Behind him Marcus heard an “oof!” then a loud crash. He swung around to find Vanessa on the floor by the couch, wrapped in a bed sheet, wincing and cradling her left foot. Beside her lay the floor lamp that had been standing there. Then he heard a noise from the hall and whipped back around to find that in his haste he’d pushed the door open, and Cleo could see the entire sordid scenario.
“Miss Reynolds,” Cleo said, her jaw rigid. “Would you please call Karin and let her know that you are in fact fine, and haven’t been abducted by terrorists?”
“Yes, ma’am,” Vanessa said, her voice trembling, her cheeks crimson with shame.
Cleo turned to Marcus and said tightly, “A word in private, your highness?”
“Are you okay?” he asked Vanessa, who looked utterly miserable, and she nodded. “I’ll be right back.”
He stepped out into the hall, pulling the door closed behind him, and the look Cleo gave him curdled his blood.
“You lied to me?”
“What was I supposed to do? Tell you the truth? I can see how well that’s going over.”
“Marcus, what were you thinking?”
Had it been anyone but her berating him this way, he would have dismissed them on the spot. But Cleo had earned this right through years of loyal service. She was more an extension of family than an employee.
“Cleo, believe me when I say, we didn’t plan for this to happen. And if it’s any consolation, she’s not going to marry my father.”
“I should hope not! Your father deserves better than a woman who would—”
“This was not her fault,” he said sharply, because he absolutely drew the line at any disparaging remarks against Vanessa. She didn’t deserve it. “I pursued her.”
“Look, Marcus,” she said, touching his arm. “I know you’re upset over Carmela, and maybe this is your way of getting revenge, but would you risk your relationship with your father for a—a cheap fling?”
“No, but I would for the woman who I’ve fallen hopelessly in love with.”
She pulled her hand back in surprise. “You love her?”
“She’s everything I have ever imagined I could want in a woman, and a few things I didn’t even know I wanted until I met her. And she loves me too, which, considering my track record with women, is pretty damned astonishing. And the irony of it all is that those things I admire most about her are the reason we can never be together.”
“You can’t?”
“She thinks our relationship will come between me and my father, and she absolutely refuses to let that happen.”
“You know that she’s right.”
“Sometimes I think that I don’t even care. But she does, and as much as I’d like to, I would never go against her wishes.”
Cleo shook her head. “I don’t know what to say. I’m just…I’m so sorry things have to be this way.”
“I can count on you to keep this conversation private,” he said.
“Of course, Marcus.”
He leaned down and kissed her papery cheek. “Thanks.”
He stepped back into his suite, leaving her in the hall looking unbelievably sad.
* * *
Vanessa was dressed and sitting on the couch, putting her sandals on, when Marcus stepped back into the room. And from his expression she couldn’t tell what had happened. “Marcus, I am so sorry.”
“It’s okay.”
“I left my phone in my purse on the couch, that’s why I didn’t hear Karin calling me. Then I tripped on that stupid lamp. And I didn’t mean to fall asleep.”
“I fell asleep too. I take it Mia is okay.”
“Fine. I figured we would need to talk, so I asked Karin to feed Mia her dinner and get her into bed for me.”
He sat down on the couch beside her. “There’s nothing to talk about. It’s no one’s fault.”
No, they had plenty to talk about. “Cleo looked so…disappointed.”
He sighed. “Yeah, she’s good at that. But I explained the entire situation and she understands.”
“That’s not good enough.”
“Vanessa—”
“I can’t do this anymore, Marcus.”
“I’m not ready for you to go.”
“We knew this was inevitable. We kept saying that eventually the day would come that I’d have to leave. And I honestly think that it’s here.”
He squeezed her hand, gave her a sad smile. “I can’t lose you. Not yet.”
She shook her head. “My mind is made up. But I want you to know that this has been the happiest couple of weeks in my life, and I will never, as long as I live, forget you.”
“Say you’ll leave tomorrow. That you’ll give me one more night.”
She touched his cheek. It was rough from afternoon stubble. “I’m sorry. I just can’t.”
He leaned in to kiss her, and someone knocked on his door again. Marcus muttered a curse.
“Marcus, it’s Cleo!”
“Come in!” he called, sounding exasperated, and he didn’t even let go of her hand.
She opened the door and poked her head in. “I’m sorry to bother you again, but I thought you might like to know that your father’s limo just pulled up out front. He’s home.”
Vanessa and Marcus uttered the same curse, at the exact same time, and bolted up off the couch.
“We’ll be right down,” he told Cleo, and snatched his shirt off the floor. He tugged it on and fastened the buttons, tucking it into his slacks. She was pretty sure he wasn’t wearing any underwear, not that it made a difference at this point. Her hands were shaking so hard she was just glad she was already dressed.
He raked his fingers through his hair and asked, “You ready for this?”
She had always thought she was; now she wasn’t so sure. She swallowed hard, shook her head.
“Me neither.” He pulled her against him and kissed her. Long and slow and deep. Their last kiss. And he definitely made it a good one. Then he pulled away and said, “We’d better go.”
