by KaLyn Cooper
But Marcus was taking her to a different place…friends to lovers. It was exciting and made her nervous at the same time. She rarely thought about the future because sometimes, she wasn’t sure she’d live through the day. Life was to be lived to its fullest, every minute, every hour. For the next several hours, she intended to have a good time with Marcus at their friends’ wedding.
“Are we ready to go?” He didn’t release her hand as he stepped toward the passenger side of the car and opened the door for her.
Tori wanted to melt.
Chapter 6
Marcus had never been very religious and considered himself nothing more than Christian, so the Catholic ceremony was new and interesting to him. He’d admitted as much to Tori when they entered the small church and she had dipped her fingers in water and crossed herself. She’d guided him through the ceremony but what he liked best was that she stood close to him whispering quietly in his ear. He wondered if she whispered demands in her lover’s ear during sex.
He was going to hell for his lascivious thoughts in a church.
Sighing, he admitted to himself that he’d never find out. The gorgeous woman may have been at his side but she was beyond his reach. She had pigeonholed him into the friend zone and he doubted there was any chance of him moving into the friends with benefits category. Certainly not the way he looked with his face scarred for everyone to see. Then there were the dozens of pink lines that remained hidden under his clothes.
“Time to kneel.” The heat of Tori’s breath washed across his ear and shot straight to his cock. As he kneeled on the lightly padded bar, his thighs ached where his legs had been broken. He should’ve stretched more during his morning workout. The physical therapist had warned him that even though walking and movement would become natural once again, his muscles would still stiffen up and need to stretch before he moved.
As he went to his knees, his mind immediately dreamed of the position in front of a naked Tori. Eyes closed, when head bowed pretending to pray, a vision of her pretty pink folds opened in his mind. He could practically taste her on his tongue. His cock filled.
Yep. Headed straight to hell.
Marcus was extremely thankful for the suit jacket as he stood along with everyone else. When they finally sat, he held the program open covering his lap. He had just started to talk his dick back down when Tori reached over and pointed to where they were in the ceremony, her finger a mere inch from his throbbing erection.
The hour-long Mass had proven to be tortuous, and thanks to the Colombian cartel, he had a basis for comparison. He never wanted to go through either experience again.
“Ladies and gentlemen, it’s my pleasure to introduce to you for the very first time, Mr. and Mrs. Silva.” Monsignor Callahan smiled as he stood behind Rafe and Harper. His friend beamed as her new husband sighed. “The newlyweds have asked me to announce that they will greet you all in the Knights of Columbus building at the back side of the parking lot in approximately fifteen minutes. Drinks and refreshments are waiting for you there.”
Thank God. Marcus needed a drink in the worst way possible.
As he stood, his hand bumped Tori’s. She curled her fingers through his as they waited for their pew to be dismissed. Over his shoulder he watched a photographer snap shots of various groupings. Tori stared at them, her face unreadable.
She leaned over and whispered in his ear. “I’m so fucking glad I’m not up there. I love Harper to death and I’m thrilled for her and Rafe, but just the thought of standing in front of a camera again makes me cringe. I was never so happy in my life when they asked Katlin and Alex to stand with them and I didn’t have to be a bridesmaid.”
Interesting. He would’ve thought she had become nonchalant about posing. He squeezed her hand when it was their time to exit. “Let’s go.”
As they meandered across the parking lot, the rest of her team joined them. The women immediately engaged in conversation about the ceremony, Harper’s dress, the flowers, and at that point, Marcus blocked out their voices. Chin lifts were the only communication among the men accompanying them.
The minute they stepped into the brightly lit hall, he immediately found the bar. “Why don’t you find us a table and I’ll get something to drink. What would you like? White wine?”
Tori turned and was only inches from his face. He fell into her nearly black eyes that sparkled with joy. “Yes, please. White wine. Pinot Grigio if they have it.” When she squeezed his hand, he realized they were still connected. She let go and the electricity he’d been feeling drained from his body. He was as desperate for her to re-energize him as he was for his next breath.
