Page 60 of Out of the Dark

"Mark…" I whisper his name, even though I don’t have anything else to say. I just need to saysomethingto convey the affection blooming in my chest, and his name passing my lips holds the weight of all the things I can’t tell him right now.

"I’m here," he whispers back. An acknowledgment. A promise.

He fucks me slowly through the aftershock of my orgasm, then flips over to lie on his back, moving my body easily so I’m on top of him.

When I give him a questioning look, he flashes me a devilish grin. Biting back a smile, I situate myself on top ofhim and sink down slowly on his rigid cock.

"Oh my god," I whimper. The new angle gives me more leverage but also makes everything feel impossibly deeper.

In response, Mark lifts his hips in a small but quick motion, bouncing my body on him and eliciting a sharp gasp from me. He looks entirely too pleased with himself when I feign a glare at him.

Leaning forward to rest my hands on his chest, I slowly rock back and forth, making his cock go in and out of me the same way it did when he was on top. I’m rewarded with a low groan from him. Picking up the pace, I watch as his breathing mimics my own, growing faster and shallower by the minute.

To my surprise, he reaches forward and uses his thumb to circle my clit.

"I don’t think I can do it again," I whine.

"Yes you can, baby. I’ve got you."

Sure enough, the pleasure builds and heat spreads through my veins. I chase the orgasm, riding Mark at a desperate, almost frantic pace. He matches my rhythm, thrusting into me from below with as much urgency as I’m feeling. Then, I’m coming again, falling apart around him for the third time tonight. My core tightens, and I cry out as my body bows forward and I catch myself on Mark’s chest.

Seconds later, he groans with his own release, pulsing inside me. It’s all so sensual, so overwhelming, soperfect.

For a long time, we don’t move, and it’s silent aside from our heavy breathing. I’m on top of him, chest-to-chest, my eyes closed and my body weak after the roller coaster of emotions and sensations. Finally, Mark gently rolls me to his side and presses his lips against mine in a chaste kiss.

"How do you feel?"

Speaking feels next to impossible right now in this headystate of bliss, but I manage to answer, "So good."

"Good." Even though my eyes are closed, I can hear the smile in his voice. He rolls away from me for a moment, presumably to discard the condom, then returns a few seconds later. His arms envelop me, warm and strong and gentle, and I’ve never felt happier.

Even though I know I’m probably setting myself up for heartbreak by falling for him, I’m too far gone to care. It’s painful to think he might not feel as strongly about me as I do him, but right now, I can enjoy pretending if nothing else.

Because the way he holds me feels a lot like love, even if it’s not.

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

MARK

The officefeels quieter than usual, though the noise level hasn’t actually changed. Phones ring, keyboards clack, and voices hum in conversation, but it all sounds muffled. Or rather, I’m too lost in my own head to register most of it. I’ve been rereading the same email for the past five minutes, skimming over the words but failing to register their meaning.

I came in to the office hoping to focus on work, because I knew if I stayed home, the only thing I’d be able to focus on is the sweet, beautiful blonde in the other room.

Claire’s face flashes in my mind for the millionth time today—not that it’s ever really left for more than a few seconds at a time. The way she had blown my mind on vacation the first time I saw her in that swimsuit, the way everything had felt brighter when we spent the days together, the beautiful sight of her coming apart under my touch.

Focus, I tell myself.

It’s not working.

She’s everywhere in my head, permeating my every thought because of how constant her presence has become in my life. It’s not even just the memories from vacation or the blissful few days I spent making her come over and over again. As incredible as those things were, there’s more to it than that. I’ve always been able to separate sex from emotion, but it’s almost impossible with Claire. It’s like a positive feedback loop where, no matter what she does (whether sexual or not), I want her more ineverycapacity.

And even though the sex is fucking incredible, it’s the things she does in the small, quiet moments that really get to me. The way she holds her coffee cup with both hands because she likes how warm it feels. The way her nose scrunches when she’s writing in her notebook and trying to think of a word. The way she dances around the house as she cleans when she thinks I’m not looking. All of it flits through my mind like a movie reel.

It’s frustrating.

I told her from the start this was supposed to be simple. No strings attached, no commitment. Two people who needed an escape, nothing more. We were on the same page.

Then I went and complicated it by doing everything I shouldn’t have. Touching her like she means something. Holding her like she’s not just temporary. Kissing her like I’m trying to memorize the taste of her for when she’s gone.

---