A Stranger's Bed

by Sophia Rae

  Calling himself ten kinds of a fool, Marcus lowered the sweet-smelling sheets and took them up to Chloe’s room. No, he reminded himself. It wasn’t Chloe’s room anymore. She’d walked away from what could’ve been hers. The room, the house. Him.

  Just as he plopped the pile of fresh sheets onto the bare mattress, a car door slammed. Sara and Luke were at work, and no guests were due to check in for two days.

  Marcus left the bedroom, took two strides down the hall and froze at the top of the steps.

  Dressed just as she had been when she left, Chloe stood at the base of the staircase, looking just as miserable as he felt.

  “Did you forget something?” he asked bitterly. Damn, he couldn’t even hide the hurt in his voice.

  She nodded. “Actually, I did.”

  “I’m cleaning the room you stayed in, and I haven’t found anything.”

  She started up the steps, but Marcus stood firm. He wasn’t budging.

  “It isn’t in the room,” she said, coming to a halt halfway up. “You have it.”

  He cocked his head. “I have it? What?”

  A single tear trickled down her delicate skin. “My heart.”

  Because he couldn’t risk having his own heart trampled on again, Marcus steeled himself against any hope that wanted to bloom inside. The lone tear, though, did rip at him in a way he hated admitting.

  Before he could stop himself, he reached out, swiping the moisture from her silky cheek. “How can I have your heart when you don’t have feelings for me?”

  She turned her head, nestling a cheek against his hand. “I have feelings for you, Marcus. I couldn’t have stayed as long as I did if I didn’t feel anything.”

  “So why are you back?”

  With a tilt of her chin, she looked him directly in the eye. “I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t stay at my house, not with all the memories we made filling my mind. I drove home, walked around the house and knew that wasn’t where I belong. I got back into my car and drove most of the night to get here.”

  “What are you saying, Chloe? Are you here as my partner in the Bed and Breakfast?”

  She shook her head. “I’m here as your partner, but I want our relationship to be more than business.”

  His chest tightened, his heart swelled. Did he dare hope she’d come to realize she loved him in such a short amount of time? “Have your feelings for me changed?”

  Her misty eyes darted around, anywhere but in his direction. “I don’t know. I just know I can’t be without you. I’m not sure if that’s love or not.”

  “Really,” he said, taking one step down to put them on the same stair. “Then why did you pay off the debt?”

  “For you, you idiot. I could see how it was tearing you and your family up to let it go, and I had all this money that I didn’t want, so I put it toward a good cause. I’ll boot you out on your ass if you aren’t grateful.”

  Marcus rested his arms on her shoulders, leaned down to look her dead in the eye. “I’m extremely grateful, but why did you do all this for me?”

  “Because I...”

  A smile spread wide across his face. Her bright green eyes locked onto his the moment she realized it. Through the panic, he saw deep into her heart. “Because you what?”

  “Because I...love you.”

  Chloe stared at him in disbelief as a fresh load of tears sprang into her eyes. “Oh, my God. I love you, Marcus. I’ve never told that to anyone. But it seems...I don’t know, right somehow to tell you.”

  “That’s because it is right, Chloe.”

  With his eyes glued to hers, he bent down to capture her mouth. Their passion was different this time...better.

  Her hands rose to clasp behind his neck, drawing him further down. As Marcus reached behind her to unzip the khaki linen dress, he pulled her to the landing. The unwanted dress slid fluidly to the floor.

  Her firm, vivacious body felt like sin under his hands. It made him hungry and hard. The power she held amazed him, a feeling he hoped he never grew accustomed to. She had his heart in her hands, now he could only pray she did the right thing with it.

  “You don’t mind if I celebrate, do you?” he asked against her mouth.

  “If this is how you celebrate, count me in.”

  “Chloe.” Marcus pulled back, looking her in the eye. “I think I’m not going to be able to keep this as a Bed and Breakfast.”

  Confused, Chloe pulled his head back. “Why?”

  A wicked grin spread across his face. “Because I like the freedom of making love to you anytime of day, in any room of the house.”

  Her expression softened. “Oh well, that’s no problem. It’s our house after all, and besides, I’m loaded. We don’t have to open it back up. We’ll just fill the house with children. I think that would suit your parents all right. Don’t you?”

  “What?” Marcus drew his brows together.

  “I’ve decided to marry you and make babies with you.”

  Marcus’s heart swelled. “You’re serious?”

  “Absolutely.”

  He rained kisses all over her face. “Oh, Chloe, you’ve made me the happiest man in the world.”

  All she could do was laugh as he made quick work of shedding their clothes. “In more ways than one.”

  A word about the author…

  Sophia Rae loves everything about romance, so she decided to put her fantasies out there for others to enjoy. She’s married to her high school sweetheart and spends her days chasing children and her nights writing passionate tales.

  Sophia loves to hear from readers! E-mail her today if you want to chat about her books or anybody else’s. She loves to chat as much as she loves to write.

  Contact her at sophiarae@falcon1.net