The elderly gentleman behind the open bar was jovial as he deftly poured two drinks at a time. Obviously, this was not his first wedding reception nor his first day as bartender. Marcus brought their drinks to the round table where Nita sat beside Grace chatting casually as Daniel and Griffin stood behind them, deep in conversation. Tori was gesturing animatedly as Lei Lu and a man he’d never met were engrossed in her story. He set his beer down first then was sure to place the glass of wine far enough away that she wouldn’t knock it over.
“So, we’re slipping and sliding around in the mud, trying to get back to our camp in the middle of this fucking monsoon when literally, the ground underneath our feet moves.” Tori smiled, and Lei Lu covered her face with her hands and shook her head.
“I reached over and grabbed Lei Lu, because I didn’t want us to get separated, and we both ended up on our asses.” Tori reached out and hugged Lei Lu. “The water was gushing down the trail like a river and we were the boat caught in the flood.” Both women laughed uproariously.
“Keep in mind, this was little more than a game trail,” Lei Lu added.
“The water made a turn, but we didn’t.” Both women were laughing so hard they were nearly in tears. “We were thrown against a dirt bank but were able to crawl over the ledge before the water caught us again. The we had to trudge the rest of the way to camp, soaked to the bone and covered in mud.”
“I washed my hair three times before getting all the grit out of it,” Lei Lu complained. Even Marcus understood her distress. The pretty Asian woman had thick black hair that went past her cute little ass. Although he found her attractive, Tori was mesmerizing to him. Even in a room filled with beauty queens, they would all pale in comparison to her.
Lei Lu looked up at Marcus. “I don’t believe you’ve met my friend, Zhang Yong.”
When the man with Asian features stood, he was taller than Marcus expected. Extending his hand, he said with a broad, perfect smile, “Please, call me Zane.”
Marcus was again surprised, this time by his lack of accent. Lei Lu always had a hint of Chinese in her words. She had once told him that she was raised bilingual, her mother only able to speak Mandarin when she first arrived in the United States as the new bride of a Mormon missionary.
“Nice to meet you, Zane. I’m Marcus Hernandez.” He smiled back at the man who looked down at Lei Lu.
“Are you now ready for something to drink?”
Lei Lu’s dark brown eyes wandered to the Pinot Grigio that Tori had picked up then her jet-black eyebrows pinched. “I think I feel like red wine. If they have a Merlot or Malbec that would be absolutely divine, but I really want a dark, full-bodied red.”
Zane raised his eyebrows. “My Beauty, my degree is in engineering not oenology or viticulture, and aren’t you impressed by the fact that I know the difference between the study of making wine and the agricultural endeavors of a vine growing?”
Marcus was shocked when Lei Lu stood, threw her arms around the man, and kissed him as though no one else was in the room. “You have impressed me in so many ways, Zhang.” She rocked her small frame into his then spoke to him softly in what Marcus thought was Chinese.
Tori’s shoulders shot up as she swallowed hard and began instantly coughing.
He bent down in front of her. “Can I get you something? Glass of water?”
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She was laughing in between coughs. “No.” Cough, cough. “I’ll be okay.” Cough. “Just give me a minute.”
Still holding each other, Zane’s eyes pinned Lei Lu’s. “Please tell me she doesn’t speak Chinese.” His eyes were hopeful.
Lei Lu laughed. “She’s not quite fluent, yet, but I’m sure she completely understood what we said.”
Zane smacked her on her butt. “You bad girl.”
Lei Lu’s grin was knowing and evil. “I thought you liked me being bad.”
Zane pulled her flush against his body. “You are so good when you’re bad.” He gave her a small peck on her lips before turning his head toward Tori. “I apologize that you overheard my intentions for later tonight. I guess I have to be more careful around Lei Lu’s friends.”
