Part 6 (1/2)

It had been building inside, a storm she'd been holding back and now, she gave into it. As it broke inside her, she kept her teeth locked on her lip, biting so hard she tasted blood.

And in her mind, she said the words she'd wanted to say to him for so long.

I love you...

Morning came, a brilliant golden glow. Beautiful, stunning...and too d.a.m.ned early.

Groaning, Chaili snuggled deeper into the bed, trying to hide from the light and wondering why in the h.e.l.l she'd left her curtains open. She didn't want to get up to shut them, though. She never slept this well anymore. Her mattress was ten years old and there was this one spot where she always ended up with the wires poking into her ribs- ”I take it you're not a morning person.”

She tensed.

Oh, h.e.l.l.

Either she was still dreaming or the dream she'd been having last night...

The warm male body pressed up against her back s.h.i.+fted, stretched. A hand, big, hard and warm, caught her leg just behind the knee, pushed it high. ”I'm going to f.u.c.k you again, Chaili,” Marc whispered against her ear. ”Just like this.”

”Oh, h.e.l.l.”

He laughed softly as he moved up onto his knees.

She'd barely caught her breath before he pushed inside, crouched over her. Her left leg was trapped between his and he had her right leg hooked over his elbow. As he started to thrust inside her, her breath caught.

The black silk of his hair fell into his face, and his eyes, still heavy lidded with sleep, watched her.

”I want to do this again,” he rasped as he moved over her, in her, possessing her. Overwhelming her. ”And again. And again.”

In the soft, golden light of morning, there was no mistaking the want in his eyes. The need.

And she feared it would be hard to hide what she felt. Closing her eyes, she turned her face to the pillow as he moved inside. Bit her lip as her heart swelled inside her, as the need and yearning and want threatened to spill out and overwhelm her.

Love you...she thought blindly. Desperately.

Always him. Only him.

And now, not only did she have her dreams and memories to haunt her, she had the taste of him imprinted on her senses, the feel of his hands rasping over her flesh...

”Look at me,” he growled.

Turning her head, she stared at him through her lashes. Fire burned through her. And at the look in his eyes, the need only grew.

”Watch me.”

Her breath caught as their gazes locked. The jewel-like tones of her eyes seemed to glow. Seemed to burn.

Marc hunkered over her, wis.h.i.+ng he could make the moment last...and last. She was so f.u.c.king beautiful, and when she looked at him, he felt...h.e.l.l, like himself. He felt real and whole, like he didn't have to hide, like she was just fine with the man making love to her.

But it couldn't last...wouldn't. As she tightened around him, her lashes drifting low over her eyes and a broken moan escaping her, the silken muscles in her p.u.s.s.y milked him, clutching at him. She was so soft, so tight. She reached down, gripping his wrist, her nails sinking into his skin like she had to have something to hold on to.

He understood that... He felt like he was about to fly into a million pieces.

As she cried out, the climax twisting through her, he drove deep...and fell apart.

He wasn't even sure if there were a million pieces left when it ended. She just might have undone him completely.

He was cuddled up against her back once more and Marc was pretty certain it was the best way to spend a morning. Ever. Normally he'd think something like that through about fifty times before he said it to a woman, and maybe debate about it for a few days, wait until the opportunity arose again before he said it. Especially considering how often his mouth ended up getting him in trouble.

But he didn't have to do that here, not with Chaili. Stroking his thumb along her side, he reminded himself of that.

Then his thoughts stuttered to a halt as he stroked his thumb over her side. There was a ridge under his thumb. Raised against her soft, smooth flesh. A scar...?

What...

As his mind started to process that, she reached up with her hand, guided his hand down to her hip. Closing his eyes, he blew out a breath. She had a scar on her ribs. Okay. Would explain why she didn't want to take off the s.h.i.+rt. He'd thought maybe she was just self-conscious. Chaili had always had a long, lean build. Amazing legs. An a.s.s that made his hands itch to touch... Jerking his mind back on track, he thought it through. So it was self-consciousness. And maybe something else. He could still remember that flicker of pain he'd seen in her eyes last night. He'd figure it out.

It was a bridge he'd cross next time, or the time after.

Now he just needed to make sure she'd be open to a next time.

”I've been thinking,” he said softly.

Chaili laughed, shooting him a look over her shoulder. ”Thinking...is that what we call it now?”

He swatted her hip lightly. ”Brat.” He nipped her neck and then licked her skin, loving the taste of her. ”Hmmm, you taste good. Anyway, I was thinking. I've decided this is probably the best way I've ever spent a morning. Matter of fact, I'm pretty d.a.m.n sure of it.”

A faint blush settled over her cheeks. ”Hmm. Well, considering it's a ridiculously early hour, I guess it's not been too bad.”

”Gee, thanks,” he said deprecatingly.

”Hey, I can't help that you've got windows that face the sun and I was woken up at the crack of dawn.” She sniffed and snuggled back down into the bed. ”Although I guess it's a good thing. I've got a big project and I need to get to work. If something didn't wake me up, I just might have slept the day away. This bed is amazing.”

He grinned down at her. ”So you're pleased about the bed.”

A smile curled her lips. ”I'm pleased about everything right now, truth be told.”

”Good.” He sat up, pus.h.i.+ng his fingers through her hair. ”I was wondering...ah, maybe we could go out sometime. Like, um...a date. You know.”

Smooth, Casanova, he told himself.

She rolled onto her back, pulling the blankets up and tucking them under her arms. ”A date.”

”Well...yeah.” Shooting for a smile, he managed what he figured wasn't too strained. And why did he have to try and smile around Chaili, anyway? Being with her felt easy. Natural. Why in the h.e.l.l was he putting up with women who annoyed the h.e.l.l out of him when he could have this? ”I mean, we had fun and all, right?”

”Sure.” She sat up. ”Fun. Although this was a little more than I think we planned on.”

”Yeah.” Okay, he was struggling here. He knew it, could feel it. Could feel the slippery ground under his feet. ”I guess I got my money's worth, right?” As soon as he said it, he wanted to jerk it back. ”s.h.i.+t. I didn't mean it like that.”