by Sadie Carter
Eden turned to look up at him. Then she grabbed his hand and tugged him out onto the terrace. “It’s more private here and we have a few minutes before she’ll come look for us. I am so sorry I left you alone. I kept getting waylaid by people who just wanted to say hi.”
“I think that was part of the plan,” he told her. “To separate us. So that other male could touch you.”
She frowned. “Mark? He didn’t touch me. I did warn you that she would have some poor guy here that I would just have to meet.”
“He touched your hand.”
“He shook my hand. That was just him being polite. Did Francis touch you?” Was that jealousy in her voice? Somehow that eased his own feelings. “Did she really ask you to sleep with her?”
“She wanted more than that. Does her husband know?”
Eden sighed. “No, I don’t think so. He’s a nice old man, but he doesn’t hear very well and I heard he’s also losing his sight. I can’t believe she came after you when I was right here.”
Did he tell her about the part her mother played? No. He had no evidence.
“I better go talk to her.”
“Not alone.” He reached out to touch her hand.
She smiled at him. “This isn’t your problem. But thank you.”
He shook his head. “I am not leaving you alone with her.”
“It’s okay, she’s my mother. She won’t hurt me.”
“She paid Barry to leave you,” he blurted out.
She didn’t react for a moment and he thought she might not have heard him. He probably should not have told her. It was not his business. But he did not want her left alone with that woman. Even if she was her mother.
“Francis told you that?” she finally whispered.
“Yes.”
“Did she say why?”
“Because she wished you to move back here and he could not convince you to sell the bakery.”
She gave a dry laugh. “That sounds about right. Wow, I can’t believe that she paid my own husband to leave me.”
Was she going to cry? Yell? She didn’t move, didn’t say anything. Just stood there, with her arms wrapped around her body, a composed look on her face. He did not like it; she was closed off from him.
“I’m sorry, I know we just arrived but we need to go.” She glanced down at her watch. “We have about forty minutes until the next AirTrain leaves. It will take us twenty to walk to the station.”
“All right, we will go now.”
She looked up at him, and those eyes were filled with hurt. “Thank you.”
He nodded and watched for a minute as she turned and walked away, wondering how he could help her.
Eden felt dazed. Instead of going back into the house, she’d led them both around the side and now they strode along the foot path. Her phone rang and she ignored it. It rang again. She sighed and pulled it out of the pocket of the hideous suit. Her mother. Just as she’d thought. She turned it off.
“Wish I’d thought to change my clothes before we left. Or at least my shoes.”
They were a size too small and were rubbing against the back of her foot. She’d have blisters by the time they got home. But she didn’t care. The pain was a small price to pay for freedom.
Her mother had paid Barry off.
“Do you wish to talk about what happened?” Marcun asked. He’d been silent since they’d set out and she was grateful. The hurt, anger, and embarrassment had settled in deep and she wasn’t ready to talk.
“No.”
They were silent for a moment longer.
“Do you wish me to go back and get your clothes?”
“No.” She sighed. She was being rude and it wasn’t his fault. “Sorry, no thank you. I’m not the best company right now.”
“Should I not have told you?” he asked.
She stilled and looked up at him. Part of her wanted to say yes, that she’d rather have not known. But that wasn’t fair to him. “No. Right now it might hurt. A lot. And I might feel humiliated and horrified and so angry. But if you had kept this to yourself, it would have been worse. I would have felt betrayed.”
“You do feel betrayed.”
“Yes, but by her. Not you. But I might have felt that way towards you if you hadn’t told me. Sorry, it sucks to be the messenger, doesn’t it? You didn’t do anything wrong yet you have to deliver the bad news then put up with my mood after.”
She kept walking. “It’s just after all these years and all the manipulation and guilt trips and nagging at me, I thought that she might respect me. That she might be a bit proud of me. I just always clung to the fact that she did it out of love, you know? I thought she loved me.”
She stopped, staring up at him. “But how can you love someone who you can so easily hurt?”
He hurt for her. He wished he could make it all right. Make it better.
She undid the jacket and pulled it off, throwing it to the ground. “She’ll never be happy, not until I do exactly what she wants. But I won’t. I refuse to. Damn her anyway. If she can’t accept me the way I am, that’s her loss, right?”
He stared at her, shocked at how quickly she’d morphed from sad to angry. “Screw her! I’m a good person. I open the door when someone has stuff in their arms, I help people who need it. I’m kind. I’m friendly. I’m polite. I follow the laws. Well, most of the time. I’m a hard-worker. Most parents would be proud of me. But not my mother, she wants a little slave to be at her beck and call. Well, fuck her!”
She stomped her foot down on the jacket then turned and strode off.
She was magnificent.
Then she turned, strode back and picked up the jacket. “Can’t leave that there. It’s littering; besides I might need to sell it. I’m obviously not going to be able to ask my mother for a loan now. Come on, let’s go home.”
“Eden.” He reached out and touched her shoulder. “I know it is hard, knowing what she did. But Barry, he was not the male for you.”
