by Sophia Rae
Marcus shrugged. “Everyone. My parents, Luke and Sara. Myself. I wasn’t crazy about taking over the business when my parents died, but then, once I got used to the idea, I fell in love with the place all over again. This time for different reasons.”
Chloe tucked her feet beneath her. “Marcus, you’ve done all you can do. And if it was your best, then nobody could ask for anything more.”
He planted a kiss on her forehead again. “Thanks for trying to make me feel better.”
“I have another way to make you feel better.”
He lifted a brow, and she laughed and smacked him on the chest. “I made some brownies, you pervert.”
“With icing?”
Chloe laughed again. “You sound like a child.”
“With icing?” He repeated in a serious tone.
“Of course.”
“A woman after my own heart.” At least, he hoped she was after his heart.
“I think I’ll go on in and start dinner. Will you be okay?”
He smiled up at her as she stood before him. Her hair piled loosely on top of her head, barefoot, wearing nothing but a simple khaki dress, she belonged here. Here, at this house, with him. But damn it, he couldn’t give it to her. “I’ll be fine.”
She leaned down to kiss him. Not gentle, not urgent either, but a good, strong kiss.
Once he was alone again, he vowed to himself he would marry her. First, though, she had to get used to the idea of love. He had to break her free of the fear she lived in. Love wasn’t something to run from as he’d once done. No, it was something to savor and enjoy with someone special.
Yes. That someone for him was Chloe Adkins.
****
On moving day, Marcus’s spirits were better than Chloe had thought they would be. But she knew he only stayed busy to keep his mind off what was actually taking place.
The move from his childhood home would be heart-wrenching for him. Chloe stood in his bedroom doorway and watched as he packed his suitcase full of jeans, T-shirts, socks and the like. Her heart broke for him.
“Marcus,” she said announcing her presence.
His head snapped up. “Hey, I didn’t hear you.”
“The realtor just called and said the new owners would be by in a couple hours to pick up the keys.”
He nodded and focused his attention back on the task at hand. “Fine.”
Chloe stepped further into the room. “You’re doing the right thing.”
“I know,” he said. He held a black T-shirt in his hands, but didn’t put it in the suitcase. “It still doesn’t make it any easier.”
Chloe reached up to finger his dark, wavy hair. “Your parents wouldn’t want you to go into debt because of them, nor would they want you to doubt yourself.”
Smiling, he turned to look into her eyes, and Chloe found herself lost once again in the compassion she saw. “How is it you know them so well?”
“Simple.” She stroked his cheek. “I know you, Luke and Sara. I see the kind of children they raised, and I know they would be proud of you for sticking with it this long. You kept their dream alive for ten years, Marcus. The majority of new businesses go under within the first year. No one could ask for more than what you’ve done here. You’ve built a foundation for the new owners to build on.”
“You’re right.”
“I’m always right. Don’t worry, Marcus, everything will work out the way it should.”
She hated lying to him, she wanted to come clean about the “new” buyers and end his misery, but she wanted to surprise him. She’d never surprised anybody before, especially with such a life-changing gift. This was the only way she knew to show him how she really cared for him.
The intensity of the moment had Chloe swallowing back tears for this family. As she looked into Marcus’ eyes, she knew he too held back his own emotions. She lifted her other hand to his cheek, framing his face.
As if he knew where her thoughts were heading, he leaned in, gently capturing her lips. Warmth spread through Chloe at the tenderness of his touch, the reassuring way his arms encircled her waist. She welcomed the slow, soothing moment.
This would be their last time together.
Marcus may not want to admit it, but Chloe was a realist. Nothing more could come from this relationship. If one could call this fling a relationship. She’d never done the couple thing before, but what she shared with Marcus, well, she didn’t know if she could even label what they had.
With easy movements, he eased her to the bed until the back of her knees bumped the soft comforter. Those hands she’d come to crave on her body took the hem of her shirt, pulled it over her head and tossed unwanted garment aside.
His lips found her mouth once again but didn’t linger long. He made his way from her jaw line to her neck to her shoulder and finally, finally to her aching breasts. In an automatic response to his hot, searing kisses, Chloe arched her back, ready to give him more. His tongue flicked her nipple while his hands roamed down, dipping in at her waist, then moving around to grab her behind.
