Page 13 of Marc (Men of Forbidden Temptation #2)

STACI

Shock, realization, and sympathy cross his face as he processes what I just said.

My sister died.

He looks at me with emotion swirling in his eyes. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to cause you any more pain and suffering.”

I swipe my tears away as they fall. “These aren’t painful tears.”

His eyebrow raises like he doesn’t believe one word I’ve just spoken. “They’re not?”

The corner of my lips curls up into a small smile.

“Well, maybe just a little, but they are mainly happy tears when I think about her. My sister would have loved you. She was always full of life and always doing something crazy. She made it a point to make me get out of my comfort zone every now and then.”

He gently wipes tears from my jawline. His fingers linger on my face longer than necessary .

I lean my face further into his hand. The touch, while innocent and comforting, leaves me craving more of his touch.

I take a shaky breath and continue telling him about my sister.

“Teri was the prankster of the family, always having a laugh at our expenses, but we all secretly loved it. We encouraged her to top her previous pranks and even helped her pull them off on one another.”

Letting out a small chuckle, I remember the time she put baby powder in my hairdryer. As soon as I turned on the hairdryer, baby powder flew everywhere. It coated the walls, counter, and even me.

The two of us laughed about it for weeks afterwards, and I never used my hairdryer again without checking for fear that she would prank me again.

“She loved the beach. That’s partly why I love coming here. It makes me feel close to her again. She would stay in the water for hours. Just swimming, bodyboarding, and playing all day until I had to threaten to leave her at the beach alone.”

Marc quietly speaks. “She sounds like she really lived life to its fullest. If it’s not too hard to talk about, what happened to her?”

Even though I anticipated this question at some point, it still catches me by surprise.

“She passed away when we were teenagers. I was only seventeen, and she was fourteen when she got sick. It came on so fast and before doctors could really treat her, it was already too late.”

Marc squeezes my hand supportively and I take a deep breath.

“She wanted her last days to be in the comfort of her own bedroom, but my parents refused to bring her home. They made her stay in that cold, sterile hospital with no one but the nurses and doctors to talk to.”

Anger builds in my chest when I think about how cruel our parents were to her.

“She was cold and alone, and I wasn’t allowed to see her whenever I wanted. It drove me insane. I snuck out of school and hitched a ride to the hospital. I was the only one there, holding her hand, when she passed away.”

Sobs build in my chest as I recount her final moments. “She looked so scared and tired. She wanted the family together one last time, and yet I was the only one there.”

He pulls me into a tight hug. “I’m so sorry you had to go through that so young and alone.”

I lean my head on his shoulder and sob as the pain feels fresh. No one should have to spend their last days alone.

No one.

Especially a child.

Marc holds me and allows me to shed my grief without judgment. His hand rubs circles on my back, helping me focus on something other than the pain radiating through my body .

When my sobs start to subside, I sit back up, wipe my tears, and continue the story.

“My sister’s death started the divide between my parents and I. It was the crack in the foundation that no one usually worries about because it started out as just a small crack.”

I hated them for such a long time afterwards though and couldn’t wait for graduation so I could move away.

“My marriage to Jared just drove the wedge into the crack, and now there’s no going back. My family’s relationship can’t be repaired.”

I’ve tried forgiving them, but I can’t get over the past. If they could be so cold, cruel, and heartless to their own child, how will they treat their future son-in-law or even their own grandchildren?

That’s not something I was willing to risk in order to find out. Marc continues to rub my back as my tears slow and eventually dry.

“How did you meet Jared?”

“As soon as I graduated high school, I quit my job, packed all of my stuff in my car, and drove down here to the beach. I didn’t know what I was going to do with my future, but I knew it didn’t involve staying in my hometown.”

Marc’s eyes widen. “Are you not from Roseville?”

I shake my head. “Believe it or not, I grew up right outside the capital. Sure, it was a small town, but it wasn’t close to the beach. I wanted to live somewhere where I could take a weekend trip to the beach whenever my heart desired.”

“Like two hours away from the beach?”

“If I hadn't met Jared, I’d probably be living in a tent right on the sand.”

He chuckles and lets me get back to my story.

“Anyway, I met Jared at this beach. I was alone, sad, and sitting on the sand just staring at the water, imagining Teri swimming and having a great time when Jared came crashing into me.”

He literally came crashing into my life.

“His friend threw the football just a little too hard, and it went over his head. Jared ran backwards without looking and ran into me.”

Marc chuckles. “Classic wing man set up right there.”

“Yeah, well, he was fun and carefree, and it reminded me of what Teri hoped I’d be, so I gave him a chance and the rest is history.”

Marc narrows his eyes. “How did you end up in Roseville?”

“It’s where Jared’s from. He had a steady job and a house. His best friends, aka the police chief and sheriff, were very welcoming, and I felt like I had found the family I just lost. We started dating fairly soon after meeting, much to my parents' dismay.”

Not wanting him to think badly about me, I add, “I didn’t know about Jared’s drinking problem when we first started dating. He hardly drank at all around me and was never mean and aggressive. ”

“Did something happen to make him change his ways once you two were married? Did he lose his job or anything?”

