“Trey, promise me you won’t do anything stupid. I’d feel terrible if you...”
“Marisa, honey, do you need me to come over? Are you all right?”
She started crying in earnest when she heard the concern in her brother’s voice. Luc gently took the phone out of her hand when she was crying too hard to speak.
“Trey, do me a favor. Just stay put, okay? I’ll either stay here with her or take her back her to my place.
Either way, I promise she’ll be safe, okay? Yeah, I’ll call you in the morning. Okay, you got it. No thanks necessary, buddy.” He disconnected the call and slipped the phone back in his pocket. “The next time your brother sees that guy, it’s gonna be ugly.”
She leaned into him, needing to feel his arms around her. “Hold me, please, just hold me, Luc.”
He wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight. “It’s gonna be okay, baby. I promise.”
She looked up at him. “You still had a key?”
He smiled. “You didn’t ask for it back, so I didn’t offer.”
“Thank God.” She shuddered in his arms. “If you hadn’t come in when you did...”
He touched her lips with his. “Sssh, I don’t even want you to think about that anymore.”
“Why were you here?”
Luc shrugged. “I guess I just had a feeling you might need me.”
She laid her head against his chest and wrapped her arms around his waist. “Thank you,” she whispered.
Luc slid into bed behind Marisa and pulled her into his arms. He needed to feel her skin against his, the brush of her soft hair tickling his bare shoulder. He needed her reassurance as much as she needed his tonight. She may be relying on him to keep her safe, but he was relying on her to keep him sane.
When he stepped off the elevator and heard her scream, his blood ran cold. He feared Mitchell may be wielding a weapon he planned to use on her should anyone get in his way. He winced when he thought about what could have happened, how far that monster was willing to go to punish Marisa for her perceived betrayal.
She turned into him, tucking her head under his chin as she wrapped her arms around him. “You okay?”
“No.”
She tipped her head back to look into his eyes. “What’s wrong?”
He closed his eyes. “I’m the reason that bastard went ballistic tonight, Marisa. If it weren’t for me...”
She pressed her fingertips against his lips. “Ssh, don’t even think that. He’s obviously deranged, Luc. How could I have been stupid enough to trust him?” She shook her head as a tear slid down her cheek. “If anyone’s at fault, it’s me.”
He brushed at the tears slipping down her cheeks. “You had no way of knowing he would snap like that, honey. Hell, neither did I. I didn’t trust the guy, but I didn’t think he would resort to taking you by force.”
She reached up to stroke his cheek. “If you hadn’t come in when you did...”
He closed his eyes. “Ssh, I can’t even let myself go there. You’re okay; that’s all that matters.”
She burrowed into his arms, tucking the duvet under her chin. “I am now, thanks to you.” She looked up at him. “Sorry I ruined our plans for the evening.”
He chuckled. “This is exactly where I planned to end up, in bed with you. It doesn’t matter how I got here or what happens while we’re here. I just need to hold you tonight, baby.” He closed his eyes, saying a silent prayer of thanks that she was safe, that she still wanted him to be the man who kept her safe.
She kissed his chest. “Good night, Luc.”
He smiled. “I love you, Marisa.” He waited for her to respond in kind, but his declaration was met with an uncomfortable silence. He felt that cold grip of fear making his pulse pound. He realized that he may be back in her bed, but he had a long way to go before she trusted him with her heart again.
Chapter Nine
Marisa woke to a leg coiled possessively around hers and a strong arm wrapped around her mid-section. She tried to slip out of his grip, but he held her closer, burrowing his face in her neck. “I’m just gonna make us some breakfast,” she whispered.
He groaned. “Not yet, stay in bed a while longer, baby.” His hand slid up to cup her breast as he nipped her earlobe with his teeth. “Bet I could entice you.”
She knew he could. But she had no intention of giving in to him, not today. “I don’t know about you, but I need a strong cup of coffee this morning.”
