In Too Deep: A Romantic Suspense Novel (50 page)

While our bath at home was not as good, it was still wonderful. In addition to specialized water heaters that could filter and recirculate the bath water to take it from a refreshing cool to an almost painful hot, the black marble interior was perfect for a long soak after a day at work or training with Mark, and the decoration, instead of being ostentatious, was actually subdued. I felt relaxed rather than pampered, and grounded rather than elevated and luxurious.

It was needed. There were times, living as Sophie Warbird, where it was very easy to slip into the fantasy of being the executive assistant and fiancee to one of the richest investors in the city. Just in the last week I had signed documents shifting over half a million dollars around, and had also signed off on financial reports from my friend Tabby that had more zeros than I thought I would ever see in my life on a bank account.

The craziest part of it all was that Mark and I hadn't even touched either our core savings or Mark's own stock market investments that he managed himself through a couple of shell companies and online aliases. While it wasn't mine technically, just over a year prior I had been nothing more than a college student who slung beers at night to make ends meet, still Mark and I were as close as we'd ever been.

I lay there in the warm water, letting my muscles relax, when I heard the door to the bath area open and I opened my eyes to see Mark standing there.

"Hey beautiful," he said, his eyes taking in my body through the clear waters.

Considering he was wearing just a pair of athletic shorts that he had worn for our workout that day, I had quite a view too. Steely muscles swept like liquid from every one of Mark's joints, sweeping and curving in all the ways that spoke of the graceful power contained within his body. I loved his legs, especially the scar where he'd been shot by a Russian commando. The scar was thicker than what could have been, forming a slight hook on the outside of his quadriceps because it had only been a flesh wound. But that, in addition to the thin scar where I had stitched up his right shoulder muscle, in some small way seemed to mark him as mine. Especially the shoulder scar where my own handiwork contributed to the final look of his skin. Thankfully, I hadn't needed to do any more stitching since then.

"Hey babe," I replied, scooting over. "The water's nice if you want to join me. After that gym session, I think you might need it as much as I do."

Mark smiled and shrugged. "Trust me, just looking at you stretched out like that washes away any soreness and gives me enough strength to take on a hundred men barehanded."

I cupped a bit of the water in my hands and let it run down over my chest, intentionally dribbling it between my breasts. "Is that so? Well, maybe I could use you in the bath with me then."

"I could never refuse a request from you, my love," Mark said, hooking his thumbs into the waistband of his shorts and pushing them down. Did I say earlier I liked Mark's legs? Yeah, they looked even better with nothing on, especially that
third leg
that he could use to give me so much pleasure. "My eyes are up here, you know."

I laughed at the corny comeback and scooted over in the water. Mark slipped in, stretching out next to me. When we installed the bath, we made sure that the one side was sloped so that two people could recline easily next to each other. Stretching his long legs out, Mark lay back next to me, looking up at the ceiling before closing his eyes. "It was a good day today," he said, a gentle smile on his face. "I was happy."

"Considering you handstand walked across the entire floor, you should be," I replied, turning to study his face. While Mark's body was more than impressive, what always intrigues me about him is the way his face can change. When he was in public as Marcus Smiley, he wore this sort of mask, a cocky, somewhat affable look. It wasn't exactly unintelligent, but slightly open, a look that often put some of our investment targets off guard, miscalculating what they wanted to tell us. That, and the fact that I also wore tight suits with lots of cleavage to throw them off even more.

When he was in action as what I could best call the Snowman, Mark's face was set, cold and distant. It took me a while to recognize that it wasn't that Mark didn't feel anything during those times, but instead he was compartmentalizing himself, setting aside the immediate visceral emotional reactions for later. He was focused, and yes, a little bit scary.

But these were the times that I enjoyed most, looking at Mark as Mark, the man I loved. With me, and with a very select few other people he had let into his life, they got to see him as he really was.

