Detachment Ch. 11-14

"Fancy..." I say in awe.

Senna swings her hips as she shimmies over to the counter to set her purse down. Then she spins around to face me. "'Comment te dire adieu' by Françoise Hardy," she speaks, the words rolling gently off of her tongue in a way that suggests she took French classes.

"I'm digging how eclectic your music tastes are," I say, bobbing my head and snapping my fingers as I dance my way over to the wine rack.

"Why, thank you."

"Wait. This song... Isn't this from the A Simple Favor movie?"

"Oui, oui! You know your movies, Marcus!"

"Oh, does she speak French, too?" I ask in a crappy French accent.

She makes a tiny space between her fingers. "Un peu. I took French in high school. And a semester in college." She admires me moving to the song. "Does he dance?"

I hold up a bottle of red to inspect it. "Usually only when I'm cooking."

"Alexa, play 'Until the End of Time' by Justin Timberlake." She takes the wine from me then sets it on the counter. Right as the song begins, she takes my hand.

"Oh wow, you're taking me back to prom."

"Show me what you got, Marky Marc!"

I raise her hand high, two-stepping along with her, quickly falling into sync. I give her a twirl then pull her in, placing a hand on her hip.

Senna looks up at me with those big brown eyes, smiling coyly. "He dances well..." She releases my hand then wraps her arms behind my neck.

As we slow dance in the middle of her living room, I just hold her gaze. Senna's an incredible woman and our chemistry is insane. Had I met her instead of Nicolette, there's a chance she might have triggered that yearning to want to try with someone again. Had I met her after Kylie kickstarted my icy heart and stirred desire in me again—before last weekend—there's a strong possibility that I'd be pulling out all the stops to sweep her off her feet.

But I didn't meet her when I should have. And now I'm here debating if I should extinguish this sizzling moment before things heat up any more. Because she's too amazing to hurt. And hurting her is all I'll end up doing if I take things any further.

And then I catch the time in the corner of my eye. 9:36 p.m. If Kylie hasn't texted me yet, they've probably talked and decided to work things out... I feel like she would have hit me up if things went well, though...

Then the thought of Kylie being too busy having makeup sex to update me sends a flare of hot jealousy radiating through me.

I search Senna's eyes and my smirk becomes a grin. She smiles back. Now I pull her closer and lean in. She doesn't hesitate to close the gap.

We kiss as we dance, her fingers caressing my neck, my hands rubbing her back.

Then my phone rings...

It takes all of three seconds to decide to pull away, sucking air through my teeth. "Sorry, this might be important..."

Chest heaving, she runs her hand through her long dark hair as she steps back. "No, it's fine!" she says breathlessly. "Go ahead!" She turns away, fanning herself.

I extract the phone from my pocket and smile when I find Kylie's face on screen. "Hey!" I answer.

"Hey," she croaks softly. From that one word alone, I know she's upset. The sniffle that follows confirms it.

"What's wrong? Is everything okay?"

"No... We got into a big fight... He fucking pushed me and I fell over..."

I spin around and march over to the door. "Wait, what?!" It takes some effort not to yell. "Are you alright? Do you need to go to the hospital?"

"No. I'm fine...

"When I see him—"

"Marcus, you don't need to do anything. You've got too much to lose if you go over there and get into an altercation..."

"Where are you?"

"In my car. Parked in the front of my community. I was too much of a mess to drive... Hell, I was sobbing so hard I couldn't even call you right away."

"Do you need me to pick you up?"

There's another sniffle. "No, I'm fine now..." She takes a deep breath. "Are you home yet?" It sounds like she's about to cry again.

"No, but I'll be there in twenty. Drive safe, okay?"

"Alright, see you in a few, Marcus."

Rubbing my face, I slide my phone back into my pocket.

"Is everything alright?" Senna asks as she approaches, her voice heavy with concern.

I grab my coat. Thirty seconds earlier, Kylie... Thirty seconds and this wouldn't be such a fucked-up situation. "There's a bit of an emergency... I'm so sorry, but I have to go, Senna."

Her head tilts down slightly and she rubs her arm as her gaze falls to the floor. "Yeah, no, it's totally fine! That sounded pretty serious."

"If it was anything else, I wouldn't dip out on you like this..."

