Chapter 58

CHAPTER 58

MARLOW

I was rooted to the spot in the hallway. His penthouse was gorgeous, but the atmosphere was anything but. The tension in the air was palpable, wrapping around us like a suffocating blanket. Spencer was leaning against the door, his shoulders heaving up and down. I couldn't believe what I had just witnessed. My heart went out to Spencer. When he first told me he was dreading his parents' visit, I truly believed he was just being dramatic. Everyone had their complaints about their parents. We all claimed to dread their visits, but when shit hit the fan, our parents were the first people we called.

Spencer's parents were the exception. They were truly not good people. The way they treated their son was despicable. He bent over backward to try and make them happy. He showered them with luxury in an attempt to win their approval. I saw a young boy desperate for his parents to tell him they were proud of him. To thank him for giving them so much. I didn't understand how they could be so insensitive.

My own parents were too proud to take what I offered them. It was like pulling teeth to spoil them. They wanted me to keep my earnings, insisting I worked for it. In that moment, I loved them more than I did yesterday. I was going to make sure they knew it.

I approached slowly, my heart pounding. "Are you okay?" I asked softly. I reached out and put my hand on his back. He jerked when I touched him.

Spencer was taut with tension, his fists clenched at his sides. "I can't do it anymore, Marlow. I don't give a damn if they want to live beyond their means with my money. So be it. But actually knowing them? Seeing them? Having a relationship with them? No more."

"I understand," I told him, my voice gentle.

He turned to me, and in that moment, I saw the man I knew I was falling for. Setting a boundary to protect himself was a huge step, and it made me realize just how deeply he cared about his own well-being. My heart swelled with emotion, and I knew I was his. He owned my heart, and I prayed like hell I could trust him with it.

"You have every right to distance yourself from them," I whispered. "You don't deserve that."

His eyes held a steely determination. But behind that, there was also a hint of vulnerability. It was as if he was asking me, pleading with me, to stand by his side in this tumultuous chapter of his life.

"I'll stick by you, Spencer," I vowed, my voice barely above a whisper. "Through rain or shine, through the good times and the bad. You have me. You have my whole family. You have your partners and their wives. You have a large family that is always going to be by your side. I'm not going anywhere."

He looked surprised for a moment before a weak smile graced his lips. "You don't know what you're signing up for."

"Maybe," I said with a shrug. "But I don't care."

"Is it crazy I'm standing here and thinking about going after them?" he asked quietly.

"No, it's not crazy," I replied, my voice steady. His eyes met mine, searching for sincerity. "It shows you're a good man, Spencer, despite how they've treated you. It shows you still care. It is , however, stupid."

He barked a laugh and shook his head. "Thank you. I know. Or at least, my brain knows."

He sighed heavily, his shoulders sagging as though bearing the weight of the world.

"What happened?" I asked him. "I thought they were staying in a hotel?"

He snorted. "Yeah, they were," he said, rubbing his face with his hands. "They acted like children throwing a tantrum and got kicked out."

My mouth dropped open. "They got kicked out? That must have been some tantrum."

"The details are sketchy, but I think my mom squirted shampoo in a housekeeper's eye. Then my father tossed a bottle of champagne at the concierge. I swear, Florida turned them into entitled brats."

I blinked in surprise, my mouth setting into a firm line. "I suspect it was your money that inflated their egos, not the great state of Florida."

"Yeah, fair enough." He leaned against the door. He looked so weary, so worn down by his parents' bullshit. I couldn't help but feel an overwhelming urge to protect him from them. "I've handed them everything on a silver platter, and they're upset it's not gold."

"Spencer, I'm sorry, I didn't want to butt in, but if you want my honest opinion, I don't think you should go after them," I said. "And don't invite them back into your home. In my opinion, they won't learn how to behave until they face some consequences for their actions. If you keep bailing them out, they'll keep expecting it. They can find somewhere to stay all by themselves. If they don't like it, they can go home."

I realized I was preaching and was about to apologize when he smiled. "You're right. Thank you for talking some sense into me. Luckily one of us is thinking straight."

He dropped his head to mine and devoured me in a ravenous kiss. It was intimate, tense, and demanding, every bit of it conveying the emotions we were both feeling. I could taste the coffee on his lips. His arms wrapped around me, pulling my body to him. I went up on my tiptoes. His body held mine suspended in the air, my toes no longer touching the floor at all.

Our noses bumped and I let out a small giggle. He chuckled, the sound vibrating through me. Somehow, this was more intimate than the kiss. This acknowledgement of our mutual trust, shared laughter. When he pulled back, his gaze held mine captive. His eyes were soft, the hardness gone. Replaced with an emotion I couldn't decipher.

He gently lowered me back to the floor. His hands slid down my ass, barely covered in the shorts I had worn to bed. "I need you right now," he murmured against my lips, his voice husky with desire.

"I'm yours," I whispered back, meaning every word.

"Do you have to go home right away?" he asked.

I shook my head. "Nope. I'm free all day."

He grinned. "Good, because I have some serious plans for you and this body."

I smiled and stepped close, our toes touching and my breasts brushing against his chest. "I like the sound of that."

He picked me up right then and there, his arms wrapping around me in a way that made my legs go weak. He carried me into the bedroom, kicked the door closed, and gently deposited me on the bed that was still a wreck from our wild night. For that moment, it was just us. No judgy parents, no calls from irate hotel staff, and no overprotective brothers.

Just Spencer and me.

He towered over me, his eyes raking over my body. A breathless anticipation hung in the air as I watched him undress. His T-shirt hit the floor and he unzipped his jeans, letting them drop to reveal his well-sculpted legs. In nothing but his briefs, he crawled onto the bed, a playful grin on his face as he straddled me.

He lowered his mouth to mine and his hands slid up the shirt I had put on when I heard the raised voices. His tongue swept past my parted lips to dive deep into my mouth. I gasped into the kiss, my hands coming up to rest on his defined chest. His heart was pounding as fiercely as mine, the rhythm echoing in the quiet room.

"I've been wanting to do this since the moment I woke up," he muttered against my lips before kissing me again. His words sent a thrill running down my spine, settling low in my belly.

His hands roamed over my body as if he was trying to memorize every inch of me through touch alone. His fingers traced the curves of my hips and trailed down the sides of my legs, causing shivers to race along my spine. I found myself arching up toward him, seeking more of his touch. He chuckled, a low and sultry sound that sent a wave of heat flooding through me.

"You're always so hungry," he teased.

"I blame you," I said breathlessly.

I twisted underneath him, trying to get closer. With his help, I managed to shimmy out of the oversized T-shirt I was wearing. His gaze turned heated as he looked down at my bare chest. "You're a vision," he murmured, his voice rough with need.

His lips descended upon mine again, tasting me deeply while our bodies tangled together in a dance as old as time. His hands traced feather-light touches along my stomach before dipping lower, causing me to gasp. He jerked my shorts down, taking my panties with them. Once they reached my knees, I used my toe to take them the rest of the way off. His hand slid between my legs and covered my heated core.

My entire body shuddered at the friction. My fingers dug into Spencer's chest as his touch sent shockwaves of pleasure through me. I moaned, arching underneath him. Offering myself to him.

His fingers brushed softly against my delicate folds, teasing my entrance before slipping inside my slick sheath. I gasped and bucked upward, craving more of his touch. My hips rocked against his hand desperately, needing more.

"Spencer," I whispered, eyes closed in bliss as he continued to stroke me.

His lips crashed into mine and our tongues tangled as we kissed deeply. I couldn't get enough of him. I was addicted to the taste of him, the feel of his skin against mine. His scent surrounded me, filling my senses until he became my whole world.