Page 45 of Wicked Flirt
“I love—” Holy shit. He wasnotabout to say “I love you,” especially not first.
“Cereal,” she finished for him.
He stroked her silky hair. “Yeah. Night, baby.”
She sighed and then she seemed to be asleep. He lay there, eyes wide open, for a very long time. Had he finally found love again? He didn’t know and could only hope that he was worthy of it now. Maybe this time his love would be enough.
~ ~ ~
So here she was in the bright light of day, sitting in Marcus’s kitchen while he got out some cereal bowls. She’d worried about feeling awkward the morning after, but it wasn’t like that with Marcus because he expressed himself so well she actually knew where she stood with him. Just this morning he’d said, while gently washing her hair with his big hands in the shower, “I’m glad you stayed. I’ll never get enough of you.”
She’d felt herself tear up, ordered him to kiss her, and he had. Then he’d rinsed her hair, placed her palms flat against the tiled wall, and whispered in her ear, “Don’t move until I’m done with you.”
The things he did, the way he justknew—
She shook her head, throbbing at the memory. She had to stop thinking about sex. She was never going to get out of here if she didn’t stop lusting for him. Eventually he had to go to work, and then she supposed she’d take the train home. It was Friday and she needed to firm up the details for the Mardi Gras event at his bar next Tuesday. It wasn’t just important for his business, but also for the potential to bring in future business for her. His bar attracted the Wall Street crowd, partly because he knew a lot of them, but mostly because his bar was conveniently located nearby.
He set a bowl of Life cereal in front of her with a spoon. “Voila!”
“So fancy! Any milk?”
He pointed at her. “See how distracting you are. You look so sexy wearing my T-shirt like a nightgown.”
She smiled, starting to believe his words, especially when he looked at her like that. This gorgeous sexy man who could have anyone—she didn’t kid herself about that—thought she was a beautiful sexy woman. He was shirtless, giving her a glorious view of tanned skin and bulging muscles, wearing only navy blue boxer briefs, which were tenting with a huge erection.I made that happen.
He leaned across the small breakfast bar, held her by the chin and kissed her. “I want you again, baby. Any chance you can stick around after breakfast?”
She nodded happily. “I’ve got a little time.”
“I’ve got until eleven.” He turned and checked the clock on the microwave. “Two hours. How much damage you think we can do to each other in two hours?”
“Ooh, a lot.”
He chuckled and got out the milk, sliding it over to her. Then he sat on the stool next to her, and they crunched their Life cereal in companionable silence.
She was only halfway done when he poured himself a second bowl. He shook the box at her. “More?”
“One bowl is plenty.”
He topped off his bowl, took a spoonful, and chewed. “You’re pretty sensitive about cheaters. I mean, I get that with my cheating ex, but was it recent or something?”
She swallowed. “If we’re sharing war stories, tell me yours. How’d you find out she was cheating?”
He grimaced. “Guess I walked into that one. Okay, it’s our one-year anniversary, and I’ve got everything set up. Took half a day off work to get all the ingredients for her favorite risotto. I spent hours making that and this coconut cake she liked. I also bought her a sweet diamond bracelet. Figured go big for the first anniversary, ya know?”
She nodded, already aching with sympathy because he’d made more effort than most men would ever think up.
He went on. “Then over our candlelit dinner, she says all sexy-like, ‘What do you think about having an open marriage? We can still be married but, you know, take lovers on the side. Maybe even share some and it’ll bring us closer.’”
She stared at him, shocked. “What’s the point in being married if you’re going to sleep with other people?”
“Exactly. So I say, ‘No, I don’t want that.’ But I’m thinking to myself, how am I not enough? It’s not like things got stale after a year.” He took a deep breath. “So then she says, ‘Well, our marriage already is open. I’ve got two other lovers, and I was hoping you’d be on board.’”
She gasped.
“Lex, I’m so stunned I can’t even speak. Cuz she says it like it’s just about being open. Not like she’s cheating. So finally I stand and say, ‘I can’t believe you cheated on me,’ and she says…”
Lexi leaned close. “What?”
