Mark (Next Generation Carter Brother #9)

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Mark

My uncle Max is arguing with Hayden and Liam about who gets to escort Maya—Freya’s nan—to the show happening tonight.

I tune them out, my gaze narrowed on the woman who has purposely tried to worm her way into my life in one way or another since I first met her. A woman who has the wool pulled over everyone’s eyes but mine. I wouldn’t be surprised if she left that suitcase on the path on purpose. Or if she lured my niece away in the hope I would go and talk to her.

That has to be it. It has to be.

Yet no one else believes me when I tell them she’s obsessed with me. None of them seem to care that she might one day kill me. It could end up that if she can’t have me, no one will. You hear stories like that all the time.

A slap on my sunburnt arm pulls me from my thoughts and I glare up at my sister. “Ow, sis, that hurt.”

“Why are you glaring at Freya?” Faith questions.

I narrow my eyes. “Since when are you on a first name basis with her?” I grit out.

“Since the plane,” she admits, not in the least bit sorry. “I don’t get why you act like…”

“Like Aiden,” Beau finishes.

Faith takes his hand, grinning. “Yeah, you act like Aiden around her. I’ve never seen you so knocked off guard before.”

“I do not act like Aiden around her,” I argue.

“I would have said Maddox,” Aiden replies. “I have too much charm and finesse to turn into a blubbering mess.”

Faith rolls her eyes. “I’m sure Bailey will state differently.”

I clench my hands at my sides. “I’m not a blubbering mess around her.”

Beau snorts. “Mate, you accused of her being obsessed with you, even with all the facts that she isn’t, thrown at you. Your mouth bobbed like a fish. So yeah, you’re a blubbering mess around her.”

“Whose side are you on?” I snap.

Faith’s lips twitch. “I didn’t know there were sides to take.”

“She’s just… She’s just…” I don’t even know what to say.

“Incredibly hot?” Liam asks, shoving a T-shirt over his head. “I’m hoping she goes to watch the entertainment tonight so I can make a move.”

I snort. “Like she would be interested in you.”

“I’m hot. I have a dick. So I don’t see why she wouldn’t, unless she’s gay.”

She’s not gay. I would have picked up on it. But the thought of him making a move has my teeth grinding together. “She does live with another female so it’s possible.”

“Who is probably her best friend,” Faith points out.

Liam shrugs. “Well, she’s definitely not obsessed with you so it’s worth a shot.”

“How about you leave her alone. She’s got enough shit going on. She doesn’t need to deal with you,” I remark. “And she’ll only take it out on me if you annoy her.”

“Oh, now look who is getting all territorial,” he declares with a smirk.

I lift my chin. “I agreed to escort her to her sister’s wedding, and it’s already going to be bad enough being near her. She’s always accusing me of something. So I don’t want to listen to her moan about you.”

“You’re taking her to her sister’s wedding?” Faith asks, her eyes widening. “Since when?”

“Since he offered earlier. Right, Mark?” Hayden states, shoving her sunglasses up to rest on the top of her head.

I get up, feeling claustrophobic with them all standing around me. “Yeah, that is it. I’m going to go get washed and dressed for the show,” I bite out, shoving my way through Aiden and Liam.

“Ohh, he’s so testy. I guess he really is obsessed with her,” Liam teases.

I spin around but keep walking. “Fuck you, fucker,” I grit out.

I turn around, slamming into a warm body. My foot slips on the floor, and before I can land on top of the person, I spin us at the last minute, and my back hits the ground with a thud. A body lands on top of me, and I know it’s a female when her tits press against my chest.

“Fuck!” I hiss out, blinking away the haze in my vision.

“You!” is thrown at me, and I groan at the sound of Freya’s voice.

I glance up at her, my eyebrows scrunched down. “Do you not watch where you are walking?”

“You are blaming me?” she questions, glaring down at me. Her hands slip, forcing her back down onto my chest. “Oh my god, why the fuck are you oily?”

“It’s sunscreen,” I argue, and when I reach for her waist, she’s just as covered in her own. Feeling her tits on my chest and her pussy pressed against my dick has my dick twitching against her.

“Please tell me that is not what I think it is,” she warns, trying to get up.

