Marco (The Men of Indecent Exposure #1) (15 page)

Elena blew out a breath and tried to hide how shocked she was. “Wow, I… I can imagine.”

We stood there for a moment in awkward silence, but I got the impression she was just looking for an easy way to walk away. So, wanting to make that easier for her, I spoke again.

“But I wasn’t trying to keep you out here all night,” I said, watching as she folded her arms over her chest. Her eyes were still not on me. “I know you have a plane to catch in a few hours, so…”

“Yeah. I uh… I should get going,” she forced out, still trying to wrap her head around my news.

There was no goodbye; she just walked away, likely thinking I was more trouble than I was worth when she added up all the chips stacked against me. I couldn’t blame her for not even looking back.

I went over my explanation while I stood there, wondering if the excuse I’d just given Elena—the one about being distracted by how complicated my life is right now—was even legit.

Was that the only reason I rejected her?

I chased after her for years and now I was acting like those feelings never existed, acting like I wasn’t even interested. I was sure that’s what she thought.

What the hell was wrong with me?

I ran my hand down my face, still wondering what happened, but then I glanced down at my phone and the thought that filled my mind made things clear: I was worried about Brynn and couldn’t think straight without knowing she was okay.

That was the only thing I could think would’ve caused me to act so strangely toward Elena.

That had to be it.

Brynn

My head rose from the pillow as the pounding at the door sent my heart racing. The clock beside my bed read 8:13—much earlier than I intended to be awake this morning, especially considering the night I had.

The sound of several forceful knocks filled the house again and I scrambled to get to my feet, slipping into my robe before heading down the stairs. I held the rail to keep me steady as I rushed down.

“One second,” I called out when a heavy fist slammed into my door for a third time. I finally made it to the front hall and peeked through the peephole, immediately snatching the scarf from my hair when I did. Marco stood there waiting with concern lining his expression—or maybe it was anger.

I hadn’t brushed my teeth or
anything; h
owever, observing the way he shifted from side to side anxiously, I didn’t make him wait while I made myself more presentable.

Turning the lock, I pulled the door open, squinting when the sunlight crept in. “Is everything okay?” I asked, stepping aside to let him in, wondering what brought him over so early.

He was tense. I could see it in his long strides as he entered, could see it in his broad shoulders when he passed me, heard it in his heavy footsteps. Yes, tension was rolling off his body like steam.

“I should be asking
you
that.” The words came hard and rough when he turned my question back on me, but they were riddled with concern more than anything else. “I tried calling you all afternoon and all night. Now this morning it’s just been going to voice mail.”

Folding my arms over my robe, my eyes shifted to the ground. One text and a couple phone calls from him had definitely gone unanswered. My phone died around six, though, and I didn’t bother charging it. The meeting with Headmaster Turner drained me and I didn’t really feel like talking—especially not with the monster headache that followed. Still, looking back, I shouldn’t have done that. Clearly, Marco was worried enough to show up here this morning thinking something was wrong. I mean, something
was
wrong, just not in the way he likely assumed.

“I’m sorry,” I said softly, staring at my bare feet as I recalled the events from the day before that caused me to retreat inside my shell.

I looked up to find his eyes on me, scanning me to make sure I was really all right. He studied my face for a few seconds before using a more gentle tone. “What happened? Why weren’t you picking up?”

A heavy sigh left my mouth and I moved over to the couch where I plopped down. He sat close by in the armchair, still watching me. When I didn’t readily answer his question, he spoke again. “I apologize for dropping in on you like this, but I did try to call first.”

I dismissed his apology with a wave. It made sense that he stopped over, especially seeing as how I probably scared him by not at least shooting him a text to say I was okay.

“It’s fine,” I assured him, but didn’t add anything else.

His heavy stare could be felt. One thing that stood out about him was how commanding his presence was at times, even when he wasn’t trying. Like now. All he did was watch me while he waited for further explanation, but I could hardly sit still with his eyes on me.

“You’re feeling okay? Is it the headaches again? The dizziness?” were his next questions when I couldn’t find my words.

