23. Marcus
23
Marcus
“Whatever it is, Harper, make it quick,” I mumble, closing the gym door behind me. She’s been keeping her distance these last few days, and I’d hoped she was finally seeing things my way. “I’m busy.”
“I need your help,” she says urgently. “Please.”
“With that?” I ask.
“Twenty grand.”
“ Twenty thousand dollars ? For what?” I move down the hall, away from the gym.
“It’s a loan, FYI. I’ve been planning to change apartments, and the agent finally sent me a property I really love. The thing is, I have to pay the deposit by tomorrow or I’m going to lose it. My investment will be tied up for another week,” she explains. “Please, help me. I really need this place.”
“Send me your account number,” I reply at once. Whatever my feelings toward her may be, she needs my help.
Harper gasps. “Thank you! Okay, I’m sending it now. ”
My cell phone beeps within five seconds, and I scoff silently. I’d bet this property Harper had already copied the information and had been waiting to paste. She knew I wouldn’t say no.
That has always been my weakness. No matter what my feelings are, I can never leave anyone hanging. Harper knows that.
My dad knows it too.
“I appreciate it so much, Marcus,” she gushes as I log into my online banking app. “I’m going to pay back every cent.”
I grunt.
The transfer takes less than a minute, and I send the confirmation to her. She hits me with another round of thanks, and I tell her take care, but as I’m about to hang up, she blurts, “Wait!”
“Yeah?”
“When am I going to see you?” she asks. “You haven’t said a word to me since the night I stopped by your place. Have you given any more thought to what your dad wants?”
“No,” I reply, opening game room door.
She sighs. “You sound so casual, Marcus. Are you really going to let your dad die without fulfilling his wish?”
Instantly pissed, I slam the door behind me. “Why the fuck would you go there, Harper?”
“I’m sorry, that came out wrong. I just—”
“You have no obligation to my dad. I do. If my pace isn’t to your liking, then move on. You already know how to do that, don’t you?”
“There’s no need for you to go there ,” she mutters with the nerve to sound annoyed at me.
“I don’t understand why you’re so into Dad getting us back together. I’m not on your level, remember?” That conversation still stings, even to this day .
“Come on, Marcus. I was only twenty-three years old and didn’t know what I wanted. Cut me some slack,” she argues.
For some reason, I start thinking of Lauren at twenty-three years old, having just graduated with honors, telling her dad how much she wanted to run Cain Industries someday. At that age, Lauren was making good, mature decisions. This is not an age thing. It’s a Harper thing.
“I swear, if I could take back that mistake, I would. I can only promise to be good to you going forward. Please, give me a chance to prove myself.”
Sighing, I unplug my spare charger from where I’d left it last night. “I need some time to think about—”
“And I’m willing to wait,” she cuts in urgently.
“I’m not finished,” I reply. “Even if I move on from what you did, I’m not sure how I’ll feel about getting married. To you or anyone else.”
“What about your dad’s wish?”
My entire body feels drained. “I don’t know. I’ll cross that bridge when I get there. Talk you to later.”
Ending the phone call, I make my way back upstairs, back to purgatory. At least, that’s what it felt like. I don’t even know how I got there, right between her thighs, my growing erection pressed into her soft center, fighting like hell not to rip those leggings off her.
Hell . That’s what resisting felt like.
So I must be a glutton for punishment going back, knowing she’s up there. Bright-eyed, cheeks flushed, nipples pressing against the fabric of her tank top—she’s aroused, and I’m horny as fuck. A recipe for disaster if I don’t want to mess things up.
I don’t. I swear. I want to look at Gabriel with absolutely no guilt when I see him. That should be enough to sober me, right? I’m a hot-blooded male, and I can’t stop my dick from getting hard whenever I’m around her, but the thought of betraying my friend’s trust should make me want to keep it in my pants.
I only need to survive the next day or two.
The empty room greets me as I push the door open. I should be relieved. Not having to tussle with temptation when I’m at my weakest is a blessing. So why do I feel so disappointed?
As I turn to exit, I spot her phone on the bench where she’d set it earlier. Knowing Lauren, she’s going to tear her room apart before she remembers where it is. I grab it and head it her room. Although the door is half ajar, I knock anyway. There’s no response, but I hear the shower running, so I hurry inside and rest the device on her dresser.
Turning to go, I hear it.
“Oh, Marcus.”
I whip around, gaping at the bathroom entrance. Oh, hell no. She’s not—
“Oh, yes…yes…oh!”
Blood surges to my cock. I grip the back of my head, staring, listening, knowing I should turn and go but not having the willpower to do so.
“God yes, Marcus. Don’t stop. Don’t… oh, fuck…”
She groans, the sound so sexy and loud and hot, leaving me with a rock-hard erection within a minute. Lauren’s fucking herself back there. Not only that, she’s masturbating to the thought of me.
Fuck me. There are so many things I want right now.
I don’t want her to stop.
I don’t want to go. In fact, I want a front row seat to whatever she’s doing in that shower. Is she fucking herself with one finger or two? Are her eyes open or closed? Are her breasts fuller now that she’s so aroused? How hard are those pink nipples? Is she touching them while she strokes herself? Fuck, I want to know. I want to see .
One step forward, and my conscience immediately raises an alarm. There’ll be no turning back, Marcus.
I fucking know that, goddamnit , but I’m already invested. I want to witness her screaming my name when she falls apart.
Another step, and it hits me.
Guilt.
It doesn’t matter if she’s thinking of me, moaning my name. This is her private moment, and I’m a creep for even lingering this long. I back out of the room even faster than I entered.
Days ago, I promised Gabriel I’d never think of Lauren inappropriately. The tent in the front of my pants is proof I’ve already broken that vow. There’s no way I’m going to survive here with Lauren after hearing all that. I need to leave.
Now.
I wince as the door closes much harder than I intend. Halfway down the hall, I remember the door was half-opened when I got there.
Shit.