Page 84 of Marked

Instead of running—because apparently my self-preservation instinct had taken a vacation—I let my hands slide up his chest. His tactical shirt did nothing to hide how hismuscles tensed under my touch. When my fingers reached his shoulders, his control finally snapped.

Derek moved with devastating speed, one hand tangling in my hair while the other lifted me effortlessly—just like I’d imagined, dear God—until we were eye level. My legs wrapped around his waist automatically, and the feeling of being manhandled so easily sent a shiver down my spine.

“Mine,” he growled against my lips, and then he was kissing me. Unlike Marcus’ calculated intensity this morning, Derek kissed like a storm—wild, overwhelming, and impossible to resist. His mouth claimed mine with a hunger that bordered on desperate, his lips rough and demanding against my own. His teeth grazed my bottom lip, sending shivers down my spine, while his tongue demanded entry in a way that left no room for argument.

The taste of him was intoxicating—wild and masculine, like pine and rain and something untamed. Every sweep of his tongue against mine felt like a claim, every bite a mark of possession. His massive body pressed me harder against the tree, letting me feel the raw power contained in those muscles, reminding me how easily he could overpower me if he wanted to.

I gasped when he nipped particularly hard at my bottom lip, and he took advantage to deepen the kiss even further. The hand in my hair tightened to the point of sweet pain, tilting my head to exactly the angle he wanted, while his other hand gripped my hip with bruising intensity. The possessive gestures shouldn’t have been as hot as they were, but my body apparently had opinions about being manhandled by gorgeous men built like tanks.

His kiss grew even more demanding, almost primitive in its intensity. Each stroke of his tongue, each sharp bite followed by a soothing lick, seemed designed to mark me as his. When I tried to take control of the kiss, he growled—a sound that vibrated through my entire body—and pressed closer, using his size toremind me who was in charge. The way he kissed wasn’t just passionate; it was territorial, primal, like he was trying to devour me whole.

When he finally pulled back, letting me breathe, his eyes were almost feral. “You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to do that,” he said, voice rough with desire. His thumb traced my now-swollen lips, and I couldn’t help but lean into the touch. “How hard it’s been to hold back.”

What are you doing?my brain screamed.First Marcus this morning, now Derek? What happened to your carefully planned, boring life? Your dedication to avoiding complications? Your—oh God, he’s kissing your neck.

All rational thought fled as Derek’s mouth found that sensitive spot just below my ear. His stubble scraped against my skin in a way that had me tightening my legs around his waist. He growled in approval—actually growled, which should not be as sexy as it was—and pressed me harder against the tree.

“Derek,” I managed, though it came out embarrassingly close to a whimper. “We should… we should probably…”

“Stop?” he suggested, but his lips never left my skin. “Be responsible?” Another kiss, lower on my neck. “Pretend this isn’t exactly what we both want?”

His whole body suddenly tensed, a shudder running through him that I felt everywhere we touched. Which was… pretty much everywhere, considering I was still wrapped around him like an octopus with poor life choices. He pulled back slightly, his breathing heavy and uneven. His eyes squeezed shut like he was fighting some internal battle.

“Derek?” I touched his face, concerned by how he seemed to be physically struggling with himself. His jaw was clenched tight, muscles jumping under my fingers.

He growled—a sound deeper and more animalistic than before—and pressed his forehead against mine. “You make it sohard to control myself,” he ground out. His grip on me tightened almost painfully before he forced himself to loosen it. “So hard to… to think straight.”

I should probably be terrified by the raw power radiating from him, by how easily he could overpower me. Instead, I wanted to soothe whatever was causing him such obvious distress. My fingers stroked through his short hair, and he actually shuddered.

“Who says you need to control yourself?” I whispered, which was apparently the wrong—right?—thing to say because his eyes snapped open, and holy hell—they seemed to actually glow now, burning with an intensity that stole my breath.

“Kai. You don’t… I can’t…” He buried his face in my neck, breathing deeply, his stubble scraping deliciously against my skin. Every few seconds, another shudder would rack his massive frame, accompanied by those incredible growls that weren’t helping my ability to think rationally.

“I should put you down,” he muttered against my throat, but his arms only tightened. “Should let you go. Should…”

I wound my fingers deeper into his hair, and his next growl vibrated through my entire body. “What if I don’t want you to let me go?”

The sound he made was purely animal. His mouth claimed mine again, and this kiss was even more desperate than before. One of his hands slid under my borrowed shirt, his palm burning hot against my lower back, and I arched into the touch without thinking.

He wrenched away with a curse, his breathing ragged. “Can’t… losing control,” he panted. “Need to… fuck.”

The last word came out as more of a snarl, and suddenly Derek was setting me down with extreme gentleness that seemed to cause him physical pain. He stepped back, then another step, his massive chest heaving like he’d run amarathon. His hands were clenched into fists at his sides, tendons standing out on those impressive forearms.

“Derek?” I hated how breathy my voice sounded, how my body swayed toward him even now. The tree at my back was probably the only thing keeping me upright, because my legs felt about as stable as Jell-O.

“Don’t,” he growled, and God, his voice was wrecked. “Don’t move. Please.”

He paced a short distance away, every movement screaming barely leashed power. I watched, fascinated and a little turned on—okay, a lot turned on—by this display of raw strength and careful restraint. It was like watching a caged predator, except the predator had caged itself.

“I’m sorry,” I offered, though I wasn’t entirely sure what I was apologizing for. Making him lose control? Wanting him to lose control? Being simultaneously attracted to him and his brother? That last thought brought a fresh wave of guilt and confusion.

Derek’s laugh was harsh. “Trust me, little one, you have nothing to be sorry for.” His eyes, when they met mine, still held that impossible amber glow. “I’m the one who should be apologizing. I shouldn’t have… This isn’t…”

He ran a hand over his face, his expression torn between desire and something that looked almost like pain. When he looked at me again, his eyes traced over my thoroughly kissed lips, my messed-up hair, the marks I could feel forming on my neck. Another full-body shudder ran through him.

“We should head back,” he said, though everything about his posture suggested he wanted to do exactly the opposite. “Before I… before this goes too far.”

Too late, I wanted to say.Pretty sure we crossed ‘too far’ somewhere around the time you pinned me to a tree and ruined me for normal kisses forever.

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