by Mia Knight
He glanced at her, his face hard and so unlike the easygoing man she’d come to know. He glanced once more at Angel before he followed her in the house. What the fuck was that? She came here to chill, not for drama. She dropped the plate with the half-eaten cake on the counter and towed Marcus through the living room where Gavin and Lyla sat on the couch. Gavin had his arm around her while she leaned into him. They weren’t talking; they were soaking each other in. She missed that—the familiarity one had after being together for years. God, she had to get out of here.
“Thanks for dinner,” she said as she kissed Lyla on her head and completely ignored Gavin. “Call me if you need anything before you leave for Bora Bora.”
She didn’t release Marcus until she walked out of the house. Mickey broke off from some guards and headed to the SUV.
“She’ll ride with me,” Marcus said.
She didn’t argue. She slid into the Audi while he placed his takeout bag in the back seat. It smelled delicious. It wasn’t until they were on the open road with the city tiny lights in the distance that he spoke.
“What were you and Angel talking about?”
Fucking Gavin and Angel ruined her perfect night. “Nothing. He was just being an ass.”
“About what?”
She reached for his free hand and laced their fingers together. “Nothing important. I’m glad you made it.”
“I tried to leave earlier, but some things came up.”
“Well, I didn’t give you much notice …” But Gavin made it. She pushed that petty thought away. He wasn’t obligated to attend unplanned dinner parties she sprung on him without warning.
“I have a business dinner coming up in a few days,” Marcus said, interrupting her thoughts. “You remember that businessman from Dubai? Khalid?”
“Yes.”
“He’s interested in buying one of the towers we’re building for homeowners.”
She pondered that for a moment. “It’s still under construction.”
“Yes.”
“He wants it badly enough to buy without seeing it completed?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“He wants to start doing business in Las Vegas, and there’s very limited real estate on The Strip.”
“What does Gavin think about that?”
His mouth curved. “The towers were my idea in the first place, and now that it’s drawing people like Khalid, he’s pissed at me.”
“He’s allowing you to negotiate this deal?”
“We haven’t talked hard numbers yet. Khalid has a lot of connections in the business world and may be an excellent partner in future, which is why we’re willing to talk to him.”
“Good luck.”
“I want you to come with me to the dinner we’re having with his associates.”
She glanced at him. “Really?”
“Yes. You don’t mind, do you?”
“Of course, not.”
He squeezed her hand. “Great. I’ve been following Khalid’s career for years. It’s an honor to talk to him and potentially do business with him in future.”
Marcus spoke of Khalid’s many accomplishments for the rest of the drive. She listened with half an ear as Gavin and Angel’s words needled her. When they reached home, he went to the office while she got ready for bed. The night didn’t exactly end on a high note. She felt uncomfortable and restless. Even the TV show Psych couldn’t improve her mood.
She lay curled around a pillow on the edge of the bed, lost in her head. No one believed she and Marcus were compatible. She hadn’t either, but with each passing week, she’d begun to believe that he might be the only other man on the planet capable of handling her. So what if they weren’t technically dating? Their foundation was better than what most married couples had. It was companionship at its best, and it worked for them.
She was happy and satisfied … or had been before Gavin and Angel attacked their arrangement. Angel was so sure her restlessness would return. Angel had changed in the short amount of time he had been in Las Vegas. He arrived with an eager cockiness that had faded to something much darker. The underworld was taking its toll on him. That was why his craving was so bad. He was insatiable. Nothing was keeping him topped up.
Marcus entered the bedroom. Her eyes followed him into the bathroom where he stripped. She liked that he was dedicated to his job. Work was an intrinsic part of him. He had no guidance in his life, yet he showed such compassion and patience. He made something of himself, and that should be celebrated. Knowing how little he had in his past, she went out of her way to do little things for him. She hung dreamy ocean paintings in his home office to tempt him with travel. She appreciated his fashion sense, so she bought him ties and shirts, which he could never have enough of. Every time she gave him something, he got the strangest look on his face. At first, she thought she had overstepped, but he had worn everything she got him, so she continued to give him presents.
Marcus walked into the bedroom in just his boxer briefs. She shifted to make room and laughed when he hopped on the bed and tucked her close. He buried his face in her hair.
“I like the way you smell,” he said. “Candy and sex.”
“Well, you know I love classy sin.”
He tipped her on her back while he rested on his side, looking down at her. She reached up and traced his features with her finger.
“Did you buy the necklace you showed me earlier today?” he asked.
Her hand paused. “No, I decided not to.”
“Why?”
She continued her exploration. “I don’t know.”
“You must have loved it if you took a picture of it.”
He’s not Vinny. She flinched as Gavin’s words drifted through her mind. “Maybe I’ll get it in the future.”
