17. Marcie
CHAPTER 17
MARCIE
DAY 2 – THAT NIGHT – A STORM THAT RAGES
T he first spits of rain splattered against the small windows just as Anton returned, his arms full of wood.
“Storm’s here,” he said, his voice deep and steady, like he was unfazed by the chaos bearing down on us. He moved to the small burner in the corner, crouching to stack the wood inside.
The damp air clung to him, accentuating the sharp line of his jaw and the way his shirt pulled across his broad shoulders. I swallowed hard, my throat suddenly dry. Even after everything we’d been through, or maybe because of it, I couldn’t seem to stop noticing him.
His presence filled the room, each movement of his hands deliberate, like he was always in control, and somehow, it made me feel… on edge.
Anton unbuckled his belt and opened the back with practised ease, revealing more compartments hidden within the leather. My eyes snagged on his hands, strong yet somehow so sensual. I licked my lips, thinking about how good it would feel to have those hands on me.
“So, what’s all in there?” I asked, my voice wavering slightly as I attempted to shake myself out of my lust-filled daze.
Mr Sexy Soldier glanced up, his smirk slow and knowing. “Not much you can fit in a standard belt, this one only has a Swiss army knife, flint, and compass. However, it does have a cool buckle too.”
He flipped open the rectangular buckle to reveal a small switch blade.
“Oh, that is cool,” I cooed, leaning in closer to examine it, my shoulder almost brushing his.
“But not very big,” I added with a smirk and a teasing lift of my brows.
“Size isn’t everything, Marcie. It’s what you do with it that counts,” he replied, the innuendo not lost on me. My heart thumped against my chest, and I gulped hard, shifting uncomfortably at the rush of wetness his words evoked.
With a smirk, he continued, “There are similar belts out there, but nothing quite like ours will be. We’ve been testing designs, combining features, and working on prototypes of items to include inside, making them more compact without sacrificing function. The military’s always looking to shave weight off their kits, and survivalists…” He shrugged, the motion pulling my focus back to his chest before I could stop myself. “They’ll love this.”
“It’s a brilliant idea,” I said, forcing myself to focus on his words instead of the way his mouth moved as he spoke. His closeness was intoxicating. “I hope you’ve patented it. You’re going to make a fortune.”
“We have.” He smiled. “Let’s hope so. Be nice to have something for the retirement fund…” His voice dipped as his gaze held mine. “Or starting a family.”
My pulse skittered at the words. Starting a family? What the hell did that mean?
I blinked, the air between us suddenly thick with unspoken tension. His eyes were unwavering, seeming to hold mine captive, and my cheeks burned under the intensity of his gaze.
If he kept staring at me like this, I was going to end up throwing myself at him. Again. Would he reject me this time? The heat in his eyes suggested he wouldn’t, but what if he did?
“I, um… I need to pee,” I stammered. “I’ll just step outside.” I turned and practically ran for the door.
“Don’t go far,” he called after me. “It’s dark, and the rain’s picking up.”
I nodded and slipped outside, the cool air biting at my flushed skin.
The rain was coming down harder now, soaking through my dress almost immediately. My teeth chattered as I shivered against the cold, my whole body trembling. Wind whipped at my hair as I wrapped my arms around myself and hurried across the muddy ground, squinting through the gloomy wetness. The sky was heavy with clouds, but the faintest sliver of moonlight broke through, just enough to guide my way. Ahead, the crumbling remains of a shed loomed, offering some small shelter from the worsening storm.
Stepping inside, I sighed in momentary relief as the roof held up enough to shield me from the worst of the rain. I quickly found a corner and squatted, the wind howling through the gaps in the wooden slats. That brief comfort did little to calm the jarring edge of my nerves.
“What was I going to do?
The bloody man was driving me insane.
What was going on with him? He was definitely flirting with me, but was that all it was? We’d kissed in the back of the truck this morning, but did it really mean anything? God, I wished I knew if this was real.
Should I try to kiss him again? Take things further? Could I handle another rejection?
I huffed, chuckling to myself. Well, it wasn’t like I hadn’t been there before. The difference was that Anton seemed far more receptive to the idea now.
And let’s face it, I’d already decided to take whatever he offered and run with it. In fact, I’d vowed to make him mine just a few hours ago. What happened to that resolve?
But what if I was making a mistake? What if, when this was all over, he no longer wanted me? Could I really survive that?
Damn it, Marcie. You only live once, and you may never get this chance again. You could be dead tomorrow. Just go for it, girl!
My inner voice was right. Despite Anton’s constant reassurance that he wouldn’t let anything happen to me, he might not be able to keep that promise. Or something could happen to him. That thought sickened me, but it also bolstered my resolve. Whether he rebuffed me again or not, I was going to grab this chance to be with Anton for all it was worth.
