Page 45 of Marek

Of course he has, and now he has me right where he wants me, he doesn’t want to fuck me anymore.

How could I be so stupid?

“Does Mex know about this?” Alexis gasps.

“He knows. Don’t worry, when he finds out they left me here, he’ll no doubt be on his way, which is why I had better drink up quickly.”

“Are you sure you want us to do this, Ellie?” Bonnie asks, and I jerk, completely lost in my own shame.

I look up at her, forcing a smile. “Yes, please. This could launch my career. I don’t want to stay here forever. Eventually, I’m certain I’ll be picked up and will be given the chances I want, but until then, I need to stay.”

“It makes me a little happier to know you don’t plan on sticking around forever. Be stronger than him, and don’t give your body over unless you want to. He doesn’t own you, remember that.”

I keep the smile even though my jaw hurts because I’m clenching it so tightly. How stupid I would look to them if they knew how much my heart was aching right now. At what point did I let Marek in? At what point did I somehow learn to care for this man? He’s the worst, and yet here I am, completely hurt because he won’t sleep with me. I’m jealous because he slept with Acacia.

Maybe I should leave.

It seems it would do me better.

“Time’s up.”

Marek’s smooth voice comes from the darkness, and he appears, shirtless, wearing a pair of black jeans, his hair wet from a shower. God he’s fucking beautiful; it would be so much easier if he wasn’t. I glance back at the girls, and they’re allstaring at him, no doubt thinking the same. Bonnie leans over to me and whispers, “I mean, I can see why you’d want to fuck him. He’s delicious. If only he wasn’t such a dick.”

I huff, half laugh, half sigh.

“She’s not your pet, Marek,” Acacia says, her eyes meeting his in challenge.

“I recall you saying something similar, and yet you came back, over and over again ...”

Acacia snorts. “You know I had no choice.”

“Didn’t stop you from spreading your legs for me every time.”

A flare of jealousy washes through me again.

God dammit.

What the hell is wrong with me?

“Well, I didn’t have control back then. I do now.”

“Hmmm,” he murmurs, and I can’t tell if he’s agreeing or disagreeing with her.

“Well, we had better go,” Alexis says, standing and shooting Marek an ugly glare.

“Nice to see you, Alexis,” he practically purrs.

She rolls her eyes, turning to me. “You know where we are, if you need.”

“Ellie Mae is fine,” Marek answers for me, his voice cool.

“Maybe she is,” Bonnie interrupts, “but if you want us to release this article, you had better take care of her. I can turn things around as quickly as I fix them.”

Marek straightens, his eyes flashing. “Is that a threat?”

“Nope,” Bonnie says, picking up her things. “It’s a promise.”

Before he can answer, the girls hug me goodbye and then, just like that, they’re gone.

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