“Yes, the same Roger White who is the son of the person Phoebe lived with after her parents died.”
“He’s a bastard and you can’t trust anything he says about Phoebe.” She paused before continuing. “I bet he said that Phoebe was after his mother’s money, and so you thought she was going to go after yours and have a little bit on the side?”
How could he admit to Sophie that was exactly what the other man had said? And yes, those words had him second-guessing himself. Second-guessing his ability to pick a partner who was genuine.
“Your silence says it all,” Sophie mused quietly. “That’s pretty bad, Marco. That you can let a person you’ve never met before influence your perception of the woman you tell me you love.”
“Don’t judge me until you’ve walked in my shoes.” His words came out harsher than he meant but he didn’t want examine his shortcomings too closely. Especially not in front of Phoebe’s best friend.
“Well, it’s clear you’re not going to listen and that’s fine. It’s your life you’re mucking up, so go right ahead. But I don’t think you’ll get another woman who’s as perfect for you as Phoebe is. I’ll see myself out.”
With that she walked off with a dignity that emphasized her upper class upbringing.
Alex was very lucky to have a woman like Sophie at his side. He could see why his friend loved her so much and would give up his life for her.
As the door closed softly behind Sophie, Marco sat back down and gazed at the dark, empty fireplace. It was cold and uninviting, just like his life was at the moment.
He looked around his apartment and nothing appealed to him. The furnishings were leather and wood, dark masculine colors with nothing light to break it up. As he looked at his apartment he realized how lonely and empty it was.
He then thought about Phoebe’s house. He’d only spent one night there but there was a warmth there that was seriously lacking in his home. Her touch was everywhere. Photos of her and her friends were dotted around the rooms. Her living room, where they’d watched the movie, was welcoming and homely. It was a home, a home that was filled with love, and if he let himself let go of his insecurities, it could be a home of love for him, too.
He didn’t want to live with mistrust anymore. He wanted to live with love, and he loved and wanted Phoebe.
But how could he win her back? How could he convince her that she was his heart and soul?
Heart.
That was it. He would try and get the heart necklace back from Roger White. He would do whatever it took to convince the man to sell it to him or if he’d sold it find out where it was and do everything he could to make Phoebe the new owner. Marco knew the way to winning back Phoebe was through her heart. To show her he would never, ever doubt her or her word again. She had his heart and he would prove it to her by finding Mrs. White’s heart necklace.
15
Phoebe put the last piece of the Tim Tam cookie in her mouth and felt decidedly fat. But it didn’t matter anymore—it wasn’t like she had a wedding dress to try and fit into. She still had no idea whether Marco had called the wedding planner to cancel everything—for good this time.
A sob threatened to erupt out of her. She pushed it down. She was done crying and it was time to get back into living. It had been two days since she’d had her argument with Marco. Sophie had called and called, and Phoebe had told her friend that she was fine, that she was getting on with life. All the while she was sitting on the couch watching re-runs of The Big Bang Theory. She laughed, but it wasn’t the deep in your soul type of laugh she usually gave when she watched the show.
Sick of her wallowing, she got up and headed for the shower. She needed to move on and it was going to start today.
* * *
Phoebe was towel drying her hair when her phone chimed with an incoming message. She walked over to the counter where it rested and picked it up. Her breath caught—it was a message from Marco, the first contact she’d had with him since their argument. She was tempted to not read it, annoyed that he sent a text and hadn’t bothered to call her. Her phone buzzed again. Another message.
Blowing out a nervous breath, she unlocked her phone.
Hi Phoebe, I know you probably don’t even want to talk to me, let alone read a text.
But I’m hoping you’ll meet me. I have something I want to tell you. Mxx
Her heart shouldn’t skip a beat over a text message but hers did. She quickly loaded the next message.
I’m hopeful that you read my first message and are now reading this one. If you want to meet me, please come outside of your house. Mxx
Phoebe wasn’t sure what to make of the messages. They seemed impersonal and personal at the same time. But her interest was piqued. She wanted to find out what he had to say to her. She refused to think it was anything bad.
As she slipped on her shoes her phone beeped again.
If you are reading my messages and are willing to go on this adventure with me, when you get out of your house, turn right and go to the end of the street. Mxx
She laughed this time. It was like he was sending her on a treasure hunt. She quickly grabbed her handbag, sunglasses, and keys. Excitement built and she couldn’t wait to get the next message.
Once she had secured her house and skipped down the stairs she followed Marco’s instructions and headed in the direction he’d asked her to go.
She was almost at the corner when her phone beeped again.
When you get around the corner you will see a car waiting. This car is for you. I hope you can trust me enough to get in the car. The driver knows where to take you. Mxx
Sure enough when she reached the corner there was a long, gleaming back limousine waiting. She slowed her steps and once she got close enough a driver got out.
“Ms. Fitzgerald?” the driver asked.
She couldn’t talk; she could only nod her head. A smile broke out over the older man’s face and he opened the door.
With her heart in her mouth Phoebe bent and stepped into the car. “Thank you for trusting me.”
