Page 49 of Embraced in Ink

“That is true.”

“Anyway, we need to get going. You don’t want to be the last one at your house.”

“No, because then Aaron will lord it over all of us.”

“He is the pesky younger brother sometimes, isn’t he?” Marcus asked, a smile on his lips. She leaned forward and kissed those lips, unable to hold back. It was so weird. Before, Bristol would hug him or want to kiss his cheek, or maybe hold his hand without thinking too hard on the matter. Now that there was this new layer, this new dynamic between them, she didn’t want it to stop. Were they going to kiss each other in public? Well, they sort of had when they’d been on their date, hadn’t they? Although public, and then in front of the Montgomerys, were two different things. Entirely.

“Why do you have that look on your face?” Marcus asked, tucking her hair behind her ear. She leaned into his hold like she always did; that part never changed between them. It was the additional components of what they were becoming that were making everything sticky.

“What if things are weird,weirderthan they already kind of are sometimes?”

“I don’t think it’s going to be too bad. I’ve already hung out with the guys, you with the girls, and each of us has seen our parents since we started this new phase.”

“I know, but this is the first time it’s us in front of the family together. I don’t know. I just don’t want things to be awkward.”

Marcus nodded, frowning even as he traced her cheek with his fingertip. He had done that for ages. It was nothing new. Except now, she focused on how those fingers had felt on her when they were making love, when they were touching…other places. And she didn’t quite know how to breathe when it came to that.

Maybe she should. Perhaps she should think logically and make a list. But that wasn’t going to happen when it came to him. There was nothing logical about how she felt about Marcus because she had done so well hiding those feelings. She’d pushed down what she should have rather than what she wanted for so long, that she didn’t know how to put a title or a price on that nameless emotion that ran through her.

“I don’t want to ruin everything,” she whispered.

“It’s the two of us, Bristol. We can’t ruin it.”

“I don’t know. I’m excellent at fucking things up.”

“No, you’re not. You excel at everything you do. Including making sure others know that they’re not alone. You helped Arden figure out that she could be part of the Montgomerys right away.”

Bristol snorted. “No, I invaded her house and told her I was going to be her friend, with or without Liam. I didn’t like the fact that she had hidden herself away because she was sick. Not that it was my right to make any of those calls, but I hated that she felt alone. And you know I have space for friends. And Arden seemed like a great person.”

“And you’re a great person, too. You guys are friends, with or without Liam, like you said. And it’s because you’re an amazing woman. You reached out, even though it was a little stalkerish.”

She groaned, closing her eyes tightly. “Not too stalkerish, right?”

“I’m going to plead the fifth on that one and then move the conversation to Holland. Your other stalker victim.”

“I am not a stalker.Youare.”

“That doesn’t even make sense.”

“Perhaps. Still, I don’t know. I didn’t want Holland to be alone either. I mean, she ran out on her wedding because her fiancé was a douchebag.” She paused. “Thank you for not being a douchebag.”

He kissed her again, softly, their tongues tangling. Her knees went weak. “I promise never to be that type of douchebag. I may, you know, be an asshole sometimes. But that can’t be helped.”

She snorted. “Okay, whatever you say. However, I like Holland, too. And, yes, I did just show up at her house to make sure that she knew who to talk to beyond my brother and Lincoln. And maybe that could be weird to other people. I didn’t think so.”

“That wasn’t too weird. Not in the grand scheme of things. You’re friends.”

“And, my next project, I mean,personI’m going to make sure knows that they are welcome as part of the family is Madison.”

Marcus’s brows furrowed. “You’re not going to play matchmaker, are you? Because Lincoln’s cousin doesn’t need a match. She could probably do that on her own.”

Bristol raised a single brow. “Are you saying that because you think she’s hot?”

He grinned, and she nearly growled.” Of course, I think she’s hot. Now, don’t get all weird about that. You and I have talked about the fact that we both think she’s hot.”

“Perhaps. But now that we’re engaged, isn’t that weird?”

“I don’t know. I always thought it was kind of cool that since we’re both bi, we’ve been able to check out the same people. But I suppose I could refrain from finding anyone attractive from here on out.”