18. Chapter 18

A strange pulling sensation stirred me from sleep as my skin tingled and my blood heated beneath my skin. A pinch had my eyes fly open as I struggled to orient myself. When my blurry vision settled on the magenta hair beneath my chin, the night before came barreling back into me.

"Marley." His name escaped my lips in a raspy whisper.

He looked up at me and gave me a mischievous look before flicking his tongue back over my pierced nipple. The image was enough to wake up every cell in my body, though a part of me had clearly awoken before I did; my dick waved in excitement, as if it was glad I was finally catching up.

"Good morning," Marley purred before sucking my nipple into his mouth, making me jump and my fingers tangled with the pink strands of his hair, needing something to hold on to.

"Morning. What time is it?" I tried to look for my clock, but the only thing coming into focus was him worshiping my chest.

"It's early. Still dark, but I kept thinking about this pretty little ring here and I decided since you're my boyfriend and all, it basically belongs to me now, and I didn't want to wait to play with it. I hope you don't mind me waking you."

I sucked in a sharp breath as he teased it again. "No. Don't mind. I told you before, you can accost me anytime."

"And this?" Marley blew over my hyper-sensitive nipple.

"Fucking hell! It's yours, Marley. All of me, whatever you need." With the desperate words that poured out of me, something about them clicked, too. I wanted to belong to someone else. But not just anyone—I wanted to belong to him .

"Perfect. Because there's something else I need now, but I wanted to make sure you were awake for it." His mouth moved away from my nipple, first giving attention to the unpierced one, making it harden and peak before kissing his way down my stomach.

"I'm awake. I'm very awake." There was a bite to my words that couldn't be helped, not with the blazing trail Marley was taking down my body and the anticipation of where he was heading.

"I can see that," Marley chuckled as his face hovered over my hard cock.

The whispers of his breath had me thrusting up with an urgent need to have his mouth on me. Luckily, he didn't make me wait long. His tongue swirled around the head, lightly grazing over the top, collecting the drop that pearled at the tip.

"Fuuuck!" I hissed out when his mouth enveloped my head. My hands fisted the sheets at my side, needing the tether to keep me from getting carried away too soon. Marley began to bob, taking me as far as he could. The way he worked me and swallowed around me had me breathing hard.

My hands went to his head, but even holding his hair wasn't enough. I needed to do more. "Marley! I have to touch you or taste you. I don't know. Please !"

He stopped, making me want to growl in agony, but when he popped off, he looked up at me with his lips swollen and an intense look in his eyes. Perhaps stopping had been just as hard for him as it was for me.

"What do you want, babe?" Marley asked as he slowly stroked my cock, just enough to make me squirm.

"Turn around for me. I need to do something… anything . "

Marley crawled up the bed and kissed me square on the lips before turning his body so his ass faced me, his dick hanging down, and his face was lined up with my cock once more. The view of him like this was sexy as hell. He bent over me and took me into his mouth again.

It wasn't the best angle to do the same for him, but his ass was on glorious display for me. Lifting my head off the bed, I grabbed his cheeks and held them apart. Using my grip on him as leverage, I pulled him down until my tongue could sweep between his cheeks.

Marley moaned around my cock, the hum of it vibrating through my soul. I did it again, causing him to pause what he was doing. This time, I leaned forward and circled his rim. His muffled curses had my blood heating to boiling. Before long, we found a rhythm as he worked down my cock and then pushed back against my mouth. It was intoxicating, overwhelming, and tranquil somehow. The only thing that mattered right then was the way our bodies were joined, a closed circuit, him and I.

Pushing my tongue in deeper, I felt Marley shudder and moan as warm streams coated my chest. It was his cry around me and his release on my skin that made me explode down his throat. He created more suction, intent to pull every last drop from me. His legs collapsed with one draping across my chest, and he pulled off me, resting his head on my thigh. What a gorgeous sight to see his body blanketed over mine .

"Holy shit!" I exhaled, my voice thick and raspy.

"Ditto," Marley said with his cheek still against my thigh.

Neither of us moved, uncaring of the fact that Marley's cum was drying between our pressed bodies. I had no limbs, no muscles, no motivation to do anything but revel in the euphoric afterglow. A calm took over me, making me sink into the bed with his body on mine. I didn't realize I'd fallen back asleep until my alarm went off, startling us both.

"Nooo. I don't wanna," Marley whined sleepily and hugged my leg.

