She wasn’t dating Marcus. Not really. And whatever it was they had wouldn’t be lasting past their prearranged end date. In order to prevent Grams from disappointment, they’d have to be more careful.
When it came time for Marcus to leave, Grams had already gone to bed. Wynter walked him to the door, but before she could open it for him, he spun her around until her back bumped against the wood.
A gasp whooshed from her chest, and she stared up into the intense eyes of the man she could easily fall for if she wasn’t careful. “Marcus,” she whispered.
He hooked a finger beneath her chin and tilted his head slightly. “You have no idea how much I wanted to do that tonight. It’s been torture.”
She bit at her lips to prevent herself from smiling. Then she gave his chest a little shove. “You almost gave us away, mister.”
Marcus didn’t budge an inch. Instead, he moved in closer, caging her in when he placed his palms against the door above her shoulders. “Pretty sure people have to be blind not to see the attraction between us.”
Her stomach knotted. “Marcus…” she warned, but he only chuckled.
“Relax, bestie. I’m only teasing.”
It didn’t feel like teasing. What it felt like was Marcus admitting his feelings ran deeper than they should. They’d agreed. He’d said he’d take her however he could get her. And she didn’t want either of them to get hurt unnecessarily.
Swallowing hard, she closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. She could do this. Friends. They’d been friends before. They could keep being friends. Just because they had chemistry didn’t mean they had to cross that line.
When she opened her eyes, she found him studying her, his mirth completely gone. Instead, his brows were creased. She nearly expected him to say something, but he didn’t. Marcus pressed a kiss to her forehead, then whispered against her skin, “See you tomorrow?”
She nodded, chills racking her body. There was disappointment in his voice. Resignation. She was doing that to him, and he was being a sweetheart by not asking for more.
It’s what she wanted.
So why was she feeling so lost?
Marcus shifted, allowing her to step out from beneath him. He tossed her one last fleeting smile and ducked out of the house.
Wynter closed the door and leaned against it. She counted to ten, allowing her breathing to return to normal, and then sheheaded for her room. On her bed was a letter, and she frowned. Grams hadn’t said she’d gotten anything today.
It was from the company she was working for. A letter from the HR department. That was strange. They had her number. In fact, they could have emailed her.
She tore into the envelope and pulled out a letter. Her eyes scanned the document once. Twice. Then she lowered herself onto the edge of the bed, easing the tension from her shaking legs.
The HR director was old-fashioned. And he was offering to extend her temporary position into a permanent one. With a raise. And benefits.
Wynter had one more reason to stay.
And the silly thing was that some part of her really wanted to.
This decision wasn’t going to be easy. She grabbed her Bible and started to pray.
17
MARCUS
He’d made a mistake.
That was the only reasonable explanation for the sick feeling he couldn’t shake.
Marcus had never been the kind of guy who had to hide who he was or what he wanted out of life. He’d always gone after it with two eyes wide open. Which was why he’d told Wynter he’d have her anyway he could.
Had it been a lie?
Yes.
One he felt guilty over?
