Marc got his beer and headed to his seat. With a glance at the scoreboard, he saw that it was the top of the second and the Cubs were up two to one. Good start, he thought, searching the crowd for his friends and spotting Tom on his way down the steps.
“Hey, guys.”
Five guys turned their heads. Tom and Ollie plus the three faces he’d been missing lately—Clark, Todd, and Marty. He was so glad to see these guys though he couldn’t come out and say he missed them. Maybe to his little brother, but not to the others. They would never let him live it down.
“It’s about time you show up, asshole,” Tom jeered, throwing a peanut at him.
Yup. Just a little pissed off.
Spotting the beer vendor, Marc hailed him over to get his friends some beers. “Hey, I come with beer.”
Mumblings of forgiveness could be heard as Marc shelled out money for six beers. “Not bad, man. So, what was the deal this morning? Who’s the owner of that nice black Jeep?”
Marc didn’t know what was going on with Lizzie, but he wanted something with her and knew if he said anything right now that might not happen. “Tom, I don’t kiss and tell.”
“So there was kissing involved?” Tom said, taking a beer from Marc.
Marc raised an eyebrow. That’s all he’d give his friends, then took his seat.
He endured the ribs from his friends with a happy smile. The day was warm and the beer man kept coming around to them. The guys joked around, yelling at the umpire and the Sox players. A good ol’ time, Marc thought as he chewed the bite of hot dog he’d just taken.
“So,” Marc spoke, turning towards his brother and his bandmates, “how is the album going?”
All three of them grinned big and wide.
“Great. We just finished the video for the first song which should be releasing in the next couple weeks,” Marty answered.
“That’s fuckin’ awesome,” Marc replied, so stoked for them.
“We’re going on a small tour starting this fall,” Clark added.
“Damn!”
Years they’ve been at this and all their hard work was finally starting to pay off.
“Soon, we’ll be able to say ‘we knew them when . . . ’” Ollie joked. “The ladies will love that.”
All of them laughed at that.
“So, speaking of ladies, how’s Mia?” Tom asked.
Marc was curious too. Despite texting with her somewhat often, it hadn’t given him much info about her. A big change going from talking daily to maybe weekly.
“She’s off with Ethan. He was at the airport last night to pick her up,” Todd informed them. Mia had scored big that weekend they got offered the record contract. She also wound up with football’s hottest quarterback. Though he meant “hottest” in terms of the way Ethan played. Mia and millions of women across the country thought in terms of his sex appeal.
“So how long do I have to wait to see her before she comes up for air?” Marc asked.
“Training camp?” Clark guessed.
“More than likely. She’s got it bad for Ethan,” Todd chuckled.
Around the fifth inning, Clark, Marty, and Todd left to use the restroom in order to “make room for more beer,” leaving Marc with Tom and Ollie. Marc wanted to take advantage of this time to ask some questions about Lizzie without having to explain things to the others as to why.
“So, Tom, when did Lizzie return to town?” Marc asked.
“Not too long ago. I didn’t have much time to talk to her. Molly has the eyes of a hawk and kept showing up whenever I was with Lizzie. Seriously annoying. I felt bad that I couldn’t hang with her.”
“It’s okay, Pooh bear,” Ollie ragged. “Marc seemed to keep her company for you.”
Marc burst out laughing at Ollie’s jibe. Tom glared at them both.
“Shut the fuck up, both of you,” Tom yelled before shouting out for the beer vendor. “Two,” he called out, holding out his money.
“Yo, dude, there’s three of us here,” Ollie complained.
“These are for me. You assholes are on your own,” Tom replied with a laugh.
Pulling into Lizzie’s driveway, Marc couldn’t really recall the trip from Wrigley. It was a freaking blur. But the sight in front of him was crystal clear—Lizzie standing in her yard in her sexy cutoffs and pink tank top, her hair piled high on the top of her head, showcasing her neck and the love bites he’d left there.
She smiled over at him, her head tilting to the side.
