He shook his head. “No, you’re not,” he said. “You’re a lot more than whatever you think you are. You’re this blinding light – we all see it. You’re so bright and strong. You can’t see it because that lightisyou.” He leaned down, his chest brushing my breasts. My breath caught again, and my heart skipped a beat. Marv paused, hovering just above me. “I have to know that you’re okay with this.” I was so focused on the electricity sparking in the air around us, my brain short circuited. I wasn’t sure if he meant that he wanted me to be okay with going to the camp or if he wanted me to be okay with him kissing me. Either way, I nodded my head. I wantedboth.
With that, Marv opened his mouth and his lips came down against mine. My own parted on a gasp and his tongue swept in. At first the kiss was rough and needy, like he was a fiery storm coming to me for some sort of tranquility. He kissed me with unexpected ferocity, a wild animal staking a claim on me. My stomach lit up with butterflies and sank into him like he was into me. My hands were pressed down to the bed, but, oh, how I wanted to push them into his hair, hold his head to me. Marv pulled back, letting me up for air for a brief moment before he dove backdown.
I writhed on the bed beneath him, his knee coming up between my legs, pushing them out until they were spread enough for both of his knees to fit between. He released my other hand – still kissing me as he jerked me up against his chest. I was sitting on his lap, my legs spread around him. I locked my ankles behind his back and returned his kiss with just as much enthusiasm. I knew I was breathing hard, but I couldn't get enough oxygen. He was sucking it allaway.
Marv wrapped his arms around me and finally –finally!– I was able to sink my fingers into his hair. I gripped his head and held him close like I wanted. He arched up beneath me, rubbing me between my legs and I moaned into his mouth. I gasped as he pulled back and those dark, glittering eyes of his took me in, roving over me with an intensity that made my breath catch in a whole newway.
The kiss was demanding and surprising, but I loved every second of it. Even when it turned into something new. Even when Marv slowed, and his kisses rained down on me like embers from a sparkling fireworks show. Everywhere he touched me – his hands on my back, running down my arms, his lips against mine – shot sparks through my skin into my veins. I shuddered in his arms, clutching him tightly to me. My mind turned a corner and disappeared. I couldn’t think, I couldn’t stop. I couldn’t freakingbreathe.
"Marv..." I whispered, panting. He stared at me and I athim.
"You have to stay safe, Sunshine." He barely managed to choke out the words. "You have to take everything Knix and Bellamy have taught you when you go in there. The job is important – but you're more important. If you're in danger, you tell us, and we'll get you out. Promise me that and I’ll let yougo."
I found myself stroking the sides of his face. I leaned forward and kissed his lips once...twice...a third time. I held ontohim.
"I'm going to be okay, Marv," I whispered. "Everything is going to beokay."
“Promise me,” heordered.
“Okay,” I replied. “Ipromise.”
He clutched me to him and when my legs unlocked from behind his back, Marv rolled us across the bed until I was spread over the top of his chest. "Don't you want to change?" I asked, leaningup.
Marv stiffened, and I felt something else stiffen as I brushed against his groin. I blinked at him, wide-eyed. "Not...no, I'm fine, Sunshine," he said through gritted teeth. I knew this time, though, he wasn'tangry.
"I-I'm sorry," I stuttered, feeling uncomfortable andunsure.
He sighed and patted my head, rolling me to lay next to him. "Don't worry about it, Sunshine," he said, kissing the top of my head. "Get somesleep."
I don't know how long either of us laid there with the soft music from my laptop playing in the background, but I was sure that by the time the sun rose, and light began filtering through my bedroom window, neither of us had slept a wink. It was going to be a longday.
* * *
As we walkedinto the airport, my eyes strayed. I had never actually been in one before and the cool shiny floors and masses of people sprinting in every direction had me enthralled. Children wailed while their parents shushed them, and travel weary businessmen strode by, wheeling small suitcases behind them. I looked down at my own. It was light purple vintage with wheels and pale markings that looked like some sort of brand name – an expensive brand name, I was sure, because Marv had been the one to hand it to me thatmorning.
"Gate 6B," Knixannounced.
He retrieved the printed plane tickets from his leather satchel. When I had asked why I needed a full suitcase, he had simply told me that I had to play the part and that meant nice – again, probably expensive – dresses and classic jewelry and heels. I had begged them to at least let me wear flip flops on the plane. So, there I stood in cheap white flip-flops in an Eileen Fisher shift dress that I was sure cost more than what I would have made in a pay period back at Alex's Diner. I didn't ask, though. I thought it would be better not to know in case I spilled something on it. I tried to pretend it was just a simple day dress that Marv had picked up atWalmart.
I was supposed to be playing a role, I knew. The role of Harley Hampton, Knix’s cousin. I needed to act like I already knew what being a debutante was, or at least, that I was interested in learning what it was. For the next two weeks, I would be a wealthy, southern, blue-blooded lady spending her summer vacation away from boarding school at Ms. Enders’ classic villa in upstate New York. I almost dreaded landing in BUF – the Buffalo Niagara International Airport. It would be the first time I ever set foot on a plane or outside of theCarolinas.
Knix handed a few tickets to Bellamy and asked him to wait with me to check my bag before meeting them at the gate. I couldn’t help but wonder if I would run into Michael in New York. It was a ridiculous thought – Michael worked in New York City and we would be in Buffalo. It was like thinking that everyone in New York knew each other, which was impossible. I sighed as Bellamy helped move my bag up to beweighed.
“Here’s your sticker, ma’am,” said the lady in a white and blue pressed suit dress as she handed me aslip.
I thanked her and let Bellamy take my hand as we moved towards the longer line in front of giant gray metal detectors. Men and women in TSA button-down shirts stood around large machines where people put their purses and smaller bags for x-ray inspection. We stepped in line and Bellamy looked down, specifically at my flipflops.
“Those were a good idea,” he said as he bent and began untying the laces of hissneakers.
I shrugged. “Better than walking around in heels allday.”
His eyes widened slightly. Not too much, just enough that I noticed and it wasn’t in surprise. No, it was something else. Something that made me think he didn’t quite agree. I knew he was right when he turned back and mumbled something under his breath. I leaned forward and managed to catch most of what he said. “Not with thoselegs.”
I shifted and looked down at my bare legs, but I didn’t get a chance to ask what he meant because soon enough we were next in line. The airport security officers had us take off our shoes and place them in a square container. Bellamy removed his belt and emptied his pockets. I laid my purse in the container next to my shoes, and we were gestured through the metal detectors. On the other side, we collected our things and Bellamy rushed to slip on his shoes and redo thelaces.
“Come on,” he said, taking my hand once more. “We’ve gotta catch up before they startboarding.”
“I thought we had another thirty minutes?” I protested as Bellamy took off at a fast-clip.