by Liz Bower
“Any luck?”
His lips twisted to the side. “Depends how fussy I’m feeling. I’m sure I could get used to sharing a place with rats eventually if it meant the rent was cheaper. How come you’re home so early?” His gaze flicked over my face. “You look kind of pale. Are you coming down with something?”
I dragged his blanket over me to fend off the sudden chill that spread over my skin and grabbed a cushion, hugging it against my chest. The police hadn’t wanted me to discuss the events with anyone in the office, but they hadn’t explicitly said anything about discussing what had happened outside the office. The thought of telling someone else somehow made it all seem more real. And more believable.
Tears stung my eyes, and as Marco brushed his fingers across my cheek, I realised they’d fallen. Guilt consumed me at the comfort he was trying to offer. Who would comfort Carol?
“Alex got another threat today. Well, actually Carol received it. They threatened her kid, Marco. I didn’t even know she had a kid. I’d been so caught up in the fact that I didn’t get the job and didn’t want to like Carol … I never even gave her a chance.”
The ticking of the clock filled the room after my confession. I waited for Marco to say something, but really, what could he say? What could anyone say?
“Jesus. What kind of lowlife threatens someone’s kid?”
My head dropped back against the cushion, resting against Marco’s arm, and I turned so my cheek was pressed against it. “I don’t know. The police don’t have much evidence to go off. They spoke to Alex and Carol at the office. They questioned me and then sent me home for the day.” I huffed out a breath. “I can’t help but feel like this is all my fault though.”
“Wait, why do you feel responsible?”
“Because … somehow this is linked to that bloody job. If I hadn’t applied for it, then maybe none of this would have happened. Or if I’d got the job maybe I might not be …” A shudder ran through me, and I couldn’t even think it let alone say it out loud.
Either way, I was involved, and maybe even responsible. “I’m going to get changed,” I said. Marco looked like he wanted to say something but just nodded.
I trudged back down the stairs after taking a shower and putting my pyjamas on. It had me feeling slightly more human, if not better. Marco was still sprawled on the sofa where I had left him.
“Do you want to get a takeaway?”
I plopped down on the sofa next to him. “Shouldn’t we wait and see if Gabi wants some?”
“She texted while you were upstairs to say she’s staying over in Manchester for the night.”
I curled into the corner of the sofa, pulling my legs up beneath me as I glanced at Marco. “Did she say where she was staying?”
“I didn’t ask and she didn’t say. I’m her brother and as long as she’s safe, I have absolutely no interest in the details of what she’s doing. Text her and find out while I order.”
As Marco stood, I grabbed hold of his wrist. “Maybe … maybe one night you could make yourself scarce. There’s something going on and I’m worried about her. I knew trying to get the new job was stressful, but now that she’s got it I thought she’d relax. But she’s been snappy and distracted of late, and that’s not like her …” I got distracted from my train of thought when Marco rubbed his thumb across the inside of my arm. “Maybe you’re affecting her mood.” Or was it just my mood he was affecting?
“Thanks.” He huffed out a laugh that sounded fake and tried to pull away from me.
“I didn’t mean … It’s just you’re her brother and you’re crashing on her sofa. You know how ordered she likes her life.”
His shoulders dropped as he nodded. “Yeah, you’re right. I’ll try harder to find my own place.”
I hoped I hadn’t overstepped the mark as I let go of his wrist and he wandered off into the kitchen.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
I listened to Marco order the pizza as I texted Gabi. When he joined me on the sofa again, he gave me a small smile.
“So what did the police say? Do they have any leads?”
I twisted around so I faced him with my legs drawn up on the sofa, knees pressed against his thigh. When I didn’t answer, he draped an arm along the back of the sofa and wrapped a strand of my hair around his finger.
“You don’t have to tell me if you’d rather not talk about it.”
I leaned my cheek against his warm, bare forearm and gazed at him, licking my lips as I realised I did want to tell him. He was the first person, apart from Gabi, I thought of when I wanted to share something. That was a little scary.
