Unlikely Hero (Atlanta #1) (28 page)

Read Unlikely Hero (Atlanta #1) Online

Authors: Kemmie Michaels

Tags: #Erotic Romance

She leaned to his lips and asked for his kisses. He gave them happily while he continued to push against her in the quiet darkness of her bedroom. After a long while, he spoke to her again.
 

“I love this Erin, but don’t be so shy. I know you like more than this. Just say what you want and you’ll have it.”

He looked her in the eyes, waiting for her to break through her shy sweetness. He didn’t want her holding back.

She met his gaze. “Marcus…”

“Tell me.”

“I want your mouth on me,” she said so quietly with a hint of a grin, almost embarrassed by her own request.

He smiled at her. “Baby, your wish is my command.”

He trailed his tongue down her torso in one long lick until he got to her panties. He hooked his fingertips into the lacy fabric and pulled them down her legs in one long sweep. He pushed her legs open and kissed her inner thigh.
 

“So pretty,” he said before he went down on her. He licked and sucked at her wet heat while she held his head tight against her. He could feel her move desperately as she tried to hold in all the moans building in her chest. “I love how you taste.”

Her breathing was heavy as she squirmed and writhed through the pleasure he gave her. Quietly he continued his efforts until he felt her tense. He moved two fingers into her wet center and wiggled them around inside of her while he licked strongly against her sex. She silently came hard against his mouth.
 

“God, Marcus…” she finally whispered. “oh…”

He kissed around her hips and legs while she came out of her pleasured trance. “Keep yourself open for me, baby. I need you now.”

“Yes,” she whispered to him pulling him up. She widened her legs even more. “However you want me.”

He sat up on his knees and saw his beautiful Erin spread out for him, on display and so hot. She looked him in the eyes. He loved the vision of her and wanted more of her hot body showing off for him. He moved her hands to rest over her breasts. Even without his asking, she began fondling herself.
 

“Oh, baby, look at you…” He watched for a moment longer and rubbed his hands along her body. “Touch yourself for me.
Everywhere
.”
 

He watched her slowly move her hands across her belly and then snaked one down between her legs. She looked almost embarrassed, but she didn’t back down. Marcus saw her shyly experience her own beauty and the sight was maddening. He watched her until he couldn’t stand holding himself back. He had to have her. He pulled his sweatpants off so nothing was between him and his release. He took her hands away from her body and pinned her down.
 

He pushed quietly into her, forcing himself to hold in his moans like she had. This time they were both straining to remain quiet. “Do you have any idea how fucking hot you are?” he breathed into her ear. “I love the way you move. Baby, you are mine.
Mine
.”

He kept whispering to her, calling her his own and claiming every part of her body with both his words and his actions.
 

“Yes, Marcus…ah…”

He pushed and drove into her with hard, powerful strokes. His words continued in her ear, hot and demanding. He was bringing her back to the brink along with him. His motions were becoming more desperate the closer he got to that release he needed so badly.
 

“Oh, God…” she moaned as quietly as she could while he pounded into her over and over.

Marcus didn’t let up at all. He was taking her how he wanted her as he pushed and stroked and got her closer and closer to another orgasm.

“Baby…” he breathed out, trying hard not to yell.

He slammed into her hard a few more times before his own need was powerfully satisfied. The sweat shone on his back in the soft moonlight from the window. He ground against her hard for the last few moments it took her to go over the edge.
 

Erin looked up at him, thoroughly satisfied again, and smiled. “I’m yours, Marcus. Body and heart.”

“Baby, I love you,” he whispered, smiling contentedly and still kissing her neck gently.

He reached down between her legs and pressed the heal of his hand against her sex and pushed his middle two fingers inside of her again. He gripped her gently but firmly and smiled.
 


Mine
. And I like giving you what you want. You can always tell me.”

“Then leave your hand there,” she said smiling seductively. He looked at her and smiled while he gently gripped and moved his hand in slow circles between her legs. Her eyes rolled back as she enjoyed his hand getting her worked up all over again.

