Breathe With Me Read online

  “Problem?”

  Jax blinks and glances down at their linked hands then returns his gaze to Logan. “No.”

  I smile widely at my friend as he stares back at me with a what in the hell am I supposed to do now look.

  Dessert is delivered quickly. The sugary pastry is delicious, especially when Mark drenches it in the warm chocolate sauce and offers it to me then licks his fingers clean.

  I can’t wait to lick him clean.

  Finally the check comes but Logan is fast, snatching it up before anyone else can react.

  “Dude, that’s mine,” Mark says and reaches for his wallet.

  “No, I don’t believe it is,” Logan replies and drops his debit card in the plastic tray.

  “At least let me cover mine and Mer’s,” Mark tries again but Logan shakes his head no.

  “You can grab it next time,” he says.

  “Thank you,” I say and grin at the kind man. I’m pleased with this first meeting. Logan is smart and good-looking and clearly into my best friend. Jax chose well this time.

  I hope he doesn’t fuck it up.

  We all walk out into the cool spring evening and stand on the sidewalk for a moment, taking a deep breath, ready to part ways for the night.

  “Thanks again for dinner,” Mark says and shakes Logan’s hand, then Jax’s. “We’ll do it again soon.”

  “Absolutely. Nice to meet you,” Logan replies, then turns to me and hugs me tight. “Have fun,” he whispers.

  “Goodnight,” I say and grin at Jax. His eyes widen because he knows what’s coming, but he can’t stop me before I call out, “Use condoms! Be safe!”

  “Goodbye, Meredith Agatha,” Jax replies, making me gasp.

  “You promised never to tell anyone my middle name!”

  He grins as Logan takes his hand and begins to pull him away. “No I didn’t.”

  “Yes you did! We were drunk! We even took a shot to seal the deal.”

  “Shot deals don’t count, lemonhead. You know that.” He laughs loudly as Logan leads him away and I glare at his back, wondering how I can get vindication.

  “Let’s go home, baby,” Mark says and kisses my hand as he leads me to his Jeep.

  “He yelled out my middle name for everyone to hear.”

  “I heard. I was here. How did I never know your middle name?”

  “I never tell anyone.”

  “Except Jax,” he replies with a laugh. I love that the jealousy over Jax seems to be fading.

  “We were drunk one night and were trying to one-up each other on the embarrassing story scale, and I told him that in confidence. He wasn’t supposed to blab it. Now his boyfriend knows it too!”

  Mark laughs and shakes his head as he drives onto the freeway, headed north out of downtown Seattle. “I’m quite sure there are worse middle names out there.”

  “I’m quite sure there aren’t.”

  “What else did you tell him?” Mark asks and lays his hand on my thigh, waking my body up again.

  “I told him about that time I almost lit the chemistry lab on fire in high school.”

  Mark laughs and squeezes my thigh. “I thought we were all done for.”

  “I’m sorry you had me for a partner. I was hopeless. I never should have paid John Stevens to switch with me.”

  “What?” His head jerks around in surprise.

  “I paid John to switch lab partners with me so I could be yours. I had such a crush on you, but I couldn’t get your attention.”

  “You had my attention, I just didn’t think you were interested.”

  “Why did you think that?”

  “Because I’d asked you out for ice cream after school a couple of times but you turned me down.”

  “I had dance after school.”

  “I didn’t know that yet,” he reminds me then chuckles ruefully. “From the moment I saw you I knew there would never be anyone else for me. How much did you pay John?”

  “Fifty bucks.” I grin as I lean over and kiss Mark’s shoulder. “It was worth every penny.”

  He parks in his driveway.

  “Why don’t you ever park in your garage?”

  “I have too many tools and building supplies in there right now,” he says and pushes his fingers through my hair. “You are so beautiful, M.”

  I pull his hand to my mouth and plant kisses on his palm, then rest my cheek in it. “Thank you.”

  “Come on, I have stuff to show you.”