I blew out a breath. There had been another episode, but I didn’t feel like getting into that. Every time I went to see my doctor, my blood pressure had been slightly elevated and that was likely the culprit for the spell I had last night as well. There was definitely a link between my stress level and how good or bad I felt.

“I’m fine,” I finally answered, but lowered my head right after.

I heard Marco take a breath from his seat. “I know there’s more you’re not saying, but it’s not my business. As long as you and the baby are good, I won’t press you. I just didn’t know what to think when I couldn’t get you on the phone.”

I appreciated him not pushing me for details. Yesterday and that meeting were things I wanted to forget. Marco and I sat there in silence for a moment, but my question interrupted it.

“Don’t you have to be at work soon?” I asked, feeling guilty. Most likely this little detour would make him late. I’d gotten his routine down somewhat over the weeks, based on our phone schedule. We’d usually text during the week on my lunch break and sometimes once at night. Then, Saturday mornings I’d get a quick text on his drive in to the shop—nothing formal, just his usual,
‘Hey, how’re you feeling? Do you need anything,’
message. Sometimes, I’d beat him to the punch and let him know I was awake and doing well before he asked.

“It’s fine. I have Pete opening up for me so I could come see about you,” he answered.

Yeah, I definitely wouldn’t dismiss his phone calls again. I got the impression my lapse in judgment had interrupted his life quite a bit.

“I feel terrible for making you come here. Yesterday was just… it was a long day,” I concluded, not wanting to say much more than that.

He shook his head. “As long as you and my little
princessa
are okay, you don’t need to explain.”

Despite the bad mood I was in, I smiled at that, his nickname for her.

Marco smiled back, gesturing toward my tummy when he asked his next question. “Has she still been moving?”

I gave a nod. “Every so often. Actually, when you first came in and spoke I felt her.”

His smile widened and mine did, too, at the sight of it. It was incredible the turn he’d taken, how on board he was with being a father now. In a matter of a few months, he’d done a complete one-eighty.

His stare lingered on my stomach for a moment and it dawned on me he’d never touched it before, had never gotten to feel his daughter growing inside there. When we went for the ultrasound weeks ago, he’d asked me then to loosen up around him. This wasn’t just
my
experience, it was his, too, and I didn’t want him to miss a minute of it. Not seeing as how he was more than willing to be involved.

“Would you like to feel it?” I asked, bringing his eyes back to mine. “I mean, I can’t guarantee she’ll kick or that it’ll be strong enough for you to feel even if she does, but… you can try if you want to.”

His expression softened and my heart fluttered. Without words, Marco stood from his seat and he came closer as I got up from the couch. I undid the tie of my robe and let it fall open, revealing my rounded tummy through my thin, cotton nightgown. Normally, I wouldn’t have been this comfortable with a man I’d known for such a short time, but Marco wasn’t just some guy.

He was close enough now that I picked up on the hint of spearmint on his breath and his mellow cologne. Keeping my eyes fixed on the tattoos on his arm helped distract me from the way heat crept up my legs, and then the rest of me, just because he was in my personal space. Looking down on me, both his hands went to my stomach. Right away, his warmth penetrated my skin.

Air left my lungs erratically and I hoped he didn’t notice. My breasts heaved up and down as I stood there trying to pretend not to like the way his hands felt on me. That had been one of the few things that stuck with me from that night and for good reason. A flash of us, a memory from our encounter, flooded my mind out of nowhere and I heard the sound of my own cries of pleasure as I breathed them into the crook of his neck, feeling the velvety texture of his hair against my face. The intensity of the flashback nearly made me snatch away from him, but I somehow held my composure and managed to stay close.

Minus a bra, my nipples hardened beneath my gown and I felt myself getting wetter as the seconds ticked past. This pregnancy had me horny all the time anyway, but not like this. This was all because of him. Every freakin’ time.

“I think I felt her,” he said in a low, gruff voice. The sound of it always sent a chill through me.

I nodded to confirm, letting him know I felt it, too. He shook his head as the corner of his mouth turned up into a smile, completely unaware of the sensations such a simple touch had ignited inside me.

