Marco (The Men of Indecent Exposure #1) (34 page)

“You’ve been honest and up front with me from the beginning. About
everything,
” he said, and I had been. Anything I
didn’t
say was because I didn’t want to rub salt in an open wound, not because I had anything to hide. “I appreciate that, although I’m sure it wasn’t easy.”

Telling him I was expecting was one of the hardest things I had to do in my entire life, so he wasn’t wrong there. At the time, my feelings for him far outweighed anything I even thought
possible
for Marco, so my motives were pure. All I wanted was to spare Naseem because I knew, one way or another, things would become complicated.

So much relief came over me realizing he now understood that.

“Brynn.” I’d never heard my name spoken with such conviction. “If I could take back every ugly thing I said to you, I would. I’d never—”

“Apology accepted,” I replied, cutting him off because I was all too willing to let bygones be bygones.

I sat quietly after that, just thinking everything over, but then Naseem’s voice pierced the silence when he spoke again. “Did he bring me here because you told him to?” he asked. I could see why he would assume such a thing—maybe imagining that Marco put in a call to me when he saw him at the bar and I instructed him that this would be the safest place for him. However, that wasn’t the case.

“No, he brought you here because he’s a good man,” I said back, feeling Naseem’s palm warm against mine. “I didn’t even know you were with him until he showed up on my doorstep. Apparently, before that, he tried to take you home, but your keys weren’t on you.”

He nodded, maybe remembering some of what I was saying.

Long, tan fingers ran through his hair and it settled just above his shoulders when he let it go. There was something in his expression that told me he had more to say, but those words never came. The sound of a horn honking just outside in my driveway meant his ride had arrived.

We stood at the same time and I was all smiles when he initiated a hug between us—an embrace filled with warmth, forgiveness, and love between friends.

After grabbing his wallet and phone from the nightstand, Naseem followed me down to the first floor. There was a brief moment of uncertainty as a set of broad shoulders clad in a ribbed tank turned toward Naseem and I. No longer gazing out my living room window, Marco’s hands were hidden in the pockets of his dark jeans as his eyes settled on me first and then lifted to find Naseem’s. The two stared at one another with equal intensity, but the anxiety that threatened to ruin the morning’s positive vibe soon disappeared.

Naseem started across the living room in Marco’s direction and I failed to blink when necessary—all because a hand extended, shocking me into complete silence.

“Thank you,” Naseem said humbly, his voice free of all tension and hatred I heard in it before when the two first met.

And, ever gracious, Marco returned Naseem’s gesture, locking onto his hand. “No problem, man.”

They’d done it, made amends. Words couldn’t even explain how great that made me feel.

After walking Naseem out onto the porch and giving my condolences for his loss once more, Marco and I were alone again. I found my way back into his arms just like when I awoke for the day. His large hands stroked my back and I let my eyes close, feeling the closeness as my body molded into his—every nook, every cleft fitting together.

It was these brief spells when that nagging prickle in the back of my mind ceased and I all but forgot the things I feared most about falling for him. I forgot them because he’d do something like this, something on the cusp of perfection that catapulted me into his orbit where reality no longer existed.

As badly as I wanted to, I knew I couldn’t keep him all day. He had work to do at the shop, the club later, and I had a few resumes to submit—none of which were for teaching positions. It was starting to feel as though that door had closed, or at least wasn’t reopening quickly enough, so I had to explore other avenues. I could only hold out for so long.

A kiss went to the top of my hair and I let my eyes close at the feel of it.

“I’m guessing the talk went well,” he said softly.

I nodded, but didn’t divulge all the details. Yes, I’d eventually share how Naseem ended up in the shape Marco found him in, but for now, I just wanted this.

“It did,” was all I said back, cozying up to him even more.

He didn’t ask for more information, but he did speak.

“So, uh… I’m pretty sure you heard me on the phone.” At Marco’s words, I recalled the call he received as I exited the room. Staring up, I gave a nod.

“Yeah, I heard.”

“Well… I… I’ve got some news,” was his next statement, and the tone he used had me confused. It sounded like he was unsure of how I’d feel about whatever he had to share. I backed away just enough to see his face, still holding him close as I gazed up into dark eyes that maintained a sexy smolder at any given time of day.

“I’m listening,” I said hesitantly.

Excitement… I’d missed that in his voice initially, but I definitely saw it in his eyes.

