But when I glance at Marshall’s face, I see the tension creeping back in. His jaw is tight again, his shoulders stiff, and he’s staring at the eggs like they contain the secrets of the universe.
“Hey, what’s wrong?” I ask, setting down my coffee cup.
He doesn’t look up. “Nothing.”
“Marshall.”
He flips the bacon with more force than necessary. “I’m fine.”
“You’re not fine.” I cross to him and put my hand on his arm, making him look at me. “Talk to me.”
He sets down the spatula and turns to face me fully. There’s uncertainty written all over his face, mixing with something that looks like fear.
“I just…” He runs a hand through his damp hair. “I don’t know what this means for you.”
I frown. “What do you mean?”
“Last night, I told you…” He swallows hard. “I told you how I felt about you. About why I’ve been avoiding you all these years.” His eyes search my face. “And then we had sex, and it was incredible, but I just… I don’t know what it means for you. If it was just sex, or if—”
Oh.
Oh, fuck.
I realize that I never actually told him. After his confession on the porch, after he laid his heart bare, I just launched myself at him, never saying anything.
“Marshall.” I step closer and wrap my arms around his waist. “I need to tell you something.”
He goes still in my arms.
“I’ve always felt the pull toward you,” I say, the words coming easier than I expected. “Since the first time I met you. I remember thinking you were the most beautiful person I’d ever seen.”
Marshall’s eyes widen slightly, but he doesn’t speak.
“But I knew it wasn’t possible.” I press my forehead against his, needing the contact. “You were straight, dating girls. And you were my stepbrother, which made the whole thing even more fucked up.” I take a breath. “So I kept my distance and my inappropriate thoughts to myself, and I tried really hard not to think about you that way.”
“Gabriel—”
“And then you got married.” The words come out rough. “And it hurt so much, Marshall. Seeing you with her. Knowing you’d chosen someone, that you were building a life with her, and I had no right to feel the way I felt.” I pull back just enough to look at his face. “So I kept even more distance. I made excuses not to come to family events. I threw myself into work. I dated—”
I stop, the realization hitting me fully for the first time.
“All of my messy relationships,” I continue slowly. “All the guys like Blaine who were wrong for me in every possible way. I realize now they were just attempts to forget. To bury the inappropriate feelings I had for my stepbrother.”
Marshall is staring at me with wide eyes, his lips parted. He looks stunned, as if I’ve just told him the sky is green and the grass is blue.
“What are you saying?” His voice is barely above a whisper.
I reach up and cup his face with both hands, making sure he’s looking at me, making sure he hears this. “I’m saying I’ve always had feelings for you, Marshall. Even though I didn’t allow myself to acknowledge them fully. Even though I tried really hard to pretend they didn’t exist.” I brush my thumb over his cheekbone. “But they did exist. They do exist.”
For a moment, he just stares at me. I can see him processing my words, see the emotions flickering across his face: shock, relief, something that looks like joy.
Then he wraps his arms around me and kisses me hard, his mouth crashing into mine. I part my lips, moaning into the kiss, and Marshall takes full advantage. His tongue slides against mine, claiming, possessing, and I melt into him.
His hands grip my hips, and he lifts me like I weigh nothing, setting me on the edge of the kitchen table. I wrap my legs around his waist, pulling him closer, and the kiss deepens. We’re both hard again, our cocks pressing together through our clothes, and I grind against him shamelessly.
Marshall groans into my mouth and his hands slide under my shirt, his palms hot against my bare skin. I arch into his touch, wanting more. My fingers tangle in his hair, tugging, and he makes a sound that’s half growl, half moan.
We’re so immersed in each other that neither of us hears the back door open.
