As he slumped back against the plush cushions of his sofa, he thought again of Angel. It was far too late to call her now—but he wanted to. He reached for his phone lying on the table beside him and waged an inner war. He could text her once and if she didn’t reply, he’d know she was asleep. He chose to ignore his inner voice telling him that he’d wake her up either way. Sorry was later than I expected. Bet you’re already asleep. He closed his eyes and tried to relax. He was dozing off when the sound of his phone ringing jolted him abruptly. He looked at the display and chuckled. “What’re you doing awake, Angel?”
“Waiting for you to call,” she responded softly and without hesitation.
His gut clenched, and his heart did a funny flip. So fucking sweet and innocent. He should walk away and leave her alone. If only he didn’t want her so damned much. She was changing him—changing everything. “Baby . . . ,” he said, unable to get anything else out.
“You sound tired,” she added. “Is your trip going okay?”
“Yeah, Angel,” he said huskily. “Just dealing with some family shit.”
She sounded curious now. “Problem?”
“The usual.” He had no idea why he was compelled to add, “My father makes your mother seem like June Cleaver, if that gives you any idea.”
All was quiet before she let out an “Ohhh. Wow, I had no idea. I’m sorry.”
He was moved by the sincerity in her voice, but he didn’t want to think about his parents anymore for a while. “It is what it is, Angel. So, tell me about your evening. What had you stressed enough earlier to request a DeStudo drive-by?”
She giggled at his attempt to lighten the mood. “It was . . . nothing specific really. The usual long day.”
Even though she tried to sound light and airy, Mark could tell there was more to it than that. She seemed happy to talk to him, but he could detect a note of strain beneath the surface. “Did you speak to your mother today?” he asked casually, figuring that was the source of her unhappiness.
In a rapid-fire change of subject, she asked playfully, “So . . . what’re you wearing, DeStudo?”
If her evening had been anything like his, then he figured she needed an escape, because he certainly did. So, he went along with her diversion and replied, “Still dressed in everything except my jacket. How about you, Angel? What’s touching that beautiful body of yours?”
She hesitated for a moment. “A T-shirt and panties. I wanted to say something more exciting, but I’m going with the truth.”
“I can’t imagine anything better than what you’ve just described. I bet that shirt is riding up and the curve of your sweet ass is peeking out. If I were there, I’d have my hand right on that spot where it connects with your thigh. You’re so sensitive that you’d shudder as I stroked you.”
“Oh, wow.” He heard her breath hitch, and he knew without seeing her that she was biting her plump lip. That mouth drove him crazy. He spent far too much time thinking of it wrapped around his cock. Then she surprised him by asking—or more like mumbling shyly—“Do you . . . I mean, have you ever tried . . . phone sex?”
He couldn’t help it; her question had him bursting into laughter. He heard her huffing in irritation before he finally got himself back under control enough to say, “Yeah, but it’s been a long time.”
“Oh,” she murmured, “I guess it was never something that the great DeStudo had to resort to very often.”
“That’s true,” he agreed truthfully. “I think we both know I haven’t lacked for female company, Angel, but I will say this. Right now, other than being with you in person, there is nothing else I’d rather be doing. In the past I would have gone out tonight and found someone. Fuck knows I needed the release, but it just didn’t interest me.”
“Really?” she asked, sounding almost giddy at his words. He’d never been one for flowery speeches, and to him, what he’d just said didn’t even come close to romantic. But it seemed to make her happy, and it was certainly the truth. All he wanted right now was her, and phone sex sounded pretty damn appealing.
“Baby, I could drag this out for a while, tease you with taking off one article of clothing at a time, but I think we need to cut to the chase. So how about you be a good girl for me and remove that shirt and your panties. While you’re doing that, I’m going to take my clothes off and then I’m going to stroke my cock while you touch yourself. Does that work for you?”
“Um—yes!” she squeaked. “I’m er . . . going to do that—what you said—right now. Hang on, okay?”