“Chloe.”
“Shh.” She silenced him as she reached for the button of his jeans. “Just feel.”
Within seconds, denim, cotton and silk lay in a discarded pile at their feet. With her hands on Marcus’s bare, sculpted shoulders, she eased him back onto the bed, directly on top of her.
The cool comforter at her back was quite a contrast from the hot body covering her. She knew how well they fit, not only in bed, but in life. She couldn’t think of that now, not when they were so close to the end.
Chloe allowed the sensuality of the moment to overtake her. Marcus worshiped her body as she lay there, unable to speak or to think of anything besides what his talented hands and mouth were doing to her, in her.
He worked his way up and down her bare, sweaty skin, making sure to pay attention to each and every erogenous zone—and she had many. Nearly every part of her was an erogenous zone when he touched her.
And at that moment, Chloe knew he’d ruined her for anyone else who might come into her life.
After what seemed like hours of pleasure and multiple orgasms, Marcus headed to the attached bath to rinse off in the shower. Before he returned, Chloe snatched her clothing from the floor, needing to remove herself from the room, the man. The life she could never have.
Back in her own room, gazing out the French doors onto the balcony, she tried not to dwell on the wonderful weeks she’d spent at the cozy B&B in the hills of Ohio. She had some wonderful memories to take home with her. Memories that would have to last a lifetime, through the sleepless nights, through the lonely times.
“Are you okay?”
Marcus’s voice startled her. She turned to see the sexy, freshly showered man leaning against the door jam.
“Fine.”
His brows creased. “Why did you leave my room?”
She had to keep this light, especially after the tender moment they’d just shared. “I just wanted to give you some time alone to finish packing or whatever you need to do.”
“Are you sure that’s all?” He stepped into the room, coming to stand within inched of her. “Nothing else is on your mind?”
She smacked her lips to his and patted his cheek. “Not a thing. I’ll be downstairs if you need me.”
“Wait,” he called as she walked to the door. “Where will you go after today?”
Chloe shrugged. “I’ll leave my address and phone number. If you want this relationship to go on, knowing I’m incapable of the love you deserve, that’s up to you. I don’t want to hold you back, so after I leave, the next move will be up to you. If I don’t hear from you, I’ll know you’ve moved on.”
“I want to move on with you,” he insisted.
“Then I’ll look forward to hearing from you.”
Without another word, Chloe left his room.
****
Marcus watched Chloe walk away, leaving him to his heartache. He hoped she was telling the truth. T
here would be no way he could bear losing the house and her all in the same day. Hell, he didn’t want to ever lose her.
Hadn’t she felt something just moments ago? They’d shared more than a quick romp in the sack. He’d felt a connection, and he knew she felt it, too, or she wouldn’t be so casual now. What had transpired in his room had scared the hell out of her.
When doorbell rang, pulling Marcus from his thoughts, he trotted down the stairs. The new owners were early for picking up the key. He really didn’t want to be here when they started moving their stuff in. Even he wasn’t strong enough to witness that.
He flung open the door and blinked. Chloe stood on the other side with her Louis Vuitton suitcase in hand.
“Did I have the door locked?”
“No.” Chloe put the suitcase down at her feet and extended her hand, palm up. “I’m C.A. Incorporated. I believe I’m supposed to pick up a set of keys for my new home.”
What the hell? Marcus stared at her, dumbfounded. “Chloe, this isn’t a time for jokes. The new owners will be here shortly.”
She lowered her hand. “Marcus, I am the new owner. C.A. Incorporated. Who do you think the C.A. is?”
Son of a bitch. Chloe Adkins. C.A. “What is going on?”
Chloe stepped into the foyer, forcing him to take a step back. “When my parents died a month ago, I inherited their assets, which include all their companies. They named a company after me while I was still little...another way of buying my affection.”
“Go on,” Marcus said as he began to see the picture.
“Their attorney called me two weeks ago and told me I had all this money and I needed to invest it, I decided it was fate that landed me here.”
“I see.”
“I don’t think I could make a better investment than to own a Bed and Breakfast run by the sexiest man I know. Besides, I’ve also fallen in love with this house.”
“So let me get this straight.” Marcus staggered the staircase to have a seat on the bottom step. “You own this house, and you’re going to live here?”
