Mine to Protect

by Sarah J. Brooks

  “Well, I don’t know when you fell asleep, but I’ve been out here for twenty minutes and found you looking like sleeping beauty in that chair.”

  “It is just crazy in there. I can’t even breath, my anxiety is so high. I don’t know how I’ll be able to go back in there.”

  “There are a lot of people in there,” he agreed. “I even met that boy toy of yours in there, and he seemed to have a second boy toy?” Marcus asked with an inquisitive look.

  “Yeah, both of them.”

  “Well, then I think my weird thing is probably going to be just fine with you,” he said playfully.

  “We can talk about that later, for sure.” I laughed. “Now, tell me if the gallery is thinning out of people yet? It was so overwhelming in there.”

  I didn’t want to be the person who complained at their gallery opening. I certainly was very grateful for the opportunity. But I was genuinely about to have a panic attack, and the only thing that made me feel better was being out on the balcony with Marcus. I stood up to give him a hug, but Marcus sat down in the lounge chair and motioned for me to come sit with him.

  “There’s no room.” I laughed.

  “Yes, there is,” he demanded.

  He grabbed my hand and pulled me onto his lap. His lips quickly moved to mine and met me with a desire that I wasn’t ready for. I could feel his hand moving up my skirt, and within moments, he had pulled my panties off.

  I wanted to stop him, but I wanted to keep feeling his touch on my body also. It was an internal struggle between my mind and my body. The stress of the evening was so overwhelming, and I knew that there was a way for me to release all of that stress.

  Eventually, my body won out.

  Marcus unzipped his suit pants and pulled himself out. I could see his cock throbbing in the dull light of the balcony. It pulsed with a desire to be inside me.

  He quickly slipped a condom on and then grabbed me and set me on top of his cock. I slid down hard and started moving diligently against his thrusts. I had so much pent up energy; I just wanted a release. I needed a release so badly.

  My body reacted quickly to the pleasure of Marcus thrusting inside of me. I could feel my clit sliding up and down against his body, and there was a buildup of desire that I couldn’t hold back. Just as I was about to cum, Marcus stopped thrusting.

  He held my body tightly and prevented me from moving against him.

  Marcus pulled me off of him, and I stood up near the edge of the balcony as Marcus got up from the lounge chair. With a defining force, he turned me around and bent me over the railing. I loved how he took charge of me at that moment.

  As I looked down, I could see people walking on the streets. I looked around to see if there was anyone watching us, but I couldn’t see anyone. Not that I would have stopped him from taking me, but it was nice to know that no one was paying attention to us.

  He slid into me rough and hard. I let out a moan, and he reached around to muffle me with his hand. He used his grip on my mouth as leverage as he thrust harder and harder inside of me. He was enjoying making me scream and hearing my muffled voice.

  It felt so exhilarating to be outside on that balcony and fucking Marcus. It was nothing I would have ever imagined doing, and I probably would never do it again, but on that night, it seemed like the right thing to do.

  I held onto the railing as his thrust got even deeper and harder. I couldn’t help the screams of pleasure that came out of my mouth and was happy Marcus kept his hand covering me. As he delivered his final few thrusts, I felt a release of explosion, and my screaming finally stopped. My whole body stopped. I could hardly move; the pleasure jolting through my body was just the buzz I needed to continue on with the anxiety of my photography show.

  In my daze, I was able to find my shoes, but I couldn’t find my panties. I looked all around, but it was just dark enough that I couldn’t find them. I decided I’d have to continue without them.

  Marcus went over toward the door and waited for me so we could go inside.

  “Shit, I should get back to the party. But I just can’t. It is so overwhelming in there. People keep asking me a million questions. I thought the worse that could happen was they wouldn’t like my work, but apparently, liking my work can also be very bad.”

  Marcus didn’t say a thing but just opened the door and waved me back into the gallery. He grabbed my arm and placed it on the corner of his, and I held onto him as we made our way around to look at the pictures.