He brushed her hair back and licked the sensitive skin at the base of her collarbone. “I know what I need, and it’s not coffee.”
The phone on her bedside table rang and she suppressed a sigh of relief. “I have to get that.”
He rolled on his back and threw his forearm over his eyes. “Let it go to voicemail.”
She checked the call display. It was Trey’s number. “It’s Sierra or Trey, checking in on me. I have to get it.” She pulled the sheet up to cover her breasts as she sat up and reached for the phone. “Hello.”
“Marisa, Trey told me what happened last night. Are you okay?” Sierra asked.
“I’m fine, don’t worry about me.”
“Trey said if you need to cancel the meeting today...”
Marisa turned to Luc. She’d forgotten all about the meeting they’d scheduled to discuss the launch party for the release of Trey’s new album and twenty-six city tour. “We have a meeting at your house later today, remember?”
He groaned and reached across her to grab his Blackberry on the nightstand. “Let me call my housekeeper. I’ll have her set it up. What time were we supposed to meet again?”
“One o’clock.”
He checked his gold Rolex watch. “That should give us enough time. Okay, tell Trey we’re still on.”
“Did you hear that?” Marisa asked Sierra.
“Yeah, I’ll tell Trey. Hey, did I catch you at a bad time?”
Marisa looked at the wide expanse of Luc’s bare back as he sat on the edge of the bed, his cell phone pressed to his ear. “No, your timing was perfect.”
“Okay, if you say so. Listen, I just got off the phone with Lexi. We wanna take you to Jimmy’s tonight. After what happened last night, we thought you might need to talk.”
Marisa was so grateful to have friends who cared so much, and they were right; a little girl time might help her to put things into perspective. “Sounds great, what time?”
“Does nine work for you?”
“Perfect.”
“We’ll come by and pick you up in the limo.” She laughed. “That way we can enjoy a few cocktails without having to worry about driving home.”
Marisa sighed. “After the week I’ve had, I may need more than a few cocktails to take the edge off.” She tried to ignore Luc’s obvious curiosity as he set his phone down on the bedside table. “I’ll see you at nine, and thanks, Sierra. This is exactly what I need tonight.” She waited for her friend to disconnect the call before carefully returning the cordless phone to its cradle. She reached for the short white robe at the foot of her bed, but Luc’s hand grabbed her arm to halt her movement.
“What was that about?”
“Sierra and Lexi are taking me to Jimmy’s tonight.”
He frowned. “Are you telling me you’re going to a bar to get drunk? Why?”
She slipped her wrist out of his grasp and folded her arms over her chest. “I didn’t say anything about getting drunk. I’m just going out to have a few drinks with my friends, not that I have to explain myself to you. You’re not my husband or my boyfriend; you’re not even my lover.”
He clenched his jaw. “We just spent the night together, Marisa. I think that gives me the right to...”
“No!” she shouted. “You don’t have any rights where I’m concerned, Luc. You wanted it that way, remember?”
He reached for her, but she shot off the bed. “Marisa, get back here. We need to talk about this.”
She stalked across the room, adjusting the straps on her sh
ort silk night gown. “I don’t want to talk about this now. I’m going to Jimmy’s tonight, and if I wanna get drunk, I will.” She set her hands on her hips and turned to face him. “In fact, I’ll do whatever the hell I want, and there’s not a damn thing you can do about it.”
He glared at her. “What the hell is that supposed to mean? What exactly do you plan to do there tonight?”
She crossed the threshold to the adjoining bathroom and turned to face him. “Anything I damn well please.” She slammed the door.
He cursed as he launched a cushion at the closed door.
Luc paced the travertine floor waiting for the rest of Trey’s team to arrive for the meeting. “I don’t get it, Trey. She’s runnin’ hot and cold. One minute she’s acting like she needs me, the next she’s telling me that what she does is none of my business.”
Trey shrugged. “I hate to say this, but it isn’t, man.”
Luc glared at him. “What?”
