Seducing Phoebe (Crimson Romance)

by Nicole Flockton

  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.”

  That wasn’t exactly true, but she wasn’t sure she wanted to be in such close proximity to Marco. She risked a glance at him. His eyes were covered by his sunglasses and he was lying on his towel. The water droplets on his chest glistened in the sunlight. It took everything she had not to reach out and touch his chest, and run her fingers over the strong muscle and lean down to kiss him.

  Phoebe stood abruptly, spraying a small amount of sand over him. She went to brush it off him, but stopped. She knew if she touched him she wouldn’t want to stop, and getting intimate with him again was the completely wrong thing to do.

  “I’ll see you back at the house,” she muttered and picked up her towel and started to walk away.

  “Wait.”

  She stopped and waited, her breath catching when she became aware of his presence behind her. The heat from his sun-warmed flesh emanated towards her, wrapping her in its embrace. Phoebe knew if she took half a step back she would be in his arms again.

  “You don’t need to go, I’ll go.” As his hands landed on her shoulders her breath whooshed out. “I’ll bring back some food and drinks.”

  His lips landed on the base of her neck for a brief second before they were gone. By the time she gathered herself from the fiery sensation of his kiss, he was halfway up the beach.

  She shook her head and let her bag and towel fall with a soft thud on the sand. Her head seemed to be in the clouds, all reasonable train of thought was gone. How could he derail her with a simple touch to the back of the neck? She never denied that his touch caused her to go up in flames, but in the last two days her reaction to his touch had intensified.

  With a groan of frustration she strode across the warm sand to the cool waters of the ocean. Maybe a swim would cleanse away the cobwebs that had taken up residence in her mind in the last ten minutes.

  As she dove into the water she immediately felt refreshed. She stroked out a little deeper before flipping over onto her back to float and think.

  Her mind took her back to Louisa’s christening. As she had stood next to Marco during the ceremony she’d been totally aware of his presence. She recalled that she’d stolen a number of looks at him from beneath her lashes, almost forgetting how she was supposed to answer the questions the priest asked. Afterwards, taking photos with him and Alex and Sophie and the baby had been a pleasure. It had given her the opportunity to stand close to him. Then he’d touched her.

  That night they’d gone for drinks after the christening party, and from the bar to his apartment. It had been one of the most amazing nights of her life. And that alone had scared her. But Marco had been persuasive and had continued to pursue her until she’d found herself in a relationship again, when she’d sworn she wasn’t going to after what had happened between her and John.

  The question now was, did she love Marco? Did she even know how to love? And how could she trust that love anyway? She’d loved her parents and they hadn’t loved her enough to stay at home and look after her. Then she’d loved Adele White but she’d let Phoebe down as well. Love was unreliable as far as she was concerned.

  Still no closer to a decision she turned over onto her belly and started to stroke back to the shore. As she got to the shallows and stood up she noticed that Marco had set up a beach umbrella and it looked like he’d also brought some chairs down for them to sit on.

  She walked up the sand, grimacing as the sand stuck to her wet feet. That was the only downside to going to the water.

  “You’ve been busy.” She bent and picked up her towel to dry herself.

  “I’ve come to realize over the last couple of days that you like to spend time at the beach.” He waved his hand at the set up he’d organized. “This is a little peace offering for storming out on you this morning.”

  “A peace offering is definitely not needed,” she said on a laugh, although she was touched at the trouble he’d gone to. Sitting on a sun chair under an umbrella was definitely the best way to spend time at the beach.

  He gave a wry laugh. “I have an idea.”

  She had no chance to ask what he was getting at as he took a step back so that he wasn’t in her personal space. She missed his presence, which was ridiculous, as he’d only moved a couple of feet. When he held out his hand to her, her eyebrow rose in question.

  “Hi, I’m Marco Petronelli, and I’m very happy to meet you.”

  Phoebe laughed. It was a sweet, albeit unnecessary gesture. She grasped his hand, and welcomed the buzz of excitement his touch gave her. “Hi, Marco, I’m Phoebe Fitzgerald and I’m happy to meet you too.”

  “Would you care to join me for lunch?”

  She noticed he hadn’t let go of her hand, as if he didn’t want to relinquish his hold on her just yet. She liked it.

  “I would love to join you for lunch,” she replied demurely enjoying the banter between them immensely.

  He gave a slight tug on her arm and she moved a step closer to him, wondering what he had planned next for her. Her breath caught as he lifted her hand and placed a soft kiss on the top. Marco was always a gentleman; it was one of the things that she really liked about him.

  He lowered her hand, and as she looked into his face, she could see desire simmering in his eyes, making them darken. It wouldn’t take much to take that desire and ignite it into a raging fire. She could feel an answering desire start in her belly. She wanted to lose herself in him. But she couldn’t; it wouldn’t solve anything.

  Phoebe pulled her hand away. “Let’s eat.”

  Marco nodded in agreement. She walked over to the shaded area and looked at the spread of food laid out on the blanket. There was bread, cheese, and cold cuts. She filled a plate and sat down on the chair and started to eat.

  After a few minutes of silence Marco cleared his throat. She looked up.

  “I have to go back to the city.”

  By the tone of his voice she could tell it wasn’t something he wanted to do. If she was honest with herself, she didn’t want him to go either. But it would give her the quietness that she had first aimed for by coming to the beach house.

  “When do you have to leave?”

  “This afternoon.”

  She had thought she was prepared for him to say he was going to be leaving so soon, but to hear him put it out there she knew she wasn’t.

  “Will you come back?” Phoebe couldn’t believe she’d asked that question. She was getting her wish. With him leaving, she would be all alone again with her thoughts. It would be her opportunity to get things sorted out. Her asking that question would give him the impression that she needed him.


  “No.”

  Her stomach dropped at his answer. Part of her thought he would come back as soon as possible — after all, he was the one who said he wanted to start all over again. Court her. Share things with her.

  “Okay.” She stood, suddenly needing to put some distance between them. “I … umm … I’m going to head up to the house. Thank you for lunch.”

  She turned quickly so that he wouldn’t see the tears that were brimming in her eyes. It was stupid. He was doing exactly what she wanted. He was giving her space.

  She was halfway to the house when a hand landed on her shoulder, halting her progress. She didn’t turn to look at Marco.

  “I want you to come with me.”

  She did turn then, surprise flowing through her like lava down a volcano.

  “Why?”

  He removed his hand from her shoulder and ran it through his hair. “Because I’ve realized here isn’t real life. Here we are two people in an idyllic location, almost like paradise. Real life, our lives, isn’t like this. We work. We have everyday stresses. We go to parties. If we’re going to build our relationship anew we need to be where our real life really is. And it’s not here.”

  Phoebe could understand his logic. It made sense, but she wasn’t sure she was ready to go back into the real world. Maybe that was why she hadn’t really given any thought to what she wanted. It was easier to bury her head in the sand. Here, in a beautiful ocean front house, she could imagine that everything over the last few weeks hadn’t happened.

  “What if I don’t want to? What if I want to stay here?” She threw her hands up in the air. “I mean I came here to be by myself. To sort through my feelings.”

  “And have you?”

  “Did you give me a chance to?” she countered.

  At the wry grin breaking out over his face, she knew she’d scored a point. He hadn’t given her much time alone.

  “No, I didn’t.”

  “Why didn’t you? Why didn’t you give me space when I’m pretty sure you knew I needed it?”