Marcus

by Kate Hoffmann

  “I’d never tell my father we were having sex.”

  “He knows you’re not a virgin.”

  Eden took a sip of her tea. “But he doesn’t know the details. He’s a very powerful man. If he wanted to make you disappear, he could. Like Benny, my summer boyfriend when I was sixteen. He caught us swimming naked off the pier one night.”

  “And he had Benny killed?”

  “No,” Eden replied. “He’s not a mobster, he’s just a businessman. He called in a favor and had Benny’s father transferred to Alaska. They moved two weeks later and I never saw him again.”

  “Well, your father isn’t going to find out about us because you’re going to call him today and you’re going tell him you’re all right.”

  She stared at him, her lips slightly parted. “No. I’m not ready to talk to him.”

  “Then I will,” Marcus said. “I’ll call him and tell him you showed up on the boat, that you’re sorry for everything that’s going on and that you’ll be coming to see him soon.”

  “Don’t try to run my life,” Eden snapped.

  “Someone has to. You’re not doing it for yourself. Eden, he’s your father and he has a right to know you’re okay. At least give him that much.” A stubborn pout settled onto her pretty face, and Marcus knew he had pushed her about as far as he could. “The sooner you face your problems, the sooner they’ll go away,” he added.

  “And what am I supposed say?” she asked. “‘Hi, Daddy, I just wanted to let you know that you’ll probably be getting a call from my former lover, who will probably try to extort a few million dollars from you. So you wanna have lunch?’” She shook her head. “See, it’s not so easy.”

  Marcus reached out and smoothed the hair out of her eyes. He could understand her problem. It had taken him nearly a year to confess to Nana Callahan that he’d broken her favorite crystal vase. A sex tape and extortion were a bit dodgier than that. “Maybe you should write him a letter. Or send him an e-mail.”

  “I will,” she said. “Sooner or later I have to. Don’t worry, Marcus, I don’t expect you to take care of me forever.”

  That was it, Marcus mused. The perfect admission of where they stood. She was biding her time with him until she worked up the courage to face her real life. And when she did, they’d be finished and she’d leave.

  “Can we go back to bed now?” she asked.

  “Are you still tired?”

  “Not at all,” Eden said. She grabbed his hand and dragged him along behind her. “In fact, I’m wide-awake.”

  Marcus resisted but only for a moment. Eden might be able to divert his attention for an hour or two, but all the desire in the world wasn’t going to dissolve the cloud that hung over them.

  He crawled into bed beside her and pulled her up against his body, kissing her forehead. She seemed to fit perfectly against him, her legs tangled in his, her arms wrapped around his neck. Marcus slowly smoothed his hand over her back, then slipped his palm beneath the T-shirt she wore.

  As he caressed her soft skin, he closed his eyes and tried to memorize the feel of her. There would come a night when she no longer slept in his bed, a night when he’d want to remember every perfect detail about her. A dull ache settled inside him. Though Marcus didn’t want to admit it, he’d miss her. Even though Eden could be a pain in the ass, she’d become his pain in the ass, at least for a while.

  “Your mother invited me for a picnic tomorrow,” she murmured.

  “I made our excuses,” he said.

  Eden pushed up on her elbow and met his gaze. “But I want to go.”

  “You can’t,” Marcus replied.

  “Why not? She invited me. I don’t want to be rude to your mother.” She paused. “Why don’t you want me to go?”

  “Isn’t it obvious?”

  “No, it’s not. Are you embarrassed to be with me?”

  Marcus groaned and threw his arm over his eyes. He’d already decided that he could handle her leaving, but he didn’t want to dissect his feelings before she did. “You’re the one who’s trying to hide out here. If you go to a family dinner, then your presence is not going to be a secret anymore. My brother Declan will be there, and he’s spent the last week looking for you.”

  “Looking for me?”

  Marcus pulled his arm away. “He works for your father. That’s how I got the job on the boat, Eden.”

  “What does he do for my father?” Eden asked.