I let out a loud sigh as I reached for my phone to shut off the intrusive noise. Placing a kiss on the back of Marley's calf, I carefully lifted it off me. "Me neither, Sunshine. But I've gotta get up. Do you want to shower with me before I go?"

He flopped onto his back with a harumph . "Ugh, I need to get up, too. I do have other clients besides you."

I rubbed his leg, not really trying to start something, but just loving that I could touch him. "I hope you don't provide the same services as you do me."

"Nope, you're the only one who has access to the secret menu."

"I'd better be. So…shower? "

Marley lifted his head and pursed his lips in contemplation. "I don't know. It depends on how much room there is. I'm not really comfortable in small spaces."

"There's plenty of room, I promise." I sat up, holding my hand out to him and he took it, following me out of bed. When I led him into the en suite, he nodded with approval. The shower in the guest bathroom was average size, but the one in here was at least twice that, and it had two shower heads on opposite walls.

Marley let out a whistle. "Okay. This will do. I have a standard tub shower at home, and even that isn't always comfortable. But you could practically run laps in there."

I stood in front of Marley and wrapped my arms around him. "It always felt too big for just myself. I thought about remodeling, maybe putting in a sauna, but now I am very glad that I kept it."

"It gets plenty hot outside anyway; you don't need a sauna."

With a chuckle, I kissed the top of his forehead. "True."

While Marley relieved himself, I turned on both shower nozzles. As much as I loved the idea of our bodies smooshed together under a single stream, it would go faster if we didn't, and after the shitshow yesterday, I needed to get to work on time.

With both of us under the water, even if we weren't getting each other off, it made for a great show. Marley was across from me, washing his hair, the water running over his body. My eyes followed the drops that trailed down his body, wishing I could chase them. Another time, perhaps.

O'Malley appeared at the glass door, meowing and staring up at us. I opened the door, and he walked in, blinking when the water drops hit him.

Marley let out a loud laugh. "What is he doing?"

"It's our morning routine. O'Malley always comes in with me. I think it confuses him when he can see me and not get to me, but then he comes in and gets wet and doesn't really know what to think about it."

"I thought you were joking about taking a shower with him."

"Nope."

Marley reached down and scooped up the damp kitten. "You are such a silly little guy. Wouldn't you be happier staying dry?"

He set him back down and opened the glass door to let him out. The orange kitty simply stared at the open door, not budging, all while water splashed on him. I shook my head with amusement.

"I keep trying to let him out, but he insists on being in here with me."

Marley's eyes roamed over my naked body. "I don't blame him. You are pretty irresistible."

He looked plenty irresistible himself. "Oh, Sunshine. The things I would do to you if we had more time. "

Interest flashed in his eyes, and I couldn't stand not touching him for another second. Stepping into his shower stream, I held one arm behind his back and kissed him, sliding my tongue between his lips. The way he leaned into me, the way his hardening cock rubbed against my thigh, made it so much harder to pull away. But I did. If I didn't stop now, I would get lost in him and would be late for sure.

Marley whimpered at the abrupt stop. "You're a mean one, Mr. Marten."

I stroked my erection before turning the water colder to help my body cool down. "Trust me, it hurts me to stop, too. Later, Sunshine."

When I walked into work, I felt lighter. Much lighter than how I'd ended the day before. Marley and I had left at the same time with a kiss goodbye and a scratch of O'Malley's head. It felt so…homey, in a way my condo never had before.

I couldn't stop the pull of my lips as I thought of the beautiful sight of a naked Marley in my bed and in my shower. Even not naked, just having him in my house, seeming perfectly comfortable there, and it made me feel like I could float.

Paul greeted me with a cup of coffee. I drank it out of habit, but not out of necessity today. I was already buzzing from the caffeine boost that was Marley. With the surge of endorphins that came from thinking of him, I felt unstoppable.

"Good morning, boss. You're looking refreshed today. I wasn't quite sure what to expect after yesterday."

"Yesterday was…not good. But today is a new day."

Paul's brow arched in the way that it did as if it was trying to meet his hairline. "It is indeed. Did something happen that helped turn things around?"

I clapped him on the shoulder and nodded. "Marley happened."

His knowing grin stretched wide. I didn't usually offer up much personal information, but with the high I was still riding from our night together, I was eager to tell someone.

"Alright. Well, cheers to Marley."

"Gather the team. We need to do some troubleshooting, but I think I've got an idea of where to start." My head had been anything but clear when I left work yesterday. The frustrations piled on top of each other, blurring my logic and reason. After a couple of mind-blowing orgasms and a night with Marley in my arms, I woke with a lot more clarity. His sunlight had pushed the fog away.

