his lips to mine, my hands gripping his tee.
For the next ten minutes, we stood, fronts pressed tightly together as we kissed. Hard and fast, slow and sweet. Until his phone kept ringing with Donnie's designated ringtone and we separated, utterly breathless.
***
Sprawled out on my couch, holding my Kindle to my face, I gave up the false attempt to read and settled the e-reader on my stomach, closing my eyes. With a deep cleansing breath, I tried to get myself to relax. From the moment Marcus Wright had shown up at my doorstep, I, had experienced the longest yet most exhilarating days I had in, well, ever. But now I was paying for it. More than tired, my body was having a tough time settling, since it felt like it was sparkling from the inside out with lust and something more than lethal.
Hope.
After Marcus walked me to my car, where he made me weak in the knees again, I came home to deal with more than I had initially been expecting. But I was used to that. I was actually thankful for it. It was a reality check of what my life was really like versus whatever little weird, foggy haze I had let myself get into with Mr. Right. Being a single mom, you had to be prepared for anything and everything, and stepping into my house was like a pail of ice-cold water waking me up.
Lexi had a cold and was whiney, which was a great indicator she wasn’t feeling well, since she was usually happy go lucky. Gloria wasn't feeling a hundred percent either and was therefore even bitchier than usual with everyone other than Lexi. And my poor little sister was way in over her head taking care of both of them.
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I quickly made up the guest room for Gloria and sent Gab to the store to get over-the-counter cold medication for both of Lex and Gloria. While she was gone, I quickly whipped up a semi-homemade chicken noodle soup and paired it with saltines and apple juice for dinner.
Gabby had come back, all but threw the medicine at me, blew me a kiss, waved at the two patients, and escaped, claiming she had a huge paper due the next day. Knowing Gabby, it was true, but I could tell she was tired. I didn’t blame her. Thankfully, Gloria had gone to take a steam bath, while I tried to get Lexi to bed somewhat early.
But even with a cold, my girl was relentless, wanting to know every detail about what a real life magazine photo shoot was like. Adding about ten questions to each detail I shared. After the extensive interrogation, my six-year-old was finally yawning. She settled her little head to my side as I read the fifth story in her big Amelia Bedelia and her Adventures book. Before falling asleep, she gave me a sweet smile with hooded eyes and said she was glad I’d hung out with Marc again. I didn't know how to reply.
I wanted to tell her it was nothing, but I didn’t want to lie. I wasn’t positive about him, but I knew I was feeling something. In that moment, I was afraid of crushing her young girl romantic notions. How could I do that to her? She was only six. She had never had a male role model in her life. But that didn’t mean my sisters and I sat around man-bashing. We didn’t. We just didn’t talk men in front of her. So all I did was smile, stroked her soft hair, and kept reading.
When her breathing evened out, I kissed the top of her head gently. Carefully got out of her bed, and snuggled her into her superhero comforter.
Now on the couch, I couldn't get myself to focus on the new book I had one-clicked. My mind was filled with too many things. Though if I were honest with myself, the main two issues in the forefront of my mind were Lexi and Marcus. Lexi wanted to know everything about the guy after meeting him once. A man whom she had seen on the big screen as a larger than life superhero she idolized through books and her childlike imagination. I couldn’t deny that Marc and Lexi had clicked from the beginning; neither of them had felt uneasy around one another from the moment we came to pick up Lexi to the moment he dropped us off at home. She liked him and had made it clear she thought he liked me too.
Then there was Marcus and everything that came with him. Gloria's warnings echoed in my mind. My stomach felt heavy. I liked him. I liked the work discipline he had. I liked the positive way everyone around, not only on the movie set but at the photo shoot, talked about him. He was nothing like the media had made him out to be. Though that was not the only thing I liked about him. I didn't want to like more about him than that, but I did.
I liked how I felt around him. I liked how he kissed and touched me. How simple things like breathing and just being seemed easier around him. I felt more myself and at ease than with anyone else outside of my sisters and daughter. How was that possible? I questioned myself.
I had never been very good at picking men. What if this was just a colossal mistake waiting to happen?
"You look like you are trying to solve the world’s problems." I jumped slightly at the sound of Gloria’s raspy voice.
"I don't know about all that." I looked at her with a shrug.
"Hmm..." she murmured, lifting my feet and sitting down, then putting my feet on her lap and leaning her head against the back of the couch. "How about, you look like you are trying to solve your world’s problems."
"That works." I grinned at her.
My older sister was beautiful. We had the same tan skin and hair color, but that was where our similarities ended. She was tall for a woman. At five eight, she towered over me. Thin with just enough curves in the right places that made both men and women look at her twice. She worked at her body, eating better than any nutritionist could ever hope, and worked out on her office treadmill at lunch. Her eyes were a lighter shade of brown, one that made you want to tell her everything. It was probably part of why she was such a damn good attorney.
“Talk to me.”
“About?” I asked, knowing she wanted me to spill about Marcus, but also knowing she would put him down any chance she got.