  “Security, private investigations, background checks. Anything your father asks. And right now, among other things, he’s looking for you. So is my brother Ian. He’s the chief of police in this town. And I’m supposed to be looking for you, too, for that matter.”

  “Your brothers are looking for me and you’re hiding me?”

  Marcus nodded. “So can you see why a family picnic might be a wee bit awkward? Hell, Ian would probably arrest you on the spot for that little 911 call.”

  “And that’s all? That’s the only reason you don’t want me to go?”

  “Isn’t that enough?”

  “I thought maybe you were ashamed to be seen with me.” She drew a deep breath. “Let’s not pretend that I’m every mother’s dream. I have a reputation. My life is splashed all over the media. I guess I’d be a little hesitant to introduce me to your family.”

  “That’s not it,” Marcus said.

  “But there is something else, isn’t there? If I went to this picnic, then this would be all over, wouldn’t it? You and I would be over.”

  She was right. As long as she was hiding from her troubles, she was his. The moment she faced her problems, she’d be gone, out of his life without a second glance. It may be selfish, but Marcus wasn’t going to feel guilty. Why shouldn’t they take as much pleasure as they could from each other? A sexual connection like theirs didn’t come along every day.

  “Everything is perfect right now,” Marcus said. “It’s just you and me. Uncomplicated.”

  She stared at him, her eyes shadowed with indecision. “So you just want to stay like this forever?”

  “I don’t think that’s possible, Eden,” Marcus said.

  Eden smiled ruefully. “You’re right. I know you are. But it could be for a little longer, couldn’t it?” She picked up her pillow and smoothed her hands over it. “I’m just not ready.”

  He watched Eden crawl out of bed and disappear behind the canvas curtains. She wasn’t ready for what? To go out into the world again or to leave him? He could see it happening in his head. If they both believed it would end, then it would. Gradually they’d pull away from each other. Promises made would be broken. Instead of spending time together, they’d make excuses to be apart, creating a distance that would protect them both when their affair finally came to end.

  Marcus fought the temptation to go to her and draw them closer again, to reassure himself that she still cared. He could do it easily, with sweet words or a passionate kiss. But in his gut he knew this was for the best. He’d had her for a week, a lot longer than he’d ever expected for her to stay. He would have to let her go soon and it was about time for both of them to face that truth.

  7

  EDEN STOOD IN THE DOORWAY of the coin laundry and gazed at her surroundings through dark sunglasses. “This is nice,” she said. “But why are we here?”

  “I have to do laundry,” Marcus replied, flicking the brim of her baseball cap. “In the real world, so will you. Clothes get dirty and you have to wash them.”

  “I don’t have to wash them,” she said. “I send them to the cleaners and they wash them.”

  “This isn’t the Ritz. Most people wash their own clothes.”

  “I know that,” Eden said. There were times with Marcus when she felt like a complete idiot. Yesterday she’d tried to operate his dishwasher and managed to flood his kitchen with suds. Then she’d tried to make toast and set off the smoke alarm. And last night she’d cleaned up cookie crumbs with furniture polish only to have Marcus slip and fall on the hardwood
floor.

  The past twenty-four hours had been a lesson in how little she knew about day-to-day life. Though she thought she could at least cook something simple, macaroni and cheese from a box had been a disaster. After her fiasco with the furniture polish, Eden had been forced to scratch cleaning off the list of things she could do well. And though grocery shopping seemed like an easy task, the store layout confounded her. If she was a failure at the coin laundry, then she might as well give up her dream of starting a life of her own.

  “I know how to do the wash,” she said. “I used to watch Sarah do it. She used to let me push the buttons and turn the dials.”

  “Good,” Marcus said. “Then this should go quickly.”

  He dragged the duffel bag inside the door and dumped the contents into a wire basket on wheels. Eden smiled as she watched him pick through the laundry. Their clothes were all jumbled together, and anyone walking by might think they were a couple, perhaps even husband and wife.