I sit up, pushing her up with me as embarrassment floods my cheeks. “Not like I can help it,” I grumble.

It’s been a while since I last saw any action. I can’t control how my body reacts.

“Oh my god,” she growls as her hands slip again when she tries to use my shoulders to get up.

A hiss slips past my lips as she grinds against my cock. “Nope. No more.”

I grab her around her hips and lift her as I get to my feet. Working with heavy materials does come in handy because I manage to get us both up without breaking a sweat.

I steady her when she sways. Her chin lifts as she looks me in the eye. “Not another word.”

With that, she bends down to pick up her book, and I have to bite my lip to stop the groan from escaping.

Her arse.

Her fucking arse is perfection.

It’s not until she storms off that I whip my towel from my neck and wrap it around my waist. There is no way I’ll live down getting a fucking hard on in front of everyone.

A hand smacks down on my shoulder and I hiss out a breath. Liam grins. “Not obsessed, huh?”

“Fuck you,” I bite out.

“Not that I blame you. Her arse…” He holds his hands out like he’s holding her arse. “Fucking spectacular.”

“Don’t make me drown you,” I bite out.

“And don’t worry. I’m going to hang out here for a bit longer so you can go back and sort out your little, um, problem.”

I shove him into the pool and the water swallows his laugh as I move away.

Fuck him.

It’s natural for a guy to react to a female pressed up against them.

It doesn’t mean anything.

It doesn’t.

*** *** ***

The entertainment is in full swing when I arrive at the Bella Donna room. Unlike the kids’ entertainment that was in an auditorium, this room is more intimate, with round tables and chairs. Dancers are hanging on hoops from the ceiling whilst an Abba tribute band perform on stage.

I head to the bar, ordering mine, Mum and Dad’s drinks.

“Will you relax, honey,” Mum scolds.

“I’m worried about her,” Dad replies.

“Dad, Lily will tell you if she’s uncomfortable. She’s doing fine,” I assure him.

“I’m not so sure. I can see how much it’s bothering her that Jaxon doesn’t get to do what you are all doing.”

My brows pinch together. “Why? It’s not like he likes any of us. He tolerates us for Lily.”

“I think your dad is trying to say that Lily has told Jaxon he can join us for drinks but he’s said no. Like he told her no when she told him to go lie out in the sun or go in the pool. He’s worried Lily is beginning to feel like she’s stopping him from enjoying this holiday,” Mum admits.

“I can see it’s hurting her,” Dad adds. “She withdrew when he refused to join us tonight.”

“Do you think he has a problem with it?” I question. “Because we can make him disappear and make it look like an accident.”

Mum snorts. “If you two are done, I think you are missing something huge.”

“And what’s that?” Dad questions, wrapping his arm around her waist.

“He’s only happy when he’s with her. He’s just as content in their little bubble as she is. I’ll talk to her tomorrow to make sure she can see it too.”

“I don’t think being confined to this boat is helping,” I point out. “I think she’ll do better when we dock tomorrow.”

Mum takes her drink from the counter. “She’s also worried for Rose in the heat. And at least inside she has air-con.”

“Maybe us coming wasn’t such a good idea. We should have stayed at home with her,” Dad mumbles. “There’s still time for us to leave. There’s an airport at the next island we dock at.”

Mum places her hand on his arm. “She needed this time away as much as everyone else. She has excluded herself from most things all her life. She wanted to take this step, Maverick, and we can’t coddle her any longer. As much as we hate it, she’s not a little girl anymore. She’s a mother now, and I know she’s working to make sure Rose doesn’t inherit her insecurities. She will only be mad at us if we offer to go home with her.”

“I’ll pop by in a bit and see if she’s okay,” I offer. “If you two go, she’ll take on guilt from pulling you away from the fun.”

“He’s right,” Mum agrees, letting out a breath. “Let’s go and join Faith. Her and Beau just arrived.” She leans up, kissing my cheek. “You are a good brother, Mark.”

“I’ll be over in a bit,” I promise before they walk away.

I take a seat at the bar and notice my neighbour is in the chair next to me. She lifts up her glass. “I was here first,” she greets.

