4. Marlie
MARLIE
Hours later,the light above the fancy keypad beeps green, and Jack nudges the penthouse door open with his shoulder.
As I step inside, I can’t help the gasp that slips through my lips.
It’s nothing like the cozy seaside apartment I had envisioned Jack living in.
The space is open and expansive—the kind of apartments you see in magazines but never imagine you’ll step foot in. Floor-to-ceiling windows reveal a breathtaking view of the Barton Beach boardwalk, chrome and glass shimmer beneath recessed lighting and edgy art pieces line the walls.
“Wow,” I breathe out. “Your house is incredible.”
Jack grins as he watches me drink it all in. “This is your home too, Marlie.” Then he extends his hand to me. “Let’s head to the kitchen. I have a surprise for you.”
I take his outstretched hand and let him lead me down the hallway, feeling slightly dazed.
It’s been a day of dizzying highs and lows—starting with the most unromantic yet undeniably stirring moment when Jack and I said, “I do,” in front of a justice of the peace who looked as if she’d rather be anywhere else.
The ceremony was exactly as Jack had outlined—quick, simple, no frills. But the rest of the day has thrown me into emotional chaos.
All day, he’s been gentle and considerate, like he’s really my husband. Which is insane because there’s no way there could be anything real between us. We literally just met. But then there’s the way my name sounds coming off his tongue and the way his eyes seem to find mine like I’m the only person in the room.
And now I don’t know what to think.
As Jack guides me into the kitchen, my gaze lands on the island in the center. A collection of high-end baking equipment is sitting neatly on the counter, wrapped in a big pink bow.
I spin around to face Jack, eyes wide with surprise. “Jack, you didn’t have to do this,” I say, gesturing towards the gifts.
He waves away my protests with an easy grin. “Like I said before, this is your home now too, baby. I want you to have the best equipment if you’re going to be baking here.”
“But this stuff is like, ridiculously expensive.”
He saunters over to the bar set against one wall of the kitchen. “I’m going to be working quite a bit these next few months and I want you to feel comfortable here.”
His words sink in as he pours two glasses of wine from a bottle resting on the counter. Then he hands me one glass with a playful wink. “You’re welcome.”
With our drinks in hand, we settle into a comfortable silence until curiosity gets the better of me. “So is tomorrow your first day at your new job?” I ask him casually.
“Yeah,” Jack replies after taking another sip from his glass. His tone is nonchalant but there’s something guarded about his expression that wasn’t there earlier.
My interest piqued even more by this mysterious side of him, I tease him lightly, trying to keep things light-hearted between us despite my growing curiosity about his job. “Should I start worrying about spending nights alone here?”
Jack’s gaze snaps up to meet mine. “No.”
I tilt my head to the side and continue teasing him, unable to resist pushing just a little bit more. “And how can I be so sure?” I ask, my voice laced with playful challenge.
His next words are a velvet growl. “Because you’re mine, Marlie Barton. And I protect what’s mine.”
Mine.
There’s ownership in his words, a possessiveness that should scare me.
But instead, it entices me. Heat flares low in my belly as I think back to my makeout session with Jack on the plane earlier and the way it felt to have him between my legs. Would it be so terrible to belong to someone like him?
We spend the next hour in the kitchen sipping on wine and picking apart the day’s events. But as time ticks on, I start to feel tired. My eyes flicker to the wall clock - almost midnight. Then I feel myself start to yawn.
Jack’s voice is warm as he stands from his chair. “Come on, princess,” he teases gently, “Let me take you to your room before you turn into a pumpkin.”
He leads me toward a hallway that promises even more unseen luxury. The bedroom he takes me to is a quiet blend of plush fabrics and subdued hues. A king-sized bed takes center stage, promising sleep, backed by the same breathtaking view as the living room.
“Don’t worry, I’m following the rules,” Jack assures me as he strides towards the colossal closet door. “I’m staying in the guest room down the hall. I’m just going to change really quick.”
As Jack peels off his jacket, I can’t help but follow the motion with my eyes, tracing the lines of muscles that shift beneath his shirt as a strip of his tan skin comes into view.
Suddenly, I’m embarrassingly aware of how little experience I have with men like him—or any man, for that matter.
What would it be like to be held down by those strong arms? To feel the weight of his body pressing into mine?
I feel another zing of lust between my legs, stronger this time, followed by what feels like a flood of wetness drenching my panties. It takes everything in me not to clench my thighs together for more friction.