“All right, so… first, let me start by saying you’re not locked into anything, so if it’s not what you want, that’s cool, but I thought I’d help you out since you’ve been having a hard time. But it’s like I said, you can always turn it down if you have something else in mind,” he rambled.

“Marco, just spit it out,” I laughed, my focus on his mouth now as I waited for him to finish.

He smiled after taking a breath and then came the rest. “You have a job offer, starting in fall. I pulled a few strings and they’re offering to let you have your full three months maternity leave and just start the year a little late, but… yeah… like I said, it’s only if you’re interested.”

I was dumfounded, too confused to speak right away, so I only stared at first, and then came the rambling. “How did you… I don’t…”

Marco took another breath and now he looked nervous. “Okay, so, I know you can handle things on your own and I know we didn’t talk about this first, but… I went to see Turner.”

My brow twitched. When had he done that? And what did Headmaster Turner have to do with any of this? That man was the whole reason I was jobless in the first place.

“I really hope you don’t think I overstepped my bounds, but I just hated the way he did you, Brynn. And I don’t hold my tongue very well when it comes to people I lo—” He stopped himself then, after uttering the first sound, but I felt it in my heart anyway. Not wanting to draw attention to it, though, I kept quiet. He backtracked and reworded his statement. “… when it comes to people I care about, so I just went up there to have a few words with him. You know… say all the things you couldn’t because they caught you off guard. I didn’t really have a plan or anything like that, but when I got in there, I just kept feeling like he should be held accountable.”

I stared. He stared. And eventually, I cracked a smile and it looked like he’d been waiting for that before he smiled, too.

This man.

This sweet, beautiful man.

I’ll be damned if I didn’t tear up when he finished explaining it all. “You did that?” I asked, shocked beyond words that he’d go to such lengths, that he’d been able to say something that actually lit a fire under Turner, and that he actually seemed to think I’d possibly be upset with him for standing up for me. Honestly, even if the end result
hadn’t
been a job, his effort would’ve still been noteworthy.

He gave a nod, answering my question.

I didn’t know where this job was or
any
of that, but what I
did
know was… I loved him.

Dammit, I did.

Flaws and all.

I loved him despite myself and I couldn’t believe I convinced myself otherwise for so long. I may not have been ready to blurt it out just yet, but there was no stopping my heart from feeling it.

I placed a deep, lingering kiss on Marco’s mouth and made sure he knew I was more than okay with what he’d done for me. When my fingers went to his buckle, I think he got that message loud and clear.

“How much time do you have before you have to get to work?” I asked, freeing his leather belt from the loops of his jeans.

A slick smile touched his mouth and a second later, he gave the answer I was waiting for: “Whenever I get there.”

Brynn

A Heatwave. Of
course
there would be a heatwave this week of all weeks.

I’d only been out the shower for twenty minutes and, already, I was sweating bullets again, which had been the case for days now. Marco had the air on max, I had a fan blowing right in my face, and I was still miserable.

I spent the night with him the night before to make sure I was around when his mom and sisters came by this morning to decorate for the shower. However, as soon as they realized I intended to help, they banished me to the second floor where I wouldn’t be tempted to have my hands in anything. They made it clear that, today, I was only allowed to enjoy myself. Marco agreed completely.

As soon as I thought his name, that slow, sexy saunter of his brought him closer. I watched his approach in the mirror’s reflection, observing everything. A dark baseball cap barely sat on his head where it’d been carefully placed just slightly off center. He already had on his navy swim trunks for later with a white tank to cover his chest for now.

I started out attempting to brush my hair, but my hands forgot their task as Marco’s lengthy fingers worked their way around my waist, lacing at the center of my stomach. I was
huge
now, just over eight months, and looking every bit of it. He bent at the knees to lower his height to match mine, dipping his chin into the crook of my neck as he breathed me in deep. His eyes fell closed right after. I glanced down at his hands on my stomach, first acknowledging the certainty that flowed from his body to mine when he locked on. It was as if he was sure this space we occupied in one another’s universe was the only place either of us was ever meant to be.

Me beside him.

Him beside me.

My eyes traveled higher, up the length of solid arms, ones covered in a flawless blend of copper and rich, sienna-toned skin, marked with lines of colorful ink, his own creative expression. Every inch of those arms had been trained and sculpted meticulously. Solid shoulders came into view just above my own as my gaze crept higher still and I all but drowned out the sounds as I stared—the fan blowing beside us, his mother and sisters working and laughing a floor below.

