Bound and Determined (10 page)

Her stomach growled loud enough for the neighbors to hear. Okay, so maybe she’d be ready
after
she ate something.

He grinned. “Are you trying to tell me something?”

“How’d you guess?”

He stretched and groaned. “I guess I
have
to get up and feed you now.”

Running her big toe up his calf, she fluttered her eyelashes at him. “That would be really nice.”

Marcus squeezed her tight, heaving a great sigh of feigned long-suffering while he disengaged himself from her. “Ah well, I guess it’s the least I can do.”

He got up and disposed of the condom.

Giggling, she tossed a pillow at him. “You’re damned right it is.”

Catching the pillow one-handed, he laughed. “Stay right there and I’ll bring you some coffee.”

“Really?”

“Really.” He pulled on his jeans and headed downstairs.

As soon as he was gone, she jumped up and ran to the bathroom, both out of necessity and to make sure she didn’t look too much like a hag. She finger-combed her hair with dampened fingers to try and tame the wild mess, but finally gave up. It was what it was. By the time he came back with a steaming mug of coffee and the morning paper she was lounging in bed again.

She took the aromatic mug from him and he tossed the paper on the bed beside her. “This smells divine. You’re spoiling me, you know.”

He skimmed a knuckle along her cheek. “This is nothing. Wait until you see breakfast.”

“I can help.” She made to get out of bed.

He stayed her with a touch. “This is my treat. Relax. Enjoy your coffee, read the paper. I’ll be back soon.”

She raised her mug in salute. “You, my good man, are a prince among men.”

He chuckled. “As long as you think so, I’m happy.”

He turned to go back downstairs and stopped. “Do you like apricot jam?”

“I don’t think I’ve ever had it, but I love apricots, so probably. Why?”

He gave her a secretive smile. “You’ll see.”

“You’re not going to tell me what’s for breakfast, are you?”

“Nope, so don’t bother asking. I won’t be long.”

With that he left her trying to imagine what he was rustling up for them. When she thought of jam the first thing that came to mind was toast, but somehow she doubted it would be that simple.

Fifteen minutes later he came into the room with a tray and placed it on her lap. There was a small glass of orange juice and a plate with two rolled crepes filled with apricot jam. The smell was heavenly. “Oh my God. This looks amazing.”

“Wait until you taste them.”

“I can’t wait.”

She picked up her knife and fork and dug in while he looked on in anticipation. The first bite was pure bliss and she closed her eyes to savor it fully. The crepe was thin and light with just the right amount of jam filling.

“Good?”

“Mmm. This is
so
much better than just good. Thank you. You didn’t have to go to all this bother just for me.”

He grinned. “Who says it was just for you. I love crepes.”

“But how did you make them so fast?”

“I made the batter yesterday while you were soaking in the tub. I was determined to make you breakfast this morning. You want some more coffee?”

She held out her mug. “Yes, please.”

“I’ll be right back.”

In no time he returned with a tray for himself, another mug of coffee for her and propped himself up in bed beside her.

Once breakfast was eaten, Marcus took a sip of his coffee and looked at her apologetically. “I’m sorry I can’t spend today in the shop with you again.”

The reminder sent a nervous rush skittering up her spine. With determination, she shook it off. She was a big girl. She could handle it. “Like I told you last night, it’s okay. Really. Saturday’s our busiest day. With all the out-of-towners who like to come up north to visit the falls and go antiquing, customers will be in and out of the shop all day and the streets will be busy downtown. In all likelihood I won’t have a minute to myself.”

“Still, I would have come if it wasn’t my mother’s birthday. My sisters and I are spending the day with her. There’s no way I can beg off without disappointing my mother, otherwise I would.”

“And I wouldn’t want you to. Like I said, I’ll be fine.”

He nodded. “I’ll be back later tonight. We could meet at Murphy’s at around eight if you’re game.”

“That’d be great.”

He leaned in and gave her a toe-curling kiss that had her melting inside all over again. “Something to remember me by.”

As if she needed it. She already couldn’t stop thinking about him. Anymore than she could stop wanting him.