“You two aren’t together, Luc. You need to just chill for a while. Let her figure things out.”
Luc stalked to the bar and poured himself a glass of red wine. “You want a water or anything?”
“Nah, I’m good. But you need to go easy on that stuff. I need you to be on your game today.”
Luc savored the taste of the expensive wine on his tongue before swallowing it. “I don’t get it. What does she have to figure out? She’s wanted me forever, right? What’s changed?”
Trey shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe she’s changed. Maybe she’s tired of always being the one to pursue a relationship with you. Could be that she wants you to be the one to chase her for a change.”
Luc rolled his eyes. “I’m too old for these goddamn games, man.”
Trey scanned the messages on his phone. “I guess it just depends on how badly you want her, Spencer.”
Luc enjoyed another mouthful of wine. “Come on, you know how much I want her, Trey.”
“Don’t tell me; you’ve gotta show her.”
Luc considered his friend’s advice. He was right. After everything he’d put Marisa through, all the times he’d made her question him and his commitment to her, she had every right to demand he grovel. He could only hope she would take him back once he’d erased her doubts.
“When are you gonna tell her about Nikki?”
Luc sighed. Getting her to take him back may be the easy part. Making her understand how he could abandon his own child was going to be the hard part. “I don’t know.”
“I wouldn’t wait too long, Luc.”
He downed the rest of the glass of wine and poured another. “I can’t think about that right now, Trey. I need to tackle one problem at a time.”
Trey chuckled. “Shit, I wouldn’t wanna be in your shoes when my sister finds out you’ve got a kid you didn’t tell her about. She’s gonna lose it, man.”
Luc turned to face him, raising the wine glass to his lips. “You didn’t say anything to Sierra about this, did you?”
“No, not yet. But I’m not into keeping secrets from my wife, Luc. Not even for you.”
Luc closed his eyes, weighing his options. “Just give me a little more time, okay?” The doorbell rang and Luc crossed the foyer to answer it.
“Luc.”
He turned around to face Trey before opening the door.
Trey tapped the face of his watch. “Tick-tock, tick-tock.”
Marisa tried to focus on the business at hand, but it wasn’t easy with Luc shooting daggers through the top of her head. She’d decided to play it cool, treat him like any other business associate, but evidently he didn’t appreciate being lumped into that category. Too bad. She spent too many years treating him as though he were the center of her universe. It was time for her to claim center stage in her own life. If she chose to have a man in her life from now on, he would have to be satisfied with a supporting role.
“What do you think about that, Luc?” Avery asked, tapping her gold pen against her notepad.
He tore his gaze away from Marisa. “I’m sorry, what was that, Avery?”
She tossed her pen across the table, hitting him square in the chest. “Would you get your head out of your ass, Spencer? We’ve got some important decisions to make.”
He rolled his chair back from the large oval table. “I need a break. Let’s take ten, guys.” Everyone started to stand up. “Uh, Marisa, can you hang back for a minute?”
She thought about refusing but knew that would set an uncomfortable tone for the rest of the meeting, so she eased back into her chair and reviewed her notes while her co-workers filed out of the room.
Luc waited for the last person to leave before crossing the room and securing the double door entry. He perched himself on the edge of the table in front of her. “You wanna tell me what the hell is going on with you today?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know what you mean.”
He leaned forward, glaring at her. “Damn it, Marisa. You’re treating the lighting technician better than me. Did I do something to piss you off?”
She folded her arms across her chest. “As a matter of fact, you did. You’re treating me like I’m your girlfriend, and I’m not. I haven’t been for a long time.”
“Do you wanna be?”
“No!” She had spent the better part of the last three years in relationships going nowhere, first with Luc, then Tim. The last thing she wanted to do was prolong the agony. She loved Luc, but her days of taking whatever scraps he felt inclined to offer her were over. It was time for her to find the intestinal fortitude to set some boundaries.
He looked stunned. “You’re saying you don’t want to be with me?”