“That’s incredible.”

Again, all I did was nod, grateful when he pulled his hands away and I was able to re-secure my robe. I instantly moved back to the couch, putting a fair amount of distance between us.

“I swear it seems like I just saw you, but you’re showing so much more than you were then.” He smiled and took his seat again.

The observation brought to mind the meeting I sat through the day before and I felt my expression go slack.

“So, I was thinking; we, meaning you, keep putting off meeting my family, but I think you should come to dinner with me next Sunday.” White teeth flashed my way in between statements. “I can only keep them tame for so long and they’re all over me about meeting you.”

Lowering my head, I smiled a little. He was right that I’d been avoiding it. I was just so nervous and with what went down yesterday, I wasn’t sure I was ready for another stressful confrontation. However, Marco was certain they’d love me, so… I accepted his invitation.

First nodding, I let him know I was in. “Okay,” I sighed. “I’ll go.”

If I didn’t know any better, I’d say he was more excited about this than he was letting on. “Cool. We eat around five, so I’ll come get you at four.”

My fingers tingled with anxiety, but I didn’t let it show.

“Should I bring anything?” I asked. Living in Texas, I picked up a few Puerto Rican recipes over the years. “Something for dessert maybe?”

Marco seemed shocked that I offered, but pleased when he gave a nod. “I think Ma would like that.”

Then it was settled. In a little over a week, I’d be meeting Marco’s people. Hopefully, it wouldn’t be a disaster like I feared. Besides, at this point, I was pretty sure I’d endured the worst of the storm when I came face to face with the headmaster. Compared to that, meeting the rest of the Rios clan should be a piece of cake, right?

Brynn

Nothing looked right.

Nothing.

The pile of clothes on my bed kept growing and I was having zero luck finding something to wear to dinner. Today, in particular, was important and I couldn’t leave the house looking frumpy. It meant a lot to me that I made a good impression on Marco’s mother in particular. It seemed like he held her in high regard, so I was sure she’d be watching me like a hawk—the woman carrying her only son’s child.

There was no telling what they already thought of me, seeing as how I was pretty sure they knew the gist of the circumstances surrounding my hookup with Marco. Meeting them face to face, in a sense, would be the
second
impression I’d make on them. The first came in the form of Marco’s baby announcement several weeks ago. I was scared out of my mind about this, but I’d run out of excuses to stall. Today was the day.

With the strong craving I had for all things coconut lately, I decided to prepare
arroz con dulce
for dessert. Hopefully, it was up to his mother’s standard. I got the impression she was one hell of a cook, so I put my all into this recipe—checking and double-checking my measurements, using the highest quality ingredients. This dinner had to go perfectly.

Had to.

I finally settled on a pair of leggings and a black tunic top. The thin material would keep me cool. I slipped into my flat, silver sandals when Marco called to say he was outside, and after grabbing my dish from the fridge, I headed out.

A sleek, silver two-seater sat in my driveway and I met Marco’s gaze from where he sat behind the steering wheel. I stepped off the porch and he hopped out, crossing the pavement to take the dessert from my hands and to offer me his arm. I smiled at his thoughtfulness and let him assist me even though I didn’t really need it.

“You look beautiful,” he said with a smile as his eyes slipped over me. “Beautiful and nervous.”

I laughed and didn’t bother denying that. “Thank you,” I said first. “And maybe a little,” I added.

He shook his head, assuring me I had nothing to worry about, but that was easy for him to say. At the most, he’d maybe have a phone conversation with my brother, which was nothing compared to this.

“You’ll be fine,” he insisted. “Nobody’s gonna mess with you.”

I smiled again, but didn’t respond, trying to prepare my mind for this.

I glanced over, noticing his fresh trim and lineup. The dark shadow of hair that remained was crisp as well, which meant he’d gone for a haircut this weekend. The black button-down and dark denim jeans he wore made it look like we coordinated our outfits on purpose. A large diamond stud twinkled in his ear when the sun hit it and I looked him over discreetly while we walked toward his car, not bothering to deny my attraction to him.

It was useless to fight.

