Black Mark Series Book 2: Black Mark's Secrets Read online

  "So, will you come and work for me?" Alex asked happily.

  I shook my head. "No, I don't know what I'll do yet, but I think I'm done with being an administrator. I don't want to be in the business world anymore," I answered sadly.

  The table was quiet; everyone glanced around at each other, looking astonished. Only Nanna Blake seemed to be unsurprised. She smiled at me. "Well, I think that is a good move, dear. As good as you are at your job, I believe your future lies elsewhere. Perhaps you should teach music?"

  I gave my Nanna a loving smile. "There is no shortage of music teachers, Nanna, and I'm not qualified to teach."

  Nanna shrugged. "So become qualified."

  "Nonsense!" Granddad Blake objected. "The girl is a fantastic E.A. She can earn good money in that job. She should join the family business and make her living that way."

  "Dad," Marshall warned. "Mora is a grown adult and can make her own decisions."

  "Grown adult, my rear," Granddad Blake grumbled. "She is twenty-three. No one knows what is good for them at twenty-three."

  "Henry Blake," Nanna Blake scolded. "At twenty-three, I was married to you and had already given birth to our three children."

  "Times were different then," Granddad argued.

  "Exactly," Nanna barked. "Women are self-sufficient, less likely to marry at ridiculously young ages, and they live their lives before having children. If Mora wants to explore new opportunities, now is the time to do it. Plus, you are forgetting that Mora is a natural rebel, just like Marshall. Do you remember what happened when you tried to impose your archaic mindset on him?"

  Granddad muttered under his breath something about Marshall becoming a self-made millionaire. Nanna smiled. The three younger Blakes were watching with smiles.

  "Where are your siblings, Dad?" I asked, never having realized Marshall wasn't an only child before.

  Granddad Blake stood placing his napkin on the table. "They died," he answered mournfully as he shuffled toward the door. "I'm hitting the jacks."

  He was nearly eighty now, but could still move at a quick pace if he needed to.

  Marshall cleared his throat. "I had two older brothers. One died of natural causes as a child, the other went into the armed forces and never came home."

  "Oh."

  We finished our meal quietly. We made small talk about items on the news and Granddad's and Nanna's plans for their cruise. After dinner, we retired to the living room where Alex sat me down. He left the room quickly then came back holding a large box.

  "I know we did presents this morning, but this is from Dad and I," Alex explained, sitting the box in front of me.

  With a confused smile, I unwrapped it. I knew what it was as soon as I saw the name ‘Johnathan Li’ on the box.

  "Oh, my God!" I opened the box and stared in awe at the beautiful new cello inside. With a yelp, I threw myself at Alex and hugged him tight before doing the same to my father. "Thank you, so much," I whispered, trying not to cry.

  Marshall held me and when I stepped back, I saw that he was on the verge of tears. "Will you play for us?"

  Giving my father a huge smile, I tenderly took up the cello and bow, sitting myself correctly. I tuned the magnificent instrument and then played. My family sat there, huge smiles on their faces, watching me play Franz Liszt's “Christmas-Tree Suite.” We spent the rest of the afternoon chatting and laughing. Only Alex, Marshall and I stayed for dinner. Grandad and Nana Blake had grown tired and excused themselves in the early evening. Then it was time to go home.

  "I will get her home safely, Dad, don’t worry so much," Alex assured Marshall when it was time to go.

  Marshall asked if I would like to stay another night, but Alex warned me Dad usually had a female companion on Christmas night, so I'd declined.

  Marshall looked at me. "Are you not taking your new cello?"

  "Not in the taxi. I'll bring my case over during the week and pick it up." I smiled. "It's beautiful, Dad. Thank you."

  Marshall touched my face. "You are most welcome, Mora. I will see you next weekend."

  I bit my lip. "Well, it's New Year’s Eve…" I hesitated.

  Marshall smiled. "And you are going out with your new man."

  I stopped, "Actually, I don't even know his plans for the weekend yet, but Alex and I have plans."

  "That is fine, Mora. I am at a private function anyway." Marshall kissed my forehead. "Be young and have fun."