She rests a hand on my shoulder. "Marcus, seriously, it's okay. Go ahead. You can make it up to me later."

"Oh, I will. I promise." Unless Kylie is actually going to leave Travis... I hug her, and she squeezes me tightly. "Listen, today was great."

"Incredible."

"For sure. I'll be in touch soon for a redo, okay?" I kiss her forehead then release her, turning for the door.

"You better, Marky Marc!" she says as I slip out.

***

I'm closer to my place than Kylie is, so driving like a maniac isn't going to get me to her any quicker. Knowing my luck, I'll get pulled over and end up making her suffer alone even longer. Taking a breath to calm myself down, I ease off the gas and try keeping my speed just above the speed limit.

Exactly sixteen minutes later, I round the corner onto my block. Kylie's RAV-4 is nowhere in sight. I pull into the garage then close up shop behind me. I turn on a few lights, start the fireplace then use the bathroom quick. As I'm taking the leftovers from yesterday out of the fridge, I hear the rumble of Kylie's Toyota outside. I jog for the door then slap the blinking garage opener button. The motor hums as the door rises in what feels like slow motion. I wave her forward as I walk around back of the Subaru, smiling at her when she briefly glances over at me. Her driver's door opens slightly and she fiddles with something in the passenger seat. A few moments later, she climbs out, staring at me with red, puffy eyes, flashing a pitiful smile.

"Come here," I say, opening my arms.

She basically leaps into my arms and holds me tightly, burying her face in my chest. Her core jumps against mine as she cries in silence. A whimper escapes her, like she tried to say something but failed.

I kiss the top of her head while rubbing her back. "I'm so sorry, Kylie... You're okay now. You're here with me, and I'll take care of you..."

She sniffles. Then another whimper slips out as her fingers press harder into my sides. "I just don't understand why... Like, what did I do to deserve this? My dad was an abusive alcoholic, my husband is horrible to me... Like, why can't I break this cycle?"

"You don't deserve this... People are just shitty... And sometimes they don't show you how shitty they are right away... But that's all going to change for you. I promise." I just hold her in silence for a moment. "Let's go inside where it's nice and warm."

She nods against my chest.

With an arm wrapped around her, I escort her inside, slapping the button to close the garage on the way in. "Can I get you anything? Do you need an icepack for your arm or whatever's hurting? Can I warm up some food for you?"

She nods, wiping her tears away. "Yes, I could use an ice pack... And food sounds amazing, I haven't eaten since lunch..."

"Alrighty. Food should be warm soon. Just go relax on the couch and I'll get you that ice pack." I open the freezer. "Is there anything else you need right now?"

Her sad eyes look me over then a faint smile appears. "All I need right now is you..."

Chapter 14

Kylie

Saturday

I'm snuggled up to Marcus on the couch, head against his chest, my arm wrapped around his abdomen, clutching him like I'll fall to my doom if I let go. His heartbeat soothes me. Having his arm draped around me, having his hand slowly sweeping up and down my arm—it all makes me feel completely safe. Comfortable. And I can't recall a time where Travis ever made me feel this way...

Marcus feels like home. A real home, not the kind I had growing up, not the one I just fled...

Even though I'm telling him about how the horrible day began, as the seconds tick by, my heart rate gradually slows and I start to even out emotionally. Just as I'm recapping how Travis showed up earlier than expected, the oven beeps, forcing me to sit up so he can cater to me.

"What would you like to drink?" Marcus asks, scooping food onto the plate.

"I'd say wine, but this whole ordeal has my stomach upset..."

"How about some ginger ale? I've got the good stuff. The organic kind with actual ginger and no caramel color..."

That makes me giggle for some reason. "That sounds perfect!"

The fridge door rattles then it shuts gently moments later. Marcus shuffles over with a plate of baked ziti and a piece of grilled chicken that I know he cut to my ideal portion size. He sets the amber glass ginger ale bottle on the coffee table then hands me the plate. "Here you go."

"Thanks so much, Marcus!" I watch him walk over to the counter to grab the bowl he made for himself. "Have I told you lately that you're amazing? If not... Marcus, you're amazing."

He smirks. "Thanks. But you're the amazing one." He eases back down onto his seat beside me.

