Innocence (Tales of Olympus #1)(19)

“Don’t go shy on me now,” he said. This was yet another reason she couldn’t look at him. His intense, demanding stare always brought out the truth.

She leaned in. “This isn’t exactly my scene. I sort of feel like…” She looked out at everyone again. “I don’t know, like I’m a scientist and this is a sociological experiment. And I’m in disguise, getting to observe the beautiful people in their natural habitat. I feel like I should be taking notes for a paper or something.”

Marcus lifted a brow.

“Like her.” Cora nodded her head toward an especially emaciated model who’d been fascinating her for the better part of an hour. “Species modelsapian domesticus, approximately 95 pounds. Never actually eats food but holds it between her forefinger and thumb and pretends to nibble at it for thirty-eight and a half minutes. Then she casually sets it down on a passing waiter’s tray and starts the whole charade again with another item of food. And don’t even get me started on the mating rituals.”

Marcus barked out a laugh, and looked surprised at himself.

And then, to Cora’s surprise, he hooked her around the waist and pulled her away from the bar where she’d been standing and over to the shadowed corner, hidden behind two tall planted palm trees.

There was just enough light to see the glint in his eyes.

“I like you.” He pronounced it so solemnly, Cora couldn’t tell if he was happy about it or not. Cora was definitely happy to hear it. Exhilarated in fact.

“Really?” she squeaked.

This brought out the half smile she was quickly becoming addicted to. “Really.”

He leaned in, his weight shifting to press her back against the wall of the building.

Oh gods, was he really about to—?

His lips were gentle against hers, but only for a moment. Like everything else about him, his lips quickly turned demanding.

And Cora was helpless to do anything other than obey.

Her lips parted on a gasp and he took the opportunity to plunge his tongue into her mouth.

She’d never been kissed, really kissed, and— She lifted her arms and wrapped them around Marcus’s broad shoulders if only to have something to hold onto and ground herself. Because she felt like she could float up, up, and away.

He was kissing her senseless. Her stomach somersaulted with every powerful swipe of his tongue. Cora couldn’t help arching her breasts up and into his chest. Oh gods, had she really done that?

She tried to pull back but Marcus wrapped a hand around her waist between her and the wall, securing her even more tightly against his body.

Her eyes flew open. He was— She could feel his—his hardness. She gasped for breath in between kisses and when he finally pulled away and cupped her face in his strong hand, she rolled her cheek into his touch, blinking dazedly up at him.

He had a satisfied smile on his face.

Would he take her home now and—and make love to her? That was what happened next, right? Even though he’d put a little bit of space between them, she could still feel him.

She didn’t know much about sex but she knew she wanted it. She wanted everything Marcus had to give.

She’d never felt this way before. His presence rolled over her, overwhelming, taking no prisoners. Was this attraction? Or something more? Every molecule in her quivered, standing at attention.

Marcus dominated her senses, made her giddy. Alarm bells rang in her head. Let him in, and he will rule your world. Marcus wasn’t a man who did anything by half measures. His control over her would be absolute, but she wouldn’t hate it. She’d revel in it.

It was too much. It was happening so fast. She closed her eyes, dizzy.

Now she knew why the poets sang of “falling in love.” Because it felt like falling. A wild and free and awful descent. And once you fell, it was over. There was no coming back.

“Cora, are you all right?”

She nodded, eyes still closed. She couldn’t look at him. It was like staring into the sun.

“Cora. Look at me. Don’t hide.”

She lifted her chin and blinked at him. “You terrify me,” she whispered.

He raised an eyebrow. “Well, you’ve always struck me as an intelligent girl.”

“What happens now?”

He pushed a strand of hair behind her ear and she shuddered in pleasure at the touch. His eyes flared and she immediately wanted to press her breasts into his chest again.

What would it feel like to have his hands on her? She hadn’t forgotten the way he’d looked her up and down in the mirror earlier. He was such an intense man. What would it feel like to have all that intensity directed at her? To have nothing between them. No clothes. No pretenses. No years.

“Now,” he leaned in and pressed his lips against hers again, the briefest kiss before pulling away, “we get Cinderella back home to sleep before she turns into a pumpkin.”

He pulled back and took her arm.

“I don’t think that’s quite how the fairy tale goes,” she murmured as he began to lead her through the crowd. Conversations stopped and eyes turned to them, the crowd parting like the Red Sea as they passed through.

Why did they all treat him that way? She glanced up at Marcus but his face was cold as marble. If his arm hadn’t been so warm and sure on hers, she might have shivered from seeing it. She glanced around at the faces of some of the crowd.