“I worry about this.” I admit the abridged version of my thoughts.

He rubs his hands up and down my arms. “I would expect nothing less. Your mind is a scary place, beautiful.”

“You know I’m not one of those girls, right?”

His hands drop, and I turn to peer up into his face. I want to read his emotions. “Do tell,” he says with arms crossed.

“I don’t need—or want—you to call me every day, telling me you miss me. I don’t need flowers. Feel free to buy me purses though,” I throw in offhandedly. “And I don’t care if you sleep with other people. This isn’t a real relationship. This is fucking. Really good fucking. Fantastic even, but I won’t love you, you won’t love me, and we’ll be just fine. Oh . . .” I need to make my last point. “Don’t think I have to answer to you, either. I’m no one’s lapdog.”

Mark’s eyes narrow.

He stares without speaking.

And still nothing.

I throw my hands up. “Speak!”

He doesn’t respond verbally. No, he’s much too aggressive for simple conversation. He steps forward, grips my arms, and crushes his mouth against mine. His tongue presses forward, pushing against mine. His hands tighten as he pulls me so close that I think I could fade into him. I twist and push against him, but he controls himself more. Each swipe of his tongue against mine warms me. My breathing becomes erratic as I lose myself in his touch.

I could do nothing but kiss him all day and die happy.

Mark tears his mouth from mine, and I gasp for air. “First, fuck you and your stupid speech. You’ll answer my calls, and you’ll call me because, contrary to what you say, you like me. I’ll drive to DC just to fuck you, or because I actually miss your frustrating ass. You’ll cuddle the flowers, bears, or whatever stupid shit I send you, because secretly you love it.” His lust has turned to anger. “And I would never boss you around because that’s not who we are. But each time you try to push me away, Charlie,” he pauses as I stand before him stunned, “it’s because I scare you. It’s because you can imagine yourself falling for me, and you don’t know what to do with that.”

“Mark—” His hands cup my face, and his mouth comes back for more. My fingers fist in his hair. I pull at the wet strands as I leap into his arms and wrap my legs around him. His stupid speech. His stupid mouth that I can’t get enough of. Let’s not even talk about how turned on I am thinking of him having to drive up because he needs me.

Mark’s hands grip my ass and hold me against him as he sinks back down and allows the water to cover us. Our tongues slide and push against each other. His fingers slide through my hair as he tilts my head.

I fight for control.

I lose the battle.

“I’m going to fuck you now,” he informs me.

“The hell you are.”

“Shut up and take it.” The deep timbre of his voice sends shivers down my spine. He slips his hand between us and thrusts a finger deep inside. “So hot. You’re so fucking hot. You make it impossible to think of anything but getting my dick inside you.”

“Oh, God,” I moan as he pumps his fingers. He pushes another one in and my head falls back. Mark spins us around so his body blocks the view of any possible onlookers. “I want you so bad.”

“I know you do, beautiful.”

His head dips down and he bites my nipple through my bikini. I bite my lip to keep quiet as he does it again.

My fingers slip under the water to untie his bathing suit. Thank god for board shorts. I slip them off. Mark pushes my suit to the side. He slowly pushes himself inside me and moves deeper. “Fuck me, Charlie. Ride my dick.”

I use the buoyancy of the water to rock easier. He holds my ass in his hands and helps control it. “You feel so good,” I say against his lips.

“You feel incredible. You’re gonna be the death of me like this. Your tits bouncing in the water. Your pussy gripping my dick. I’ll die a thousand deaths if this is how I go.”

His fingers dig into the flesh of my thighs as I push faster. My climax is looming, and I can’t hold off. I use my hips to rub my clit against him. He supports my back, and my hair dips into the water when I tilt back so he hits the spot. “I’m gonna come.” I say. I’m out of breath and ready to explode.

Mark pulls my hair as he sucks on the spot right below my ear, and I fall apart. Everything goes bright while my muscles clench. I fall as he pumps his hips and draws my orgasm even longer. “Fuck,” Mark groans against my neck as he follows me.

We stay like this, entangled in each other’s arms as we both catch our breath.

“My name is Charisma,” I announce without thinking.

Mark pulls back and his eyes flash. “Really?”

“Yes,” I say, and I feel a little self-conscious about the disclosure. I hate the damn name, but now he knows. “So, now you know.”

“It fits you, beautiful. It fits you, and you fit me. I’ll never betray you, Charisma.”

A part of me is now his. A part of me I’ve never given to anyone. It shows me just how deep I really am. “I hope not.” Little does he know I’ve already done so by texting Mandi.

Mark laughs as he starts to slide out of me, and for once, this secret is killing me. I’ve been lying to him for a week. This is my thing. I’m a liar, but I can’t keep doing this. He’s broken me.

“I texted Mandi,” I blurt it out and his eyes close.

“You did what?”

“She can help.”

He huffs and turns away. “I can’t even look at you. How could you do this? How could you text her?” Mark spins back to glare at me, and he’s screaming. “Do you want to get killed? Do you need me to lose my fucking mind because something happens to you?”

I’ve never seen him like this. It’s as if I just destroyed him.

“Goddammit, Charlie! Did you think I was lying to you? That I was making this shit up for fun? The CIA is behind what happened to you.” He steps close. Every emotion plays across his face. He’s angry, that’s clear, but more than that . . . he’s hurt. “I can’t believe you.”

I need to explain this, because it makes sense. “Look, Mandi isn’t behind this. She would’ve never responded on that phone. There’s a bond between a handler and an operative. Something similar to what you and Jackson have! Why can’t you trust that I know what I’m doing?”

“Because you’re fucking blind!” Mark adjusts himself and stalks off. “You know, I thought we were finally past all this. I thought we were a team. It changed for us that night. I saw it in your eyes, but then you ask me, I say no, and you do it anyway? Fuck you!”

“No, fuck you!”

“Pretty sure you just fucked us both, babe.” My anger boils.

“Did you hit your head? Eat lead paint off the crib?” I ask with sarcasm laced through my words. “You keep putting your foot in your mouth.”

He runs his hands down his face. “You confuse the shit out of me!”

“And you piss me off!”

“Right back at you, babe!”

I start to head out of the water. I’m not about to let him scream at me. His hand grips my shoulder and he turns me. “You’re leaving?”