Page 42 of Whatever You Need

A gentle handtouched my shoulder. “Hey, Amelia, it’s almost ten o’clock, you have to get up.”

My eyes slowly opened as I shifted my body to the side. Marco was staring down at me, a soft smile on his lips. “Did I really sleep that late?” I yawned as the sheet moved down my chest while stretching my arms out.

“Well, we didn’t get to sleep until almost four a.m., so I wouldn’t really call it sleeping in.”

Our conversations from last night played over and over in my head. I don’t think I’d laughed so hard in my life. Marco was not only handsome, but he was sweet, playful, and attentive. Everything about him was infectious and addictive.

“I’m sorry for passing out on you.”

He stretched his long legs out over the gray comforter. “Truthfully, I wasn’t too far behind you, although your snoring kept waking me up.”

I laughed and playfully smacked his shoulder. “Shut up. I do not snore.”

“Are you kidding me?I almost pushed you off the bed just to quiet you down. And I’m pretty sure my neighbors heard you next door.”

“Please tell me you’re kidding?” I didn’t snore, did I? I haven’t slept in a bed with anyone for a long time, so I really wouldn’t know.

He smirked, curling his palm along my hip. “You did let out a few soft snores, but I’m just playing around.” His hold tightened around my skin as he lifted me onto his chest. My mind was at ease and my body felt relaxed. I brushed my fingers along his tattoo. It ran from his shoulder down the length of his arm. The Lord’s Prayer was written in delicate cursive font with rosary beads surrounding the text. There was a crucifix and angel wings that flowed from his elbow, stopping just a few inches from his wrist. It was all black with no color, but it was still beautiful.

“You got a thing for ink, Amelia?”

“I got a thing for yours,” I said, unable to stop tracing the image on his arm.

“Do you now?” His hand moved to my face. I lowered my lips, anticipating his kiss. Desire and lust were building inside me, but that wasn’t all I was feeling. This wasn’t just about us enjoying each other’s company physically, it was much more than that. He pressed kisses to my throat and my chest. “I can’t keep my hands off of you.”

I knew this thing between us was new, but would it always be like this? Eventually, the spark would burn out. It had to, right? Because it was crazy how much I cared for him in such a short time. How right and perfect my world felt when we were together. He was everything I hoped and feared. He was my strength and my weakness.

My eyes slid shut at the feeling of his hand sliding up my leg. “Marco.” I moaned, feeling his erection straining against the thin sheet.

“Tell me what you want, sweetheart.”

I tilted my head to the side as his hands continued to worship my skin as if that’s what they were made to do. I was about to tell him it was him I wanted, but the sound of his phone buzzing on the nightstand had the words dying on my tongue.

“Damn it,” he growled and dropped his forehead to mine. “I’m sorry, but it may be a call for work. I have to answer that.”

“It’s okay,” I said weakly, cupping his cheek with my palm.

He kissed me tenderly before rolling over the top of me to reach his phone. “Yeah, Quinn.” I strained to hear the voice on the other side and wanted to laugh at how flustered he sounded. He turned to me and mouthed the word “sorry” before going back to his conversation. I leaned back against the headboard and listened to him talk to his friend who was coming over later today to help him with his renovations.

My lips were still tingling and my head was spinning, but surprisingly, it wasn’t on my work, or my never-ending list of things to do. I was stuck on the idea of how comfortable and relaxed I felt and how I never wanted to leave this bed. I was trying to decide if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

Up until now, I never allowed myself to entertain the idea of having a life outside of my career, which was so unlike me. I’ve had the same goals since I was a teenager, and now I wondered what would happen if I abandoned them all. Which was crazy because Marco made it clear that he was against relationships. So, what the hell was I doing? I couldn’t just push my approaching responsibilities aside and let things between us run their course, could I?

I sat forward and reached for his shirt on the end of the bed. He was still in deep discussion with his friend, so I decided to give him some privacy. I pulled the white shirt over my head and did my best to wiggle out of his grasp. He smiled at me while they went over measurements and the different tools they were going to need for the project.

My feet hit the cold floor and I hustled across the room and picked up my clothes that were strewn around. I slid into the bathroom with my undergarments in my hand and made quick work with getting dressed. Once I finished, I smoothed my hair back into a ponytail, brushed my teeth with my fingers, and rinsed my mouth out with a bottle of Listerine he had sitting out on the counter. Nothing kills a mood faster than nasty morning breath. After washing my face, I quietly padded back into the room just in case he was still on the phone.

Marco’s head popped up; he looked like every fantasy I’d ever had come to life. His dark hair was pointing up in every direction and there was a dusting of whiskers along his strong jawline. My attention was drawn to his tan chest and down to the bed sheet barely covering his waist. That fluttering in my belly picked up when my eyes reached that dimple poking out. Damn, my stupid, foolish heart started to palpitate.

I was in so much trouble.

“Don’t you look cute,” he said, pushing himself up to a sitting position.

I glanced down at my wrinkled blouse, cringing that I was in the same clothes as yesterday. “I’m not cute. I’m a hot mess.”

“Yeah, but you’re my hot mess. Now, get over here.”

I tiptoed to the bed, not sure how I was supposed to act. My head was in a weird place all of a sudden. He pulled me into him and pressed a kiss to my mouth. “You taste like toothpaste. Did you use my toothbrush?”

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