  I smiled and followed Alex down the steps into the taxi. Once we pulled away from the curb, Alex turned to me and got serious.

  "Do you want me to help you move?"

  "No, I won't be moving."

  Alex frowned, "What do you mean you won’t be moving? You don’t work for him anymore, so why would you stay living there?"

  "Because I like it there, and Darius doesn't want me to move out," I explained.

  "That doesn’t make any sense, Mora," Alex argued. He watched me for a moment until it dawned on him. "Unless the reason you resigned is because you got involved with him?"

  "That's not the reason I resigned. It just happened to be the outcome," I murmured.

  "Mora." Alex shook his head in dismay. "How could you be so stupid?"

  "Excuse me?" I scowled at him.

  Alex ran a hand through his hair. "Dad is his mentor, Mora. He wants to be like Dad in every way. He is never going to marry you. He will use you, and when he is done with you, you will be homeless and heartbroken."

  "You're wrong, Alex." I turned from him. "He loves me. He wants to marry me and start a family with me."

  Alex growled. "He says that now, Mora, but he will not see it through."

  I looked at Alex, astounded. "You don't know him, Alex. I do."

  Alex shook his head. "I really hope so, Mora, for your sake."

  The taxi pulled up in front of Darius’ place. I opened the door.

  Alex grabbed my arm. "Mora, you are really into him, I get that. I am just looking out for you. I suspect you know he is not the guy to fall for, or you would have told Dad who you were seeing."

  I flinched at Alex's intense gaze and the truth of his words. I hated that he so easily sensed my insecurity about Darius.

  Alex nodded. "Play it safe with this one, Mora. You have been through enough."

  "Merry Christmas, Alex." I kissed his cheek and slipped out of the cab onto the snow-covered footpath. Yes, I feared Darius would break my heart. In fact, all along I had been certain of it. But, if I didn't take this chance, I'd regret it the rest of my life. Darius was meant for me. I knew that much.

  ***

  My phone started ringing as I pulled my nightshirt over my head. Settling it into place, I picked up my phone and smiled at Darius’ profile picture.

  "Merry Christmas," I answered, walking to the kitchen.

  "I am already failing as a boyfriend, aren't I?" he responded.

  "Why's that?"

  "I failed to call you to wish you a Merry Christmas. Then I failed again when you messaged Merry Christmas to me and I did not respond."

  "You were busy with your family," I allayed. "I didn't even notice you hadn't responded until after dinner and everyone was going home." I pulled the salted caramel and white chocolate ice cream out of the freezer, grabbed a spoon, and sat down ready to eat it straight from the carton.

  "Did you get anything good from Santa?" Darius asked.

  "My slack boyfriend called me," I teased.

  Darius laughed. "Anything else?"

  "Dad and Alex bought me a new cello. It's beautiful. Professional grade. I might leave my boyfriend for it."

  "You play your cello; it does not play you, baby," Darius reminded me with a laugh. "Tell me where you are. I will come and get you."

  "Aren't you in Scotland?"

  "Yes, but I am coming home early. I missed you."

  I felt my heart skip a beat. "I'm already home. How far away are you?"

  "I am on my way to the airport," Darius informed me.

  "So, I'l
l see you in a few hours." I smiled to myself and put another spoon of ice cream in my mouth.

  "What are you eating? Didn't your father feed you?" Darius asked incredulously.

  "He did. Dinner was leftovers since it was just me, Dad, and Alex. Now I'm having ice cream." I made a rather obvious sucking sound as I pulled the spoon free from my mouth. "Admittedly, I was eating it as a replacement for sex."

  Darius laughed. "Is that your way of telling me to stock up on ice cream when I travel?"

  "Yeah, that should keep me from being tempted." I scooped some more ice cream. "So, what did you get for Christmas?"

  "My sister made me some cuff links."

  "That sounds nice," I responded, putting the lid on the ice cream and standing up to put it away. "They are nice, right?"

  "Yes. My sister is quite a talented jeweler. She is making a good name for herself."

  "You sound relaxed." I smiled, moving back into the bedroom.

  "I love my family. I don’t see them as often as I should," Darius sighed. "That’s me arriving at the airport. I’ll see you when I get home."