Shivering, but filled with hopeful anticipation at what the night might hold, I rushed back to the farm building. The fire had already warmed the little space, and the soft glow from the wood-burning stove cast flickering shadows across the room.
“Better get out of that wet dress,” Anton said as I closed the door behind me.
Was it just me, or did his voice sound a little strained? Hmmm, interesting.
As I slid out of my dress, Anton’s eyes tracked my every movement, not even attempting to hide it. His smouldering gaze threatened to make me spontaneously combust. Well, okay then. Maybe I wouldn’t need to take the initiative here after all. Perhaps Anton would be the one to take things up a notch.
Excitement coursed through me at the thought.
“And the rest,” Anton said, his voice a whispered command.
“What?” My eyes snapped to his. Anton’s jaw was clenched, his hands fisted at his sides, as if he were only barely holding on to his control by a thread.
Well, hell! Slowly, I smirked and bit my lip, all fears of rejection totally obliterated when he demanded, “Take everything off. Now!”
“Yes, sir!” I replied, grinning as I unclipped my black bra and threw it at him. He caught it and held it at his side. One side of his lips quirked up in a sexy smirk, and his eyes flared with desire as they scanned every inch of me.
His head jerked towards me, a muscle in his jaw ticking with tension, as he forced out, “I said everything,” through clenched teeth.
Oh my, Mr Sexy Soldier was coiled like a tight spring, ready to snap with the slightest provocation.
My hands shook with excited nerves as I very slowly shimmied my silky bikini briefs down my legs. Stepping out of them, I twirled them on one finger teasingly before flicking them at him. He grinned, plucking them out of mid-air without even looking. His predatory gaze never wavering from my now naked frame.
“Nice underwear, Marcie, but I prefer you without any,” he said before lunging at me. In two steps, he had me in his arms, my naked body pressed against his clothed one.
With one arm around me and a hand in my hair, he tugged my head back and leaned over me, taking my mouth in a searing kiss that left me completely breathless.
Dear god. I must have died and gone to heaven. I’d kissed Anton earlier and it had been wonderful, but nothing like this. Where that one had been more tentative, a gentle exploring of my mouth, this was a claiming. A complete and utter conquering of me. There was no other way to explain it.
My pulse raced, thudding in my ears, and goosebumps broke out all over my body as I shivered under the potency of his desire. His kiss was hungry, desperate, as if he couldn’t get enough of me. His tongue slid against mine in an expertly coaxed rhythm, urging me to respond in kind. The heat from his body bled into me, and the touch of his hand in my hair sent a delicious shiver all the way down my spine.
His chest pressed against me, hard and unyielding, and I could feel every inch of his muscle, his desire for me unmistakable. He was relentless, pulling me closer, deepening the kiss with a raw intensity that left me gasping for air. I clung to him, my hands trailing over his back and shoulders, desperate to touch him, feel him.
Anton pulled back for a breath, his eyes dark, wild, and utterly focused on me. I could see the struggle in him, as if he were barely holding on, and I didn’t care. All I knew was that I wanted him—now.
My sexy soldier exhaled sharply, his lips grazing mine before he kissed me harder, his hands pressing against my back, pulling me closer, if that was even possible. I could feel the storm in his touch—torrential, violent, and unstoppable, matching the one outside. Each move he made swept over me like a fierce gust, tearing away any remnants of resistance. My hands slid down his chest, my fingers trembling, almost desperate to feel the heat of his skin beneath his clothes.
He groaned, a sound so guttural, so primal, that it sent a jolt of electricity straight to my core. The thunder outside seemed to rumble in sync with the frantic pounding of my heart. Every nerve in my body was on fire, my blood humming with anticipation, with need. His lips moved from mine, trailing down my neck in scorching kisses that made me shiver, but I couldn’t keep up with him, couldn’t breathe with the way he was consuming me.
The sound of the wind, the rain—it all faded into nothing as his lips found their way to my ear, his breath hot and laboured. “Do you feel that?” he whispered, his voice a rasp. “That fire in me? The one that’s been burning too long to control?”
I nodded, my throat dry, as if the air had been sucked from the room. “I feel it.”
He pulled back slightly, lifting my chin with his fingers, his gaze searing into mine. “Then it’s time we let it consume us.”
With a growl, he hoisted me off the ground, pressing my body against the nearest wall, his mouth finding mine again in a bruising kiss as I wrapped my legs around him. His hands were everywhere, urgent, greedy—while tugging at his own clothes, desperate to remove the last barriers between us.
Wind howled outside the windows, the rain slamming against the building, but it was nothing compared to the wild, unrelenting passion that burned between us. Every kiss, every touch, every gasp of breath added fuel to the fire, until control was nothing but a distant memory.
The storm outside raged on, but it paled against the frenzy between us. This was primal, a hunger unleashed, feral and uncontrolled. And neither of us cared who or what might be left in its wake.