Chuckling under his breath, he said, “All right, baby.” Then he laid the phone down before tossing off his clothing. Instead of returning to the sofa, he went to the bed. The sheets felt smooth and cool against his overheated skin. “You back, Angel?” he asked as his hand encircled his hard length. He clicked the SPEAKER button on his phone and dropped it on the bed beside him.
“I’m here,” she answered right away. “I’m naked. Should I be on top of the covers or under them? Is there like a certain position that you’re supposed to assume for this?”
He smiled, wanting to laugh at her question but managing to bite it back. “Put your phone on speaker and lie on top of your comforter, Angel—then spread your legs for me. Now touch yourself and tell me if you’re wet.” He heard a rustling sound and knew that she was doing as he instructed.
He pinched the tip of his cock, attempting to relieve a little pressure, as she suddenly moaned low in her throat, admitting, “I’m really wet. And my hand feels good—but not as good as yours.”
“Ah, baby,” he groaned, while pumping his dick. “Slip a finger inside you.” He knew by the sounds she was making that she’d done exactly as he asked. “Rub your clit with your other hand.”
“That feels so good,” she whimpered. “Are you . . . doing it too?”
As his balls tightened painfully, he said, “Yeah, Angel. I’m imagining plunging deep inside of your wet heat while I bury my tongue in your mouth. I’m so hard right now that I can hardly stand it. And it’s all for you, baby. Now add another finger and stretch yourself.”
“I’m close,” she wailed, and he could hear her how close she was to her orgasm through the phone line. “Oh, Mark—I wish you were here.”
“Me too, baby,” he gasped out as his hips surged forward. With the sounds of her cries in his ears, he shot streams of cum onto his belly. He knew he called her name as she continued to call his. “Are you okay, Angel?” he managed to ask when he finally recovered. She’d been quiet for the last minute or so, not saying anything.
“Mmm-hmm,” she sighed, sounding both tired and satisfied. “That was awesome. I mean, it’s not the same as—you know, but it was still one of the best ever.”
“For me as well,” he admitted, and he meant it. He’d come harder from phone sex with her than he had being intimate with most of the other women who’d passed briefly through his life. “It’s late, baby,” he said gruffly, unused to dealing with these types of tender feelings. “You should go to sleep now. You’re working tomorrow, right?”
“Yes,” she answered quietly, and he knew that she was already practically dozing. “When are you coming home?”
He yawned, relaxing further into his pillow before remembering he had some cleanup to take care of. “I’ll be back sometime tomorrow evening. We’ll have dinner if it’s not too late.”
“Mmmm K,” she agreed. “Night, Mark.”
He said his good nights and waited until she ended the call before tossing his phone aside. He left the bed and took a quick shower before collapsing back onto the soft surface. As his mind relaxed and his body drifted, he couldn’t help but find it strange that after a shitty evening, he was going to sleep happier than he had been in a while. And somehow he didn’t think it had anything at all to do with phone sex.
Chapter Seventeen
“Please tell me you aren’t still going to marriage counseling with Bill,” Ella pleaded.
“I’ve only been o
ne time,” Crystal said defensively. “But he’s pressuring me to go again.”
Ella ran a hand through her hair in frustration before looking at the baby monitor on the table beside her. Sofia had gone down for a nap right after Crystal arrived, and she was still moving restlessly in her crib. When the baby quieted again, Ella said, “Tell me the absolute truth. Are you thinking of taking Bill back?”
“What?” Crystal gasped. “No! Of course not. I’m happy as I am.”
“Okayyy.” Ella drew the word out as if her patience were being tested. “Then why are you going to marriage counseling with him? For God’s sake, Crys, that’s whacked. Do you realize what kind of message you’re sending the man? He no doubt thinks you’re going to end up remarrying sometime in the not so distant future. That’s certainly what most would believe. And what about Mark?”
“Things are good with him,” she said happily. Actually, things were great there. They’d been going out for over a month, and the only times they weren’t together in the evening were the few times he’d been out of town on business.
“That’s good.” Ella smiled before lowering the boom. “And what does he think about you attending a therapy session with your ex-husband? I can tell you what Declan’s opinion would be on the matter, and it’s hard to believe that Mark is that understanding.”