A hot kiss to the side of my neck had my mind gone, but that paled in comparison to the way the words, “You look beautiful,” spoken in that husky rasp of his made me feel.

“Thank you,” I said softly. A second kiss pressed to my collar bone and, right after, Marco separated himself from me and went to rest on the edge of the bed where he watched me finish primping in the mirror.

The pink straps of my bathing suit peeked out a bit, so I straightened the white tank I wore on top. We were matching today—my jean capris a more feminine version of his dark-blue trunks. I also accented my outfit with pink accessories as a subtle nod to our soon-coming arrival—a beaded necklace and matching bracelet, pink diamond studs in my ears, light-pink flip-flops.

“I’m glad you’ll get to meet the guys,” Marco said with a faint smile. “Well… formally, anyway. Carlos still remembers you from
The Alibi.”

Oh, wow. Did he really? Not my shining moment
. If I’d been a few shades lighter my cheeks would’ve reddened.

“Are you serious?” I asked, adjusting the back to one of my earrings.

A laugh hit the air. “Yup. Says he remembers the moment you and I spotted each other.”

That was a little embarrassing, that his friend could remember more about that night than the two of us could.

“And the rest is history,” I added with a laugh, accepting the fact that there was no point in letting myself feel weird about our initial hookup at this point.

“And the rest is
incredible
,” Marco corrected, and I smiled even bigger.

“The yard is starting to fill up,” came a familiar voice from the bottom of the steps—Mrs. Rios. She’d been running a tight ship downstairs from what I could hear and I imagined we’d get to see her in action now that guests were starting to arrive. It’d been her idea to leave the side gate open and to adorn it with balloons to let people know to enter the party that way, minimizing traffic through the house. Like I said: she ran a tight ship.

“I guess that’s our cue,” Marco said with a light groan as he stood from his comfy position on the edge of the bed. When he passed by, my fingers warmed from his light touch to them, but the sensation was fleeting as he continued on to the door.

“I’m gonna head down and speak to whoever just got here. Take as much time as you need,” he said sweetly, bringing a smile out of me when I nodded.

After that, the door closed and I was alone in his bedroom again to finish readying myself, which didn’t take long. One swipe of my lip gloss, a spritz of perfume, and I was headed down those steps, too.

In a matter of a few hours, Mrs. Rios and her daughters had completely transformed the kitchen—the only area of the house she okayed for guests to venture inside—and the yard. I took slow steps to the window just beyond the kitchen table and took it all in.

Marco’s property was pretty expansive and no space was wasted. Tents and rented tables and chairs were delivered and set up the night before, but that had only set the plain white foundation for what Mrs. Rios envisioned. Pink faux-chandeliers lined the middle seam of the large tent, their pink and silver jewels dazzling when the sunlight hit them just right. Each table was decked out, too. Pink and white table cloths alternated and beautiful, pink bouquets rested at their centers. There was more, so much more, and I loved every detail, great and small.

“I hope you’re pleased with how everything has turned out,” Mrs. Rios said softly when she came to stand beside me.

She hoped I was pleased with it?
I was speechless and because of this, my response came in the form of a tight hug around her small shoulders. A dainty laugh slipped from her lips as I embraced her, fighting the sting of tears. She’d done so much, she and Marco’s sisters, and I was overwhelmed by the fact that they cared enough to make today special for us. I didn’t have much family, but I knew that this was what family was about. Love. Acceptance.

“Thank you,” I breathed, feeling her arms tighten around me, too. “Thank you so much.”

*****

This extreme weather made me so grateful the baby shower dubbed as a pool party. As soon as the gifts were open, I planned to take a swim myself. Already, there were so many people here and by the celebration being coed, no one was excluded.

At that thought, a shadow off to the left caught my attention and my eyes went there, doing a double-take at what I saw. A massive man-glacier passed through the gate, entering the yard. The mass wasn’t just one guy, it was three—all towering over the other guests, all ‘
prettier
’ than seemed natural for any human being, and all shirtless… already and they’d just arrived.

They were all so different, and yet the same. A bearded brute with dirty-blond hair led the pack and he was huge, slightly more ripped than the two who flanked his sides. To his left, skin the same rich bronze as Marco’s caught my eye. Dark features stood out on this one—thick brows that had
definitely
been tamed by more than nature, but they weren’t overly done. Long cornrows stitched silky hair toward the back and a few hung over his shoulder, revealing his hair’s full length. Basically, he had a ton of it. His lineup was tight, freshly edged, accentuating huge, diamond studs in both ears.

