Page 100 of It's Always Us

When I met Mark at the airport, I climbed aboard the chartered plane, and my excitement to see him veered right into the lane of anxiety.

His hands glide over my belly. “Tonight will be pretty low-key. We’ll make an appearance. Talk to a few people, then—”

I pull away and spin around to face him. “I have to talk to people.” I’m kind of joking, but not really. Just the idea of hanging out with his family makes my palms sweat and my heart skip to a different beat.

He snatches me back, my body fully pressing against his. “Not if you don’t want to. We can pretend you’re mute.”

“Mark, I might actually be a little too good at that.”

“Hmm.” His lips hover over mine.

He’s not making this easy. I want to know exactly what I’m stepping into, but his hands are sliding into my hair, and if I let him, he’ll take me somewhere far away. It’s all clouding my brain when I should bepreparing for battle or at least a high-profile presentation, which I. Would. Never. Ever. Do.

But I can’t think about anything at the moment other than his hands, gentle and tender, as he tips my head to just the right angle. His mouth moves slowly over my jaw to my ear like we have all the time in the world. His grip shifts to my hips, taking a firm hold and walking me backward.

“I’ve thought about this every night since I left you.” His lips brush against mine, teasing.

I want to be all in this right now, but my brain is rapid-firing questions that need answering.

My legs bump the edge of the bed, and I hit the pause button. I press against his chest. “Mark,” I whisper.

He pulls away just enough to rest his forehead on mine, his hands slipping under my shirt and around my back.

“I need more details, so I can reel in my freak out. I’m on the edge of panic.” My heart is racing, and my stomach is quivering with the unknown.

He kisses my forehead and then releases me, flopping on the bed. “Come here,” he holds out his arm.

I sit and scoot into the place next to him. He slides his arm around me and pulls me to his chest. “It’s going to be ok. Some friends messaged me. They’re going to meet us there. Guys I haven’t seen in a while. There will probably be a bunch of fans.”

“But they, your friends, don’t know about me . . . about us?”

He doesn’t say anything, so I tip my chin up to peek at him. He grins like he loves this. “Nope.”

I groan. “You punk. You think this is funny.”

“Baby, there is nothing funny about this.” He cups my cheek, holding my face, forcing me to look at him. “You are the only thing that’s been just mine. The most important thing that the rest of the world never knew about and didn’t get to see. Only me.”

“Yeah, well, you’re about to blow the concealed lid wide open. Maybe you should keep me hidden forever.”

He laughs. “There isn’t a chance in hell. It’s you and me from now on. No more hiding.”

I rest my head against his chest, needing his amused calmness to work its way into me. “I should probably start getting ready.”

He holds me tighter. “In a minute. I just want a minute like this.” His hand spreads over my stomach, my legs tangling with his. “Besides, I’m worried I might lose you in all the clothes you brought.”

It’s my turn to smile. “Yeah, maybe. Krissy went a little crazy, but at least I’m not walking around with my pants unzipped and hanging open.”

“That doesn’t sound like a problem to me.”

I try to roll away from him, but he laughs and tightens his hold.

I grab ahold of his shirt. “I was thinking I wouldn’t go home after this.”

Silence. Complete stillness. Even the rise and fall of his chest halts. Finally, when I’m getting nervous about his oxygen level, he speaks.

“Are you serious?” His voice is soft. “You’re coming back with me? What about . . . ” He doesn’t finish his thought but slides away, propping himself up on his elbow.

“I can’t sit and watch the guys work while I do nothing. It’s driving me crazy.” I stare into his brown eyes, which are rimmed in gold. “More than that, I’m just really tired of not being with you.”

---