Up until closing, Marlowe made sure to keep herself busy cleaning with the bar and did everything she could to avoid eye contact with me. That was fine. My time with her was coming, and it was coming soon. After the club closed, I followed Marlowe over to her place, and again, she was quiet as we made our way into her apartment. I’d barely locked the door before she’d slipped off her heels and disappeared into her bedroom. I wasn’t in the mood for playing games, so I decided to follow her. By the time I reached her room, Marlowe had already removed her miniskirt and fitted sweater and was standing there in just her deep red satin bra and panties. I leaned against her doorway, watching silently as she pulled a hoodie from her dresser and put it on. I crossed my arms and asked her, “How long are you planning to keep this up?”
“As long as it takes for you to stop looking at me like that.”
“Why don’t you do us both a favor and tell me what the hell is going on with you?” I took a step in her direction. Her eyes never left mine as I added, “Marlowe, just talk to me. I’m on your side. There’s nothing you can say to change that.”
“I don’t know about that. If you knew what was going on in my head, you’d probably run for the hills.”
“Never gonna happen.”
“Okay, suit yourself.” She sat down on the edge of the bed and sighed. “It’s just hard having Kate here. It’s brought up a lot of feelings I thought I’d put behind me.”
“Such as.”
“Hmmm ... The fear of rejection. Feeling not good enough. Weak. Pathetic. The list goes on and on.” She shrugged. “Does that put things in perspective for you?”
“It’s a start.” I sat down next to her. “I can’t say I understand why.”
“That’s the part that’s hard to explain.” Emotion filled her eyes as she explained, “I spent my entire childhood feeling like I lived in Kate’s shadow. I’ve worked so hard to break free from all that, and then she shows up and I suddenly feel like I’m going to lose everything again ... like it wasn’t even meant to be mine in the first place.”
“Are you being serious right now?” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I got that things were hard for her growing up. Hell, we’ve all had our struggles there, but it was hard for me to understand why someone so amazing would ever doubt herself. “You’ve busted your ass to get where you are. Came here with nothing and built an entire life for yourself, and you did it without any help from anyone. How in the hell can you think of yourself as weak?”
“It’s easier than you might think.” Her eyes drifted to the floor. “I’ve never had anything I cared about that Kate didn’t end up taking from me, and I’m just so scared of that happening again.”
“She can only take those things if you let her.” I reached over and placed my hand on her cheek. “Don’t. You’re an amazing, beautiful, strong woman who is in no way weak or pathetic, and if your sister makes you feel any different, that’s on you.”
“On me?”
“Yeah, you.” I was being harsh, but I needed her to hear what I was saying. “You’re the one giving her the power. Stop doing that shit and believe in yourself. I know I do.”
“You do?”
“Hell, yeah. I wouldn’t be sitting here if I didn’t.”
I leaned in closer, brushed a strand of hair from Marlowe’s face, then lowered my mouth to hers, kissing her tenderly. She didn’t push me away. Instead, she wrapped her arms around my neck and kissed me. My hand fell to the back of her neck, and I gently pulled her closer. A shudder ran through her as she opened her mouth to me, giving me access to delve deeper, and I took full advantage of the opportunity. Our tongues tangled, our bodies tensed, and I knew then one kiss would never be enough. Just as things were starting to get heated, Marlowe placed her hands on my chest, ending the kiss as she pulled back and inhaled a deep breath. As she slowly exhaled, she muttered, “I’m sorry for being a nutcase.”
“Don’t. You have nothing to be sorry about, Marlowe. You let your fear mess with your head, but believe me when I say, you have nothing to be afraid of. You’re fucking incredible, so enough of this bullshit with your sister. Leave the past where it fucking belongs.”
“I’ll try.”
“Don’t try, Marlowe. Do it,” I pushed. “Things don’t change. We do. Make the changes you want in your life, and don’t let anyone stand in your way. Not even me.”
“Okay. You’re right.” A soft smile crossed her face as she whispered, “Thank you for bringing me back to my senses.”
“All I did was give you a little push in the right direction.”
“Well, it’s appreciated ... more than you know.” Her eyes were filled with emotion, but not sadness like before. This emotion was for me—just me. “You know, you’re the one thing I am ... or make that I was most scared of losing.”
Before she could say anything more, I reached for her and pulled her towards me as I lowered my mouth to hers, silencing her with a kiss. It was the best way I knew how to tell her how I was feeling. There was no way I could explain how having her so close set me on fire, making every nerve in my body burn with need. My hand dove into her hair, pulling her even closer as I deepened the kiss. A light moan purred from her throat, urging me on as my hand slid down her back, and it was all I could do to keep myself from taking her right then and there. Before that could happen, there was something I needed to say.
“You don’t have to worry about losing me, Marlowe. I’m not going anywhere. Right here with you is exactly where I want to be.”
With that, she wound her arms around my neck and whispered, “And I want you here. I want you, Rafe. More than I thought possible.”
I lowered my hands to her waist and grabbed the hem of her hoodie, lifting it carefully over her head. Fuck. She looked so damn beautiful. The mere sight of her had my cock turning to fucking steel. Through the thin, smooth fabric, I could see her nipples tighten beneath my gaze. I trailed kisses down her neck as I told her, “I need to be inside you.”
She stood, and I watched with awe as she quickly removed her bra and panties, then laid down across the bed. I let my eyes drift down her body, and her delicious curves called to me like no woman ever had. I stood and made fast work of my clothes, then lowered myself down onto the bed next to her. I wanted to devour and consume her until I was the only thing she could think about. I watched the goosebumps rise along her skin as I began to trace the slope of her breast with my fingertips. She was perfect, every damn inch of her. I didn’t know it was possible for me to feel so strongly for a woman. My mouth moved to her neck, kissing and nipping gently at her soft skin before traveling to her collarbone and then her breast. I rolled my tongue around her nipple and watched with satisfaction as her back arched off the bed, silently pleading for more. I glided my tongue along her stomach ever so slowly, trailing kisses here and there as I settled myself between her thighs. As I hovered over her, she started to squirm. “You want my mouth on you?”
As soon as she nodded, I slid my hands under her ass and lowered my head between her legs. I ran my tongue ever so slightly across her center, teasing her, tormenting her as she squirmed beneath me. Damn. Everything about her had me burning for more. She gasped, and her back arched off the bed as I pressed the flat of my tongue against her clit. I loved seeing Marlowe come apart, knowing I was in complete control as I watched her body respond to my touch. I wanted to hear all of her little gasps and whimpers again and again as I pushed her to the edge of her release.