Marcus walked down the steps the next morning and toward the smell of coffee from the kitchen. He smiled, thinking of Erin’s hot body writhing under his so quietly and passionately the night before. It had been torture to walk back to the guest room, leaving her warm and satisfied but unable to stay with her.
 

Breaking from his reverie, he turned toward the kitchen expecting to see Erin’s mom and her warm smile. Instead he was greeted by the hard glare of her father. He was sitting by himself at the table with two mugs of coffee set out. He gestured for Marcus to sit down. Without seeing another option, he sat down and met her father’s eyes steadily.

“Good morning, Mr. Connor,” he said guardedly.

“Marcus,” he nodded politely.

An awkward silence pressed in before Erin’s dad started talking.
 

“You know Erin is our only child.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Then I’m sure you can imagine how protective we are of her, how much we want for her. You know how special she is.”

“Of course,” Marcus said, not liking at all where this conversation was headed. He was about to get a super-sized helping of ‘you’re not good enough for our baby’.
 

“Then I have to ask. You’re just a janitor. What kind of career is that? How can you expect to provide for her? If you’re as serious about her as you seem to be, then why aren’t you thinking about that?”

Marcus swallowed down his anger and controlled his voice. How dare her father think that way? Hadn’t he demonstrated his commitment with regards to Erin? Her dad hadn’t seen past a damn thing.

“All due respect sir, but your question shows how many false assumptions you’ve made about me.”

Mr. Connor’s eyes narrowed and his voice remained flat. “Explain that.”

“For one, you have no idea about my job. I don’t treat it like it’s lesser work. I don’t go half-way with anything. I’ve earned two performance bonuses in the one year I’ve been with the service. I work a steady, full time schedule with a benefits package. I’ve never even called in sick.”

Mr. Connor’s glare remained solidly in place. Marcus took a breath and continued. He wanted Erin’s father to understand the man he was.
 

“And sir, you have no idea how I live. I save every dime I have. I put my sister through school and still managed to save money. Any winnings from my fights goes straight into savings. I guess it would surprise you that some cage-fighter/janitor has mutual funds. Erin trusts me, sir. That should mean something to you.”

Marcus was nearly shaking by the end of his rant. His father met his eyes, still looking hard at him. His glare was still disapproving. Marcus, unable to maintain all of his control, managed to only lose his composure through more words.

“I
am
serious about your daughter. I love her, Mr. Connor, and if you think for one second that I’m not doing everything in my power to make sure she’s taken care of, then you can’t see past your own negative opinion of me. I’m not going to be a janitor forever. Within five years, I’ll own my own gym. The paperwork’s already done. Erin doesn’t even know that yet. But I’ll tell you this. I’m working on our future. Anything I have is already hers.”

“Marcus, I have no doubt that your intentions are good, but actions speak louder than words. If you’re so honorable, then why the hell were you in my daughter’s room last night?” His voice was starting to rise.

“No offense, sir, but that’s our business more than it is yours.” Marcus kept his fists from clenching, but just barely.
 

“Anything under this roof is my business!” he said, getting angry.

Both men jumped when Erin stormed into the room still in her pajamas and her hair in a messy ponytail. Her eyes showed pure anger.
 

“Dad!” Erin’s eyes were glaring and her jaw was set hard. Marcus had never seen her like that. She was coming to his defense like a snarling she-wolf. “Cut the third degree. Marcus came to my room last night because
I asked him to
. He protested, but I insisted! Hey, since it was under your roof, do you want to hear the details?”

Erin’s dad looked at her, gaping. Marcus was floored at the strength and confidence pouring off her. He had never been more proud. Still, he had no idea what to say or do. He opted for awkward silence.
 

“Erin, sweetheart, – “

“No, Dad. You need to leave Marcus alone. He is the strongest, smartest man I’ve ever met. If you had any idea what he’s been through and how he used it to turn himself into the decent person he is, you’d never question him at all. But you don’t need to know all that. I trust him, and that should earn him some respect from you if you respect me at all.”

Just then Erin’s mom walked into the room and stopped in her tracks a the tense looks on everyone’s faces. “Is everything ok in here?”

