Naseem started across the living room in Marco's direction and I failed to blink when necessary-all because a hand extended, shocking me into complete silence.
"Thank you," Naseem said humbly, his voice free of all tension and hatred I heard in it before when the two first met.
And, ever gracious, Marco returned Naseem's gesture, locking onto his hand. "No problem, man."
They'd done it, made amends. Words couldn't even explain how great that made me feel.
After walking Naseem out onto the porch and giving my condolences for his loss once more, Marco and I were alone again. I found my way back into his arms just like when I awoke for the day. His large hands stroked my back and I let my eyes close, feeling the closeness as my body molded into his-every nook, every cleft fitting together.
It was these brief spells when that nagging prickle in the back of my mind ceased and I all but forgot the things I feared most about falling for him. I forgot them because he'd do something like this, something on the cusp of perfection that catapulted me into his orbit where reality no longer existed.
As badly as I wanted to, I knew I couldn't keep him all day. He had work to do at the shop, the club later, and I had a few resumes to submit-none of which were for teaching positions. It was starting to feel as though that door had closed, or at least wasn't reopening quickly enough, so I had to explore other avenues. I could only hold out for so long.
A kiss went to the top of my hair and I let my eyes close at the feel of it.
"I'm guessing the talk went well," he said softly.
I nodded, but didn't divulge all the details. Yes, I'd eventually share how Naseem ended up in the shape Marco found him in, but for now, I just wanted this.
"It did," was all I said back, cozying up to him even more.
He didn't ask for more information, but he did speak.
"So, uh … I'm pretty sure you heard me on the phone." At Marco's words, I recalled the call he received as I exited the room. Staring up, I gave a nod.
"Yeah, I heard."
"Well … I … I've got some news," was his next statement, and the tone he used had me confused. It sounded like he was unsure of how I'd feel about whatever he had to share. I backed away just enough to see his face, still holding him close as I gazed up into dark eyes that maintained a sexy smolder at any given time of day.
"I'm listening," I said hesitantly.
Excitement … I'd missed that in his voice initially, but I definitely saw it in his eyes.
"All right, so … first, let me start by saying you're not locked into anything, so if it's not what you want, that's cool, but I thought I'd help you out since you've been having a hard time. But it's like I said, you can always turn it down if you have something else in mind," he rambled.
"Marco, just spit it out," I laughed, my focus on his mouth now as I waited for him to finish.
He smiled after taking a breath and then came the rest. "You have a job offer, starting in fall. I pulled a few strings and they're offering to let you have your full three months maternity leave and just start the year a little late, but … yeah … like I said, it's only if you're interested."
I was dumfounded, too confused to speak right away, so I only stared at first, and then came the rambling. "How did you … I don't … "
Marco took another breath and now he looked nervous. "Okay, so, I know you can handle things on your own and I know we didn't talk about this first, but … I went to see Turner."
My brow twitched. When had he done that? And what did Headmaster Turner have to do with any of this? That man was the whole reason I was jobless in the first place.
"I really hope you don't think I overstepped my bounds, but I just hated the way he did you, Brynn. And I don't hold my tongue very well when it comes to people I lo-" He stopped himself then, after uttering the first sound, but I felt it in my heart anyway. Not wanting to draw attention to it, though, I kept quiet. He backtracked and reworded his statement. " … when it comes to people I care about, so I just went up there to have a few words with him. You know … say all the things you couldn't because they caught you off guard. I didn't really have a plan or anything like that, but when I got in there, I just kept feeling like he should be held accountable."
I stared. He stared. And eventually, I cracked a smile and it looked like he'd been waiting for that before he smiled, too.
This man.
This sweet, beautiful man.
I'll be damned if I didn't tear up when he finished explaining it all. "You did that?" I asked, shocked beyond words that he'd go to such lengths, that he'd been able to say something that actually lit a fire under Turner, and that he actually seemed to think I'd possibly be upset with him for standing up for me. Honestly, even if the end result hadn't been a job, his effort would've still been noteworthy.
He gave a nod, answering my question.
I didn't know where this job was or any of that, but what I did know was … I loved him.
Dammit, I did.
Flaws and all.
I loved him despite myself and I couldn't believe I convinced myself otherwise for so long. I may not have been ready to blurt it out just yet, but there was no stopping my heart from feeling it.
I placed a deep, lingering kiss on Marco's mouth and made sure he knew I was more than okay with what he'd done for me. When my fingers went to his buckle, I think he got that message loud and clear.
"How much time do you have before you have to get to work?" I asked, freeing his leather belt from the loops of his jeans.
A slick smile touched his mouth and a second later, he gave the answer I was waiting for: "Whenever I get there."
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Brynn
A Heatwave. Of course there would be a heatwave this week of all weeks.
I'd only been out the shower for twenty minutes and, already, I was sweating bullets again, which had been the case for days now. Marco had the air on max, I had a fan blowing right in my face, and I was still miserable.
I spent the night with him the night before to make sure I was around when his mom and sisters came by this morning to decorate for the shower. However, as soon as they realized I intended to help, they banished me to the second floor where I wouldn't be tempted to have my hands in anything. They made it clear that, today, I was only allowed to enjoy myself. Marco agreed completely.
As soon as I thought his name, that slow, sexy saunter of his brought him closer. I watched his approach in the mirror's reflection, observing everything. A dark baseball cap barely sat on his head where it'd been carefully placed just slightly off center. He already had on his navy swim trunks for later with a white tank to cover his chest for now.
I started out attempting to brush my hair, but my hands forgot their task as Marco's lengthy fingers worked their way around my waist, lacing at the center of my stomach. I was huge now, just over eight months, and looking every bit of it. He bent at the knees to lower his height to match mine, dipping his chin into the crook of my neck as he breathed me in deep. His eyes fell closed right after. I glanced down at his hands on my stomach, first acknowledging the certainty that flowed from his body to mine when he locked on. It was as if he was sure this space we occupied in one another's universe was the only place either of us was ever meant to be.
Me beside him.
Him beside me.
My eyes traveled higher, up the length of solid arms, ones covered in a flawless blend of copper and rich, sienna-toned skin, marked with lines of colorful ink, his own creative expression. Every inch of those arms had been trained and sculpted meticulously. Solid shoulders came into view just above my own as my gaze crept higher still and I all but drowned out the sounds as I stared-the fan blowing beside us, his mother and sisters working and laughing a floor below.
A hot kiss to the side of my neck had my mind gone, but that paled in comparison to the way the words, "You look beautiful," spoken in that husky rasp of his made me feel.
"Thank you," I said softly. A second kiss pressed to my collar bone and, right after, Marco separated himself from me and went to rest on the edge of the bed where he watched me finish primping in the mirror.
The pink straps of my bathing suit peeked out a bit, so I straightened the white tank I wore on top. We were matching today-my jean capris a more feminine version of his dark-blue trunks. I also accented my outfit with pink accessories as a subtle nod to our soon-coming arrival-a beaded necklace and matching bracelet, pink diamond studs in my ears, light-pink flip-flops.
"I'm glad you'll get to meet the guys," Marco said with a faint smile. "Well … formally, anyway. Carlos still remembers you from The Alibi."