“What part of ‘no’ don’t you understand, Luc?”
He crossed his booted feet and scowled at her. “You seemed to want me yesterday. You wanted me the night your niece was born and you came over to my house in the middle of the night.”
She smirked at him. “I didn’t say I don’t find you attractive, Luc.” She let her eyes peruse the long length of his hard body. “I didn’t say I wouldn’t like to...”
He held his hand up to silence her. “If you’re proposing a friendship with benefits...”
She smiled at him. “Would that be so terrible?”
“Damn it, Marisa.” He knelt down in front of her, looking into her eyes. “Are you telling me you don’t love me anymore?”
She cursed his uncharacteristic vulnerability. She had wasted years waiting for him to open up to her, give her the kind of love she craved. But it wasn’t until he was about to lose her that he found the courage to do it. She knew Luc. He wanted what he couldn’t have, and he would continue to want her only as long as he saw her as a challenge. If she bared her soul and told him she loved him more now than she ever had, he would turn tail and run. “I’ve decided to focus on loving myself right now, Luc.”
He closed his eyes. “That doesn’t answer my question.”
“No, I guess it doesn’t.”
Trey poked his head in the door. “Can I come in?”
Luc stood up quickly, reclaiming his seat at the end of the table. “Hey, Trey, that kid is back at Jimmy’s tonight, Ty McCall. You wanna go check him out with me?”
“You thinkin’ about signin’ him?”
“Yeah, I’ve been talkin’ to his agent for the past couple of weeks. I think he’s the real deal. Maybe he could even open for you on the second leg of this tour. What do ya think?”
“I don’t know. Let’s see what he’s got.”
Marisa glared at Luc. She knew he was going to Jimmy’s tonight just to irk her, but she would take pleasure in turning the tables on him.
Chapter Ten
Marisa sipped on a glass of white wine as she fielded questions from her friends.
“I still can’t believe Tim would do that,” Lexi said. “I would never have pegged him for that kind of guy.”
“I really don’t want to talk about him anymore.” Marisa said quietly.
Le
xi and Sierra both leaned forward, crowding her. “So, where does that leave things between you and Luc?” Sierra asked.
Marisa’s gaze drifted to the small stage. The singer Luc mentioned, Ty McCall, was busy setting up. He certainly had the right look to be a commercial success, and with Luc and Trey in his corner, it would be virtually impossible for him to fail.
Sierra and Lexi both shifted in their seats to find the object of her interest. Lexi chuckled. “If you’re checkin’ out other men, Luc must be out of the picture.”
Ty looked up and caught her staring at him. He grinned, revealing a flash of white teeth. “Wow, that guy is hot,” Marisa said, smiling back at him.
Sierra cleared her throat. “Uh, can we get back to Luc now?”
Marisa forced herself to focus her attention on her friend. “What about him?”
Sierra slapped her forehead with the palm of her hand. “Do you wanna get back together with him or not?”
The waitress saved her from answering the question when she approached their table with a tray of drinks.
“We didn’t order those,” Marisa said.
The waitress nodded her head toward the stage. “That cute singer with the black cowboy hat sent them.”
Marisa raised her eyebrow and smiled at her friends. “Is that so? I’d better go and thank him. Excuse me, girls.” She slid across the bench seat and stood. Winking at Lexi, she whispered, “Wish me luck.”
Lexi giggled. “Go get ‘em, girlfriend.”
Marisa took a deep breath and braced herself for potential rejection. She had no idea whether Ty was interested in her or one of her friends, so she steeled herself for the possibility that she may be setting herself up for disappointment. If not for the two glasses of wine she’d already consumed, she probably wouldn’t have been brave enough to take the risk.
He walked down the steps when he saw her approaching the stage. “I was hoping you’d make your way over here.” He grinned and extended his hand. “Ty McCall.”
Marisa smiled and accepted his outstretched hand. “I know who you are. I’ve heard my brother and his friend mention your name.”
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