  “I thought you were gonna fuck me? I kind of had visions of us tearing each other’s clothes off and having sex against the front door.”

  Mark grins as he gets out of the Jeep and waits for me by the front porch. “That’s not a bad plan, but we’ll have to try that another time. I’m going to show you some of the projects I’ve finished around here over the past few days.”

  “But I’m horny,” I whine and stick my lower lip out.

  “Haven’t you figured it out?” he asks as he unlocks the door and leads me inside, then pulls me in his arms and tips his forehead against mine. “Anticipation is the best foreplay there is.”

  “I’m going to spontaneously combust,” I whisper, my eyes closing as he combs his fingers through my hair and nuzzles my nose with his, then glides his fingertips down my cheeks to my neck. My nipples pebble and I clench his shirt in my fists. “I feel like you haven’t been inside me in weeks.”

  “It’s been hours, baby.”

  “Too long.”

  Suddenly he backs away and clears his throat, licks his lips and shakes his head. “Nice try. Follow me.”

  “I want to suck your cock,” I grumble and walk right into his back as he comes to an abrupt stop then spins and cradles my face in his hands, kisses me madly, his tongue colliding with mine and then shuts it down just as fast, panting and eyes on fire.

  “Enjoy this. Trust me.”

  And with that he turns away again and leads me through the living room, furnished sparsely with a simple loveseat and recliner, to the downstairs bathroom.

  “Wow, this is gorgeous.” The walls are painted a rich gray, set off by a fresh white pedestal sink and toilet. The mirror is framed in black, and the black shelves above the toilet are full of white towels, tissues and an old, broken clock.

  “Thank you.”

  “You did all of this the other night?”

  He nods, watching me with hot eyes.

  “What else have you done?”

  He takes my hand again and leads me down a hall, but before we reach another room, he cages me against the wall, pins both my hands above my head with one hand and with the other cups my sex through my jeans as he buries his face in my neck and nibbles, not quite gently but not hard enough to leave marks.

  “I’m going to make you scream later, Meredith. How do you feel about that?”

  “Can’t wait,” I whisper and feel him grin against my skin, which turns me on even more.

  Everything he does is so fucking sexy.

  “Good,” he says, plants one more kiss on my chin then releases my hands, links his fingers with mine and continues to lead me down the hallway.

  I’m going to fucking kill him.

  My body is humming in lust and anticipation. I need him inside me yesterday.

  He gestures for me to follow him into the spare bedroom, but my heart stops as my eyes take in the beautiful, bright room. The floors are gleaming blond hardwood, the walls mocha and the windows are wide and let in ample light.

  Lining three of the walls are floor-to-ceiling bookshelves. Speakers are mounted in two corners of the room, and a sound system is mounted near the doorway.

  “A library?” My eyes meet his. He’s watching me closely as he nods. “I’ve always wanted a library.”

  “You have?”

  I nod and wander through the empty space, imagining hundreds of books filling the shelves and deep, soft furniture and throw rugs sprinkled around the space.

  “Aside from dancing, reading is my favorite thi
ng.”

  “I’m surprised you find time to read,” he says and watches me wander the room.

  “I don’t often anymore. When we were touring, it was either find a corner to yourself and read or drive each other crazy. This would be the perfect room to escape to, curl up in a chair with a good book and waste an afternoon.” I stop in front of the windows and look out on the back yard, the fire pit and lounge where we made love in the middle of the night, the grassy lawn that’s just starting to turn deep green, and I know in my heart that this is where I want to be. After more than ten years of touring and working and not having a true home, I want this home with this man.

  “What are you thinking?” Mark asks as he slides up behind me and wraps his arms around me, kissing my cheek.

  “This is a beautiful home, M.”

  “Thank you. I hope someone will be happy here.”

  “What are you talking about?” I spin in his arms and frown up at him.

  “I’m going to finish remodeling it and sell it.”

  “You bought it to flip it?” I ask and gaze about the beautiful room.

  “Yes.”

  “But…” Why do I suddenly feel like all of my hopes and dreams were just snatched out from under me?

