This man… There’s so much more to him than anyone realizes—more than I realized. I want to reach out to him right now, hold him close and comfort him, because I can see pain in him now where before I thought it was only hardness. It’s pain he carries around and hides. I don’t do that, however, because instead I think back over his beautiful children and how they love him, how he loves them. In his own way, Marcum saved them, he gave them a home.

He protected them.

Kids should never feel like they don’t have someone who gives a shit about them in this life, Dragonfly.

Believe it or not, I wanted to protect you…

Oh God.

I look around the room for my clothes. I’m feeling way too exposed right now. I cling to the sheet I have wrapped around me like a lifeline. I find my pants and shirt, and that will have to work. Before I can make it to the bathroom to change, Marcum scoops me up in his arms. He carries me back to the bed, despite my protesting and kicking at him. He holds me tighter, stilling my movements and sits on the bed with me. He pulls me so my legs drape over the side of his lap and then he turns my face to his.

“What’s going on in that head of yours now, Toi?”

“I’m another one of your projects,” I whisper. I can feel tears stinging the back of my eyes and I hate them. I feel raw inside, because…

Because Marcum matters. He matters so much…

I love him.

I’m such a stupid fool! I love a man and to him I’m just a little lost lamb he needs to protect!

“Motherfucker,” Marcum growls and then he leans back so he’s lying on the bed, taking me with him. He pulls me so I’m facing him, and he holds his hand at my neck, his fingers pressing into my jawline so I can’t look away. “You are not a fucking project, woman.”

“You admitted it. You wanted to protect me!”

“Christ, you women get everything so twisted. Why is that a bad thing?”

“Because I don’t want to be a charity case to you, Marcum. Another lost soul you try and protect.”

“Fuck, baby, have you seen me? I’m not a damned guardian angel. Most of my fucking life I’ve sent people to their death. Don’t try to romanticize me.”

“You see me just like one of the kids. You want to protect me from life!”

“So? Jesus. I want to protect you, but I don’t see you as my kid. You’re young, Toi, but you’re a woman—a damn beautiful woman and I’m not a fucking monk.”

“What does that mean?”

“That I want you. I fought it like hell, but it was always there. You deserved better, and I’m way too fucking dirty and old to touch you, but I couldn’t walk away. It was always you for me, Toi.”

“It was?” I ask, confused. I feel hope warring inside of me, though and as much as I try and beat it down, I can’t.

He pushes the sheet from my body, and I let it go. I’m riveted into place by the heated look on his face. It’s a mixture of anger and need, and it makes me feel alive.

“Of course it was. I’m feeding you my dick. I beat the fuck out of my own man over you. Jesus, woman, I’m sharing shit with you I don’t share with anyone. How can you think you’re not special to me?” He growls out the question as his hand connects between my legs. He might be angry, but the soft glide of his fingers over my clit doesn’t feel angry.

“Marcum—”

“My whole life, Toi, there’s never been another woman… fuck… another person who gets inside of me like you do. I want you. You’re like a fire inside of me and I need you as much as I need food or air. But that’s not all of it. I trust you, Toi. I trust you in ways I don’t even trust most of my men, and they’ve pledged their lives to me. I told you about my children when only Max, Tess and Topper ever got that information from me. You are different, honey. You’re not like any of the others, you aren’t a damn project… Fuck,” he hisses, stopping his tirade as I wrap my hand around his cock. “Toi…”

I stroke his cock once. He’s so wide my hand doesn’t go around him completely, and I love it. I love everything about him. I guide him to my entrance, pushing my foot into the mattress to get a better angle.

“I love you, Marcum,” I confess quietly as I thrust upwards, taking him into my body. “I love you,” I tell him again, my pussy bearing down on his cock and groaning as he pushes deep inside of me.

“Christ, Dragonfly.”

“I love you,” I whisper again, as he takes over.

He doesn’t give me the words back, but that’s okay. He says I’m special and I believe him. He trusts me and for Marcum that feels like a huge gift. He also needs me; that’s enough. It’s more than enough and when his orgasm takes over, I follow him. I do it with one thought on my mind too…

I hope he does give me his child.