I swing around on the bar stool. Tonight, she’s wearing beige shorts with a short white crop top, the buttons on the front beige. A brown beaded necklace hangs between her breasts and her hair is loose, curling down her back. Her skin has a bronze tone to it, but in certain places, her flesh is pink from too much sun.

“Never stated otherwise,” I reply, leaning in. She smells fucking amazing. It’s a floral scent; sweet and alluring. “You aren’t with your nan tonight?”

She grimaces. “Your cousin wasn’t lying when they said they were claiming her. She’s leading the conga line right now. Your uncle Max and Hayden are next in the line.”

I pull my gaze away, and sure enough, Maya is leading the line around the small space whilst Mamma Mia blasts from the speakers.

“Sorry,” I reply sheepishly. “We all miss our great grandparents a lot. Being around her feels like we have a part of her back.”

“Do you not have grandparents?”

My jaw clenches as I think about them. None of us have met our grandparents, which is fortunate since there isn’t one grandchild who doesn’t wish they could bring them back to life to kill them. My dad and uncles’ dad died before they went to live with their granddad. By that point, their mum had run off and had been gone for years. Years later, and unbeknown to them, she had another child who suffered the same fate as my dad and his siblings. Lily. Only my parents and Faith know more of what she went through. Aiden and I didn’t need to know. We heard the nightmares and saw the fear when she was triggered. Their mum died in prison, and in my eyes, she didn’t suffer enough for her crimes.

“No,” I bite out.

“Sorry, I didn’t realise it was a sore subject,” she mutters, then goes back to her drink, dismissing me.

“I’m sorry. They weren’t good people and I don’t like thinking of them. Our great grandparents were our nan and granddad.”

“It’s okay,” she replies softly. “I bet that confused a lot of people.”

I grin because it did. “Only the people who didn’t know our situation.” She dismisses me again, and I find myself not liking it. I should be glad she’s not fawning all over me. Yet I’m not. A thought occurs to me as I lift up my pint. “Did you just hear my conversation with my parents?”

She pulls her gaze away from her drink. “I wasn’t eavesdropping. You were kind of there so it was impossible not to.”

“You can’t repeat it to anyone,” I warn. Lily wouldn’t like someone knowing her business, but more, she wouldn’t like being talked about. Not in that way.

“I won’t,” she swears. “You were talking about the pretty blonde with the baby, right?”

“Yes.”

“You should take a video after the conga line stops. Show her how relaxed it is in here. I was talking with her earlier and she doesn’t seem to like crowded spaces.”

My eyes widen at the suggestion. “I didn’t think of doing that. Thank you. And no, she doesn’t.”

“Upstairs is quiet too. They have the bar open and music playing softly in the background. That would be a good place for her to go. I would definitely avoid the club rooms. They have one adult-only club and one for families. They were rammed to the max when I walked by earlier.”

I notice a group of people heading towards us, their eyes filled with annoyance when they land on Freya. “You weren’t planning to come here tonight then?”

“I was trying to figure out where to go to avoid my sister and parents,” she admits. “I was willing to pay the barman to let me sit in the storage room. Thankfully, I haven’t run into them.”

“Then now wouldn’t be a good time to tell you all four of them are heading this way.”

She drops her head. “Please tell me you are lying. I’m not nearly drunk enough to deal with them.”

My lips twitch. “Wish I could.”

“Dropping a life boat and sailing my way home seems like more of a good idea,” she grumbles.

“Freya, darling, we’ve been looking for you everywhere,” her mum greets.

Freya spins her seat to face them. “Here I am.”

“You didn’t put on any sunscreen?” her mum scolds. “Honey, you will get heat stroke before the big day.”

“Oh, she was covered in sunscreen,” I assure her with a wink.

I should leave. I should have taken their appearance as a chance to escape. But there’s just something about Freya that makes me want to protect her from these wolves. It’s parents like this that make me more thankful for my own. As hard as they can be sometimes, they are never like this. They’ve always supported us. They would die for us. Kill for us. These people threw Freya under the bus to protect her sister without caring what it would do to her.

Freya elbows me in the stomach at my innuendo. She shifts in her seat, her voice tight when she replies. “It will be gone by morning,” she assures them.

“So you are coming?” Esther asks hopefully.

