thrown himself onto the tracks beneath it.
Chapter Fourteen
Marcus
New York
Midsummer, 1965
T he subtle glares Evie’s brothers kept giving Marcus didn’t bother him as much as the stories they told about their grandmother did.
They were on the subway, heading toward Evie and her brothers’ neighborhood from Central Park. By her brothers’ accounts, the woman he was about to meet had antler horns, spouted poison smoke, and could change your gender with a single look.
He kept one hand cupped casually over his crotch and his other hand linked with Evie’s because she seemed to take comfort in his contact, but stayed alert for her brothers to make a move. He’d never dated a girl with older brothers who were this hostile. Hell, he’d never dated a girl with brothers. Or for that matter, one with a grandmother who was apparently the devil incarnate.
Who was he kidding… he’d barely dated anyone. He had no clue what he was doing. All he knew was that he wasn’t letting go of this girl if his life depended on it. Brothers or no brothers. Devil or no devil. It had taken him several weeks after Evie’s first invitation to warm up to the idea of actually spending time in the same room with her family. Evie was so amazing, he worried he’d fuck it up somehow.
“You can relax,” Evie whispered. “She’ll love you. I promise.”
Marcus wasn’t so sure. He hadn’t exactly been an outcast growing up, but he hadn’t been popular, either. He gravitated toward athletic pursuits as much as academic, which hadn’t endeared him much to either group. He’d rarely had girlfriends, and had no practice interacting with families unless he counted his own distraught mother.
He’d started college on an athletic scholarship, but threw himself into his studies as hard as he trained with his football team. He’d succeeded, so far. Gotten his degree just before meeting Evie. But now he was likely on the verge of being drafted, and not by a pro team, like he’d hoped, but by the United States military.
He couldn’t tell Evie that, though. He’d only just found her. The Vietnam War was ever-present, a ticking time bomb that could change his life the second his number came up. He was amazed it hadn’t happened already.
He just hoped he had time, though time for what, he wasn’t sure. Time to fall even deeper in love with Evie? It had been a couple months since they’d met, and every day, he fell more in love with her. Her brothers still gave him dirty looks, but had reluctantly accepted that he wasn’t going anywhere. They still did love to give him hell, from time to time, which Marcus had begun to understand was their way of keeping him on his toes. The first time he ribbed them back, he’d earned himself a smile from the gruffer one—Iszak—and a laugh from Lukas. Evie had rolled her eyes and warned Marcus not to encourage them.
The train came to a stop and Evie stood. She tugged at his hand and smiled at him. Marcus had a hard time not letting his eyes drift over her bare shoulder and the top of her breast. She did love wearing clothes that seemed on the verge of falling off her at any moment. Her dark brown hair fell over her other breast and he resisted the urge to push it aside, just to make sure that glorious, creamy mound was unobscured.
“You’re such a perv,” she said, laughing at him. “We’re here. Come on.”
He took a deep breath and stood, letting her lead him out into the noisy heat of the subway platform.
“I’m not a perv,” he murmured in her ear. “I just prefer you naked.”
He relished the soft shiver of her body against him and the way she clung to him for a moment. He was sure she was trying to catch her breath. Even more sure when she reached up to grip his cheeks and pull him down into a luscious kiss.
“I prefer you naked, too,” she said, grinning up at him.
“I didn’t just hear that,” Iszak said, giving his sister a severe look before stepping out and leading
Chapter Fourteen
Marcus
New York
Midsummer, 1965
T he subtle glares Evie’s brothers kept giving Marcus didn’t bother him as much as the stories they told about their grandmother did.
They were on the subway, heading toward Evie and her brothers’ neighborhood from Central Park. By her brothers’ accounts, the woman he was about to meet had antler horns, spouted poison smoke, and could change your gender with a single look.
He kept one hand cupped casually over his crotch and his other hand linked with Evie’s because she seemed to take comfort in his contact, but stayed alert for her brothers to make a move. He’d never dated a girl with older brothers who were this hostile. Hell, he’d never dated a girl with brothers. Or for that matter, one with a grandmother who was apparently the devil incarnate.
Who was he kidding… he’d barely dated anyone. He had no clue what he was doing. All he knew was that he wasn’t letting go of this girl if his life depended on it. Brothers or no brothers. Devil or no devil. It had taken him several weeks after Evie’s first invitation to warm up to the idea of actually spending time in the same room with her family. Evie was so amazing, he worried he’d fuck it up somehow.
“You can relax,” Evie whispered. “She’ll love you. I promise.”
Marcus wasn’t so sure. He hadn’t exactly been an outcast growing up, but he hadn’t been popular, either. He gravitated toward athletic pursuits as much as academic, which hadn’t endeared him much to either group. He’d rarely had girlfriends, and had no practice interacting with families unless he counted his own distraught mother.
He’d started college on an athletic scholarship, but threw himself into his studies as hard as he trained with his football team. He’d succeeded, so far. Gotten his degree just before meeting Evie. But now he was likely on the verge of being drafted, and not by a pro team, like he’d hoped, but by the United States military.
He couldn’t tell Evie that, though. He’d only just found her. The Vietnam War was ever-present, a ticking time bomb that could change his life the second his number came up. He was amazed it hadn’t happened already.
He just hoped he had time, though time for what, he wasn’t sure. Time to fall even deeper in love with Evie? It had been a couple months since they’d met, and every day, he fell more in love with her. Her brothers still gave him dirty looks, but had reluctantly accepted that he wasn’t going anywhere. They still did love to give him hell, from time to time, which Marcus had begun to understand was their way of keeping him on his toes. The first time he ribbed them back, he’d earned himself a smile from the gruffer one—Iszak—and a laugh from Lukas. Evie had rolled her eyes and warned Marcus not to encourage them.
The train came to a stop and Evie stood. She tugged at his hand and smiled at him. Marcus had a hard time not letting his eyes drift over her bare shoulder and the top of her breast. She did love wearing clothes that seemed on the verge of falling off her at any moment. Her dark brown hair fell over her other breast and he resisted the urge to push it aside, just to make sure that glorious, creamy mound was unobscured.
“You’re such a perv,” she said, laughing at him. “We’re here. Come on.”
He took a deep breath and stood, letting her lead him out into the noisy heat of the subway platform.
“I’m not a perv,” he murmured in her ear. “I just prefer you naked.”
He relished the soft shiver of her body against him and the way she clung to him for a moment. He was sure she was trying to catch her breath. Even more sure when she reached up to grip his cheeks and pull him down into a luscious kiss.
“I prefer you naked, too,” she said, grinning up at him.
“I didn’t just hear that,” Iszak said, giving his sister a severe look before stepping out and leading
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