Page 175 of Awakened by Sin

He squeezed her hand. “Great. I’ve been following Khalid’s career for years. It’s an honor to talk to him and potentially do business with him in future.”

Marcus spoke of Khalid’s many accomplishments for the rest of the drive. She listened with half an ear as Gavin and Angel’s words needled her. When they reached home, he went to the office while she got ready for bed. The night didn’t exactly end on a high note. She felt uncomfortable and restless. Even the TV showPsychcouldn’t improve her mood.

She lay curled around a pillow on the edge of the bed, lost in her head. No one believed she and Marcus were compatible. She hadn’t either, but with each passing week, she’d begun to believe that he might be the only other man on the planet capable of handling her. So what if they weren’t technically dating? Their foundation was better than what most married couples had. It was companionship at its best, and it worked for them.

She was happy and satisfied … or had been before Gavin and Angel attacked their arrangement. Angel was so sure her restlessness would return. Angel had changed in the short amount of time he had been in Las Vegas. He arrived with an eager cockiness that had faded to something much darker. The underworld was taking its toll on him. That was why his craving was so bad. He was insatiable. Nothing was keeping him topped up.

Marcus entered the bedroom. Her eyes followed him into the bathroom where he stripped. She liked that he was dedicated to his job. Work was an intrinsic part of him. He had no guidance in his life, yet he showed such compassion and patience. He made something of himself, and that should be celebrated. Knowing how little he had in his past, she went out of her way to do little things for him. She hung dreamy ocean paintings in his home office to tempt him with travel. She appreciated his fashion sense, so she bought him ties and shirts, which he could never have enough of. Every time she gave him something, he got the strangest look on his face. At first, she thought she had overstepped, but he had worn everything she got him, so she continued to give him presents.

Marcus walked into the bedroom in just his boxer briefs. She shifted to make room and laughed when he hopped on the bed and tucked her close. He buried his face in her hair.

“I like the way you smell,” he said. “Candy and sex.”

“Well, you know I love classy sin.”

He tipped her on her back while he rested on his side, looking down at her. She reached up and traced his features with her finger.

“Did you buy the necklace you showed me earlier today?” he asked.

Her hand paused. “No, I decided not to.”

“Why?”

She continued her exploration. “I don’t know.”

“You must have loved it if you took a picture of it.”

He’s not Vinny.She flinched as Gavin’s words drifted through her mind. “Maybe I’ll get it in the future.”

As she stroked his face, his eyes closed. She ran her hands through his hair and then cupped his neck. She massaged, and he dropped his head forward to give her better access. He rested his forehead on her chest. Her hands moved to the top of his shoulders. When he lay heavily on her, breathing slow and easy, she stopped. She wrapped her arms around him and soaked in his scent, weight, and warmth. This was all she needed—a partner who understood and accepted her. He had made the weeks since she awakened more than bearable; he had made them sweet and light. She’d done what Mom said. She found things that made her happy and spent as much time as possible doing them. The pain was still there, but it was beaten back by Marcus’s warm generosity.

“What were you talking to Angel about?” he murmured.

“What?”

He lifted his head and braced himself on his arms. “Angel.”

His voice was calm, but his eyes were moody. He wasn’t confrontational. If she learned anything about him, it was that he was the calm voice of reason in every situation. She was shocked he was bringing this up.

“You were angry, and he was standing very close to you,” he continued when she didn’t speak.

“It wasn’t anything,” she said.

“Tell me what he said.”

“I asked him about the Black Vipers,” she said slowly, trying to come up with an answer that wouldn’t offend him.

“And?”

Her eyes flicked away as she tried to buy time. He cupped her chin in a firm but gentle grip. His thumb slid over her bottom lip.

“Tell me.”

“He doesn’t think we’ll last.” His eyes narrowed, and she tacked on, “To be fair, Gavin doesn’t think so either. He told me to break it off with you.”

Marcus blinked. “What?”

“You know Gavin … He thinks I’m the worst thing that’s ever happened to you.”

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