Page 32 of Hooked on Marshall

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“Oh, myGod.”

I bolt upright at the sound of Lana’s pained voice. Then I jump out of bed when I see her attempting to get to her feet. Assuming the worst, I hook my arms under hers and carry her to the bathroom. As soon as she’s on her feet, I lift up the seat and help her as she all but collapses to her knees. She manages to hold her face over the bowl while I hold back her hair.

For several minutes, I swear she brings up everything she’s eaten in a week. I actually give her a courtesy flush at one point. When she’s stopped retching for about a minute, I grab a washcloth and wet it with cold water. Then I gently wipe her face. Her eyes flutter open, but she squints in the bright light.

“Sorry,” she sighs.

“Are you finished?” I ask.

“Yeah,” she nods. “Wanna brush my teeth.”

I smile and help her to her feet. She takes the washcloth and wets it again as she continues to wipe her face. I brought her toiletry bag in here earlier, so I leave her to it. As soon as she turns off the light, I’m there to help her.

“Sorry,” she says again.

“Don’t worry about it,” I tell her. “You’ve had another hell of a day. I think you needed to unwind.”

“I would have rather letyouhelp me with that,” she grumbles.

“We’ve got all the time in the world for that, gorgeous,” I say. “Now get comfortable and let's go back to sleep.”

“What time is it?” she asks on a yawn.

“Just past three.”

She grumbles and crawls under the covers. As I walk around to the other side, she starts twisting and turning a bit. Then, to my surprise, she tosses her bra and panties on the floor. I smile and take off my shirt so I’m only in my boxers. When I’m settled, she rolls over and nestles against me. I welcome the feel of her, wrapping my arm around her shoulders so I’m not tempted to…well, let’s be honest…feel her up.

“Night,” she yawns.

“Night, gorgeous.”

She moves a little more to get comfortable, and within seconds, her breaths are deep and even. After I take a deep breath, I hold her tighter and let myself drift off once again. I sleep the sleep of the dead, or the ridiculously content, until my alarm goes off at seven. Lana never stirs, so I quickly slide out of bed and leave her to sleep while l go about my morning.

I go to the garage for a workout. Then I shower and dress. When I’m finished with that, I smile when I see that Lana still hasn’t moved. So, I start breakfast since I managed to go grocery shopping after I took her home yesterday. But this morning when she walks into my kitchen, she’s not wrapped in a blanket.

No.

This morning, she’s wearing only the shirt I put her in last night.

And a sexy smile.

“I think you’re overdressed,” she says.

I shut off the burners and turn toward her. And I try to give her an out.

“Are you sure about this?” I ask softly.

“I am,” she nods. “As long as you are.”

“You know I want you, gorgeous,” I rasp. “But how are you feeling, though? After last night?”

She grins again. Then she takes a step back into the hallway and whips off my shirt. And I go rock hard in an instant at the sight of her naked body.

“I’m ready foryou, Marshall,” she breathes. “All of you.”

Twenty-Four

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