I don't realize how hungry I am until I end up stuffing my mouth before I even finish swallowing what I've just chewed up. It doesn't help that his mom's ziti recipe is just that damn good. Intermittently stopping to scarf the food down makes telling Marcus about the argument take twice as long. Going off on a tangent and ranting about all the crap I remembered that Travis did since I moved in with him doesn't help.

"Then, right before I walked out, I told him that the moment he shoved my head back, he could consider us separated..." I look up at him to gauge his reaction.

Marcus shakes his head. "Shit... I'm so sorry you went through that. I can't believe he pushed you... I mean, he was always short-tempered and snappy as hell when something ticked him off, but I never thought he'd lay a hand on you..."

"At least he didn't hit me..."

"Yeah, but he still shoved you hard enough for you to fall back... That's not any more acceptable..."

"I don't know if I would've fallen, though, if I didn't have slippery socks on."

"That doesn't excuse him mushing your face or using as much force as he did..."

"No, you're right..." I set the plate down, take a few gulps of ginger ale then lay back against him as the spicy soda warms my stomach. Somehow, we get right back into our cuddling position from before.

"Where does he think you are now?"

I shrug. "No clue. I'm sure he'll be texting my sister and friends to find out tomorrow..."

"You think he'll figure out you're with me?"

"Who knows... Are you... are you worried that he will?"

He shakes his head. "Nah, I don't care... After how he's treated you... after what he did today... I could care less if I lost him as a friend. I only ask because, if it comes to divorce, knowing you're with another guy right away might complicate splitting assets and all of that..."

Divorce... Who would've thought my marriage would turn out like my parents'...?

"Good point... I should text my sister to say that I'm with her if he asks her... Or... should I just go stay with her?"

He rubs my head lovingly. "You can stay wherever you'd like, Kylie. But you are more than welcome to crash here with me until you figure your life out, if that's what you want."

"That's the only thing I want. Unless... you don't..."

"Are you kidding? Of course I want you here! I just want you to know that you don't have to feel obligated to stay with me just because of what happened last weekend. You can take your time and figure out what you want to do. No pressure."

I caress his abs. "I already know exactly what I want..."

"And what's that?"

I sit up. "I want to be with the one person in the world who makes me happy..."

"I really hope you're talking about me..." He smirks.

I slap his chest. "Yes, you goof... Of course it's you... It's always been you..."

He chuckles. "There's nothing I'd want more than to have you here, with me. I'm just worried you might regret jumping in this too soon... I don't want to be the guy that stole you away..."

"Marcus..." I cup the side of his face, caressing his cheek. "You're not stealing me away... It feels like I've been falling for so many years. Falling out of love with Travis... Falling... for you..."

He smiles like a kid on Christmas morning who just got the puppy he's always wanted.

"If we do this," I whisper, "you're not stealing me away. You're finally catching me, that's all."

He rests his forehead against mine, closes his eyes then takes a deep breath. "Kylie, I've been waiting to catch you for so long... I was getting so tired of falling alone..."

We move in simultaneously. And when our lips meet, it's like the first time all over again.

Gentle kisses quickly transition into our tongues slipping and sliding hungrily against each other. The slow passes of his fingers across my back and side make me tremble. Just like during our make-out sessions on Sunday, my panties become drenched in seconds.

His body against mine is all I want right now, so I shift onto my hip then straddle him, shuddering as his already rock-hard dick presses against my sex, my vaginal walls fluttering in response as excitement buzzes across my entire body. A slow and hard grind against his manhood is an automatic reflex.

I hold his face and pull away, just a bit, my eyes still closed. "I'm all yours tonight, Marcus," I whisper, my lips brushing against his with every word.

He presses his mouth to mine and kisses me deeply. His hands trace their way down my back until they each find and passionately squeeze an ass cheek.

The grinding continues as we make out. My breathing quickens and my chest heaves along with his. I stop and lean back, pulling off my hoody along with my undershirt then I toss it aside. His fingers lightly trace up my back until he reaches for my bra, then he unhooks it. I toss them over my shoulder.

He's all smiles as he admires the never-before-seen flesh, staring with appreciation instead of that horny, lust-filled ogling every man I've screwed has given me. "Even better than I imagined," he whispers. He kisses my neck then pecks his way down to my left breast, kissing it before sucking on my nipple.

