Page 94 of Missing Marcus

“I’ll leave the door cracked in case you need anything. Good night, Gabrielle.” Marcus stood in the doorway, with his hand on the knob.

“Marcus?”

“Yes, sweetheart?” he responded, sending shivers down her spine. She missed him calling her his sweetheart.

“Will you come lay beside me until I fall asleep? After this afternoon, I don’t think I can. You don’t have to if it makes you uncomfortable.” She hid her face inside the pillow to keep from seeing his expression.

He didn’t respond, yet she heard him move about the room. The covers lifted, and he slipped inside. The bulging muscles of his forearms wrapped gently around her, enveloping her in security. She felt the warmth of his skin seep through her thin nightgown and realized he removed his shirt.

A sigh of relief slipped out before she stopped it.

“I’m here for as long as you need me. Don’t worry. Nothing will harm you or our child. Sleep, Gabrielle,” he whispered in her ear.

His warm breath sent a sense of longing deep into her belly. Her body remembered him. The way his hands stroked her body and his mouth…oh, the delicious things his tongue did to her.

Thirty minutes later, she struggled to keep from squirming against him. His hard chest pressed against her back and he seemed unaffected by their closeness.

“Is something wrong?” he asked quietly. Again, his warmth sent shivers through her.

She swallowed before turning to meet his concerned gaze. Her heart fought with her brain. “Marcus…I…I.” She couldn’t say it. Gabby’s mind shouted to resist, yet her heart yearned for him to touch her.

Marcus cupped her cheek, and his lips hovered as if giving her time to change her mind. When his mouth touched hers, she softly moaned. His tongue tentatively explored hers, and she sighed at its warmth. He sat up on his elbow and pulled her slightly beneath him, and the kiss deepened. Her arm wrapped around his neck, pulling him closer.

“Gabrielle,” he chanted as he peppered a kiss on her nose and along her jaw. She tilted her head, giving him access to her neck, letting him leave a trail of fire along her skin. His hand caressed her back, and despite the heat, she shivered.

His hand slid under the thin nightgown and she impatiently waited for him to continue his exploration. Her body brushed against his, feeling the hardness of his cock against her thigh, making him moan.

Knight pulled back to stare into her eyes. “You can feel how much I desire you. Do you want me? You’re all I think about and I don’t want you to regret this in the morning.”

Her breath hitched. What did she want? She wanted to feel lost in him. Gabby wanted to feel like she did when he couldn’t get enough of her and left her limp from his demands. But he didn’t feel the same.

“I can’t promise tomorrow. I need you, Marcus. I want to feel like we used to before…” she pleaded.

He sighed heavily and swallowed. “We can’t. Both of us have changed. I want nothing more than to do this. We experienced a huge scare today, and this might make everything feel better. But what about in the morning? Will you look at me with disdain and mistrust or will you trust me with your heart again?”

Gabby bit her lip. He hurt her in ways she never expected. It shredded her heart into tiny pieces and the only remaining shard held her love for their precious child. “You’re right. It’s not fair of me to ask this of you.”

He tilted her chin to meet his gaze. “Gabrielle. If I knew how to take away the hurt I caused you, I’d gladly do it. One day, I hope you’ll know how much I regret my decisions concerning you.” His mouth met hers. “Turn around. I promised to hold you and give you what you needed.”

Gabby turned, clung to the pillow and squeezed her eyes shut. He never mentioned love. As if her heart melded together with the heat between them, it cracked again, making her chest hurt.

Knight stroked her hair until her eyes drooped from the rhythm and she gave in to sleep.

When Gabby slumbered,Knight rose from the bed, put on his shirt and unlocked the patio door. Patch already stood outside waiting.

The asshole glanced at Knight and a smirk crossed his face. “Do you have a banana in your pocket or are you happy to see me?” he whispered, half chuckling.

“Stow it, Patch. I’m not in the mood.” He entered the kitchen and grabbed a beer.

“Oh, but clearly you are. I’m sorry, buddy. I can’t help you there,” Patch replied smugly.

Knight rubbed the back of his neck as he sat on the couch. He stared at the bottle as if it held all the answers.

“What happened?” Patch sat in the chair.

Knight flung his body backward against the sofa. “Gabby and me. Never mind.”

“I know it’s hard. Hang in there. Claire and I circled one another before we got our shit together. Keep working on you.”

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