Marked

I took a step back. I felt him add a little bit of pressure to my wrist, as if he didn’t want to let me go, but then he finally did. I liked saying his name… a lot.

“I will,” he finally said, his voice sounding even deeper.

“You will what?” I swallowed roughly.

And that slow smile crept back on his full lips. “I will be seeing you around, Izzy.”

My heart thundered behind my ribs. He sounded so sure, so confident about that. Without saying anything else, I licked my lips and turned to leave, feeling his gaze on me the entire time.

Chapter Seven

Tommy

Dammit. I hated to see her leave, but I sure as fuck liked to watch her walk away. I adjusted my growing erection as I stared at her little apple-shaped ass. I didn’t even give a shit who saw me, because I was so focused on Izzy that all I could do was think about all the things I wanted to do to her.

I planned on going to the hotel gym, but instead I found myself following her. I didn’t even have to know where she was going, because I could smell the sweet, spun sugar scent of her. It was like the cotton candy you get at the fair.

The sound of the elevator closing told me I’d just barely missed her, but that was okay. She wouldn’t get far. I couldn’t let her walk away, couldn’t ignore how I felt. I’d never felt this about a woman before, this instant attraction, this insane need to know more about her, to be with her. It wasn’t just sexual desire, although that was absolutely there. There was something when I looked into Izzy’s eyes, this pull, this almost innocence and vulnerability that called to the most basic, male part of me.

I wanted to protect her, wanted to wrap my arm around her shoulders and keep her close as we made our way down the sidewalk with this proprietary air around us so everyone knew she was mine. It was fucking insane, insta-lust at warp speed, but it felt real.

That should’ve scared the fuck out of me, but the fact that it didn’t, that I embraced it, had my obsession for her climbing higher. And the truth was if I hadn’t run into her, I would’ve searched high and low to find out who she was. I would have retraced my steps, tried to find anything out. I would’ve called in favors, asked buddies who ran security in the city. It was extreme and excessive, bordering on a stalker-ish, but when something felt as incredible as it did when I’d been with Izzy, there was no way in hell I was going to ignore it.

I couldn’t even if I wanted to.

It was too strong, too pronounced inside me.

I took the next elevator and headed to the lobby. I had no idea where she was going, but I assumed it was for breakfast, possibly coffee, given how early it was. I walked around people as soon as I got off the elevator, heading toward the room where I knew everything was set up. I could still smell her sweet scent. I didn’t know if it was because she’d just been here a moment ago or because her scent was ingrained in my brain now.

I was pretty sure it was the latter.

I stepped into the banquet room, long tables set up against the wall, silver platters filled with an array of breakfast items.

There was a small line for the buffet style meal, and people made their way to each dish and filled their plates.

I noticed Izzy right away, at the end of the line, a plate in hand, her focus on her shoes. I could see she had her brows knitted as if she were in deep thought. My entire body tightened, my muscles clenching, and I found myself walking over there before I could stop myself. But I wouldn’t have fucking tried to stop myself regardless.

I stood behind her, Izzy oblivious to the fact that I was right there. God, she smelled so good, so sweet, that it had my mouth watering.

I leaned in, closed my eyes, and inhaled deeply, the strands of her hair gently brushing against my nose. When I straightened and opened my eyes, I could see a couple people looking at me with confusion on their faces. I probably looked like a fucking creep.

Izzy shifted on her feet a couple times and glanced over her shoulder, and when she saw me standing right behind her, her eyes widened, her mouth opening a little. But then she narrowed her gaze at me and turned to face me fully, her lips pursed as if in annoyance.

But I didn’t miss the rapid beat of her pulse at the base of her throat, or the way she started to breathe harder. She could act like she didn’t care about my presence, but her body betrayed her.