Chapter 11 #2
“Tracy,” Mark said, but I ignored him and continued to look around. I just wanted my purse so I could leave before I said more I couldn’t take back.
“Don’t ‘Tracy’ me,” I snapped. I put my hand to my forehead, feeling flustered, angry and way too tired to do anything except curl up somewhere and sleep.
“Stop.” His voice came from behind me.
His fingers touched my hand. I let out a deep breath and closed my eyes.
“I’m tired.” I let out a shaky breath, my mind too jumbled to think.
“Why don’t you have a shower and get some sleep. We’ll talk when you’ve had some rest.”
I nodded angrily, not wanting to spend any more time talking to him. Besides, I couldn’t find my car keys but it was probably best not to drive when I wasn’t feeling as alert.
He released my hand. I went to the guest bedroom and closed the door.
I just needed a quick shower and to brush my teeth.
Then I would try and get some sleep. It was seven in the morning but I didn’t have any appointments.
Thank goodness. I wouldn’t be able to cope with that on top of the lack of sleep.
I had a quick shower and put the same clothes back on before I brushed my teeth with a spare toothbrush I found. When I climbed onto the bed and curled up, I was asleep before I could form another thought.
I shifted slightly and stretched. The sun was shining brightly into the room so I strained my eyes when I opened them. It was only when I saw the familiar surroundings of the guest bedroom in Mark’s apartment that I remembered what had happened the night before and this morning.
I blinked. Mark was seated in a chair, watching me .
“I thought you would have better things to do than watch me sleep,” I retorted, feeling a lot less grumpy than our earlier encounter. I sat up. “What time is it?”
“Late afternoon.”
“Why are you here?” I asked, still trying to wake up. I rubbed my eyes. Feeling self-conscious, I smoothed my hair. I must look like an absolute mess, still dressed in the clothes I had worn the night before. At least I was clean and I had managed to brush my teeth.
“Why did you stop me?”
“Stop you from what?” I managed a frown. “Drinking yourself to death? I’m not sure my presence had any impact on that. I was more watching from the sidelines than trying to stop your spiral into a glass of whiskey.”
“In the bedroom.” His tone was husky. My stomach dipped and I felt very conscious of the way he was watching me.
I felt the heat in my cheeks as I remembered what had transpired in his bedroom before I had put a halt to it.
“Drinking makes you do things you wouldn’t normally do.” I shrugged. Did I really have to spell it out for him?
“And you thought I would regret it?” he asked, sitting forward.
I shrugged.
“The last time that happened, you made it very clear you weren’t going to cross a line when it came to my brother’s friendship.” I made a disinterested face despite the fact it was still ego-denting. “I didn’t want you to regret it.”
He looked at me thoughtfully. “So, you did that for me?”
“Yes,” I breathed, not liking the feeling that came along with admitting it.
When he remained silent, I slid out of the bed. “Well, I’d better get going. You don’t need me anymore.” To keep myself busy, I straightened the bed. “Next time Matt calls, pick up the phone. I don’t want to have to come over to check on you again.”
Then I turned to him standing in front of me. I hadn’t even heard him move. He was so close I lifted my eyes to question his. His hand touched my cheek and I found it more difficult to breathe. This time his eyes held more meaning than they had the night before. This time it was different.
He leaned closer and kissed me. I closed my eyes to focus on what I was feeling instead of what was going on in my mind. I didn’t want to listen to the warnings going off in my head. I wanted to be just where I was, with the guy who was making my world move beneath my feet.
But no matter how much I wanted to just go with it, I couldn’t stop thinking of what it would entail for him.
I broke the kiss and put my fingers to my lips while I drew in a breath. “What about Matt?”
“I’ll deal with it when the time comes,” he whispered. My eyes drifted to his lips. I had him here, waiting for me. It felt unreal, like I was dreaming.
There was nothing more stopping us, but I hesitated. “Why now?”
What had changed?
“Some things are worth breaking the rules for,” he whispered.
I was hypnotized, unable to look away or break the spell that held us bound to each other.
“I want you,” I admitted, still feeling like something was going to stop us.
“And I you.”
His breath feathered my mouth as his lips descended to mine.
For the first time, I allowed my arms to slip around his neck, my fingers sliding into his hair.
There was no more hiding how I felt about him or how he made my heart race when he was nearby or how his attention made me feel more aware of myself.
I’d been keeping it hidden for so long, once I lifted the lid there was no stopping the rush of emotion I felt, and it left me breathless.
In that moment, there were no consequences, just the feel of his body against mine.