by Susie Warren
Maria and Enzo were waiting for them when they returned to the villa. Maria politely said goodnight after telling them coffee was set out outside.
Walking out onto the patio, Isabel felt they had been set up. Vases of freshly cut flowers were everywhere and the only light was the illumination of candles outlining a path towards the garden.
When she glanced at Marc, he said, “Shall we follow the path?”
The illuminated path led them out to a secluded area of the garden overlooking the pool. A bottle of wine was set out with two glasses along with a fruit and cheese platter. Looking towards the pool, Isabel noticed freshly folded towels and swimsuits were placed on the chairs facing the pool. On a separate table was a coffee pot along with a tray of desserts.
“I’m surprised Alda didn’t hire a violinist for the evening,” Isabel said, almost to herself.
Marc moved forward and opened the bottle of wine without saying a word. He poured the first glass and handed it to her, then poured an equal amount for himself.
“To a wonderful evening,” Marc lifted his glass in a toast.
Isabel turned to face him and when their gazes locked, she felt a shiver of apprehension run down her spine. His eyes demanded that she give up all pretense of deflecting his desire. She could see his intention in every line of his body.
Isabel held his gaze as she touched her glass to his and took a small sip. The wine tasted of complex, sweet flavors and she enjoyed the feel of it as it touched her throat.
“Why are you not pursuing Adrienne?” Isabel hoped the mention of Adrienne would put a damper on the evening.
His eyes studied her for a long moment as he contemplated his answer. Taking another sip of his wine, he said, “Adrienne is a good friend. But there has never been an attraction.”
The answer surprised Isabel, but she carefully kept her face blank. It didn’t change anything between them. It didn’t matter how much she longed to be in his arms. He would be repulsed by her.
Sipping her wine, she feasted on the sight of him. Since that first moment at Alda’s house when he walked through the door, Isabel felt a keen awareness of him. She simply felt more alive whenever was around.
He was dark and brooding now. He reminded her of an adversary summoning up the strength to take on his opponent. She knew in that instant he didn’t want to be trapped in this situation. He was attracted to her, but wouldn’t let himself be led down the garden path by his aunt or anyone else. The realization gave her courage.
“The film is almost complete and I’m beginning to think about returning to Boston.”
“Are you running away again?” His words held a quiet challenge and Isabel looked away.
How could she possibly answer him? Yes, she wanted to escape before he completely destroyed her. She would at least have her dignity.
“What are you so afraid of?” Marc stepped forward and placed his hands on her shoulders.
Isabel felt herself tremble under his hands and wanted more than anything for him to kiss her.
He studied her for a minute before bringing his mouth down on hers. Isabel was immediately lost in the seduction of his kiss and her hands went around his neck, pulling him closer. All conscious thought left her and instead she was lost to the sensation of his lips on hers. His mouth softly drew her forward and Isabel relished the taste and feel of him.
Isabel felt her breasts harden beneath the fabric of her dress as her body slowly swayed and came into contact with his chest.
She could feel his hand on the small of her back urging her closer. Instinctively Isabel moved her hips in response and was instantly rewarded with a low sound of pleasure from Marc.
He momentarily left her mouth and glanced down at her before returning to deepen the kiss. His hands were barely touching her hips and remained very still. His warmth and intensity encouraged her to move her hands over his chest, exploring the firm muscles covered by his thin dress shirt.
Isabel instinctively pulled him closer, and he rewarded her with a new exploration of her mouth, alternating sliding his tongue over hers and gently sucking on her lower lip.
Isabel felt intense pleasure deep within her as his hands moved down over her bottom and he lifted her effortlessly onto the low garden wall just behind her. Her dress inched up as Marc parted her legs and moved closer.
She could feel his breath coming in short, urgent gasps and felt inexplicably pleased when she realized he did desire her.
When she felt his warm hand on her thigh, she instinctively captured his hand.
“Please don’t.”
Marc’s voice was soft. “You have nothing to be afraid of.”
Isabel pushed at his chest. “It would be a mistake. It would complicate matters… with Alda.”
Marc drew back and said, “You’re using Alda as a shield. What are you so afraid of?”
Isabel quickly slipped off the garden wall and for a moment thought her legs would give out.
After a brief silence, Marc ran a hand through his hair and said, “You are incapable of letting your guard down and simply trusting another human being. What could have possibly happened to you?”
Isabel froze. Maybe she should tell him about her disfigurement.
When she didn’t answer, he continued with, “It will be difficult to capture a husband with your reluctance to share any form of intimacy. Or maybe that is your plan. Keep up the chase.”
“You know nothing about me. Maybe I’m just not interested in having …” She knew her voice sounded brittle and unconvincing, but she didn’t know how to explain how she was feeling.
“A satisfying adult relationship?”
Isabel thought she heard anger in his words but purposely didn’t look at him.
“I’m going for a swim. Will you join me or continue hiding?” he called over his shoulder as he headed for the pool.
