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He pulls out his phone, and I rattle off the digits. As soon as the link comes through, I smirk up at him. “You know you didn’t need to book a hotel room just to get my number, right? You could’ve just asked.”

He scoffs, but it feels warm. “I’ll wait for you outside. Come out when you’re ready. You can freshen up at the hotel too, if you want.”

Before I respond, Marcus walks away, leaving me alone in the small space with my heart beating erratically in my chest. I need to get it together, but I feel like I might throw up. In a good way.

I showered right before I came here and tried to eat as lightly as I could at dinner, but we truly picked the worst holiday possible to arrange a hookup around, all things considered.

My nerves are at an all-time high tonight. Sure, we hooked up last year, and that’s all this is again. But a parking lot is spontaneous. A hotel room is a plan. And there’s something about being his plan, even if just for one night, that has my whole body buzzing in a way I wasn’t prepared for. He must’ve enjoyed last year as much as I did.

I splash cold water on my face and grip the sink, trying to calm my nerves, but I’m shaking. This is insane. I’m leaving a Friendsgiving dinner to go to a hotel with a man who will probably take me apart piece by piece the second that door closes.

And I want it more than I’ve wanted anything in a long time.

I dry my hands on the blue towel, check my reflection one final time, then head for the door.

When I return to the living room, everyone is back in here except Marcus, which means he’s probably already made his exit. He doesn’t seem like someone who’d announce his departure.

“Hey, man, I can make room,” Derek says, moving to sit up from his place on the couch.

“Nah, it’s okay. I think I’m actually going to head home.”

Derek frowns. “Already? We were gonna play cards or something.”

“I know, I’m sorry. I just told my family I’d be back for their game night,” I lie. “You should stay, though. I already ordered an Uber.”

I didn’t, but he doesn’t know that.

“You sure?”

“Positive.”

“Alright, well, it was good seeing you, man. Maybe we can still grab food tomorrow at some point?”

“Yeah, text me.”

I say my goodbyes to everyone, give Katy another hug, fist bump Randy, and thank Josh for letting me come. As soon as I step outside, I see headlights flashing at the end of the driveway. Marcus rolls down the window, and even in the dim light, I can see the heat in his eyes.

“Get in,” he commands, and I don’t hesitate. Once again, I’m happy to let him take the lead. I don’t know why it’s so easy with him, why it feels so natural to just do what he says without question. Maybe it’s something about the unbothered, almost detached confidence he carries. It’s like he’s never once questioned whether someone would do what he asked, and that makes resisting feel pointless.

I get in, and it reminds me all over again of last year as I buckle up. The smell of him in his Jeep is woodsy and spicy—the same scent that clung to me last year.

For a moment, neither of us speaks as he drives, and I don’t know if I should say something or just let the silence stretch. His eyes stay fixed on the road, jaw set, unreadable in the dark except for the passing glow of streetlights sliding across his face. My leg starts bouncing with the same nervous energy I get before a big client meeting or a pitch. I catch him glancing over, and I press my palm flat against my knee to still it.

“Sorry,” I whisper, and the corner of his mouth twitches.

“Nervous?”

I swallow down the “Yes!” that wants to escape me and try to be calm. I’ve never met anyone like Marcus before. He exudes a cool, calm, and collected vibe that I usually feel I possess, but he does it much better. Around him, I’m a ball of nerves.

“Excited,” I say instead because it’s basically the same thing, or so I’ve been told. “The hotel will be a nice upgrade from your back seat.”

“With what I want to do to you, we’ll need the space.”

Oh, fuck. Maybe the real reason I’m happy to let him take the lead is because he says things like that, and it’s incredibly hot.

My dick starts to harden again, and this time, I don’t care enough to adjust it. He had to know what those words would do to me.

He flips his blinker on, and I realize we’re turning into the hotel parking lot. It’s a standard chain with a bright sign and a semi-full parking lot. Marcus parks, cuts the engine, and turns to look at me. “I’ll go check us in.”