But then his grip tightened a bit, just enough for me to notice the change. His kisses grew more insistent, his hands moving with an unusual urgency. He manoeuvered me down onto the mattress, and his weight pressed me down with a kind of force he didn't normally use.
My breath hitched as his fingers dug into my hip. Not painful, but harder enough that it didn't feel right.
I tried to push the thought away. I tried to focus on the feeling of his breath against my skin, the way he whispered my name. But there was an odd edge to it now. Something more demanding.
His teeth scraped against my shoulder, and I flinched a little. It didn't hurt exactly, but he wasn't being gentle about it, either. I wiggled beneath him to try to ease the pace and get him to soften a bit. But he only pressed closer. One hand slid up to cup my jaw and tilt my head back so he could kiss me deeper.
"I've got you," he murmured, his voice rough, almost unrecognisable. "Just let go."
I wanted to. I tried to. But his hands gripped just a little too tight. It made my stomach turn.
I almost asked him to slow down and ease up a little. But the words caught in my throat when he kissed me hard, silencing any protest before it could take shape.
He adjusted his weight above me to pin me down even more firmly. His fingers caught my wrists and held them against the mattress with a grip that felt like it could bruise. A quiet protest rose in the back of my throat when his nails dug a little too deep into my skin. I tried to move just to get a little bit of space, but he didn't let me.
"Relax, Rowan," he whispered against my ear. "I know what you need."
His knee nudged between my thighs, spreading me open without hesitation. A flicker of unease curled at the edges of my thoughts, but I forced it down. I tried to focus on the way he was kissing me – demanding, consuming, like he was trying to make sure I couldn't think about anything else.
It was working.
I tried to press my legs against him to slow him down, but he just shushed me. His lips found my throat, sucking a bruise into the skin as his grip tightened again. When I tried to ease some of the weight holding me down, he pulled my wrists to hold my arms over my head and kept them there. I couldn't move them if I tried.
"Marcus – "
He cut me off with another kiss. Hard enough that I couldn't get much air. I tried to endure it, but at some point, I felt lightheaded and started to struggle. Only then did he let up to let me catch my breath.
"Let me take care of you." Finally, he released his hold on my wrists, but I didn't have time to move away. His arm immediately caught around my waist and pulled me up against him.
A strangled gasp rose in my throat as he pushed himself into me. The sudden pressure and pain made my stomach tense. His movements were rougher than usual, more forceful, almost urgent. I bit back a sound, unsure whether it came from a place of discomfort or surprise. His hold around me didn't loosen, andhis fingers dug in so tightly that I was sure I'd find marks there later.
I tried to say something, but then he nipped at my neck. For some reason, that was enough to stop me.
"You feel so good like this," he whispered. "Just let me have you."
I took a slow, shaky breath and did my best to relax beneath him even as the nerves made my muscles coil tight.He just wants me. That's all this is. He's just caught up in it.
Marcus could be intense sometimes. That's just how he was. I could handle it.
So I let him do what he wanted.
* * *
Afterwards, Marcus was all softness. One arm stayed curled around me, while his other hand slid up to tangle in my hair. The switch from his earlier roughness to this quiet tenderness felt almost disorienting. A dull ache throbbed through me, but I tried to focus instead on the warmth of his touch now, the way he pressed a lingering kiss to my forehead.
"You're perfect, you know that?" he murmured, his voice drowsy, affectionate.
I let out a slow breath as I tried to settle into this. This was what mattered, right? Marcus loved me. And if something about tonight felt off... Well. That was on me. I let my nerves get the better of me.
"You're so good for me, Rowan." His fingers brushed slowly down my spine, deliberate and light. "I don't ever want to lose you."
A faint smile tugged at my lips. He always knew what to say to make me feel wanted, even when my thoughts tried to creep in and twist things around. Marcus was always there to pull me back and remind me of what we had.
I let my eyes close so I could focus on the warmth of his hold. His hand continued its lazy path along my back, and then his voice came again as he pressed a kiss into my hair.
"I don't like seeing you upset. Maybe you should take some space from Elias. Just until things calm down. So it doesn't cause you any more stress."
Space from Eli?
