“I’m yours,” she said confidently. “Only for you.”
He moved quickly to her mouth at that comment and kissed her deeply and still a little roughly. He obviously loved her words and they made him desperate for her all over again. She could taste the salt from her own sweat in his kiss. That intimate connection was enough to drive her crazy.
They were intertwined completely, bodies and words and tastes. She was lost to him again as she felt him become hard against her leg. A “yes” whispered into his ear was all he needed to enter her again. He kept her hands pinned against the pillow and she was surprised at how much she liked letting him have control over her like that. She didn’t have to think, she only had to let go and
feel
.
He moved against her a little more slowly this time, letting almost all of his weight down against her and moving in subtle, deliberate movements, grinding only against her sex. He brought her to the edge so thoroughly and pushed harder against her to bring her to climax.
Only after she was sated did he move inside of her in long strokes for his own pleasure. She let him ride her as long as he needed until he exploded into her again, completely spent.
Marcus collapsed beside her and explored all of her with his hand gliding along the sheen of sweat covering her entire body. He found the mess of wetness between her legs and moved his fingers in and around her folds, loving the feel of his cum up in her.
One finger entered her gently and she breathed out softly at the touch. He watched her face throughout his exploration and leaned in to kiss her softly on the lips as he slowly swirled his finger inside of her.
They were both completely satisfied, and his motions did not serve to arouse her. His gentle touch offered only a sweet reminder of what they had just shared. She was sore beyond what she expected, but the tender touch of his finger did not cause her more pain.
“Come take a shower with me? I want you fresh in my arms again.”
He said this with such sweetness, she couldn’t refuse. She walked with him naked toward her bathroom and stood against his back and wrapped her arms around his ribs.
He adjusted the water temperature while she placed soft kisses on the strong muscles of his back. She moved away from him just long enough to get two fresh towels from the linen cupboard and set them on the vanity.
He led her into the shower with him, and immediately wrapped her in his arms. He kissed her deeply, then got her strawberry shampoo and poured a small circle of it into his hand.
She let him work his fingers through her hair and closed her eyes at the sensation. He then washed her body, caressing every one of her subtle curves as he did. She returned the favor and watched him get hard at the slippery attention from her hand.
“Apparently I can’t get enough of you,” Marcus said at his reaction. His playful sense of humor was showing again.
“Well, I don’t think I can take much more right now, so you’ll just have to wait,” she said, also playfully.
He kissed her again, just appreciating being with her. After a long, luxurious time of kissing in the shower, Marcus shut the water off and reached for a towel. He dried her off first, lightly patting her with the soft terrycloth, gently squeezing and occasionally tugging against her skin.
He kneeled down on one knee and softly kissed the delicate triangle between her legs as he ran the towel along her calves. Being tended to with such sweetness was such an incredible sensation, in total contrast to the raw passion they shared just an hour before.
Erin couldn’t believe the depth of the man in front of her. She waited for him to stand again and then placed a lingering kiss on his cheek.
“What was that for?” he asked, amused by her sweet kiss.
“I just appreciate who you are,” she said plainly. “That’s all.”
He kissed her back, full on the mouth, and couldn’t say anything in return. He looked at her with such intensity and then pulled her in for a very long, very close hug. His arms spoke for him, as far as Erin was concerned. She rested there against his wet chest for as long as he would hold her, feeling euphoric.
Chapter Nine
By the time their shower was done, the clock showed nearly noon. Marcus pulled his jeans and t-shirt back on, and Erin got her favorite yoga pants and cami. She didn’t wear a bra, and Marcus made no attempt to hide his appreciation of the view.
Once they were dressed, he pulled Erin in for another kiss and moved a hand up to cup her breast. He brushed his thumbs over her nipple to make it bud up, then repeated the motion against her other. He kissed each one gently through her shirt. He kissed her neck next, then moved his lips softly to her mouth and told her once again how beautiful she was.
He took her hand and led her downstairs, needing to get away from the bed before he was tempted to make good use of the soft surface again. He was sure that Erin was sore, and he didn’t want to be too greedy, no matter how long he had waited or how tempting she was.
When they got down to the first floor, Erin fixed them chicken salad sandwiches and wedged some apples for a side. They sat at her little cafe table for lunch at her apartment.
Marcus couldn’t help but gaze at Erin. She was so beautiful, still pink from the heat of the shower. She had been so giving, so trusting, and so damn sexy with him. Her body was so hot, and her shift from shy to confident made him feel like a warrior teacher. He conquered her fear with her, and brought her along with him in pleasure, teaching her how to accept the kind of sensations she deserved.
He was the luckiest guy in the world, and she just confessed to appreciating him for exactly who he was. He loved her, without a doubt in his head. He wanted her to belong to him completely, and he wanted her to know.
After lunch, Marcus took Erin’s hand and walked her to the couch. He pulled her onto his lap, which was rapidly becoming his favorite way to sit on any couch, ever. He cradled her again and brushed a few stray curls away from her face.
She snuggled into him and he felt her warmth and softness against his hard muscles and delighted in the contrast. He tilted her chin up for a long kiss, then found the courage to say what he wanted to say.
“Erin, I want to tell you something,” he started, feeling a bit nervous. She must have picked up on his tension because she tensed against him. Damn it, he was already blowing this.
“What’s wrong?” she asked with obvious worry in her eyes.
“Nothing,” he said quickly. “Nothing’s wrong. I promise. Relax…please.”
He loved that she didn’t walk away. Marcus did his best to ease her nerves by offering her a warm smile and a soft kiss. His efforts were fruitless, however; she remained stiff in his arms.
“Stop worrying,” he said, smiling. “I just wanted to tell you how I feel and it’s not something I really know how to do.”
