Page 58 of Out of the Dark

I drop my bag by the door and make my way over to him. When I go to sit beside him, Mark pulls me onto his lap instead. Letting out a surprised giggle, I wrap my arms around his neck for support.

"Hi," I say.

"How was class?" he asks as he rests his hands on my hips. His thumb traces small circles on my skin. It’s a seemingly innocent touch, but it only makes me want more.

"It was good," I say, my voice steadier than I feel. His touch is entirely too distracting.

"That's good. Are you feeling better?"

It takes me a second to figure out that he’s referring to last nightwhen I avoided him by telling him I wasn’t feeling well. "Yeah, I’m good now."

Mark's hands begin to move, tracing the curve of my waist, the flare of my hips, the line of my thigh. His touch is gentle, but it seems to set my skin on fire all the same.

"I couldn’t stop thinking about you today while I was trying to work," he says, leaning over slightly to press a kiss to my neck.

"Me either. It’s weird going back to real life after everything that’s happened in the last week or two."

"Agreed. Guess I’ll just need to take advantage of all the alone time I get with you in the evenings, then."

I bite back a smile as his fingers dip beneath the hem of my shirt, slowly pulling it upward to reveal my bare midriff.

"I like the sound of that." I lift my arms so that he can pull my shirt off, and he tosses it unceremoniously to the floor when he does. Seconds later, he’s doing the same with my bra.

"You're so goddamn beautiful," he breathes, staring down at my bare torso as he traces the curves of my body. He studies my expression as his thumb flits over the peak of my nipple before pinching it between his thumb and forefinger, eliciting a gasp from me as the sharp sensation shoots straight to my core.

I lean forward and press my lips against his in a soft, tentative kiss. He responds immediately, his mouth moving against mine. His tongue slips past my lips as he takes what he wants and deepens the kiss, and I melt into him as one of his hands threads through my hair.

His erection presses into my ass, and it only amplifies the need coursing through my body. Now that I’ve had a taste of him, I can never seem to get enough. I want him. Ineedhim.

He breaks away from the kiss, trailing his lips down myneck, nipping at the sensitive skin. The stubble on his face scrapes against my skin, and the heat of his breath raises goosebumps wherever his lips pass.

Without thinking of what I’m doing, I grind my ass against his erection beneath me, and he lets out a low groan.

Suddenly, he stands, lifting me in his arms as if I weigh nothing. I grin up at him, tightening my arms around his neck as he carries me down the hallway to his bedroom. He kicks the door shut behind us and the sound of it clicking closed echoes through the room.

Fire burns between us, setting my every nerve on fire with the knowledge of what’s to come.

Mark sets me down gently on the bed with his body hovering over mine. His eyes search my face, looking for any sign of doubt or hesitation. "Are you ready for this?"

"Yes," I whisper. Butterflies take flight in my stomach. "I’m nervous, but I’m ready."

He smiles softly, brushing my hair away from my face. "That's normal," he says. "But I promise we'll go slow. And if you want to stop at any point, just say the word."

I nod, my trust in him outweighing any other feeling I might have. I want him in every way I can have him, and I trust him with everything in me. He leans down, pressing his lips against mine again. This time, the kiss is soft and slow, different from the heated, passionate one we had only moments ago on the couch.

"You're perfect," he whispers as his hands begin to explore again, covering every bare inch of my body. He leans down to close his lips around my nipple, sucking just hard enough to make me whimper.

His dark chuckle at my response only turns me on more. He’s so confident, so in control, and it allows me thevulnerability to trust that he’ll take care of me.

He reaches down to unbutton my jeans then stands to pull them off, followed quickly by his own clothing.

My eyes zero in on his hard cock jutting out before him, and as sexy as it is, I can’t help but wonder howthat’sgoing to fit inside me. He’s prepared me the past few days with his fingers, but likely not to that extent.

Mark must notice the concern in my eyes, because he says, "Don’t worry. I promise I’ll make you feel good, baby."

I know realistically that this will probably hurt a little, but I believe him. I trust him.

Towering over the bed, he covers the space between us then pushes me back against the pillows before moving lower on the bed, trailing his lips down my bare skin until he reaches my pussy.

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