Chapter 15
Maya
Ifelt fitful and my body felt feverish as I turned against a warm comforting surface that felt far more muscular than my bedding. My lashes fluttered open to find myself looking into a crisp white undershirt with the scent of fresh snow surrounding me.
Marco.
“Marco?” I mumbled, raising my head to find a pair of mint green eyes intently piercing through me. His look pinned me with an unintentional command that had my stomach tightening with desire while frustrating me at the same time. Everything from earlier flooded back in.
Instead of overwhelming myself, I tried to think about a rational question that didn’t include emotion. How long had I been asleep? I didn’t feel like it had been very long because my body still ached with exhaustion.
“Baby girl.” His hand swept over my forehead as his rough voice rolled over my ears. “How are you feeling?” My skin broke out into chills as he ran his nose against my cheekbone and my hands tightened on his shirt. Wanting him closer despite feeling odd about our argument.
“We got into a fight,” I mumbled my eyebrows dipping.
Clearly I was not cut out for the ‘don’t be emotional’ train.
I didn’t know how to feel about the argument though…
would things change between us? I mean, was it bad that we fought?
Did that make our relationship bad? When my mother and Jed fought it had been nothing less than horrible.
“Hey,” Marco cupped my jaw, “stop, Maya.”
“Stop what?” I swallowed nervously trying to not look away from his gaze.
Honestly, part of me felt embarrassed for earlier.
Not that I wasn’t being honest about what I’d said or felt, but it just felt…
rash. I think I’d been overtired and my nose had hurt a lot, so I had decent reasoning. At least that was what I told myself.
“Overthinking,” he pointed out, pressing a kiss to my nose that felt a heck of a lot better now, “I can see it happening.”
“I just… I mean, are you mad at me? I feel weird about us fighting.” I mumbled, my brows dipping. “What if this changes things? I don’t want to be like Jed and my mother--” I sighed into the kiss Marco pressed to my lips, soft and soothing, causing the anxiety from my body to seep out.
“First of all,” he stated, softly cupping my jaw, our foreheads pressed against one another, “we are absolutely nothing like them, okay?”
I searched his face, paired with a fierce convicted expression, and nodded seeing that he truly believed that. He continued, “Second, I’m not mad at you. I have absolutely no reason to be mad at you for speaking your mind, Maya. If anyone needs to apologize it’s me.”
I frowned, shaking my head. “I don’t think so.”
He hummed and nodded. “I do. I owe you an apology. I shouldn’t, and neither should Henry, have made it seem as though we were discounting your opinion on how to handle the situation.
” I could see his eyes flash with what I knew was his dragon, probably disagreeing slightly, before he continued, “We are a tad overprotective of you, Maya. Sometimes that clouds my decision making, I’ve found. ”
My smile grew. “Yeah? A tad?” I hadn’t realized it at first but it was true. They were protective over me. I wouldn’t call it ‘over’ though. I loved it.
His eyes lit up with slight mischief as he rolled us so that I was under him looking up at his stunning face. I smoothed my hand over his slight five o’clock shadow. “I just want, no I need, you guys to let me handle some things on my own. I never have an issue with asking you all for help.”
Marco examined my face and he nodded. “I know. You’re right. I need to walk the walk, not just talk the talk, as they say.” I smiled at the phrase as his next words warmed my chest.
“I said you’re an equal and I need to treat you as such.
But Maya, I will never stop protecting you.
You need to know that, honey. You’ve become…
” he exhaled, examining my expression before continuing, “you’ve become everything to me, Maya.
If someone tried to hurt you then they deserve ten times that. ”
A warm shiver ran across my skin at the darkness in his gaze.
I swallowed, feeling a bit nervous at the intensity of his words.
Mostly because I could feel the phrase that I wanted to say right at the edge of my lips.
It was more than a phrase though. It was a wave of emotions that had only been growing in strength and power.
I wanted to let it loose and to tell him exactly how I felt, even if it was new.
I knew how I felt even if I’d never experienced it before.
It was clear as day to me…but I worried about how he would react.
What if he didn’t love me like I knew I loved him?
“Everything?” I preened slightly as his eyes filled with liquid heat, turning them into burning emeralds.
I loved this side of Marco. I mean I loved most sides, but this was different.
