She heard the cynicism in her voice, and wasn’t surprised by it. Her romantic ideals had been trodden on numerous times in the last year or so. Sometimes she wished she had listened to Sophie when she had warned her about John. Maybe then she wouldn’t be feeling this bruised.
“There’s nothing wrong with being a little romantic. You said something to me tonight that I’d never even considered about Tomasso dying.”
He leaned forward and Phoebe held her breath, waiting to see if he would kiss her. She was surprised to feel that that was exactly what she wanted from him. She wanted to feel his lips on hers. His arms around her. When he touched her she forgot everything that was painful.
She closed her eyes as he answered her unspoken wish and laid his lips on hers. A soft touch that lingered for longer than a quick peck, but not long enough for her.
“I believe you do have a romantic soul, sweetheart. You just have to trust yourself.”
Phoebe bit her lip to stop the snort from erupting from her mouth.
Trust.
It always came back to that one word. He’d talked about the accident, but she kept asking herself one question: would he have talked about it if they’d hadn’t had come across that accident today?
Did she have the guts to ask him that question? Did it really matter? She had told Marco about things happening for a reason — maybe their coming across the accident today was what they’d both needed to open up the parts they’d locked away. Neither one of them had been forthcoming with their innermost thoughts. The accident had brought raw emotions to life inside of both of them. There was no point questioning if he would’ve said anything to her. The fact was he had, and she’d felt comfortable in sharing the truth about her parents with him. The world hadn’t stopped and he hadn’t thought her uncaring when she’d said she’d been relieved her parents had died. All that mattered was that they were moving in the right direction.
It was still draining though, and she couldn’t do any more talking tonight. Talking about her parents had always left her feeling raw. She couldn’t trust herself not to fall apart.
Taking a deep breath, she stood and looked at Marco. “It’s been an eventful day. I’m going to bed. Goodnight.”
She didn’t wait for a reply, just turned and walked out of the room.
“Phoebe, wait.” Marco’s voice called out to her and her foot hovered above the first step of the staircase.
Phoebe knew the moment he came up behind her. For the first time her “Marco Radar” had kicked in. Her hand tightened around the balustrade, hoping against hope that she could draw strength from the wood.
She let out a short gasp as his arms closed around her waist and twirled her around. Her hands landed on his chest, the heat from his skin warming the tips of her fingers.
“I’m sorry if I said anything to upset you,” he whispered against her hair. She held herself rigid, not wanting to give into the feeling of letting go and asking Marco to take away her troubles with some mind-blowing sex. “Nothing about today has gone the way I thought it would go. It’s definitely not the way I wanted it to end.”
She pushed against his chest, giving some distance between them. “How did you want the day to end, in my bed?”
“No, that wasn’t my goal at the beginning of the day. My goal was to have an enjoyable day at the beach, have a picnic lunch, do some swimming, and then come home to have a relaxing meal and maybe watch a movie. Get to know each other again. No matter how well I envisaged the day panning out, it was nothing like the reality we experienced.”
When Marco stepped back, releasing her from his hold, Phoebe wanted to reach out and pull him back, bring him closer to her again. As he ran his hands down her face she knew it was her turn to apologize.
“Look, Marco, I’m sorry too. I know I’ve been acting like a right bitch today, one minute warm the next minute being as prickly as a prickly pear.”
“You think?”
She laughed and the tension between them seemed to shatter and fall away. “I don’t know what’s happening between us. I know I’ve never acted this way with you, but this is me at the moment. I’m confused about everything.”
She reached out her hand towards him. Relief flowed through her, like water down a waterfall, when he grasped her hand. “I do need some time to process everything, Marco — that was the reason I came here, remember?”
“Yes I do, and I know me being here isn’t what you wanted, but I know I need to be here. I want to be here.”
Phoebe felt like they were going around and around and around in circles. Both of them saying things and then doing the opposite. In the next instant she was in his arms again and Marco was placing a soft kiss on her lips.
“Go to bed,” he whispered against her lips. “Tomorrow will be better. Sweet dreams, sweetheart.”
He let her go and she, once again, gripped the balustrade, this time to stop her legs from going out from under her. As she watched his retreating back she was transported back to the night she broke off their engagement. This time he was only walking into another room, not getting into a car and driving away.
Somehow she found that comforting.
• • •
A soft knock on the door woke Phoebe from her restless slumber. She’d tossed and turned most of the night. Dreams of her parents and Marco and the accident had meant that her sleep had been fractured.
Another knock, this time a little louder, had her sitting up and pushing the hair from her eyes.
“Who is it?” The moment she said the words she realized how ridiculous the question was. “Don’t answer that. Come in, Marco.”
The door opened and the first thing she saw was a tray with a pink rose in a slender glass vase. Her vision was quickly filled by the view of a very sexy Marco. His hair was still damp from a shower. He was wearing low-slung shorts and had foregone putting a shirt on. Phoebe clutched the sheet a little tighter, her hands itching to reach out and touch his warm chest.
