Seducing Phoebe: Lovers Unmasked: Book 3

by Flockton, Nicole

  Phoebe could understand his logic. It made sense, but she wasn’t sure she was ready to go back into the real world. Maybe that was why she hadn’t really given any thought to what she wanted. It was easier to bury her head in the sand. Here, in a beautiful ocean front house, she could imagine that everything over the last few weeks hadn’t happened.

  “What if I don’t want to? What if I want to stay here?” She threw her hands up in the air. “I mean I came here to be by myself. To sort through my feelings.”

  “And have you?”

  “Did you give me a chance to?” she countered.

  A wry grin broke out over his face, she’d scored a point. He hadn’t given her much time alone.

  “No, I didn’t.”

  “Why didn’t you? Why didn’t you give me space when I’m pretty sure you knew I needed it?”

  “Because if I gave you too much time to think, I was afraid you’d give up on us, and . . . ” He reached out and brushed his hand down her cheek. “I wasn’t prepared to give for that to happen. I know we can have a good life together. Come back with me and let’s build our relationship over in our real lives. Not a holiday affair.”

  Once again confusion became her best friend. She wanted to go back with him. But she was scared that if she did she would fall completely in love with him, and doing so would leave her vulnerable and open to being hurt again.

  “Please, Phoebe, come back with me.”

  His tone was gently persuasive. She wanted to see if he would change. See if he would share more with her. If he didn’t, then she’d have her answer and they weren’t meant to be together. But one thing was for sure—she would protect her heart from being hurt. Sure, he said he cared for her, but it was hard for her to trust anyone when they said that. He had to show her with more than just gifts or words. He had to show her his vulnerability. Only then would she open herself to him.

  “Yes, Marco. I’ll come back with you.”

  11

  Déjà vu crept through Marco like a spider crawling up a wall. He was following Phoebe’s car, the same way he’d been following Tomasso the day of the accident. He didn’t know why he was having those thoughts—maybe because of the accident yesterday and all the rawness he’d experienced seeing another young person’s life end in such a tragic manner.

  He shifted as he remembered what he’d done to Phoebe in the shower afterwards. He’d never needed anyone as much as he’d needed her then. It was one of the reasons why he pushed for her to join him back in the city. He had to get Phoebe into an environment where they could build their relationship again. If they’d stayed at the beach, it would’ve given them a false sense of security. Their lives wouldn’t be made up of lying in bed late and then going to the beach every day. It would be made up of shift work, client events, and the odd evening by themselves.

  What Marco wanted was to spend more time with her and not attend functions. That had been the mistake he’d made in the past, making her attend the endless client charity functions after a hard day at the hospital. He’d been selfish and hadn’t put her needs above the public persona he’d worked so hard to achieve.

  He didn’t need to do that now. He had a sterling reputation in the building industry, so much so, he was turning down work.

  He relaxed as he followed Phoebe into her driveway. He shut off the engine and got out.

  “You didn’t have to follow me home,” Phoebe said as she walked towards him. His hands itched to span her waist and pull her up against him, to feel her soft body in his arms.

  “I was hoping you’d invite me in for dinner.” The words popped out of his mouth. “Did you now?” She laughed wryly and stopped a few feet from him. “What if I

  was to say all I wanted to do was soak in a warm bath, then curl up on the couch and watch the chick flick I missed out on seeing last night?”

  He closed the distance and leaned down to whisper in her ear. “Well, I’d suggest that I wash your back and then while you’re still relaxing, I’ll order Chinese. Once we’ve eaten I’ll curl up on said couch and watch said chick flick with you.”

  He felt the shiver spiral through her and tried his best not to move the mere inch he needed to be able to kiss her ear.

  “How can a girl resist such an offer? Let’s go inside quick before you change your mind.”

  He chuckled and swatted her on her bottom. He was surprised she’d agreed so readily to his suggestion. But he wasn’t going to complain.

  He went back to his car and pulled out his bag from the trunk.

  “Why are you bringing your bag?” Phoebe asked once they got inside her house.

  “Well if I’m to wash your back there’s a good chance I’m going to get a little wet and may need a change of clothes.” He gave her a cheeky wink. “Unless of course you think it may be a better idea for me to join you in the water? That way I can make extra sure your back is clean.”

  “Umm . . . I don’t think that would be a good idea.”

  “Why? You think you won’t be able to resist me if I joined you?”

  He wanted to tease her a little longer. If he got into the bath with her, he would find it very difficult to get out without making love to her. Even the thought of it had him hardening in anticipation. But he’d promised himself he would try and control his urge to get intimate with her again.

  Phoebe stood before him with her hands on her hips, indignation radiating out of her like the sun warming cold cobblestones. “I can resist you, but can you resist me?”

  He laughed at her, enjoying how she upped the ante a little more. “You’re a hard woman to resist, but . . . ” He paused. “On this occasion I believe I can.”

  “We’ll see who crumbles first.”

  “Are you challenging me, Phoebe Fitzgerald?” “Maybe.”

  Marco laughed and walked towards her, watching as she took steps back. He kept advancing until she had her back against a wall. He then placed his arms on either side of her. “How about a wager?”