  A tiny thrill raced through her at the thought. What would it be like to make a life with Marcus? She’d been so careful not to allow herself such thoughts, but the longer she spent with him, the more she enjoyed the silly fantasy playing out in her head.

  They shared an incredible physical attraction, so their life in bed would never be dull. But was there something beyond that between them? And if there was, how would they go about discovering it?

  Eden boosted herself up on a nearby washing machine, kicking off her flip-flops and tucking her bare feet beneath her. “I know why you wanted to do the laundry,” she said. “So you could play with my underwear and I wouldn’t think you were pervy.”

  He picked up one of her bras and fingered the lace and satin. “I’d rather play with what’s underneath your underwear,” Marcus said in a matter-of-fact voice.

  Eden giggled, removing her sunglasses and glancing around the empty Laundromat. She grabbed the front of Marcus’s T-shirt and pulled him toward her. “We’re all alone here,” she said, straightening her legs on either side of his hips. She wrapped one leg around his thigh and drew him closer.

  He gave her a skeptical look. “Eden, behave yourself.”

  Unfazed, Eden took his hand and slid it beneath her skirt, pressing his palm to her inner thigh. “Haven’t you ever done it in a public place?”

  “Have you?”

  She grinned and slid his hand higher. “Believe it or not, I haven’t. Contrary to the stories the press puts out, my sex life has not been terribly adventurous. What about you? Where’s the most exciting place you’ve ever done it?”

  He gave her a wary glance. “I think my shower ranks right up there.”

  “You haven’t been a very adventurous boy either,” she teased, her hand sliding down to his crotch.

  “You asked for the most exciting place, not the most public,” he said, leaning into her until her palm pressed fully against him. “Are you doing this just to get out of helping me with the laundry?”

  Eden leaned forward and took his lower lip between her teeth, tugging at it. “I’m really excited about doing the laundry. Can’t you tell?” She moved his hand up a bit higher, enjoying the game and wondering what Marcus’s limits were. How far would he go to possess her? Would his desire be so overwhelming that he’d risk making love to her right here? Or did he have secret boundaries? His hand slid up until it rested at the juncture of her thighs.

  Marcus gasped, his gaze meeting hers. “You’re not wearing underwear,” he said.

  “All my panties are in the wash. What about you?” She slipped her hand down the front of his jeans. “Oh, I guess yours must be in the wash, too.”

  He nodded, holding his breath as her fingers danced along the length of his penis. Almost instantly he began to grow hard, and Eden left her hand where it was, enjoying his discomfort.

  “Don’t mess with me,” Marcus warned, sliding his thumb between the soft folds of her sex. He found her clitoris and rubbed it gently.

  “Then don’t mess with me,” she countered.

  She waited for him to stop, but he’d obviously decided to accept her challenge. Eden smiled as he continued to caress her, surprised at how easy it was to become aroused even in a public place.

  Her fingers closed around him and she leaned forward, whispering into his ear. “I know you want me,” she murmured. “I can feel it.”

  “I do,” he replied. “But not as much as you want me.”

  She playfully bit his earlobe. “We’ll see about that. I think you want me badly enough to imagine me naked. Imagine me lying on your bed, ready for you. Think of it,” she whispered. “You could touch me wherever you wanted. You like to touch me, Marcus, don’t you?”

  He groaned as she began to stroke him. A desperate “yes” was all Marcus could manage. He slipped his finger inside her again, then withdrew it in a rhythm that was all too familiar to Eden. Maybe he’d been right. Maybe she did want him more.

  The door rattled, and they both turned and watched as an elderly woman walked inside, a wicker basket tucked beneath one arm. Eden waited for him to stop, but he didn’t. Instead his caress became more intense. Her breath caught in her throat as she realized he intended to win the game at all costs. To a casual observer, it wasn’t clear what they were doing. Marcus’s hand was hidden beneath her skirt and Eden’s was protected by the shadow of his opposite arm.

  She caught his gaze and smiled. “You want to be inside me, don’t you? Do you remember how that feels?”

  He nodded. “Do you?”

