13. Marcus
13
Marcus
I’m going to hell.
And not just any part of hell: I’m heading right to the center of purgatory, where the most violent flames are. I can almost feel them licking my skin as I yank the drawer open with more force than necessary.
My express trip to Hades has nothing to do with lying to Joe that I’ll be taking Lauren home. It’s not because of this secret I’m keeping from my best friend. Gabriel will flip if he finds out I let his sister sleep under my roof without his approval. He doesn’t trust I’ll keep my hands to myself. Two weeks ago, his distrust would offend me.
Two weeks ago, I did not see his sister naked.
Two weeks ago, she was nothing more than my best friend’s sister.
I’m not offended. I’m understanding. If I was Gabriel, I wouldn’t trust me at all.
I don’t even trust me.
No, it has everything to do with the attraction coursing through my veins for Lauren Cain .
Breathing a sigh, I take a short walk down the hallway to the guest bedroom. I knock twice, and after getting no response, I gently turn the doorknob and enter. For some reason, I feel like an intruder. Maybe it’s from seeing Lauren’s lacy thong panties resting on the neatly made bed atop the dress she’d been wearing. Or maybe it’s the sound of the shower that confirms she’s stark naked in the ensuite bathroom.
From her soft, sultry humming, it seems she’s in a better mood.
I drop the towel and T-shirt on the bed and make a quick retreat, but it’s already too late.
I’m already thinking filthy thoughts.
My mind is already stained.
My body is already awakened, a surge of blood running through my veins and hardening my cock.
Dropping my body on the couch, I try to keep my mind occupied with the MMA tournament I’d been watching before Lauren showed up. Within two minutes, I lose focus, jealous of that water running down her body and between her thighs, tempted to follow their cascading path with my tongue, making her do more than hum. Scream . Oh, if only she could scream for me.
If only she wasn’t a Cain…
The shrilling of my cellphone feels like a saving grace until I glance at the screen. I consider not answering, but I know it will keep ringing until I do. Persistence seems like her strongest trait these days.
“I’ve been thinking about our conversation,” Harper begins after greeting me. “Maybe you were right; we don’t need to be rushing into anything.”
My brows shoot up. This is not how I expected the conversation to go. “Okay…”
“We could start by casually dating, you know, getting to know each other again. I’m sure you’ve changed a great deal over the last five years, and so have I.”
Oh, you’ve certainly changed.
“So, I was thinking…” Her voice trails off, and I sit up straighter on the couch, bracing for whatever’s coming next. “It would be nice to head over to your place, have a little nightcap, watch a movie…”
The shower’s off now, and Lauren’s humming sounds closer, like she has stepped into the bedroom. “Maybe some other time, Harper. Tonight’s no good.”
“Seriously?”
Lauren appears atop the stairs, and my mouth immediately goes dry. I swallow, but it feels like I just consumed a mouthful of dirt.
“Marcus,” Harper calls through the phone.
I shift my gaze as Lauren descends, but it’s not quick enough. I’m already getting hard again. I should’ve given her a sweater, not a T-shirt. Especially when she’s wearing nothing underneath it.
“Marcus—”
“Talk to you later.”
I hang up before Harper utters another word. Lauren walks by me, and I catch a whiff of vanilla.
“What are we doing next?” she asks, plopping on the couch.
“I’m going for a shower,” I reply. “You can watch a movie or something.”
Without waiting for a reply, I high-tail it up the stairs. My bedroom door bounces off the wall as I sail through the opening, making a beeline to the ensuite bathroom. I don’t even wait for the hot water to start flowing. A loud hiss flies from my mouth as the icy water hits my back. It’s what I deserve for getting aroused by my best friend’s sister.
But it’s not helping. I’m still rock-hard, still horny as fuck. Still entertaining crazy-as-hell thoughts, like hauling that T-shirt over Lauren’s head and feasting on her body. Are her breasts as perfect as they look? How would those pink nipples feel on my tongue? Would she moan when I taste them, run her fingers through my hair, beg me to do more?
The water beats down on me, no longer icy or unpleasant, sluicing down my body, caressing the length of my cock. I grip it, moaning from the pleasure that instantly fills me. Another moan flies from my mouth as I start stroking myself—
Fuck no. I can’t do this.
There’s no way I can masturbate while thinking of Lauren. I’m an asshole, but I’m better than this. I quickly soap myself while picturing old people on a nude beach, and I leave the shower limp as fuck but damn proud of myself.
As I make my way downstairs, a gentle snoring greets me. Lauren is curled up on the couch, her head at an awkward angle, the remote still clutched in her hand. I adjust her head on a cushion and can’t help but brush the hair from her face as I stare at her. I’ve always known she’s beautiful, but ever since that naked incident, it’s like I’m truly seeing her now. Neatly sculpted eyebrows, thick lashes fanning her rosy cheeks, pink, pouty lips that I shouldn’t be staring so hard at right now…
Fuck, this is creepy.
I drop my butt to the carpet and take the remote from her tight grip. The MMA fight resumes as I switch back to my browsing profile.
It’s still not enough to distract me.
There’s nothing strong enough to distract me from the fact that my attraction to Lauren is going nowhere.