“Morning. How … ” The words croaked out of her. She cleared her throat and started again. “How did you sleep?”
“Fine, how about you?” he asked as he sat on the bed and placed the tray beside her.
She could say she slept fine, but if she wanted things to be normal between them then she needed to be honest with herself and Marco. “I’ve had better nights’ sleep.”
She didn’t move a muscle when he reached out and smoothed a piece of stray hair behind her ear. “I know one thing,” he murmured. “I would’ve slept better with you in my arms.”
Before she had a chance to answer he leaned forward and kissed her. A gentle kiss, but it held so much promise. When he broke the kiss, she took a moment to compose herself. She looked over at the tray beside her to see what he had prepared for her breakfast — fruit and pancakes. She laughed when she saw the happy face drawn in honey on her pancakes.
She quirked her eyebrow at him. “A happy face?”
He laughed with her, albeit a bit sheepishly, and shrugged his shoulders. “Seemed like a good idea at the time.”
Phoebe picked up the plate and the utensils and cut into the smiley-faced pancake. She held out the fork towards Marco’s mouth. “It’s a sweet gesture. Thank you.”
As his lips closed over the fork and took the morsel of food, her stomach dipped and she clenched her thighs as warmth pooled between them.
“Your turn now.”
Marco took the fork from her hand and twisted it to the side to cut off another piece of the fluffy pancake. Her eyes never left his as she took his offering. It was the most erotic thing she’d done, and as they continued to feed each other her need to feel him inside of her rose.
As she fed him the last piece he lightly took hold of her wrist and pulled her gently towards him. She went willingly and laid her hands on his chest,
running her hands up until she clasped them together behind his neck.
He lowered his head to hers and she met him halfway, eager to taste him again. Their lips collided and she tightened her hold around his neck. Their lips danced with each other, giving and taking, and she wanted nothing more than to pull him down and let him have his wicked way with her.
She started to lie down when Marco pulled away, his smile rueful as he pressed his forehead softly against hers.
“You’re probably not going to believe when I say this, but this wasn’t my plan when I came in here. I was going to give you breakfast and then leave.”
Phoebe couldn’t deny that when they got within a few feet of each other, sparks flew and they both lost their heads. It had been that way between them ever since Louisa’s christening. They had posed for photos, she holding Louisa, and Marco had casually put his arm around her. With that one touch, her body had come alive and that had been the end of being casual acquaintances.
“I’ve always said that making plans is not always a good idea,” she said. “Invariably they always go off track.”
Silence descended between them, and the sexual haze that had engulfed them only moments ago disappeared.
“Depends on the plans you make and the person you make those plans with. I’ve never regretted any of the plans I’ve made with you, Phoebe.” He paused and took hold of her hand again. “Even our wedding plans.”
Phoebe agreed that when they’d started out she’d been happy with the plans they had been making. Now, however, she realized she wanted more out of the marriage and she wasn’t sure how much Marco would give to her freely. She felt that he would always hold something back and until she was sure he wouldn’t, she couldn’t marry him.
She pulled her hand back and got out of the bed, wanting to put some distance between her and Marco. “I don’t want to talk about those. Besides, it’s a moot point — I sent a text to the wedding planner telling her to cancel everything.”
“I know,” Marco said quietly as he looked straight at her. Phoebe’s breath caught when she saw the anguish in his eyes. But as quick as it was there, in a flash it was gone. She opened her mouth to say something, but he turned and walked out of the room, any chance of conversation about their nixed wedding plans gone.
For a moment Phoebe stood and looked at the place where Marco had been standing only moments before. His complete turnaround in attitude surprised her. He was the one who had brought up their wedding plans, not her. If anyone was supposed to be upset about their thwarted wedding plans being brought up it should’ve been her. Not him.
Did he think she enjoyed having to ask the planner to cancel everything? No, it hadn’t been easy, but she’d done it. Texting him had been awful too.
She shook her head, dislodging the thoughts of her failed wedding. She needed time to digest all that had happened this morning and a day relaxing on the beach would do the trick nicely.
She headed for the bathroom to have a quick shower before changing into her swimsuit. As she stepped under the spray, Phoebe was determined not to think about what had happened the last time she’d been in the shower.
• • •
Marco kicked the sand in front of him, annoyed at the way the last hour had progressed with Phoebe. When he’d walked in and seen her sitting up in the bed looking sexily rumpled, he’d wanted to drop the tray and take her right there and then. But then he remembered that he was trying to rebuild their relationship. He’d made a promise to himself last night that he would take things slowly. No matter how tempting she was, he was going to try and refrain from letting his attraction for her overtake his sensibilities. Easier said than done, though; from the first moment he’d seen her at Alex and Sophie’s wedding he’d wanted her. The fact that she was seeing John had frustrated him, but he knew if he was patient, she would one day be free, and then he could make his move. And he had, when the time had presented itself. Since then, the desire hadn’t waned — if anything it had grown more and more intense.