“A penny for your thoughts?” Jack asks, his voice teasing.
Can he tell what I’m imagining?
“Nothing,” I manage to say, though my voice shakes with the nervous energy coursing through me. “I’m just thinking about how I’m going to get out of this dress. The zipper was a little tight when I put it on.”
He crooks a finger at me. “Come here. I’ll take a look.”
And I’m drawn to him like a moth to a flame.
I pad over to him and Jack positions himself behind me, his fingers brushing against my skin as they find the small tab of the zipper. He gives it a gentle tug and the fabric parts, exposing my bare back to the cool air of the room. Jack’s breath fans over the back of my neck, making goosebumps rise along my arms.
It’s too much and yet not enough. I’m getting so turned on that my inner thighs are slick with desire, a heat pooling between them that begs for attention.
And then the unimaginable happens.
A gush- an actual gush - of my arousal seeps through my panties and lands on Jack’s foot.
This can’t be happening.
Slowly, I whirl around, my cheeks burning. “Jack, I’m so sorry. I’ll go get a?—“
But he holds up his hand. “Let me make you come.”
My eyes pop wide. “I-I thought we said no sex.”
A devilish grin spreads across his face. “That was your rule, Marlie. Not mine.”
“But—”
Jack brushes a strand of hair from my face. “It’s your wedding night. You deserve to feel special.” His voice drops to a husky whisper. “Let me taste you, baby. I promise I’ll make it good.”
“Okay,” I breathe out when we part, my voice barely above a whisper. It’s all the consent Jack needs.
He takes my hand, guiding me until the backs of my knees hit the bed. With a gentle push, I fall onto the plush comforter, and he follows, settling between my thighs as he spreads them wide.
“Wait,” I gasp, reaching down to still him. My fingers tremble as they thread through his hair. “I’ve never done this before.”
Jack lifts his head, his blue eyes darkening with something raw and intense. “Even better.”
His lips blaze a trail down my inner thigh. Then the world narrows to a point of pure sensation as he begins to flicker his tongue against my clit.
It feels surreal, the way he tastes and teases with a patience I didn’t know a man like him even had. He hums against me, the vibration sending another wave of delight through my body. Then he slips a thick finger inside me and my inner walls clench around him.
“Goddamn, Marlie,” Jack growls against my skin. “Love how tight this virgin pussy is for me.”
An involuntary moan spills from my lips as Jack begins to move his finger in a slow rhythm, stretching me gently. His other hand guides mine to his hair, thick and soft under my fingertips.
“Fuck my face, baby,” he instructs. “Pull me in closer if you need to. Show me what feels good.”
And so I do.
With a boldness that shocks me, I grind my clit against his nose. He adds another finger, and the stretch is delicious, a perfect pressure that builds and builds until I teeter on the edge of something monumental.
“More,” I breathe out as I buck my hips faster. The heat of his mouth, the steady push and pull inside me, it suddenly feels all-consuming. Each movement draws me closer, sends me spiraling towards a precipice I can’t see but desperately want to leap off.
“Do it.” Jack grinds out. “Come for me Marlie,”
And something about hearing my name fall from his lips cracks me open.
I let go, giving myself over to the waves of ecstasy that crash over me.
My body collapses onto the cool sheets, a boneless heap of trembling limbs.
Jack’s lips find mine, and I taste myself on him. It’s a flavor that is wholly me but marked by his presence.
My hand wanders down his sculpted torso until I feel the hard outline pressing against the fabric of his pants. I can’t help but want to explore further, to give him even a fraction of what he’s given me.
“Do you want me to…?” I trail off as my fingers curl around his thick length.
But even as I say the words, a blissed-out yawn escapes me as exhaustion sinks its claws deeper into my muscles.
Jack’s hands are gentle as they pry mine away from him, tucking me under the covers instead. “We can worry about that some other time, sweetheart.” Then he presses a kiss to my forehead.
I nod, another yawn cutting off any response I might have had.
The bed dips as he rises, and suddenly I miss his weight, the solid reassurance of his body next to mine.
I reach out, catching his arm. “You can sleep in here tonight if you want,” I find myself saying.
He pauses, turning to look at me. “Are you sure?” he asks, a hint of concern threading through his words.
“I’m sure.”
Jack climbs back into bed next to me, wrapping his arms around my waist. “Sweet dreams, baby.”
And it’s the last thing I hear before drifting off, cocooned in the warmth of new sheets and the lingering sensation of being completely, utterly alive.