Hired a Gigolo, Got a Billionaire

Chapter 396 Madeline's POV Marcus's hands were careful as he worked through the dress's complicated layers. First the zipper, then the tiny fabric-covered buttons down the back-each movement slow and patient. I felt his fingers brush my skin as he eased the fabric away, sending little shivers up my spine. "This dress has more layers than an onion," he murmured against my neck, his warm breath making my skin tingle. I laughed softly, trying to relax as the dress was carefully removed. There was something deeply intimate about the process, more intimate than simply undressing.

It felt like he was literally peeling away the role of the bride, revealing just Madeline beneath all that ceremony and performance. When the dress finally slipped down and pooled on the floor like a cloud of silk and tulle, I stood there in nothing but the lingerie chosen for me-a delicate, elegant set of ivory French lace. Marcus looked at me for a moment that felt endless, his gaze traveling over me with an intensity that made my breath hitch. "You're beautiful," he said simply, his hands settling at my waist. Before I could reply, he turned me, pulled me closer, and kissed me.

This wasn't the careful kiss from the ceremony. It was deep and urgent, charged with all the tension that had been building between us all day. His hands traced the curves of my body through the lace, and I got lost in the familiar sensation of his touch. For a few minutes, I let myself just feel. The heat of his body against mine. The taste of his lips. The way he murmured my name between kisses. It was easy to give in. Easy to forget the complications, the doubts, the weight of everything surrounding us.

don't know if I want to do this." Marcus stopped immediately. His hands fell away, but he stayed close enough that I could still feel the warmth of him. "You

don't know if I'm comfortable yet." The honesty surprised even me. Admitting the desire was easier than facing the messier emotional part. I laughed, the sound half nerves, half self-consciousness. "I know it's ridiculous. We were all over each other in the Maldives, but... we were Apollo and Aphrodite back then. Now we're Marcus and Madeline." The difference felt enormous in

to lighten the moment, retreating to our safe territory-banter. "I'm guessing you're

When I returned to the bedroom, I found him arranging pillows on the sofa by the windows. "We're adults," I said, stopping in the doorway. "We can share the bed." He looked at me, one eyebrow