Because of Low (Sea Breeze #2)(24)

“Good luck you two,” Sadie said looking from Marcus to Amanda.

“Thanks,” Marcus replied in a tense tone as he stood up behind me.

“Thank you for everything. I’ll miss you this weekend but I’m going to watch Idol tonight so wave to the camera when it zooms in on you.” Amanda pulled Sadie into a hug and Sadie squeezed her. Something was definitely going on with Marcus’s family and I’d bet money his Dad was the cause.

Amanda walked Sadie to the door then turned back to me, “I loved meeting you Low. Really I did. We need to spend some more time together.”

I simply nodded surprised by the other girl’s enthusiasm.

“I’m going to walk Sadie out and get my things from the Hummer. I’ll meet you in the truck,” Amanda told Marcus with a strange expression on her face. It was as if they were having a conversation without words.

“Okay,” Marcus replied.

Once the door shut behind them I stretched my legs and stood up.

“Martus pay,” Larissa demanded.

“No sweetie Marcus can’t play right now. He needs to go bye bye.”

“Bye bye too” she demanded raising her arms up like the queen of Sheba.

Marcus chuckled and I could feel the tension in him ease some.

“You make it really hard to leave princess but I gotta go. We’ll play again. I promise.”

Larissa frowned then nodded her head as if she was okay with this and went back to her blocks.

“Thanks for breakfast and helping with Larissa,” I said standing up.

“I enjoyed every minute of it.”

I felt my face flush again and I bit my bottom lip to keep from grinning like an idiot.

“Come here Low,” he whispered reaching out and taking my hand and pulling me to him until my body was pressed up against his. He draped my hand over his shoulder before releasing it to grip my waist.

Marcus Hardy’s mouth was on mine before I could take in the fact I was touching him.

His lips were warm and soft as they played gently against mine. He nibbled my bottom lip and I gasped, opening my mouth just enough for him to slide his tongue inside and begin to leisurely stoke mine. The moan that escaped me was followed by me clinging to him. Both his hands left my waist so they could cup my face while he tilted my mouth and explored it more thoroughly. No one had ever kissed me like this. The minty taste of his toothpaste was the most delicious thing to ever touch my tongue, I swear. His right hand slid down my arm and around my bare back pulling me up even tighter against him as he continued to nibble and lick every inch of my mouth. His left hand slowly slid down my neck in a gentle caress and stopped right below my collar bone. I whimpered. I couldn’t help myself. His big calloused hand was so close to covering my breast. Breaking the kiss Marcus took a deep breath and moved his hand to my arm while putting some distance between us. I couldn’t keep from breathing erratically. I didn’t have enough practice with this to keep my reaction under control.

His eyes met mine and we stared at each other. The excitement in his gaze made the fact I was a complete withering mess a little better.

“Martus tiss” Larissa called out loudly reminding us both where we were and that we weren’t alone.

A giggle erupted out my mouth and I shifted my eyes from Larissa who was looking up at Marcus expectedly.

Marcus let out a dramatic sigh, “The ladies, they all want me,” he teased and bent down and kissed Larissa on the top of her platinum curls.

“Bye bye,” Larissa said apparently pleased with his kiss.

“Bye bye princess. I’ll see you again soon.”

He stood back up and studied me a moment before reaching out and rubbing my bottom lip with his thumb.

“I’m not done here. I’m just beginning Low. But I couldn’t walk away again without that kiss.”

My knees felt like jello. How sweet was that? Guys didn’t talk to me that way. Marcus Hardy was straight out of those gushy romance novels my mother used to read.

“Okay,” was all I could say. Piecing words together right now was impossible.

His hand dropped and a sexy smirk touched his lips before he turned and left.





Chapter Nine





Marcus



“Well that took awhile,” Amanda teased as I got into the truck grinning like a fool.

“Yeah it did.”

“She’s really pretty.”

Pretty did not begin to describe Willow. Seeing her sitting there beside Sadie I realized how much sexier Willow was. All that copper hair and fair skin and curves. Damn the girl had curves. Really, really nice curves.

“More like gorgeous,” I replied backing the truck out into the street.

“That’s what Sadie said. She was really happy about Low. She seems happy for you. I think she worried you were still pining away for her.”

I’d stopped pining for Sadie awhile back. My attraction to Willow only proved that.

“I mean I know Cage is a total male whore but Preston said he was like real protective of Low and then there is that little issue about his claim that he’s going to marry her one day.”

I gripped the steering wheel tightly trying to control the violent reaction that reminder caused. There was no way in hell Willow was going to marry Cage. I wasn’t ready to propose marriage to her or anything. We were just in the beginning stages of a relationship. But I knew she was better than Cage York. Sure he was good to her but he reminded me of a big brother. He treated Willow the way I treated Amanda. Willow deserved so much more in life than that. She was smart, funny, real, so incredibly sexy, she wasn’t someone’s standby dammit.