From This Moment On

She nodded. “It’s safer that way.”

“I know it is, but I’m finally ready to believe in the thing that’s hardest to believe, instead.” He smiled down at her. “I knew words would never convince you that we could make this work, that I’d need to show you, to prove it to you by pushing just as hard as you always pushed me.”

“My crew thought you were crazy. Jimmy was going to call the cops that first night, you know. The second, too.”

He grinned. “I know. But you’re worth the risk, sweetheart. Any risk. Every risk. I’m going to enjoy joining you for as many of your tour dates as I possibly can, and I have a pretty good feeling that you’re going to enjoy the peace and quiet of being here with me as often as you possibly can. I have no doubt that this land, the beauty here, will feed your soul the same way it’s always fed mine.”

“How do you always see the things in me that no one else ever does?”

“I met Nicola long before I ever met Nico,” he reminded her. “Forget the stupid things I said to you on the beach. You’ve never hidden yourself from me.”

“I don’t know how. Even when I tried, I couldn’t hide what you were making me feel.” She paused. “Especially when you were telling me what you wanted me to do in the bedroom.”

Ah, it was just the lead-in he’d been hoping for. “Three weeks ago, I played by the book. And you left.” He pinned her with an unabashedly hungry gaze. “Today I’m not going to play fair. As far as I’m concerned, once you got on that plane with me, all rules were off.”

Her pupils had dilated and her breathing was already speeding up, both beautiful signs that she was becoming aroused...and that she wanted this as much as he did.

Knowing she’d greatly enjoy the anticipation, he told her, “I’m planning to use all the weapons in my arsenal to convince you that we belong together. I’m not afraid to play dirty this time.”

She licked her lips. “I like dirty.”

He grinned at her and it was a smile full of wicked promise. “I know you do. My sweet, sexy, smart, dirty girl.” He swept her up in his arms and kicked open the front door to carry her into his bedroom. “I want you in my bed.”

“I want to be there, too.” She cupped his face in her hands and pulled his mouth down to hers.

Needing to concentrate on kissing her, not climbing the stairs, he stopped halfway up, sitting down on the stairs so that she was straddling him.

There was no way they were going to actually make it all the way upstairs to his bedroom.

Not this time, anyway.

“Lift your arms for me, Nicola.”

Heat flared in her eyes at the sensual command he’d given her that first night, and then again and again. She slowly brought her hands up and let him slide her long-sleeved T-shirt up her torso and over her head.

Her bra was wicked black and red lace with a sweet white bow in the middle.

“Until I met you, I always thought I had to be one or the other, the sexy pop princess or the sweet girl with the guitar. I want to be both, Marcus.”

“I first started falling for the sex goddess in the leather dress with the impossibly high heels...and I knew I was a total goner when you fell asleep on my lap.” He moved his hands to the small of her back, then around to cup her hips, and slid her closer. “I’ve always loved both sides of you.” Without skipping a beat, he said, “I want you to stand up and take the rest of your clothes off.”

Her eyes widened, but she quickly scooted off his lap and moved a step down to slip off her jeans and then her bra and panties.

“I think it’s time for that spanking I’ve been promising you,” he said as he put his hands on her stomach, then slid them up to brush the pads of his thumbs over her br**sts. “A little punishment for taking so long to come around and see that we can make things work.”

Her eyes glittered with arousal even as she made a soft protest. “What if I don’t like it?”

Instead of answering her question, he said, “Turn around, and hold on to the stair rail.”

He could see her heart beat pulsing through the soft skin on her neck as she thought over his request. Finally, she did as he bid, taunting him with a naughty look over her shoulder.

Moving his hand over her stomach, he held her torso in place as he ran his other hand over the swell of her hips.

“So pretty. So sweet.” He pressed a kiss to the small of her back. “And all mine.”

His hand came down a moment later, a swat on her behind that left a faint pink mark on her tanned flesh. She didn’t cry out, but he felt her ni**les bead against his palm where he still cupped her br**sts.

A moment later, he was marking her other cheek with the flat of his palm, and this time he couldn’t miss her moan of pleasure, moans that only increased in volume as he made contact two more times.

A few moments later, the swipe of his tongue over her aroused flesh had her bucking into his mouth while her hands held onto his hair. He thrust two fingers into her and slick heat surrounded them, throbbing and pulsing around him.

“I love you."

Marcus put his mouth between her thighs and covered her with his lips. He curled his fingers inside of her until she was gasping, arching, begging, crying out for more.

He loved the way she held on to him as she came apart against his tongue and fingers.

A few seconds later he was carrying her the rest of the way up the stairs to lay her down in the center of his big bed. She moved to reach for him, but he shook his head.