“They didn’t say if they had any leads. I don’t think they’d tell me if they did. They just asked me loads of questions.”
Marco’s fingers threaded through my hair, then gently rubbed across my neck and down to my shoulders. I closed my eyes and relaxed into his touch.
“Like what?” he asked.
“Like had I heard anything in the office. You know, if anyone in particular had said something about Carol. Or mentioned her kid in conversation. If anyone had talked to me about not getting the job, that kind of thing. I don’t think I was much use, really.”
I let out a sigh as his fingers pressed into the tight muscles by my neck, and I lifted my head to give him better access. “I can’t imagine anyone at the office actually sending those letters. Carol has managed to wind a few people up, but that was only normal work stuff. Nothing bad enough to threaten people over. They didn’t say anything, but I have a horrible feeling that the police suspect me. I’m the obvious choice. I have the most to gain if Carol is no longer around.”
He squeezed my shoulder and I opened my eyes.
“I’m sure the police are smarter than that. There has to be some evidence, and then they’ll know you’re innocent.”
I nodded, hoping he was right and they would find that evidence soon.
A loud knock on the door made me jump, and Marco smiled at me.
“That’ll be the pizza. I’ll get it.”
***
After we finished eating, I cleared up the pizza boxes. When I came back into the living room, Marco had pulled the sheets and sofa bed out and had a film paused on the TV. I hesitated in the doorway. Watching a film on the sofa together was one thing, but in his bed? That seemed a whole lot more intimate.
When he saw me standing in the doorway, he slid to the back of the sofa bed and patted the space in front of him. Slowly I walked over and lay down.
Our bodies were close enough that I could feel the heat from him. His breath fanned across my neck from where he was leaning up on one elbow to see over my shoulder. He started the film, but I had no idea what it was. I tried to concentrate on it but instead kept waiting for his next breath to blow across my skin.
If I inched backwards, I would be pressed against his chest. From the side of my eye I could see his hand resting on his thigh, his fingers moving restlessly. I dragged my gaze back towards the screen as a fight scene broke out. I flinched at the spray of blood.
Marco laughed, and I froze when his arm snaked around my waist, pulling me back against him. His breath blew across the shell of my ear as he whispered, “Close your eyes and I’ll tell you when it’s finished.”
I felt his lips curve into a smile against my ear. And the fact that I closed my eyes had a lot more to do with Marco than not wanting to see what was on TV. I drew in a shaky breath as, instead of moving away, Marco dragged his lips along my neck, pressing small kisses against my sensitive skin that made goosebumps rise along my arms. As his lips reached my pyjama top, he dragged it down my shoulder so his lips could continue their journey, nipping as he went.
His hand trailed down my arm until he reached the hem of my top. At the touch of his tongue against my neck, I let out a quiet groan and tilted my head to give him easier access. My muscles clenched as his fingers slid under my top, drifting over my stomach before they stopped. I leaned back into him, pushing his hand farther up as
I did, then turned my head to capture his lips with my own as his hand inched upwards.
I shifted towards him and arched my back, wanting to feel his hands on me. As his tongue slipped between my lips, his fingertips circled my hardening nipples, rolling them between his fingers. I moaned into his mouth before we broke apart and I turned to face him, brushing my lips over his.
He pulled away and sat up. I gazed into his eyes, wondering why he’d stopped. Was he having second thoughts? Then he threw a leg over my hips so he was straddling me and urged me onto my back. He dropped his head, nipping at my lips.
I covered his lips with mine as my other hand found its way into his hair and wound the soft, dark strands around my fingers. He tilted my head back with a finger under my chin, and I parted my lips. His tongue traced along my lower lip before dipping between them, my nipples tightening as our tongues met and started a slow dance. I tilted my head and when his tongue withdrew, I followed it with my own, not wanting this moment to be over yet.
When my fingers found his hardened nipple and rubbed across it, he let out a soft moan. His hand slid to the back of my neck, holding me tight as his other grabbed my arse and squeezed, pulling me closer. His tongue thrust back into my mouth, deepening the kiss until I broke away gasping for breath.