  When he got to about the fourth picture, Marcus laughed.

  “What’s so funny?” I asked.

  “I have your panties in my pocket,” he said with a sly grin.

  It was too late to worry about that now. I just laughed, and we moved on to look at some other pictures. It was nice having him with me because people didn’t feel as obligated to come and ask me questions. I was so sick of answering the same questions over and over again.

  He seemed mesmerized by my work and stopped to look at every single one of my photos. He didn’t ask me a bunch of questions and didn’t seem to care where I took them or with what camera. He just enjoyed them. I liked that.

  “Hey guys,” Stanley said as he and Rob joined us in front of one of the paintings.

  “Rob this is Marcus, right? It’s Marcus?” Stanley asked as the three men took turns shaking hands.

  Marcus was clearly confident of his spot in this foursome. He held onto me with one arm and shook hands with the other two without missing a beat. I’d hungered to have a man like Marcus in my mix. A man who was alpha in his life and our relationship but still found the softer side of him that allowed him to share me with others. He was like a unicorn in my world, and I intended to try and hold onto him.

  “Yes, Marcus,” he answered. “You’re Stanley, and who are you?” Marcus asked as he looked at Rob.

  “Rob,” he said equally as stern as Marcus.

  “Ah yes, I saw you leaving Isabella’s house the other day.”

  “Where do you live? Right next door?” Rob laughed at his own joke.

  “Yes,” Marcus said dryly.

  “Marcus recently moved in next door,” I added as I tried to smooth over the conversation. “He travels a lot for work.”

  “Wow, okay. So both Stan and Marcus live near you. I guess I’m the odd man out.” Rob laughed nervously.

  “Yeah, you are,” Marcus said with a perfectly straight face.

  I could tell Marcus was messing with Rob, really just trying to make him uncomfortable, but I didn’t think Rob understood that Marcus was messing with him. Rob squirmed and looked around the room and soon made an excuse to leave us.

  “It was nice meeting you all; I do need to get going, though. Can I call you tomorrow, Isabella?” he asked as he looked at me and then Marcus standing next to me.

  “Why don’t I walk you out,” I offered and pulled away from Marcus for a moment so Rob and I could have a quick talk. I slid my arm into his and walked with him through the gallery and to the front door. “Thank you so much for coming. I’m sorry if Marcus made you uncomfortable.”

  “No, he’s fine. I feel like I’d act the same way if you were mine.”

  “I’d love to go on another date sometime if you’re interested.”

  “Really? You would?” he asked a little surprised.

  “Yeah, I would,” I said and pulled him toward me. “I enjoyed our night together. I had fun. Life is about having fun, right?”

  Rob looked back toward Stanley and Marcus who were both deep in conversation and not looking in our direction at all. This sort of dating situation was clearly something new to Rob, and I could tell it was making him nervous.

  “Yeah, I’ll call you, and we can set something up,” he said and then kissed me with much more passion than he had when we were on a date. “I did enjoy my time with you, and although this is all really foreign to me, I would like to see you again, and we can figure the rest out as we go.”

  “Perfect. Have a gr
eat night.” I waved as Rob walked out into the street and toward his car.

  I rejoined Marcus and Stanley and interrupted their conversation about the local football team. Although I wasn’t comfortable holding hands with both of them in public, Stanley did stay close by while Marcus and I made our way around the gallery. When people would leave us alone, Stanley always came back in to talk. He was really well versed in managing this lifestyle in public settings.

  Soon people came to talk to me, and I introduced Marcus as my friend. Although I felt like we were more than friends. I was having some major feelings about him by then, and it seemed that he might have some feelings for me too.

  He did not like having to talk to people and looked just about as uncomfortable as I did, at least at first. But it only took him a few groups of people, and he was socializing like a pro. I felt that he took on a new personality, though, like he was pretending to be an outgoing guy just to make it through the evening. He certainly wasn’t outgoing; his personality seemed much more like a reserved, confident type.

