It was like something inside us shattered, breaking free with the force of our kiss. All the buried tension, the unspoken hunger, exploded between us, wild and relentless. His hands, calloused and commanding, cradled my jaw, tilting my face up to meet his and deepening the kiss until our tongues tangled fiercely, clashing and exploring with desperate need.
I gripped his broad shoulders, pressing every inch of my body against his, trembling as I fought to stay grounded, to not lose myself completely.
His arm slid around my waist, pulling me harder against him, and my legs instinctively wrapped around his hips, grinding against the hard, undeniable length pressing through the fabric of his towel. His other hand tangled in the back of my hair, guiding me with a fierce possessiveness that sent heat spiraling through my veins.
Before I could catch my breath, he lifted me effortlessly and laid me back on the bed, his body towering over mine like a storm ready to consume. His dark eyes burned with raw desire, hooded and intense, softening only when I breathed,"Marcus..."
His arousal pressed firmly against the towel between my legs, with only these thin fabrics between us. A scorching promise of what was to come. And I knew, without a doubt, that once we've gone past the threshold, that nothing between us would ever be the same.
He held my jaw firmly, his gaze traveling with his hands as they traced downward, framing the curves of my body before resting at the edges of my trousers. His thumb moved in gentle, deliberate circles against my belly beneath my shirt.
"Forgive me," he said, his voice low. "I did not have the strength to resist any longer. You test what little restraint I possess."
"I don't want you to," I whispered.
No sooner had the words escaped my lips than he tugged down my trousers, his mouth descending to press tender kisses between my thighs. A sharp shiver ran through me, my back arching involuntarily. My fingers dug into the sheets, clutching tightly as his tongue began its worship, tracing delicate, electric paths between my legs.
"Oh, fuck..."
His tongue traced a fiery path upward, each flick and glide igniting a blaze beneath my skin as Marcus worshiped me with deliberate reverence. Rising slowly, he pushed my shirt up and claimed my breast with heated kisses, his mouth leaving a trail of fire in its wake.
Without hesitation, his hand then found the knot of the towel at his waist, tugging it free with a fierce swiftness that left no room for doubt. The cool air kissed his bare skin as he positioned himself between my trembling thighs.
He murmured a phrase in Latin, unfamiliar but charged with meaning. His voice a low growl brimming with barely contained desire. Then he spread my legs wide and entered me, slow and purposeful.
My hands clenched the broad expanse of his back, fingers digging deep into his muscle as he claimed me wholly.
The world narrowing to the heat burning between us. The slick sound of our joining. The raw, unyielding rhythm of his movement. Each stroke was a fierce declaration. Each breath, a testament to the fire we had ignited.
He flipped me onto his chest, pulling me down to straddle him, but I didn't pause. I kept moving, desperate to feel every inch of skin against skin. My hands slid up, pulling my shirt free, shedding the very last barrier between us as I pressed myself harder against him.
My lips parted, releasing moans that tangled with his low, guttural grunts. His length stretched deep inside me, claiming me with an exquisite fire that set every nerve alight.
"Beautiful," he breathed, fingers threading through my hair as his mouth descended once more to my breast. His teeth grazed my nipple, sharp and teasing, making me tighten my grip on his broad shoulders. He chuckled softly, a dark, thrilling sound that shivered down my spine.
Then, with a shuddering cry, I broke.
Screaming out as pleasure crashed over me like a wave, raw and overwhelming. Marcus lost himself in the moment, his movements growing wild, desperate to match the fierce intensity of my release.
Then, with a growl that shook through us both, he followed. His climax crashing down in fierce, unrelenting waves.
I lost track of how long I stayed buried against his chest, struggling to catch my breath. I didn't know how long he held me, his arms wrapped protectively around me as if I belonged to him.
And in that moment, I had never felt more at home. Never felt this safe, this at ease, in what felt like an eternity.
My hands drifted to the bandage wrapped around his side, and suddenly, the weight of what we had just done dropped heavily on me.
I pushed myself up, a soft moan escaping as I pulled myself away from him. My body was already instantly mourning the loss of him. The way my core clenched tight as his arousal slipped out of me, tracing slow, hot paths down my thighs.
My eyes fell to the bandage, relief flooding through me when I saw no blood. Proof that he hadn't reopened his wound.
Marcus pushed himself up, sitting fully upright. His voice was quiet, but laced with concern. "Have I hurt you?"
"No, you didn't." I said, reaching for my shirt next to him.
He held my wrist.
I looked up.
"You are avoiding me," he said. "Why is that, Elena?"
"I am not," I said, my voice higher, more defensive than I intended.
"You are avoiding my gaze," he said. "I have studied you enough to know that. So tell me, have I hurt you? Or are you regretting what we did?"
Sometimes, I forgot how straightforward Marcus can be. A man of his standing...of course he was used to answers given plainly, without hesitation.
I pulled away from his touch, reaching for my shirt and slipping it back on, if only to give myself something to do. Something to steady the sudden rush beneath my skin.
"No," I said, a little too quickly. "I'm just...hungry."
His brows lifted, unconvinced. Of course he didn't believe me.
"Nothing is wrong, Marcus," I added, quieter this time, my hand brushing through my hair as I avoided his gaze. It didn't help that he sat there so at ease, so utterly unbothered, like the space between us meant nothing at all.
Like I wasn't unraveling.
"I just..." I hesitated, my voice faltering despite myself. "I've never done this before."
That made him still.
"Not like this," I clarified, forcing myself to look at him, even if it only lasted a second. "Not with someone I'm supposed to be taking care of."
The words lingered between us. Thin, fragile. And somehow, far more revealing than I meant them to be.
"Are you a virgin?" he asked quietly.
I shook my head, heat blooming in my cheeks as I turned away. My hands trembled slightly, nerves making the simple act of opening the lid of our dinner feel heavier than usual. "We should eat. I hope you like—"
Before I could finish, his hand slid around my waist, gently but firmly twisting me toward him. He pressed me against the wall beside the mounted TV. His fingers lifted my chin, guiding my gaze to meet his.
My lips parted slightly, caught off guard by the darkening in his eyes and the familiar pressure of him pressing against me once again.
His grip on my chin tightened. Not enough to hurt, but enough to hold me there.
"You say this means nothing," he murmured, his voice low, controlled. "That I am merely a man under your care."
My breath hitched.
"But where I come from," he continued, his gaze unwavering, "this is not something done lightly, Elena."
My heart began to pound.
"A woman does not give herself to a man without consequence," he said. "And a man does not take her...without accepting what follows."
I swallowed. "Marcus—"
"You are mine now," he said, more firmly.
The words struck harder than they should have.
"In body, in loyalty," he went on, his voice steady, certain. "You will not lie with another. You will not give yourself where you have already given it once."
Something in me snapped.
Before I could think, my hand came up and struck his cheek.
The sound cracking through the room.
For a moment, everything stilled.
Marcus didn't move. Didn't even flinch.
Slowly, he turned his head back to face me with a faint mark blooming across his skin. His expression unreadable.
My chest rose and fell, breath uneven.