Page 82 of Essence of his Soul

I raised an eyebrow, trying to deflect. “You don’t know what I’m thinking.”

“Yes, I do. You’re still trying to talk yourself out of marrying me,” he said, half-smiling, but I could see the seriousness behind his eyes. “How do you feel about me?”

His question caught me off guard. I wasn’t ready for that. The truth was there, sitting heavy in my chest, but I couldn’t just throw it out there when he was holding back. “My feelings are all over the place, I admitted, my voice quiet. “I’ve been trying to figure them out since you returned.”

I slid out of his arms, sitting in bed because I needed space to think. “I care about you, Mark. A lot. And I know it’s not just because of Tyler. I’ve built a life for him; now it's your turn. You came back to a ready-made family.”

Mark leaned over and kissed the tip of my nose, his touch light and playful. “Yeah, my ready-made family.”

I rolled my eyes again, but I smiled despite myself. “It’s not that simple, though.”

He sighed, leaning back. “No, it isn’t. I mean, finding out I had a son? That was a shock. But the second I saw him, that was it for me. I was all in. And you… you do things to me I can’t even explain.”

I couldn’t look at him when I said, “How will I know if you care for me because of him or because of me.”

“You know how I feel about you.”

I couldn’t stop the laugh that escaped my lips. “I know how your body feels about me. But what about you?”

I watched him struggle with the words like he wanted to say something but wasn’t sure how to get it out.

He met my gaze, his voice serious. “You’ll have to trust me.”

Trust. That was the hardest part. I wasn’t sure if I could do that. Not yet. Even if he stood on the roof and screamed that he loved me, I wasn’t sure I’d believe it. My past had taught me to keep my guard up. The last time I let it down, I got hurt and wasn’t about to let that happen again. Even with Mark and all his promises, I wasn’t sure if I was ready to trust him with my heart.

Mark must’ve seen the doubt in my eyes because he softened. “I know we can make this work.”

“Why?” I asked, my voice sharp. “Because I’m Tyler’s mother?”

“No,” he said without even hesitating. “Because you’re the woman I want.”

His words hit me hard, right in the chest. I couldn’t stop the smile from creeping across my face, even though I wanted to play it cool.

Mark smiled back, but then he got serious again. “I promise to make you happy, Essence.”

I wanted to believe him. Ineededto believe him, not just for me but for Tyler.

But the truth was, I wasn’t there yet. Not all the way. And until I was, I’d keep walking that thin line between hope and doubt, trying to figure out if I could trust Mark with my heart.

Mark captured my lips in a long kiss, and I became a victim of pure sensuality. I came apart in his arms, my fingers slid across his buttocks, my body pressed firmly against his. I inched up, running my tongue over the seam of his mouth before I kissed him. He groaned, trapping me in his arms.

“We’re amazing together, aren’t we?” I whispered.

He shifted to the side, running his hand over the curve of my hip. “True that...true that,” he murmured against my mouth.

From his position, my bare breasts were a temptation. He tipped his head and took a nipple deep into his mouth.

My sharp, indrawn breath filled the room, followed by a low, throaty moan. It was hard not to be vocal when Mark touched me like this. He cupped my breasts, kneading them as he sucked. The pull sent spirals of sweet sensation out to my fingertips. My toes curled.

Only him,I thought, scrubbing my hands over his chest and then lower. The muscles of his stomach flinched, and I smiled to myself. He nuzzled between my breasts, and I shifted lower, leaving hot, grinding kisses in my wake. His breathing labored, and his grip on me tightened.

“Essence.”

I met his fevered gaze, stroking his stomach, my hand gliding over his skin, then slowly closing my fingers around his arousal. He was already hard. I arched a brow.

Humor invaded him. “It’s your fault.”

Then I bent and licked. He howled, and I took him in between my lips.

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