  “But what?” He grips my chin in his thumb and forefinger and catches my gaze in his.

  “I just thought you planned to live here.”

  “Do you want to live here?”

  “Pshaw,” I roll my eyes and pull out of his arms, trying with all my might to cover my disappointment. I’m being ridiculous! “We’re nowhere near ready to move in together.”

  “Then why do you look so sad?” He pushes his hands in his pockets and watches me quietly.

  “I’m not sad.” I walk toward the doorway, my shoes clicking loudly on the floor. “Show me the rest.”

  I turn and wait for him, one eyebrow raised, but he hasn’t moved. He’s still watching me silently until I feel my cheeks flush.

  “Talk to me, M.”

  “I just like your house, Mark. It’s just a house.”

  A house that I’d started to think of as ours, which is completely ridiculous.

  He slowly walks to me and cups my cheek in his palm and kisses my forehead tenderly before taking my hand in his and leading me out of the room and up a back stairway that I didn’t know was here.

  “This house is bigger than it looks.”

  “It’s deep, so yeah, it’s bigger than it looks from the street,” he replies. “I’ve been remodeling it with a family in mind, hoping that it’ll attract a young family to buy it.”

  He guides me to a bedroom and walks through ahead of me. The room has been painted baby pink with white filmy curtains and gray carpeting. It’s clearly a little girl’s room.

  “This bedroom is attached to the other bedroom through a jack and jill bathroom.” He slides a door open, revealing a bathroom with fresh colorful tile and countertops, leading through the other side to another bedroom, the same size as the last. This one is painted blue with white curtains and the same gray carpet.

  “Very cute,” I say with a smile.

  Holy shit, I can imagine our kids in these bedrooms. What the fuck is wrong with me?

  He’s still watching me soberly, and I can see that he’s not buying my bright smile.

  “Are you going to tell me what the hell is wrong with you?”

  “Why would anything be wrong?” I shrug and turn my back on him to walk out into the hallway toward the other end of the house where the master suite is. Until I saw that library downstairs, this was my favorite room. The bed is big and comfortable, the carpet deep and soft under bare feet, and instead of regular windows, there is a wall of glass with a door that opens onto a small balcony.

  I can picture myself sitting on that balcony every Sunday morning for the rest of my life, drinking coffee while I listen to birds sing in the trees. Or rock my babies to sleep out here while I listen to crickets and watch the stars.

  And in every scenario, Mark is in the chair next to mine.

  I’m so jumping ahead of myself here. I didn’t really think about it too much before, but now that he’s said that he’s going to sell the house, it feels like I’ve lost something… important.

  “Okay,” Mark says abruptly and lifts me in his arms, then lies on the bed with me. “Something’s up. Speak.”

  “I’m fine.”

  “You’re sad, M. We went from hot horniness to sadness in the blink of an eye, and I want to know why.”

  I shrug and bite my lip, feeling ridiculous.

  “It’s stupid. Forget it. Let’s have sex.” I dive for his jeans but he rolls over me, pinning me beneath him.

  “No. This won’t work if we don’t talk, so talk.”

  “You talk.” I pout.

  His lips twitch and his eyes light with humor, making me feel better.

  “Okay. I love you. Your turn.”

  “I love you too. Your turn.”

  “I want to know why you suddenly withdrew from me.”

  “I didn’t, I just…”

  “What?” He rests his lips on mine for a moment, kisses me softly and pulls up, stroking my cheeks with his thumbs.

  “I don’t want you to sell this house.” I bite my lip and cringe.

  “Why?”

  “I just don’t.”

  He growls and laughs as he leans his forehead on mine. “Am I going to have to torture the information out of you? I have ways of making you talk, you know.”

  “No you don’t. I’m a vault.”

  He cocks a brow in that arrogant way he does and his naughty smile spreads over his mouth and I know I’m in deep trouble.

  “Oh, sweetheart,” he murmurs, his lips tickling mine. “Challenge accepted.”

