AFTER THE RAIN (Bonus edition)

29. Fate had set the stage

It was the perfect night, as if Fate had set the stage just for them. The full moon cast an ethereal white glow over everything outside. Marcus noticed how Stormy's porcelain skin was almost luminescent in the cool light, transforming her usually bright emerald eyes into a pale, watery green. There was something almost supernatural looking about her. She was extraordinary.

Marcus picked her up out of the warm water and lifted her into his arms, climbing out of the Jacuzzi. Stormy wrapped her arms around his neck as he effortlessly carried her inside. The warm glow of the flickering candles lit the room, and Stormy changed with the light. The orange glow made her look like she was coated in gold and her eyes turned an even darker green. He was in awe. Transfixed.

She was perfect in everyway. And she was perfect for him.

Marcus placed her gently on the bed and sat beside her for a while, gazing at her in silence. He was trying to recall the speech that he'd written in his head and had rehearsed several times over. Stormy was looking at him hopefully, as if she expected him to say something, to qualify his previous statement. He opened his mouth and just hoped that the words would come out correctly.

"I'm completely starting to... NO, I have... yes, I have... Fuck, I'm in love with you, Stormy-Rain. Big time." Her eyes lit up at his words. Spurred on by the relief of his confession, the floodgates opened. "You are the strangest little person I've ever met, and I think you might be perfect for me." He laughed now. "I'll take you and all of you, aliens and mixed idioms and terrible, I mean terrible, knitted scarves and all. And you would make me the happiest man in the world if you agreed to try and date me for more than six weeks. Promise me six weeks and one day, and we'll take it from there. Just give me the chance."

"Six weeks and one day?" Stormy asked, smiling up at him. And in that moment, he promised himself he would never let her go.

"I just want to make you happy. Tell me what you want, and I'll do whatever I can to make it come true. I want to give you everything you deserve." Marcus took her hand in his and looked at it intently, running his fingers through hers until he brought it up to rest on the side of his face. He needed to feel her soft touch. He looked at her, completely naked and sitting on the edge of the bed, looking utterly ethereal as the candlelight flickered against her luminescent skin. "You're beautiful."

Stormy smiled and shifted closer to him. Marcus's hands traced their way down her body and rested on her tiny waist. She was so small, he could pick her up and lift her onto his lap in one movement. He wanted her as close as possible, face-to-face, nose-to-nose.

Stormy wrapped her arms around him and embraced him. Marcus reciprocated, burying his face into her neck and inhaling her.

"Marcus," she whispered, her lips close to his ear. "I love you, too."

Surely, surely in that moment, she could feel his heart pounding against her ribcage – it seemed to want to burst right out of his chest. They both tightened their grip on each other.

"You don't know how happy it makes me to hear you say that," he breathed into her hair.

***

Stormy wanted him so badly, and all she had to do was lift her hips up and slide back down on him; then she would have all of him. He had all of her right now, all of her heart.

"Stormy," his voice trembled, "do what you want with me." He was relinquishing control to her this time; he'd given her every part of him.

Marcus's breathing slowed as she moved closer. She took his face between her hands and kissed him, slow, sensual and deep. She relished the feel of his hot tongue, his wet lips, his warm breath on her as it escaped from his mouth in tiny whimpers. Finally breaking apart, she stood up, took him by the hand and lead him back outside. The moment she'd seen that Jacuzzi, she'd known that she wanted to make love in it. The way the hot bubbles felt against her skin was amazing. She led him in and gently pushed him deeper into the water.

Neither of them spoke as they continued to stare into each other's eyes – no words were necessary. She placed her hand on his shoulders and lifted herself up, pausing for a moment to look deeply into his eyes. She stared in absolute wonder, and she slowly lowered herself onto him. The hot bubbles hit her body as she moved on top of him.

A moan escaped his lips as he pulled her even closer, deeper. She felt like it wasn't just her body that needed him, but also her heart and even her very soul. She obeyed and wrapped her legs around his waist, which brought them together in the most intimate of ways.

Every one of her senses was alive now with every slow roll of her hips. Every movement together brought them closer and closer to each other. The end result didn't seem to matter anymore; it was the journey they were taking together.

She would give him more than six weeks; she would give him everything she had to give. Herself, her body, her love. Everything.

"I adore you," Marcus moaned against her lips.

Stormy smiled and let out a small chuckle. "I love you."