  I enjoyed watching him interact with people, even if it was a fake persona. He was funny and witty; he made the men want to be him and the women want to fuck him. There was something special about the way he interacted with people that made everyone feel at ease almost instantly.

  It was freaky how he turned so quickly into this person, though. He was happy and joking; he sipped on wine and talked about politics, and he was way different than the Marcus I knew. I remember he said he did something with police or security when we talked about his job before. It made me think that his job might be why he was so easily able to adapt to meeting all these people.

  He could read them; he knew how they would like to interact, and Marcus changed his persona to fit in. I didn’t know what he did for his job, but some sort of undercover work would be great for him. He certainly seemed able to move seamlessly into almost any environment.

  Marcus had his arm around my waist like he owned me, and it felt great. His confidence in dealing with the crowd of people made me finally able to relax and enjoy the big night. I was so happy he had been able to come, as well as Stanley and Rob. Their support of me and my photography meant a lot.

  “Isabella, I’m not going to have final numbers for you tonight. Are you staying in town?” Sarah said as the night started to slow down.

  “Yes I will be in town.”

  “Alright, how about you enjoy a day on the town tomorrow, and I’ll call you with the final sales. I will need you to come in and sign some documents before you leave town, though.”

  “That sounds fine. I am actually booked at the Marriott for two more nights. I wanted to enjoy the city a bit before returning home. I’ve missed the city life,” I said as I looked at Stanley and Marcus with a shy shrug. I hadn’t told either of them that I would be staying in the city.

  “Even better. Have a good night, and I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

  Sarah took off to talk to another group of people.

  “Will we need to bring your pictures home tomorrow?” Marcus said.

  I was excited that he said we; perhaps that meant he was planning on staying the night with me. It would be fun to have a night in a fancy hotel room with him by my side.

  “Oh, I’ll go ask her how many.” I was just about to take off to ask her when Marcus grabbed my arm.

  “No, I got it, you sit down and rest your feet. Stan, take care of our girl,” Marcus ordered.

  “I like him,” Stanley said as he pulled my feet into his lap and started massaging them. “He’s different. Quirky even.”

  “Quirky? Really?”

  “Yeah, he’s got this bad boy thing going for him, but he’s actually a nice guy. I think you two will get along. And I won’t hate having him around. It’s nice to have someone to talk football with, plus he lives in town, so that’s a plus.”

  “You’re selling him to me?” I laughed.

  “Maybe a little. I think you need him in your life. I’m certainly not that manly of a man.” He laughed and jiggled his tiny belly.

  Stanley wasn’t fat by any means. He was very lean and in shape; he just happened to have a cute little soft tummy. I liked his stomach, though. I liked the softness of his personality, too. But it was reassuring to know that he approved of Marcus, and Marcus seemed to like him as well.

  It was like the two of them were reading my mind and setting the tone for what was to come. Plus, Marcus knew my feet were hurting and made sure Stanley was there to take care of me. I really couldn’t even argue with him; I liked Marcus and was giddy over the idea of him staying around in my life.

  Chapter 15

  “So will you be staying the night in Kansas City?” I asked Marcus as we walked out of the gallery with Stanley.

  “Hmm, I’m not sure. I would need a hotel room and a hot shower. Do you happen to know anywhere I could find those two things?”

  “Well, you two have a fun night. I have to head back to town,” Stanley quickly interjected. “It was nice talking with you more tonight, Marcus. I hope we see more of you around.”

  “I’m glad Isabella has you in her life when I’m not around. I feel like you really care about her, and that’s important to me,” Marcus said as the two men got serious for a moment.

  “I do care about her.”

  “Great, that makes two of us,” Marcus said and then pulled Stanley in for a man-hug. “Have a good night my man. Drive safely.”

  “Goodnight you two,” Stanley said before walking away.