It was the little things, like the fact that despite being a very high level athlete and financial genius, he still enjoyed eating Reese's Peanut Butter Puff cereal for breakfast or snacks, or that he had the world's cheesiest air guitar routine while jamming along to old Queen tracks. Those were the things that really were endearing about him, and what let me know just how amazing he was and how comfortable he felt around me.

"What are you looking at?" Mark said without opening his eyes. His ability to sense those things was another of his unique gifts.

"I was just thinking," I said, turning on my side and brushing a bit of hair off his forehead.

"About what?"

"How much I love you," I said, causing him to smile, "and something else."

"Hmmm? What's that?"

I took a deep breath, and said what was in my heart. "I want to have a baby with you."

Mark opened his eyes and looked over at me. "Seriously?"

"Seriously," I said. “I know we’ve talked about it before, and I know that our lives are full of danger, but I don't see that ending for a while. In the meantime, I can’t think of a better man to be with, nor someone who would make a better father than you. I know we got rid of my birth control a while back, but I was thinking maybe we could really try, you know, timing things and trying to get it right with my cycle."

Mark blinked, and peered into my soul with his piercing eyes. “Are you sure about this?" he asked, his voice soft and contemplative. "After all the terrible things I've done?"

"You’re the only one I could think of doing this with, I know that for sure," I said, turning over to kiss him. In between the soft, warm kisses I continued. "You protect me, you have a good heart, and you're everything a woman could ever want."

Mark smiled at me. "You’ve made me into a better man, Sophie. But when?"

"You are a good man. And you're all mine," I said, claiming his mouth again in a kiss. "As for when, well, according to the websites, the next four days would be best.”

Running my hands over his body, I couldn't suppress the small giggle as the tip of Mark's cock rose to break the surface of the water. "Seems someone else wants a kiss too? He's certainly not shy tonight."

"Maybe," Mark replied, stroking his hands through my purple hair. "But I don't think the bath is the right place for it to happen, you know?"

"Why?" I said, reaching down and taking him in my hand. "We've never done it in here before."

Mark was distracted as I stroked his cock slowly, a playful smile on my face. Finally, he took a deep breath and replied. "For all the erotic look," he said in between small groans, "the hot water would leave us drained. I don't need either of us passing out from heat exhaustion during sex."

I couldn't refute his argument, I already had a fine sheen of sweat on my body from the soaking. Still, part of me regretted getting out of the tub, and watching the water glisten as it ran over Mark's body. Waiting just until he was out of the bath, I pulled him down with my left hand for another kiss while my right hand grasped his cock lightly again, pumping it slowly while we kissed. The feel of his rock hard shaft in my hand and pressing against my lower belly filled me with a thick liquid heat, like melted caramel.

Leading him playfully by his cock, I retreated down the hallway, all the way to our bedroom. The large bed was exactly what I wanted, turning and pushing Mark onto the crisp cotton sheets. "I'm still dripping wet," Mark laughed when he hit.

"So am I," I said, the double meaning clear in my voice. "We can change the sheets later, or go sleep on the sofa. Right now I want to make love with you."

I fell on top of Mark, letting gravity dangle my breasts in front of his face. Despite his strong, tender lovemaking skills that doesn't ignore a single erogenous zone on my body, Mark definitely loves my breasts. I have to say I love teasing him by just brushing them in front of his lips, pulling them back if he reaches up for them. Normally, I could keep the game up for a very long time, but Mark and I were both too eager that night, and he pulled me down, his hands playing a symphony of sensation on my back while his lips feasted, going back and forth from one side to the other, sucking and nipping at my pale skin. When his tongue traced circles around my right nipple, I saw stars shoot across my vision.

Pulling back, I slid down until I could feel Mark's cock pressing against the wet juncture between my thighs. Looking him in the eyes, I kissed him again, resisting the urge to lift my hips up so I could impale myself on him. Instead we rubbed slowly, grinding against each other, my juices coating his hard shaft while my clit ground into the firm muscles of his lower stomach.

"I love you so much," I groaned as my hips circled, while his hands massaged my hips.

"I'll be with you forever," Mark said. He lowered his lips to the curve of my neck, sucking and licking the secret spot that only he knew about. "I swear."

