Hide 'N Seek (16 page)

Beck saw Marklynn’s SUV as he approached the front door and exited the building. He jogged across the street and she turned towards him just as he reached the driver’s side then dropped the phone in his pocket.

“You’re supposed to be up in your
Trump Tower
,” she said when he opened the door.

“Move over.”

“Why?” She had a stubborn look on her face.

“You’re not going anywhere tonight. Not until we talk.”

“I don’t want to talk.”

“Then you’ll listen.”

She picked up her handbag off the passenger seat and dropped it on the floor then slid over the gearshift into the passenger seat. He jumped into the driver’s seat. Turning into the driveway of the building, he proceeded to the underground parking lot.

After he parked, he came around to the passenger side to open the door for her and held out his hand. She stared at his hand before taking it and they walked in silence from the underground parking garage to the elevators.

Inside the elevator, she leaned against him, her head rested against his shoulder. Beck slid his arm around her waist pulling her close. She was tired. He could feel it in the way she clung to him.

“It’s going to be okay. We’ll find her.” He kissed the top of her head. “I promise.”

She looked up at him and he saw doubt in her eyes. Whether it was from the promise he’d just made he wasn’t sure, but he didn’t want her second-guessing her decision about coming to see him.

Tonight he wanted her to lean on him forgetting about the outside world if only for a few hours.

“Did I ever tell you how sexy you look with that black eye,” he said kissing her eye.

“You got a fetish for black eyes?”

“Sweetheart, since meeting you I’ve got all kinds of fetishes I never knew I had.”

“What…”

“Shhh.” He pressed his forefinger against her lips. “Tonight, I want to take care of you.”

•  •  •

Somewhere between exiting the elevator and Beck’s front door Markie had decided to let him take care of her. No sooner had he closed the front door, her shirt came off and she stood there in her lacey white bra and jeans under his hot gaze. He had a way of looking at her that made her feel like he wanted to devour her and she had to admit it turned her on.

“I always wondered what that bra looked like. Pretty,” he said with a kiss. A long drugging, slow kiss that made her legs weak and her head spin. “Is it the same one you were wearing that day we met at Sydney’s?”

“Mmm…” She blinked looking at him. Not sure what he was talking about but it seemed important.

“That day I met you at Sydney’s apartment, you were wearing a white blouse with pearl buttons. The top button came undone and I saw the lace of your white bra.” He fingered the bra gently pulling at the strap.

“You were looking at my bra. I knew it. You know there are names for men like you.”

“Yeah,” he smiled, a smile borrowed from the devil himself. Another kiss followed then he picked her up as if she was a featherweight, carried her to the bedroom and sat her on the edge of the bed. He outlined the edge of the bra cup with his forefinger. “It’s sexy. You’re sexy.”

Her eyes wandered around the large room that contained a king size bed. The bedding was black and white and was complimented by the soft gray walls. No other furniture existed except for two nightstands that matched the bed frame and a treadmill by the floor to ceiling window that wrapped half way around the room.

Feeling as though she was floating above the clouds, her eyes settled back on his face, his strong gentle face. She laid back on the bed and he pulled off her boots. They landed with a thud on the floor. Her jeans and bra followed.

The seduction began with his hands, and whatever his hands did, was mimicked by his lips. His forefinger traced the outline of her lips, moving to her chin down to her neck. Then his lips repeated the sensual movement and she shivered with each butterfly kiss. Where he touched, he kissed and when he touched her breasts she waited in anticipation for him to fulfill the promise of his mouth.

As her dreams unfolded, she could have sworn she heard the ocean and felt the tropical heat. But it wasn’t the tropical heat. It was Beck’s heat. The same heat that had set her dreams on fire was setting her body ablaze.

She was lost in a whirlpool of desire and want. Not want…it was need. A need which, turned into a craving as his tongue dipped into her navel and drew circles around her belly button. She opened herself to him and he smiled at the bold invitation. A smile that made promises she couldn’t wait for him to fulfill. And when he did, she thought for sure the windows would shatter around her when a scream on a note she never thought she could hit tore from her lips leaving her throat dry.

