Seducing Phoebe: Lovers Unmasked: Book 3

by Flockton, Nicole

  About the Book

  Phoebe Fitzgerald is weeks away from getting married when her ex turns up and declares his everlasting love for her. Confused and wondering if she’s mixing up lust with love, she cancels her wedding to handsome architect Marco Petronelli.

  When Phoebe breaks off their engagement, Marco is forced to admit his emotions go far deeper and he will do anything to make her realize they are meant for each other.

  Marco puts his vulnerabilities and heart on the line for her. Will she take his offering or will she reject him? And will Phoebe realize that sometimes the best thing in life is standing right in front of her.

  Seducing Phoebe

  Lovers Unmasked: Book 3

  Nicole Flockton

  Copyright © 2019 by Nicole Flockton

  2nd edition

  All rights reserved.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales or persons living or dead is purely coincidental. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.

  This e-book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This e-book may not be re-sold or given away to other people.

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Epilogue

  About the Author

  Acknowledgments

  Also by Nicole Flockton

  For Fiona Marsden—thanks for being my friend, Twitter pal, and beta reader for this story.

  1

  Phoebe Fitzgerald turned and looked at herself in the mirror of the bridal store fitting room, and butterflies multiplied by the dozen in her belly. Her dress fit perfectly. She looked like a queen. It was everything she had thought it would be and more.

  “Oh, Phoebe,” her best friend Sophie gushed when the curtain was thrust open by the alterations lady.

  Before Phoebe could say anything, her phone beeped, signaling a text message had arrived. She should’ve turned it to vibrate before she’d entered the changing room. The butterflies stopped fluttering and a football-sized feeling of dread replaced them.

  Somehow she knew who was texting her. The same person who’d been calling and texting her constantly for the last two days: John Allen. After their first conversation two weeks ago, she’d stopped answering his calls and texts. But he hadn’t given up.

  Two weeks ago everything had been clear in her mind. She was going to get married to a man who had come to mean a lot to her. It wasn’t a fairy tale love match, but at the time of Marco’s proposal she’d been caught up in the haze of some of the most amazing lovemaking she’d ever experienced—so when he had blurted out they should get married, she’d readily agreed. She’d thought he’d been joking, but the next night, when he’d gotten down on bended knee and presented her with a ring, she had said yes again. She cared deeply for Marco. She knew she could count on him when she needed to. She knew he would never disappoint her or let her down.

  After loving, losing and being disappointed by the people in her life more than once, she had no desire to travel down that bumpy road again. A nice, no complications relationship had seemed the perfect solution.

  Now a ghost from her past had returned and it was like a fog had crept into her mind.

  She had no visibility of what was right or wrong. She was so confused.

  Why did Marco have to cancel their lunch date two weeks ago? Things would’ve been so much easier if he hadn’t had to stay at that meeting.

  Standing in her wedding dress, looking like a queen, she let her mind wander back to the day when her world turned upside down.

  “You look like you’ve lost fifty dollars and found five instead.”

  Phoebe whipped her head around and couldn’t believe it when she clapped eyes on her former lover—John Allen.

  “John, what are you doing here?”

  “I’m back in town; my stint overseas is over.” He sent her a look that she could only describe as suggestive. With his hair falling over his forehead, he had an air of carefree fun about him. “I’m hoping we can catch up.”

  It had been months since she’d last seen John, since he’d announced very casually over dinner that he was planning on joining an overseas medical organization, and he was leaving the next day. She’d been heartbroken. She’d thought they’d had something special. But, once again, it seemed the people she loved never loved her as much as she loved them. It was like she wasn’t worthy of their full affection.

  “I don’t think so.”

  When he reached out and touched her hand, her skin tingled. “Phoebs, I’m sorry about the way I left but while I was away I realized what a fool I’d been. I’d left the best girl I’ve ever known behind. I constantly thought about all the fun times we had. How whenever we were together we seemed untouchable. I think I’m in love with you, Phoebe.

  She couldn’t deny the way her heart fluttered at his declaration. It was what she’d hoped would happen after he’d left, but it never had. Now she had Marco in her life. She could count on him not to let her down. Marco was solid, dependable, trustworthy. He would never leave her alone like so many others had done before. They may not laugh as much as her and John had done, and they may not have ever said those three little words to each other, but they did have a good relationship. Marco was her chance to finally have someone permanent in her life. Someone who put her first.

  “I think it’s a little late for that, John.” Phoebe held up her left hand and waved her fingers. “I’m engaged now.”

  “Nothing’s final until you say ‘I do’. Engagements aren’t set in stone.” “Well, regardless of what you think, it means something to me.”

  “Does it? I see the way you’re breathing, Phoebs. I see the way your eyes are shining.

  You still care.” He took hold of her hand and brought it to his lips, kissing it.