  “Hard and thick,” she said.

  “Tight,” he countered. “And warm.”

  Eden felt herself grow faint. For a moment, the power shifted as a wave of pleasure raced through her. A moan slipped from her lips and she fought the temptation to surrender.

  “Go ahead,” Marcus urged. “There’s no reason to stop yourself.”

  Eden bit her bottom lip hard, the pain making her focus. “You go first.”

  “You can’t make me,” he said.

  “I can.” Eden leaned forward. “Just imagine my mouth on you. Soft…and warm…my tongue teasing until you can’t think of anything else but how good it would feel to come. If we were alone, I’d do that for you. You’d lie back and close your eyes and I’d-”

  Marcus’s free hand found her nape, and he pulled her into a kiss, his moan lost between them. An instant later he came in her hand, her caress suddenly damp and sticky with his orgasm. She enjoyed a short moment of triumph, a satisfied smile on her lips.

  The first spasm caught her by surprise, and after that she had no choice but to capitulate. He watched as she came, knowing that he hadn’t lost by much.

  “You’re a bad girl, Eden Ross.”

  “I can’t seem to help myself,” she said as she withdrew her hand from his jeans.

  He arched his eyebrow, his hand sliding along her thigh. “And I was planning to take you to the hardware store after we were finished here.”

  “Hardware?” Eden sighed. “That sounds very intriguing, Marcus. There are tools and all kinds of hard things at the hardware store, aren’t there? When can we leave?”

  Marcus glanced around. “I think we’d better finish the laundry.” He winced as he reached out and began to toss clothes into the machine next to her, a damp spot seeping through the front of his jeans.

  “You could take those off,” Eden suggested, “and toss them in the wash.”

  “Don’t you think we’ve gone far enough for your first visit to the Laundromat?”

  “You’re right. I’m completely satisfied with the experience,” she said. “How about you?”

  He chuckled softly. “The evidence of that is all over your fingers.” He grabbed a towel from the pile and took her hand to wipe it dry. When he was finished, he held up the towel. “Warm water. Towels and sheets go in warm water. Unless they’re white-then they go in hot.”

  “Interesting,” Eden said. “Why?”

  Marcus opened his mouth, then paused. “I
’m not sure. Because it says so on the detergent bottle.” He picked up her bra. “I think this is what they refer to as a delicate. I don’t have any delicates of my own, but they go in cold.”

  “Good to know,” Eden said. She watched him fill three washers with clothes, add detergent, then select the proper temperature for each. As far as Eden could tell, she could have learned how to do laundry by reading the detergent bottle. There wasn’t much to it. But the sex was great.

  “Now you just put the quarters into the slots and the machines will start.” He shoved his hand in his jeans pocket and winced again.

  “Need some help?” Eden teased.

  “I think you’ve done enough in there already,” he said.

  Eden giggled, then picked up the copy of In Style that she’d brought along to read. Casually she flipped through it, glancing at the photos and finding nothing of interest. But one photo made her pause, and she stared at it for a long time, her breath frozen in her throat.

  “What’s wrong?” Marcus asked.

  “Nothing,” she said.

  Marcus slowly pulled the magazine from her hand and looked at the picture. “It’s you,” he said, “with some guy.”

  Eden nodded. “His name is Andreas. He’s-”

  “He’s got his hand on your ass,” Marcus said.

  “He’s my boyfriend,” she finished.

  Marcus glanced back down at the photo, scowling. “You have a boyfriend?”

  “I did,” Eden said. “Up until the time I took off. I didn’t want to face him once everything hit the press. His family is very…well, they’re old European money. His father is a baron and his mother is a Greek princess. They weren’t fond of me, but Andreas loved me.”

  “Maybe he still does,” Marcus said.

  “I can’t see how.” Eden took the magazine from his hands and studied the photo. “That was such a great party,” she said. “That was Cannes. The film festival. We drank so much champagne, and then a bunch of us went down to the beach and ripped off all our clothes and jumped into the sea.”