Page 27 of Riding the Tide

But he still was on pins and needles until he finally strapped in and they took off. Only… now that he was on his way home, he assumed the crushing weight in his chest would ease up. It hadn’t.

Panic still flitted through his system, and he wasn’t sure why. He was safe. No one—or nothing—had tried to stop him. Guards hadn’t rushed him at the airport, whistles hadn’t blown shrilly, no one had asked him to step into a sequestered back room.

No muss, no fuss. He didn’t know what he had expected, but simply walking out the resort, getting on a plane, and leaving hadn’t been it. Never would he have dreamed it would be quite that easy. He rubbed his chest aimlessly.

Did that mean he overreacted? He glanced back out the window. Now all he could see was clouds. Thank goodness the small crew attached to the privately owned jet didn’t bother him. Which was fine. He wanted to be alone.

The last thing he wanted was to talk to people. Wasn’t that why he ran? So he could think? Well, considering how long it took to get from the Seychelle islands to where he was going, he’d have plenty of time to do nothing but fucking think.

He debated returning to his beachside home in California, but decided not to. Frankly, the ocean was a little too close for his peace of mind right now, so he went in the opposite direction. He owned an apartment in New York City—nothing grand, but nice.

He planned to stay there until he got his head on straight. Whenever that came about. Closing his eyes, he leaned the chair back. He was fidgety but also exhausted. As he drifted off to sleep yet again he remembered the conversation with Brett. Was it just earlier that day?

Hadn’t he been the one to reassure Brett he wasn’t going to have a meltdown? Wasn’t he the one who said he wasn’t going to run around screaming and hollering, freaking out? No, all he’d done was get on a plane and hightail it out of there.

So much for not panicking.

CHAPTER NINE

Marcushadbeenpoked,prodded, and pressed within an inch of his life. His hair had been cut—he still couldn’t believe he allowed Kannon to do that—and he smelled delightful, if he did say so himself.

Whatever shampoo Kannon and Nisha used left his hair with a sheen. The silk shirt clung to his skin like a black cloud of temptation. The gray pants showed his ass off perfectly. Even the shoes felt okay. He turned this way and that, admiring the image reflected back at him. He feltgood. Sexy.

“Satisfied?” Kannon asked.

“I look good. I mean, that sounds like I’m bragging and I’m not, but I really look good,” Marcus whispered. He couldn’t believe the vision in the full-length mirror. Never had he seen himself look so… He didn’t know what the word was he wanted. “I look…”

“Sophisticated,” Nisha said when Marcus trailed off.

“Fucking sexy.” Kannon waggled his eyebrows at Marcus’ reflection. “If that doesn’t get you laid, you’re hopeless.”

“Getting laid has never been a problem.” Marcus sniffed, and Kannon snorted. “But usually I’m not concerned with what they think of me. The men I bedded were hookups, nothing more. This time, I want to make a good impression. I want…” Marcus frowned at the mirror.

“You want him,” Nisha supplied.

“That goes without saying, but that’s not what I meant.” He rubbed his chest. “I want to make him happy. I definitely want him to feel safe around me, but his happiness suddenly is very important. I want to see him smile, and hear him laugh. Know what his favorite foods are, and what he hates to eat. What type of music does he listen to? What color does he like? I want to knowhim.”

“Got to love the mating instinct,” Kannon said.

“Is that what that is? Is that all it is? Just instinct?” Marcus asked.

“In the beginning, yes,” Nisha said. “Don’t discount instinct. It’s what drives us, protects us. But don’t fool yourself into thinking it’sjustinstinct. Blair is the perfect individual for you. He meets your needs and your wants, just as you will meet his. I’m pretty sure you’ve already found out there’s chemistry there.”

“Oh yes,” Marcus said, licking his lips as he remembered their kiss.

“It can be quite explosive. But it’s more than chemistry and instinct. You’re already worried about his reactions, thinking about his needs. You want him to be happy.”

“What are you saying?” Marcus asked.

“I’m saying instinct and chemistry are the building blocks of any relationship. Just because you feel a pull toward him, and he might be the perfect person for you, doesn’t mean it’s going to be easy.”

Kannon snorted again.

“As with anything that’s worth value, you have to work for it. And you will want to.” Nisha clasped Marcus on the shoulder. “I know you didn’t want to be mated.”

“No, I didn’t. But here I am.”

“Yes, here you are. Also know you didn’t want to live aboveground.”

---