Crystal shifted in her seat before dropping her head back on the sofa and staring up at the ceiling. “I—er, I haven’t really told him,” she mumbled, hoping that her sister couldn’t understand what she was saying. She should have known better.
“That’s pretty much what I thought.” Ella snorted unhappily. “Crys, are you trying to ruin your life? I’ll admit, when you and Mark first started spending time together, I was a tad concerned that you would get hurt, and Declan was frantic. But you two have been so good for each other. Everyone says that Mark is a changed man, and you’re just . . . glowing. I’ve never seen you this happy before, even when you were a newlywed. But you’re playing with fire here, and I don’t understand why.”
Crystal pinched the bridge of her nose before looking at her sister and admitting softly, “He keeps crying.”
“Mark?” Ella shrilled, looking amazed.
“What? No! Of course not. Bill. It’s as if he’s broken out of the cold shell he’s always lived in and now he’s this whole new emotional person that I don’t recognize. Each time I try to tell him that I’ve moved on and there is no hope of us getting back together, he breaks down. He said that he just needed me to be his friend and support him while he’s getting help. I mean, he doesn’t have anyone else, and he wants to change.”
Ella blinked rapidly before pursing her lips. “Honey, I think it’s great that Bill is attempting to better himself. And, of course, knowing how softhearted you are and the history between you both, I would expect nothing less than for you to be a friend to him. But, that being said, you’re going to marriage counseling at his request. Which indicates that you’re working on issues as a couple—to have a future together again. I’m very much afraid that Bill is manipulating you and taking advantage of your good nature.”
Crystal chewed her bottom lip as she pondered her sister’s words. In truth, she’d wondered the same thing more than once. But he seemed so sincere. And he hadn’t made a move on her romantically—well, other than holding her hand during the session. “I don’t know what to do,” she finally admitted. “I know I shouldn’t care whether he suffers or not because he never cared or noticed when I was. But he just seems so lonely and lost, and I feel kind guilty that I’ve caused it.”
Ella reached over and put a hand on top of hers. “That’s why you’re the woman you are, sis. You have a huge heart, and you don’t want the person who made you miserable to be sad. But regardless of whether it’s genuine or if he’s messing with your head, it has to end. It’s not fair to you, to Bill, or most of all, to Mark to keep this going. Tomorrow, you need to call him and tell him that you can’t do it anymore. Don’t meet him in person, because you won’t be able to handle it if he gets emotional.”
“All right.” Crystal sighed. “I know you’re right. I guess I’d just been hoping that Bill would lose interest in me again—you know, kind of like when we were married.” Smiling, she added, “I certainly don’t want to lose Mark.”
“How are things with DeStudo?” Ella asked with a mischievous grin. “You know everyone’s talking about the whole romance of the year, right?”
Baffled, Crystal asked, “Romance of the year? Us?”
“Well, heck yeah,” Ella enthused. “No one has ever seen Mark walk around at Danvers holding a woman’s hand. You two are joined at the hip almost every day when you come through the door, and trust me, it’s been a hot topic. Did you know that your boss calls him . . .”
“Mr. Big,” Crystal filled in with a laugh. “Yep, she’s convinced that we’re the Danvers/DeSanto version of Carrie and Mr. Big from Sex and the City. Of course, I think she’s concentrating on Mark’s right-hand man, Jacob, more than anything.”
“She mentioned that too,” Ella agreed with a grin. “It’s nice to see her smiling again every day, though, isn’t it? I mean, I knew Lydia a little before you went to work as her assistant, and she always seemed so sad. I’m not saying that anything will ever come of her crush on Jacob, but it’s great to see her living life again.”
“I’ve been trying to get Mark to set them up,” Crystal confessed sheepishly. “He says he’s not getting involved, though, and that Jacob doesn’t really do long-term commitments.”
“Well, neither did Mark,” Ella argued.
“We aren’t exactly engaged; it’s been like a month,” Crystal pointed out.
