squeezed my shoulder, and leaned his head back again.
My heart lifted and pounded at the same time. This was more than I had expected. Relief flooded me and I smiled. No matter how zany I acted, Marcus accepted me. Life can be good—but he still didn’t know the truth about today . . . about me, Jabroni, and Louie-the-Lug.
I finished the wine, he drank the beer, and things grew hot and heavy. We moved from the sofa to the upstairs bedroom with little effort. Clothes dropped haphazardly across the floor as we neared the bed. I couldn’t have cared less that my cashmere sweater lay draped on top of his uniform. He didn’t appear concerned over his gear either. The trouser belt hit the floor with a thunk , as did his uniform pants. The boots had left his feet the minute he’d arrived home.
It wasn’t until later, much later, that we lay entwined under the comforter, satisfied. I heaved a sated sigh and felt, more than saw, Marcus smile.
“Everything all right over there?” he asked with a chuckle.
“Couldn’t be better,” I answered with a smile of my own.
“Glad to hear it.” He pulled me closer to his naked chest, and I snuggled in tightly to him. Mmm, this was nice.
“I had such a lousy day, this sure made up for it.” I breathed against his skin.
“Why was it so lousy?” he asked.
“Don’t get angry or anything, because I had no idea where I was working when I agreed to help Larry.”
Marcus stiffened a tad, but then relaxed again. “What are you talking about?”
I sat up in bed, pulled the blanket up and tucked it around my body. Street lights cast the room in muted shadows. I stared at him in the semi-darkness, unable to see his face clearly, but close enough. He turned to face me.
I explained the job, and how I’d been in the dark about who owned the house. Marcus waited in silence until I finished the story that led right up to when I left the development. He sighed and then pulled himself up in bed, his back slouching against the headboard.
“You weren’t aware the house was Jabroni’s?” he asked in a resigned voice.
“No clue whatsoever. If I’d known, I would never have agreed to work there, honest.” I believed the words as I uttered them, mostly because they were true.
“Why did you tell me this now?” he asked while he caressed my cool skin.
Goose bumps covered my arms, and I smiled a bit. I admitted that I wasn’t sure why I had confessed. It had just seemed like a good idea at the time.
He smiled and leaned toward me, kissing my shoulder. From there, conversation ceased, as did any coherent thoughts.
Chapter 10
I yawned, refreshed by a good night’s sleep. It took a minute to realize I wasn’t in my own bed, but at Marcus’s house instead. His side of the bed was empty. I could smell fresh perked coffee as the aroma wafted up the stairs.
“Are you coming down, Little Miss Sunshine?” Marcus called.
My mouth tasted like crap, I knew I looked like hell, but I answered that I’d be down shortly. Within minutes, I had scooted down the staircase into the kitchen. My hair was brushed back into a clip. I’d washed my face, and brushed my teeth with an extra toothbrush from the bathroom cabinet, and then donned a robe from Marcus’s closet. It was a warm robe—big, but warm all the same.
Marcus stared at me when I entered the room, and a smile flitted across his face. He was dressed in jeans, a sweater with sleeves pushed up to his elbows, and socks on his feet. No shoes, just socks. I grinned back at him when he offered me a cup of coffee and some blueberry pancakes. The man could make a decent cup of coffee and cook, too. Hmm, I should definitely hang onto him.
“Rested enough?” he asked with a grin.
“Yeah, the best sleep I’ve had in a while.” I chortled at the gleam of satisfaction in his eyes.
We chatted about mundane topics for a while as we ate and then cleared the dishes away. I sipped fresh coffee and prepared to go upstairs to dress.
My heart lifted and pounded at the same time. This was more than I had expected. Relief flooded me and I smiled. No matter how zany I acted, Marcus accepted me. Life can be good—but he still didn’t know the truth about today . . . about me, Jabroni, and Louie-the-Lug.
I finished the wine, he drank the beer, and things grew hot and heavy. We moved from the sofa to the upstairs bedroom with little effort. Clothes dropped haphazardly across the floor as we neared the bed. I couldn’t have cared less that my cashmere sweater lay draped on top of his uniform. He didn’t appear concerned over his gear either. The trouser belt hit the floor with a thunk , as did his uniform pants. The boots had left his feet the minute he’d arrived home.
It wasn’t until later, much later, that we lay entwined under the comforter, satisfied. I heaved a sated sigh and felt, more than saw, Marcus smile.
“Everything all right over there?” he asked with a chuckle.
“Couldn’t be better,” I answered with a smile of my own.
“Glad to hear it.” He pulled me closer to his naked chest, and I snuggled in tightly to him. Mmm, this was nice.
“I had such a lousy day, this sure made up for it.” I breathed against his skin.
“Why was it so lousy?” he asked.
“Don’t get angry or anything, because I had no idea where I was working when I agreed to help Larry.”
Marcus stiffened a tad, but then relaxed again. “What are you talking about?”
I sat up in bed, pulled the blanket up and tucked it around my body. Street lights cast the room in muted shadows. I stared at him in the semi-darkness, unable to see his face clearly, but close enough. He turned to face me.
I explained the job, and how I’d been in the dark about who owned the house. Marcus waited in silence until I finished the story that led right up to when I left the development. He sighed and then pulled himself up in bed, his back slouching against the headboard.
“You weren’t aware the house was Jabroni’s?” he asked in a resigned voice.
“No clue whatsoever. If I’d known, I would never have agreed to work there, honest.” I believed the words as I uttered them, mostly because they were true.
“Why did you tell me this now?” he asked while he caressed my cool skin.
Goose bumps covered my arms, and I smiled a bit. I admitted that I wasn’t sure why I had confessed. It had just seemed like a good idea at the time.
He smiled and leaned toward me, kissing my shoulder. From there, conversation ceased, as did any coherent thoughts.
Chapter 10
I yawned, refreshed by a good night’s sleep. It took a minute to realize I wasn’t in my own bed, but at Marcus’s house instead. His side of the bed was empty. I could smell fresh perked coffee as the aroma wafted up the stairs.
“Are you coming down, Little Miss Sunshine?” Marcus called.
My mouth tasted like crap, I knew I looked like hell, but I answered that I’d be down shortly. Within minutes, I had scooted down the staircase into the kitchen. My hair was brushed back into a clip. I’d washed my face, and brushed my teeth with an extra toothbrush from the bathroom cabinet, and then donned a robe from Marcus’s closet. It was a warm robe—big, but warm all the same.
Marcus stared at me when I entered the room, and a smile flitted across his face. He was dressed in jeans, a sweater with sleeves pushed up to his elbows, and socks on his feet. No shoes, just socks. I grinned back at him when he offered me a cup of coffee and some blueberry pancakes. The man could make a decent cup of coffee and cook, too. Hmm, I should definitely hang onto him.
“Rested enough?” he asked with a grin.
“Yeah, the best sleep I’ve had in a while.” I chortled at the gleam of satisfaction in his eyes.
We chatted about mundane topics for a while as we ate and then cleared the dishes away. I sipped fresh coffee and prepared to go upstairs to dress.
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