"I swear," I echoed, lifting my hips up until I could feel his cock pressing against my entrance. Lowering myself slowly, not because I needed to but because I wanted to prolong the wonderful sensation of being filled by the greatest man in the world, my body trembled in lustful want as I felt his cock slowly, inch by beautiful inch, spread me open and fill me up. Finally, I pushed back off of Mark's chest to let that last inch push deep into me, my body's nerves singing heavenly choruses as it did.

"I never get tired of this," I sighed as my hips started to move back and forth. I put my hands on Mark's chest, teasing his own nipples with my thumbs while I slowly rode him.

"Me either," Mark said, running his hands over my arms. "And I’ve thought about it."

"What?" I said, my hips slipping back and forth in their own subconscious harmonious wave. Mark's own hips started to rise up and down as well, meeting my hips in soft little explosions.

"What you asked for in the bath. I agree," he said, his eyes full of intense emotion. "I want to have a baby with you too."

His words added fuel to my fire, and I moved my hips faster, my clit dragging deliciously against him with every thrust of our hips. I could feel the rising bubble of passion within me, and I let myself enjoy it, going faster and faster. Mark let go of my arms to cup my breasts, teasing my nipples with his fingers while I rode him, throwing back my head and groaning thickly. I was close, so close, and I knew what I needed.

"Fuck me, Mark. Please fuck me," I groaned into the air. I needed him, and sobbed for a moment as Mark lifted me off of him. "What?"

Mark kissed my lips quickly as he guided me onto my knees, and he slid behind me. "One shot knockout for both of us, baby."

I grinned and nodded at Mark's term, one we had picked up from some strange combination of our mutual martial arts training and something I had read for fun soon afterwards. Bending over, I let my breasts press into the the damp sheets and held on. I closed my eyes, letting my skin tell me everything I needed to know.

Mark's hands stroked my ass and back for a moment, and I knew what he was doing, looking at me bent over open and ready for him. The first stroke of Mark's cock up and down my labia sent electric shivers up my spine, and I could feel the muscles on the inside of my thighs jump in anticipation. "Ready?"

"Oh yeah," I barely breathed, "I'm so ready."

Mark took my waist in his hands, sliding inside me with one beautiful, breath driving thrust of his hips. He didn't hold back, his cock driving in and out of me quickly, barely giving me the chance to breathe before another soul-searing cascade of pleasure tore through my body. I buried my face in the sheets and screamed my joy as I clenched and pushed back into him. For all of the bitching I sometimes do about working out with Mark, being in good shape has a wonderful effect on sex. Being able to keep going, even as the breath burned in my lungs from the gasps and the sweat dripped off of me added to the pleasure.

Still, even with all of that, neither of us could hold back much longer. Mark's thrusts came faster and deeper, my ass warming as our hips slapped together harder and harder. My ears could hear the dual gasps and grunts coming from his and my lips as we sought our climax, and I squeezed as tight as I could with my inner muscles.

The feeling of Mark's cock swelling inside me is perhaps the greatest joy I have in making love with him outside of an actual orgasm. It's the sensation that not only stretches me that much more, but it also tells me that he only has a few seconds, ten or fifteen at most, before he comes. It's so wonderful because it’s so fleeting, and when I felt it then, I was overjoyed. I was holding back my own orgasm by only sheer force of will, and feeling him swell shattered even the illusion of control I had. My world paused, teetering on the razor's edge of insanity for a mere heartbeat before my orgasm exploded, and my wails of passion became a single long, undulating scream of joy and pleasure. I could feel Mark's hands clamp almost painfully on my waist as he also came, and we both froze, his arms tight on me.

In my mind I could see the swell of his biceps as he pulled, and the clear definition of his stomach muscles as his cock pumped and filled me up. The moment passed, and both of us collapsed to the side, Mark keeping himself buried inside me while we spooned, and we let the warm afterglow wash over us.

"God you're amazing," I breathed as I felt him wrap me in his arms and kiss the back of my neck.