Page 89 of Marked

Scout’s tail wagging reached supersonic speeds, and I could have sworn he was actually smirking. He stretched out on the couch like a king surveying his domain, leaving just enough space that I might—maybe—end up migrating there if the floorgot too uncomfortable. Which, given how my back felt after that first night, was pretty much guaranteed.

“I’ll bring his food and stuff around tomorrow,” Caleb said, watching his dog’s shameless display with amusement. “Though knowing Maria, she’s probably already planning his meals too.”

The kitchen counter became a Tetris game of Tupperware as I tried to fit Maria’s feast into my modest fridge. “I’m pretty sure this is more food than I ate in my entire senior year.”

“That’s Maria for you.” Caleb leaned against the doorframe, watching me with that playful smile that somehow managed to be both innocent and dangerous.

Lightning flashed again, followed by a thunderous crack that had me nearly dropping a container of paella. Scout’s reassuring presence in the living room helped steady my nerves, but I still needed a distraction.

“Um, want some coffee? Fair warning—it’s instant from Karen’s store.”

“Instant coffee?” Caleb clutched his chest in mock horror. “My delicate sensibilities!”

“Hey, some of us haven’t graduated to pretentious coffee snob status yet.” I reached for the cabinet above the sink, and suddenly Caleb was there, his chest pressing against my back as he easily grabbed the coffee jar I was stretching for.

“Allow me,” he murmured, his breath warm against my ear. Instead of stepping back, he set the jar on the counter and placed his hands on either side of me, effectively caging me between his body and the counter. His warmth seeped through my borrowed shirt, making my skin tingle wherever we touched.

My heart thundered louder than the storm outside. “Show-off,” I managed, but my voice came out embarrassingly breathy. His chest rumbled with laughter against my back, and I had to suppress a shiver at the sensation.

“Maybe.” His lips brushed my ear, sending electricity down my spine. “But you like it, don’t you, baby?”

The pet name shouldn’t affect me the way it did, but heat pooled in my stomach anyway. His breath ghosted down my neck, and this time I couldn’t hold back the shiver.

I turned to face him, probably to say something snarky, but the words died in my throat. His eyes held that dangerous sparkle that made him look like a mischievous god about to cause chaos, and I was willing to be collateral damage. But there was something else there too—a flash of something wild that he seemed to be fighting to control.

“You know what else you’d like?” Before I could process what was happening, his hands were on my waist and I was being lifted onto the counter like I weighed nothing. The casual display of strength made my stomach flip.

“Did you just—” I started, but then he was stepping between my legs, and coherent thought became a distant memory. His hands stayed on my waist, thumbs drawing maddening circles against my hip bones.

“Better.” He grinned, reaching up to brush my hair back from my face. The gesture was surprisingly tender for someone who’d just manhandled me onto a counter. “Now we’re eye to eye.”

“Still shorter,” I pointed out, just to be difficult. My hands had somehow found their way to his shoulders, and I could feel the tension in his muscles, like he was physically restraining himself.

His laugh was warm against my lips. “Such a brat, kitten.” He leaned closer, then suddenly tensed. His eyes flickered with something—almost like he was listening to voices I couldn’t hear—before that playful smile returned. “A very tempting brat.”

When he finally kissed me, it wasn’t with Marcus’ calculated intensity or Derek’s primal hunger. Caleb kissed like he did everything else—playfully, teasingly, but with an underlying heatthat made my toes curl. His tongue traced my bottom lip, asking rather than demanding entrance, and when I gasped, he took full advantage. One hand tangled in my hair while the other stayed at my waist, thumb still tracing those maddening circles.

I couldn’t help the whimper that escaped when he caught my bottom lip between his teeth, tugging gently before soothing the sting with his tongue. My hands found their way into his still-damp hair, and the groan he let out sent heat straight to my core.

“Been wanting to do that since I first saw you cursing at your car,” he murmured against my lips. “You looked so pretty when you were angry.”

“Smooth talker,” I accused but pulled him back in for another kiss. This time he didn’t tease—his tongue swept into my mouth immediately, claiming and exploring in a way that had me wrapping my legs around his waist without thinking.

He groaned again, deeper this time, his hands sliding down to grip my hips. The possessive gesture pulled me closer to the edge of the counter, pressing us together in all the right ways. Then suddenly he tensed again, like he was fighting some internal battle. His grip on my hips tightened almost painfully before he forced himself to loosen his hold.

“You have no idea what you do to me,” he ground out, resting his forehead against mine. His breathing was ragged, and I swore his eyes flickered with that same wild light I’d seen in his brothers’.

“Show me?” The words slipped out before I could stop them.

His eyes darkened, but that playful smile never left, even as his whole body seemed to vibrate with restrained energy. “Careful what you wish for, pretty thing.” He pressed a surprisingly gentle kiss to my forehead, then stepped back like it physically pained him. “I should go.”

“Probably,” I agreed, making no move to unwrap my legs from around him. The storm still raged outside, rain lashing against the windows, but somehow the cottage felt too warm.

His laugh was slightly strained. “You’re not helping, baby.”

“Not trying to,” I shot back, and was rewarded with another searing kiss that left me dizzy. This time when his tongue swept into my mouth, there was nothing playful about it. He kissed me like a man starving, one hand fisting in my hair while the other pulled me impossibly closer. I could feel him trembling with what seemed like restraint, fighting something I didn’t understand.

Then he wrenched away with a curse, stumbling back a step. His chest heaved as he ran a shaking hand through his hair. “I really need to go,” he said, voice rough. “Before I—” He cut himself off, that same tension I’d seen in his brothers rippling through him.

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