She seemed to ease up at that confession, but was still wide-eyed, wondering what he was going to say. She looked like she was holding her breath. She was nervous about what she was going to hear. She didn’t know yet the depth of his feelings for her.
“Erin, I love you. You’re the most important thing in the world to me now, and it seems stupid not to let you know. So that’s it. I love you.”
He watched a smile light up her face and watched the tears form at the corners of her eyes. He caught each of the two individual tears on his lips as they fell. He looked into her eyes, trying to find the emotion behind them.
Her eyes burned into him, too, trying to find truth in his words. He leaned down to kiss her with as much gentle passion as he could. He wanted her to feel that love from him and
know
the truth.
She kissed back just as deeply, then spoke in a barely audible whisper, “I love you, too. So much.”
He pulled her in for another deep kiss, reveling in the sensation of her words and her lips. When the kiss finally ended, he pulled her in tightly and held her for a long time, lacing his fingers up into her hair and holding her head against his heart. He wanted her to hear his strongest muscle beating just for her.
“You are so beautiful,” he said to her after a long silence. “Just…beautiful. And the way you let me have you, so trusting last night and so damn hot this morning, that was intense. You should know, I’ve never had it like that before.”
“Isn’t it always like that?” she asked. Her lack of experience left her wondering about the truth of his statement. He needed her to understand, so he tried to explain.
“No, it isn’t. I know you don’t want to hear about other women, but not a single one ever had me as hot as you did. I never
needed
anyone like that before. Never. And from you, God, it was so incredible. You’re the only one who
trusted
me, who didn’t just want me because I’m a good fighter. You see me down to the core, and trusted me.
“Then you were there, soft and naked right below me, and so damn sexy. Your lips touched my body once and I thought I would explode right then. The intensity was fucking incredible. So, no, it’s not always like that. Not at all. You’re my only love, Erin. The only one ever.”
He saw shy wonder in her eyes, and maybe even a little sense of pride. He was so glad his words didn’t frighten her. He only wanted her to feel ecstasy from him, in her body and in her heart. He felt like a sap for thinking that way, but Erin was unlike anyone he’d ever met. He was different because of her, better.
He rested with her for a long time more, unable to get enough of her touch. He rubbed her shoulders and kissed her fingers while they sat. He loved the electricity when her hands roamed along his chest and when her lips found their way to his neck and chin, placing sweet, small kisses there. The couple was just enjoying the moment in each other’s arms, reveling in their new love.
But after moment upon moment of feeling her warmth, Marcus realized that today was Sunday, and he owed his sister a call. She was going to be pissed that he didn’t call this morning and she probably already had the police and fire department out looking for him. He laughed at the thought.
“What?” Erin asked, amused by his sudden chuckle. “Did I do something funny?”
“No, I just realized I haven’t called my sister yet. I was picturing her overreaction is all. Do you mind if I call her now?” Marcus asked.
“Go ahead,” Erin said with a smile. “I’ll make coffee. If you want to invite her over for a cup, I’d love to meet her.”
Marcus loved the idea of his sister and Erin meeting. They were the only two women he loved and he wanted them to get to know each other. The fact the meeting was Erin’s idea just proved to him all over again how perfect she was. She was everything he needed and she didn’t have to be anything but herself. Her connection with him was effortless and he genuinely loved her for who she was.
He tilted her chin up again for a long, slow kiss, then lifted her off his lap so he could go grab his cell phone. He hit the speed dial and held the phone away from his ear so Erin could here the “
It’s
about time you called!
I was getting worried about you. I figured some disgruntled cage monkey came to finish you off.”
Erin and Marcus both laughed at her reaction and then Marcus said playfully into the phone, “Hi Cass, nice to hear your voice, too.”
“Shut up, Marc. But seriously, how are you? Everything ok? You’ve never missed a call in years.”
“Sorry about that, I was kind of busy this morning,” he said, winking at Erin. He saw her guilty smile at his comment and it made his heart rate increase a few beats per minute.
“Too busy for your sister? Nice.” Erin could hear from the phone that Marcus’s sister had the same playful sense of humor he did. “So what are you up to? How’s Erin?”
“Well, I was just about to have a cup of coffee at this really nice cafe. Feel like coming to meet me here? I’ll save a seat for you. I’ll tell you all about how things are going with her when you get here.”
“You? At a cafe? This I have to see. Besides, its been a while since I’ve seen you and I’d like a hug from my big brother.”
“Technically, you’re older than I am by a few minutes, big sis.”
“Yes, but you are much bigger than I am, so that makes you the big sibling.”
“Whatever you need to tell yourself. I’ll text you the address. See you soon?”
“Yep, I’ll be there soon. I’m walking to my door now. I need a break from studying anyway.”
Marcus hung up the phone and grinned at Erin. “I should have warned her what she was in for, but the look on her face when I announce that I have a girlfriend is too tempting to pass up.”
“Girlfriend?” Erin asked with obvious delight.
“If it’s ok with you that I call you that,” Marcus said with a wide smile, pulling her in for another deep kiss.
Erin kissed him back passionately and gripped his shoulders tightly as they kissed. She broke away from him, a little flushed and breathing just the slightest bit heavier.
“I’d better make the coffee before I attack you,” she said, still smiling at him. “And I need to put a real shirt on.”
“Aw, don’t do that,” Marcus said with a playful groan. He reached for her and felt each breast one more time, then leaned down and said playfully, “I guess I’ll see you later, girls.”
Erin smacked his shoulder at his comment, but only after a quick giggle. “Just for that, you have to make the coffee while I change. And by the way, I don’t mind if you call me your girlfriend.”
He smiled as he watched her walk up the stairs. Damn, she was absolutely perfect.