My head leans back and I groan, chest heaving as I massage the back of his head. I let him tend to my breasts until the ache between my legs overwhelms me. I tug his shirt over his head before dismounting and laying on my back, sliding my thumbs into the waistband of leggings and my panties. With my back arched, I tug them and my sodden panties down past my ass. Marcus takes over from there, feverishly pulling them off me and tossing them over the coffee table.

Slowly, I spread my legs, beckoning him forward with curls of my pointer finger. His gaze leaves mine and he takes a moment to scan every inch of me.

"Good god, you're so beautiful..." he says in awe as he crawls forward, fighting with his belt.

While kissing me, his finger slowly slides between my folds and his thumb finds my clit. He plays me tenderly and expertly, like a videogame he's spent years mastering. My body writhes restlessly in sweet agony. A shaky whimper escapes me as he slides a finger into me, my vaginal muscles fluttering around his digit. But it's not enough. I need more. I need it all.

I push him back onto the armrest and yank his jeans off. Then his boxers. Now I crawl on top of him and grip that big caramel candy bar of his then rub it back and forth along my slick opening a few times before impaling myself with him. His mouth opens and his body shudders as my sex swallows his. My body quakes as I lower onto him. Pleasure surges through me as he stretches me out in the best way possible—as he tunnels his way to the end of the line. His hands move from my waist up to my breasts. Somehow, I'm getting wetter as I ride up and down. In seconds, my breathing is bordering on hyperventilation.

Moaning, I close my eyes and throw my head back, focusing only on how good he feels inside of me, how right having him in me feels. The sensation feels new and familiar all at the same time. Familiar because, just like how Sunday at sunset wasn't our first kiss, now isn't the first time his cock's been inside me...

On the yacht that night a year ago, we made out until we couldn't anymore, stopping only because I was too unbearably aroused to settle for a sloppy make-out session. So, I leaned back, reached up my skirt and pulled my thong aside.

"What are you doing?" he asked, breathlessly.

I kissed him to shut him up while I fondled him. Then I undid his belt, unclasped his button, and zipped those dress pants down. "Doing what feels right," I whispered back, pulling his pants down just enough for his erect cock to spring up into the night air—down far enough that he could quickly pull up his slacks if it sounded like one of the girls were coming up.

And just like today, I held his bare penis in place and slid down onto him. For maybe ten minutes of fiery, unrivaled passion, I rode him until we both came. And I kept riding until I was satisfied again, until he stopped throbbing inside me...

Nothing is holding Marcus back this time around so he doesn't let me do all the work. He places a hand on my back then slowly lays me down on my back. With our gazes locked, he slides his tip back in then bores me nice and slow. Over, and over, and over.

"Deeper..." I pant.

His strokes lengthen.

"Faster..." I moan moments later.

With every sensual thrust, he makes every muscle in my core twitch, he makes my body tingle, he scrambles all my thoughts. Then, my face gets hot and my body buzzes as a climax starts to build. "AHHHH!" I cry out, my vagina rhythmically clenching around him.

Pushing him back, I mount him once again, grabbing the back of the couch. One hand holds my waist, his other hand finds its way between us and rubs my clit. Now I ride him faster and harder than before. I'm on the edge again in seconds.

Marcus groans. "Kylie..."

I slow down but keep riding, winding my hips as I rise and fall.

"Kylie... I'm about to—"

Just like last time, I press my lips into his to silence him. Still writhing as I grind up and down on his length, I bring my mouth to his ear and whisper, "I want to finish with you."

Marcus grunts, holds me tighter then lets out a strained groan as he pulses inside of me, spilling warmth into me with every throb.

Having him release inside of me makes everything so much more intimate—it makes me feel like I'm truly his. That thought drives me wild and sets me off. I cry out again, my thoughts scrambling as I begin feeling dizzy and buzzing like I've been drugged.

My pace slows and, as if we're both having a violent seizure, our bodies spasm against one another.

Once I finally stop, I lean back a bit and he meets my gaze, staring at me like I just made him the happiest man in the world and saved his life all at once. His hand runs through my curls and he cups my head with his large hand. He stares into my eyes for a bit longer, looking at me like no one ever has before, with loving adoration. I flash him a shy smile, then he pulls me in and we kiss.