Page 31 of Marked

Ten

Monday comes, and Taylor and I are making our way to my office after getting our morning coffee. We came in early with the sole purpose of discussing our weekend. I fill her in on my date with Jack on Friday, and her facial expressions are exactly what I expected them to be.

“Oh, my gods, no Seth didn’t!” Taylor slams her hand down on my desk, making my cup of pens rattle. “I can’t believe the audacity of that man-child!”

I take a sip of my coffee and relax back against my chair. “It was so embarrassing, Tay.”

“You have nothing to be embarrassed about! That asshat tried to be an alpha male when he’s nothing more than a puppy! What a douche!” She fumes.

I laugh at her outrage. “Yeah, I’m surprised Jack stayed around after and didn’t hightail it out of there. A jealous ex isn’t typically something someone wants to deal with.”

Taylor grins at me. “They sure don’t. Unless, of course, the girl is worth it.” When I choke on my coffee, she cackles. “And you’re so worth it, Val! Jack is twice the man Seth will ever be and you know it! I bet he’d rock in bed.”

I balk at her. “Gods, Tay, just go straight for the jugular why don’t you?”

“I will,” she says seriously before continuing. “So, I want more details on what happened after dinner.”

I calmly set my coffee down on the desk. “He walked me to my door and then left.”

“No, no, no,” Tay interjects. “I don’t believe that. What happened? Did you kiss?” At my pointed look, she corrects herself. “Okay, scratch that. I know you don’t kiss people. But something did happen, didn’t it?” When my cheeks flush, she thrusts her fist in the air with a triumphant holler. “I knew it!”

“Shh!” I shush her, glancing at my door as if everyone can hear.

“What. Happened.” She leans on my desk, annunciating each word.

I look down at my coffee lid, a small smile tugging at my lips. “He kissed my forehead.” When Taylor doesn’t say anything, I look up at her disheartened expression. “What?”

She lets out a dramatic sigh. “That’s just so anticlimactic! I was hoping you two would bang!”

I laugh as she collapses on my desk, burying her face in her arms. I pat her blonde hair while still smiling. “You don’t understand what that little gesture means to me. He did it after stating he respected my boundaries. He didn’t try to sneak in a kiss like so many others have tried to do. He just accepted it, and that means a lot more.” Butterflies swim in my stomach as I remember it.

Taylor pouts up at me. “You still could have fucked.”

“I thought about it,” I admit. When she shoots me a devilish grin, I return it. “How can I not? Have you seen him?” We share a laugh and I tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. “But really, it was so tender. I didn’t want to let him go. I wanted more.”

“Did you tell him that?” She asks.

I shake my head. “No. I was already pawing at him like a bitch in heat. He didn’t need that. I’ll admit, it was nice. I’m comfortable around him.” I panic as my best friend’s eyes suddenly fill with tears. “Tay?”

“I knew it,” she cries, wiping at her eye. “I knew he was going to be the one for you. I don’t know why, but as soon as you guys met at the crime scene, I could just see you two together. He’s what you need, Val.”

I look down at my desk, shifting a bit uncomfortably. “I barely know him.”

She smacks my desk again, making me jump. “And yet you told him your past when you haven’t even gone into detail about it with me.” There’s no bite to her tone when she says this, but I know it must sting a bit. I don’t want my friend to hurt, but she stops me before I can apologize. “I’m not mad. Hurt a little, sure, but it’s your life and I’ve accepted that. It doesn’t diminish our friendship, Val.” She waves her hand at me. “Anyways, I’m trying to point out just how big this is for you. Don’t you see?”

“I see,” I mumble reluctantly. “But I’m all sorts of fucked up. What can I really offer him?”

She scowls at me. “Everything. If Seth, your past, and your kissing rule didn’t have him running for the hills, I think he sees that too.” A knock sounds at my door, and she stands with her coffee cup. “You underestimate yourself so much it’s infuriating.”

I give a noncommittal shrug but don’t have anything to say in response to that. I watch as she heads to my door and sit up a little straighter when I see Jack on the other side of it. We lock eyes for a long moment, and my stomach twists in yearning.

“Good morning, Detective Khoury!” Taylor beams at him before whirling towards me with a scolding expression. “Remember what I said: everything.”

There are no words to describe how much I love my friend. Even when I don’t deserve these kind words, she freely gives them to me. Ever since I met her, she’s been like a balm to my soul. It sounds cheesy, but it doesn’t change the truth of it.

“Thank you, Tay,” I say, hoping my tone will convey the love I feel for her. She blows me a kiss and disappears out the door. My smile widens before I look at my partner again. “Morning.”

His smile widens at my breathy tone. “Good morning, Valkyrie. How are your wounds?”

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