  I yawned. "I'll wait up for you."

  "You sound tired."

  "I am. It's been a long day. Still, I'll wait up for you." I stifled another yawn.

  Darius chuckled. "Go to bed, Mora. I will wake you when I get home."

  "No, I'm good. I'll wait for you."

  "Sure, you will," Darius said. "I’ll see you soon, baby. I need to go now."

  "See you soon."

  I hung up my phone and placed it next to the bed while I went to clean my teeth. Once back in the bedroom, I grabbed the magazine I'd bought last week and lay on the bed to start flicking through the pages.

  I was awoken by the sensation of my panties being dragged down my body. "Darius?" I murmured, lifting my head. Darius stood there in all his naked glory. I turned my eyes to the clock while he climbed onto the bed with me. It was just past midnight. "Just as well I didn’t stay over at my Dad’s. He would have killed you turning up at his place this time of night to collect me," I grumbled.

  Darius kissed up my leg, his fingers between my thighs gently massaging my clit.

  "I have been home for an hour. You looked so peaceful I did not want to disturb you until I was ready to come to bed," Darius murmured in my ear.

  I placed my hands on Darius’ shoulders. "Still bleeding," I warned.

  "Are you saying no to sex, Mora?" Darius raised a brow, a cheeky look in his eye.

  I raised a finger. "I need a minute." I jumped off the bed and ran into the bathroom. Fixing myself up, I walked back into the bedroom. Darius was sitting on the side of the bed, reading the magazine.

  He held it up so I could see the article he was reading. "Ten positions to make the best of his small package. I really do not think you need to read this, Mora." The side of his mouth pulled up at his own joke.

  I raised a brow. "Did you want to fuck me or stroke your own ego? I'm happy to leave you to it." I pointed to the door, letting him know I could leave.

  Darius threw the magazine aside and leaned back on his elbows. "Climb aboard, baby."

  I met his wicked smile and straddled him, lowering myself toward his already pulsing cock. I placed the head of his cock at my entrance, and I could feel the coldness of lubricant on his tip. Darius sat up as his smooth head found my entrance and nestled there. He kissed my neck then took my mouth passionately as I relaxed my thighs and slid onto him.

  "Merry Christmas, baby," Darius groaned as he slid all the way in with little resistance.

  I bit my lip and moaned, holding his shoulders tight at the sudden full feeling. "Gently, Dare," I warned.

  Darius rocked into me, taking his time with me. I gasped and moaned as he pressed further with each stroke. Darius slid his hand under my shirt and found my breast. He palmed the soft flesh while his fingers teased my already erect nipple. My body seized around him, and I bit his shoulder as I came.

  "Baby, did you just come?" I nodded my head next to his. Darius laughed. "I have been inside of you for only two minutes. You cannot have missed me that much?"

  "I did," I managed to gasp as he began rocking into me again.

  Darius captured my mouth in a passionate kiss. Lifting me as he moved, he laid us down on the bed and kissed me while his body slowly moved in and out of me. I felt Darius throb deep within me. He groaned and pulled away, trailing his fingers and mouth down my body.

  "God, you are beautiful, Mora," he murmured.

  He took my hip and rolled me onto my stomach before sliding into me again, thrusting slow, but deep. I grabbed the sheets tightly and moaned his name. He felt so good inside me. His body felt so large and powerful above mine, and, despite my height, he made me feel small.

  I adored this man. The way he looked at me, kissed me, touched me, and made love to me was amazing. He made me feel so good. From the moment we met six years ago, I'd known he was the man I would marry and love for the rest of my life.

  Holding my body to his, Darius spread my knees wide, then kept me pinned to his chest as he folded back to sit on his ankles, sinking him even deeper. I moaned. Darius held my waist with one strong arm, the other slid my shirt up. I raised my arms, helping him remove my top.

  His hands moved to my breasts and he caressed me gently as I circled my hips on top of him. He kissed my spine from shoulder blades to the neck while I moved over him. I hung my head back on his shoulder and enjoyed his attention. I loved his hands on me. I never wanted him to stop him touching me.

