With Every Breath

I smell the night air on him as it mingles with his cologne. A faint whiff of bourbon lingers on his breath, hinting of a different darkness. As my heart pounds, Marcus takes me in his arms, pressing the length of our bodies into a passionate melding. He places his hands on the sides of my face and brings my mouth to his, burning us both with his fire. There is a desperation in his urgency and I push away an unnamed fear that is ominous to me. I cower away from it; refusing to ask what it could mean to me... to us. His fingers stroke me, as he touches my face before sliding down to caress the sides of my neck. He kisses the pulse there as his hands travel down the contours to my waist. Like a blind man, he seems to be reading my body like a Braille tablet as though he's committing me to memory. My heart lurches wildly against my ribs as I tremble under his touch; realizing that was exactly what he was doing. I'm not aware when sleep takes me away from him. I wake in the dim gray light of dawn and turn to where he had laid earlier. Although I reach for Marcus, I already know he won't be there. Marcus Sinclair wasn't looking for love when he met Jennifer Connors. He wasn't expecting any more than what life had already dealt him; a failing marriage that only he is fighting to save and a cold, beautiful wife who is spiraling out of control. Although she enjoys the status of being Marcus Sinclair's wife, Ann fighting her own demons by frequenting popular night spots with who she believes are her friends, unconcerned by the rumors she is creating by her actions. An only child from a wealthy family, she's spoilt and headstrong and is determined to punish Marcus for her own imperfections; believing his love for her and strong sense of loyalty will keep him by her side. Devastated by her husband's rejection of her and their marriage, Jennifer fears she'll never be happy again. Wanting to escape the daily reminders of Richard's betrayal, she packs up her broken heart and leaves her small hometown in Iowa, with a frail hope, she'll find a new beginning in the sprawling city of Mobile, Alabama. With Every Breath weaves a tangled web of deceit and jealousy, pain and loss. This is a story of confrontations and struggles between lovers and enemies; where tempers flare and desires burn as hot as the South Alabama sun in July.