“Holy shit.” I moaned against him, my hands clutching his neck as the gold glass of the booth met my back.
“You good there, angel?” His voice was dripping with mischief.
I nodded against him, wordlessly, before kissing him and moaning into his mouth.
But what made this feel even better was that I’d decided this. I hadn’t felt forced or pressured. This was happening for no one’s gain but my own. This was all for me, because of me, and that realisation had me sinking further into him, my hips grinding on their own accord, wanting to feel every part of him.
He grunted as he swapped my lips for my breast, his teeth pinching my nipple in a way that had me gasping into his neck. Another finger found its way inside of me and there wasn’t a part of me that wanted this to end.
I groaned against him, my arms clutching tighter. “Keep that up and it’ll be over in about five seconds.”
“Is that a challenge?” He asked, his fingers speeding up, sending me into orbit.
Our foreheads rested together. “Now it is.”
Being a man of his word, Marcus pumped his arm faster and faster, until I felt the base of my spine tingle in that familiar way I’d only ever achieved on my own. I called his name and that only made him work faster. My core tightened and my legs clamped to hold him there, to make sure the feeling didn’t disappear. But a few seconds later and I’d reached a pinnacle.
“Fuck,Marcus.” I moaned, as my body melted into his, my legs caved, and my head arched back.
We became a breathless heap slumped against the back wall of the booth, our chests heaving in unison, like somehow what he’d done was enough to get him off too. I looked up to find the tips of his hair wet, his skin shiny and his mouth gaped as his head rested on the window.
He really was a vision. Like sin wrapped in leather. To look at him you’d think he was capable of ruining your life. But that wasn’t him. Not with who he cared about. Not with me.
Marcus brushed the hair out of my face, cupping my jaw as his eyes raked over me. “You okay?”
I nodded, resting my body against him. “Yeah.” I breathed. “Are you?”
He nodded. “I’m just happy you are.”
“But you are?”
Softness drowned his features, like it meant everything to him that I cared enough to even ask. “I’m okay.”
This time, when I reached up onto my toes and kissed him, it was slow, and deliberate.
Thank you for making me feel unbreakable again, my lips said.
Don’t mention it,his replied.
I sat in his lap the entire car ride back to the hotel, letting sleep from the day I’d had take over me. He must have carried me up to the room because I don’t remember walking, and when he sat me down on the side of the tub, and let the water run until it was a big, bubbly bowl of heaven, he placed me in it.
It was only while I was making shapes with the bubbles did I really reflect on what had happened.
I let someone touch me and not once did I want to hide. Not once did I think about how this made me look. Not once did I ever want to tell him to stop.
And sure, maybe that was because I was setting the pace, telling him what to do. But part of me couldn’t help but wonder whether this was just what happened when you properly fell for someone. They become your safe space without you knowing it. And everything that felt like a nightmare with someone else becomes a dream with them.
chapter twenty eight
can you hear the bells?
Ididn’t need to get out of bed to open the curtains this morning, because they were already open. Sun bathing the room. Just the way I liked it.
And I smiled because I think I knew why.
Then there was a knock at my door. It was room service, turns out. All of my favourite breakfast things under little silver dishes. Crumpets. Lots of butter. Earl Grey, obviously. And a single white tulip, sitting in a stem vase.
Underneath sat a note.