In the distance she heard Beck’s laughter as he rose up from the bed to discard his jeans. The boxers followed adding to the pile on the floor, but he kept on his tank top then settled on top of her again.

“Take it off,” she said breathless, pushing the top up over his chest. He rose up and knelt on the bed, his weight sinking into the mattress. She pushed at the top again and saw the scars on his stomach. He grabbed her hands and held them together, but she pulled her hands from his grip.

“No. The scars—”

“Yes,” she said licking her lips. “I want to see you.”

He shook his head. “I had to be cut out of the car. It was—”

“I want to see all of you,” she whispered, touching his face. His jaw tensed. His eyes burned into hers. She saw uncertainty.

Beck pulled the tank top over his head and kept it clenched in his fist close to his leg. He didn’t touch her…just knelt there watching her face as she stared at him. The scars started at mid waist then up to his collarbone and ended at the base of his neck.

He looked like a warrior, strong and masculine and she wanted him to touch her. Yet, he made no move to do so. Then it occurred to her that whatever words she uttered next would decide how the night would turn out. But there was only one thing to say.

“You’re beautiful.” Running her hands up his chest, she felt the texture of his scars beneath her fingers and pulled him towards her.

The uncertainty vanished from his eyes as a million dollar smiled spread across his face. There was something primal about him. He was all male. Hot and sexy. She loved everything about him. The way he kissed her as if he couldn’t get enough of her. The way he touched her with such care as though she was fragile.

He was strong and beautiful and tonight he was hers. She would enjoy him. She started with his nipples as she teased, caressed and tasted.

“No,” she cried when Beck pulled away.

“Shh.” He silenced her cry with a kiss then reached over to the drawer of the nightstand for a condom keeping his promise to take care of her in every way.

They came together in an explosion of need meeting need. Both clinging to each other and riding the wave to a climax that had her once again singing a high-pitched note that left him laughing.

Beck rolled over on his back taking her with him nestled in his arms. She kissed his chest sliding her arm across his waist. He lifted his head turning towards the wall of windows his eyes filled with concern. The windows were bare. They were high enough that she didn’t have to worry about the rest of the world.

“What’s wrong?”

“I thought you may have shattered the glass,” he said with a lazy chuckle.

She pinched him playfully on the arm and he caught her hand kissing her open palm.

“She’s not only a screamer, she pinches too. Sexy.”

He pulled her closer and she felt his warm breath on her cheek. Moments later he drifted off into sleep.

Markie watched Beck as he slept looking peaceful. Sleep was the furthest thing from her mind. She shouldn’t have come. Sleeping with Beck would only complicate things between them. Her focus should be on Sydney.

Guilt ate at her.

She felt Becks hand tightened around her waist. His breathing soft and low as his hand caressed her stomach in his sleep.

Fear consumed her. Sydney could be hurt. She should be doing more to find her sister.

•  •  •

Beck knew before he opened his eyes Marklynn had left the bed. Turning his head towards the dent in the empty pillow, memories of last night played out in his mind as he looked down at the scars on his chest that had haunted him since the accident.

Monika wouldn’t touch him after the car accident and he assumed it was because of the scars. Their marriage was already in trouble before the accident, but he had wanted to make it work. After the accident, they both stopped trying.

Marklynn told him he was beautiful. She’d kissed every scar chasing away all the insecurities about his body he had kept buried since the accident.

Marklynn Brooks was a special lady and he was falling in love with her. He didn’t think she was ready to hear his declaration of love just yet.

Her focus was on Sydney. If he wanted her undivided attention, Sydney had to be found. Until then, he would be there for her to love her and care for her.

Beck tossed back the covers and got up. Their clothes were neatly folded at the end of the bed. Reaching for his boxers, he stepped into them and out of an old habit grabbed the tank top. Then he left it where it was on the bed and went in search of the woman that turned his world upside down last night.