  He nibbles my lips and rips the buttons completely off my button-down shirt as he spreads it apart and buries his face in my cleavage.

  “That was a new shirt,” I inform him dryly.

  “I like it,” he replies, not deterred in the least. He pushes back on his knees, pulls me up to take my shirt and bra off, then covers me with his broad body again, kissing my shoulder and down to my breasts, pulling the nipples into his mouth.

  “Holy shit,” I whisper, burying my fingers in his hair then raking my nails down his back, gathering his shirt in my hands. “Take your shirt off.”

  He grips his shirt and tugs it over his head then throws it on the floor with my ruined clothes and returns to kissing down my torso to the waistband on my jeans. He rubs his nose on my skin along the top of the denim, sending goose bumps over my skin.

  “Mark,” I whisper and wiggle beneath him.

  “Yes, love,” he says.

  “I’m too turned on to go slow.”

  He pops the button on my jeans and watches my face as he slowly lowers the zipper, making me bite my lip and moan in frustration.

  “I’m frustrated too,” he says.

  “I can help with that.” I reach down for his jeans but he takes my hands and pins them to the bed at my hips.

  “Not that.”

  I glare at him, not enjoying this game anymore. “I don’t want to tell you this, Mark. Just leave it be and fuck me.”

  His eyes flare in anger. “No. It’s a simple question.”

  “Not for me.”

  He peels my jeans down my hips and legs then tosses them over his shoulder.

  “Did you like it when I told you to take your panties off at the restaurant?”

  “Yeah, it was fun.”

  He kisses my belly, just below my belly button and takes a deep breath.

  “You smell like you need to be fucked.”

  His words make my entire body clench in anticipation. “I do.”

  “God, you’re so fucking sexy, Meredith.” He’s panting now, watching me with molten blue eyes. “I’ll never get enough of you.”

  He parts my thighs and gently spreads my lips with his thumbs.

  “Your pussy is amazing. Small and
pink.” He nudges my clit with his nose, making me gasp. His tongue swirls around my opening before he sinks a finger inside.

  “Oh God.”

  “Why don’t you want me to sell this house, Meredith?”

  “I don’t know.” I bite my lip and then cry out when he backs away from me completely. “Hey!”

  “Anticipation,” he reminds me as he kisses my inner thigh. I glare down at him and he laughs, the jerk.

  “I’m so glad I’m entertaining you while I need you inside me,” I reply angrily. Suddenly, his face changes. He’s no longer amused. He’s… I don’t know.

  For the first time ever, I can’t fucking read him.

  “Mark?”

  He lays his forehead on my belly, grips my hips in his hands and holds on to me for a moment before looking up at me again with love and fear and… hope?

  I sit up, cup his face in my hands and kiss him passionately, breathing him in. God, he always smells so good. His arms wrap around my waist, lifting me against him. I wrap my legs around his hips and press my center against his denim-covered cock, kissing him with everything I have.

  I hate that I saw fear in his eyes. What could he possibly be afraid of?

  “I don’t want you to sell the house,” I whisper as I place soft kisses over his cheeks, “because I love this house. I could see us living here, having kids here. This is a family house, but the family I see in it is ours. That’s why I don’t want you to sell it.” I press my face to his neck, unable to look him in the eye. “I didn’t want to say that because this is still so new, and kind of scary, but I couldn’t read you just now and I can’t stand that.”

  He’s hugging me fiercely. I expect him to make me look him in the face, but he doesn’t, which is very un-Mark. Instead, he cradles my head gently; brushes my hair with his fingers and rocks us soothingly. Finally, he lays me on my back, shucks out of his jeans and covers me completely, resting his pelvis against my own.

  His heavy cock pulses against my core, the tip tickling my clit and I can’t help but circle my hips in invitation. Mark’s eyes are intense, hot, and I can’t look away from them. Finally, he pulls his hips back and slides inside me, infinitely slowly and reverently, making tears form in my eyes.

  “Don’t cry, sweetheart.”