Phoebe let out a little yelp. The last person she expected to see in the vehicle was Marco. She figured she’d be driven somewhere to meet him. That’s what his message had suggested. Her heart bled when her eyes had adjusted to the dimness of the car. She’d never seen Marco look so tired and dejected. Oh, he tried to smile to hide it, but he wasn’t doing a very good job of it.
“Let’s just say I was intrigued.”
He laughed huskily and the sound swirled up her spine like smoke drifting lazily on a soft breeze.
Once she was seated and had her safety belt on, Marco tapped lightly on the window and the car pulled away.
“What is it you have to tell me?” She’d never been patient about waiting for surprises. She had always wanted to know what she was getting or what was happening. She always skimmed books or read the ending first.
“You’ll have to wait.”
One look at Marco, and she knew she couldn’t convince him to let her in. She slumped back on the seat and crossed her arms. In all honesty she should still be really angry with him, and she was, but the excitement about this adventure he was taking them on was growing.
They didn’t say much more; Marco seemed lost in his thoughts and Phoebe didn’t want to intrude. But she looked at him and took in how much he’d changed in the past two days. It was like he hadn’t slept. His face appeared thinner as if he’d lost some weight and was covered with a slight scruff. She probably looked fatter after the chocolate binge she’d been on over the last two days.
The car stopped; they’d only gone a short way. As the door opened Phoebe was surprised to see where they were. They were back at the café where they’d had their argument.
“Why are we here?” It was the last place she wanted to be. As she’d walked away from their argument she’d vowed that she’d never go back to that place again. No matter how good the coffee was.
“I wanted to come back to the scene
where I let the best thing that has ever happened to me walk away.”
She didn’t want to read too much into his words, but they held a tone she hadn’t heard before.
“Come,” he said as he cupped her elbow and led her to a vacant outside table. He held out the chair for her and once she was settled he moved around to the other side of the table.
The distance between them was not even two feet, but to Phoebe it felt like it was three hundred feet.
“Okay, I’m here, what do you want?” Her words were short and sharp but it was what she was feeling.
“I want to start off by saying I’m sorry. I’m sorry for not trusting you. I’m sorry for thinking that you were as sneaky as Veronika. I’m sorry for accusing you of lying to me.” He paused and took his glasses off so she could see straight into his eyes. She saw the truth shining in their brown depths. “But most of all I’m sorry for hurting you. I don’t want to hurt you anymore, Phoebe. I want you to be my wife. I want us to have a wonderful life together. I can’t imagine anyone I’d much rather spend my life with than with you.”
He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a circlet of gold. It was her engagement ring. Part of her wanted to reach out and snatch it back and place it on her finger. The other part was telling her she should want more. He needed to give her more than an apology.
“I accept your apology, but why, Marco? Why did you think I could do that to you?”
He scrubbed a hand down his face. “Because I was scared. I was too scared to believe in what I was feeling for you. What I really wanted for us. I jumped on something someone said to me, and then I saw you with John. I made the whole situation into something much, much bigger than it needed to be.”
“Who was the person who said something to you? And what did they say for you to not trust me so easily?”
“It was Roger White. He was the client I had a meeting with the morning after you told me you wanted to get married again.”
“Roger White is your client?” Phoebe couldn’t believe that Marco would do business with such a sleazebag like Roger.
“Not anymore. He wanted me to do something illegal and I don’t work that way.”
Phoebe tried to take in all he was saying. It seemed ironic that a few hours before his meeting, she’d told Marco everything about Mrs. White and what her son had done to her. She could believe Roger wouldn’t say anything nice about her. He’d always resented her presence in the house.
“It still hurts that you could believe him over me. Especially after I told you how he treated me after Mrs. White’s death.”
“I know, I know, and I don’t deserve your forgiveness. But I’m begging here, Phoebe.
Please don’t give up on us. Please give me another chance.” “Why?”
“Because I can’t live without you. These last two days have been hell. Worse than when you initially broke off our engagement.”
She wanted more though. She loved Marco and she wanted him to love her back. It was like he was saying it in a roundabout way but she wanted the direct way.
“But why can’t you live without me?”
Anguish filled his eyes and he once again reached into his pocket and pulled something out. He kept his fist clenched as he got up out of his chair and came to kneel beside hers.
He opened his fist and she gasped. “Because you have my heart. I love you, Phoebe. I love you, and I’ll say it again. I don’t want to live without you. I love you,” he finished on a whisper.
She couldn’t hold back the tears, and as she looked down into his open hand she couldn’t believe what lay nestled in it. Mrs. White’s diamond heart pendant. She wanted to touch it but was too afraid to.
What if it wasn’t real?
It didn’t seem possible that Marco could have it.
She reached out a tentative hand and touched the necklace with her finger. “Oh, Marco, how?”
He didn’t say anything, just unclasped the necklace and placed it gently around her neck. Once he’d ensured the catch had taken he stepped away and gazed at her.
“Beautiful, absolutely beautiful.” Somehow she knew he wasn’t talking about the necklace.
The comforting weight of the heavy charm nestled between her breasts. She touched it lightly, still afraid that if she was too strong with it, it would disappear.
