“You have no idea.” I smashed my lips against his, kissing him over and over again. My eyes flashed opened. “And I’m horny. I’m so horny.” I rumbled against his mouth.
Chuckling, he narrowed his glare. “Quite honestly, I’m not sure if I should be thrilled about that or feel offended?” I raised a brow, confused as to why he would feel offended. “Because you see me as your love slave instead of your boyfriend.” He winked.
I smiled. “Feel offended, very offended, but whatever you do, just take it out on me in bed.”
Marcus tossed his head back and laughed. After he controlled himself, he pulled me in tighter. “Ah, I’ve missed you.”
“So you agree then? We can just ditch dinner and go straight for the car sex?”
“Settle down there.” He placed me back down on the ground. “We need to eat first. You’ll need plenty of fuel for what I have planned for you.”
I snapped my fingers. “Damn it, I was so close.”
Shaking his head, he opened the passenger door for me. “Come on my little horny demon. Let’s go eat.”
“Fine, but if you need me to quickly polish you off on the way to the restaurant, I’m your gal.” I winked and hopped into the passenger seat.
“What has gotten into you?” He laughed. “Have I neglected you for that long?”
Innocently, I shrugged and batted my lashes. He laughed again and shut the door.
The entire drive to the restaurant, Marcus and I chatted as if the last two weeks had not even passed. We caught up, sure, but a lot of it was because we had deepened our connection. I told him about Jeremy and the massages, and we couldn’t stop laughing about it. I also mentioned that I was taking my studies more seriously because the semester was coming to an end, but I left out the tutoring and possibility of failing my class. We were in such a good spirits, and I didn’t want to ruin the moment.
We pulled into a parking lot, and he cut off the ignition. I was still laughing from our goofing around. Calming, I tossed my head against the headrest and ogled him. Marcus leaned back and stared at me as well. He brought the back of his fingers to my face and traced them along my jawline. “You’re so beautiful.”
“You’re quite a catch yourself. I think we make a pretty fine couple, Mr. DeLuca.”
His face softened with a sly grin. “I love seeing you like this.”
“Like?”
“Happy. Laughing. Just being you.”
My heart swelled with so much love for him. “You make me like this.”
He leaned in and pressed his lips against the tip of my nose and then trailed his lips down to mine. “Good. I would hate to be responsible for your unhappiness.”
“You could never make me unhappy.”
Although he nodded at that statement, his eyes filled with doubt.
During the next couple of hours, Marcus and I indulged in good food, wine, and conversation. We discussed the talk he had with his mother and how he felt better afterwards. That was a relief. The issue with his mother was such a huge burden on him, and I was glad that it was finally resolved. It reminded me of something: in life sometimes you don’t have second chances, and you shouldn’t be scared to just take a chance on something you really want. There could be numerous excuses that you come up with to avoid making that leap of faith. That day, I decided to take a leap for the reason staring right at me.
“Marcus?”
“Yeah?” He ate the last bite of his meal, wiping his plate clean.
“I want to move in.”
He looked up from his plate and shot me a slight grin. “You’re joking?”
“No, well, not right now. After this semester, during winter break. I can’t focus on a move at this moment with my upcoming exams, but definitely when it’s all over. That is, if you still want me?”
“Are you kidding? You can move in tonight. Hell, you don’t need to move a thing. I’ll do it all so you can focus on your studies.”
Laughing, I rolled my eyes, “Marcus, you can wait a few more weeks.”
“What if I withhold sex from you until you move in? Would that make you move in any faster?”
My jaw dropped open with a gasp. “You wouldn’t dare.”
With a mischievous grin, he leaned back in his chair, placing both his hands behind his head. “Oh, how the tables have turned. You remember that two-week bet? It’ll be a bit similar.”
My expression fell. He did not just go there! I reached for the napkin and tossed it at him. He burst out laughing.
“That is so not fair.”
“Maybe you’re right, but I remember having that same argument about your little arrangement.” He winked.
When I went to speak again, his phone beeped. He grabbed it from the table and swiped the screen to read the message. His facial expression went from humorous to unreadable within a matter of seconds. “Everything okay?” My eyes scanned his face.
“Yeah, but I need to get going.”
“What? You mean our night is over?”
He glanced at me with apologetic eyes. “Yes, babe, I’m sorry. I have to be somewhere, and it’s very important.”
“Where do you have to be?”
“I have to meet with Jimmie.”
“For what?”
“To collect some information.”
“What kind of information?”
Our eyes locked. We were pleading with each other; he was pleading with me to stop the interrogation and I was pleading with him to answer.
“Mia, can you just drop it? The information is confidential.”
I dropped my gaze. “Okay. I’m going to use the restroom and then we can go.” I stood from my chair and began to briskly pass him when he caught my wrist.
“Mia, just trust me, okay?” I nodded and hurried to the restroom.
After Marcus paid the bill, we jumped in his car and drove in silence back to my apartment. For the entire drive, my mind raced, wondering what the information could be that he claimed was so important. I shouldn’t be upset that he was leaving, but in a way, I couldn’t help it. I hadn’t seen him in over two weeks, and I wanted to be selfish, even if it was for one night.
As he pulled up in front of my building, Marcus tugged at my chin for me to look at him. I tore my gaze from the passenger window and focused on him. “Mia, I’m sorry. I promise we’ll have plenty of nights together. I just really need to take care of a few things. I’m working on our future.”