Truth or Dare?

Breathe Baby, Breathe

I can't help the smirk that appears on my face. So he was jealous huh? I wanted to have a little fun with him. Call it payback for making my towel drop the first day I seen him since coming back home.

"Why do you want to know? Are you jealous Marcus Daniels?" I smiled wholeheartedly at the end and waited for his reply. This I had to hear.

"Yes. I am." Oh, that's it? That's all he's going to say? I stared at him for a second and his hand came up to stroke my cheek before he dropped it and clenched his jaw. He was clearly trying to hold back and respect my wishes but the pain was evident in his eyes. What was I doing to him? I wish I could just make my mind up about him.

"Calm down Mr Tough Guy. I'm going for lunch with the girls. I didn't realise how it came out and clearly you got the wrong end of the stick back there. I'm not interested in anyone except for you right now and I'm still trying to figure out whether we can happen!" I look away but straighten my back and look back into his eyes. I will not be weak. I swore to myself when Jackson left that I was going to be a strong woman. Woman up Fliss!

"You're so cute when you show how strong you are." He chuckles to himself but stops as soon as he notices he's pissing me off. "I'm sorry. I know you're strong, but I also know how much that bastard knocked out of you. You'll get all your strength back Fliss. Don't put so much pressure on yourself." The last part makes me smile. He thought I was strong? I thought he saw me as weak. I don't think anyone except my parents and my friends have called me strong and that's because they're obligated to do so right?

"Thank you Marcus. I didn't know you saw me that way. It...it means a lot. I really appreciate you saying that to me. More than you know." Before I know it, I pull him to me for a hug and then the smell of him hits me like a wave of masculinity. Musk and woodsy and something that only he smells of. I couldn't quite put my finger on it. Oh but that smell could make me instantly relax and feel safe. Mmm, if I could have that smell in a bottle. Eau de parfum style.

He lifts his hands to my waist and holds me just as tight as I hold him. We linger there for a while, neither wanting to pull away but I soon realise how this must look to him.

"Wait-" he pulls away from me but moves his hands to my hips. "Did you just say I was the only person you were interested in?" He has a wolffish grin on his face and he looks like a young boy. I remember the nights I spent dreaming of that smile as a young teenager. "I like that your thinking about us. I've been thinking about us too." He pulls me out of my little daydream and I smile at how happy he is.

"Oh really?" I giggle and he smiles even wider. I don't think I've ever seen him so happy.

"Oh yeah. I'm not giving anything away to you Fliss. You have to be mine to hear what I want to say." That does it. I think I'm helpless to this man but I refuse to show it. I don't want him to think he can just have me. Yeah he's waited for me, or so he says, but we haven't even had a single date and he wants me to be his?

"Marcus I need to go...I have plans with my friends. Maybe I'll see you later?" I don't know what I'm meant to say. I just know I need to go. The hope in my voice at the possibility of seeing him again is quite clear to both of us.

"Yeah sure. I'm out with Roman all day but you could come over mine tonight and watch a movie? I'll make popcorn and buy your favourite chocolate?" I can tell this would mean a lot to him and he's so excited at seeing me. This man!

"That...sounds like fun. How do you know my favourite chocolate?" I can't help but wonder how he thinks he knows so much about me.

"I paid attention over the years. What can I say?" He smiles and draws a circle with his thumb on the skin on my hip, underneath my vest. I feel a shiver run down my spine and goosebumps stand on my back on my neck. It was such a simple action and yet it created so many complicated emotions inside me. My heart says 'jump him and have the best sex of my life' and my head says 'you're a sweaty mess and you still don't know whether it would work'.