  He almost groaned when her tongue darted out to moisten her lips. “What sort of wager?”

  He had to make this wager work to his advantage. He was trying to build a solid foundation, but to do that they had to spend most of their time together. He knew she probably thought the reason he had to come back to the city was for work purposes. She hadn’t asked and he hadn’t elaborated. All he had was a meeting to attend and then a social function in a few days.

  “Well,” he started. “If I can resist you, I stay here with you for a week.” He held up his hand as she started to protest. “But if I can’t resist you then I leave after I watch the movie.”

  Her shoulders visibly relaxed and as he watched her, and her eyes brightened. He knew exactly what was going through her mind. She was going to do everything in her power to make him give in to her. But he wouldn’t—he had too much to lose if he did.

  * * *

  Phoebe tested the temperature of the water satisfied she wouldn’t get burned once she stepped into the tub.

  Stripping off her clothes, she climbed in and let out a moan of relief when the warm, bubbly water enclosed her in its embrace. She laid her head against the bath pillow and closed her eyes.

  She hadn’t wanted to leave the beach house, but she was glad to be home, surrounded by her personal belongings. She’d been grounded the moment she’d walked inside, and it had nothing to do with the man who had followed her in.

  She thought back over their encounter and their little wager. She would make him swallow his words. There was no way she was going to let him stay at her place for a week. If something happened and they ended up breaking up, she’d have to move. His presence would be in every aspect of the house and that would make it unbearable to live in.

  A knock sounded and her heart rate kicked up a notch. “Can I come in?”

  Phoebe was surprised Marco had knocked at all; she’d expected him to walk straight in. His politeness and consideration made him a little more endearing to her. “
Sure, come on in.”

  The door opened and the first thing she noticed was a hand holding a champagne glass. As far as she could remember she hadn’t had any champagne in her refrigerator.

  “I thought you might like something to drink while I scrub your back?” Humor laced his voice and she couldn’t help but smile.

  “Where did you get the champagne from?”

  He walked toward her, a sheepish grin on his face. “It’s not champagne, but sparkling water. Can’t have you falling asleep in the bath, now can I?”

  “Well that’s disappointing, but yes falling asleep in the bath isn’t the way to go.”

  She sank a little further into the water, beneath the bubbles, embarrassed about him seeing her so vulnerable when she shouldn’t rose up inside of her. Marco reached the edge of the tub, and she noticed his hair looked damp and his aftershave, a fresh woodsy scent, wafted out to her.

  “You showered?” She was surprised—maybe he wasn’t going to be getting into the tub with her at all like he threatened.

  “Yes,” he replied as he handed her the glass.

  She took it from him and brought it to her lips. She looked up at him over the rim. “How are you supposed to scrub my back thoroughly if you don’t get into the tub with

  me? Isn’t that what you said?” His eyes darkened briefly, another scored a hit, albeit a small one.

  “I can scrub quite easily from the side.”

  “Not what you said earlier,” she mumbled and put the glass on the ground, ensuring her body moved out of the bubbles, giving Marco a glimpse of her breasts. She suppressed a smile when she heard the soft groan. It was going to be so easy to make him give in to her.

  “I’m ready to get my back scrubbed.” She smiled coyly up at him. “How about you?”

  “I’m more than ready. Now move up a bit so I can join you.” He started to pull off his t-shirt. She was momentarily shocked at his actions. She swallowed as his hands moved to his shorts.

  “Umm I thought you’d had a shower and could wash my back from the side of the tub?”

  “I changed my mind,” he stated as he shimmied out of his shorts and boxers. She could see he was already half aroused. Was he conceding the wager already?

  “Does this mean you’re saying I’ve won our little bet?”

  “No.” He laughed as he stepped into the tub, his hair-roughened leg brushing seductively against her back. She closed her eyes and bit her lip, not wanting to let Marco know how even his leg brushing against her back could turn her on.

  As he settled in behind her Phoebe held herself stiffly, almost too afraid to relax against him. She jumped as his hands moved up her back and settled on her shoulders, starting to massage them gently.

  “Relax,” he whispered against her ear. If she wanted to win the wager, she needed to not let Marco intimidate her. She needed to turn the situation to her advantage.

  She let her body relax against him as his fingers worked magic on her tense shoulders. She leaned back and his arousal jutted against her back. She could reach around and grasp it. If she did that then she would win for sure.

  Before she had a chance to act he moved his arms around her and clasped his hands loosely under her breasts.

  “I thought you were washing my back?” she asked breathlessly.

  “All in good time.” He kissed her neck. “All in good time.”

  As he caressed the underside of her breasts, she wiggled her hips, causing a delicious friction between her back and his erection. She would make him lose control if it was the last thing she did. She was on fire with his touches, but she wasn’t going to let him know how much he was affecting her.

  Marco moved his hands from her breasts, back to her shoulders again. “Where’s the soap?”

  Phoebe pointed to a bottle of body wash. “Right there.”

  She moved her hips again and had the satisfaction of feeling him pause before he took a deep breath and opened the bottle, squeezing some of the liquid onto his hands. She shivered when the cool liquid connected with the warm skin of her back.

