WMIS 07 Breathe With Me (20 page)

“You did.”

“Aren’t we too old for that?”

“No one can see it but me.” I tilt her head back so I can look in those baby blues. “I enjoy marking you.”

“You
are
a caveman, you know that, right?”

“With you, yes I am. And I won’t apologize for it.”

“I wasn’t asking you to.” She wiggles closer to me and sighs contentedly. “Do we have time for a nap?”

“Sure, baby.”

“We’ll talk when we wake up?”

“It’s a date.” I kiss her forehead and smile when she moans softly and I feel her body melt against me, limp in sleep. Before long I feel my own body relaxing and my eyes drift shut as Mer’s rhythmic breathing pulls me into sleep with her.

***

“Shit, we’re going to be late!”

I jerk awake to find Mer jumping out of the bed.

“Wake up, Mark! We overslept. We have to be at your mom and dad’s in twenty minutes.”

“Damn,” I mutter and scrub my hands over my face. “Well, at least we already showered.”

“And got dirty again.” She laughs.

“Can I persuade you to take another shower with me?”

“No. Get dressed, horny man.”

“I’m sorry, I couldn’t hear you over the sound of us having loud, crazy sex in my head.”

She laughs and throws my shirt at me. “You’re insatiable.”

“With you, yes.” I tug on her waist, pulling her into my lap so I can kiss her neck. “I’ll never get enough of you.”

“Well you’ll have to wait,” she whispers and kisses my cheek. “Because we’re going to be late.”

She bounces out of my lap and finishes dressing. I don’t move, I just sit with my shirt in my hand and watch her pull on a long black skirt and black and white top, then step into black sandals. She brushes her hair out and leaves it loose around her face, then applies the smallest amount of makeup, but it makes her eyes even bluer and her lips shine.

“You’re not dressed.” She props her hands on her hips and watches me with amused eyes. “Mark?”

“Yeah.”

“You’re not dressed.”

“You’re so fucking beautiful it hurts to breathe.”

She blinks in surprise and crosses to me. “Are you okay?”

I take her hands in mine and kiss her knuckles softly, then stand and hug her close. “So fucking beautiful,” I whisper and tilt her head back and place an easy kiss on her lips, before I pull away to dress.

She looks shell-shocked as I quickly dress and lace up my shoes, then take her hand in mine and lead her to the car.

“What was all that for?” she asks.

“It wasn’t for anything. It’s how I feel.” I shrug and lace our fingers as I drive us to my mom and dad’s house.

***

As we pull up to the house that I grew up in, Sam and Leo pull in behind us in Leo’s black Camero.

“You’re late,” Sam says and glares at me.

“What does that make you?” I ask and clap Leo on the shoulder as he laughs at Sam.

“Fashionably late.”

She offers Mer a real smile, and Mer returns it happily.

“It’s good to see you, Sam.”

“Don’t let Mark make you late for everything. It’s a bad habit of his.” Sam links her arm through Mer’s and leads her into the house with Leo and me bringing up the rear. “How did it go with Starla?”

Meredith glances at Sam in surprise. “How did you know Jax and I were working with Starla?”

“Mark told me,” Sam replies.

“It was fun, but I’m happy to be home.”

But for how long are you going to be home?

“Hello, everyone!” Mom is holding a sleeping Keaton on her shoulder, swaying her hips back and forth, rocking him soothingly as Livie and Luke sit on the floor playing with a toy kitchen.

“Hi, Mom,” I say and kiss her cheek, then gesture to Meredith. “You remember Mer.”

“Of course. Hello, darling. I’m so glad you came.”

“Thank you for inviting me.” Mer grins and kisses Keaton’s head, then Mom’s cheek.

“My turn,” Dad announces as he joins us from the kitchen. He collects hugs from Sam and me and then lifts Mer off her feet in a big bear hug. “It’s so good to see you, Meredith.”

She grins and blinks back tears as he sets her on the ground, then moves on to shake Leo’s hand.