He found her on the balcony dressed in her white shirt, her legs bare, the wind blowing her hair across her face. Her arms were wrapped around her body as if she was holding herself together. He stood at the door watching her. She was a million miles away.

Last night she came to him, but this morning she was probably wondering what she’d done. By the stiffness in her body it looked as though she was ready to bolt. He could sense it, but he was having none of that. He stepped out onto the balcony.

“Good morning.” Slipping his hands around her waist holding her from behind, he kissed the back of her neck.

She jumped.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you.”

“It’s okay. I was lost in thought.”

“Mmm you smell nice.”

“You have quite the selection of Victoria’s Secret body washes in the guest washroom,” she said in a nonchalant way.

Was it jealousy he detected in her voice, he wasn’t quite sure. He didn’t want her thinking there was anyone else. Their relationship was still new and he wanted to explore it and every inch of her body.

“You can thank my stepmother for that along with my interior design,” he said nodding towards the living room.

“That explains the Greek columns.”

“She missed the mark with the Greek columns, but she was right about Victoria’s Secret. Which one did you use? I want to stock up for you.”

“The one in the purple bottle,” she replied and pulled out of his arms moving closer to the railing.

Beck moved next to Marklynn with his back against the railing, but he didn’t touch her even though he wanted to. His eyes settled on the throbbing pulse at the base of her neck.

“You’re not having second thoughts about last night, are you?”

“No. I’m just a little preoccupied this morning that’s all. Given the circumstances anyone would be. I’ve a meeting in a couple of hours. I need to go home and change to meet Jamie in Jamaica Plains.”

She turned away from the railing and he grasped her arm then loosened his grip. The wind blew her hair across her face and he swept his hand gently across her face tucking the wayward strand behind her ear. “Don’t push me away.”

“You’re not going to get all touchy feely on me are you?” She attempted a smile that landed somewhere between scared and terrified.

“I’m a touchy feely kind of guy. I thought I showed you that last night, sweetheart.” Then she smiled. A smile that did things to him. He wanted to drag her back off to bed. “If you want another demonstration, I’ll be happy to oblige.”

Leaning her forehead on his chest, she breathed in through her nose and let the air out slowly through her mouth. She was trembling and it was the middle of summer.

“What is it? Talk to me.”

“There’s a lot going on right now. Sydney…I can’t… Can we take this slow?”

Holding on to her he thanked the heavens for this gift that was in his arms. He would give her all the time she needed.

“You set the pace and I’ll follow.” He kissed her forehead. “I make a mean omelet. I call it the Beck’s Special.”

“Should I ask what you put in it?”

“Nope.”

•  •  •

Beck’s kitchen was no ordinary kitchen. It was straight out of an interior design magazine. There was an island in the middle of the kitchen with a deep sink surrounded by a dark stone counter top. A gas stove was centered against one wall. Over the stove a large hood fan hung from the ceiling.

On either side of the stove there were stainless steel and walnut cabinets mounted on the walls. Double ovens were mounted on the wall and the refrigerator, also stainless steel, completed the dream kitchen.

From where Markie sat on a stainless steel stool at the island, she had a perfect view into the living room. It wasn’t the view into the living room that caught her attention. It was the man himself. She wondered what would happen if she allowed herself to take a chance on him and let what was happening between them unfold.

When she’d dressed and returned from the bedroom, he was in blue jeans and a black T-shirt whistling while cooking up a storm. The Beck’s Special, his signature dish, had everything. It included all the leftovers in the fridge tossed into the omelet. For someone who worked 24/7 he sure had a lot of food in his fridge. It made her wonder who was stocking his refrigerator then came to the conclusion it was his stepmother as she was responsible for stocking the guest bathroom.

Marklynn wasn’t big on breakfast. To her it wasn’t the most important meal of the day. But the aroma from the eggs with all the ingredients added made her mouth water. When he placed a plate piled high in front of her with the eggs, chunks of red pepper and meat, she ate as if she hadn’t been fed in years.