“Obviously not, since a few thousand dollars meant more than me.” She glanced up, her face still composed and absurdly he found himself wishing she would cry, that she would let go and release the emotions trapped inside her. “I no longer loved him. I’m not upset about him leaving me, for whatever reason. It’s her. She went too far this time. Too far.”
12
Eden lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling.
She hadn’t slept, even though she’d forced herself to go to bed at her normal bedtime. She had to be up in a few hours. Everything might be falling down around her ears, but people would still want their sweet treats.
When had it all gone so wrong?
Her life was a mess. She’d lost it all, her business, her mother, her pride. What was left? Not a hell of a lot.
When they’d finally arrived back at their apartment building, she’d sent Marcun home. She’d told him that she wouldn’t be very good company. It was true. She was miserable company.
But she also really, really missed him.
She was trying to pull away, to protect herself. Because right at this moment if someone else betrayed her, she thought she might just shatter. Fall to pieces.
Right, because you’re so together right now. Go to him.
And what? Tell him that she wanted his arms wrapped around her? That she wanted him to make her forget everything, just for a short time?
She sighed and rolled over. Everything was silent tonight. She hadn’t realized how she’d grown used to the noise. Even Eddie’s clients had dried up a few hours ago.
Was Marcun asleep? He had to be. She shouldn’t wake him. That was just selfish, especially when she’d sent him home. With a groan, she rolled over, tangling herself in her blankets. She thumped her fist down against her pillow.
“Eden?” the voice came through the wall, making her pause. “Eden? Are you well?”
Well? No. She was tangled up in knots. She felt ill, feverish, but it wasn’t the flu.
“I can’t sleep,” she
replied.
There was silence.
“I’m sorry if I woke you up. Go back to sleep.”
“I was not sleeping. I am … I am worried about you.”
Oh God, he was so sweet. Here she’d been thinking about how much she wanted to fuck him and he’d been worried about her.
“I wish I could just forget it, you know? Pretend it never happened.”
“But you cannot.”
“No.” She couldn’t.
“Have you spoken to her?”
“Nope. Won’t be doing that for a while. I turned my phone off.”
“You need to turn it back on at some stage. If you do not, she may come to speak to you in person.”
She blanched at the thought.
She pulled at a loose thread on the bed cover, fighting with herself. Finally, that part of her that was needy and horny and alone won.
“Marcun?”
“Yes?”
“Will you come over and keep me company? You don’t have to. I just … I could use the company.”
There was silence.
“Marcun?”
A knock sounded at the door.
She jumped then climbed out of bed and opened the door. “Oh, you were quick.”
He was still dressed in the same clothes from earlier.
She stepped back and he walked inside. She climbed back onto the bed and drew the covers around her, feeling chilled for some reason. “Have I told you how sorry I am about today? I should have tried harder to convince you to stay away.”
“I wanted to go. And none of what happened was your fault.” He sat on the bed facing her. He studied her closely. “Have you not slept?”
She shook her head and the room spun. She needed sleep. Desperately.
“I can’t sleep.”
“Do you wish to talk?”
“No.” Guess again. “I just want to forget about it. For a while anyway.”
“You cannot drink that wine again,” he told her.
She gave him a small smile. “No more of Carl’s wine, I know. I had something else in mind.”
“What is that? You are not thinking to visit your neighbor for some drugs, because I will not allow you to take them.”
“You will not allow me?” She raised an eyebrow. “What makes you believe you can allow or disallow?”
Because you are mine.
But he stopped himself from saying it. Now was not the time. But as he had lain there on the other side of the wall he had realized that he did not like being apart from her. It upset him, worried him, angered him. He remembered the jealousy he had felt earlier.
He wanted her. Not just for some release. Not just a friendship. This was more than that. If it was just friendship he would not have slept with her. Not have protected her. She had ceased to be a job to him some time ago. He wasn’t sure exactly when. He had been denying his feelings, telling himself that he was merely attracted to her. But today, when her mother hurt her, when he’d realized that he would have done anything to take that hurt away, he knew he could not ever walk away.
Not for wealth or power.
Or his pack.
And he had no intentions of sharing her with them, either. Just the thought made him furious. He did not know what he would do. His pack was his family.
But Eden, she was everything.
“Eden, I will do whatever you need.”
She gave a half-laugh. “I don’t want to use you.”
Use him? “You could never use me.”
“Oh, so if I told you I wanted you to fuck me so I could forget everything for a few brief minutes, what would you say?”
“I would say I was insulted.”
She nodded, closing up. “That is what I thought.”
He grabbed her and pulled her onto his lap. She squealed.
“Because it will be neither brief nor mere minutes in duration.”
Her eyes widened and then she laughed. Leaning in, he kissed her. That familiar heat stole over him, his whole body went on alert. When she was near he felt more alive. His skin more sensitive, his senses heightened.
He laid her back on the bed and stripped off her top. “When I am with you, you will wear nothing to bed.”