"Will do. We'll be ready in thirty."

"Sounds good."

Paul left and I sat at my desk to check my emails. My cell phone started buzzing in my pocket. Thinking it could be Marley, I pulled it out, ready to hear his sweet voice. When I saw my sister's name instead, I cocked my head. She knew I was at work. I never answered the phone for personal calls during office hours, unless it was important. Worry cut through me and I braced myself for bad news.

"Carmen? Is everything okay?"

"Derek! You have a cat?"

Confusion filled me as I tried to figure out what was so urgent about that.

"Um…yes?"

"What the hell? When did that happen?"

"Is that what you're calling about? Nobody is hurt or anything?"

I heard her exhale through the phone. "No. Shit. Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. I just saw your picture on Instagram. I don't check your account often since you literally never touch it, but every once in a while, I'll take a peek on the off chance you've added something, and suddenly there's this post of you with a kitten on your chest."

"That's O'Malley."

"As in ‘ Thomas O'Malley, the alley cat ?'" She asked.

"Yup."

"Adorable. He's adorable. But what the fuck?"

Why was she angry about this? "What?"

"Oh my God! You got a cat, and you didn't bother to tell anyone. You've never had a pet. Never. And bam…kitten."

"Well, it wasn't really planned. My boyfriend found him. "

"Derek! You have a boyfriend?! What the ever-loving fuck? Are you shitting me?" I had to hold my phone away because of how loud she yelled into the phone. Shit . I didn't even think about it. The word popped right out of my mouth. I liked the way it sounded. though. When Marley suggested it, I thought it would feel foreign or weird, but it didn't. It felt right.

"Right. So, the thing is…I have a boyfriend."

"Wha-? What? When? How? Details…need." Carmen's blabbering was understandable. I was surprised, too.

"It's pretty recent. But you'll like him. Actually, you know him already."

"I do? Who is it?"

"Well…it's your florist…from your wedding."

"Shut up! Are you serious? Marley?"

Hearing his name brought a smile to my face. "Yes. Marley."

A squeal sounded through the phone. "Oh my God! He's such a sweetheart. I adore him."

"Yeah, well, so do I." Completely, hopelessly, madly adored him.

"I can't believe it. How did this happen?"

"It's kind of a long story."

My sister sucked in a sharp breath. "Holy shit! Is that why you asked about him on my wedding day?"

My cheeks warmed as I thought of how unsubtle I'd been when trying to discover who he was. I cleared my throat. "Yes."

"Derek! This is so exciting. I'm thrilled for you. Is this thing serious?"

The vision of him in my home and the longing for a future of being greeted by him had me nodding my head even though she couldn't see it. "Yeah. I think it might be."

"This is the best news. Such a surprise. Mom is going to flip. Not only are you dating, but knowing it's him just makes it that much better. I think Marley would make a great brother-in-law, just saying."

Part of me wanted to chastise her for putting that kind of pressure on things when they were still so new, but I'd never felt like this about anybody before. Imagining him with my family wasn't hard to do. Of course, he already knew my mom and sister, which made picturing him sliding seamlessly into our lives even easier.

"I gotta go. I'm at work, remember?"

"Shit. Yeah, sorry. Actually, I'm not sorry, I'm happy."

I let out a contented sigh. "I am, too, sis. Talk to you later."

The rest of the day was spent dismissing calls from my mom and my phone buzzing like it was possessed because of how many times my mom had texted me. I knew it wouldn't take long for the news of my relationship to reach her, but I couldn't deal with her when there was a lot of work to be done. I sent her a quick text to say I would call and fill her in after work, hoping it would placate her temporarily. I couldn't risk putting my phone on silent, not when so many of our clients had my direct line. Also, Marley. I hated to think of him not being able to reach me if he needed to.

Despite my phone blowing up, I felt giddy at being able to share what was happening. Marley was the biggest gift in my life—him and O'Malley, both—and I wanted people to know about him. It left me in a good mood that stayed with me all day. Of course, it helped that we were able to come up with a solution that made our client happy when they had been ready to pull their account from us yesterday.

I congratulated our team on pushing through and coming out the other side, overall feeling very good about the day. Everything about it. In my car, I was preparing myself to call my mom back and get an earful about not telling her about Marley when I got a notification from my security app. Kitten zoomies sounded like a much better option. I clicked on the app and my heart soared when I saw Marley standing in my living room, holding O'Malley and waving his paw at the camera. I couldn't stop the smile that stretched across my face.