As she stroked his face, his eyes closed. She ran her hands through his hair and then cupped his neck. She massaged, and he dropped his head forward to give her better access. He rested his forehead on her chest. Her hands moved to the top of his shoulders. When he lay heavily on her, breathing slow and easy, she stopped. She wrapped her arms around him and soaked in his scent, weight, and warmth. This was all she needed—a partner who understood and accepted her. He had made the weeks since she awakened more than bearable; he had made them sweet and light. She’d done what Mom said. She found things that made her happy and spent as much time as possible doing them. The pain was still there, but it was beaten back by Marcus’s warm generosity.
“What were you talking to Angel about?” he murmured.
“What?”
He lifted his head and braced himself on his arms. “Angel.”
His voice was calm, but his eyes were moody. He wasn’t confrontational. If she learned anything about him, it was that he was the calm voice of reason in every situation. She was shocked he was bringing this up.
“You were angry, and he was standing very close to you,” he continued when she didn’t speak.
“It wasn’t anything,” she said.
“Tell me what he said.”
“I asked him about the Black Vipers,” she said slowly, trying to come up with an answer that wouldn’t offend him.
“And?”
Her eyes flicked away as she tried to buy time. He cupped her chin in a firm but gentle grip. His thumb slid over her bottom lip.
“Tell me.”
“He doesn’t think we’ll last.” His eyes narrowed, and she tacked on, “To be fair, Gavin doesn’t think so either. He told me to break it off with you.”
Marcus blinked. “What?”
“You know Gavin … He thinks I’m the worst thing that’s ever happened to you.”
“Gavin’s extra hostile toward you. Why?”
The last time she and Gavin had been civil to one another was when Vinny was alive. After Vinny died, their relationship disintegrated. He blamed her for Vinny’s death and rightly so. He’d never said it out loud, but he didn’t have to. He also blamed her for taking L
yla from him the first time. He believed they could have worked it out after she discovered his infidelity. Maybe, but her loyalty was to her cousin, not him.
“Bad history,” she said and brushed her hand over her aching chest.
“Angel doesn’t think we’ll last, and you got in his face?”
“Kind of. I said I was happy.” She waited for a comment. When she got none, she shifted restlessly beneath him, but he didn’t budge. “He was just being an ass. He wants what he can’t have.”
“He made a play for you.” His tone was flat.
“I told him we were exclusive, that I wasn’t interested.” When he said nothing, she added, “It’s mostly the chase.”
“Is it?”
“What else could it be?”
He brushed her hair back from her face. “Any man would covet you. It has nothing to do with the chase. That’s just a bonus.”
She stared up at him. “You didn’t chase me.”
He raised a brow. “Every opening I had, I took it.”
She blinked. “But you … you were just at the right place at the right time.”
His expression eased, and he grinned. “You’re so cute.”
He kissed her on the nose, and she scowled.
“I’m not cute. I’m a killer!”
“You’re adorable,” he murmured as he cradled her face between his hands and brushed kisses over her face. “I told you I wanted you before I met you.”
“But …” she said weakly and tried to hang onto the conversation when he was drowning her in affection. “You didn’t make any moves! I made all of them!”
He smiled. “Yes, you did.”
She shoved against his shoulders. “I can’t believe this! You—”
He covered her mouth with his and pinned her arms above her head. She jerked her head to the side, and his mouth moved to her neck and sucked.
“You needed time, so I gave it to you,” he said quietly. “But I always intended to be right here.”
“That’s not possible!”
“It is.” He raised his head and looked down at her. “And it was worth the wait.”
Her chest locked. “I didn’t want to like you.”
“I know.” He rested his forehead on hers. “But you do.”
She closed her eyes as conflicting emotions tumbled through her. “I don’t know how I would have done this without you.”
“You would have found a way, but I’m glad to be a part of it.”
“You don’t think I’m too much?”
“You are, but I like it,” he murmured as he lifted her nightgown. “Roman can look all he wants as long as he doesn’t touch.”
24
Carmen stepped back from the vanity and posed in black lingerie and high heels. All she had to do was slip into her slinky black dress and she would be ready for the business dinner with Marcus. It had been a long week, and she was in the mood to let loose. Maybe she could seduce him in his suite after this business dinner. The fact that Lyla wasn’t in town niggled at the back of her mind. She would have visited her mother, but she was on her cabin trip in the woods. Maddie was elbow deep in college homework, and Marcus had been busy all week. She kept herself busy by working out, visiting Cormac at a gym, having dinner with Janice and Alice, and volunteering at the dog shelter. These things distracted her but didn’t cancel out her growing anxiety.
The beginning strains of her restlessness were coming back. Ever since her confrontation with Angel, she couldn’t get his words out of her mind. It was almost as if he was deliberately summoning her old demons to wreak hell on her. The best remedy was to go on a trip. She made a reservation at a gorgeous resort in Laguna Beach. She and Marcus were going to sit in the sun, get massages, and swim in the ocean. She couldn’t wait.
“If you wear that, no one will be able to concentrate.”
She jumped and saw Marcus standing in the bathroom doorway.
“I didn’t know you were coming by!” she shouted as she rushed to him and lifted her face for a kiss. He planted a deep one on her with enough heat to make her nails dig into his back.