“Hi,” he said in greeting. He unfolded himself from the car and stumbled as he made his way towards her but caught himself on the fence.
“You okay?” she asked, hurrying over to him, her voice filled with concern.
“I don’t know what type of company I’ll be. They poured a lot of beer down my throat,” he said, before placing a sloppy kiss on her mouth. “Aren’t you going to show me in?”
“Of course. Want some coffee?” she asked, taking his hand. He nodded and she led him through the back porch and into the house. Her hand, though small, had a tight grip on his. He liked that.
She ordered him to sit in the breakfast nook while she made the coffee. Leaning back in the booth, he watched her prepare it, enjoying the way she had to extend her body up to reach high in the cabinets over and over as she searched for whatever it was she was looking for.
Marc groaned as he battled with himself. He had enough senses working to figure out he was shit-faced drunk, but seeing her before him quickly sobered him up—well, at the very least he was hugely turned on by her ass in those almost indecent shorts, plus her top didn’t really disguise the fact that she was braless. The need to have her turn around so he could see her nipples through that shirt consumed him. Fuck, he needed her.
Pushing himself from the bench, he strode behind her and wrapped her in his arms, his hands resting on the underside of her breasts. Lizzie sighed as she leaned back against him. Her eyes fluttered shut when he bent down and kissed her exposed shoulder. She tasted salty but definitely sweet. Working his hands under her shirt, reveling in the softness of her skin, he made his way to her bare breasts. He cupped one in each hand and massaged them, repeatedly rubbing his thumbs across each nipple. When she moaned, he turned her in his arms and claimed her mouth in a fierce kiss.
That kiss took the breath right out of him. He couldn’t think beyond her and the all-encompassing need to be with her. Lizzie yanked the shirt from his shorts, pulled it above his head, and teased him as she ran her hands across his chest quickly followed by her lips. The lust—the need for her—had him backing her up against the counter.
Marc still needed more. He had to feel her closer to him. Reaching out for the counter, he smiled against her lips and proceeded to lift her onto the countertop. With a firm hand, he pushed her thighs open. His smile grew at the surprised look on her face. He took over the space, groaning when the heat from her pussy warmed his cock.
With surprising skill considering his state, he removed her top and moaned when her breasts grazed his bare chest. His mouth locked on the hollow of her neck while her hands explored his hair. Breaking away, he lifted his head and found her staring hungrily at him. He loved it that she wanted him so much.
“Bedroom?” he asked.
Her hands went to the fastening of his shorts and unbuttoned them. “Don’t bother,” she replied.
His response was swift. He grabbed her waist and quickly had her shorts undone and on the floor. Whipping his wallet out of his back pocket, Marc got out the condom and tossed his wallet onto the counter. Lizzie stole the condom from his hands and he almost lost it as her delicate fingers slid the protection in place. She pulled him into her arms, her embrace encompassing more than his waist as he urgently rammed into her. He gripped her hips tighter as her nails trailed down his back, matching his intensity move for move. As her body spasmed with her release, he captured her scream with his mouth and quickly joined her. Her arms encircled him as tremors of release coursed through his body.
> Having no desire to back out of her hold, he rested his forehead against her breasts, listening to the rapid beat of her heart. “I’m sorry that I’m drunk,” he said quietly.
“It’s okay. Just don’t drive next time. Please?”
“Are you sure?” he asked, searching her bright green eyes.
“Yes, I’m positive.”
He wouldn’t do that again—she asked, he’d give it to her.
“Okay,” he said. “Now, if you don’t mind, I’d like to get to a bed. Where to?”
“Upstairs,” she replied. Pulling up his shorts but leaving them unbuttoned, he lifted her and tossed her over his shoulder. He made a quick adjustment which caused her to grasp his waist and walked up to her bedroom. Marc gently placed her on the bed and quickly kicked off his shorts to join her. The moment he hit the sheets, Lizzie snuggled up against him and with a content exhale of breath, he began to relax, listening to her soft breath, and fell deeply into sleep.