Chapter Eleven

Asia hummed in happy contentment as she changed clothes and caught her wild hair up into a clasp. It was the quickest way to deal with the out-of-control mess her hair had become by this morning. That Marcus hadn’t run for the hills the moment he’d seen her this morning was a testament to his outstanding character.

Either that or the man needed glasses.

She still couldn’t believe how sweet he’d been. He’d treated her like a princess and wasn’t at all put out that she’d fallen asleep on him two nights in a row.

Which she really regretted because the man was outstanding in bed. She hadn’t believed that kind of intense sex actually existed outside of books. Sex with her ex-fiancé had been pleasant enough, but nothing like the earth-shattering experiences she had with Marcus. Whatever else happened between them, she wouldn’t have missed this time with him for anything.

The day passed in a blur as she tended to the shop and the constant influx of customers. She’d been spot on about not being nervous. She didn’t have five minutes to herself the entire day.

Thea dropped by again, telling Asia Marcus had made a point of letting her know he couldn’t come in today, which was such a thoughtful thing for him to do.

All in all, Asia couldn’t wait for the day to end so she could see Marcus again. After eating and changing into a flirty sundress, she decided she was too restless to sit around in her apartment, so she headed over to Thea’s bar early.

It was a beautiful warm evening, and the sidewalks were full of people heading to restaurants, or coming back from the falls, strolling along the quaint old-fashioned street lined with shops. Gorgeous flower baskets overflowing with colorful blooms added to the charm and Asia felt peaceful and happy. And anxious to see Marcus again.

The moment she stepped into Murphy’s Bar she spotted Thea behind the counter chatting with Lexi, who was on a stool at the far end of the room. She maneuvered her way through the pressing crowd toward them. The place was already in full swing for a Saturday night.

She sat next to Lexi. “Hey, you two.”

Lexi’s face lit up. “Hey, you look great. You’re almost glowing.”

“It’s all that hot sex those two are having.” Thea waggled her eyebrows comically, making Asia laugh.

Lexi gave a knowing grin. “That’d be my guess too.”

“Well, you’d be guessing right. Marcus is a total stud between the sheets and everywhere else we’ve tried too.”

They burst out laughing.

“Details, girl. We want details.” Thea spoke up while Lexi nodded with enthusiasm. “We need to live vicariously through you.”

“That’s because you two don’t have a life.” Asia enjoyed their banter. It was nice to be the one bugging them about not dating for a change.

Thea tucked her hair behind her ear. “That’s not through choice. You’re seeing the only interesting guy around here.”

Asia had to agree. “No arguments from me. He should be here soon. I’m meeting him at eight.”

“Well, that explains why you’re here instead of with him.”

Lexi broke in. “Hey, isn’t that Marcus over there?”

“Where?” Asia turned, and as soon as she spotted him her stomach plummeted. A leggy redhead was leaning into him, giving him a front-row seat to a full-on viewing of her overflowing boobs.

Jealousy roared to life. “Yeah, that’s him all right.”

Thea reached out a hand. “I’m sure it’s all her. He doesn’t look at all interested.”

Lexi agreed, but Asia wasn’t listening to them anymore. It didn’t matter how uncalled for the jealousy was, she felt it anyway. “Excuse me.”

She headed over and fought down the green-eyed monster roaring within her. She had no claim on Marcus. She barely knew him. They hadn’t even gone on an official date yet. It was ridiculous for her to feel this way. With each step she took, she stomped the jealousy down until it simmered in the background, but the fact that she couldn’t dismiss it both annoyed and worried her.

It was crazy. Was she going to spend the rest of her life feeling this way every time another woman spoke to a guy she was seeing?

When she got close enough, she stopped to listen in. Sure enough, their conversation was about as innocuous as it could get. The woman was an unpublished writer who had recognized Marcus and was asking him for advice. The fact that she was flirting outrageously was beside the point. She’d seen what Marcus looked like when he was into a woman. He’d given her that look often enough. Right now he was showing nothing more than polite interest in what the woman had to say.

She could handle this. She could. She just had to remember that she didn’t want forever with this guy anyway. She was just having fun. Her heart was untouched, intact. Safe and sound.

At last, the monster slithered away and she made herself known. “Hey, you’re here already.”

