Page 32 of Never Less

Unable to stop myself, I brush the backs of my knuckles up her jawbone before gripping the doorframe above her head. This close, I can see the light dusting of freckles across her cheeks and nose, barely visible underneath her makeup.

“Go to bed, Liliana,” I whisper.

She tilts her head, those warm brown eyes of hers boring into mine. “I didn’t understand why you call me by my full name. Still don’t, but… I like it. It makes me feel pretty.”

It was an attempt to put distance between us. One that, up until this week, worked.

“Liliana, if you don’t go insi—”

Her phone dings, startling us both. She glances down at the glowing screen, and just like that, the moment is broken. I step back, smoothing my shirt and clearing my throat.

“It’s… Nate.”

“He having a good time?”

“Didn’t say.” She glances into her bedroom. “Thank you for tonight. For… everything.”

I work my jaw, willing myself to stay put. “Goodnight, Liliana.”

“Goodnight, Marcus.”

Once she’s stepped into her bedroom and closed her door, I release a long, slow breath. We may have said goodnight, but with her under my roof, there’s no way I’m getting a wink of sleep tonight.

Chapter ten

Liliana

I can still feel Marcus’s touch as I pace the guest room. My skin tingles in all the places our skin brushed, and my body is buzzing with pent-up desire for a man I shouldn’t feel anything for.

He almost kissed me. I almost kissed him. And what’s worse, part of me regrets looking away. It was for nothing, anyway. I texted Nate earlier in the day, telling him I hoped he was having fun. It took him all day to respond, and all he could muster was a fucking thumbs-up emoji?

Dick.

I slip out of my dress and let my hair down. Nate hasn’t made me feel this way in a long, long time. All Marcus had to do was look at me from across the room, and my heart rate picked up. I’m still not sure how we both ended up going our separate ways.

After I finish getting ready for bed, I realize I’m still too wound up. There’s no way I’m going to fall asleep any time soon. It’s too late to try to get some work done, but I need something to occupy my thoughts until my body gets the memo.

I bite my lip, thinking, before it hits me. Marcus has all those books in the library downstairs. I could grab one and read until I get tired. Might take me all night, but it’s better than sitting here with my thoughts.

I’m only in a T-shirt and panties, and I contemplate throwing on a pair of shorts for all of a split second before deciding against it. Marcus is already in bed, so why bother?

Not wanting to disturb him, I open my door quietly and make my way down the hallway. But to my surprise, there’s a light on in his bedroom, and his door isn’t all the way closed.

As I’m about to walk past, I keep my eyes trained ahead. However much I want to peek inside, I don’t want to violate his privacy. But then I hear a deep moan from inside, and I freeze.

“Liliana. Fuck, little star.”

Marcus’s voice—the tightness, the breathlessness—sends a wave of heat through my body. There’s no mistaking how it sounds, and there’s no way I can pretend I didn’t hear him say my name.

Another moan sounds from behind the door, and against my better judgment, I peer through the cracked door. He’s sitting on the edge of his bed, completely naked, with his cock in his hand. His balls are tight, and his head is thrown back in ecstasy.

Wanting a better view, I place my hand on the door and push gently. Any more than an inch and he’ll notice, and if that happens, I’m not sure what we’ll do. But just as the crack widens enough that I can see all of him at once, the hinges creak.

Marcus’s head snaps toward the door, and his eyes lock with mine. I almost run back to my room on instinct, but something keeps my feet rooted to the floor. He’s not holding me in place, yet I’m utterly trapped in his gaze.

“Liliana.” He’s looking at me like he knows he should stop, but his hand only moves faster. He drinks me in—my bare legs, pink T-shirt, and hard nipples poking through the thin fabric.

I gulp. “I should—”

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