Tempting Marcus: Hallow Falls Series (Romance Bunnies)
Tempting Marcus: Hallow Falls Series – Chapter 1

Groaning, I roll over in my bed and cover my head and ears with my pillow. It doesn’t shut it out though. The loud thumping practically rattles my walls and windows. Jackknifing up in bed, I throw my pillow across the room, growling. Then I stalk to the window, my back stiff as a pissed off cat.

I don’t even need to look out the window to know. Our little neighborhood only has one guy that likes to blast his heavy metal music with his garage open and I know exactly what I’m gonna see.

Sure enough, Marcus is down there puttering around, the music blasting from the stereo and covering up the noises from his tools as he works on his muscle car. The Plymouth Barracuda is a fire-engine red and looks stunning.

But that’s not enough for Marcus. He’s out there all the time in that damn garage, tinkering away. Apparently nobody ever told him that you can’t improve on perfection.

I looked the car up when I saw him racing in and out of our street with it. It’s a classic. A 1970 beauty with fabulous lines and a growly engine that makes a grown man weep it’s so amazing.

If he didn’t race it up and down our street all the time, I’d probably love it too.

But as it is, the noise at all hours means that I can’t sleep. And I’m a girl that needs her zzzz’s. I’ve got to open the library in the morning and I can’t drag my butt up if I don’t get enough sleep. Not to mention I look like something that’s been coughed up by a cat.

Grumbling under my breath, I slip into my plain pink chenille robe and stumble down the stairs and out the door.

Once I’m outside my door, I start to rethink this idea, but then I firm up my shoulders and march myself over to Marcus’s house. I get close enough to see him and my steps falter. He’s bent over, his head under the hood and all I see is the best ass I’ve ever seen on a man. I mean, I’ve heard women say that a man’s ass is just about good enough to bite. I never understood that until now. His butt cheeks flex and the worn fabric of his jeans moves with every hip check he makes. My eyes dart back and forth as he shifts on his feet and I can’t look away. It’s hypnotic.

Which is how I don’t notice at first that he’s turned around. My eyes are focused inward on that very fine butt of his and wondering when women decided that men’s butts were edible.

“Uh-ummm.” My eyes focus and I realize that since he turned around, I’m staring at his crotch with a laser focus that should burn away his boxers into scraps.

My face flames as I look up and up into those sapphire blue eyes of his which are currently dancing with mischief.

“See something you like, princess?”

Dammit!

I stiffen my spine again and start to open my mouth to berate him about his music and the incredible lack of care for his neighbors. Until I realize that the man doesn’t have a shirt on. And if I thought that his butt was fine, his chest is worthy of a Greek marble statue. Toned and tan with a fine dusting of dark brown hair curling on his defined chest and trailing down into the waistband of his jeans. Jeans which lie low on his narrow hips being held up by those damn v-shaped muscles that every woman salivates over when she looks at a picture of a gorgeous man.

I fight the urge to wipe my mouth, sure that I’m drooling all over the place and not wanting to know for sure. I’d have to hang my head in shame if I knew for sure.

“Ummmm.” I’m at a loss. What the hell was I thinking?

He leans against the car, crossing his feet at the ankles, his full lips curving into a knowing smirk.

“Hello, princess? Was there something you wanted?”

“No! I mean…yes. I mean no.”

That smirk stretches his lips even more and I groan internally at the infernal cheek of him. He damn well knows what he’s doing to me and he loves it. What he does to any woman with a freaking pulse! Twenty to eighty, they probably all look at him like he’s a delicious snack. Like I am.

“Which is it…yes or no?”

I pull myself up short and lock my spine. “I’m here about all the damn noise you’re making. It’s late! You need to wrap this up. You’re keeping your neighbors awake.”

He glances around with wide eyes. “What neighbors? Nobody else lives on this street that doesn’t have a night shift job.” Then he smirks and I can already feel my temper rising.

“Am I keeping you from sleeping, princess? Maybe there’s something I can do for you to help you sleep?”

His blue eyes slide down my body and I swear it feels like he’s physically reached out and touched me. Like a burn wherever his eyes land.

My cheeks flame beet red and my eyes shoot up to lock on his laughing ones. “That will not be necessary, Mr. Gray. All you need to do is close your garage door and stop blasting your music and I will be sleeping like a baby.”

His eyes heat up to boiling in seconds. “I don’t think you look like a baby at all.”

My belly clenches like a wild thing when his heated stare feels like it strips me bare.

“Ummm. That’s good to know. However, that is neither here nor there. My point is that all I need from you is your silence.”

He stands up straight and his greasy hands flex on his hips. He pulls a white towel out of his pocket and wipes his hands and then throws it on the engine. His fingers plow through his dark, curly hair. His tanned skin stretched taut across his cheekbones flushes brick red.

“I don’t think that’s true, princess, and if you think that’s true…you’re lying to yourself.”

My back stiffens and I grit my teeth, forcing myself to keep my eyes focused on his lean face.

“It is true. I need to get some sleep.”

“You go to bed this early? On weeknights?”

“On weekends too.”

His eyes drift up and down my body again and I have to force myself not to shiver. Those damn eyes!

“You need to get a life, sweetheart. Get some man to prowl that gorgeous body and rock your world.”

“Like you!’ I scoff.

“At least I know what to do with a gorgeous body like yours.” His eyes skitter up and down my body again and I have to fight the full-body quake when his deep voice says gorgeous.

I shake my head and turn around, stomping away from him, trying to forget about his body. His sense of humor. Every single freaking thing about him that makes my body heat to an unnatural degree.

“I need to go to sleep, Mr. Gray. Just do me a favor and keep it down.”

Stomping off, I lift my shoulders and head when he grunts behind me, knowing that he will have to have the last word. It’s ingrained in him.

“I’ve asked you to call me Marcus, princess. I wish you’d remember that. Good neighbors and all that.”

I don’t even pause, just keep going, forcing myself not to give in to the urge to run.

“Good neighbors don’t keep their neighbors up all night with loud noises!” I call, reaching my door.

“Depends on how they’re getting those loud noises. I know a way that you’d really enjoy staying awake and loud noises!”

Cringing, I duck inside my door and slam it shut, my cheeks flaming at his double entendre.

The damn man can’t help but push my buttons. The bigger problem is that I think I like it.

There’s no way that anything is ever going to happen with me and Marcus Gray.

Not if I can help it. The big question is how long before he loses interest and stops playing with me like a cat with a mouse.

The next question is why the hell does the thought that he’ll lose interest hurt so much.