Page 33 of Mending Our Chance

“Felicity, I loved you then. I did. There was never anyone else before or after you that I can say the same thing about.” Marcus laid himself bare. “I had goals. I chose them over a relationship. I knew I was going to hell for my last six years of service. And I found it—I actively sought it out. I was broken that I couldn’t have you. So, I fought everything thrown at me and I reveled in the destruction… until it all caught up and destroyed me. Now I’m here, refocused but trying to heal.” My breathing had turned erratic, and his next words punched me in the gut. “I pray every night to be worthy of you, Felicity.”

Just like that, I was suckered back into this man.

I could smell his sweat and scent all around me. If I lathed my tongue over his skin, I knew that I would taste that salty warmth that I always associated with him. Resisting the temptation to finish the conversation, I whispered into his neck, “I want to be yours again. Isn’t the fact that we are building an empire together proof enough that I think the world of you?”

“Is it enough for you?” he returned. “You keep saying this choice was for you. That us being together would fuck that up.”

I remained silent. He was right. Just because we had managed to make our business relationship work, it didn’t mean we could make an intimate relationship work without a little more effort. But I wanted to try. Delusions filled my mind, yet I was confident we could make it work this time. I had opened up to him and told him what scars I had been carrying around all these years; now I just needed to gain his forgiveness so we could move forward.

I realized that I’d been silent too long when Marcus suddenly pushed me away and tried to roll out of bed. I jumped on him and forced him to look into my eyes as I said, “I’m willing to give us a chance. I need to try or I’m going to go crazy wondering about what could have been. I think we could really be something if we tried.”

Instead of lighting up at my profession, Marcus grimaced. “Look, I’m scared I’ll lose you. And that scares me more than anything. You could end up hating me. I can’t fuck this up.”

“You won’t.” With those words, I knew that I believed in us—and not just the business venture we had jumped into. “Forgive me, Marcus. Let’s bury the hatchet.”

He murmured, “Of course I forgive you, my sweet angel. Come hell or high water, I’m going to win you for keeps this time.”

I gently pressed my lips to his. He shifted and I felt his body thrum to life. However, there was more I had to get out. Breaking the contact, I continued, “Lack of communication got me burned before. I used to think that we shouldn’t hurt each other. But I’ve learned that hurting someone isn’t always bad. I understand now that you didn’t know you hurt me, because I never told you how I really felt back then. So I’m telling you now, Marcus, that I want more than a fling this time.”

Tired of talking, tired of the thoughts running through my mind, I decided it was time to simply feel. So I bent down and placed my lips to his chest. Opening my mouth, I lay it on a patch of skin and sucked until I heard Marcus hiss. Lifting my head, I murmured, “Marcus, quit squirming. We are finally sealing this partnership—professionally and unprofessionally.”

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