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He draws me in his embrace, holding my shaking frame.
“Is it wrong for me to want someone to fill my empty soul and hold me at night?”
“No, it isn’t,” he breathes, stroking my back. And I wind my hands around his torso, resting my head on his chest. I breathe in the familiar leather and motor oil scent clinging to his clothes.
“So, let me have this fleeting moment of happiness.”
His warm lips press into my hair, and his head rests on top of mine.
“You deserve much more than a fleeting moment,” he gently whispers.
I squeeze him, appreciating his kindness regardless of how the rest of his family treats me. He and Lucas are my rocks. Without them, I don’t know if I would’ve made it. They helped me to establish my strength, heal my wounds, and cope with my demons.
We part and I walk into the bathroom to clean up my face as he leans against the doorframe, watching me in silence. “What do you know about him?”
I splash my face with cold water. Grabbing a towel from the rack, I ponder his question. “He’s an orphan, escaped his foster parents, and lived for a few years on the streets until his relatives found him. They probably provided him with education, and somehow, he built a successful business years later.” After I dry my face, I grab a paper towel to clean up the countertop. I watch Leif in the mirror, deliberating something. “We just started dating, so I know the very basics. Why do you ask?”
Leif never bothers with such details; he isn’t obsessed with the breed as his parents are.
“Do you know anything about his family?”
I shake my head, still mulling over his sudden interest.
“Why?” I straighten up, remembering them whispering earlier. “Do you know them?”
He crosses his hands over his gray Harley Davidson T-shirt as his gaze flattens and becomes an unreadable wall, sending a cold shiver down my spine.
“You should go, my father and Mark shouldn’t be left alone,” he utters, raising alarm bells in my belly.
Slipping past him, I bound downstairs, afraid whatever Darren’s telling Mark might ruin us. But as I reach the living room, Darren strolls out through the door without a single goodbye. My pulse throbs loud in my temples as I slowly approach Mark.
“Is everything okay?”
He grabs my waist and draws me to him, resting his forehead against mine.
“It is. Darren isn’t happy, but he can’t forbid us from seeing each other.” His whiskey eyes shine at me like two ambers while my intuition bombards me with warnings.
My father-in-law made it clear that my decision to work at Fading Ink is hurting their business image. Darren Cade’s going to do everything to stop me, even if it means he’ll have to crush my heart in the process. After Logan’s death, thei
r hearts turned to stone, love to poison. They no longer harbor any tender feelings toward me or even remorse for that matter. Leif and Lucas are the only ones standing in their way. If they remove them, I’ll be exposed to whatever they feel I deserve to get.
Exhaustion settles over my shoulders, thinking about everything that could go wrong. The scandal about me dating my boss could destroy a lot more than just my name. But as I breathe in his musky scent, wrapped in his arms, I feel like home, and no matter how many alarm bells are ringing in my mind, I can’t let go of him. Mark makes me feel like I have a reason to live again.
12
Stolen Moments
~Cassandra~
I toss and turn in bed, my body burning with the desire Mark awakened. I miss him, his daring, sensual nature and ability to burn through my anxiety. I shift in bed, throbbing with the need to taste his sexy groans, his lithe body claiming me, inch by inch. But mostly, I need someone to hold me when darkness is too powerful to battle on my own. I want a man who isn’t afraid of my complicated family and can stand in the storms together as a team.
My head snaps toward the rumbling sound coming from downstairs. It’s my phone vibrating on the kitchen island like a drill piercing the concrete. Dammit, it will wake up the whole household if I don’t get it soon. Untangling myself from under my daughter softly snoring next to me, I tiptoe downstairs, trying not to make a sound and wake up others.
I don’t turn on the lights, so I would have a few moments to myself. After I started dating Mark, my kids became protective of me as if sensing something is changing. And to add to the stress, their grandparents don’t approve of my choice either.
Using the walls to guide me, I descend the stairs to the living room area connected by the spacious entrance. A sharp pain shoots down my foot when I step on the Lego piece tossed by my son in a fit of anger.
Ouch, dammit, I thought I gathered them all! My eyes water as I breathe through the pain, rubbing the aching spot, feeling angry at my son.