“You’re almost ready?” he asked gruffly when he raised his head.
“Yup! Just need to put on my dress.”
“Great.” He gave her another kiss and stepped back. “I have a surprise for you. I wanted to make sure you wear it tonight.”
Her heart skipped. “Surprise?”
“You’re always surprising me with gifts.” He reached down and picked up a gift bag she hadn’t noticed and handed it to her. “I think you’ll like it.”
She pulled a large velvet box out of the bag and stared at him. “What’s this?”
He took it from her and opened it. Nestled on black velvet was the magnificent diamond necklace fit for a royal. She backed up with her hands over her mouth. She stared at him, astounded and slightly horrified.
“You bought this for me?” she whispered.
“Of course.”
She shook her head. “You can’t!”
“But I did.” He pulled the necklace from the box and came toward her.
She backed up until the mermaid statue forced her to stop. “You must have paid a fortune.”
“I’m a rich man, Carmen.”
She put her hands on her hips. “And I’m a rich woman. I could have bought this for myself.”
“Then why didn’t you?”
Her mouth opened and closed without uttering a word. He reached her, and despite her bid to avoid him, he slid the necklace around her throat. The heavy weight of it immobilized her. He fastened it and stepped back with a smile.
“You look beautiful.”
She was afraid to look in the mirror. She stared at him. “Why?”
“Because you wanted it.”
“I wanted this house, and you didn’t sell it to me!”
He laughed and wrapped her close. “Still harping on that, Carmen?”
“It’s true! And this necklace cost more than the house! You can’t—”
“What are friends for?”
“Friends don’t buy friends expensive jewelry!” she snapped and tried to push him away.
“How much did it cost for you to do the mural in my office?”
“That’s not nearly as much—”
“How much do the paintings on the walls cost? How much would it have cost to furnish the house? To hire the people who made this place into a home?”
“That was a gift!”
“And so is this.”
He turned her toward the mirror. The necklace winked and shimmered around her neck. It was the most elegant piece she owned.
He wrapped his arms around her middle. “It’s perfect.”
She lifted her hand to touch the diamonds and stopped just shy of caressing them. “This is too much.” She couldn’t resist for long. She touched the diamonds, which should have been cold, but they were warm, alive. “I didn’t send you the picture because I expected you to buy it.”
“I know, but you love it, right?”
Tears stung her eyes. He had no idea how much this touched her. Without even knowing, he finished Vinny’s part of the game.
“Carmen?” he pushed. “It’s what you wanted, right?”
She couldn’t speak, so she nodded. Her heart felt full. She closed her eyes for a moment to get a hold of herself. “You really shouldn’t have.”
He kissed her cheek as his hand stroked her abdomen and then slid down. She stiffened as he stroked her over her underwear.
“Now I know why men buy women jewelry.”
She stared at their reflection, her in black lingerie and he in his suit. “Why?”
His hand slipped into her underwear. “Because they like knowing what she’s wearing is from him.”
She clutched the countertop. “Are you branding me?”
He wrapped her hair around his fist and pulled until her head tipped back.
“Do I need to?” he murmured in her ear.
She ar
ched into his hand. “No.”
He met her eyes in the mirror. “You can thank me properly later.”
His dark tone made her stomach flutter. He would do her rough and dirty. Her legs quivered just thinking about it. She was so down. “Whatever you want.”
He smacked her ass. “Good. Get dressed. We’re going to be late.”
She rushed into the closet and slipped into the black mini lace dress with a sweetheart neckline she had been planning to wear. It was the perfect outfit to show off her new present. She went back into the bathroom and stared at herself in the mirror. The brilliant necklace matched her insides, which were buoyant and full of light. Marcus was her anchor. Just being in his presence banished her dark restlessness.
He stood beside her as he shrugged into a tux that made her mouth water. “When Gavin and Lyla come back from Bora Bora, we’re going on a trip,” she announced.
His eyes roved over her. “Trip?” he echoed in a distracted tone.
She bounced on her toes. “I already made reservations at this resort on the beach. It’s gonna be fab.”
“I don’t have time to go anywhere.”
“Don’t worry about it. I already talked to Gavin. He’ll take care of your projects.”
He slipped his hands into his pockets. “You talked to Gavin about this?”
“Yes. He knows you need a break. He said you can do what you want.”
“I don’t need a break.”
His steely tone caught her off guard. “What do you mean?”
“It’s not his job to cover for me.”
“Of course, it is.”
He held up a hand. “Carmen, I appreciate you putting this together, but I don’t have time for a trip.”
“It’s just a weekend—”
“And I don’t want you talking to Gavin on my behalf either.”
Her excitement disappeared as she surveyed him. He was upset, which was so unlike him. “It’s not a big deal, Marcus.”
“It is to me,” he said quietly. “I can’t just take off for the weekend. I’m working on a huge deal, and I have to be on my A game.”
“You can’t even take off for a day?”