  Marco massaged the liquid into her shoulders, and she couldn’t control a moan of pleasure erupting out of her. She couldn’t think or act. His hands were working magic, arousing her to the point where all she had to do was turn and lift her hips, and then she’d be able to lower herself over his hard length.

  She gasped when a cascade of water flowed down her back. “What are you doing?” “I have to clean off the soap.” He sounded innocent but she knew he was far from it. “A little warning would’ve been nice.”

  He laughed and gave her shoulders another squeeze before he stood up. “Well now that I’ve washed your back, I’ll leave you to soak and order the Chinese.”

  He was out of the bath before she had a chance to respond. She noticed he was very aroused.

  “Going to take a cold shower?”

  He laughed as he pulled his shorts on sans underwear. “Maybe, but it’s a small price to pay for winning the wager.”

  She groaned and sank fully under the warm water as he walked out the door. She should’ve realized he had it all planned out. He was the ultimate plan-maker. There was no way he was going to lose. He wouldn’t let himself. Even if he had to go to the brink of desire, which he had, he wouldn’t have given in to his baser needs. She hadn’t acted quickly enough to not give him the option of leaving the bath.

  She surfaced and sluiced the water away from her face and squeezed it out of her hair. So now what did she do? Marco was going to live with her for a full week. If she thought about it, it was no different than him staying with her at the beach house. They’d been neutral ground though; now they were on her home turf. The first place she could finally call all her own. She paid the mortgage. She paid the taxes. It was her home and no one else’s, and now Marco was going to invade it.

  Phoebe stopped her thoughts there. She had a choice. She could let Marco’s presence in her house upset her. Or she could treat it like he was a visitor. She wouldn’t allow herself to memorize anything he did.

  As she pulled the plug and watched the water swirl down the drain she wondered why she was convinced that at the end of the week their relationship would be over. Did she have little faith in what they had shared? Was she so certain they couldn’t build on it and make it a relationship where love was the central part of it?

  A knock sounded again. “Chinese will be here in about fifteen minutes.” “Okay, I’m out now. I’ll be with you shortly.”

  Marco didn’t answer and once she was sure he was gone, she wrapped a towel around herself and escaped into her bedroom. As she dressed, her mind drifted back to the last thought she had.

  Did she want a loving relationship with Marco?

  Did she want to risk her heart again?

  Yes!

  The word fired through her mind without hesitation. She sat on the bed, shocked at the feelings flowing through her, feelings she’d denied had existed.

  She was in love with Marco.

  That was why she’d broken off the engagement. She hadn’t wanted to admit to herself that she had gone and fallen for him. The fear that she wouldn’t be enough for him had driven her to think it would be easier to be apart than to, once again, be a second thought in a relationship.

  She knew Marco believed in their relationship, he’d told so. Told her the first day he arrived at the beach house that they were good together. And he kept saying it. Could she make him fall in love with her? She knew he cared. Could she push him over the edge?

  Phoebe closed her eyes and for the first time in her life she let herself imagine a future with Marco. A future where they were equals in a relationship. Where they were married and had children.

  Her breath caught at the thought of carrying Marco’s baby, of seeing his face light up with delight the way Alex’s did whenever he spoke of Sophie and Louisa. The way Dawn’s face softened with love when she spoke of Andrew. Yes, she wanted to have children with Marco. She wanted it al
l.

  All she had to do was convince Marco this was what he wanted too. And she had the following week to make it happen.

  * * *

  “Do you want another egg roll?” Marco asked as he held out the plastic container.

  Phoebe patted her stomach, feeling like she was about to explode. “No, I couldn’t eat another thing. Where did you get that Chinese? My local restaurant has never tasted this good.”

  Marco moved to clean up all the takeout containers. Phoebe knew she should offer to help but she quite frankly couldn’t move.

  “I phoned the one near my place.”

  “And they delivered here? We don’t even live close to each other.”

  He gave a rueful laugh. “Well I had to be very persuasive and guarantee a big tip for the driver. But it was worth it.”

  “Oh, it was so worth it. Thank you.”

  “My pleasure,” he murmured as he leaned down and placed a soft kiss on her lips. “Why don’t you pick out this ‘chick flick’ you want to watch. I promise I won’t complain while we watch it.”

  She laughed and watched as he walked out of the room. He was now wearing old jeans and they hugged his ass like a second skin. She shivered at the thought of the firm flesh that lay beneath the material.

  Pulling herself out of the lounge chair she walked over to where she stored her movies. She browsed her collection and found a movie.

  “So, what form of torture have you picked out for me?”

  Phoebe laughed. She figured Marco would be able to take anything in his stride, chick flick and all. “I hardly think watching a movie is a form of torture. You can see for yourself whether you like it or not. I’m not saying a thing.”

  “Hmmm okay, I’ll trust you.”

  Phoebe put the disk in the machine and went back to sit in the chair she had been sitting in before.

  “Oh no you don’t.” Marco stated as he reached out to grab her hand. With a slight tug she found herself toppling down onto the couch next to him. “I believe I said I was going to curl up on the couch with you to watch the movie.”