Page 12 of Break Me Beautifully
The switch in the power dynamic doesn't last long. Marshall isn't a man who bows to anyone, and I'm a fool for thinking I could stay in charge. The muscles in his arms flex. He lifts me by my waist, shoving me against the mirrored walls, wrapping my legs around his middle with one hand on my ankles. The pressure of his body is the only thing keeping me upright. “I guess you weren't worried,” he admits, driving his lips on mine for a new kiss that's longer than the last. His tongue slips across mine. My ears begin to ring. I close my eyes, but the darkness doesn't help me focus. I'm lost in the rush of pleasure that his expert skills bring.
And this is justkissing.
I'm done for. I know it.
My hands curl around his broad back, slipping over his jacket as I look for purchase. He nips my lip gently, making my body explode with excitement. Whimpering, wriggling, I grind my hips on him. “So eager,” he says as he breaks our kiss. “I love it. I want more of it.”
Dragging my nails down his arms, I go lower, along his ribs. I'm moving without thought. There's lightning in my skin. Holding still is impossible, so I grab for whatever I can.
I feel the hard shape of a gun in his inner jacket pocket, and I’m brought back to reality.
I've only held one a few times. A family security guard showed me his weapon when he was cleaning it. The pistol was unloaded, but he still got in trouble when my father found out.
Marshall tries to hold onto me but I’m shoving at his chest, forcing space between us. “Let go,” I demand, twisting frantically. Amazingly he does as I ask, his palms releasing my legs, so I can stand on the floor. The second I get away I smack the elevator button. The doors open. I jump out, not stopping until I'm in the hallway.
Marshall stares at me from inside the elevator. His reflection bounces off all three walls, casting multiple pairs of eyes staring at me in confusion. “Leona, what's wrong?” he asks warily.
The hot and heavy mood is gone. It dissipated, and with it, my eagerness to trust him. I know why he has a gun. It's exactly like Katy warned me. “You're in the mafia, aren't you?”
He remains stoic. His ability to hide his emotions makes my stomach flip on itself. “Why would you ask that?”
“Tell me the truth.”
“Leona ...”
“Don't act like I'm dumb. Just tell me!”
His hand tucks into his jacket. I freeze up. Marshall tosses me some keys, but I'm so nervous I fumble, dropping them. “The door to the penthouse is there,” he says, pointing to the end of the hall behind me. “Let yourself in. I'll be back later.”
“What? Where are you going?”
There's a sad smile on his face as he pushes the elevator button. “Don't worry about it. Get some rest, you'll find your bag inside your room. Goodnight, Leona.”
Then he's gone.
And he didn't answer my question.
And I can still taste him on my lips.