Lizzie
After Marc had left late Sunday night—well, technically it’d been early Monday morning—Lizzie had tried to go back to sleep, but she’d just laid there, her mind full of replays of his kisses, body reveals, and the sex. . . . ohhhhh, the sex, until her alarm blared in her ear, rudely alerting her that the time had come to get ready for work.
Somehow, she’d made it on the train and grabbed one of the single seats on the second level, closing her eyes to think about her weekend. Last week at this time, she’d planned to spend her weekend finishing up the house. Instead, she had her three old best friends plus a new lover in her life. Marc, the current occupier of her mind, had invaded and had become entrenched in the inner reaches of her mind with each and every thing she’d learned about him.
When they had awakened from their post-sex nap yesterday, they’d ordered pizza and spent the evening getting to know one another. She’d told him about her family and growing up in the area as well as her need to leave the same area after she left high school. He’d told her about the ball game and how it’d been tradition for him and his friends to go. That led into him telling her about who went and his brother, Clark, and how the band he was in—Last Star—had been signed to a record label and had just returned to town after finishing up their debut album. She’d learned more about Marty and Todd, two of his best friends. Marc had grown up with them and had known them for as long as he could remember. Lizzie had then recounted the full story of when she’d met Tom and how he’d become the best friend she’d ever had.
So much had been exchanged. It had felt so easy to share about her life and choices with him. They were moving fast but she didn’t want to go any slower. If anything, she wanted to go faster or at least pause the real world and live in new lover world until she had learned all she could about Marc. Maybe then she could function.
The rest of Lizzie’s day had been difficult as she tried to keep herself tethered to reality and not in her daydreams. When five o’clock finally hit, she bolted from the office, not caring that her boss had noticed her early departure with a surprised, “Leaving so soon?”
Giving him a smile and a chuckle as her answer, Lizzie ran down the stairs and hurried to the train, hoping to make the express home. Thankfully she did, and as she walked up the front steps of her house, her phone rang. With crossed fingers that it wasn’t her boss, Lizzie smiled wide at Marc’s name flashing on the screen.
“Hey,” she said.
“Hi . . . was just calling to see how your day went.”
She laughed, thinking about how she’d spent most of it thinking about him. “It was fine. I didn’t do too much and will probably have to make up for that tomorrow.”
“Speaking of tomorrow . . . my main reason for calling.”
“And what’s that?” she said, letting her bag slide down her arm and onto the floor, then walked up the stairs to her bedroom.
“Would you like to go out to dinner with me?”
“Dinner?” she asked, for some reason surprised by his question.
“Yeah . . . dinner. Around seven o’clock. I’d like to do a bigger date but we have to work the next day.”
“Date?” she asked.
He chuckled. “Yes. Where I take you out for a meal, we talk over wine and eat good food. And I bring you home, pulling out my best moves so you’ll invite me in for an after dinner coffee and coffee being a code word for some serious making out. So, tomorrow, you and me on a date?”
“I’d like that . . . a lot.”
“Good. I’ll pick you up at quarter to seven.”
“Okay.”
“Bye, Elizabeth.”
“Bye, Marc.”
That night much-needed sleep overtook any plans she might have had and when the alarm woke her up, she felt refreshed. So refreshed that she put in some very good hours at work but when five o’clock hit, she packed her bag and escaped. At least this time her boss wasn’t around to see her hightail it out of there. When she arrived home, she quickly showered and got ready in record time for her date. She slipped on a flowy sundress and a pair of ankle-strap sandals. As she put on the finishing touches to her makeup, her doorbell rang.
Lizzie hurried down the stairs to the front door and felt her heart stop when her eyes landed on Marc. His outfit was simple but then again it wasn’t. A pair of dark-washed jeans and a simple fitted gray Henley, the sleeves pushed up to his elbows. That was it, but on him, it looked absolutely amazing.
When their eyes finally met, his light blue ones smoldered with a promising fire, a promise she so wanted to explore.
