Page 32 of Nicky

“Markus,” I whispered, the sound more of a plea than I’d intended. “You overthink everything, you know that?”

“I’d rather overthink than assume.” His lips brushed against my jaw as he spoke, and I tilted my head back, surrendering more of myself than I thought I could.

"I wasn’t used to being this exposed, this vulnerable. I was always the one who kept control, who called the shots. But with Markus, it felt… different. He wasn’t just taking control; he was coaxing my guard down, his touch demanding but gentle, his words firm yet full of care."

It should have annoyed me. It should have made me push back. But instead, it made me want to give more.

His hands were everywhere—slow, intentional, leaving a trail of fire in their wake. When his mouth moved lower, pressing a line of kisses down my neck and chest, I arched into him, my body betraying me in ways I couldn’t ignore.

“You’re too good at this,” I muttered, my voice shaky.

He paused, his breath warm against my skin. “Too good?”

“Yeah.” My fingers found his hair, threading through it as I pulled him closer. “It’s annoying.”

His laugh was a soft growl, and the vibration of it made me shudder. “I can stop being good at it if you want.”

“Don’t you dare.”

He didn’t rush. Even when the intensity between us grew, even when I felt like I was unraveling under his touch, he would pause, his gaze searching mine.

“Is this okay?” His voice was softer this time, as if he was afraid of breaking whatever fragile thing was growing between us.

I rolled my eyes, but it was hard to keep the teasing edge when my chest felt this tight. “I swear, Markus, if you stop again?—”

“You’ll what?” His lips curved into a faint smirk, but the question hung in the air, daring me to finish.

I leaned up, capturing his mouth in mine, pulling him closer until there wasn’t an inch of space between us. My answer was in the way I kissed him back, the way I arched into his touch, the way I let him see everything I usually kept locked away.

The texture of his mouth against mine was intoxicating, a heady mix of warmth and need that sent sparks shooting down my spine. The taste of him—a hint of chocolate from earlier in our date mingled with something uniquely Markus—lingered on my tongue, stirring an insatiable hunger within me.

His hands explored the contours of my body with an urgency that matched my own. Each caress sent waves of pleasure coursing through me, igniting sensations that made me gasp into his mouth. His fingers traced paths down my back before coming to rest at the small of it, pulling me closer still.

Beneath him on the couch, I felt his arousal pressing into me, hard and undeniable proof of his desire for me.Me. It mirrored my own excitement, which pulsed in rhythm with each beat of my heart. The feel of him so intimately close stirred a raw longing inside me that was both thrilling and terrifying in its intensity.

I let myself sink further into the cushions as Markus continued to explore every inch of me. His hardness pressed against mine created a friction that threatened to consume us both. This kiss wasn't just passionate; it was an erotic dancebetween two bodies yearning for each other's touch—a dance I had willingly surrendered myself to.

“I want you to fuck me, Markus.” And in case he didn’t think I really wanted this with him, I said one word that had been circling in my mind. "Now."

CHAPTER 15

Markus

Feeling him—Nicky, right beneath me. Heart racing. Nerves tangling with something raw—amazing. I didn’t expect this feeling, this intensity, to hit me so fast. But when he said it, when his voice cracked ever so slightly on that word,now, my entire world tilted.

His breath was soft against my lips, and his fingers gripped the edge of my sweater, pulling me closer as if grounding himself. He wanted this. Needed this, maybe even more than I did. But hell if I wasn’t right there with him. Every inch of me pulled toward him, like he was a magnet and I was helpless to resist.

One hand at his jaw, the other slipping under his shirt. Warm skin. The slight tremble beneath my fingertips. He wasn’t holding back, and neither was I. It was messy, this need that spilled over, but it felt good. Real.

Nicky’s eyes flicked up to meet mine, and something in me shifted, something that had been wound tight too long, finally releasing. We didn’t need words, not now. He was here, in my space, wanting the same thing I did.

I kissed him harder, pushing deeper until I felt him shift beneath me. His breath caught, a soft whimper that had mepulling back just enough to see his face, searching for any sign of hesitation, any flicker of doubt.

“Are you sure?” I barely recognized my own voice, rough and thick with desire. “You don’t have to?—”

“I’m sure, Markus. I want this. I wantyou.”

I didn’t need any more convincing.

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