Isabel shook her head and watched in frustration as he unbuttoned his shirt and began to strip off his clothes. Even from several yards away she could see the hard lines of his completely male body. She purposely turned away and retreated back towards the villa.
Why did he have to challenge her? She took a deep breath and pretended a few kisses meant nothing. Even now she wanted to beg him to take her back into his arms. Instead of hiding, she forced herself to retrace her steps to the pool. She watched from the sidelines and Marc swam laps at a vigorous pace. When he noticed her, he stopped and swam over to the edge.
“I know I’ve been acting in a strange way. I think we need to talk about it. Hiding the issue from you is not working.”
Marc pulled himself out of the pool and stood up. Reaching for a towel, he said “Why don’t I dry off and get changed and then we can talk?”
Isabel went inside and decided to change as well. She put on a white button-down linen top with a pair of her favorite low cut jeans. She took down her hair and washed her makeup off.
She was trembling when she returned to the patio to face him. He was in jeans as well, but was wearing a dark brown dress shirt. His hair was still wet from the shower and when he stepped forward and gave her a brief kiss on the cheek, she could smell the subtle hint of his cologne. Her stomach muscles tensed in reaction to his nearness and she forced herself to take a deep breath to calm down.
He opened the wine and she forced herself to sit down opposite him. She could hear thudding in her ears as the pressure mounted, but the scene seemed to play out slowly in front of her.
Marc poured her a glass of red wine before pouring his own. He sat at the table and seemed relaxed, waiting for her to begin.
“I’m not sure how to begin.” As she placed her wine down on the table, he caught her and pulled her onto his lap. She had to steady herself by placing her hand on the table, nearly knocking over the cut flowers. She was much too close to him and tried to move away, but he easily held her.
“What do you need to tell me?” His question hung in the air and Isabel had no idea what to say. How could she begin t
o explain the emotions that drove her?
Isabel closed her eyes briefly. “I can’t. I’m sorry.”
“Then possibly you can satisfy another appetite of mine.” His words held a clear invitation and suddenly she found it hard to breathe.
“I can’t.” She wanted very badly to offer herself to him. She knew for the first time in a long that she didn’t want to resist the temptation.
“Why can’t you? What are you hiding?” Marc held her immobile and looked deeply into her eyes.
Instead of looking away, she felt her eyes sting and knew tears were close to the surface. The hopelessness of her situation overwhelmed her. She knew if she told him the truth that he would release her. But she wanted him more than anything she had ever wanted in her entire life.
“Why can’t you become intimate?”
Isabel pushed against him and he let her escape from his lap. She glanced down at her hands and realized she was trapped. He wouldn’t let it drop. His instincts were razor sharp.
He stood up but gave her some space.
“I thought it would be good idea to talk this through, but it’s too hard.”
Instead of becoming angry as she expected, he placed his hands on her shoulders and said, “What is it? I must be getting close, but you immediately throw a wall up.”
She closed her eyes to stop her unshed tears from falling. She felt him tug her forward and wrap his arms around her in a warm embrace. Inexplicably, she felt safe.
“Is there someone else?” His question surprised her.
“No, it was over a long time ago before the accident.”
What was she supposed to say to Marc? She didn’t want him to know the truth about the accident. But she knew he would keep pressing until she revealed what had happened that night.
Suddenly memories from that fateful night crowded into her mind. She had thought some of the memories were gone forever, but she could vividly picture the entire evening.
Marc brought her into the living room and went to get something. Within a few moments, he sat next to her on the sofa and pressed a hot cup of coffee into her hand. She gratefully took a sip, savoring the strong flavor, and was surprised by the taste of amaretto.
“Tell me what happened on the night of the accident.”
Neither one of them had turned the lights on so the room was bathed in the shadowy candlelight. Isabel didn’t look at Marc fully. Instead, she gazed out at the dark sky as she replayed the events in her head.
“It was just six weeks before my wedding. Dylan and I were arguing over wedding details and I got called into work unexpectedly.” In hindsight, Isabel could clearly see how immature Dylan was being, but at the time she made excuses for his behavior.
“Dylan was very angry because we were supposed to go to a party that night and he thought I chose work over him.” Isabel could vividly remember the entire argument and wanting to appease him.
“I normally would take the subway to work, but he insisted on driving me. But instead of taking me to the hospital, he got on the expressway and headed towards the party. The more I argued with him, the faster he drove. Until finally I was so scared I said nothing.” She could hear the sound of the engine whining and see the lights blurring by.
“When he exited the expressway, he didn’t even slow down. We reached the top of the hill, and the light turned red, but there wasn’t time for him to stop so he accelerated, thinking he could make it. But I was sitting in the passenger seat and all I could see was a red SUV headed straight for us.”
Isabel felt Marc take her hand.
“I remember the sound of breaking glass, and then we flipped.” Isabel knew she must have blacked out briefly because the memory faded.
“The next thing I remember is someone yelling that the car was on fire. I looked over and Dylan had gotten out. At that point the fire seemed far away and I was in so much pain, I couldn’t move.”
Isabel could see the scene playing out in front of her.