On several occasions, I had to tone down my stare when he was around. There was just always this strong pull toward him that was likely what had gotten us in trouble months ago. He watched me often, too, usually when he didn’t think I was paying attention. Like now, I noticed his eyes on my breasts as he helped me into my seat. He was so distracted by them he didn’t remember to make eye contact until it was time to pass me my dish to hold while he drove.

I felt my cheeks warm when I thanked him and then watched his trim, sexy frame from the rearview mirror as he rounded the back of the car. He climbed in and sat beside me just before the powerful engine revved beneath the hood, sending a gentle vibration up my legs and back. The dark, leather interior still smelled and looked new.

“Did you just buy this?” I asked, looking around. I also remembered there being a black truck parked in my driveway when he stopped by to check on me the week before.

He shook his head. “No, I’ve had it about a year,” he answered. “I just don’t drive it all that often. I’m usually in my Yukon.”

I nodded and found myself wondering just how well his tattoo business was paying. But then again, he did mention having income property, so it made sense that he wasn’t hurting for cash.

My phone buzzed inside my purse and I reached to grab it. A text from Naseem read:
‘Can we talk?’

I stared at his message for a moment. It’d been weeks since the conversation we had outside my house and all I heard ringing inside my head was his statement about how I let Marco make a fool of me. I still hadn’t gotten over the way he came at me and I couldn’t promise I wouldn’t say the wrong thing if we talked while I still wasn’t over it. I didn’t plan to be mad forever, but, for now, I was definitely upset. I’d give him a call when I was sure I could do so with a level head.

All I said back was,
‘I’m busy. Maybe I’ll call later,’
and that seemed sufficient to me. After that, I placed my cell back inside my handbag. It went off back to back several times as Naseem flooded it with messages. If I had to guess, he was stating how silly it was that we hadn’t spoken in so long, but I didn’t agree. The distance felt necessary. Who knows? Maybe it would help define our boundaries a little more clearly.

Marco let out a soft chuckle, one that made me glance his way as he changed lanes. “
Somebody’s
blowing you up,” he said casually, not implying anything.

None of our daily conversations had ever led us down a road where we ended up discussing our personal lives, but it wasn’t because either of us had anything to hide. I’d told him about Naseem briefly in the beginning, but Naseem and I had mostly settled back into the groove of platonic friendship—although, things were a bit rocky at the moment. Still, if Marco was seeing someone, that’d be perfectly fine. I had no rights to speak on it.

So, in the spirit of keeping things with us open and honest, I responded to his statement. “It’s the friend I told you about. His name’s Naseem,” I added for clarity.

He gave a nod, knowing exactly who I meant.

“The one you started kicking it with, right?” he inquired in an even, unassuming tone.

I nodded, but then elaborated on that. “Yeah, but that’s over. We’re just doing the friend thing again.”

Marco didn’t respond right away, just watched the road.

The more I thought about it, the decision to pump the brakes with Naseem was wise. I had too much going on to devote time to building a new relationship. It was best like this.

“Can I uh… can I ask you a question?”

I turned toward Marco and nodded, hoping I wouldn’t regret this like the
last
time someone wanted to poke around with questions.

“Sure.”

He only hesitated for a second before finishing his thought. “Is it because you’re expecting? Was that what made you all just go back to being friends?”

The state of me and Naseem’s relationship was definitely the result of my pregnancy, but I didn’t have resentful feelings about it. For whatever reason, maybe it was the physical manifestations of my daughter soon coming into the world—feeling her move, the ultrasound images, seeing my own body grow and change as she did the same inside—but anything that didn’t revolve around her was second to me. Including Naseem. I deeply valued his friendship, but with each passing day, I became more okay with him maintaining the role he’d
always
played in my life. Friend.

“Yes,” I replied, answering Marco’s question, “but I’m fine with that.” And I honestly was now.

Marco nodded and I wondered if there was something behind that question, so I did some poking around myself. “Why do you ask?”

He took a breath and shrugged, hanging a right at a stop sign. “It’s just something I’ve been thinking about lately—wondering how either of us is supposed to navigate the dating scene now. There’s not exactly any easy way to explain to someone that you have a kid on the way, but you’re still technically available.”