I gazed into his eyes again, but neither of us spoke. Both of his hands crept under my top, that time pulling the material up as he went. He cupped my breasts as he dragged his thumbs across my nipples. I wasn’t sure how much more I could take. My fingers itching with the need to touch his soft skin, I slid my hands around his back and pushed them under his T-shirt and over his tight muscles.
He pressed a kiss against my jaw, then trailed kisses down my chest until he flattened his tongue and ran it over my nipple. My fingertips dug into his back, and when he sucked my hardened tip into his mouth, my hips lifted, pressing against the hard bulge in his jeans. I dragged my fingers down and around to pop open the button, then slowly lowered the zipper. He pressed himself against my hand, rubbing his length against me.
I pushed a finger into the waistband of his boxers. As I glanced down, I pulled the soft cotton down to reveal the tip that was already glistening. Slowly, I dragged the material down revealing the soft yet hard skin until I could see his full length. When I traced a finger along the length of him, I heard his sharp intake of breath, loving that my touch had such an effect on him.
I wrapped my fingers around his cock, squeezing gently before moving them up his length. His head dropped and then he buried it into the crook of my neck as he sank his teeth into my sensitive skin there. With my free hand, I shoved his jeans down over his hips and grasped his butt cheek. He thrust his hips, pushing himself into my hold until he let out a strangled moan.
He lifted his head to stare intently into my eyes. “Jo,” he whispered. “Fuck, I want you so much.”
“I’m right here, Marco.”
He brushed his lips over mine and then sat up. I released my hold on him as he stood and shoved his jeans and boxers down, stepping out of them. He grasped the hem of his T-shirt with both hands and slowly lifted it to reveal inch by beautiful inch of his muscled torso. My breath hitched at the sight of him naked; all that tanned skin with just a sprinkling of dark hairs across his chest. Defined pecs, nipples already hard and begging for my touch. My gaze swept over his flat stomach and then lower, coherent thoughts fleeing as I reached out to trace the V of his muscles below his stomach. Then I trailed my fingers down over his thigh, the coarse, dark hair rough against my hand.
He bent over to grab his wallet and pulled a condom out. As he tore the foil open, my teeth sank into my bottom lip, trapping it there as he rolled the condom down his hardened length. He leaned over me to tug my pyjama bottoms off and straddled my legs. My pyjama top was still scrunched up around the top of my chest, so I pulled it over my head. He grazed a finger over my clit before slipping it inside me. I reached for him, dragged him on top of me and wrapped my legs around his waist. I wanted to feel him inside me.
He slanted his lips over mine and thrust his tongue into my mouth, our tongues wrestling as the tip of his cock nudged at my opening. I dug my feet against his arse, urging him on, urging him in. He thrust inside me as he placed his thumb over my clit and brushed it back and forth in rhythm with his hips.
I ran my fingertips up his back and then over his shoulders before tangling in the soft hair at the back of his head. His head dropped to rest against my shoulder and his hot breath blew across my skin. The scent of sex and his masculine smell surrounded me, and the world outside of the two of us disappeared.
Heat pulsed through my veins. My eyelids lowered as my muscles fluttered around him. “Marco … I’m gonna … Oh shit.”
“Come for me. Let go,” he whispered in my ear before pressing his lips to mine. His hips jerked and he stiffened before groaning into my mouth. “Shit, yeah.”
His voice was hoarse, and then he stilled before collapsing on top of me. His cheek rested against my chest, and I brushed his hair back from his forehead, twisting the strands around my fingers. He was heavy on top of me, but I wrapped my arm around him, holding him to me. I wasn’t ready to lose the connection to him yet. My chest tightened as a swirl of emotions ran through me and tears stung at the back of my eyes.
He lifted his head and had that cocky smile on his face, but I grinned back at him. He brushed his lips against mine and sat up.
“Be right back.”
