Marcus' Mortal Embrace (Book 3) (The Supernatural Desire Series) Page 14

  She responded to him with every fiber of her being. What this man could do to her was beyond comprehension. His touch was like liquid fire, and she swore that she would turn to ash–yet, she welcomed it. She never would have ever believed that someone could make her feel the things she was feeling. And no matter how much she might live to regret it, she was going to see where this went. She was going to take this moment and live for once.

  Marcus’s hands traveled across her body as soft as a whisper as he deepened their kiss. This woman was remarkable in so many ways, and he suddenly felt a twinge in his gut. She had trust issues, and here he was hiding something from her that was far from small. He so wanted to tell her everything, yet knew that now was not the time. He needed her to realize that he would never hurt her. That she could trust him with her life. He hated keeping what he was from her, but there was no other option. He would tell her…in time.

  He pushed the thoughts away as he lost himself in just the feel and taste of this wonderful woman. There were no words to express the feelings that she brought out in him. He wanted to protect her. He wanted to make her laugh and smile. He wanted her to know how desirable she was.

  His hands skimmed across her back as he pulled her closer, rolling over and taking her with him–more than ready to show her just how much he wanted her.

  Chapter Ten

  Liz woke to the wonderful smell of cinnamon and fresh coffee. She stretched, her muscles tingling, and a smile spread across her face. She felt amazing. She opened her eyes to see Marcus gliding across the room, a tray in his hands and a breath-stealing grin on his face. Oh, he was perfection, she thought with a smile of her own.

  “Morning,” she whispered, rubbing the sleep from her eyes as she pulled herself up into a sitting position, wrapping the sheet around her chest.

  Marcus set the tray down on the bedside table and leaned over, taking her lips. “Good morning. I made you breakfast.”

  Liz glanced at the bedside clock, noticing with a guilty grin that is was almost one. “I wouldn’t say breakfast, really,” she laughed. “More like lunch. Ugh! I can’t believe I slept this late! I don’t know if it’s the air out here or what.”

  The bed dipped as Marcus sat down next to her, his hip brushing against hers, and she smiled at the contact. It was warm and comforting. “That smells unbelievable,” she murmured, eyeing the steaming cup of coffee excitedly.

  He reached over and handed her the mug, which she took gratefully, inhaling the wonderful scent greedily. He snagged a cinnamon roll and brought it to her lips, the simple gesture sexy as hell. She opened her mouth and took a bite, her eyes not leaving his. “You’re going to spoil me.” She laughed, feeling as if she had the world at her fingertips. “And, then I’ll be incorrigible.”

  “I don’t believe you could if you tried,” he chuckled, fascinated by the gentle movement of her mouth as she chewed. The woman was flawless. Sheer perfection.

  Liz sipped her coffee, her mind going back to that first night in the kitchen and his gentle concern when she had burned her throat. Dear God, what had happened? How did she end up baring her soul to this man?

  “Aren’t you eating?” she asked, taking another bite of his gooey offering.

  “I have a habit of nibbling when I cook,” he replied with a guilty shrug. “I’ve eaten, believe me.”

  Liz laughed, her sapphire eyes sparkling in the light filtering in the room through the shades, and he was absolutely taken back. He didn’t know how this woman had gotten past his defenses, but she had, with a mighty slam, straight to his chest. He cleared his throat and stood, needing to put a little distance between them. He couldn’t get deeper involved with her than he already had. He didn’t have it in him any longer. This woman had made him feel things that he had no business feeling, and his willpower was less than zero when he was around her. This had all been just a momentary lapse in judgment. It had to be. No matter that they had made love more than once over the course of the evening, and he still wanted her over and over again, it was just a passing fling, and that was all. He needed to remind himself that she was mortal …and he most definitely was not.

  “Listen, I need to get some work done this afternoon,” he said, noting the subtle hint of disappointment that crossed her face, and he instantly felt like a coward. No, not just a coward! He felt like a complete ass. What in the hell was wrong with him? She had opened herself up to him and here he was treating her as if she had just been a fun romp in the hay. God! He hated himself more at that moment than he ever thought possible.

  “I’d love to take you dinner tonight,” he offered before he could stop himself. Damn it! What the bloody hell was the matter with him? No matter what his head told him, his damn heart was completely messing with him. He found that he wanted to spend time with her. He just couldn’t help himself. He just needed to clear his mind. He needed to end this mess with these rogues, and then… and then what Asshole he silently questioned himself. She would never understand what he was. The thought of her looking at him in terror cut right through his chest to his very soul.

  Liz seemed to study him a moment, those wonderful eyes of hers thoughtful and understanding, and it just made him feel all the worse.

  “Listen, Marcus,” she murmured, her silky voice low and even. He swore that he could detect just a hint of resignation there. “You don’t owe me anything. Last night…well, last night was amazing.” She set her coffee down on the nightstand and released a breath. “I don’t expect anything from you, believe me. You don’t have to feel obligated.”