  She knew she should pull her hand away, but she couldn’t. Her skin didn’t burn like it did when Marco touched her, but her body was reacting. Her body remembered John and all they’d shared—all the love she’d thought she once felt for him.

  Phoebe felt many things for Marco, but “love” had never entered the equation. After being burned so many times in the past by people she loved, she was determined to focus on more practical things now. Easy, uncomplicated companionship. An intense physical connection. A future.

  But as she looked at John, sitting there across from her declaring his love, a moment’s doubt filled her mind. All those things she had with Marco were important, but when it came down to it, marriage should be based on love, shouldn’t it? What if she was making a mistake?

  Her phone started ringing, jolting her back to the present and the fitting room at the bridal salon, where the alterations lady was still working on her dress. She was tempted to throw the phone against the wall. Ever since that conversation with John two weeks ago, she’d been so confused. And his constant calls and texts weren’t helping. Why couldn’t he leave her alone?

  “You want me to get that, Phoebs?” Sophie’s voice penetrated her fog, dissipating a tiny corner.

  “No!” The word shot out like a bullet. The last thing she w
anted was Sophie picking up her phone and seeing that John was back in town.

  Ringing her.

  Texting her.

  Telling her he’d realized he loved her and had made the biggest mistake of his life by breaking up with her and leaving her behind.

  “Can you give us a minute?” Sophie asked the lady adjusting her dress. Phoebe wanted to put her hand on the lady to halt her exit; she didn’t really want to be left alone with Sophie. But if she created a fuss it would only make her look like she was hiding something; which she was. She just didn’t want Sophie to know it yet.

  “It looks good, don’t you think?” Phoebe asked, running a hand over the fabric of her dress.

  “Yes. Now tell me what’s going on?”

  She tried to laugh but it sounded pitiful to her ears. “Well I think it’s pretty obvious what’s going on. I’m here for a fitting and you, as my matron of honor, have the job of telling me whether it looks good or not.”

  Phoebe knew she was walking a thin line and she could see the frustration and hurt in Sophie’s eyes. Remorse filled her; Soph was her best friend. They’d shared so much; maybe sharing her problems with her friend could be the best thing. Help her to put things in perspective.

  She gazed again at her reflection in the mirror. The crystal-encrusted gown was beautiful. It hugged her figure before flaring out with just the right amount of pouf.

  “It really is beautiful, Phoebs. You look gorgeous. Marco won’t be able to keep his hands to himself.”

  At hearing her fiancé’s name, doubts crowded back in Phoebe’s mind, all clamoring to be heard.

  She couldn’t do it.

  She couldn’t marry Marco, not when she had so many doubts. “I can’t do it,” she whispered. “I can’t do it.”

  “Can’t do what?” Sophie asked.

  “I can’t marry Marco.” She started grabbing at the ties at the back of her dress. Her breath came in short spurts as panic took hold. She didn’t want to rip her gorgeous gown, but she would if she had to. She needed to get out of it.

  Her phone started ringing again, making her even more anxious to remove the dress.

  The more times John called or sent a text, the more she was tempted to answer. To see him again to see if what they’d had was real. But if it was real, then he wouldn’t have left her to go overseas. He would’ve stayed with her and planned a future together. And what about what she had experienced with Marco? She knew she felt different emotions when she was in Marco’s arms than she had felt when she had been with John. But she couldn’t avoid John forever—maybe it would be best to see him again. She squashed the thought as soon as she’d finished it.

  Nothing was clear anymore.

  Her hands were grabbed by warm ones, stopping her desperate actions just as her phone stopped ringing.

  “Phoebe, stop. Calm down, it’s just pre-wedding jitters.”

  “If only it were that easy to blame it on nerves or jitters. It’s more than nerves. It’s . . .”

  “Stop,” Sophie interrupted. “As much as I want to find out what’s going on, I’m not

  sure a bridal salon is the best place for it. We can go back to my place.”

  “Won’t Alex be there? I can’t talk to you if Marco’s best friend is sitting beside you.” For the first time Phoebe didn’t like the fact that her best friend was married to Marco’s best friend. They were all connected—and not just through Louisa, Alex and Sophie’s daughter, and Phoebe and Marco’s goddaughter. Alex worked at the same hospital where she was a nurse, so Phoebe had to see him almost every day. She didn’t think she could cope with knowing she’d hurt so many people.

  Why had everything become so complicated? She wanted everything to go back to normal. But what was normal?

  “Do you seriously think I would have a conversation like this with Alex around?” Sophie scoffed. “I’ll tell him to take Louisa for a walk. Now come on, let’s get you out of this gown and then you can tell me everything.”