“You okay?” I whisper down to her. She replies with a quick nod and a brave smile.

“Hi, guys,” Nat says and waves from the dining table off the kitchen. She’s drinking a glass of wine and smiling happily.

“You must be done breastfeeding,” Sam guesses and joins her.

“Yes, ma’am. I figured it was for the best, especially with the Vegas trip this weekend.”

Liv stands and walks over to the bookshelves by the television in the family room that opens up to the kitchen.

“No, baby, you can’t have those,” Luke says and catches her before she can pull Mom’s glass bells off the shelf. “Mom, you have to babyproof this room. She’ll break these.”

“She’s never paid any attention to them before. I guess it’s time to pack them away for a while,” Mom says and kisses Keaton’s cheek. I hold a chair out for Mer then sit next to her and pour her a glass of wine. My phone buzzes in my pocket, so I pull it out to find a text from Isaac.

Take the rest of the week off. See you Friday at the airport.

“Everything okay?” Mer asks as I set my phone on the table.

“Yep. Isaac just gave me the rest of the week off.”

“I like him so much,” Mer says with a grin. I can’t help myself, I lean in and kiss those lips before taking a sip of my wine. “Me too.”

“Okay, men, I need you in the kitchen,” Dad announces as he starts pulling stuff out of the fridge.

“That’s my cue,” I whisper and kiss Mer’s cheek before joining Dad and Luke in the kitchen. To my surprise, Leo joins us too and smirks when I raise a brow at him.

“What? I can cook.”

“Really?”

“Yes, really.”

“Want to wear one of Mom’s aprons?” Luke asks and then laughs when Leo flips him off.

“Livie!” Nat jumps up and runs after her daughter who has gone straight for Mom’s bells again.

“Okay, troublemaker,” I say and scoop Livie into my arms. “You’ve wrecked enough havoc today. You can come cook with me.”

“Unca Mawk,” she says and grins. “Cook wif you.”

“That’s right.” I plant her on my hip and set about getting the rice ready and glance over to see Mer laughing with Nat, Sam and Mom.

She fits perfect here.

And then I remember Logan’s remark at the airport and all of the air leaves my lungs.

Leo blows a raspberry on Liv’s cheek as he walks by, making her giggle and pulling me out of my depressing as fuck thoughts.

“Daddy’s cookin’,” she says and points at Luke.

“He thinks he is,” I reply and whisper in her ear, “but he’s not as good as Uncle Mark.”

Liv giggles and Luke flips me off behind her back.

“So, Nat,” I begin and watch Luke with a smug smile. “When are you going to run away with me?” I cross to where she’s sitting at the table and rest my hand on her shoulder. Mer’s pursing her lips, but her eyes are laughing at me.

“I have to check my calendar,” she says and leans her face on my arm.

“Dude, get your hands off my wife. You have your own girl.”

“I don’t know,” Mer says, playing along. “I think they make a cute couple.”

“You’re not supposed to encourage him,” Luke says, glaring at Mer.

“You know you prefer me,” I continue. Livie is watching us avidly, turning her gaze from her mom at my side to her dad, who is now leaning on the kitchen counter glaring at me.

“Mmm…” Natalie acts like she’s thinking it over, then shakes her head. “No, I’m still gonna stick with him.” She points to Luke and then pats my arm consolingly. “You have a better option over there anyway.”

“I guess our love was never meant to be,” I say, my voice full of drama.

“I guess not.”

“You’re all sickening.” Sam rolls her eyes. “Seriously, run while you still can, Mer. They’re all a bunch of crazies.”

“I think I’ll stay,” Mer says with a laugh. “I kind of like it.”

Yes, for the love of all that’s holy, stay.

“My kind of girl.” I kiss Mer’s cheek and lower Liv into her lap on my way back to the kitchen. I busy myself chopping vegetables for the salad, listening to the girls chatter and laugh. Luke and Leo are talking about a mutual friend in LA. Dad is seasoning the steaks for the grill.

