Marco (The Men of Indecent Exposure #1)(34)

Envisioning that made everything real; the imagery became too much,  jarring me from the haze I'd slipped into. I retreated, slowing the kiss  first so it wouldn't feel like I pulled away. My lips were damp, warm,  and feeling deprived already, although I'd just separated them from  Marco's. Staring intently at my mouth, he ran his thumb along my jaw and  I let my eyes close, fighting the lure to kiss him one more time.

The only way I could keep from getting caught again was to take a step  back, so that's what I did. Marco looked me over for a moment as I tried  to compose myself. The corner of his mouth tugged upward into a smile  and, despite myself, despite how this encounter had blindsided me, I  smiled back.

He pushed a hand behind his head while gathering his thoughts. "I'll uh …   I'll check in on you tomorrow. To go over the insurance stuff," he  clarified, clamping his bottom lip between his teeth right after.  Slowly, he backed away. As he did, his eyes scanned my body and I felt  the heat of his stare.

I nodded and sucked in a breath to answer, damn-near fangirling over him. "Okay."

He descended the steps after that, glancing over his shoulder twice and I  observed a hint of a smile when our eyes locked. As I stepped inside my  house, I fought the urge to squeal and grin. Watching from my living  room window as he backed out of my driveway, I weighed the good and the  bad, ultimately deciding to ignore the bad because that kiss was …  wow,  it was everything.

I went through my usual nightly routine with a smile on my face the  entire time and I accepted a few things as I climbed into bed.

One: I didn't regret kissing Marco.

Two: our attraction to one another was strong, then and now. It'd been  the thing that landed us in this predicament in the first place.

And the third thing was something that couldn't be stopped even if I  wanted to: I was beginning to really like him. God help me, but …  I was. I  was falling for the last person on Earth I ever imagined I would.  Rushing whatever this was, or wasn't, turning into would be a mistake,  but there definitely seemed to be new possible outcomes opening up.

I lie there thinking about that, wondering if I was just on an emotional  high from the kiss, talking out the side of my neck, but my head was  clear. I saw things for exactly what they were; Marco and I had finally  become friends. However, our budding friendship had been forged by a  powerful bond and, because of that, I was left with the feeling that  anything could happen from here. Either way, I was open to the  possibility of it being more if that's what it developed into.

A smile touched my lips and I let that sink in.

Yeah …  I was definitely open to it.         

     



 





Chapter Fifteen




Marco

Marcela happily obliged when I volunteered to take Bel to school;  however, I knew she'd have questions regarding what my intentions might  be. While I always loved spending time with my niece and didn't need an  excuse to do so, I admit it; I did have ulterior motives.

Bel kissed her mother goodbye while I stood waiting on the front porch  of the small, two-bedroom home I rented to my sister eight months ago. I  would've let her live here free of charge, but Marcela insisted on the  three-hundred dollars she paid me on the first of every month along with  her other bills. I cashed her checks like she asked me to, but what she  didn't know was that I stashed the money in a savings account for her  and Bel. Whenever they were ready to buy their first home, she'd have a  healthy down payment waiting for her.

"Buenos dias, Tio!" Bel chirped as she hugged me tight around my waist.

"Good morning," I said back, bending to kiss her cheek before she raced  to my truck. Marcela and I both watched her climb into the backseat  while we spoke to one another, the calm expressions on our faces  contrasting the clipped tone she used the very next second when lighting  into me through clenched teeth.

"I know why you're doing this," she hissed.

I smirked and shoved my hands in my pockets, still looking toward the  driveway. "Don't know what you're talking about. I'm simply giving you a  break by taking my niece to school this morning. It's not the first  time."

"No," Marcela countered, "but I know what you're planning to do. After  last night? I know you, Marco," she added, referencing the incident at  dinner with Izzy revealing what the staff at St. Ann's had done to  Brynn.

When I didn't respond she exhaled a sharp breath, probably stabbing me  with a look at the same time. "I freakin' knew it!" she accused,  scolding me again.

Now I faced her, wanting to make sure she was listening. "You know I  can't let this go." And I couldn't. Contract or no contract, Brynn  didn't deserve what happened to her. I couldn't just let that slide  without speaking to the person responsible. It just wasn't in me to keep  my mouth shut on things like this.

Marcela let out a long breath and I glanced over while she thought. She  knew it was hard for me to let stuff like this go. Maybe it was because  I'd been judged hard and often over the years, but I hated these types  of situations; hated when people were looked down on by others for  choices they made. We've all done our share of dirt, which means no one  can rightfully point fingers at anyone but themselves.

My sister folded her arms over her chest and stared out toward the street in a daze. "What're you gonna say?" she asked.

There wasn't much of a plan in place, so, "Not sure," was the only  answer I could give as I shrugged. "I just know I can't let this go. I  have to speak up for her."

It almost broke me last night when she told me how they'd done her. And  the fact that she'd been holding this in and wasn't saying anything …  I  can only imagine how stressful that's been.

Marcela stood there a moment and I half expected her to try to talk me  out of it, but that didn't happen. Instead she asked a question. "You  really care about her, don't you?"

I smiled a little, knowing this was coming eventually. I had never been  one to bring women home, mostly because it'd been a long time since I  was serious enough about one to do so. My family was bound to notice  that Brynn was different for me. Although, our circumstances were mostly  the reason I brought her by last night, baby or not, I had a feeling  that, if Brynn and I had met in some other way, I probably would've  still decided to bring her home to meet my folks one day.

I gave a nod, responding to Marcela's question. "She's good people."

Last night had ended on a much different note than I imagined it would.  Kissing Brynn, feeling things shift between us. A friendship was the  only thing we agreed to build and work on; the extra emotions developing  between us …  that wasn't something either of us planned on. It was just  happening.

Slow, steady, natural.

Marcela smiled when I zoned out thinking about the woman who now occupied so much of my time and attention.

"Mmm hmm. I know what that means," she concluded, adding her two cents in conclusion. "You do like her."

I didn't bother denying it.

There was a long pause that Marcela interrupted when she started back  toward her door, heading inside so she could get ready for class. I  couldn't tell if she was upset or not, but if I had to guess, she was  mostly concerned, if not solely concerned, I'd make her and Bel look bad  by going up there and acting a fool. That wasn't my intention, though.  All I wanted to do was stand up for Brynn.         

     



 

"Text me later and let me know how it goes," she called out without  looking back. The next second the door closed and my focus was again on  getting Bel to school on time. After that, Headmaster Turner and I had  some business to discuss.



"Remember, Abuelita's gonna be here to pick you up later," I said, reminding Bel of her after-school arrangements.

"I know," she answered, the soft tone of her tiny voice making me smile.  Glittery, purple shoes that matched her backpack touched the sidewalk  and lit up when I helped her out of the truck. When I closed the door  behind her, her brown eyes lifted toward me. "You don't have to walk me  in, you know. I'm a big girl now."

I smiled again and took her hand. "You're definitely a big girl," I  assured her, "but I want to hang out with you for as long as I can. All  the way to your classroom. Is that all right with you?"

Her ponytail bobbed when she gave a big nod.

Marcela had raised her to be so independent. While I know she would've  preferred for Bel's father to stick around, she'd done a great job with  her all on her own. Thinking about it, I acknowledged my own situation.  There was no way in hell I'd let my child go through life without  knowing me. As soon as I had confirmation that she was mine, Brynn  would've had a hard time keeping me away. Bel's father wasn't cut like  that, though. He had no desire to be in Marcela's or Bel's life, but  hopefully, between my dad and I, Bel had never felt the void of being  fatherless. I'd always do whatever I could to make sure she wanted for  nothing.