“How did you get it?”
A rueful smile broke out on his face. “It wasn’t easy. But it was worth everything that I had to go through to see you smile like that again. I would do it over again, too.”
Somehow she knew Marco was telling the truth. She imagined that Roger had made him pay dearly to get the necklace.
Marco reached out and took her hand. “I will say, Mrs. White did want you to have the necklace, Phoebe. There was a specific bequest made to you in the will. Roger was executor, though, so he was able to make sure you thought she hadn’t bequeathed it to you.”
If at all possible, she fell even deeper in love with Marco at that moment. The way he wanted her to cherish her memories of Mrs. White by letting her know that the necklace was meant to be hers.
Adele White had loved her.
“Thank you,” she whispered tremulously. “Thank you.”
Marco leaned down and kissed her softly on the lips. She could feel the love he professed to her. She returned the kiss, hoping that her love for him was reaching out. He reluctantly pulled away and squatted by her chair again.
“I love you, Phoebe. Can you please forgive me for everything I’ve done?” He reached for her left hand, and picked up the engagement ring she’d forgotten all about in the excitement of seeing the necklace again.
Marco placed the ring at the tip of her ring finger. “Phoebe Fitzgerald, will you do the honor of marrying me for love now?”
“Yes!” she cried. “Yes, I will marry you, Marco. I love you, too.” As he slipped the ring on her finger any doubts she had about him trusting her again were gone. As she looked at the ring on her finger and then touched the heart around her neck, she knew that nothing could get better than this.
Marco clasped both her hands and raised them to his lips. “I know I don’t deserve your love but I want you to know I will do everything in my power to never abuse the gift you’ve given me. I will cherish it, nurture it, and I hope together we can make it grow.”
“I know, Marco. I know and I trust you. How could I not? You are my world and you hold my heart too.” She pulled one hand away and once again touched the heart, this time with more confidence than before. “This necklace is proof of the longevity and strength of our love. It shines as brightly as the diamonds here. I love you.”
“I love you too, sweetheart. I love you too.”
At the café where only two days ago her world had fallen apart, Marco kissed her once again and she knew nothing would ever tear them apart.
Epilogue
Phoebe looked around the ballroom. The room sparkled, from the lights of the chandeliers to the dresses and jewelry the women wore. It was the hospital’s annual New Year’s Eve party.
“Back at the scene of the crime—only this time with no masks,” Alex said with a laugh, which quickly turned into a groan when he received an elbow in the stomach from Sophie.
“I didn’t realize that meeting me was a crime.”
Alex brought Sophie close and gave her a long kiss. When they came up for air he spoke again. “It was the best crime of my life. I met the woman of my dreams who has not only given me a beautiful daughter, but a life I never thought I’d have. I love New Year’s Eve.”
Phoebe couldn’t help it—her eyes welled up at the love that was bursting out from both Alex and Sophie. She tried to sniff quietly, but when a strong arm slipped along her shoulder and a crisp white handkerchief materialized in front of her she knew she hadn’t succeeded.
She turned and smiled up at Marco, her husband. Even after a few months of marriage it still felt wonderful to say that word. “Thank you. Oh, I don’t know why I’m alway
s so emotional.”
Marco’s warm hand drifted across the small swell of her belly. “I’d say this little guy might have something to do with it.”
Phoebe laughed and placed both her hands on top of Marco’s. She’d been a little shocked and excited when she’d found out she was pregnant on their wedding day. She’d known their baby had been conceived when they had been reaffirming their relationship to each other. Marco had been over the moon when she told him. She shivered at how he’d shown her his happiness on their wedding night.
“I think you could be right,” she whispered and placed a soft kiss on his lips. “I love you.”
Marco smiled down and touched the heart pendant she was wearing around her neck. “I love you too.”
“Sorry we’re late, everyone.”
Startled, Phoebe looked up. She’d forgotten that they were in a roomful of people. She saw Dawn and Andrew taking their seats at the table. They both wore big grins and the way that Andrew was cuddling her close showed the depth of their love for each other.
Phoebe was so glad that Dawn had found happiness again. “Hi, you guys, why the big grins?”
Somehow Phoebe knew what they were about to say. “We’re pregnant,” they said in unison.
A round of cheers sounded across the table and everyone got up to give the other couple their congratulations.
“I guess we’ll be needing another NUM,” Alex said on a laugh.
“Definitely,” said Dawn. She placed her hands on her stomach and gazed up at Andrew as he repeated her action. “I’m definitely being a stay at home mum this time.”
“You sure are, honey,” Andrew said as he placed a soft kiss on Dawn’s lips.
“I think I’ll change the chair in the office, everyone who sits on it seems to get pregnant,” mused Alex. “Or hire a woman that’s got a family and isn’t planning on adding to it.”
He comments brought a burst of laughter from everyone sitting at the table.
Phoebe looked around at the happiness shining from everyone. In all her wildest dreams she’d never thought she’d ever be this contented or happy.
Seducing Phoebe: Lovers Unmasked: Book 3 Page 18