My gaze wandered to the ceiling as I stretched. I rolled onto my side, my smile still in place because that had been pretty amazing. Marco came back, crawling onto the cushion next to me and wrapping his arms around me. With my cheek flush to his chest, I could hear the steady beat of his heart. I began to drift off when he placed a kiss on my forehead and pulled the sheets over us.
“Night, mio cuore.”
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Marco jerked awake when I jumped out of his bed. He reached for me, but I twisted away from his touch as I grabbed my pyjamas off the floor. “Gabi’s home,” I hissed through my clenched jaw. And then I ran towards the kitchen.
“Wake up, lazy arse, or you’re going to be late for work.”
I heard Marco grunt at Gabi’s warning as I shoved my arms through the sleeves of my top and hurriedly fastened the buttons. God, what the hell was I thinking? My cheeks flushed as memories of the night before flashed through my mind. Covering my hot cheeks with my hands, I shook my head at the thought of Gabi finding us wrapped up around each other in bed. I didn’t want her to find out like that.
What would she think? I wanted to explain that it was … what? That I was different? That this was serious between us? I didn’t even know if that were true. Would it be anything more than one night? Even if it wasn’t, what if things didn’t work out with Marco? Gabi was protective of him, of her whole family.
It would make things awkward between the two of us. And the idea of losing Gabi’s friendship, her family, I just … couldn’t. The way his mum would throw her hands in the air when she saw me and then place them on my cheeks and kiss my forehead. I’d lost count of the number of times she had included me in family dinners, had made me feel like part of the family. I loved sitting at their worn wooden table, each scratch or mark telling the story of their lives, the laughter and noise of a big family, even their arguments. I loved my mum and dad, but our gatherings were quiet affairs; Gabi’s family was vibrant, and my own paled in comparison.
I was afraid of losing them, which I would because when push came to shove, people took sides. And whenever this thing between Marco and I ended—which was more than likely because things always did or I wouldn’t be single—then family stuck together. And Gabi, the Jacksons, they were Marco’s family, and I didn’t want to lose them. Was it really worth the risk?
“What are you doing?” Gabi asked as she made her way into the kitchen.
I looked around the kitchen, trying to think of a reason to explain why I was standing there d
oing nothing. Unable to look her in the eye, I shrugged.
“Okay,” Gabi said, drawing the word out. “I guess you just got up, then. Coffee?” she asked, pulling the pot out from under the machine.
I shook my head. “I’m gonna”—I pointed my thumb over my shoulder—“go shower.” Then I hurried out of the kitchen before she could ask me anything else.
I managed to sneak out of the house without seeing Marco or Gabi, but when I got to the office, Alex was heading for my desk. As my stomach clenched, I was glad I hadn’t bothered with breakfast. Had something else happened? I leaned against the edge of my desk as he stopped in front of me.
“I wanted to check you were okay after yesterday.”
I dropped my head to stare at my shoes and nodded. His feet moved closer to mine, and then his arm wrapped around my shoulders. Looking up, I saw the concern on his face.
“How’s Carol?”
Alex glanced around the office and I followed his gaze. Amy, Dan, and Toby were standing by the coffee machine watching us, and then I saw Nicola making her way through the desks in our direction. Alex gave my shoulder a squeeze and his hand dropped between my shoulder blades.
“Why don’t we go into my office?” he said, urging me forward with his hand on my back.
I could feel the gazes of everyone in the office on me as we walked away. Alex closed the door behind us and then drew the blinds together before lowering himself into his chair with a sigh.
“Carol is taking some time off. Understandably, she wants to be with her son right now.”
I nodded. She had a son. I wondered how old he was and if he knew what had happened.
Alex took his glasses off, then ran his hand over his eyes and down across his cheeks. He placed his glasses on the desk and said, “We still need to work on the Rural Retreats account. I’m sorry. I know doing Carol’s job is the last thing you probably want to do right now, but I need your help with it.”
No, I didn’t want to, but if it helped, I would. What Carol must’ve been going through was much worse than having to do her job for a while. “It’s fine,” I said.