Page 37 of Into the Dark
“Okay. I can be there in a couple of hours. Yeah, I’ll meet you there,” he says before hanging up. He’s still and silent for a few seconds as he stares out the window lost in his thoughts.
“Everything okay?” I ask. What a stupid, useless question. His life is in mortal danger as he navigates his way out of something dark, dangerous, and illegal, and I’m asking if he’s okay. Could I be of any less use to him?
Finally, he turns around and walks toward the bed, climbing up onto it on his knees and covering my body with his. Then he’s kissing me. He runs his hands over my body and up into my hair, holding onto my face. He strokes at my cheeks softly. “All under control,” he says, breaking the kiss. He touches his thumb to my bottom lip before pinching my chin gently in that way that he does.
“You have to leave?” I ask. Christ, I hate the pathetic, whining tone of my voice more than anything.
He nods, a remorseful look coming into his eyes. He lets out a deep, tired-sounding breath. “Fuck, I really want to stay here and bury myself in you,” he says as his thumb strokes my lip and he gazes down into my eyes. “But Fred needs me to do something. I can’t say no.” The “not now” remains unsaid.
“I understand.”
He kisses me again. “I’m so sorry, baby. But later? I’ll meet you at yours. As soon as I can get away.” His hand is holding my face now, and I bring my own up to cover his.
I nod and gaze up into his eyes. “Please be careful.”
“Always,” he says. It’s a promise.
When he kisses me again it’s deep and slow, and I close my eyes so I can lose myself in the feel of his mouth as it roams over my own and the feel of his body as it presses down into me, a necessary weight. When he lifts his head his turquoise eyes are twinkling. A rush of love so powerful and strong hits me in the center of my chest.
“I love you so much,” I whisper.
He smiles, all warm and wide. “I know you do. And I love you too.”
Has any man ever been this beautiful? I need more than anything else to feel him inside of me. My body wants for his with a fierce desperation I only understand when I’m this close to him. It makes my skin and nerves feel stretched and taut over my bones, close to tearing. But my body will have to be patient, I suppose. I’ve been without him for six weeks. I can wait a few more hours.
An idea comes to mind, and I maneuver myself out from under him and slide off the bed, crossing to where my overnight bag sits on the small writing desk by the window. When I find what I’m looking for I walk back to him and hold out my hand. He looks down at what I’m holding.
“What’s that?” he asks, confused.
“What does it look like?”
“It looks like a set of keys.”
“Wow, your eyesight really is impressive.” I smile. “Please take them.” When he still looks uncertain, I sigh. “Jake, it’s not a marriage proposal—it’s a key to my house. You didn’t want me to leave a key under the plant pot, and I want you to be able to let yourself in whenever you need to.” I pause. “And if you need to meet with Mark then it will help. No one will suspect you going to my house.”
“Alex, I told you, I’m not involving you in this shit any further.” His eyes are dark with warning.
“Yes, well, I’m already involved. Being involved with you means I’m involved. So just take the keys. We can discuss the rest later.” I hope my tone tells him this isn’t a debatable topic.
Jake looks at me for a long moment before standing up off the bed. He closes his hand around mine, and the keys, and wraps his other arm around me. “You know…” he says quietly. “If it were a marriage proposal I’d say yes.”
“Good to know.” I smile.
“You’re a fucking catch, Doctor Marlowe.”
“I know.” I reach up on my tiptoes to kiss him. “So are you.”
“So, do you wanna reconsider?”
“Why? Are you pregnant?” I gape.
He chuckles and leans down to kiss me. “You’ll never get rid of me now—you know that, right?” He slides the set of keys into his pants pocket.
“Well, that suits me fine because I don’t want rid of you.”
“Not right now you don’t, but when I let myself into your house at all hours of the night and demand sex, you will regret this. Trust me.”
“Ugh. Sounds horrendous.” I roll my eyes.