“I could hear someone shouting to call for help. But I was completely helpless. The window next to me was broken and smoke began to fill the car. I thought at that point I wasn’t going to make it.”
“How did you get out?”
“I remember yelling ‘please, help me, I’m trapped.’ This large black man reached into the car and tried to pull me out. He had the kindest eyes. I knew he could feel my pain, but he didn’t give up. He begged me to move. He said the car was going to ignite and we were both going to die if we couldn’t get away in time. I tried to struggle, but it was no use. He began ripping off small parts of the door with his bare hands. And finally he reached in and yanked me so hard that I passed out. The next memory I have is him running towards an ambulance and holding me. Then the explosion knocked us both over.”
Marc took a sip of his wine. “He saved your life.”
“He did. His name is George and he was driving home from work when he saw the accident happen. I met him several weeks later in the hospital. When he walked in, I started crying. My mother was so scared at first. She thought he was the cause of the accident. But finally I was able to explain that he saved my life and in the process risked his own.”
The first few weeks in the hospital were difficult. She tried to remember the sequence of events, but she was under so much pain medicine, it seemed hazy.
“What happened to Dylan?” Isabel looked at Marc and was surprised by the sharpness in his tone.
“He walked away with a few scratches. He visited a few times while I was in the hospital, but the wedding had to be postponed. Finally when I returned home, we went out to dinner. But he no longer wanted to marry me, and after everything that happened, I couldn’t forgive him.”
Marc reached over and turned on a lamp. “Did he want your forgiveness?”
Isabel stood up and walked to the window. “No, I guess he didn’t. He wanted his freedom.”
Marc came and stood behind Isabel, tugging her back and closing his arms around her.
Her heart began to beat fast.
“Do you miss him?”
“No. Why would you ask me that?” Isabel looked at him in surprise.
“There is a sadness about you. I can’t quite figure it out. You were lucky. Your life was spared, yet you seem to be emotionally stuck at your accident.”
Anger flared through her. This was exactly what she didn’t want. A psychological analysis of the past two years as seen by a perfection-seeking workaholic.
“It was traumatic and painful and my entire life changed in a split second!”
“Isabel, you have your life. You could go on and live. When my brother died, there was nothing to do. He was gone.” Isabel was taken aback by the harshness in his voice.
“I’m sorry,” she said quietly.
Marc ran his hand through his hair. “My point is that you are fine. Don’t let the accident stop you from living.”
“It changed who I am. I’ll never be the same. I have to live with the scars for the rest of my life.”
“Do you mean emotional scars?”
“No. Physical scars. You would find my body repulsive.”
“I don’t think that is possible.”
Isabel turned and slowly unbuttoned her shirt, finally letting it slide off of her. She stood directly in front of him in just a lacy bra and her low rise jeans.
She looked at him and, instead of seeing disgust, she saw desire and froze.
He slowly moved forward, lightly running his hands over her shoulders. He touched each visible scar, and her body trembled beneath his exploration.
“You are so beautiful.” His voice sounded impossibly sexy and started her tears flowing.
“You don’t have to…” But her words were silenced as he roughly pulled her forward and claimed her mouth.
When he lifted his head and wiped away her tears, he said, “Repulsed? I have been drawn to you since you walked into my house at Martha’s Vineyard. At that moment I thought you were beautiful and se
xy. Now, I’m even more enraptured of you, if that’s possible.” His voice enveloped her like an embrace and she suddenly found it difficult to breathe.
“I want you, cara mia.” His mouth sought hers again and his hands caressed the bare flesh on her back, drawing her closer.
“I think we will regret…” She licked her lips. “It’s complicated.”
“It’s actually quite simple. There is a powerful chemistry between us. I feel it when you walk into a room.” His smile was slow, and Isabel could see desire flare in his eyes. She wanted so badly to say yes to him and feel his body possess hers.
“I feel it too.”
“I want you to be sure.”
“I’m sure.” Her heart was racing. He wasn’t interested in a permanent relationship, but right now she wasn’t thinking about her future. All she was thinking about was the way he made her feel.
The indulgence in his eyes mingled with something far more intense. “Come.” He led her toward the hallway and stopped in front of her doorway.
He waited for her to open the door and invite him in, and she did. She couldn’t believe she was willing to walk around in just a bra and her jeans. He made her feel so safe that she didn’t need to cover herself.
She turned to face him, and moving forward, unbuttoned his dress shirt before running her hands over his chest.
“You are driving me crazy.” He pulled her close and his mouth sought hers once more. Isabel was lost to the sensation of his mouth on hers while her scantily covered breasts came into contact with his hard, muscular chest. She breathed in and he took advantage, deepening the kiss before finding the clasp of her bra.
The breath caught in her throat as he undid the clasp and let her bra fall to the floor. He gave her a slow appreciative smile as he cupped her breasts in his hands, dragging his thumbs over her erect nipples.
“Isabel, you are exquisite. I can’t believe you wanted to hide yourself away.”
His lips found the pulse in her neck and he both calmed and seduced her at the same time.