With the need to get home immediately, I sent a quick text to Marley telling him I was on my way, then started driving as quickly as I could legally get away with. Leaving work used to be hard; there was always more to do. I had a new incentive now; a gorgeous man with a big heart willing to share it with me.

During the drive, my mom called, but with my focus on Marley waiting for me, I had been a little terse with her. Though my promise to bring my boyfriend for a family meal seemed to quell her irritation. Damn , nothing sounded better than that.

Revved up and overcome with joy, I practically ran from my car to the front door, opening it fast, surprising Marley who had been dancing to a record in my living room. Dropping my stuff by the door, I charged for him, throwing my arms around him as he let out a squeak. My mouth crashed into his, and the taste of him combined with the feeling of his lips on mine made the earth disappear from beneath our feet.

When I pulled back, I rested my forehead on his, breathing him in. "Hi, Sunshine."

Marley laughed, his body rumbling against mine. "Hi right back. That was a hell of a greeting."

I straightened and brushed my hands over my suit. "Sorry, I couldn't help it."

He beamed, that brilliant smile lighting up his entire being. Lighting me up, too. "No complaints, whatsoever. What has you in such a good mood?"

"You," I said matter-of-factly.

"Oh?" Marley's eyes twinkled .

"Yes." I kissed him again, needing another taste.

"Does this have anything to do with the fact that your sister called me today?" Marley smirked.

"She did?"

"Yup. She demanded to know if I was really your boyfriend. Then she told me that if you stepped out of line or did anything to hurt me, she was going to whoop your ass."

The threat from my sister made me love her even more. That she was ready to defend and protect the man I was wild about. "Noted. But I won't give her any reason to."

"That's what I told her. But it was sweet. And I gotta admit it feels really good to know that you are telling people about us."

"Well…it was accidental, but I don't regret it. I might have said something to Paul, too, though."

Marley's arms wrapped around my neck. "Such a softie."

I grunted in mock disgust. It didn't really bother me. I'd happily tell anyone who asked that I somehow had such an incredible man willing to be with me.

"I was thinking of ordering in, no crunchy spaghetti tonight. What do you think? Are you hungry?"

With him so close, his smile piercing me with light, his adorable freckles calling out to me, his beautiful brown eyes locked onto mine, and his soft floral aroma in my nose, hungry was an understatement. "As a matter of fact, I'm starving."

I grabbed his hand and pulled him toward the bedroom. Marley barked out a laugh and happily followed along, O'Malley meowing and weaving between our feet.

In my room, I shirked off my suit jacket, letting it fall on the floor. It might get wrinkled, but it wasn't anything a little dry cleaning couldn't fix. Marley quickly caught on, loosening my tie and pulling it off. We were in a frenzy of clothes, both of us wearing layers. When we were freed of them at last, I crashed into him again, loving the way his soft body felt against mine. With our mouths connected, I pushed him back until we reached the bed.

Marley sat down and scooted back until his head was on the pillow. He looked up at me with a fire in his eyes that matched how hot I felt. "Not exactly what I had in mind, but this is so much better."

"I need you, Marley. I need to feel you."

He held his arms out in invitation. "Well, I'm right here. Come and get me."

A growl came from the very depths of me. I didn't even know I could make that sound, but I was feeling ravenous. I crawled over the bed and went to the bedside table to grab the lube and a condom to have at the ready.

Marley bit his lip, looking utterly sexy as he watched me. Holding myself over him, I kissed him deeply, rubbing my cock against him. He felt so good. "I want to be inside you."

" Mmm . Yes, please!" Marley purred as he rolled his hips against mine.

"I want to see your face when I fill you."

His hands roamed over my back, gripping me tight. "Fuck, Derek, so hot!"

I kissed my way down his body, loving the sharp intake of his breath and the sounds that he made. His dick looked too enticing to ignore, so I kissed the head and took it into my mouth. I didn't want him to finish yet, though, so I popped off and kissed his thigh.

Leaning back, I curled my hand under his left thigh and gently pushed it up. Marley shifted half onto his side, resting on his bent knee. With his other leg still straight, his hole was offered to me, and I straddled his thigh to line myself up.

Marley's leg was between us, across his waist, but his face was right where I wanted it. To see his eyes haze with lust. "Is this okay?"

"Yes, perfect," he breathed out.