But there’s that look in her eyes again, the one that states she knew she would get her way.

“Yes,” she replies, the word reluctant and forced. She addresses her parents. “But my rules still apply.”

“Thank you, thank you,” Esther gushes, hugging her.

The guy smiles at their interaction, and he wastes no time in wrapping his arm around his fiancé when she pulls back. “We are happy you’ll be there.”

I just bet he is. He’s clearly still attracted to her in some way. It’s the way he runs his gaze over her. There’s a longing there, one he masks when his fiancé gazes up at him.

“It’s going to be perfect.”

I take Freya’s hand, holding it tight when she goes to pull away. “I can’t wait to be there. I’ve never been to a beach wedding before. I always thought they would be tacky.”

Esther’s eyes narrow on me. “Not my wedding, and I don’t remember you being invited.”

Freya places her hand over mine, and it’s not gentle or loving. “You don’t mind me bringing a plus one, do you?”

Her lips part to answer, but I get there first. “Of course she doesn’t, pumpkin. I mean, it’s only fair since she’ll one day come to ours.”

Her smile is forced when she turns to me. Her eyes are narrowed slightly, her eyebrows pinched together. “Oh, dumpling, I already told you I’m not ready to take that step.”

“But we’ve already named the children,” I scold softly. “And you know I don’t want to have sex before marriage. It’s goes against my beliefs. It’s a sin and marriages are doomed if you do.”

“You two are together?” Esther asks doubtfully. “Since when?”

I beam like I’m remembering a fond moment. “She tripped into my life and now I plan to spend the rest of it catching her.”

“Is this true?” her mum asks, glancing between us.

“As true as Dad’s cholesterol issue,” she answers sweetly.

Her dad straightens. “The doctor has that wrong. My cholesterol numbers are fine.”

“We should find Alley and go over our plans tomorrow,” her mum butts in before the dad can argue more. “Freya, darling, I’ve had one of the porters deliver the dress to your cabin. I thought maybe seeing the dress would convince you to come, but I’ll get him to collect it so you can dress with the rest of us.”

“No. I’m good with changing in my room. And if you think of collecting it, I will wear one of my own dresses,” she warns.

“All right,” she agrees, and then leaves with her husband after saying one last goodbye.

My hand is still firmly gripped in Freya’s as her sister continues to stare. The fiancé doesn’t seem to like it, but I don’t give a fuck.

“You didn’t have to fake a date to come to the wedding,” Esther announces.

“Nothing fake about us,” I reply, arching a brow at her. The only fake one here is her and the pussy-whipped boy beside her.

“Really? You expect me to believe you two are together?” she asks.

“You have to admit, it does seem too coincidental,” the fiancé remarks. “I think—"

Freya holds her hand up. “Stop right there. I’m not sure why you think I would care what you think, so don’t waste your breath explaining,” Freya bites out.

I let go of her hand to grip the seat between her legs. She pulls in a sharp breath before I drag the chair closer, her knees now between my legs. Her hand rests against my thigh, her gaze clashing with mine.

And for a moment, a split moment, I forget what I was going to say. She has me trapped, my words stuck in my throat. No one has ever made me stumble over myself. I made the move to prove a point to her sister, but it’s backfired.

It’s backfired epically.

Because now I want her.

“We’ll leave you two to it,” the fiancé declares.

“I’m not—” Esther begins.

“Let’s go, Esther.”

Lips parted, Freya slightly shakes her head, breaking the spell between us. “I should go too.”

I clear my throat, leaning back. “Yeah. I should go find my family.”

She slides out of her chair, grabbing her bag hanging over the back. “See you.”

“Wait. What time should I meet you tomorrow?”

She parts her perfectly bowed lips. “You still want to go?”

“Yes. Hayden doesn’t make idle threats,” I tell her.

“Hayden. Right. Um, it starts at three so I will meet you outside our cabins around half two. Is that okay?”

“I’ll be there,” I assure her.

“Goodnight,” she replies, before high-tailing it out of here.

“Goodnight,” I whisper, even though she can’t hear me.

I watch her go, fighting the urge to go after her. Maybe everyone is right. Maybe it is me who is obsessed.

Because the more I’m around the petite blonde, the more I want to know everything there is to know about her.