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“In your dreams.” I brace my shoulders, ready to pretend I’m not already wrecked.
“Toyour dreams,” he says, closing the distance between us. “You can’t deny I took residence in your mind that night, and since, you haven’t forgotten about me.”
I open my mouth to give him a piece of my mind, but nothing comes out. He’s right. He has lived in my thoughts for a long time. Now dreams and fantasies aren’t enough anymore. I’m craving the real thing. Does it make me a little slut? Well, for him, I am. Shamelessly.
His arms come around my waist, and my head automatically rests on his strong chest. God, he smells too good. The heat of his skin is like a blanket, and the cotton of his T-shirt is too soft. I close my eyes and make a wish.Please, don’t break my heart.This is the first time we have done this. That night we did a lot of stuff, but this feels tender and comforting. Loving. That night was all about quenching thirst. This embrace means more than words can express. Makes promises.
Makes me believe.
His lips on my forehead are soft like a smoke plume, and I feel them everywhere.
“I need to go, baby.”
“Why?” That word comes out muffled as I refuse to leave the comfort of his arms. Seems so unfair.
“Because this isn’t the time for us.”
“It is.” The objection leaves my lips before I’m able to stop it.
“No, Ella,” he counters. “You know I’ll be kicking myself for delaying this. Yes, it’s only a delay. You’re mine, but not for one night.”
He kisses my forehead again and then marches to the door without looking back. I’m in the middle of my living room, wondering what in the hell just happened.
Chapter Twelve
David
“Marcus, may we have a word?”
Pastor Garfield and I meet in the church the next morning. Today I’m multitasking, working with the roofers, dealing with some workers union shit from my company in LA, and trying to get more information about the job offer Melanie got and the best way for me to help her to make her dreams come true.
“No, David,” he replies, offering me his open hand to shake it. “We don’t need another trailer parking bay. You won’t twist my arm on this one.”
I’ve tried to convince the man you must think of the future when you’re building any project. In a great way, he has accepted my suggestions, just being a little reluctant about increasing the budget, but this is my money. And since I’m here, experiencing everything firsthand, I’m proud—and happy—to help as much as I can to make this epic.
However, he has his own arguments. He argues that he needs parking space for the food distribution program, services, and any other church activities.
Plus, we are trying to improve his living premises. The man is so modest he hasn’t made a single request. If I weren’t in charge of the rebuild, he would stay in that tiny trailer a local company lent for his personal use after the fire.
“You’re a tough cookie,” I tell him shaking his hand. Melanie got her stubbornness from him. That’s a fact. “I want to talk about another matter with you, though.”
After staying here for a few days, I’ve learned a bit about his daily routine. In the mornings, he does office work and organizes with his team the upcoming deliveries to know what they are giving away that week. Donations go up and down. It’s a lot to keep track of. The weather. The production shortages around the country. What is being harvested for the season… As I said, the list is endless.
Every day I’m more in awe of the amount of work he’s doing here. I’m glad to help as much as I can. The satisfaction of leaving a tiny legacy in this world overwhelms me. I’m building huge structures for the Olympic Games, but this is charity. No one here is making any money at all. This is just about making this wild world a little better.
Marcus just shrugs and gives me an easy smile.
“What do you know about the camp where Melanie wants to work?”
He looks at me with lifted eyebrows before replying. “Did they make an offer yet?”
I rub my chin. “Not yet,” I say. “Melanie really wants to work for that camp. I just want to make sure her wish is granted.” I’m her personal genie in a lamp, and she’s allowed to ask me for anything to make her dreams come true. As the stars in the sky, unlimited.
The man looks at me as if I just said something in a foreign language he doesn’t speak.
“What do you have in mind?” he finally asks.
Last night after leaving Ella’s house, I thought about the possibilities. However, she provided me with very little information. If I’m moving my resources to help her, I need more intel.