I glance over at Mer to find her watching me with sober eyes, her lips tight. What is she pissed about?

Before I can ask her, Mom stands, lowers Keaton into his portable crib and gestures to the girls. “I want to show you girls my garden.”

“Will you guys listen for Keaton? We’ll take Liv with us,” Nat says.

“Sure, baby. Enjoy.” Luke smiles at his beautiful wife as the girls file out the patio door to the back yard.

Meredith won’t meet my eyes.

What the fuck just happened?

Chapter Thirteen

~Meredith~

“My kind of girl.” Mark kisses my cheek and lowers Liv gently onto my lap before joining the others in the kitchen. Liv looks up at me with wide eyes.

“Your name?” she asks with her sweet little voice.

“Meredith,” I reply.

“Meme,” she replies and smiles widely, then slaps her hands on the table and glances over at her mama. “Hi, Mama!”

“Hi, baby,” Nat says and smiles at her daughter.

“What are you packing for this weekend in Vegas?” Sam asks us.

“Are we doing formal stuff?” I ask and brush my fingers through Liv’s fine brown hair.

“Maybe. I don’t really know what the plan is,” Nat says with a shrug. “I’ll probably bring a cocktail dress and heels, just in case. I’m definitely taking my bathing suit so we can lounge by the pool.”

“I hate you for just having a baby a few months ago and you already have your pre-baby body back.” Sam glares at Natalie.

“I’m telling you,” Nat says with a grin. “It’s the yoga.”

“You do yoga?” I ask eagerly. “I’ve been trying to find a class since I moved back.”

“I teach a class,” Nat says. “You should come.”

“Awesome.”

“Well, I’m not taking yoga,” Sam says.

“You don’t need it,” Leo calls from the kitchen. Sam blows him a kiss.

“Okay, so something nice and a bathing suit,” I say and mentally thumb through my closet. “I guess I’ll take some jeans and tops too.”

“Yeah, bring a little of everything,” Sam says with a nod.

“How are you doing, Meredith?” Lucy covers my hand with her own and offers me a kind smile. She was always so nice to me, and the feel of her hand on mine reminds me of my mom and I’m caught in the grip of grief so quickly, I didn’t see it coming. My chest aches with a longing I’ve become used to feeling, but I keep the tears at bay and offer Lucy a smile.

“I’m doing well. The studio is doing great.”

“It’s such a joy to be able the spend time with you again,” Lucy says and pats my hand before turning her attention to Liv, who’s trying to squirm out of my lap so she can climb into Lucy’s.

Before I can respond, I see the screen on Mark’s phone light up at my elbow. I glance down to see a message from someone named Tami.

It’s been a while, sexy. Tonight work for you?

Seriously? He has women still calling him for booty calls?

I want to confront Mark right now, but now is not the time. We’re with his family, for crying out loud.

It’ll have to wait for later. We need to have that talk anyway.

Sam catches my eye and offers me a supportive smile. She obviously saw the text too. I just shrug, smile bravely and do my best not to stab Mark in the arm with the knife he’s currently using to chop the salad.

Just as I lift my glass to take a sip of my wine, Mark’s screen lights up again, but this time it’s from someone named Marcy, and it’s a photo.

Of her motherfucking tits.

Are you fucking kidding me?

“Man whore,” Sam mumbles and shakes her head. I don’t think I could confront him right now without killing him if I tried.

My skin suddenly feels clammy and I’m seeing red.

“I want to show you girls my garden.”

“I could use some fresh air,” I respond immediately. Maybe I’ll be able to breathe through the fury so I can talk with Mark calmly. But just then, the screen comes to life again, the way they do when you haven’t checked the last message that came in, reminding you it’s there, and I get a second look at Marcy’s double-D’s.

Lucy announces that we’re going outside just as Mark catches my eye. His brows rise in surprise when he sees my face, but I turn away, unable to look him in the eye. Luke agrees to listen for the baby as we shuffle outside.