“You look . . . magnificent,” Marc said, finally breaking the silence. Leaning in, he caressed her lips with his, slow, drugging kisses that sent a warm fire coursing through her veins. “Ready?” he asked after breaking the kiss.
“For what?” she asked in return, her mind stuck processing that kiss.
He chuckled at her, his mouth curving into a devastating grin. “For dinner . . .”
“Oh, yeah . . . dinner. Yes, I’m ready.”
After locking the door behind her, Marc placed his hand on the small of her back and led her to his car. The ride to the restaurant was full of non-stop talk about their day. Telling him about her job and listening about his was just easy . . . and entertaining.
Their dinner date consisted of him taking her to a wonderful tapas restaurant about twenty minutes from her house where they sampled all kinds of delicious food and drank many glasses of wine. In between, they carried on their conversation from the car.
Walking out of the restaurant, they slowly made their way to his car, her hand in his. Marc hadn’t let go of her since he helped her out of their booth. He pulled her to him and took the breath from her with an aggressive kiss that quickly turned her to mush. His tongue sought hers, igniting a fire within her that settled deliciously between her legs.
When they finally broke apart, it was like an explosion. But he wasn’t away long. Marc sunk down so his face was even with hers. “Can I stay the night?” he panted, his breath so warm against her cheek.
“At this point, I wouldn’t let you leave,” she answered honestly.
Marc
July 2006
Hanging up the phone after talking with Lizzie about doing something tonight, Marc sighed. She’d be working late again tonight. Lizzie had been extremely busy at work with her first big project. Marc had been putting this time without her to good use, catching up with old friends, except for one. Clark had been right when he guessed that they wouldn’t see Mia until Ethan left for training camp. But camp had started and still no word from her. Marc had been tempted to call her and picked up his phone to do so when his cell started to ring.
A smile broke out on his face when he saw Mia’s name on the screen. Clark totally called it!
Pressing the green answer button, Marc put the phone to his ear. “Hola,” he said in greeting, adding a bit of an accent to his voice, hoping to throw her off.
“Marc? Is that you?” she asked, the
hesitation in her voice made him smile.
“No hablo ingles,” he added, trying not to laugh.
“Ass. I know it’s you. And I’m sorry,” she carried on. “I know I’ve been otherwise occupied the past few weeks.”
“Is that how you say non-stop sex nowadays?”
She laughed. “It wasn’t non-stop . . .”
“You sound happy, baby girl.”
“Marc . . . he’s amazing. I . . . it’s . . . God . . .” she drawled out.
Marc laughed hard at his lovestruck friend, but he completely related to her feelings. He felt the same way about Lizzie. Every opportunity they had, he was with Lizzie. His place, her place. Dinners and dates. She may have grown up in the area, but she’d been away for the past decade and as she liked to say, things change. And because of that they did things even he never knew about. He loved that Lizzie was so willing to try new things. The woman had an adventurous soul—in more ways than one, he thought with a smile.
“So, Marc . . . can we meet for dinner tonight? Your treat,” Mia asked, interrupting his blissful thoughts about Lizzie.
“You have some nerve, but luckily for you, I miss your pain in the ass self.”
“I miss you too,” she sighed dramatically. “Talking to you every day for years to hardly at all really sucks.”
“That it does,” he agreed.
“So . . . dinner? Yes or no?” Mia asked, getting them back on track.
“Of course.”
“Pick me up after you’re done with work?”
“You got it.”
“Okay. Can’t wait. Bye, Marc.”
“Later, baby girl.”
Waiting for him outside of her building, a smile cracked Mia’s face when he stopped the car. She hurried to the car and got in and surprised him with a big hug that knocked the wind out of him.
“Miss me or something?” he jokingly asked, pressing a kiss to her forehead.
“Or something,” she replied with a final squeeze. After belting herself in, Mia turned to him, her smile brightening up the car. “Fat Willy’s?” she asked.
Losing You (Stars On Fire #4) Page 4