Marcus immediately turned from the redhead. His eyes lit up when he saw Asia, giving her the warmest, most intimate smile, the impact of which went straight to her toes. Something the redhead didn’t miss. Seeing she wasn’t wanted, she quickly excused herself and left.

He took Asia’s hands and gave her a brief, but hot kiss. “Hey, beautiful. I missed you today.”

Something tight and wounded unfurled from the warmth of his welcome. He was so obviously happy to see her and didn’t even give the redhead a backwards glance.

“I missed you too.”

He waved her into the booth he’d saved for them.

Sitting beside her, he leaned in closer. “So what did you do today?”

“Nothing extraordinary. Took care of the shop, sold a few things, arranged for your piece to be picked up. You know, the usual. How about you?”

“I had a great day. My mother was thrilled we were all there for her birthday. She loved her gifts, we had a great time together and then she shocked us by telling us she had a date tonight.”

Asia laughed. “You’re kidding.”

“I’m not. Turns out she’s been seeing a man she went to high school with. Could’ve knocked me over with a feather. We’ve been trying to get her dating for years.”

“That’s great.”

“Yeah, it is. She deserves to find someone special. Anyway, I got home an hour earlier than I thought I would, so I decided to get in a bit of writing before our date. I don’t think the writing has flowed this well for me in years. I’ve decided you’re my new muse.”

Asia laughed. “I’ve never been somebody’s muse before. Strange, I don’t feel any different.”

He brushed a finger along her cheek. “I should hope not. You feel great just the way you are. In fact—” he abruptly stood and held out his hand. “—it’s been too long since I’ve held you in my arms. If we have to be here instead of somewhere private, we need to dance so they don’t throw us out for indecent behavior.”

She took his hand and followed him to the dance floor.

There was nothing better than being held in his arms. She snuggled closer, loving the feel of his hard body pressed up against hers. His heat enveloped her and a sizzle started up inside. “You’re right. It
has
been too long.”

Marcus nuzzled her neck and let one hand cup her behind. Her lower belly clenched and heat started to build there, amazing her with the speed of her response.

He licked the shell of her ear and nipped the lobe, sending sparks shooting straight to her vagina. A delicious shiver ran through her.

“We don’t have to stay, you know. I can think of another kind of dancing we could be doing.” His other hand also dropped to her butt and pulled her snug against his erection. “I know how much you like to help out with things. I have something that needs attention right now.”

Asia giggled but she was already on fire. She couldn’t seem to keep her hands off of him. It was as if the two of them together were sexual dynamite. “You’d better behave. We’re in a public place.”

“Yeah, but we don’t have to be.”

She leaned back and batted her eyelashes at him. “Why, whatever do you mean?”

He tossed her a leering grin. “Do I really have to spell it out?”

“I guess you do.”

He whispered into her ear, causing goose bumps to shiver along her nape. “We need to leave so I can fuck your brains out the way I’ve been fantasizing doing to you since I dropped you off this morning. I wanted to take you on a proper date but not being able to touch you the way I want is driving me crazy.”

At his words, her pussy tensed in anticipation. “When did you have time to fantasize today?”

“You’d be amazed. I couldn’t stop thinking about you. By the time I got home, I was so primed I put my energy into writing a raunchy sex scene so I wouldn’t jump you the second I saw you. Didn’t work though. I still want to jump you.”

Desire roared through her entire body. She loved that she was the focus of his fantasies. He starred in every one of hers. “So, what are we waiting for? Let’s blow this joint.”

“I thought you’d never ask.”

He grabbed her hand and started toward the exit, but she pulled him to a stop. “Wait. I have an idea.”

She couldn’t believe she was even considering this but urgency rode her hard and she was feeling wild and daring. She pulled him toward the back of the bar and down a corridor. She tried Thea’s office door but it was locked. “Damn.”

“Where are we going?”

“Maybe nowhere. Just depends.”

With desperation, she tried the next door down the hallway, hoping it would open. “Eureka. Come on.”

She pulled him into a storage closet, closed the door and flicked the light switch, all the while amazed at her audacity. She’d never done anything even close to this wild before. Marcus brought out a side of her she hadn’t even known she possessed.