Page 16 of Essence of his Soul

Oh no, not again. I could feel his breath on my lips. Couldalready taste him.

Before Mark could brush his lips across mine, my cell phone rang, slicing through the tension in the room. Glad for the distraction, I bolted off the sofa and headed for the kitchen, where I’d left my phone on the counter.

“Hello,” I answered, my voice rough and shaky from my emotions. I quickly cleared my throat, trying to sound more composed.

“Essence.” Malcolm’s voice sent a jolt through me, my heart racing with guilt and unease.

“Hi, Malcolm.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Mark had followed me into the kitchen. His eyes were locked on me, narrowing with suspicion.

“You busy?” Malcolm’s voice asked, the casualness of his tone utterly oblivious to the storm brewing in my life.

“Uh… actually, I am.” I turned my back to Mark, lowering my voice to a whisper. “Can I call you back later?”

“Sure, sweetheart. Just hit me up when you’re free.”

I told him I would and quickly ended the call, fully aware of the heat of Mark’s gaze burning into my back.

“Who was that?” Mark’s voice was tight, demanding.

I turned to face him, meeting his intense stare head-on. “A friend,” I replied, keeping my tone neutral.

“What kind of friend?” His nostrils flared, his voice sharp, laced with an edge that sent a shiver down my spine.

I could hear the jealousy creeping into his voice. I squared my shoulders and shot him a glare. “The none-of-your-business kind of friend.”

He shook his head slowly, disbelief and something else—something darker—flashing across his face. “I can’t believe you’re dating.”

“Why shouldn’t I be?” I challenged, my chin lifting indefiance.

His eyes darkened, and he stepped closer, his voice dropping to a dangerously low tone. “I can think of one reason—Tyler.”

The way he said it wasn’t just jealousy. It was possessive, like he thought he had some claim over me. But Mark didn’t realize how much more dangerous he was to me than Malcolm could ever be. Malcolm was a distraction, but Mark? Mark was the man who had the power to undo me.

I turned away, trying to ignore him, and grabbed a bottle of water from the refrigerator. But before I could step away, Mark was right there, instantly closing the gap between us.

His hands found my shoulders, his thumbs brushing against the bare skin of my collarbones, sending a zing of electricity shooting through me. He leaned in closer, his breath warm on my neck as he kissed the sensitive spot just below my ear. My grip on the water bottle tightened, my hand trembling.

“You’re going to be my wife,” he murmured, his voice a deep, seductive rumble that vibrated through me, shaking me to my core.

And just like that, every defense I had carefully constructed around my heart started to crumble.

I felt his warm breath feather across the nape of my neck, sending tremors through my already shaking body. The trembling increased as his hands slid down my arms. One hand moved around to cup my waist, firm and possessive. The other dropped lower, grazing over my stomach before sliding down until his hand rested on my thigh. There, he pressed gently, sending a shockwave of desire through me. With a groan, I lowered the water bottle to the counter, unable to hold onto it any longer.

“Are you in love with this guy?” Mark whispered, his breath so close to my ear that his lips brushed against it.

I shivered uncontrollably, ripples of something I had notfelt in a long while shimmering through my body. My mind struggled to process Mark's question; every nerve ending in my body focused on his touch. I leaned back into him, my breasts rising and falling quickly now, completely caught up in the moment, unable to think of anything but the heat of his body against mine.

“I, um...” I gasped as his lips closed on the rim of my ear. His hands clasped my waist gently, bringing me further into his embrace. He did some dark and mysterious things to my earlobes that had me turning to putty in his hands. Moaning mindlessly, I let my head drop limply back against his chest. I wasn’t quite sure what he was doing, but I couldn’t seem to find the mind to care. It felt so damned good; I hardly noticed as his hands inched their way up over my ribs to climb the mounds of my breasts and then squeeze.

“Does he make you feel like this?”

A second moan slipped from my lips. I arched into Mark's touch, my breasts pushing against the material. My hands came up to cover his, drawing him closer. Unconsciously, I twisted my head and sought his lips. Mark’s mouth covered mine. His tongue slid out to trace my lips, urging me to open to him, to give him complete access. I whimpered with resistance, causing a hungry groan to slip from my mouth into his. He turned me around in his arms, mindlessly seeking a closer embrace. Mark’s hips pinned me against the counter.

“Tell me to leave,” he continued as he nuzzled his nose against mine, then kissed my eyelids that had fallen close. “Tell me you don’t want me here kissing you, touching you, dying to be inside of you.”

He wedged a knee between my thighs, pushing forward and upward, then tugged at my shirt and freed the buttons. I wasn’t wearing a bra, so access was instant. I felt the cool air on my nipples, like a caress, before his hands covered them. His lipsleft mine to travel down my throat, then my nipple. Gasping and moaning, I pressed my bare shoulders back into the refrigerator door, pushing my breasts out as he plucked at them with his fingers and licked at the bare flesh. It was like some sort of madness. I wanted and needed him with a violence that would have terrified me had I seen it coming.

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