“Oh really,” she said, her voice breathless. “And will you do the same?”
He paused as he kissed his way down her neck. “No.”
“Marcun, whatever you are hiding, I can take it.”
No. No, she could not.
“Is it some sort of gang tattoo? Or does it have something to do with all the fake tan?”
“Fake tan?” She knew about the tanning solution?
He drew himself up so he was staring into her face. She blushed, unable to look directly at him. “When I cut myself that day in your apartment, I went looking for some first-aid supplies. I saw all the tubes of self-tan. Why do you need it? Have you got secretly pasty skin? Or is it something else? Something to do with why you hide behind the shirt? You can tell me.”
He drew back and her eyes widened. “Wait. Wait. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to pry. Please don’t go.”
“I am not leaving,” he told her. He stood at the side of the bed and stripped off his pants.
“Marcun, are you mad at me?”
“No,” he said in a sharp voice. Then he let out a breath. “I am mad at me.”
“Why?”
“Because I cannot tell you all my secrets and it makes me as guilty as your mother.”
“Is your secret something that affects my life?”
“Perhaps.”
Her eyes widened. “Does it put me in danger?”
“No. Not directly. And I will always protect you. No matter what. I cannot tell you everything. Not yet, because theses secrets do not affect just me. But as soon as I can, I will tell you.” And risk having her turn away from him. He did not know how she felt about other species. Humans were so isolated, most had not met an alien.
Or joined with one.
He would tell her. When he had permission. And he would probably lose her.
“You may turn away from me, but I owe you the truth.”
She climbed onto her knees and took her hands in his. “Whatever it is, I’m sure it won’t make me leave you. We can deal with it. Together.”
“I hope that is the case. Just know that I care about you, Eden. This is not, I do not … I have not felt this way about anyone before. You mean everything.”
Her eyes softened and he smiled. “You mean everything to me too.” She reached up. “Now kiss me.”
He leaned down and she wrapped her arms around him, kissing him deeply. When they drew apart, he walked over to the drawer where she’d tossed the condoms they bought earlier in the day. Yesterday, he corrected himself. They’d quickly gone through her hen party supply.
He undid the packet, slipping the sheath over his rod. One day soon, he would take her without this cover. He turned to find her still kneeling on the bed.
“You are beautiful.”
She blushed. “I’m glad you think so.”
He cupped her cheeks and kissed her lightly this time. Reaching one hand down, he cupped her breast, rubbing his thumb over the tight nub. Leaning down, he sucked her nipple into his mouth. She gasped as he flicked his tongue over the tip. With the fingers of his other hand, he squeezed her other nipple, pulling on it lightly.
“Marcun,” she groaned. “Please. I need you.”
“I promised more than mere minutes.”
“I don’t care,” she told him.
He did. He wanted to take her until she forgot everything. Even her own name. He drew back and a small whimper crossed her lips. He laid on his back on the bed and she straddled his hips, reaching for his cock.
“Uh-uh, not yet,” he told her, reaching for her waist and wrapping his hands around her.
“But I want you.”
“You do not always get what you want.”
She pouted. “Don’t I know it.”
“Come
here.” He lifted her, dragging her up over his body until she knelt over his head, her mound just above his mouth. Perfect.
“Marcun, you cannot just lift me like that!”
“Why not?”
Her lips were coated in dew, her pleasure nub poking its way free. He ran his finger over the tight nub and she shivered.
“Because you’ll hurt yourself.”
He snorted. Foolish female. He could easily lift twice her weight without breaking into a sweat.
“Hold onto the headboard. Do not let go.”
“Or what?” she asked.
“Or I will stop.”
As soon as she grabbed hold, he reached up and pulled her down so he could taste her. He took a long lick, from the base of her folds to the top where he circled her clit with his tongue. He moved slowly for a start, just relishing the taste of her. He listened to the way her breath sped up, the small whimpers that escaped her, felt the way her thighs trembled.
He licked every inch of her. Held her steady when she might have moved as he ran his tongue back and forth over the tight nub at the top of her lips.
Back and forth. Up and down.
“Marcun! Marcun, I’m so close.”
He wanted more. Needed more. He drove his tongue deep, groaning as she sucked him in, as his taste buds danced in delight. He moved his hands down to her firm, round ass, squeezing the cheeks as he pressed his tongue in and out of her pussy until she screamed her release, coming around him.
He gave her a few seconds to calm down. To catch her breath.
And then he started all over again.
She screamed as she came, her whole body one giant nerve, her clit so sensitive that it almost hurt to have him touch it. She didn’t know what orgasm she was on. She’d lost track after number three. She was a mess. She could barely say her own name, his name, hell, there were times when she thought she forgot to breathe. Her arms and hands were starting to ache as she held on tight to the headboard. Her legs had long since given up keeping her up. But he kept a firm hold on her. Damn, he was strong. And patient. He had to be hurting. Any other man would have taken his own pleasure by now. Yet, he held off, making her come over and over.