Page 8 of My Everything

He crossed the room in two long strides, then lingered before me, taking in the new set of clothes and the skin they didn’t hide.

“You look—” he cut himself off, shaking his head. Then he brushed past me, aiming for the door I just exited.

“I look what?” I called out, oddly insulted by his disapproval.

He stopped at the door, eyeing me far longer than what was considered normal. “You look too fucking good,” he growled, slamming the door in my face.

I stood staring at it. Then a slow grin spread across my lips.

He came back less than ten minutes later, dressed in black trousers and shirtless. I tried not to stare, but failed. He was too damn fine not to ogle. I knew from the way he carried himself that he was well-trained. It was evident in the way his shirt stretched over broad shoulders and thick biceps. But I never saw him likethis. I caught myself wetting my lips. The man was freaking gorgeous. How many hours did he spend in the gym to maintain a body that well-defined? My eyes were glued to him as he moved across the room. He was a masterpiece. Tight, tanned skin stretched over muscles that flexed with each movement as he bent to pick up the bag. I swallowed the drool, imagining how it would feel to run my hands along those pecs.

Catching me staring, he lifted an eyebrow, muttering something I didn’t hear above the ringing in my ears. Sinking to the bed, I tried to still my pulse. This was dangerous. Far too dangerous. But I’d lie if I said I didn’t feel more alive than I ever had.

When I looked back, he was shrugging on a shirt. Black this time, and before I had a chance to recover, he threw the old clothes into the bag and slung it, and mine, over his shoulder. “Let’s get out of here.”

I followed on weak legs, trying to ignore the throbbing heat between my thighs and act like he didn’t turn me on.

*

I tried calling my father again, but the same message repeated itself back to me. Frustrated, I dropped the phone into my lap and turned my gaze to the landscape outside. The sun was low in the sky, barely reaching above the mountaintops, marking the end of another day. Long shadows flickered past as the car swished by trees lining the road. Fields stretching out around us bathed in a yellow hue from the fading light.

“I’m sure he’s fine,” Marc said, breaking the silence.

I turned to look at him. “No, you’re not. You’re just lying to me to make me feel better.”

He chuckled, but shook his head. “That’s not how I work.”

Somehow, I believed him. He didn’t look like the type to sugarcoat and beat around the bush. If he wanted to say something, he would. “You really think he’s fine?” I asked. “Then why doesn’t he answer my calls?”

Marc was silent as he contemplated it. “I don’t know,” he said at last. “But they’re after you. Not him.”

I nodded slowly, seeing the logic. My father was protecting me. Maybe avoiding my calls was a way to make sure nothing could be traced back to us.

“Do you know the man we’re meeting?”

I shook my head, knowing what he was implying. “My father would never let anything bad happen to me.”

Marc didn’t look convinced. “He kept you locked up in that place, didn’t he? The way you look at things. It’s like you’ve never seen things before.”

I gulped. Didthingsinclude him? Because no, I never saw anything likethat. Could I tell him the truth? “I—”

He cut me off. “Don’t lie to me.”

“You really don’t like lies, do you?”

“Do you?” he shot back.

“He’s just doing what’s best for me,” I mumbled.

Marc scoffed. “That’s debatable.”

I shot him a glare. This was why fantasizing about him was a bad idea. He was not only too old for me, but he was also rude. Cold. Bristling at his condescending tone, I snapped. “You don’t know me. What my life is like.”

“I bet boring as fuck.”

I deflated like a popped balloon. Sighing, I sagged against the smooth leather seat. If he only knew how right he was. But did it matter? When I was waiting for the inevitable.

“And yours is so much better?” Having his confession fresh in mind, I was dying to know more. “Did it happen on the job? With Grey?”

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