  Marcus looked down at her, his expression unreadable. “I was engaged once,” he said softly, and saw her eyes widen. “I lost her. The night of our engagement party she was murdered in her home,” her hand went to her chest as she watched him, those glorious depths shimmering with tears, and he knew that there was no turning back. Not with her…not anymore. “It was a very long time ago, but I find myself unable to…” he broke off, suddenly realizing that he had to be insane. Since he lost Josephine he hadn’t even come close to allowing himself to care for anyone–yet, this woman stumbled into his life and blew that all apart. He cared for her! Damn it! But was it fair to bring her into his nightmare?

  Before he could stop himself, he walked back over to the bed and leaned down, his arms braced on either side of her, gripping the headboard tightly. His face was a mask of the torment that he was feeling. He didn’t know what is was about this woman that called to him…but he seemed helpless to stop it. He just couldn’t fight it any longer. He didn’t have the strength…or the desire to.

  His lips took hers–hard, demanding…desperate. He heard her soft moan and tilted his head, delving deeper into her sweet mouth. Her arms slipped up and around his waist as she returned his embrace.

  Liz moaned low in her throat, unable to breathe. This man was not expected, but here he was, making her feel alive, safe…She could feel the need coursing through his body and returned it ten-fold. She didn’t know what would come of this, she only knew that for the first time in her life–she was listening to her heart–and it was telling her to take this chance. Deal with whatever came her way when the time came.

  Her cell dinging caused her to jump and she broke away from his hungry mouth, giving him a small smile of regret. She reached over and read the text from Catherine.

  Angie is MIA. Ex has been searching for her–causing trouble. Will update when I know more.

  Cathy

  “Is everything all right?” Marcus asked, seeing the worry cross her face. He kissed her brow, smoothing the crinkle there and sat down on the bed beside her, wrapping his arm around her.

  “My charge is missing,” she said distractedly. “And, I guess her ex is causing a stink about it.”

  Marcus pulled her closer, leaning his chin on the top of her head. “I’ll do some digging and see if I can find anything,” he said softly.

  Liz shook her head. “You really don’t need to do that. The network has many conn
ections. They’ll let me know if they come up with any information. I don’t want to put you out, Marcus. This happens a lot. They get scared and sometimes will just run on their own if the opportunity presents itself.”

  “I understand that, but it won’t hurt for me to just do a little checking, will it? He asked while holding her gaze. “What’s her name?”

  Liz seemed to debate this a moment. “Angeline Baxter…but really, Marcus. Wait and let me see if the people at the network find anything. You don’t need to do this. I promise, if they haven’t found out something in the next day or so, you can do your thing.”

  Marcus nodded and dropped it, making a mental note to do some checking. His gut was telling him that it was something that he needed to do. He turned his body and laid her back against the pillows, hovering over her, loving the feel of her against him.

  “I believe we were in the middle of saying good morning when we were interrupted,” he whispered, nibbling at her lips and causing her to giggle.

  “We were?”

  “Yes, I do believe that since I was kind enough to bring you breakfast, a proper good morning kiss is in order.”

  Liz burst out laughing, trying to remember the last time that she had ever been this happy, and it was only a second later that she realized that the answer was… never. This amazing man made her feel as if she could conquer the world.

  “Hmmm? Just a kiss?” she asked, her mouth set in a thoughtful frown. “I mean, you did bring me coffee in bed.” She sucked her bottom lip into her mouth to keep from laughing. “That might deserve more than just a kiss.”

  Marcus groaned deep in his chest. “Really?” he rasped, lowering his head so that his lips brushed against hers, and she nodded. “Your breakfast will get cold,” he informed her half-heartedly, his eyes shining with heat.

  Liz glanced over at the tray. “Did I mention that I love cold cinnamon rolls?” she replied, gracing him with a wicked smile that had his gut clenching with the force of a hurricane.

  “Good,” he chuckled, pulling her tighter against him, his body instantly heating from the contact. “Because, that’s what it’s going to be.” He took her lips, hungrily exploring her warm, sweet mouth, and he knew that he was sliding down a very slippery slope with this woman. And he couldn’t have cared less. It was much too late. His tongue slid against hers as his hands began to explore her satiny flesh with quiet determination. Yes, he thought with a moan…he was lost.

  Marcus closed the door to his room and grabbed his phone. He could hear Liz next door–the water from the shower running and once again, he had the overpowering urge to forget everything and just go and join her. Jesus, his body craved it! It seemed as if all rational thought left him when he was near her. He had given her the excuse of having to do a bit of work in order to speak with his brother. He just needed a few moments to try to clear his head.

  Desmond answered after the first ring. “Well, hello brother,” he snickered. “I was just thinking about you.”

  “Should I be worried?” Marcus asked, the trace of a smile touching his lips. He was loathe to admit it, but he was damned happy. His night spent with Liz was one of the most amazing that he had ever had. She made him feel things that he had never felt before. Christ! He was in deep, and he just wasn’t sure if it was a good thing. His mind and his emotions were playing a game of tug of war and it was spinning everything out of control.

  “Not at all. We just hadn’t heard from you and I was curious to know what has been happening in your life. Been busy?”

  Marcus could hear the humor in his brother’s voice and his brows furrowed slightly. Just how in the hell did Desmond do that shit? Marcus swore his brother was psychic! There were times when it drove him absolutely insane. The only time that he had ever seen his brother out of control was when he had first met Abby. Other than that, his confidence and depth of perception drove him to the brink of madness.

