Chapter 7
Taylor
I shouldn’t be mad. We had one night together. That was my only commitment to Marco.
He made absolutely none to me.
We’re not a couple. We technically haven’t even had a date. I traded my body for car repairs.
Ugh. It sounds horrible when I put it that way.
No wonder I feel sick to my stomach right now. I walk quickly through the parking lot, wanting to leave this all behind me as fast as possible. In fact, maybe I’ll just Uber home.
Yeah. I should definitely–
“Taylor, hold up.” Marco catches my arm to stop me.
“Don’t touch me,” I snap and I’m gratified when he immediately drops my arm. I turn to continue.
“Hey.” His voice is coaxing. He keeps pace with me, trying to catch my eye from the side. “Taylor, listen. I fucked up. I need to see your face right now. Please.”
I stop and whirl. “What?”
He jerks his thumb in the direction of the hospital. “That was the don. My boss.”
I raise my brows and fold my arms over my chest. I don’t care if it was the freaking pope. What matters is that the truth came out. Marco pulled a one-and-done with me and now it’s over.
“He just made me promise I wouldn’t get a girlfriend and lose focus like my cousin has. So I panicked when he saw you here.”
It takes great effort for me to force some breath out of my chest.
“But you’re not just some girl who works at Sins to me.” He reaches for my hand and squeezes it. “Last night was special. I don’t usually go home with women.”
I purse my lips.
“I don’t. Leo can attest to that. But last night, when we were through, I didn’t want it to end. And I still don’t.”
I look up at him, my throat closing.
“Taylor, I was going to ask if I could see you again.“ He picks up my other hand and holds both of them between us, like we’re a bride and groom at the altar.
Damn my eyes for getting wet.
“You were?”
“Definitely. You weren’t just a good lay to me–excuse the expression. You’re smart, you’re hot. You’re ambitious. I know you’re getting your PhD in physical therapy. You’re going places, Taylor. I’m probably not the kind of guy you were looking to date, but damn, if I don’t want to be.”
He remembered what I’m studying. And he thinks I’m hot.
“Okay,” I say softly.
“Yeah? You’ll let me take you out? It will be on a proper date, with dinner and flowers, and the whole thing.”
I smile. “That sounds nice,“ I manage to say. “I would like that.”
He pulls me closer, tugging our joined hands right up to his chest. When he lets my hands go, I slide them up over his pectorals and around to the back of his neck.
“I want more of you, Taylor. A lot more.”
I tip my face up to his and rise up on my toes to mate his mouth with mine.
He smiles against the kiss, then takes over, catching the back of my head with his hand, and sweeping his tongue between my lips.
We kiss in the parking lot for a solid two minutes before Marco breaks the kiss, and picks me up with his forearm beneath my ass to straddle his waist.
“What are you doing?“ I laugh as he walks toward the car.
“Claiming you.”
I glance up at the hospital windows. “What if the don sees you?”
Marco sets me down beside the car and kisses me again. “Well, I’ll just have to prove to him I can have a woman in my life and still stay focused.”
My heart thuds against my chest. Marco really does want more.
With me.
I don’t know what it means, or what it would look like, but I know one thing for sure–
I want it, too.
Last night Marco rocked my world. More than that, I love the way I feel with him. Safe. Excited. Sexy and smart. Respected and objectified all at once.
Yes, I want more than just a taste of what he has to offer.
I want the whole thing.