“Just fine,” Bob Connor said flatly before leaving the table and walking toward the garage.
 

Marcus dropped his head in his hands and Erin blew out a deep breath.

“What was that all about?” her mom asked.

“Dad was acting like a caveman and riding Marcus about how he was going to ‘provide for me’. He called him ‘just a janitor’ and I want to kick him for it.”

“You heard all of that?” Marcus asked quietly.

Erin nodded. “I’m sorry for eavesdropping. I heard your beautiful speech and I didn’t want to interrupt. I wanted to give my dad the chance to believe you and accept you. When he didn’t, I couldn’t keep myself back anymore. I’m so sorry he spoke to you that way. He had no reason to.”

She went to him and sat on his lap to hold him tightly. Her mom came over and patted them both on the back in a quick hug before going out to find her husband.
 

Marcus finally moved Erin so he could look at her and smile. He wanted to show her that no matter what her dad thought, his feelings for her haven’t changed. “You’re a badass.”

Erin smiled and held her chin high with pride. “I learned from the best.”

They both poured fresh coffee and went to the living room to sit together while her parents worked through whatever they were discussing.

“I know you didn’t mean for me to hear any of that, but I can’t pretend I didn’t,” Erin said with a small smile. “Your own gym? That’s amazing! Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I just signed the papers last week. I was going to take you out and make a big production of it,” he said sheepishly. “But since you already found out…Bill’s taking me on as a partner.”

“I’m so happy for you! Your own gym…”
 

Marcus saw the dreamy look in her eye. She saw his potential and every good thing about him. He loved her all the more.

“Yep. He’s
giving
me the gym when he retires. He said he and his wife have saved for years and he wanted to give me a start, he doesn’t want or need any money. We’ve got an agreement to transfer ownership to me a piece at a time over the next several years while he teaches me the business side like an apprentice. He said that if he’d had a son, he would have done it this way, anyway.

“I can still fight if I want to for two more years. He’s planning on giving me a few newbies to train soon, too. After those two years I’ll have fifty percent ownership. At some point I’ll be able to quit my job and work full time training fighters and running the place.”

Erin smiled so widely. “You will be so good at that. Think about how many angry
Marcuses
you can forge into solid men like you. I’m so proud of you.”

Her genuine warmth and love for him came through so strongly in those words. Marcus couldn’t help but smile. The conversation at the table with her dad had been terrible, but Erin had come to
his
rescue this time; she made him feel important and worthy again.
 

“I love you,” he said grinning. “I can’t tell you how excited I am to have the chance to run my own gym. As soon as Bill started training me, even though I was nineteen, I knew it’s what I wanted to do. It all made sense to me so easily. I’ve been watching like a hawk ever since so I’d be ready when it happened.”

“Think about it, Marcus,” she said. “Think about all the fighters Bill has worked with, and he chose you.
You
are the one he loves and trusts like a son to take care of his gym. Because of the man you are.”

Erin was smiling at him when her mom walked into the room with a hard look on her face. “Your dad’s being bull-headed. He went out for a while but he’ll be back. If you ask me, he’s embarrassed for how he’s acted, but he’d never admit it. Stubborn Irish idiot. Marcus, I’m sorry for his behavior. He and I both can see how much you care about Erin.”

“It’s ok, Linda, but thank you,” Marcus said sincerely. “I’m sure he feels like he just got her back. He obviously wants to hang on.”

“You’re wise for your age,” Erin’s mom said now smiling softly. “Now why don’t you two go have an afternoon together. Catch a movie or something. I’ll keep things tight around here. You can take the Buick. Sound good?”

“Thanks Mom,” Erin said. She pulled Marcus to his feet and hugged him again and whispered, “I’m so proud of you.”

He held her tightly and rubbed her back before they went upstairs to get ready for their afternoon out.

Sunday evening Marcus and Erin were winding up a relaxed afternoon together. Erin had shown him around town and accepted his offer to treat for a movie and dinner. Marcus was glad for a break from the social pressure from her parents and the chance to be alone with his girl.
 

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