When she’d started to feed him this morning his good intentions had almost gone out the window. Then it had all gone to hell in a hand-basket when he’d brought up their thwarted wedding plans.
He clenched his fists against the urge to turn around, march back to the house, and take her in his arms. He knew that would be the completely wrong thing to do.
If only bloody John Allen hadn’t come into town, then he wouldn’t be in this dilemma. He would be in the office designing a building, Phoebe would be busy with plans, and then in a few weeks, they’d be married and embarking on the new chapter in both of their lives. Now here he was on a beach and, for all intents and purposes, single. His life not going as he’d planned it. Maybe it was time to stop making plans.
He sat down on the warm sand and gazed out at the vast blue ocean. It looked inviting and perhaps a swim would be what he needed to clear his head. Get some perspective on what to do next. All he knew was that he didn’t want to give up on Phoebe. He didn’t want to pack his bag and go back to his office and condo.
What he needed to do was think about the situation in a logical manner. He would approach his relationship with Phoebe like how he approached drafting a building. Design and build a solid and strong foundation. Once that was in place, he could build around it, filling the interior with caring and passion. In the end they would have a relationship that would stand the test of time.
Pleased that he had come up with a reliable plan of action he stood and strode into the ocean. After his swim he would put his plan into motion. He would win Phoebe back.
CHAPTER 10
Phoebe picked up her tote bag and towel, ready for her day of uninterrupted peace on the beach. She hadn’t seen Marco since he’d walked out of her room and she hadn’t actively sought him out either. The time had come to sit down and think about everything she’d realized she wanted out of a relationship. She also knew that while she had the opportunity she needed to speak to Marco to tell him exactly what she wanted and that what he had offered her wasn’t enough now.
Before she left the house she grabbed her phone and switched it on. She had promised Sophie that she would check in with her at least once a week so she wouldn’t worry.
She had no sooner turned it on when it started ringing. She didn’t bother to check the screen to see who was calling — she had a feeling she knew who it was.
“Were you reading my mind? I was about to call you.”
“Well that’s good to know,” a voice drawled. It wasn’t the voice she was expecting to hear.
“John?”
His chuckle down the line did nothing to her. It didn’t cause her heart rate to increase. It didn’t cause her body to soften at the sound of his voice. It didn’t cause her to wish that he was with her.
“What do you want?”
“I thought we could talk. But how can we talk about things when you’ve all but disappeared?”
Phoebe pulled the phone away from her ear and looked at it, as if by doing that she could transfer her disgust at how John was acting. “There’s nothing to talk about, John. Our relationship ended the day you decided to fly off to some far flung place in the pursuit of adventure.”
As she said the words, Phoebe knew that whatever feelings she’d thought she’d had for John were gone. For her he was part of her past. A past she didn’t want to revisit.
“But you broke off your engagement because of me.”
Phoebe shook her head in disbelief. She’d thought Marco was arrogant, but John, well, he was overly confident and had a big ego. It would take a strong woman to get him to start thinking of somebody else other than himself. She also noticed that since their first conversation and a couple of weeks of text messages, his last few hadn’t mentioned the word love. If she needed any more proof that he hadn’t meant those words, this call was all she needed.
>
“That’s not entirely true, but I’m not going to get into the reasons for me breaking off my engagement with you. It’s over, John, and I think you kind of know that.”
Silence greeted her words. She felt empowered with the conversation she was having with him. It was what they needed.
“Well, if that’s what you think. I’ll see you around, Phoebs.”
He disconnected the call before she had a chance to respond.
His continual insistence that there was still something between them frustrated her. Before she put the phone away she fired off a quick text to him.
I’m saying it again — we’re finished, John. I feel nothing for you. Please leave me alone. I wish you well for your future; it just doesn’t include me. Goodbye for good.
With a sense of relief that she could finally put her relationship with John behind her, she put the phone in her bag. She would call Sophie when she got down to the beach.
• • •
The sun warmed Phoebe’s back. She should’ve thought to bring an umbrella for shade. She was so relaxed that the thought of moving seemed like she’d be moving a Mack truck.
She rolled over and a second later a drop of water fell on her stomach. Before she had time to think another two hit her belly. She knew it wasn’t raining as the sun still shone down on her. She cracked open an eye. A dark figure loomed above her.
“You’re going to get very burned if you’re not careful.”
She felt the flutter of a soft breeze as a towel was flicked out and then laid on the sand beside her.
“Want me to rub more lotion on you?” The words glided over her like sand drifting through her fingers, and she resisted the urge to roll over so she could touch Marco. His words brought back memories of the last time he’d rubbed lotion on her. How she’d lost herself in his arms. It wouldn’t be a good idea for him to do that to her now.
She sat up, hoping to put a little distance between them. She hadn’t realized he was down at the beach, but then again she hadn’t paid much attention to what was happening around her. “I’m good, thanks. I’m thinking of going back to the house.”
Lovers Unmasked: The Complete Series Page 47