“No te hagas. Don't act coy.” With a roll of my eyes, I made a face.
“Don't lawyer me around,” I snipped back, and she sighed and ran her fingers through her silky, long hair.
“Fine! Talk to me.” I looked at the ceiling fan, still not uttering a word in hopes she would just drop it. “Come on, it’s not every day one of my little sisters dates a movie star.” Her voice gentled. “Not just a movie star but the sexiest man alive!” she pointed out, and I looked at her and giggled.
“I'm not dating—” I started to deny, but she scoffed, stopping me from saying anything else.
“Oh, please! I was here, Grace, when he showed up early to get you yesterday!” I frowned, wondering what the hell she was talking about.
“And?”
“And my window was open,” she snottily answered, giving me an evil smile. Shit. That meant she had overheard everything. But I was not to be deterred. Defense was the best offense when dealing with Gloria.
“So? Look, to be honest, I... I have no idea what we're doing,” I told her and braced, ready for her to rip me a new one.
“You like him,” she pointed out gently. I shrugged as I picked imaginary lint off of my leggings.
“He is a very likable guy.”
“Lexi liked him.”
“Lexi doesn't know any better.”
“He was all she talked about when I picked her up from school. He was all she kept talking about when Gabby showed up. When she told me he got her a Dodgers Hello Kitty shirt with her name on it, I wanted to roll my eyes, thinking, ‘The guy is trying to buy my niece off,’ but then she brought out your matching one, and I thought it was pretty sweet. Then she shared about how the three of you walked in and he kept you and her safe from a mob of people. How worried he was she got hurt."
“He was pretty good with her.” The wistfulness in my voice was obvious. Gloria’s face softened. We sat in silence as she grabbed the remote and channel surfed until she reached the Food Network.
She suddenly lowered the volume, and I was going to yell at her because I wanted to know about the dive in Granger, Kentucky, and the secret to their biscuits, but immediately shut my mouth when she looked at me.
“He got a bodyguard for you guys to walk you to the car.”
“He did.” I was curious about the expression she had on her face.
“Then he got the same guard to watch me get Lexi from school and follow me home while making sure no one was following.”
“Marcus is very kind.” My voice was soft, and I was startled when she giggled.
“Chicita, I made calls about this Baker guy,” she said. I groaned.
“Gloria…”
“Do you have any idea how much he costs?” The surprise in her voice made me stiffen.
“I...”
“He does not do hourly rates, Grace. This guy is one of the best of the best when it comes to personal protection. He is booked months in advance!” Huh. Who would have thought? “And Marcus Wright somehow finagled this guy to follow me and Lexi home, just in case something happened and so that Lexi wouldn’t get scared because she was around someone she had met.” I had been prepared for Gloria to knock him down, not boost him up.
“You sound like you're rooting for him,” I muttered.
“I might be,” she conceded, and I watched her shake her head and look at me. Her light brown eyes were soft but serious. “So...”
“So?”
“Tell me the good stuff!”
“What good stuff?” I mockingly asked, to which she raised an eyebrow and waited me out. I laughed, trying to remember the last time we had done the whole girl talk thing, and almost sighed when I realized I couldn’t remember.
“He’s the best kisser,” I shared, and to this she perked up immediately, sitting up straigh
ter on the couch, patting my legs.
“Really?”
“Yeah.” I grinned and probably looked like the cat that ate the canary, but I couldn’t help it. “He takes control. I never thought I would be into something like that, but when he does it, my knees go weak y todo se desaparece. Everything disappears. I completely forget where I am and who’s around us.” Running a hand through my hair, I kept sharing, “Being around him feels new and old all at the same time. It’s weird.”
“What do you mean?” She frowned, tilting her head slightly, and I tried to figure out how to explain it to her.
“I don’t know… it’s like… it’s like the butterflies you get when you first meet someone that just does it for you, you know? Like, do you remember how you used to say that Tommy Barret in seventh grade made you feel? How your heart raced and your belly did cartwheels?” She nodded, a soft smile on her lips making her look unusually approachable, so I kept going. “All that, mixed with a quiet calm. I’m just me with him. I don’t have to try to be anyone else or play games, nothing. I’m as comfortable around him as I am around you or Gabby.”
“Like being home?” she asked, and my breath hitched. Exactly like being home was all I could think, but I couldn’t admit it out loud.
“I like him,” I admitted to my older sister, and when I met her eyes, hers were surprisingly warm, but I watched them fill with worry and knew I wasn’t going to like what she was about to say.
“What about him?”
“He called me his girl to the make-up artist today.”
“Really?” Her eyes widened, and I nodded.
“Yeah. From what I could tell he doesn’t bring women around to his work things, and it was made clear by everyone I have met so far.”
“But?”
“But I’m not stupid, Gloria, even if you think I am,” I defensively answered and regretted it the moment I saw her flinch.
“I don’t think you’re stupid, Grace,” she said softly, but I ignored it.
LIE (Right Men Book 1) Page 11