“For a man like Mark, that’s major,” Ella added. “I’m just saying that sometimes people do things a certain way because they haven’t found someone who makes them want more. Look at Declan—he wasn’t looking for love, marriage, or a family, but that changed.”
“That’s true,” Crystal said thoughtfully. “Whatever it is, I’m enjoying what we have. I never knew that a man could make me feel so much.” Dropping a hand over her eyes, she whispered, “I flat out lust after him as much as I did back when I used to stalk him around the office. And it’s not just that. He’s funny, thoughtful, and one of the most interesting people I’ve ever met.”
Moving in for the kill, Ella asked bluntly, “And are you willing to lose that to keep from hurting Bill’s feelings?”
“No”—Crystal cringed—“not at all. Of course, you’re right. I’ll do something about it.”
“Thank God,” Ella deadpanned. “Now, are you two coming to Suzy’s party this weekend? I have no idea what’s going on because she’s been really secretive about it.”
“I think Gwen knows something.” Crystal nodded. “When we were having lunch the other day, she acted really funny when Mia brought up the party.”
“Same thing here from Beth. She’s a horrible liar, and I can normally get her to break, but this time she’s keeping her mouth shut, which is highly unusual.”
“Mark doesn’t know anything,” Crystal said thoughtfully. “He asked Gray if there was some special occasion, but instead of answering, he said Gray just smiled and walked off. I tried to get him to ask Nick or Jason, but he told me that men don’t harass other men for information like that.”
“Oh bullshit.” Ella snorted. “They try to pretend that women are so much worse about gossip, but I’ve heard Declan in action, and they’re every bit as nosy. He probably already tried it but didn’t want to admit to failing.”
Before Crystal could reply, her phone chimed and she fished it from her purse. Her insides went all gooey as soon as she saw the text from Mark. When’re you going to be home, Angel?
“Dear Lord, let me see that.” Ella chuckled as he grabbed the phone from Crystal’s fingers. When she read the message, she said, “Awww, that’s so sweet. Is he waiting at your place or something?”
Crystal knew she was blushing as
she admitted, “No . . . he’s talking about his house. He calls it ‘home’ because—it is, right?”
Wiggling her brows, Ella said, “Mmm-hmm, it’s his place all right. But he’s referring to it as your home. That’s a big difference.” When her sister started humming the bridal march, Crystal got up from the sofa and threw a pillow at her.
“Keep it together, crazy. If Mark hears you doing that, then no doubt he’ll run for the hills.” Picking up her purse and snatching her phone away from Ella, she walked backward to the door. “I’m leaving now before you start ordering wedding invitations and creating a song list.”
Ella laid back full-length against the couch cushions, putting her hands behind her head. “Come on over to the dark side, Crys—it’s pretty sweet here.”
Crystal shook her head and gave a wave before leaving. She quickly typed out a response to Mark’s text letting him know she was on her way as she settled in her car. She didn’t want to admit it to her sister or anyone else, but she’d started to let herself think of Mark’s place as home. She only hoped for the sake of her heart that it was a permanent residence and not temporary housing.
• • •
She and Mark had just finished a dinner of Chinese takeout and were curled up on the sofa watching television. It seemed so domestic and normal that Crystal had pinched herself once just to prove that she was awake. Somehow, she’d always imagined being with a man like Mark would mean lots of socializing, but they’d actually developed a fairly low-key routine. Most evenings they cooked, ordered in, or went out to eat, and then went back to either her apartment or Mark’s place—mostly his. They had gone to the movies a few times and spent lazy days on the beach in front of his house. She loved it since she’d never been one who liked to be constantly on the go.
His arm was around her shoulders, and he was absently twirling a piece of her hair when his phone rang. She saw Denny’s name on the display before Mark answered the call with a simple “Yeah?” Then there was nothing but silence, followed by an explosion of profanity. She jumped in her seat, looking at him in alarm. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me!” He removed his arm and hunched forward. “I swear to Christ, I’m about sick of dealing with this.” He said a few more sentences before ending the call and dropping his head in his hands.