Mark looks reassured and his bruised hand makes its way back to my thigh. “Leave him be. We’ll sort it out ourselves.”
“I don’t like seeing you all beaten up.” I shake my head.
Mark and I stay at the pub until the end of the quiz—where, having come dead last, we are rewarded with a consolation pitcher of cider—and then hail a taxi to my apartment. I’m bizarrely on edge and relaxed at the same time as we ride the elevator to my floor. Nothing date-like has happened, really, but we’ve talked normally all evening, and I’m thrilled.
Mark is probably shocked that I’ve been friendly at all.
“What was Bethany saying to Eddie on the court?” I ask as we step out of the elevator. Harsh white lights illuminate the hallway. “I noticed her giving him a hard time at your birthday party, too.”
Mark snorts. “The usual. He wants them to go steady. She wants him to take charge and stop hisfriends fighting with herfriends.”
“Uh…”
Mark grins at me. “Didn’t know they were dating?”
I hadn’t the slightest clue.
“What? You have nothing to say about that?” Mark teases.
I grunt as I dig my keys from my pocket. “Wouldn’t want to drive you insane with my pretty mouth, would I?”
Mark goes still.
I can’t look at him. My face warms in embarrassment, and I fail at turning the key in the lock. And…I can’t help but to peek at him.
Mark stares at me intently.
“What?” I ask, my voice coming out all sorts of aggressive.Damn it.I’ve done sowell until now.
I turn away, disappointed in myself, and finally get the key in.
Mark steps in so close, his chest presses against my back.
“What?” I ask again, even more aggressive now, provoked by his physical closeness. His warmth.
“I’ve been doing my best notto think about your pretty mouth all damn evening,” Mark mutters. One of his hands presses into my abdomen as he pulls me flush against his chest. I grunt in surprise, but he anchors me against his body, not even giving me the chance to stumble. His other hand slips up the curve of my neck and holds my jaw, angling my head to the side.
Mark moves, too, so that once he’s got my face positioned where he wants it, his mouth is there to press against mine. I gasp in surprise, pressing my hand against the wall for support. I startle when the door swings open. I feel like I should be falling, but I don’t budge.
Mark’s mouth parts from mine when I jerk. “I’ve got you,” he says.
And then his mouth is back on mine. I’m still unsure, but I grip the hand planted on my stomach and clutch at the sleeve of the hand holding my face in place. I don’t have experience kissing, though it really doesn’t matter. Mark’s lips expertly part mine, his tongue sweeps in, and I just melt.
My legs are unsteady, but that doesn’t matter—Mark’s not about to drop me. And even as I sink, it’s only into Mark’s body, and only as much as he allows. Which is just enough for my ass to make contact with his cock. His grip tightens as I grind against him and he breathes out hard before kissing with renewed enthusiasm.
He pins me to the wall, and I’m too eagerly kissing Mark to pay attention to anything else. Positions? We’re touching everywhere. The details don’t matter to me. My experience level? I don’t think I need to worry about disappointing Mark; he groans when I try to get mytongue in hismouth.
The very rude individual having a coughing fit at the door of the stairwell?
It jogs me from the moment enough to realise I’ve guided Mark’s hand down the front of my trousers and Iapparently have no interest in an innocent first kiss because I’m also grind my ass against Mark’s growing erection.
Mark breaks the kiss. “Let’s go in,” he says, shooting the man standing in the doorway to the stairwell a dirty look.
I don’t copy the dirty part. I just look.
And jump a solid mile. “Chris!”
My eldest, physically intimidating, big brother stands there with a rucksack on his shoulder and an impossible-to-read expression on his face. Mark tenses behind me, subtly withdrawing his hand from my trousers. Chris’s gaze darts down, seeing it all.
