Page 68 of Dope Boys: Most Wanted
“I’m Emilliano now?” Markus gave her a lopsided grin, his eyes attempted to take in her, but were tempted by her nipples pressing against the light fabric. “I counted sixteen times. Seventeen won’t hurt.”
Reign grabbed a throw pillow and teasingly tossed it at him. “Anyway. You want to know the best part?” she asked, looking down at him.
“I’m all ears.”
“The fact that you were present for the whole thing. I’m proud of you. Sobriety looks really good on you.”
Those four words stirred something in him. The movie be damned, he picked her up and placed her on top of him. His brows fused like she cursed him out and called his mother an obscenity.
“What you say?” he asked, as she looked down at him oddly.
“Can you stop yanking me around?” she huffed, fixing her tank top before placing her hands on his chest and letting a smile spread a little. “I said I’m proud of you. For not using. I know how hard that shit is.”
He slightly sat up and placed his hands on her thighs. “You do?”
Reign shrugged slightly. “You get hit enough. You get berated enough. You get tired of feeling tired, tired of not sleeping, so you dive into the darkness. One to sleep turns into three. Then pills just don’t do anymore. And for me, when I got to that point, I stopped. I didn’t have a family to live for, but I had myself. I wanted to prove to myself that I could survive it. I survived it. So, I’m proud of you.”
“Five days. It’s you,” Markus shared. “You’re an anchor.”
Her smile grew. “I should move.”
Markus’ hands slid from her thighs to her waist. “Don’t.”
“All day I’ve been trying to settle this tug of war inside of me. I’m going to forget it if I don’t move. I also told you not to do it for me.”
“Forget what?” Markus glared at her in wonder. How did he have someone as layered with such strong will in his hands? “I heard what you said. It’s for me, but it’s because of you. When you talk to me, every fiber of my being is at attention.”
“Mm.” Reign leaned down, mere inches from his face. “Forget the lessons the darkness should have taught me. If I stay here, I’m going to let my feelings override the lessons.”
“Let that shit override, then,” he groaned, his body coming alive again, and he’d just gotten himself to calm down before she took her sweatshirt off. “What do you want, Speechless?”
His question was loaded.
She tucked her lips. A swipe of his thumb over her chin told her to release them along with her words. “I want to feel again. I want to be safe to feel again. I want to know I won’t be mishandled or mistreated. I want to feel like I’m precious and not just a thing. I’ve never had that, and I want it. And dare I say, I want it with you.”
Markus hooked her chin and pressed his lips against hers. A slow, passionate, longing kiss. Slow and intentional. Each swipe and nip of her lip with his teeth took her breath away. He twisted her body around, laying her on her back.
He stopped for a moment to take her in.
“I like the way you look at me,” she hummed, her hands free to rub his shoulders. “You make me feel like…I’m enough.”
“You are enough,” he replied boldly, dipping his head down to kiss her. “Been enough.”
“If I…” she stopped herself.
“Nah, don’t do this to me. Don’t give me your voice and take it away from me. Say it,” he urged, kissing her chin and then her shoulder. “If what?”
“If I do this…act on what I want, don’t hurt me. I’ve survived a lot, but I don’t know if I’ll be able to handle that,” Reign offered her truth while her mind was dizzy and her body flooded with heat.
“I won’t hurt you. I’ll never hurt you,” he assured, kissing his way back up to her lips and then standing. He reached down, pulling her to her feet and then hoisting her legs around his waist.
Reign draped her arms around his neck, kissing him while her heart drummed against him. Up the stairs and into thebedroom filled with her scent, Markus lay her on the bed and on top of her without the walls blocking his access.
He watched him, watch her. He tugged at the waist of her leggings and pulled them down, finding her naked underneath. There were a few scars over her stomach, pelvis, and knees, and he kissed every one.
“The last time a nigga put they hands on you was the last time,” Markus promised. “You hear me?”
Reign hummed underneath his touch. “I do.”
