Total pages in book: 51
Estimated words: 47846 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 239(@200wpm)___ 191(@250wpm)___ 159(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 47846 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 239(@200wpm)___ 191(@250wpm)___ 159(@300wpm)
“I’m perfectly safe,” I said calmly, trying to soothe him. “I’ve been swimming my entire life. And you’re here, watching over me. Nothing bad is going to happen.”
“Yes, I’m right here. And you’re never allowed to use the pool unless I’m watching. Do you understand?”
“Do you not know how to swim?” I didn’t understand why he was so upset.
“Of course I do. That’s why I’m going to stay right here, in case you need me.”
I stared up at him, trying to figure out what was going on in his head. He said he could swim, but he hadn’t wanted to get in the pool with me. Now, he was talking like I might get hurt somehow if he wasn’t here to guard me.
“Why are you so upset?” I finally asked the direct question, daring to push him.
His eyes flared with a flash of rage, but he didn’t move a muscle. The anger wasn’t directed at me.
“Because I wasn’t always there,” he almost shouted in my face, but I didn’t flinch away. He needed to tell me something important, and I wouldn’t show him how intimidated I was by his swinging mood. “My brother…” His voice broke, and he turned his face away.
I applied light pressure to his jaw, redirecting his gaze to mine. My stomach churned, and I wasn’t at all sure I wanted to hear what was coming next.
But I needed to know. And whatever this secret was, Marco needed to share it with me. When I’d first met him, I’d thought there was something cold and dark about his soul. Now, I could see that darkness wasn’t evil; it was a scar on his heart that he hid behind his cool exterior.
“Tell me,” I whispered.
“My brother. Little Leo. He drowned. I should’ve been watching him, but I was too busy playing my own games. He was two years old. Then, my mother…” A shudder wracked his body. “She died three years later. Overdosed on alcohol and pills. I killed her, too.”
“Marco,” I said his name tremulously, my heart breaking for him. “You were just a little boy. You weren’t responsible for what happened.”
“Of course I was,” he snapped. “I am. They’re gone, and it’s my fault. No wonder my father wants nothing to do with me.”
“You deserve to be loved, Marco.” The words came from deep in my soul. I wasn’t ready to say I love you yet; it was too soon for that. What we shared was too new, but I needed him to know that no matter what had happened in his past, he deserved love.
“How can you say that?” he asked, strained. But longing lit his dark eyes.
“Because I care about you. Just the way you are,” I mirrored his promise of unconditional affection he’d declared for me earlier.
I went up on my tiptoes and pressed my lips against his. He was stiff against me for a moment, but then his arms wrapped around me, pulling me close in a fierce embrace. He kissed me as though our connection was the only thing tethering him to sanity. And in a way, maybe it was. He’d told me he needed me.
I believed him.
He needed to take care of me, to take responsibility for my wellbeing. But he needed my devotion, my trust, in return.
I gave it to him, opening for him and allowing him to claim my mouth in harsh, hungry strokes of his tongue.
He stepped toward me, prompting me to move with him. My ass bumped into the cool tile wall that surrounded the garden.
He finally tore his mouth from mine, gasping for air.
“I need you, Ashlyn,” he said, his voice rough with desire.
“Take me,” I urged, pressing my body against his. I craved him as fiercely as he craved me. “I need you, too.”
He groaned. “You make me so happy, babygirl. Daddy’s going to fuck you now. Are you ready to take my cock like a good girl?”
“Yes, Daddy,” I panted, losing myself in our strange new dynamic. “Please.” My core ached, and my thighs were slick with more than water.
He bit out a curse and reached for his belt buckle, freeing himself from his jeans. I stared down at him. He was just as big as Joseph, his girth a little wider.
“Touch me,” he ground out.
I stroked my fingers down his shaft, feeling him for the first time. He’d held me down and kissed me while Joseph licked my pussy, but I’d never been with Marco like this before. I wanted to learn every inch of him.
I wrapped my hand around his cock, stroking more boldly. He growled his appreciation, but he didn’t give me much time to explore. His need was too intense, and so was mine.
He gripped my hips and turned me away from him. His big hand pressed between my shoulders, urging me to bend forward. I braced myself on my hands, my fingers digging into the cool garden soil as I thrust my ass back at him, offering myself.