  I dropped my hand to my clit as I felt myself start to move closer to climax again. I was just about to go over the edge when Darius removed me from him, changing position.

  "We are going to save it up, baby. I want you to come so hard you see stars." He put me on my back and collected my legs, holding them by the ankles to one of his shoulders.

  He slid into me again and started building up pressure. As I reached for climax each time, he would withdraw and start again, but with each change of position, I took less time to build. After nearly an hour, Darius rolled me once again to my back and spread my legs.

  "Darius. Please?" I begged.

  He smiled. "Okay, baby, just try to wait me out."

  He kissed my mouth as he slid home easily. He kept his lips locked to mine and the deepness of that kiss distracted me from the way he wound his hips into me. Darius’ pace picked up, and I felt myself suddenly engage, rushing toward that edge.

  Darius broke his mouth from mine and cried out, his body pounding into me as I felt his heat fill me. My short nails scratched down his back at the sensation. It felt so amazing having him come so hard and so deep inside of me.

  My body seized up and my breath rushed from me as I climaxed, almost painfully, milking him for every last drop. When the time came, I had no doubt Darius would get me pregnant straight off the bat. I'm pretty sure, if it wasn't for the diaphragm, he'd be delivering his boys right to the door.

  I knew I had a goofy smile on my face as I lay beneath him. I could feel it. Darius kissed my collarbone while I lay with my eyes closed, enjoying the aftershocks running through me. Darius turned my mouth to his and he kissed me deeply. We lay like that for a good ten minutes before Darius rolled away from me.

  "What are your plans for New Year’s Eve?" he asked as he pulled the covers over us.

  "Hitting the town with Alex. You?" I rolled into his side with a satisfied sigh.

  "I will be at a private function until after midnight, but I want you to come home with me. So, if you tell me where to find you, I will pick you up." Darius wound the fingers of his left hand with the fingers of my right hand and rubbed his thumb along mine.

  "I don't know where we will be," I admitted sleepily. "I'll message you."

  "That will work." Darius kissed the top of my head. "Mora, next year, I want you to come home with me for Christmas."

  I frowned, lifting my head. "You want me to meet your family at Christmas?"

  Dariu
s smirked. "They will meet you at the wedding, Mora, just like I will meet the rest of yours." He held me tighter. "I would like us to spend our Christmases at my childhood home."

  "What about seeing my family?" I argued.

  Darius exhaled. "I guess we can fly back for dinner with your family and reverse it the next year."

  I smiled. "Much better."

  "You are not going to let me get away with much, are you, Mora?"

  I chuckled. "You wouldn't love me if I did."

  "That is true." Darius squeezed me again. "Good night, Mora."

  ***

  I woke late on Boxing Day. I rolled over and realized I was alone and sighed with relief. Not that I was glad Darius was gone, but it was nice to have some time to myself again. I adored Darius, and I'd enjoyed the last few days being held in his arms. Even so, I was sore enough downstairs to be uncomfortable and happy he wasn't looking for round five, or six. I'd lost count.

  Collecting my robe from the floor, I made my way into the bathroom and was again relieved to gain some privacy. I took my time in the shower, enjoying the peace, and then dressed in my lounge pants and singlet, adding a thin throw over the top for a little more warmth.

  The smell of pizza wafted in under the bedroom door and my stomach growled. I was starving. Darius and I didn't get much eating done between kissing, talking, touching, and showering today.

  Opening the bedroom door, the sound of men's laughter put a smile on my face. Warren and Zander were back. They were sitting at the dining room table with Darius, pizza boxes covering the table while they caught up on tales from their Christmas breaks.

  "I hope you saved some for me?" I smiled, walking in.

  Darius lifted a box. "I wouldn't let them touch the margherita until you woke up." He smiled, pulling out the chair next to him with his other hand.

  Zander frowned. "Shouldn't you be coming down the stairs if you just got out of bed?"

  "That all depends on which bed she was in, doesn't it?" Warren smirked. "About time you two got together." Warren hesitated, "You are together, right?"

  "We are together," Darius confirmed with a Cheshire grin.

  "Are you two going to be able to keep it professional in the office?" Zander asked, his small smile starting to spread.