He leans toward me, grabbing my face in his hands. “Precisely. You’re the only one who doesn’t listen when I ‘stomp my feet and throw threats around.’ It makes me wonder if there’s something wrong with your head.”
I grin at him as I lean forward and find that he lets me. Honestly, I just never know what he wants or what I can get him to do. He always just barely gives in. Or just barely lets me do what I want, but not enough for him to let down his walls. I want him to grab me and kiss me and tell me he wants me.
“What do you want, Marcus?”
He glances up from my lips and catches my eyes. “You’re asking?”
“Yeah.”
“Are you going to listen?”
I think about it. “Probably not.”
“At least you’re honest.”
“I’m a very honest man.”
He snorts. “Good thing you’re cute.”
“So… you think I’m cute.”
“Everyone thinks you’re cute.”
I think about that information. “Not Wren.”
“Everyone but Wren thinks you’re cute.”
“Maybe I want to be sexy. Like, puppies are cute.”
“I’d only think someone I want to fuck is sexy.”
I lean in a little closer and find that he still doesn’t move away or let go. His eyes drop to my lips, but when he catches my eyes again, he’s so defiant and stubborn looking. “You proclaimed to anyone that would listen that I’m yours,” I remind him.
“I did! You are mine in the same way Artemus is mine. He’s mine but I sure don’t want to fuck him.”
Artie stuffs his head between ours like he’s trying to figure out what kind of staring contest we have going on.
“Understand?”
“Fine,” I say with a sigh. “I give up. You’ll be my friend, though, right?”
His eyes narrow. “You’re giving up?”
I shrug. “Well… yeah, it’s clear you don’t want me. You called me your dog, told me I was cute, and crushed my heart and soul. But I’ll forgive you enough to be friends.” I dramatically fall away from him and lean against the armrest. I pull my leg out from under me, since it feels cramped, and set both feet on his lap. “Sorry if my feet stink… well, foot.”
“This isn’t very attractive.”
“I’m not trying to be attractive anymore. That ship has sailed. You get unattractive Finn now,” I say as I lift a foot up. “Does my foot stink?”
He pushes my foot back down. “So unattractive Finn thinks I want to sniff his feet? I can smell them just fine from here.”
“Ah! Yes, that’s right, heightened sniffer like a dog, I forgot. It’s my silly little simple human brain.”
He still has a hold of my ankle as he looks over at me. “You know I respect your intelligence.”
I stare at him defiantly.
He stares at me.
I stare some more.
He keeps staring.
Now Artie’s staring.
Even he’s confused.
“Do you have a foot fetish? You sure seem to enjoy holding my foot. Is this because I don’t have two feet?” I ask.
He yanks me toward him using my good leg, dragging me across the couch as he slides over the top of me, pinning me to it as he looks down at me. He trails a finger over my lips. “Why does this mouth constantly spew nonsense?”
“I’m sorry, my tiny human brain can’t comprehend your massive question. Can you repeat it in tiny little human words that my feeble human ears can listen to and guide into my tiny little human brain?”
His hand slides up into my hair before tugging it. “I could bite you. I could kill you within seconds. You’re too open around me.”
“You don’t even have the balls to kiss me, even though you clearly want to, so I’m not too worried about that other stuff,” I say.
“The mouth on you.”
I grin at him, knowing he’s used to nothing but respect. “Do you want me to apologize? Show you my throat?”
“I do,” he decides.
“Hmm… let me think about it.”
His hand tightens in my hair as he pulls my head to the side, baring my neck as he drops his mouth to it and sucks on my skin. For a moment, I wonder what it’d feel like to have him bite me. It didn’t bother me when my sister did it, but no one’s bitten me since him. And he made it hurt. But even though Marcus acts all tough, I know he’d never hurt me. He lifts his head up just enough that he can capture my lips as I reach for him. Before I can touch him, he grabs my wrist and pins it to the couch. Even so, I push forward, opening my mouth, wanting more of him because the lips moving over mine make my body feel like it’s on fire. My mind is rushing, thrilled he finally gave in, eager to pull him in closer, nervous he’s going to pull away. But the way his tongue wraps around mine makes me forget about all of that untiiiil he pulls away.
Dammit, dammit, dammit. I shouldn’t have reached for him. I should have just gone with the flow.
“I need a fucking drink,” he says.
“Marcus,” I groan.
He looks down at me. “What?”
“Stop running! It’s not very attractive.”
He doesn’t seem concerned. “Good, maybe you’ll stop wanting me, then.”
“You think I only like your looks?” I ask as I cock my head.
He sighs. “Why are you making everything so difficult?”
Seriously? Seriously? I’m lying here begging for more and he calls me difficult. “You’re the one making it difficult.”
“I don’t do flings. I devote myself to the person.”
This man! “Great, because I definitely don’t do flings either.”
“But you’re a human.”
Oh. My. God.
I pull my arm free, grab him in a headlock and drag him down as I wrap my legs around him. “Be careful or you’ll hurt me,” I say, and he instantly stops trying to get me off him.
“Let me go,” he growls, but I just tighten my hold.
“I’m sick of this human shit. ‘Human this, human that.’ Marcus, I’ve spent more of my life with vampires than humans. Humans have treated me like shit and vampires have treated me like shit. To me, I don’t see human or vampire, I see an asshole or someone worth my time. For some reason, I feel like you’re worth my time yet you’re so annoying! Now submit to me.”
“I’m not submitting to your tiny ass,” he growls.
I lick my lips until they’re coated in spit then kiss him right on the side of his forehead.
“Ew, keep your spit to yourself!”
“There. Fine. Run off. Go fuck some vampires to feel masculine and vampirish.”
He sinks down on top of me, slightly crushing me. “Alright. Want the truth?”
“I love the truth.”
“So… I nearly killed a human I cared about once… when I was young. And I never forgave myself for it. She was a woman who damn near raised me. And I got hurt… I nearly bled to death and there she was trying to protect me, trying to save me, and I attacked her. I nearly killed the woman who sacrificed so much to take care of a vampire during a time when vampires and humans did not get along. After that, I promised myself I would never chance that again. You don’t understand how horrible it is to lose control and nearly kill the person you love more than anything. The person who has shown you endless kindness. Afterward, she said she forgave me, but I could feel her fear. She feared me, Finn. And it killed me. You’ve never shown me an ounce of fear, but what if I did something that someday made you look at me like that? I couldn’t handle it.”