To the right of the bearded brute stood a brown-skinned guy about the same complexion as me. A fresh fade tapered at the edges of his hairline where a set of dark shades rested over the tops of his ears, hiding his eyes. A chiseled jaw emphasized more perfect features, which seemed to be the norm in this bunch.

Ink stained various patches of skin on two of the three and I knew right away whose handiwork that was because I knew who these
men
were. I recognized them from the picture and from Marco’s club as they came my way. Well, as they came
Marco’s
way, but he was standing right beside me near the deck. They were cut, uncomfortably attractive to the point that every person they passed—male and female—paused their conversations to stare. Muscled arms shifted with their easy, synchronized gait, but what I saw at the ends of those arms, clutched in those hands, had me smiling.

Pink, glittering bags and colorfully gift wrapped boxes.

They came bearing gifts.

“Late as usual,” Marco greeted them, smiling big as he embraced each one.

Together, the four of them now that Marco was added to the group, were a sight to behold. Standing beside them, I was up close and personal with
Indecent Exposure’s
starting lineup, the lineup that had women wrapped around the building the night Mona was in town. It’d been crazy to see so many turn out just for a few hours of entertainment, but they had. And though my friends and I didn’t have to pay the cover, from what I heard it was pretty steep. Yet and still, those ladies were there in full force, ready to give up their hard-earned money, mostly for the four who stood before me right now, especially Marco.

The boisterous screams of strange women chanting his name echoed inside my head, drowning out the short conversation the men had before Marco’s hand went into mine, silencing the noise.  I glanced down for a moment, surprised for some reason that he didn’t change his usual affectionate behavior now that his friends were present. Apparently, they knew we were close.

“This is Brynn,” he said, introducing me to the men.

Three perfect, white smiles flashed my way.

“Carlos,” Marco went on, pointing at the one with the cornrows.

“Nice seeing you again,” he greeted me, reminding me that he was the one who remembered our first night together.

“Justin,” Marco said next, aiming his finger at the one in the shades.

“Congratulations. Lovely meeting you,” he said, taking my free hand to place a kiss on the back of it.

“Thank you. Nice meeting you, too,” I replied with a smile. This one was the charmer. I could tell that already.

“All right, man. That’s enough,” Marco cut in, pulling my hand free from Justin’s as he pretended to be bothered by his friend’s gesture. The two shared a laugh and then he went on to introduce the last, the bearded one. “And this is Logan.”

A mumbled, “Sup,” was all I got from him as he dipped his head in a slight bow, which made me smile.

“It’s nice meeting you.
All
of you,” I corrected. “Here, I’ll take your gifts over to the table.”

“I can get them,” Marco offered, but I wouldn’t hear of it. There were mostly bags, then just one box, and a purple envelop with a card inside. I managed to grab them all easily and left Marco to talk with his friends.

I set the items down on the decorated tabletop and arranged them beside the others. Marcela flagged me down just as I was headed back over to Marco. Meeting her halfway across the lawn, I worked up a sweat after managing to find relief in the shade for a few.

I met her with a smile and she flashed me a distracted one as she passed a glance toward Marco and his crew. Thinking nothing of it, I spoke. “What’s up?”

My voice brought her attention to me again as she pushed long, brown strands of her thick hair behind her ears. “Um… mom just wants to know if you want her to go ahead and cut the cake so we can start handing it out?”

I glanced down at my watch, noting that Mona and Ced hadn’t gotten here yet. We were only an hour and a half into a celebration that wasn’t scheduled to end at a designated time, so it wasn’t a big deal. The whole thing had been pretty unstructured, which was nice. Guests were free to snack on the catered dishes at their leisure as they arrived, so serving the cake would be the only really organized aspect of the party other than opening gifts.

“You know what? Sure. That’s fine. That way anyone who needs to leave early can get a slice.”

Marcela gave a faint smile with her short, “Okay,” but then remembered something else. “Oh! And could you let Marco know Dad just got here with our grandmother? They’re inside.”

I gave a nod, assuring her I would, and then she turned to head back in. But as she crossed the yard, I noticed her eyes pass over toward Marco and his friends again. Maybe I was reading too much into it, but, it seemed to me like someone over there had her attention.