* * *
They rushed down the stairs, Vanessa’s legs feeling like limp noodles. That would be a sure way out of this disastrous situation. Trip on the stairs, tumble down and break her neck when she hit the marble floor below. Talk about taking the easy way out. But she managed to stay on her feet.
The instant her sandal hit the marble floor the front door swung open and Gabriel walked through. He was dressed casually in khaki pants and a polo shirt. Though she had expected him to look tired and pale from splitting his time between working and sitting at Trina’s bedside, instead he looked tan and well rested, as if he’d been on an extended vacation.
He saw the two of them there and smiled. “Marcus, Vanessa.”
He walked over and gave his son a hug, then shook his hand firmly. Then he turned to Vanessa.
“My sweet Vanessa,” he said, taking her hands and grasping them firmly. “It’s so good to see you.”
She would have expected a much more enthusiastic greeting from a man who supposedly loved her. Or could it have just been that he didn’t feel comfortable showing her physical affection in front of his son? That made sense. Whatever the reason she was actually grateful. If he had pulled her into his arms and kissed her passionately, that would have been awkward. And seeing Gabriel and Marcus there together, side by side, she realized that while they were definitely built similarly, and had the same dark tones, in looks Marcus actually favored his mother.
“I talked to you yesterday but you didn’t say you were coming home,” she told Gabriel.
“I thought I would surprise you.”
Oh, she was definitely surprised.
“You have a bit of sunburn,” Gabriel said, touching her chin lightly. “You’ve been getting outdoors.”
Actually, she hadn’t been out in the sun for days, how could she—? Beard burn, she realized, from the last time Marcus kissed her. So she lied and said, “Yes, we were outside just today.”
“Where is Mia?” he asked.
“Upstairs, having her dinner.”
“Good, good,” he said, and something about his demeanor was just slightly…off. As if he were nervous. And she had never seen him nervous. Strangely enough, now that he was here in front of her, any trace of nerves she’d had were gone. She just felt sad. And though she would always love and respect him as a friend, any desire she may have had to marry him was gone. In this case absence did not make the heart grow fonder. She was too busy falling in love with someone else. And she couldn’t put this off any longer. She had to end it now.
“Gabriel,” she said, forcing a smile. “Can we talk? Privately, I mean.”
“Yes, yes, of course. Why don’t we go up to your suite.” He turned to Marcus, whose jaw was so tight it could have snapped like a twig. “Please excuse us, son. We’ll catch up later. I have news.”
Marcus nodded. He was jealous, Vanessa could see it in his eyes, but he stayed silent. What choice did he have?
As they walked up the stairs together, Gabriel didn’t even hold her hand, and he made idle chitchat, much the way he had during their recent phone conversations. When they got to her suite, she held her breath, scared to death that he might suddenly take her in his arms and kiss her, because the idea of pushing him away, of having to be so cruel, broke her heart. But he made no attempt to touch her, and when he gestured toward the sofa and asked her to sit down, he didn’t even sit beside her. He sat across from her in the wing back chair. And he was definitely nervous. Had someone told him that they suspected her and Marcus of something inappropriate? And if he asked her for the truth, what should she say? Could she lie to him?
Or what if…oh God, was he going to propose?
“Gabriel, before you say anything, there’s something I really need to tell you.”
He rubbed his palms together. “And there’s something I need to tell you.”
“I’ll go first,” she said.
“No, it would be better if I did.”
Vanessa leaned forward slightly. “Actually, it would probably be better if I did.”
“No, mine is pretty important,” he said, looking slightly annoyed.
“Well, so is mine,” she said, feeling a little annoyed herself.
“Vanessa—”
“Gabriel—”
Then they said in perfect unison, “I can’t marry you.”
Seventeen
Marcus watched Vanessa and his father walk up the stairs together thinking, what is wrong with this picture.
If his father was happy to see her, why hadn’t he kissed her? Why wasn’t he holding her hand? And why had he looked so…nervous? He never got nervous.
“Something is up,” Cleo said behind him, and he turned to her.
“So it’s not just me who noticed.”
“As giddy in love as he was when he came back from America, I thought he would sweep her into his arms the instant he walked in the door, then promptly drop to one knee to propose.”
“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” Marcus asked.
“He doesn’t want to marry her.”
Marcus was already moving toward the stairs when Cleo grabbed his sleeve.
“This doesn’t mean he won’t be angry, Marcus, or feel betrayed.”
No, it didn’t, but every time Marcus imagined Vanessa leaving he got a pain in his chest so sharp, it was as if someone had reached into his chest, grabbed his heart and was squeezing the life from him. The thought of watching her and Mia get on a plane, of seeing it take them away from Varieo forever, filled him with a feeling of panic so intense it was difficult to draw a breath.
He shrugged. “I don’t care, Cleo. I can’t do it. I can’t let her go.”
Cleo let go of his sleeve, and smiled up at him. “So what are you waiting for?”
He charged up the stairs to the second floor and raced down the hall to her room. Not even bothering to knock, he flung the door open. Vanessa was seated on the sofa, his father in the chair across from her, and the sudden intrusion surprised them both.
“Marcus,” Vanessa said. “What are you doing here?”
“I need to have a word with my father,” he told her.