“No, everything was perfect-” I lower my voice to barely above a whisper “-until it no longer was.”

Marc clears his throat and blows out a breath. “Tell me the happiest moment you have with Teri.”

I have to think back because there are so many happy memories with her that it’s hard to choose just one. There’s so much I want to share with Marc.

“One night we snuck out of the house and went to the farm that was behind our high school because Teri heard some classmates were going cow tipping and she wanted to partake as well.”

I smile as I remember us getting dressed in all black like we were going on a super-secret stealth mission.

“Teri snuck into the pasture while I kept an eye out for police, but all the cows were gone. There were a few horses in the barn, so she had the not-so-brilliant idea to tip a horse.”

I have to pause as laughter builds inside me.

“The guys she overheard at school were planning on pranking the junior varsity football team, so when she snuck into the barn she slipped in the mud, grabbed a rope to try to pull herself back up, and ended up tipping a bucket of honey and feathers on her head.”

Marc’s laughter is contagious, and I can’t help but join in. “That sounds like an epic prank. It just sucks that your sister was the one that sprang that trap.”

I laugh at the memory. “Oh, it was. She was pissed for a few minutes, but we all ended up laughing and helping her clean up. We all went to the local burger place to eat afterwards.”

My laugh falters, and my smile slowly fades. “Actually, where we ate was very similar to the diner that you brought me to. Teri even played songs on the jukebox and sang along as she danced.”

Marc looks like he doesn’t know what to say, so I add, “I know you didn’t know the story, but that night meant a lot to me and I really appreciate everything that you have done to keep me safe.”

Marc waves me off. “It’s really no big deal.”

To him, it’s no big deal, but to me, it was him taking away the fear and stress of Jared returning.

“Sure, it is. You fed me and offered me your spare bedroom in my time of need.”

A grin starts to form on his face. “Not to mention exploited your situation to fake date you and bring you on a relaxing beach getaway.”

“Now that is something I can get behind. Exploit away!” Laughing, I fall back onto my pillow and stare up at the painted swirls on the ceiling before turning my gaze to Marc.

He lays down beside me. Our bodies touch ever so gently, but it’s enough for me to feel comforted by him.

He turns his head towards me and locks his gaze with mine. “Thank you for telling me about your past and your sister.”

The way his eyes linger on mine seems almost soul piercing, like he’s trying to get inside my mind, heart, and soul.

It could also be my hopes of being with him misreading things.

Feeling overwhelmed at all the different emotions flowing through my body, I turn my body towards him and lean forward to press my lips to his.

The kiss is slow and gentle, but sends tingles down my spine. His hand cups my face as he deepens the kiss.

I close my eyes and let the kiss sweep me away. Like our last kiss, passion, arousal, and need flow through my veins, leaving me craving more of him.

I should be apologetic for the unexpected kiss, but I’m not. This is just what my body needs right now.

To forget the pain and just live in the moment with Marc.

He breaks off the kiss and pulls away before whispering, “Do you want to go for a walk on the beach with me?”

That is not what I was expecting to hear him say, so I just nod my head. “Yeah, sounds good.”

I feel rejected and denied like I’m the only one that wanted a kiss, but it’s for the best. We aren’t in a real relationship. This is only pretend until Jared leaves me alone, and there is no point in me acting on impulses.

I quickly head into the bathroom to change into my bikini. Coming back into the room, I see that Marc has already changed into his trunks.

This isn’t the first time I’ve seen him shirtless, but this time feels different. I unabashedly ogle his perfectly sculpted abs and his strong arms.

Grabbing the bottle of tanning lotion, my gaze meets his. “Do you care to rub some lotion on my back? I can return the favor and do yours.”

“Not at all.”

He takes the offered bottle of tanning lotion, clicks the lid open, and squirts some lotion into the palm of his hand.

He carefully rubs it into my skin while being careful to not get any lotion on my bikini straps.

I laugh as his fingers tickle my sides and moan as he massages my tight shoulders.

Feeling relaxed and turned on, I take my time rubbing the lotion on his back.

I try to return the massage, but my small hands struggle to wrap around his large muscles. Using my thumbs, I press into the muscles along his spine and drag my fingers up to his neck.

He groans. “Damn, that feels amazing.”

I know what would feel even more amazing than this, but I keep those thoughts to myself.

Needing to cool my raging hormones, I step away. “All done.”

We grab a couple of beach towels from the shelf in the bathroom and head down to the beach. After setting up our towels, Marc lays down to work on his tan and I head into the water.

Applying sunscreen to one another was very sensual and left me craving his touch in other areas of my body. I dunk myself under the water, letting the ocean water cool me down.

If I don’t do something to calm my feelings for Marc soon, I’ll probably do something to embarrass myself.

My gaze makes its way back to Marc, where he is lying peacefully on his beach towel. A lingering question comes back to the forefront of my mind.

Two people who are fake dating can have platonic sex, right?