Page 24 of Sweet Redemption
“No. Bryce wouldn’t listen anyway. He saw what he saw and believed what was in front of him. Anyway, you are the first person I’ve told that to.”
“I’m honored?” I sobered and shook my head. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have been laughing.”
“No, Charlie. That is why I like you. You lighten my darkness.” Markus raised my hand to his lips and kissed my palm. “You are the first to look at me as some normal man. Even if I’m fucked up. Not as Bryce’s fucked up brother, or Markus Landry Senior’s misfit.”
“You are normal. Normal people make mistakes, Markus. I do it all the time.”
“You didn’t fuck over your family by leaving. I did. And my brother…my twin…” Markus stared so intently into my eyes before returning his focus onto the road. But I felt his pain bone deep.
“It was a mistake and your paying for it. Maybe if you talked to your brother
—"
“I don’t want to talk about it,” he said defensively.
“Are you sure, Markus?” My words struck something inside him. It had been two years. “What about your father? You never said how he reacted to you leaving.”
“My father was furious. He had some choice words, but I was too tired of being under his thumb to care what he said. I just knew I had to leave.”
“He was a jerk.”
“Ever since we were kids, our father pitted Bryce and I against each other. There was so much pressure, especially on me since I’m technically three minutes older. It was always his way or the fucking highway when it came down to anything he deemed competitive. Sports when we were kids. School grades—even in college choices. When it came down to the family firm I knew it was going to be no different, so I took the highway once the ultimatum was given.”
I wasn’t surprised at what Markus confessed. The agony glazed in his bloodshot eyes showed the hurt—the pain of his father’s maniacal obsession. However, my trust in Markus hadn’t wavered. Though I guess, it didn’t matter. Betrayal was betrayal. Betrayal against his twin, and his father’s against Markus.
I was darn sure I’d do the same thing if my father had given me that kind of ultimatum.
My parents were no better though. The only concession in my life was that my parents left me with Nana at a very young age, which I had to say was the smartest thing they did before drugs and a drunken accident took their lives. At least I had Nana to teach me about love.
Ever since Markus had cut ties with his twin, he had been alone. The torment had to be deeply riveted inside him. Was I strong enough to buffer between him and his family, namely his father? I wasn’t sure.
“So you have a twin. Does he look like you?”
Markus swiped his left eye with his thumb and let out a low chuckle, which made me smile. I loved the sound of his voice.
“No, we don’t look alike. He’s blond with blue eyes and slightly shorter than me.”
Some of the heaviness in the car dissipatedashe talked about his brother. There was grief—he missed Bryce. I would too, if I had a twin, or a sibling.
“Hmm. I much prefer dark hair with green eyes myself,” I uttered, easing the mood even more. Another low rumble of laughter came from Markus. So light and carefree this time.
“You are too good, Charlie. Too good for me. I tell you that I slept with my brother’s fiancé and my less than stellar family life, and here you go trying to make me feel better instead of berating my actions. Who does that? You’retoogood for me,” he repeated, reaching for my hand and squeezed it.
“Almostslept with her.” I squeezed right back. “You don’t know me well, Mr. Markus Landry. And Nana had always said, there are three sides to every story. Yours, theirs and the truth. Besides, I can be a very bad girl.” The heated look he gave me sparked a burning need and connected us like a live wire.
“Markus…”
With his name barely out of my mouth, Markus quickly pulled over to the side of the nearly deserted road. He twisted toward me, unbuckled my seatbelt adjusted his seat back. “I need you. I need to feel your goodness surrounding me, Charlie.”
Our lips met halfway in affirmation that we both need to touch, to feel, to get lost in each other. There was nothing that stood in our way except for the console. Not even if Highway 20 was backed to back with vehicles, we were going make love.
Thank goodness I’d worn a dress because the second I quickly pulled off my undies, Markus dragged me onto his lap. As he unzipped his pants, my legs straddled his thighs and my back leaned against the steering wheel.
“Fuck, Charlie. You are beautiful. Inside and out.” Markus pulled me close and greedily kissed my mouth. Desperate and hungry. Our lips never lost connection as Markus frantically put on a condom.
Geez, I was so on the edge that I couldn’t sit there any longer. I was wet and darn needy. “Markus, please hurry.”
“Oh Charlie, you’re already greedy for me,” he said with a little nip of my bottom lip. With that, Markus slipped past my slick folds and entered me in one full trust.