His father frowned. “Is something wrong, son?”
“Yes and no. I guess it just depends on how you look at it.”
Vanessa rose to her feet, shaking her head. “Marcus, don’t—”
“I have to, Vanessa.”
“But—”
“I know.” He shrugged helplessly. “But I have to.”
She sat back down, as if she’d gotten tired of fighting it too, and whatever happened, she was willing to live with the consequences.
“Marcus, can this wait? I really need to talk to Vanessa.”
“No, it can’t. What I need to tell you must be said right now.”
His father looked to Vanessa, who sat there silently. “All right,” he said, sounding annoyed. “Talk.”
Marcus took a deep breath and blew it out, hoping his father would at least try to understand. “Remember when you thanked me for agreeing to spend time with Vanessa, and said in return, if I ever needed anything, to just ask?”
He nodded. “I remember.”
“Did you really mean it?”
“Of course I did. I’m a man of my word. You know that.”
“Then I need you to do something for me.”
“Anything, Marcus.”
“Let Vanessa go.”
He drew back slightly, blinking in confusion. “Let her go? But…I just did. I just now told her that I couldn’t marry her.”
“That’s not good enough. I need you to really let her go, forget you ever wanted to marry her.”
He frowned. “Marcus, what on earth are you talking about? Why would I do that?”
“So I can marry her.”
His father’s mouth actually dropped open.
“You told me that Vanessa is a remarkable woman, and said that once I got to know her, I would love her. Well, you were right. I do love her.” He turned to Vanessa. “More than she could possibly imagine. Too much to ever let her leave.”
She smiled, tears filling her eyes. “I love you, too, Marcus.”
He turned back to his father, who sat there looking stunned. “You have to understand that we didn’t mean for this to happen, and we did fight it. But we just…” He shrugged. “We just couldn’t help it.”
“You had an affair,” his father said, as if to clarify.
“This was no affair,” Marcus said. “We fell in love.”
“So,” his father said, turning to Vanessa, “this is why you couldn’t marry me?”
“Yes. I’m so sorry. But like Marcus said, we didn’t mean for this to happen. At first, he didn’t even like me.”
His father slowly nodded, as though he were letting it sink in, but oddly enough, he didn’t look angry. Maybe the depth of their betrayal had left him temporarily numb.
“We had agreed not to say anything, to end it,” Marcus told him. “She was going to do the honorable thing and leave. Neither of us could bear the thought of hurting you. But I need her. Her and Mia.”
His father just sat there, eyes lowered, slowly shaking his head, rubbing his palms together. Marcus glanced over at Vanessa who looked both sad and relieved, and a little worried. He could relate. Telling his father the truth had been hard as hell, but he knew that living a lie would have been so much worse. It would have weighed on him the rest of his life.
“Would you please say something?” Marcus said. “Tell me what you’re thinking.”
His father finally looked over to him. “I find it ironic, I guess.”
“Ironic how?”
“Because I have a secret, too.”
“The reason you couldn’t marry me?” Vanessa asked.
He nodded. “Because I’m engaged to someone else.”
For a second Vanessa just sat there, looking dumbfounded, then she laughed.
“You think that’s funny?” Marcus asked.
&
nbsp; “Not funny ha-ha, but funny ironic. I guess because I was so focused on Marcus, I didn’t really see it. Suddenly everything makes sense.”
Marcus was completely confused. “See what?”
“Why he stopped Skyping, why his calls were less frequent and increasingly impersonal. You were falling in love with her.”
“It was difficult to look you in the eye,” his father said, “to just hear your voice. I felt so guilty. I knew I had to end it but I didn’t want to hurt you.”
“I know exactly what you mean!” she said. “You have no idea how relieved I felt when you said we couldn’t Skype anymore. I was so scared that the second you saw my face you would know what I was thinking.”
Gabriel smiled. “Me, too.”
“Excuse me,” Marcus said, raising his hand. “Would someone like to tell me who is it that you were falling in love with?”
Vanessa looked at him like he was a moron, and right now, he sort of felt like one. “It’s your Aunt Trina.”
Marcus turned to his father, and could see by the look on his face that it was true. “You’re engaged to Trina?”
He nodded. “Almost losing her opened my eyes to my feelings for her.”
He and Aunt Trina had always been close, but Marcus honestly believed their relationship had been platonic.
“We didn’t mean for it to happen,” his father said. “But after spending so much time together, we just knew. I guess you can understand how that goes.”
“When mother was still alive, did you and Trina…?
“Marcus, no! Of course not. I loved your mother. I still love her. And until recently I never thought of Trina as anything but a friend. I’m still not sure what happened, what changed, I just know that it’s right.” He turned to Vanessa. “I was going to tell you this, and apologize profusely for dragging you and your daughter halfway around the world, and for making promises I couldn’t keep. It’s not that I don’t care for you deeply. It’s because of you that I was able to open up my heart again. I was so lonely, and unhappy, and then I met you and for the first time in months I felt alive again. And hopeful. I wanted to hold on to that feeling, but deep down I think I knew that it wasn’t going to last. I knew that we would never love each other the way a wife and husband should.”
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