chapter 8
858 Words
đź“– Forbidden Fling: Chapter 8
The silence in Marcus’s penthouse was suffocating.
Aurora stood by the floor-to-ceiling windows, the city sprawled out beneath her in a mess of lights and shadows, her reflection staring back at her, hollow-eyed, hair tangled, Marcus’s oversized T-shirt hanging loosely from her shoulders.
Aurora. Not Candice. Not right now.
She wrapped her arms around herself, shivering despite the warmth of the room.
“You should get some sleep,” Marcus’s voice came from behind her, calm but rough around the edges, like he was fighting to stay steady.
She didn’t turn around. “I can’t.”
She heard him step closer, felt the heat of him behind her, his reflection joining hers in the glass.
“You’re safe here.”
Her eyes closed, a single tear slipping down her cheek. “You can’t promise that.”
His hand came up, brushing her hair aside, his fingers ghosting over the back of her neck, sending shivers down her spine. “I can. I will.”
She turned then, her eyes meeting his, seeing the darkness there, the promise, the rage he was barely holding back.
And something else.
Something that made her breath catch.
Need.
---
He reached out, cupping her cheek, his thumb brushing away the tear. She leaned into his touch before she could stop herself, craving the warmth, the comfort, the way he made her feel like she wasn’t alone.
“Marcus…” she whispered, but the rest of the words died on her tongue as his eyes dropped to her lips.
“Tell me to stop,” he murmured, stepping closer, his other hand sliding to her waist, pulling her against him.
She should.
She knew she should.
But instead, she lifted onto her toes, pressing her lips to his, soft, hesitant.
It was all he needed.
His mouth crashed onto hers, consuming, demanding, pulling a soft gasp from her as his arms wrapped around her, lifting her off the ground as he carried her toward the bedroom.
She clung to him, her fingers tangling in his hair, pulling him closer, needing him, needing this, needing to forget everything but the way he made her feel.
He set her down on the bed, pulling back just enough to look at her, his eyes dark, his chest heaving.
“You’re so f*****g beautiful,” he whispered, brushing his thumb over her swollen lips before leaning down to kiss her again, softer this time, slower, taking his time to taste her, to memorize her.
His hands slid under the T-shirt, pushing it up over her head, leaving her bare beneath him, exposed, vulnerable.
Wanted.
His eyes roamed over her, darkening as they traced every curve, every scar, every piece of her she tried to hide.
“You’re mine,” he growled, his hands gripping her hips, pulling her to the edge of the bed as he knelt between her legs.
“Marcus…” she whimpered, but it turned into a moan as his mouth found her, his tongue teasing, tasting, driving her higher until her back arched off the bed, her fingers clutching the sheets, cries of pleasure filling the room as he pushed her over the edge.
She was still trembling when he moved over her, kissing her deeply, letting her taste herself on his lips as he slid inside her in one slow, deliberate thrust.
Her breath caught, her eyes locking with his as he began to move, slow at first, deep, each thrust pushing her further into the mattress, claiming her, reminding her who she was, reminding her she was alive.
The world outside didn’t exist.
Liam didn’t exist.
Candice didn’t exist.
It was just Aurora and Marcus, tangled in sheets, bodies moving in perfect rhythm until they both shattered, calling each other’s names as they fell apart in each other’s arms.
---
She woke hours later, tangled in his sheets, his arm draped over her waist, his breathing steady against the back of her neck.
For a moment, she let herself believe she was safe.
Until her phone buzzed on the nightstand.
She slipped out of bed carefully, grabbing the phone, her stomach twisting as she saw Ben’s name on the screen.
> Ben: Thinking about you. Can we talk today?
She sank onto the edge of the bed, pressing a hand to her mouth as tears burned her eyes.
Ben was her reminder of who she wanted to be.
Marcus was the reality of who she was now.
And Candice was the shadow she couldn’t escape.
---
“Everything okay?” Marcus’s sleepy voice came from behind her, warm and rough.
She turned, forcing a smile. “Yeah. Just… work.”
His eyes narrowed slightly, but he didn’t push. “Come back to bed.”
She hesitated, glancing at the phone, then at Marcus, the man who had promised to protect her, the man who had made her feel safe, wanted, alive.
She slipped back under the covers, letting him pull her close, letting herself pretend for a little while longer.
But as she drifted back to sleep, Ben’s message burned in the back of her mind.
- Writer