Tori giggled. “She’s teaching us Mandarin.” Then she added, “And Katlin is adding a few South American dialects to our list of languages. I’m tackling Japanese and Korean, Grace is adding Russian lessons and Nita…” She trailed off as they all glanced across the table at their friend.
Lei Lu finished Tori’s sentence. “Nita’s learning baby talk and toddlerese.”
All four burst into laughter.
Zane smacked Lei Lu’s ass once again, and stepped away from her. “I need a beer and I’ll see if they have a suitable wine for your refined tastes.”
Looking at Marcus, he asked, “Do you know anything about wine? At least the kind she wants? I’m just a gun toter. A stupid Marine at my core.”
Marcus decided to give the women some time. “Not sure I’m going to be much help, but I might recognize something they often drink.”
While returning to the table a few minutes later, the DJ had started playing music. Lei Lu stood and took both drinks from Zane and set them down. “Let’s dance.” She grabbed his hand and joined a few other couples on the floor.
Marcus was happy to have time alone with Tori. “I feel like I’ve known you for years, but I realized I don’t really know you.”
“Same for me.” She cocked her head slightly. “We could play truth or dare but I was never very good at that game. I always took the dare.”
“I believe that.” He gave her what he hoped was a reassuring smile. “Ask me anything.”
“Anything?” Her grin put him on edge.
“I promise I’ll answer if I can.” The one side of his face kicked up just a little. “I’m quite sure you have a higher security clearance than I do, but I still won’t give away state secrets.”
She patted his hand. “I wouldn’t ask you for anything so boring.” She gave an exaggerated look as though she was thinking. “Okay. I’ve got my first question.” There was that evil grin again. “Boxers or briefs? Or those other things, I think they’re called boxer briefs.”
Marcus threw back his head and laughed out loud at her audacity. But he was willing to play. “Boxers.” He leaned in just a little. “The boys need room. And I’ll go you one more. Silk. I like the way it feels on that part of my anatomy.”
“Good to know you’re ultra-sensitive there.” She leaned back in her seat as though trying to think of the next question.
“My turn.” Two could play this game. “Regular cotton panties? Bikini? Lacy thong? Those ones where the bottom of your butt hangs out?”
Tori burst into laughing. He loved the sound and wanted to make her do it again. “They call those cheekies, kind of a combination of cheeky and panties.”
He was now smiling, too. “Yeah, those. Which are you wearing right now?” The glint in her eye should have been a warning.
“What makes you think I’m wearing any panties at all?” She then had the audacity to cross her legs at the knees, that sparkly gold dress moving up her shapely thighs another six inches.
Just the thought of Tori naked under that beautiful dress drove every ounce of blood away from his brain directly to his cock. He had to change the subject while he still had functioning brain cells. “Where did you go to high school?”
“It’s my turn to ask the question,” she announced.
He was afraid what she’d ask next, the length of his cock? The size of his balls? His favorite sexual position? He couldn’t take much more of this line of questioning. The bride and groom weren’t even in the hall yet and it had already been a long night. He sipped his beer hoping it would cool him down from the inside.
Tori didn’t even try to hide her glance at his crotch. “I can see I’m making…things…uncomfortable for you.”
She had that right. He was full and throbbing, and only one thing could ease the pain. He might be able to go into the men’s room and jerk one off a fast one, especially as aroused as he was. If she touched him one more time he might combust and explode. Wouldn’t that be embarrassing.
“Okay, I’ll go easy on you. Where did you lose your virginity?” She crossed her arms and looked smug. She had obviously had a great experience her first time.
“I was a late bloomer.” He shrugged. “Most of the other guys in my neighborhood were screwing around by age sixteen. I was seventeen and my girlfriend and I had been working up to the actual deed for weeks.” He hadn’t thought about Martina Lopez in years. “To be honest, I was afraid what her brother would do when he found out that I’d popped his little sister’s cherry.” He shook his head. “Guess I shouldn’t have worried about that. I wasn’t her first, and probably not her second, but we learned several things together over that next month.”