I laughed, which I don’t think he expected. A smile came my way. “That’s funny?” he asked.

“No, but I’m gonna go out on a limb and say it’d be much easier for you to have that conversation than it would be for me.” I pointed at my stomach right after. “This is kind of hard to hide.”

Marco chuckled. “I didn’t mean to imply that we’re in the same boat. You’re right; your position is definitely a little rougher than mine.”

I nodded and laughed again. “Yes. Thank you,” I gloated, as if I’d won some sort of contest between us. “Have you tried dating at all since you found out?” I asked, hoping that wasn’t too personal. I didn’t think it would be seeing as how he hadn’t hesitated to ask something similar.

A sharp breath escaped his lungs and he shrugged. “Not really. A girl I used to have a thing for back in the day popped up and wanted to start hanging out when she moves back in a few weeks.”

My stomach twisted and I ignored the feeling. “Oh! Well… that sounds promising,” I replied, hoping it didn’t sound like I was being disingenuous.

Marco shrugged again, though. “
Sounded
promising,” he corrected. “I’m pretty sure I blew my chances.”

I hate to admit this, but I felt a sense of relief when those words left his mouth. Still, I had to pretend to be concerned. “Really? What happened?”

We stopped at a light and his hand slipped down the steering wheel a few inches. “I ran into her last weekend,” he explained, “and… she came at me, but I pulled away.”

I assumed by
‘came at him’
he meant she tried to kiss him. That uneasy feeling returned to my stomach, even though he said he turned her down.

“Why’d you pull away?” I asked absentmindedly, glancing out the window as I pictured him with some random chick.

Several seconds passed and I turned his way again, only to find him contemplating, trying to sort things out. “Honestly? It was just a reaction. She kissed me and I backed off.” He paused again. “I don’t know. I think I was just preoccupied.”

I asked the question, “With what?” not expecting the answer that came, but then it did.

“You.”

My eyes blinked several times. When I met Marco’s gaze, it shifted away quickly, but only because he was driving.

“I was worried when you didn’t pick up. That was all I could think about last week—the night you wouldn’t pick up your phone,” he clarified. “So, when she made her move, I just… I don’t know… I guess I wasn’t in the mood.”

Two warring emotions stirred within me. On the one hand, I was flattered to have been enough of a distraction to keep him from wanting to kiss another woman, especially one he admitted to being infatuated with at one point in time. But on the other hand, it may have just been his concern for the baby that stole his attention from whoever this woman was. By default, that concern included me because I was carrying her.

“It’s cool, though,” he went on. “I have enough on my plate as it is. It’s probably for the best.”

I didn’t add to that, just sat in my seat, thinking.

We pulled up in front of a modest-sized, blue house, one with pretty rose bushes lining the perimeter of its sprawling, white porch. Marco’s engine shut off and I stared at the home, taking deep breaths as I tried to talk myself out of being scared to do this.

A few cars lined the driveway and I almost chickened out, almost told him I wasn’t ready, but then something happened, something that settled me.
A large, warm hand encircled mine and I was met with a look when my eyes left the house and I turned toward Marco.

“I know what you’re thinking, Brynn. I know you’re worried about being judged, being questioned,” he stated, seeing right through me. “But trust me; I won’t let anyone get out of line.”

That… right there. I felt at ease with those simple words. I think part of me thought that, if someone
did
try to say something out of line, I’d be on my own. After all, this was his family. However, I was beginning to feel like I was Marco’s family, too.

With newfound confidence, I undid my seatbelt and climbed out when he came around to help me. He took my dish, closed the door behind me, but then he shocked me yet again when he took my hand for a second time.

We walked to his parents’ door that way and honestly? All traces of fear melted away in an instant. This take charge, protective side of him was a turn on beyond words and I felt our bond, our friendship, solidify even more in that moment. Beyond a doubt, I knew he wouldn’t let tonight go badly, no matter who he had to put in their place to shield me. I was confident in that; confident in
him…