I glanced toward the kitchen. Marcus had his back to me as he moved easily between the counter and the stove. Relaxed. Focused. Unaware of the cold creeping panic taking hold in my chest.
I didn't want to assume the worst. I didn't want to be that guy. But the thought had already taken root.
I tucked my phone into my hand and forced my voice to stay light. "Hey, Marcus?"
"Hm?"
"Do you know if the bank website's having a problem? It's saying my password's wrong."
"Oh. Yeah, I changed it."
My heart stuttered. He didn't even hesitate to say it.
He turned to glance at me over his shoulder, completely unbothered. "When I logged in, it said the old password expired. Did I not give you the new one?"
I shook my head, trying to make sense of the casual tone. Marcus didn't forget things like that. He was meticulous, especially when it came to money. Always on top of every detail. He remembered deadlines, appointment times, the exact way I made my coffee. So how did he forget something as basic as a password handoff?
His smile came easily as he turned his attention back tothe stove. "I'll text it to you later."
I looked down at my phone again. I tried to tell myself it was nothing. Marcus was human. Maybe just this once, he actually slipped up. He'd send the password. I was overthinking again.
But the reassurance felt thin.
Still, I didn't say anything else about it. I just closed the screen and tossed the phone aside. My eyes slipped shut as I pulled in a few steadying breaths, trying to ease the prickling sensation I couldn't quite shake.
Before I could sink too far into my thoughts, I heard the kitchen cupboard close and the scrape of a pan being set aside. Then footsteps, measured and unhurried, followed by the weight of the sofa dipping beside me.
I barely had time to look up before Marcus straddled my lap. His knees pressed into the cushions on either side of me, and his hands braced around me against the back of the sofa. I froze, more out of surprise than anything else.
His lips curled into an amused smile. "You know what," he murmured, his voice low, "dinner can wait."
Then he kissed me.
It wasn't soft this time. Not teasing. His mouth pressed hard against mine, his fingers sliding into my hair again and holding me in place. His body leaned in, all heat and intent as the kiss deepened.
A small sound slipped from me. Startled at first, but it faded quickly. My anxiety started to fade, and my hands moved instinctively to his chest.
He pressed closer until I felt him solidly against me. His free hand slid down slowly, his fingers slipping beneath my shirt as he kissed me deeper. My head tilted back on instinct to give him more room, and my breath caught when his mouth dropped to the side of my neck.
A fresh heat bloomed in my chest and spread fast as histeeth grazed just below my jaw. Whatever thoughts had still been in my head scattered, blurred by the press of his lips, the warmth of his hands, the way he knew exactly where to touch.
My fingers gripped his shirt to hold myself steady. I let out a slow breath, already slipping further under as he murmured something against my neck that I didn't quite catch. The hand in my hair drifted slightly. His thumb trailed behind my ear, then brushed the curve of my neck, and it made me shudder.
I didn't even notice how much space he'd taken up until he finally pulled back just a little bit. His lips barely left my skin, though. They still lingered close enough for me to feel them, like he was deciding whether to keep going or let me settle.
I swallowed.
"Not thinking so much now, are you?" he whispered, quiet and pleased.
No. I wasn't.
I couldn't really work up an answer, but Marcus didn't seem to need one. His lips brushed so lightly against my ear that I barely felt it, but it was more than enough to send another shiver through me.
"Good." He pulled me in to take my mouth in another kiss.
And I let him.
* * *