“But I asked where, not who,” she reminded him.
“Oh, my bedroom.” For some reason he felt the need to add. “My parents went out almost every Saturday night. They had an active social life. Nothing big, supper and cards or board games at a friend’s house. About once a month Mom and Dad got to play host. I’d go to Mart’s house then, but her Mom was always home. She never went out, but her father sure did.” Marcus was more afraid of him than her brother. He was a mean, abusive drunk.
“So, what happened to Martina? You obviously didn’t marry her.” Tori asked.
“No. She broke up with me about a month later. She got knocked up her senior year, married the guy but divorced him after two kids. I think she’s on husband number three now.” He thought about it a moment, then realized it had been his turn. “Same question, right back at you. Virginity, not Martina.”
She pasted on a smile that he pegged as fake. “A lot like yours. High school boy—” She shook her head and stared at her half-empty wine glass on the table. When she returned her gaze to him, her face was controlled but the pain in her eyes was evident. “This is where I would normally lie and tell you some wonderful tale.” She laid her hand on his thigh. “I don’t want to lie to you, Marcus. We’ve been friends too long for that shit.”
Her agony was palpable. This was obviously a difficult subject for her. Had she been raped? Is that why she would lie to others about her first time? He lifted her hand from his thigh and captured it in both of his.
“You don’t have to tell me anything.” He needed to distract her. Glancing toward the dance floor where several of their friends were now gyrating to the pounding beat, he asked, “Want to dance?”
Chapter 7
Tori laid her other hand on top of his. Marcus anchored her, both emotionally and physically. Although she was looking forward to being held in his arms, the fast beat of the music didn’t call for that kind of dancing. She wanted to sit there and talk, staying close to him and getting to know him through sharing their pasts.
“Sorry, I don’t feel like dancing. I like sitting here, talking to you.” She took a deep breath. “It sounds like you had a wonderful childhood, loving parents, lots of good friends.” None of which she’d had and suddenly she resented her mother even more.
“I did,” he admitted.
Tori was quiet for a long moment, trying to decide what she could say…confess… without sounding as bitter as she felt. What the hell. He was a friend. Most of her teammates knew about her upbringing just as she knew
about theirs. She glanced across the table at Nita, wrapped in Daniel’s loving arms, talking with Grace and Griffin. She couldn’t help but notice the beautiful diamond on her friend’s left hand. Tori was happy for them, knowing they found love. Lei Lu danced circles around Zane who didn’t seem to care that all he did was shift his feet and watch her friend seductively squirm her body. Tori scanned the small crowd, but Katlin and Alex must still be taking pictures with Harper and Rafe.
Tori loved these women. They were the best friends she’d ever had. She would give up her life protecting any one of them. As three of her teammates had found love over the last year, she’d begun to wonder what she’d been missing. She’d watched their friendships turn into a deep and lasting love. Tori wanted that. Maybe not right away, but eventually. She’d never had a male friend before. She’d never been allowed.
When Marcus gave her hand a little squeeze, she realized how long she’d been quiet. Friends told each other the truth, no matter how much it hurt. Suddenly, Tori wanted him to know about her childhood.
Lifting her eyes and locking her gaze with his, she inhaled a fortifying breath. “I was raised by a single mother, only child, in a not-so-great part of town. We lived in a small suburb outside of Detroit.” She shifted in her seat. This was harder than she thought it was going to be. “My mother always worked at least two jobs. She waitressed at a little diner a couple blocks away and cleaned offices at night.” Except on Thursdays when she cleaned the ballet studio after Tori’s lesson.
“Like I said, the neighborhood wasn’t good, so my mother wouldn’t let me play outside or with any of the kids who lived nearby. She was very controlling.” Tori’s lips pulled tight into a straight line as she thought about her lonely childhood, at least from the moment she reached home. It was no wonder she’d loved school so much. She’d been surrounded by other children her age. They were free to run on the playground without fear.
