Love Resolution

Marcus kissed her until she was completely breathless. Then he began to undress her with trembling eager hands. At the same time, she started with his, desperate to touch his body again, to remove all the barriers between them.

“Wait.” Her fingers paused on the middle button of his shirt.

“What is it?” he asked the blaze of passion barely banked in his eyes. “What’s wrong?”

“Before we do this, I need you to know something. I never slept with Bryan. I just led you to believe that. I’m sorry.”

“Thank God,” he said in a soft voice. “I have to admit just the thought of you with him made me nearly insane.” He brushed her hair aside, rubbed his roughened chin on the soft sensitive skin between her neck and shoulder and gave it a restrained nip.

Breath choppy, she took a small step back and resumed removing his clothes with renewed haste. “Marcus,” she whispered in a long sigh as he pulled their bodies together and her fevered skin came into contact with his. She’d missed him, missed this so much, each touch feeling like a caress to her soul.

“Don’t Ace.” His hands tightened on her shoulder blades, his face drawn with need. “You know what that does to me.”

She did and she wanted him that way.

Quick and hard and now.

Her breasts pressed against his chest, tightening to sensitized points, every part of her primed and ready. “Marcus, please,” she begged.

“Warned you,” he said in a low voice, turning her around. “Lean over.”

She rested her hands on the piano, feeling his wet tongue and warm lips trailing a path up the center of her spine. Her mouth dropped open, air seeming suddenly in short supply. She turned her head and his hot mouth captured hers at the same time that he grabbed her by the hips and pulled her back flush with him. It was too much, a sensory overload: his tongue in her mouth, his fingers digging into her hips, and the hard length of him pressing urgently against her.

She moaned.

“You’re mine,” he whispered breath warm in her ear.

She shivered.

“Bedroom’s too far.” He turned her around. “I want to look into your eyes.” Hands on her bottom, he lifted her. She twined her arms around his neck, and folded her legs around his waist. In a couple of strides, tangled together, he lowered her to the sofa. “You feel so good,” he groaned above her.

Every part of her body thrummed, the tension building higher and higher as they began moving together.

“Not gonna last long,” he gasped.

“Marcus.” This time her voice broke on his name.

Feeling his gaze hot and fiercely possessive on her, she unraveled, totally and completely his.



The aftershocks made him pulse and quiver, and it was several moments before he was even able to speak. “I love you,” he told her, breath ragged, eyes searching hers for visual confirmation that she had no regrets.

“I love you, too,” she whispered. Her eyes glittering with tender emotion gave him what he sought.

He feathered light kisses of adoration across her forehead, her cheeks, and her chin. Making a pleased humming sound, she closed her eyes, and he dropped kisses on her eyelids, too. “Taking you to the shower,” he murmured, lifting her in his arms. He frowned, realizing how much lighter she was than she had been.

In the black and white marble bathroom, he set her down, twisting to the side to get the water started. Turning back to her, he bent to kiss her again, taking her full lower lip between his teeth before soothing it with his tongue.

She moaned, eyelids fluttering closed, long auburn lashes lying against the pale purplish skin under her eyes.

He spent several blissful moments tracing her mouth with the tip of his tongue before he was able to make himself stop. Feeling the water again, finding it warm, he told her to get in.

Her eyes heavy lidded, she asked, “Aren’t you coming in with me?”

“No.”

“Why not?” Her lower lip jutted out.

“Ace, if I go in there with you, I’m gonna take you again, and you need rest. You look really tired. You’ve got circles under your eyes and I don’t think you’ve been eating right. Your ribs are sticking out.”

Her gaze fell to the floor.

Shit. He knew immediately that she’d taken his comments the wrong way. He tilted up her chin. “You are so damn desirable to me.” He ran the back of his hand down her soft cheek and then tapped the tip of her nose. He raised a brow. “Remember, even when I thought you were a guy, I was drawn to you. I’m a sure thing every time.” He slapped her lightly on the ass. “Get in the shower. Then you’re sleeping beside me.”

Soon he brought a robe and they switched places. When he finished showering and walked into the bedroom, she was already asleep, curled on her side, hand resting underneath her chin. He climbed in behind her, propped up on an elbow, and stared down at her, his heart expanding in his chest. He loved her so much and wanted so badly to put his ring back on her finger. It could wait, though. She was here with him, back where she belonged. That was what mattered most.

He lay back down beside her, cradling her body with his.

She sighed, and he wrapping his hand around hers, tucking it into the center of her chest. She unconsciously scooted back enticingly against him and murmured his name in her sleep.

He moaned, silently cursing his good intentions.