Page 56 of Marked
I flit around to her.
Her body is warm as I haul her up against me, one arm going around her waist. She slowly turns, cerulean eyes wide and her heart thrumming in my ears. Lilac blossoms into the air in a heady cloud. I step back, grinding my gun into my palm to clear my head.
“It’s fine,” I say. “I just didn’t know you were here. It’s been a long night, okay?” She shifts in place. “Look ... Take the bed. I can sleep on the couch.”
She laughs, but there is little humor in the sound. “No, you can’t.” One hand motions at my still mostly undressed body as her blush makes a glorious return. “You’re too tall.”
I blink. “No worries.” I snag my jeans and tug them on before tucking my gun into my waistband. “Get back in bed.”
She stands there. “Are we going to talk about earlier if I do?”
My eyes roll, and I try to shut down the heat building in my gut. It works as well as ignoring her fucking scent or those pretty legs that I now crave around me.
I walk closer and lift her in my arms. She squeaks. I press her into my side of the bed. She stares up at me, eyes wide and the heavy beat of her heart filling her throat until my fangs press into my mouth.
Yep. Time to fucking go.
“Sleep now. Talk later.” I cover her with the sheet and the blanket. She continues to watch me, too much white rimming those amazing irises. “Sleep,” I order.
“What about you?” Her voice is quiet, meek.
I try to smile, but it comes out more as an unintentional baring of teeth. “Tanner and Gage share a suite. I can bunk with them tonight.” She still lays there, little hands fisted in the bedspread until her knuckles are white. “Really. It’s fine.”
“I don’t know—”
“Lilah,” I growl.
Goddess, she is stubborn.
She turns on her side, pillowing her cheek on her hand with a yawn. “Only until the doors open. Tomorrow I’ll go back to my room.” Her eyes flutter.
I smirk. “Sure.” I start to walk out.
“Ruin?”
I turn in the doorway, hand hovering over the light switch. “Yeah?”
She yawns again, gaze heavy-lidded. “Thank you,” she murmurs. “I never said that before.”
My gut somersaults. “For what?”
Her lips curve. “For saving me. And then saving me again with bringing me here. I’m going to pay you back for it. Somehow ...”
I lean against the doorjamb. “Sleep, Lilah.”
She smiles serenely, and her breathing evens out in my ears. I flip the lights off and close the doors before exiting my chambers. The door down the hall is hard under my knuckles. It opens and Markus looks at me, sleep pants low over his muscular hips.
“Yes?”
“You’re an asshole ...my lord. And your wife is no better.”
His lips tug as Raina curls into his side in a white silk gown. “Whatever do you mean, Ruin?” she says, grinning.
I scrub my face. “I’m fucking exhausted. This bullshit ...” I motion back to my door, “Tonight—the other night ... I can’t fucking think where Lilah is concerned. And now you stick her in my damn bed?”
She appraises me. “At least now you admit it.”
I gape.
