Chapter 15 - Alexei #2
“You don’t usually do things like this,” I said. “You usually run or freeze or try to disappear when I’m too close.”
“I panicked. When I saw the blood on you. It felt wrong.”
I tilted my head slightly, still holding his wrist. “Wrong how?”
He swallowed. “Wrong like… you shouldn’t be the one bleeding. I don’t know how to explain it. It just felt like something I had to fix.”
“You’re full of surprises today, little star,” I murmured.
Marco let out a shaky breath that was almost a laugh. “I don’t feel very surprising. I feel like I’m going to pass out from how fast my heart is beating right now.”
I released his wrist slowly, letting my fingers trail off his skin. He didn’t step back. Instead, he went back to the bandage, finishing the wrap. When he was done, he taped it down and stepped back properly this time, wiping his hands on his pajama pants again.
“There. It isn’t perfect, but it should hold until you can get it checked properly.”
I flexed my shoulder once. The bandage was tight enough to be useful, loose enough not to cut off circulation. “It’s fine.”
Marco nodded, looking everywhere except directly at my bare chest. “Good. Um. You should probably put your shirt back on before you leave. It’s cold outside.”
I reached for the discarded shirt on the bed but didn’t put it on yet. Instead, I studied him again.
“You’re still shaking,” I observed.
“I’m still nervous,” he admitted.
I reached out, caught the front of his oversized baby blue pajama shirt in my fist, and pulled him forward hard enough that he stumbled straight into me. His small hands flew up to brace against my chest on instinct, but I didn’t give him time to think. I leaned down and kissed him.
I claimed his mouth the way I always did, my tongue pushing past his lips the second they parted in surprise. One hand stayed fisted in his shirt while the other slid around to the back of his neck, holding him exactly where I wanted him.
Marco made a muffled sound against my mouth, body going stiff for half a second before melting in that helpless way he always did when I kissed him like this. His fingers curled tighter into my open shirt, gripping the fabric like he didn’t know whether to push me away or pull me closer.
I kissed him harder, biting his bottom lip just enough to sting before soothing it with my tongue.
He tasted sweet and nervous and warm, and the tiny whimper he let out when I angled his head to deepen the kiss went straight through me.
I could feel the way his knees weakened, the way he had to lean into me to stay upright. Perfect.
When I finally pulled back, his lips were swollen and wet, eyes glassy. He was breathing hard, cheeks flushed dark, looking thoroughly wrecked and still a little dazed. Exactly how I liked him.
“Your phone,” I said.
Marco blinked slowly, like the words were taking too long to reach his brain. He was still dazed, and the way his gaze kept flicking to my mouth told me he wasn’t fully back yet. I reached into the pocket of his pajama pants myself, fingers brushing against his hip as I pulled out the phone.
I unlocked it easily. He really should put a passcode on this thing. I opened a new contact. While I typed, I kept him close with my other hand still loosely fisted in his shirt, keeping him trapped against me.
“Are you scared when I kiss you?” I asked without looking up from the screen.
Marco swallowed audibly.
I finished entering my number, saved the contact as “A.”, then finally met his eyes again.
“Scared I’ll rip your clothes off and do more?” I continued, voice dropping darker. “Scared I’ll bend you over this bed right here in your empty house and fuck you until you can’t walk straight? Until the only thing you remember is how it feels to have me inside you?”
His breath hitched. The flush on his face deepened until it reached his collarbones, and his lips parted on a shaky exhale. He looked terrified, properly terrified, but there was something else there too.
I smirked, just a tiny lift at the corner of my mouth, and held the phone up between us so he could see the new contact.
“That’s my number. Reply when I text you.”
I let go of his shirt and stepped back, giving him space even though every instinct in me wanted to keep him pinned. Marco took the phone from my hand with trembling fingers, clutching it to his chest.
“I…” His voice cracked. He cleared his throat and tried again, smaller. “I’ll… I’ll reply.”
“Good boy.”
I reached out one last time and brushed my thumb across his swollen bottom lip, wiping away the shine I had left there. He shivered under the touch.
“Next time,” I murmured, leaning in just close enough that my breath ghosted over his ear, “don’t wait until I’m bleeding to touch me. I might not be so patient.”
I straightened up, buttoned my shirt the rest of the way, and grabbed my coat.
I walked to the door without another word, but paused with my hand on the handle.
“Lock up after I leave,” I said over my shoulder. “And don’t cook alone.”
Then I was gone. As I walked to my car, I could still taste him on my tongue and I wanted to go back in there, drag him to that bed, and ruin every last bit of him until he was crying my name and begging for more.