His voice is a low purr, full of hunger and lust, and everything below my waist contracts hard in response. He thumbs a circle around the nipple, and the next second I’m moaning as he takes it into his mouth. His tongue dances over the hypersensitive skin, forcing a gasp from me. I realize I’m clawing at his shoulders, pulling him closer. He lifts his head and this mouth finds mine again. His kiss is deep and desperate, as if he hopes to inhale me right inside him.
And, God, I wish he would. I can’t get close enough. I crush him to me and feel the heat of his bare chest against mine. He’s got a fistful of my hair, and I grab his in both hands and devour his mouth. He grinds his erection harder between my legs and suddenly I can’t breathe. It doesn’t seem to matter that we’re both still fully clothed from the waist down, this is the most intimate thing that’s ever happened to me. I feel totally naked and exposed. I move to his rhythm and an intense ache builds low in my belly. Sounds I’ve never made before are forcing their way up my throat. I lift my knees higher and press against him as hard as I can, and sensations explode through me that never existed in my universe before this moment.
I throw my head back and cry out, a long, “Ahh!”
He stops moving and buries his face in my neck. We stay here for a long time, catching our breath.
“That is the most perfect thing I’ve ever heard,” he finally says, low, mostly breath. “Did you come?”
Did I? “I think so,” I breathe.
He pulls away and smiles. “You think so?”
I feel my face scrunch into an embarrassed grimace. “I never have before, but that was…something.”
He leans in and plants a soft, sweet kiss on my lips. “You have no idea how incredible it feels to be your first, Addie.”
I want him to be my first for everything, and I know that’s still possible. I can see his hard-on straining against the fabric of his gym shorts. I reach for him and stroke his length, surprised at how hard it feels under my hand. He closes his eyes and a slow breath hisses out of him. But just as I curl my fingers around to grasp him, he backs away.
“I honestly don’t know what I’m doing,” he says with a shake of his head, his eyes still a little glazed over and dark with want. “I don’t seem to have any control around you. I’m not going to say this was a mistake, because it sure as hell doesn’t feel like one, but I need to wrap my head around what this means before we go any farther.”
He scoops our clothes off the floor and hands me my bra and shirt, then tugs his on. There’s so much I want to say, but I can’t untangle coherent thought from the chaos in my brain. For a long minute he just stares at me before taking my shirt from my hand and pulling it over my head. He gives me one last kiss, then turns for the door.
“Lock up,” he says as he opens it. “And I’ll see you tomorrow.”
And then he’s gone.
The door clicking closed seems to release me from his spell. I go to the window and watch Marcus spirit up the walk to his truck. He climbs in and pulls away.
I watch him disappear up the road knowing nothing will ever be the same. Because Marcus just rocked my world.
Chapter 17
Marcus
“Hello, Marcus,” Deanna says when I pass her in the hallway on my way to the staff room for my paycheck. I realize now how much she had been playing up the Texas drawl for me when, today, her voice is clipped and short. It’s Friday, and every day I’ve walked onto school grounds since I first kissed Addie at the pool Monday night, I’ve braced for the backlash. But so far, nothing. Deanna’s kept her mouth shut about me being here alone with Addie.
Which means I can’t piss her off or that could change on a dime.
“Deanna,” I say with a nod. “How’s it going?”
This is probably a stupid question. I’m opening myself up to all kinds of abuse by asking. I’m already jumpy. All I can think about is what happened last night with Addie. Right there, in her kitchen, kissing her felt like the most natural thing in the world. Today, in her high school, I’m not so sure.
“You know, it’s funny you should ask, because I just got a text that you’re going to love.”
I’m suddenly frozen in place, sure someone saw Addie and me last night. My mind starts scrambling for a plausible excuse for why I would be spending time at her house and comes up dry.
“I was just starting to talk to a realtor about listing Grandma’s place,” she continues when I remain silent, “and she already has a full price offer.”
Every muscle in my body unclenches. “So you decided not to stay in Oak Crest after all?”
“I love the house, but that’s not enough to keep me here all by itself.” She tips her head and gives me a sideways look. “There’d have to be a bigger reason.”
The rush of relief isn’t just that she’s not onto Addie and me. It’s also that my job just opened back up. If I don’t blow this, I could still have everything I want. “I’ll be sorry to see you go.”
She blows out a laugh. “No you won’t.” She glances over her shoulder toward the office door. “I haven’t told them yet, so don’t say anything, okay?”
“I think they might figure it out when I apply for your job,” I jab.