Coating my finger with lube, I teased his hole until his head was pressing back into the pillow and his eyes were half-lidded. I pushed in, watching as his body enveloped my finger, and stroked myself with my other hand. My mouth was watering at the sight, ready to push into him.

"I'm ready, babe, please!" Marley rasped even as he pushed onto my hand .

"Yeah? Good. Me too." Picking up the condom, I stared at the wrapper. I wasn't opposed to using them, but I suddenly wanted nothing more than to have direct contact.

"Can we forgo the condom? I really want to feel you, to have nothing between us, but I can wear it if you want me to, no pressure."

"Yes! God, yes! Please, Derek." Marley squeezed my knee.

"Thank fuck!" I tossed the wrapper over the side of the bed, noticing a flash of orange chase after the flying object. I shook my head with amusement. At least it wasn't open.

Returning my attention to the beautiful man before me, I lubed my cock and braced myself on one arm, leaning over him. "I'm not squishing you?"

"No, you're fine! Now stop being so damn polite and rail me." His sharp tone made me chuckle.

"Whatever my boyfriend wants, he gets." I lined my tip up with his hole, teasing us both until he was squirming beneath me.

"Derek!" He snapped.

"So needy," I smirked before saving us both from any further torture and pushed in, making us both moan as he encompassed me.

" Fuuuck , Marley."

His eyes rolled back when I seated fully inside of him, looking devastatingly hot. With one arm on either side of him, and his leg trapped between us, I began to pump inside of him. Each push and pull was electrifying.

"Oh my God, Derek, this angle…feels so fucking good. You're so deep."

"Mmm, you feel amazing." I picked up speed, watching his expression and his head fall back as he felt each thrust. The sounds he made were better than anything I could have found on vinyl.

My release was building, and I was moments away. I forced myself to stop, pausing inside him, breathing hard to maintain control.

Marley shot me a concerned look. "What happened? Are you okay?"

"Yes," I said through gritted teeth. "I'm teetering on the edge, but I can pull out."

"No! Don't pull out! I want to feel you."

I smoothed my hand over Marley's sumptuous thigh. "Are you sure? We haven't talked about it."

"I'm sure. We can talk later… unless you have concerns."

"I'm negative. My only concern is your comfort." This felt like too big of a conversation to have mid-sex, but I didn't want him to have any regrets.

Marley placed his hand on mine and he met my eye with an affectionate smile. "Same. Negative. Good talk. You may proceed."

I chuckled and gave his leg a pat before pushing deeper. It took a minute to get the momentum going again, but once it did, I drove into him with a shout, getting as deep as I could, and filled him with my release.

Marley's eyes fluttered, and he hummed beneath me. His dick was hidden away beneath his leg that was pulled across him. Needing to take care of him, I pulled out, making us both grunt at the change. I climbed off his thigh and carefully pushed his other leg over until he was flat on his back. Without another word, I dove down on him, swallowing his leaking cock until it was almost too much to bear.

Hands gripped my head and held me in place as Marley thrust his hips up, fucking into my mouth. With the weight of his dick on my tongue and filling my mouth, I moaned. Hollowing my cheeks, I sucked hard and was rewarded with Marley flooding my mouth. The taste of him was overwhelming in the best way. My entire body was buzzing with absolute bliss.

Pulling off him, I wiped the corners of my mouth before moving up to rest my head on his stomach and let out a long, soft sigh.

Marley's fingers lightly scratched through my short hair. It was relaxing and soothing, and I think I could have happily died right then and there from the pure joy of it all.

"Feeling better?" Marley asked.

"Mmhmm. You made a great dinner. "

His body shook beneath me with laughter, and I sunk into it. Sunk into him. Into this moment in time. The small, quiet moment. Just like he'd said. These belonged to us. "I love you, Sunshine."

Marley's arms slid down my back, rubbing soft circles on my skin. I wanted to crawl up his body and kiss him, but I couldn't. I felt too good where I was, too cozy with my body resting on his.

"I love you, too Derek. I think I have from the second I saw O'Malley curl up in your lap that first night."

"I think it started that first moment I saw you on the dance floor." I kissed his belly and nuzzled into him.

"It's not a competition," Marley said with a hint of amusement.

"If it is, I win."

"Oh? Really? You think so?"

I pushed myself up, leaving my cozy spot to look him in the eye. "I know so. Because I got you ."

Marley's face lit up, looking even more radiant, as if he had tapped into the sun itself. "Let's call it a tie, then."

"Deal." I sealed it with a kiss.