  There was sweetness in how Marcus had interacted with Stanley. It surprised me that Marcus hadn’t been part of a multiple relationship like this before because he really seemed at ease with everything. Marcus was calm and collected with both of the other guys, and that was refreshing.

  “I happen to have a very nice hotel room; I guess you could take a shower and sleep on the couch.” I winked at Marcus.

  I grabbed a hold of his arm and held onto him as we walked toward the Marriott hotel. It was a beautiful evening with the stars shining throughout the sky. I couldn’t have asked for a better night or a better first gallery show.

  We walked into the hotel like a young couple in love. Marcus was telling me something funny about a man at the party, and I was giggling and laid my head on his shoulder. The moment felt so naturally and comfortable, I filed it away in my memories. My heart felt big, and I really was excited to be getting to know Marcus in this new environment.

  As we entered the elevator, a young teenage couple also entered. The boy reached out and grabbed the hand of the girl, and they both laughed. It was sweet, and both Marcus and I looked at each other. To be that young and innocent again would be something special for sure. I could still remember how quickly I had fallen in love back then and how hard it was all at the same time. When you are that young, you just don’t understand what true love really is.

  The young couple got out of the elevator, and Marcus quickly pulled me up against him and started to kiss me.

  I loved the taste of his tongue. It was a combination of red wine and chocolate from the hors d’oeuvres at the party. My tongue moved gently with his as his hands slid up and down my back in a slow and deliberate motion.

  When the elevator stopped on our floor, he grabbed my hand and pulled me into the hallway where he continued to hold me close to him and kiss me.

  I felt like a teenager standing in the hallway of the hotel making out. It was such a spontaneous and fun moment.

  Our lips continued to explore one another, and my body urged him to come closer and closer. I fumbled to find my room key while trying to keep my lips locked with his but finally had to look through my purse.

  “What room?” Marcus asked.

  “1205,” I said as Marcus grabbed the key card with one hand and me with the other.

  He ran down the hallway pulling me behind him and made quick work of the lock for the door. With one fast motion, he had the door open and both of us inside the room.
He started to unzip my dress, and it fell to the ground. I stood there totally naked as he looked at me.

  The desire in his eyes was intense, and I couldn’t look away, although I felt embarrassed to be standing in front of him totally exposed.

  “Do you even know how beautiful you are?”

  Marcus moved toward me and held my face as he kissed me gently. His burst of energy seemed to have died off, and he was back to being extremely gentle and sweet. I enjoyed this sweet side of him very much. It was such a contrast to his large muscular body and tough exterior.

  I reached up and took his suit jacket off and then started working on the buttons on his dress shirt. The material seemed very expensive and not like anything I could remember feeling before. The suit was definitely tailored and possibly the dress shirt as well; they all fit him perfectly.

  Slowly I moved my hands down to his belt and pulled it off. I could feel his hips thrust toward me in desire. He wanted me to go farther; he wanted me to unzip his pants. Instead, I let my hand rub up against his cock through the outside of his pants.

  His hips moved in motion with my hand, and he wanted my hand on him. I could feel him urging me to pull his cock out.

  I pulled him out, quickly slid down to my knees, and took him into my mouth. His moan of pleasure urged me to take him deeper inside of me. My mouth moved in rhythm with his hip motion as I reached up and let my hand help with the stroking of his cock. My lips and hand moved deep down his shaft and then all the way back up to the tip.

  Slowly and deliberately I used pressure and motion to bring him close to climax. So close that I could feel the tiny bit of pre-excitement on my tongue. It gave me the warning to stop stroking him and let his body calm down.

  He didn’t like that at all. Marcus grabbed me and pulled me up so I was standing. His lips met mine in a harsh thrust of desire, and I knew he wanted to fuck me. I could feel his urge to turn me over the bed and just slide inside. But he didn’t.

  His kissing slowed down to a more intimate speed, and he sat down on the bed, pulling me down with him.