He came, his back bowing, his body shuddering. A hoarse cry tore from his throat and Mina felt the tips of his fingers dig into her hips as he gripped them, pulling her tight against him. He stood there, suspended in motion, and then collapsed, his body lying heavily across her, his heart pounding against her back, his breath ragged in her ears
He rested there against her back, kissing her shoulders and the back of her neck as their orgasms began to fade, until he slipped from her body. He lifted his weight off her and stood, gently helping Mina to stand on wobbly legs, a look of concern on his face.
“I hope I did not hurt you.” Marco’s eyes took in all the marks on her skin, his lips tight as he saw the bruises he’d left where he’d grabbed her roughly. Mina shook her head, her head still spinning. “I’m fine. Really.”
She looked around at the chaos in the office--everything that had been on the desk was on the floor, the chair had been upended, her clothes were thrown haphazardly across the room. Her clothes! She hadn’t even registered she was standing there naked!
She tried to push past Marco to get dressed, but he swept her up into his arms.
“You’re trembling.” He said, holding her tightly against him. His hands were gentle, but when she tried to get him to put her down, unrelenting. “Shhhhhh,” he said, dropping a kiss on her brow, “you’re exhausted.”
“I’m also naked,” she said, raising an eyebrow at him. Marco gave her a dazzling smile. “You say that like it is a bad thing.”
Mina couldn’t help smiling back at him. Held in the cradle of his arms, the agony of the past three days seemed like a half-forgotten nightmare. A yawn cracked her jaw and she blushed and buried her face in Marco’s chest.
“Maybe I am a little tired.” They were moving before the words were out of her mouth, her drooping eyes barely registering the doors as they passed, and the stairs that were climbed.
The downy comforter was soft and she snuggled into it, the scent of Marco on the pillow faint but noticeable. She was back in his bedroom--their bedroom--and she reached out for him, pulling him into her arms as she drifted off to sleep for the first time in days.
This time she wasn’t letting him go.
Chapter Six
If life were more romantic she’d have woken up to streaming light and chirping birds. As it was, she really had to pee.
Mina shifted in the bed, her body sore but her heart finally whole again, and soaked in the feeling of Marco’s arms, heavy and tight, wrapped around her. He was holding her possessively, with one arms around her waist and one hand tucked between her thighs, his need to claim her even obvious in his sleep, and she smiled. She could get used to that.
After she peed.
She wriggled out of his grip, trying not to disturb him too much, but she wasn’t surprised when she looked up and saw dark eyes watching her. She leaned in and dropped a kiss on his cheek and smiled again.
“Hello handsome.” Her bravery tanks were full to overflowing, and she nuzzled the soft area beneath Marco’s ear. “If I promise to come back will you let me up? Nature is calling.”
He released her slowly, sleep and want fighting against her request, but after deciding she really wasn’t a flight risk, he pulled his hands away and she was free.
“If you’re not back in five minutes I’m coming after you.” The words were teasing, but Mina knew the truth in them.
“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Another quick kiss and she was up, padding naked across the carpet to the connected bath.
It took only a minute to satisfy her body’s needs, but by that time she was wide awake. The catharsis she’d felt earlier had not only erased her doubts about how Marco felt, but had somehow repaired the damage of two days in emotional hell. She felt light, and happy.
And naked.
She walked back into the bedroom. All her things were still there, the clothes Marco had bought to dress her in, but she knew she’d never wear them again. She was a jeans and t-shirt kind of girl, and Marco wanted her anyway. That was good enough.
She looked back over her shoulder and grabbed a robe off the closet hook.
“I’m going to run down to the office and get my clothes.”
An eyebrow lifted but he didn’t question her decision. “I hope I didn’t ruin them. I was in something of a hurry earlier.”
Bright spots flared on Mina’s face as she remembered his hurry and she thought a ripped shirt would be well worth the price.
“I should still get them.” She laughed a little ruefully. “I’d hate for someone to come in and see the wreck we left down there.”
“Fuck the wreck.” Marco’s voice was thick and sleepy and he shifted under the covers to get comfortable again. “Just come back quickly. The bed is cold without you.”