Marco was so strong and serious most of the time, that seeing him slightly more relaxed, yet still heated?
It made everything inside of me turn up ten million degrees.
I knew that he was only like this with me. That this was special between us.
“Everything,” he nodded softly.
I bit my lip and searched his expression before going for it. I think I knew Marco wouldn’t hurt me. I think I knew how he felt…but it was still a risk. “Marco?”
He looked up from where his gaze had strayed to my lips, his chest rumbling slightly under my touch. “Yeah, baby girl?”
Here goes everything…
“I love you.”
Marco’s entire form froze and my pulse beat rapidly having no idea what the heck to say or do. Luckily, I didn’t have to wait long, his voice was rough and his gaze very intense. “You love me?”
I swallowed, nodding. “Yes. I think that’s what this is--”
Marco crushed his lips to mine as I let out a small whimper, my arms wrapping around his neck.
His large body pressed down on mine, his ridiculously hard dick making me feel all types of worked up as I nipped at his bottom lip.
Frustration was welling through me and I could feel my need for Marco ripping across my consciousness.
I ran my hands down his muscular side and tugged up his shirt, his large body pulling back to fully slip it over his head.
His breathing was rough as he melded his lips to mine once again causing me to tremble slightly.
It didn’t take away from the need pulsing through my center, begging to be fixed.
“Fuck,” he mumbled, pulling back. His fingers on my shirt stilled with slight indecision. “Maya, baby girl, I’m not sure--”
“Please,” I whispered trying to sound as sure as I looked. “I want you, Marco. Please.”
Any indecision seemed to fly out the window as a dark heated look came into his gaze. He gripped my jaw lightly before searching my expression. “Do you know what you’re asking for, Maya?”
“Yes,” I whispered, despite probably not fully knowing.
Then I was moaning against his lips as he tugged off my top with an impressive ease and my eager hands went to his belt, trying to get it off without breaking the kiss. I was slightly shaky and I could feel my excitement making me almost dizzy.
“Maya,” he groaned as my fingers slid against the outline of how hard he was in his dress pants. Dress pants that I was currently hating. Then he pulled back and met my gaze. A small dark smile flitted onto his lips, “hands up.”
“What?” I asked eagerly as he grinned.
“Grip the headboard.” He explained as I reached up immediately and his eyes lit up to match his wicked smile. “So damn good at listening. You should be rewarded for that, baby girl.”
I liked the sound of that.
I whimpered as he kissed down my chest, pulling the lace of my bra down enough that my already hard nipples grew harder in the cool air.
My hands almost came off the headboard as I cried out slightly at Marco pulling one of my nipples between his teeth, the other breast under his demanding hand.
I could feel how wet I was and my entire body broke out into a flush, very much ready for his hands… or mouth. Honestly, probably both.
“Marco,” I pleaded softly as he reached the waistband of my leggings and easily slid them over my hips and down my legs, glad I’d worn a set of mint green lace underwear.
Marco sat up slightly, undoing his belt and looking over me, his breathing rough and eyes nearly black.
I could feel my entire body shaking slightly and my heartbeat was pounding in my ears.
“I’ve got you,” he cooed in response to the almost needy whine I was producing, my fingers still wrapped above me like he had said. He stepped off the bed as I nearly sat up, but with just a hot look I kept my hands wrapped around the headboard wanting to know what he had planned.
“I want to touch you,” I complained softly as I watched him drop his dress pants. My eyes went slightly wide because holy crap, I felt like every time I saw any of them, they got bigger. I swallowed thinking about how that was supposed to…you know, fit inside of me! Christ.
Marco chuckled softly in a dark undertone, “Believe me, baby girl, I very much want your hands on me. If you touch me right now though, I’m going to be slamming home inside of you before I can make you come a few times. I don’t want to hurt you.”
“You won’t,” I promised as he climbed back on the bed and over me his fingers twisting and snapping my lace underwear, tossing them to the side.
“I liked those,” I mumbled but then my eyes rolled back as he slipped a finger down my wet slit.
He chuckled softly, “I’ll buy you ten more pairs, I promise.” I moaned slightly as he slid a finger into me, my legs opening fully to accommodate him. His kisses and nips along my neck making my skin break out into a hot flush.
“Fuck,” he growled, “you are so fucking wet and tight.”