Tempting Marcus: Hallow Falls Series (Romance Bunnies)

I open the door, my bare foot tapping as I cross my arms and study a wild-eyed Marcus.  He sighs in relief when I open the door to him.

“G, I’m so sorry.  My mother was wrong.  She wasn’t lying, she just gets confused about people’s names and such.”

I smirk.  “I’d already come to that conclusion but I was kinda tired of standing in front of your mom in just one of your shirts.  It’s a little uncomfortable to be standing in front of your boyfriend’s mom wearing nothing but a t-shirt.  I didn’t even have panties since you shredded them.

“I’m sorry, G.  Are you ever going to let me live that one down?”

Shrugging one shoulder, I laugh.  “I don’t think so.  That was my favorite pair of panties.  You can’t even find them anymore.  They’re discontinued.”

“Sorry, G.  I’ll buy you another pair.  Hell, I’ll buy you another ten pairs.”

I shake my head.  “Not necessary.  I’m sorry that it seemed like I didn’t believe you.  I know you wouldn’t cheat on me.  Or Arlene in this case.”

He chuckles and pulls me into a hug.  “This is not how I wanted to wake up this morning.  It’s also not how I wanted you to meet my mom.”

I roll my eyes.  “Yeah, it wasn’t the best introduction.”  I laugh.  “I thought she was a crazy woman babbling about some woman named Arlene that you were involved with.”

He rests his cheek on my hair and sighs.  “She tends to get a little confused sometimes.  I’m sorry that you had to get hurt.  Even for one second.”

“Yeah.  Sometimes it’s a little hard to believe that you really like me.  I’m just a librarian.  I’m not even that pretty.”

He backs away and yet stays in touch, holding onto my hands.  “Hey, I don’t just like you.  I love you, Garland.  I’ve been in love with you since I first saw you.  Knew it as soon as I saw you.”

“Then why were you such a jerk, annoying me with the dog and the car and the truck and the music.  Just everything.”

“I just wanted to get your attention.  You wouldn’t even look at me most days.  So I made sure to annoy you.  Because of course my little spitfire wouldn’t give me what I wanted and needed.  Your attention.  Your pretty eyes on me.”

“And you couldn’t just ask me out, right?”

He laughs lightly.  “Would you have gone out with me?”

“I think so.”

“I think not, gorgeous.  You’re a stubborn woman and you already decided the first time we met that I was just an annoying neanderthal.  I didn’t know if anything I did would change your mind.  What did?”

“I don’t know exactly.  There was just something in your eyes last night.  You made me feel safe.  I felt relieved that you were there to help me and I just couldn’t help myself.”

A smug look curves his lips.  “Because you couldn’t resist me anymore.  I know you love me.”

“I do.”   He jerks his head back, shocked.

“Are you serious?  You really love me?”

“You sound surprised.”  I giggle.

“I’m thrilled,” he says, kissing me hard, his lips drinking in my soft moan.

“I couldn’t be more thrilled.”  His lips trail down my jaw and throat, leaving tingles of electricity where his rough jaw scrapes at my delicate skin.

“Can we go back to bed?” I ask, standing on my tiptoes and wrapping my arms around his neck.

“No.  But we can go over and meet my mother right this time and then how about I make you breakfast.”

I smile into his skin.  “That sounds perfect.”

So I follow him across and find his mother still waiting outside the door, watching us warily.  “Well, is everything alright now?”

Marcus rolls his eyes.  “Yes.  But I’d really like to know why you showed up here today.”

“Ginger called.”

“Remind me to fire Ginger.”

My mother and Garland shoot me glares.  “You cannot shoot the woman for gossiping, Marcus Gray.  Half the town does it.  What are you going to do?  Move?”

“I’m thinking about it.  Especially if you ever mess things up this bad ever again.  You’ll never see those grandkids you’re always yapping about.”

She smiles, “If you give me grandkids, I promise I will leave you alone.”

He chuckles.  “Behave yourself, mom.”

She walks away, waving good-bye.  Then Marcus tugs me in and kisses me wildly, his hands caressing up and down my body like he can’t get enough.  His rough, calloused hands set off electric charges that zap my strength, my knees shake and he picks me up, holding me tightly, his face so close to mine that I can feel his breath.

“Will you be mine, Garland?  Will you marry me and make me the happiest man in the world?”

“Isn’t it too soon?  We just had our first date!”

His eyes drill into mine and I’ve never seen as much love and devotion as I am seeing right this second.

“No, my little spitfire.  You’re meant to be mine.  I love you.  That will not change no matter how much time has gone by.”

“It’s too soon.  We can’t.”

“How about you give me a chance to change your mind, spitfire?”

“You’re not gonna change my mind, Marcus.”  I grin at him and he shoots me that cocky grin of his that makes my heart speed up.

He carries me inside and shuts the door with his foot.  “Let’s see what happens when I do this…”

I giggle when he kisses me and then turns to hold me up against the door.  His hands are everywhere and I pant, desperate for his touch.  He rips my shirt off and then jerks at the rest of my clothes.  My hands rip at his pants, struggling to unzip his jeans.

Crazy with desire, both of us writhe in agony and then he finally gets his length right where he wants it and slips just the head inside my aching hole.

I’m pushing down as he’s pushing up and after two thrusts he’s deep inside me, stroking my breasts with his hands, his mouth running along my throat, nipping wildly as we slam into the door over and over again.

My nails rip at the skin on his shoulders and he growls, “That’s it, baby.  Fucking rip me to shreds.  I love it.”

I moan and then stiffen, my pussy closing tight on his rigid cock.  He thrusts harder and then his lips touch my ear.  “Marry me.  Marry me as soon as we can,” he whispers.

“We can’t,” I moan.

“We can.  Marry me, spitfire.”

I stiffen and a bonfire of hunger roars up and over my entire body.  Shivering and wracked with pleasure, I hear him ask me one more time as the pulsing hits my core.

“Marry me, Garland.”

“Yes, yes, yes!” I scream wildly and Marcus slips down the door, still thrusting wildly as I feel his release hit my walls.  Both of us crash into each other and he carefully lowers me to the floor.

“You said yes,” he grins.

“Not gonna happen, Marcus.  Stop it.”

He lifts me up and carries me to his bedroom and tosses me on the bed.  “I think we can work this out.”

He comes down on me and we roll until I’m on top and then he’s on top.

“I love you, Marcus,” I say when he kisses me deep and slow.

He smiles and his eyes devour me, his lips barely touching mine as he whispers, “I love you too, spitfire.”

Hours and hours later, when the dog is curled up at the bottom of the bed and I’m barely awake, I lean over and whisper, “let’s get married.”

“Told you I’d get you to say yes.”  The silly smirk on his face makes me laugh and Spud looks up, woofing at us which just makes me laugh harder.

Love is freaking amazing and I can’t believe how fast it came about.  But I’m not going to worry about it.  I lean down and rest my chin on Marcus’s chest, breathing his manly smell in and letting it soothe me off to sleep, dreaming of a wedding and family with this wonderful man for the rest of our lives.