  Before Phoebe had a chance to reply Sophie had disappeared out of the changing room to get the seamstress. With a few moments of privacy she walked over to her handbag hanging on the hook and pulled her phone out. She had messages from John and Marco. She closed her eyes and leaned against the wall. Who knew text messages and missed calls could cause so much turmoil. Taking a deep breath she entered her passcode and went to her voicemail.

  “Hey, sweetheart, it’s just me. Wanted to say hope the dress fitting is going well. I’m sure you’re going to look beautiful and I can’t wait to see you in your wedding gown. See you tonight. Bye.”

  Hearing Marco’s voice caused a calmness to settle over her. Oh, how she wished he’d finished the message off with I love you. It would push all her doubts aside. It would give her the reassurance that she finally came first in someone’s life. She hadn’t been first with John; his need for adventure in war-torn countries had come first. Sure, he was going as a doctor and would be making a difference to the lives of people less fortunate. But still, it hurt that he hadn’t even given her a second thought when he’d made the decision to join the international medical organization. The same had gone for her parents—like John, the more adventurous the pursuit, the more important it was to them than their own daughter. Even Mrs. White, the one person who had professed to love and care for Phoebe, had ultimately let her down. What made her so sure what she had to offer Marco would be enough for him? She pressed the number to save Marco’s message.

  The next message increased her anxiety again.

  “It’s John. Come on, Phoebs, pick up your phone. You know you want to see me.

  Remember all the fun we had? I haven’t forgotten. I made a mistake leaving you. I’m in love with you.”

  The two messages couldn’t be any more different. The tones of voice from the two men were completely different too. She quickly deleted John’s voicemail and then his text messages without looking at them. As if by doing that, it would make her problem go away. Of course, all it did was make her wonder what he had texted her the moment she’d deleted them.

  “Ms. Fitzgerald, is it okay to come in?” The seamstress’s voice had Phoebe quickly putting the phone away, as if it had given her an electric shock.

  “Yes, please come in.”

  Within minutes Phoebe was out of the dress and back in her street clothes. The oppressive feeling had abated the moment her dress had been lifted over her head. She gave it one last look, touching the fabric softly. Would she wear it or would she call everything off on the off-chance that John was the man she was meant to be with? Could she even trust what John said to her now? Or was he just looking for a good time before his next adventure called to him?

  Too many thoughts were running around her head. Until she truly sat down and thought things through, nothing would make sense.

  Phoebe walked out the room and headed towards the main area, where Sophie was waiting. As she got closer to Sophie she noticed a lovely flower arrangement sitting on the alterations department’s reception desk. She didn’t think the bouquet had been there when she’d arrived.

  She reached Sophie’s side. “You ready to go, Soph?”

  “Sure am, but . . . ” She pointed to the flowers. “Delivery arrived for you while I was waiting.”

  Phoebe looked at the flowers, shocked. “Who are they from?”

  Sophie laughed and Phoebe realized how stupid that sounded. “I would imagine Marco sent them to you.”

  Phoebe reached out towards the small envelope poking out of the arrangement, her fingers lightly trembling. She extracted the card and scanned the note, almost dropping it.

  You’re making a mistake marrying this guy. It’s me you should be marrying. Meet me tonight. 8 p.m. La Circe. John.

  Phoebe closed her eyes. How the hell had John known she’d be at this particular bridal salon? Her skin crawled at the thought that John might have followed her. It didn’t seem to fit his personality, but how else would he know where and when she would be h
aving her dress fitting?

  She wished she had the ability to turn back time, to go back those two weeks to when she was sure that marrying Marco was the right thing to do.

  “Is everything alright?” Sophie said, pulling her away from her thoughts.

  She looked at her friend and sent her a smile. A smile that she knew wouldn’t fool Sophie at all. “Yes, why wouldn’t I be okay? I got a lovely flower arrangement from my doting f-fiancé.” Phoebe choked out the word as she tucked the card into her pocket. “Let’s go.”

  She made a move to leave but then remembered the flowers. She turned to the lady who had been helping her with her dress. “Here, you take the flowers, I’m sure my fiancé won’t mind you having them. A thank you for all that you’ve done.”

  With that she headed towards the exit, not sure that she’d be back to pick up her dress.

  * * *

  “You want to tell me what’s going on?” Sophie asked as she placed a tray holding two glasses of white wine and a plate of chips and dips on the table in front of her. “And don’t try to fob me off. I left you to your thoughts in the car. Now it’s time to come clean. Why are you having second thoughts about marrying Marco?”

  Phoebe took a sip of wine, hoping that it would give her the courage she needed. The wine had a sharp, fruity taste to it. She took a deep breath and blurted out the name that had been haunting her for the past two weeks. “John’s back.”

  Sophie looked at her incredulously, as if she couldn’t quite believe what Phoebe had said. She couldn’t blame her.

  “John as in the douchebag who left you the moment his residency was done to chase greener pastures and, no doubt, more ladies? That’s the John you’re talking about?”