Page 44 of Beautiful Small Things

“Now, Little Parker,” he tisks, “You know you can’t lie to me.” He continues walking toward me. For every step he takes, I take one back until I’m pinned to the desk that sits below the shelves I was looking at. “Were you snooping in my old room?”

“No,” I scoff. “Of course not. I was looking around.”

“Are you sure?” he says casually, leaning in so that I’m leaning back as far as I can on the desk to clear my head.

“Marcus, we called a truce,” I remind him, standing up so that we are now face to face, inches apart, breathing the same air.

“We did,” he whispers, grabbing a strand of my hair and winding it through his fingers. My eyes close instinctively at his touch. I simultaneously hate and love the effect his touch has on me.

Suddenly he grips more of my hair and pulls my head to the side. Leaning in, he whispers softly, “What could be more of a truce than making you come in my old childhood bedroom?”

I can’t help the soft moan that escapes my lips as he trails feather-light kisses from my shoulder to my ear. “You said this would never happen,” I say breathlessly.

“I did,” he replies, as he continues to kiss and suck on my neck with more force while pulling my hair to the side. His other hand is firmly squeezing my hip, holding me in place. It’s Heaven and Hell all at once.

“But a man can only take so much,” he continues between kisses. “You’ve made me want this. I can’t stop thinking about you. I’ve tried. I’ve tried so damn hard, James. You’ve ruined me.”

Using my real name ignites the barely contained fire as I turn my head and place a hand on his face. We are eye to eye now, and it’s a moment of truth. Who will give in? Who will break first?

It’s me. I break into him and press my mouth against his hungrily. It’s all I’ve wanted for so long. He doesn’t pull away this time. He takes my mouth with the same fervor he did my neck.

At the first swipe of his tongue across my lips, I moan and open my mouth, longing to deepen the kiss. His tongue is gentle at first, probing my mouth with restraint, but once I grab the back of his hair in my fist and pull him closer toward me, his kiss becomes rougher. Soon it’s biting and licking, teeth clashing, while his hand moves to cup my breast, kneading and squeezing. I’ve never wanted anyone more in my life. I’m ready to let this man fuck me against this built-in desk where he used to do Trigonometry.

“Hey, Marcus!” We hear Callan yell from downstairs. “Where are you?”

“Ignore him,” Marcus says between kisses.

As difficult as it is, I pull back and place a hand on his chest, pushing him back a step so we can both catch our breath. “He will come up here,” I tell him. “He obviously needs you for something.”

“Well, I need you for something,“ he smirks, causing me to laugh.

“It’s probably speech time or something like that,” I tell him as I try to finger-comb my hair back into place and straighten my dress.

“Fine,” he states. “But this is an itch we both need to scratch, and you know it. After this wedding is over tomorrow night, we won’t see each other often.”

“What are you saying?” I ask skeptically.

“I’m saying we scratch the itch. Tomorrow. At the wedding,” he challenges.

“That’s crazy. People will be everywhere. It would be so easy to get caught,” I scoff.

“Exactly,” he says, leaning in to kiss my lips one last time before walking calmly out of the room.

I stand there for a moment with my face in my hands, trying to decide what to do. It’s a futile attempt at delaying the inevitable. I know exactly what I’m going to do. I’m going to have sex with Marcus Sinclair and fulfill every fantasy about him I’ve ever had. Then I’m going to walk away because I will not allow him to hurt me.

Chapter eighteen

NPC's and First Dates

Iris

My dad is leaning against the counter finishing the green juice Bea makes him drink every morning when I stumble into the kitchen, smacking my lips together and trying to produce even a modicum of saliva.

“Hey, Sweetie. How’s it going?” he asks.

“Not too bad, except I think someone shoved forty-seven cotton balls in my mouth while I slept.”

“Yeah, you’ll get that if you’re surfing and not drinking enough water,” he says. “Feels like a bear shit in your mouth.”