  Marcus clenched his jaw and tried to keep his tone even. “I’ve been…” he trailed off with a shake of his head. Oh, hell–what was the use?

  Desmond burst out laughing, which only caused Marcus to scowl, his jaw tensing to the point of pain. “No worries, brother,” he said with a snort. “So…how is the human?”

  “You infuriate the piss out of me sometimes, you know that, right?” Marcus snapped, and Desmond only responded with another laugh. “I swear to God…” he huffed, although he was finding himself hard pressed not to join in his brother’s laughter, no matter how he tried to fight it…he just felt too good. Shit!

  After a few moments, Desmond’s voice grew serious. “It’s all right to be happy, Marcus,” Desmond stated simply, and the smile that was starting to curl his lips, died on his face in an instant.

  “I know that.”

  “I don’t think you do,” Desmond replied softly.

  “It’s just that with everything that is going on, I should be focusing on trying to find this asshole and not spending time with someone that there is no future with. Christ, Des! She’s a mortal! A God-damned mortal!” His voice had taken on a desperate, almost manic tone.

  There was a long moment of silence, finally Desmond sighed. “Marcus,” he said quietly, his voice smooth and even. “Don’t let the past, or your fear or guilt, prevent you from finding something that could be incredible. I find myself remembering someone telling me a thing or two about that not so long ago. And well, as for her being mortal…” Desmond said quietly, the humor coming back to his voice, “we can’t all be perfect.”

  Marcus rolled his eyes even as he felt his lips turning up in a grin of their own accord. Damn Desmond for throwing that back in his face! The man was a royal pain in his ass! He had changed so damned much since finding his mate…..and as much as Marcus hated to admit it…it was for the better.

  He heard the water shut off in the next room and felt a strange tingle of anticipation crawl across his spine. He couldn’t wait to see her again, touch her…kiss her. Dear God, he was pathetic!

  “Listen, Des, I don’t know what this is that’s going on between Liz and I–I only know that I can’t take the chance of anything happening to her. I need to find this rogue so that we can all rest easier. Elizabeth is…” he paused, running his fingers through his hair. She’s perfection…he thought with a twinge. “She’s a distraction that I can’t have right now. If I were to miss something…”

  “Marcus,” Desmond cut in, sounding completely exasperated. “You need to stop taking the weight of the world on your shoulders. We will find these two and stop them. Just relax a little.”

  Marcus snorted into the phone. “Isn’t that kind of the pot calling the kettle black,” he huffed under his breath.

  “Absolutely,” Desmond chuckled. “But, thanks to my mate, I have realized that there are things in this existence that are amazing and meant to be, if we only let ourselves see them. I think of what I may have missed if I had let my… stubbornness win. I don’t want to see that happen to you.”

  Marcus walked over to the window and looked out, startled to see that the sun was starting to dip below the horizon. He knew that his brother was right. He knew that whatever he was feeling was something that was rare and precious…now only if he could get his head to agree. That ever-present guilt skittered along his body, causing him to tense. He was a twisted mass of emotions, not sure which end was up anymore. To say that this woman had stepped into his life and turned it upside down was a severe understatement. She had blown his world apart at the seams.

  “Des,” he finally said, his voice low and raw. “How in the hell do I even begin to tell her what I am?” The very thought scared the shit out of him. This wasn’t something small or irrelevant. This was something that would blow everything that she had ever believed right out of the water.

  Desmond was silent for a long while, and then finally he spoke. “That is something that you will know when the time is right. Don’t sweat it right now. Take some time to get to know her. Let her see the man that you are.
”

  “Jesus, I feel like I’m in high school,” he spit out, his voice filled with disgust. When Desmond burst out laughing only a moment later, he wanted to slam his head against the wall. Good God!

  “Don’t worry so much,” Desmond laughed. “I have faith that you will handle it correctly.”

  “Yeah,” Marcus sighed. “I wish to hell that I did.” He let a breath out in a rush, and sighed, trying to get his thoughts under control. He needed to focus. “Hey, listen. I need you to check on something for me.”

  “Of course.”

  Marcus gave Desmond a quick explanation of Liz’s missing charge and her name. “Just see if your connections can find anything. She said not to worry, but I just have a gut feeling that we need to at least check it out.”

  “Of course. I’ll let you know if I find anything.”

  “Thanks, Des.”

  “Marcus, stop worrying and let things happen as they will,” Desmond replied, and Marcus found himself remembering that Bri had said just about the same thing. Christ! What in the hell was with everyone? That was something that was easier said than done!

  “I will. Please, give everyone my love.”

  “Consider it done.” With that, Desmond ended the call. He set his phone down on the desk and leaned back. They had arrived in New Orleans just before dawn and the house was silent. He stood and walked over to the window, looking out at the grounds. He had not been to New Orleans in a very long time and was not comfortable being away from the manor.

  “Is everything all right?” Desmond turned to find Abby standing in the doorway. He nodded and held out his arms, and she happily walked over and let him enfold her in his embrace.