“And thank God Mom and Dad finally finished the addition to the house. Now I have my own bathroom and don’t have to share with Ollie.”
I yawned and rested my head on Mark’s shoulder. I’ve no idea when I dozed off, but I vaguely remember being carried somewhere, laid out on something soft and warm that smelled masculine. I liked it and inhaled deeply, feeling lips press against my temple before sinking into heavy sleep.
My eyelids fluttered before opening all the way. The picture awaiting both excited and alarmed me. For a second I forgot where I was, even as I realized that Mark was lying next to me, fully awake, smiling sweetly.
“Good morning,” he said.
I opened my mouth to reply then promptly closed it. My breath reeked. And then I remembered I still had on make-up. I could feel the mascara crusted around my eyes.
“You are the prettiest thing when you sleep,” Mark said.
I shook my head in the pillow, then slid out of bed.
“Hey? Where are you going?”
“To the bathroom. To brush my teeth and wash my face,” I said, squatting on the floor and digging through my overnight bag.
“If you’re worried about morning breath, I’ve got it too,” Mark said.
“Then maybe you should brush your teeth,” I suggested, He laughed.
“All right then,” he said, and hopped out of bed. He walked over to me and squatted beside me, watching me rummage through the bag. Where was my toothbrush?
“Cadence?”
“Hmm?”
“Do you think we’ll always kiss and touch only when we have nice clean breath?”
“Yes.”
He chuckled. “You know that’s not realistic, right?”
I hid my face. “I don’t want you to see me like this. I know I look like a raccoon and my breath is atrocious and—”
“Stop,” he said. “And look at me.”
“No.”
“I’ll make you.”
I froze. Mark pushed me on the floor and climbed on top of me.
“Mark!” I squealed in his face before remembering my breath tasted like a dead animal.
He trapped my face with his hands.
“You are sexy and gorgeous and perfect to me even with raccoon eyes and terrible, and I mean terrible breath,” he said, and leaned over to kiss my lips.
I fought him, but he was much too strong. And soon I was laughing hysterically, not caring how I looked or what I smelled like. Mark rained light kisses all over my face and neck and chest. I wish I could have felt them on my chest, but I was still wearing my sweater and bra from the previous night.
Mark climbed off me and helped me up.
“Go do whatever you’ve gotta do,” he said, popping my butt. “I’ll make us coffee.”
I nodded and walked to the guest bathroom. I locked myself in and took a deep breath before looking at myself in the mirror.
Gross. I looked like I’d been punched in both eyes. My hair was matted and knotted. I felt clammy from having slept in a heavy sweater all night. I turned on the shower. I went back to Mark’s room to get my bag.
I brushed my teeth while the water warmed, then jumped into the shower. It felt delicious, and the first thing I did was wash all the make-up off my face. My skin no longer felt tight, and my eyes no longer felt crusty. I scrubbed my hair then lathered up my body, creating such thick foam with my travel loofah that I could actually paint a soap bikini on my skin, hiding my private parts completely from view. It was one of the best showers I’d ever taken, and I was reluctant to turn off the faucet.
I tensed immediately as I watched a towel fly over the shower rod to land on my head. I wrapped myself quickly and pulled back the curtain. Mark stood shirtless near the door staring at me. I stepped out of the tub and wiped my feet on the bathmat. I’d never been naked with a man. My heart pounded painfully in my chest as I watched him walk towards me, standing inches from my face.
“I’m hungry, Cadence.”
I nodded, and he picked me up. I wrapped my legs around him and crushed my chest to his as I felt the towel loosen. I gripped him hard to keep it from falling away, but there was nothing I could do about the nakedness between my legs. It was pressed against his lower abdomen, his bare skin.
“You’re so warm,” he said into my ear. “Like a little firecracker.”
He walked me into his bedroom and laid me on the bed. The towel fell open, and I instinctively grabbed it to cover my nether regions. He gave me my modesty, climbing in beside me and kissing me long and slow. His hand went to my breast, cupping it gently while he rolled his thumb over my nipple.
“I love how your breast fits so perfectly in my hand,” he said. He leaned over and took my nipple in his mouth, teasing it with his tongue until I moaned. “There we go,” he said. “I was waiting for that,” and he continued licking and sucking on my breast before moving to the other.
I twisted my fingers in his hair, squirming like a worm on a hook because the pleasure was almost too intense. My entire body tingled like electric water, the concentrated shock aching between my legs. I bucked when Mark’s hand slid down my belly to touch me between my thighs. He withdrew his hand immediately.
“Cadence?” he asked, hovering over me.
“Hmm?”
“What’s going on down there?”
I giggled and looked away. “I just wanted to see what it was like.”
“Did you get this idea from one of your little magazines?” he asked.
“No.” There was no way I was telling him Avery forced me to go. I didn’t want her name in bed with us. “Do you like it?”
“Do you?” he asked.
I nodded.
“Then so do I,” he said. He watched my face as he slid his hand down my stomach once more, touching me tentatively between my legs.
“Oh!” I cried, feeling his fingers probe me cautiously.