“Well, I own this house, but so do you. I had the lawyer draw up a partnership. The debt is paid, so the house is still yours, but I own half of the business. And I want to live here, but only if you do. I still have a home, but it’s too big and too stuffy for me. I’ll be selling it soon. So, I can either live here or I can look for another place to live. But either way, this is part my house.”
Marcus rested his elbows on his knees and blew out a breath. Was this really happening? Did he dare to believe? Was she saying she wanted to live here...with him? She didn’t seem to be in any hurry to tell him. “Come here.”
Once she was seated beside him on the narrow step, he reached for her hand. “I’ll agree to us living here on one condition.”
Her hand tensed in his, and her eyes went wide. “You’ll marry me.”
Chloe jumped off the step and stood before him, hands on her hips. “Are you out of your mind? We hardly know each other. I can’t marry you.”
“Then you can’t live here.”
“Marcus, be serious. You have to think this through. We can’t just get married.”
“Why not?”
“Because I don’t love you.”
To some that comment might have hurt, but Marcus knew she only said it out of fear. “Yes, you do.”
She shook her head vehemently. “No, I don’t. I’ve never loved anybody, Marcus. Believe me, I don’t like breaking your heart, but I have to be honest. I’m not capable of the kind of love you refer to. I know your parents had something special and that’s what you want. You deserve to be happy with someone who loves you like you deserve.”
As he listened to her excuses, he realized one thing. He was losing her. She was turning her back on something she hadn’t even given a chance. Begging might stop her, but he didn’t want a woman he had to beg. All he could do was hope she came to the conclusion, sooner rather than later, that she did indeed love him.
“Chloe.” He softened his tone, when he really wanted to yell and shake some sense into her. “If you want to go, then go. I can’t stop you. You know where I’ll be if you decide to come back, but bear in mind, I can’t wait forever for you.”
Now that was a lie. Who wouldn’t wait forever for the love of their life?
“I don’t expect you to wait, Marcus. I want you to be happy, that’s why I paid off the debt to the bank. I thought about buying the house outright, but I knew how special it was to you, Sara and Luke. I believe in fate, and I know I was meant to land on your doorstep at this particular point in our lives.”
A flutter of hope settled into his chest. If she knew they were supposed to meet, then surely she would come to realize how deep their relationship was.
Chloe laid a hand on his cheek and smiled. “I’ll leave today. I think it’s best for both of us if we move onto the next phase of our lives. I don’t regret a moment I’ve spent with you or your family.”
“That’s it?” Marcus couldn’t keep the anger from his voice another second. He grabbed her wrist, pulled her hand from his face. “Thanks for the sex, here’s your debt free home, I’m outta here? You’re a coward.”
Chloe flinched, jerking her hand from his grasp. “I’m not a coward. If you don’t appreciate everything I did, that’s your problem. I thought I was helping out my new friends.”
“Friends,” he spat. “Do you think I want to be your friend? I love you.” He ran a hand through his mussed hair. “You’ll never know how much I appreciate you helping my family at the worst time in our lives, but I won’t have you act like it was a thank you gift.”
“That’s not at all why I did it,” she corrected. “I couldn’t stand to see this house you all love so much go to strangers. I don’t care what you think of me or my motives, but I had money sitting around that I didn’t want, and you needed it. I thought it was a win-win situation.”
“Really, Chloe?” Marcus took a step back, placed his hands on his hips so he wouldn’t reach out and grab her, plead with her to stay. “Who won? You or me?”
Tears welled up in her eyes, and she opened her mouth to speak, but turned and ran up the stairs.
Marcus wanted to put his fist through the floral-papered wall. “Damn!”
He should’ve known from the start this “relationship” would end badly. They were from two very different walks of life.
Even still, he loved her like he hadn’t known possible, and the ache in his heart would only be filled if she realized on her own she felt the same.
Chapter Eleven
Chloe dropped her napkin onto the white, silk tablecloth that decorated the long, narrow dining table. The room seemed so big, so informal, yet she felt swallowed up.
Memories of her dinner with Marcus, Sara and Luke drifted through her mind. Their dining room had been a fourth the size of this one, and yet she’d felt so free, so welcome.
Pushing away from the table, she also pushed the tear-jerking memories from her mind.
She’d made her decision, the only decision she knew to make. This was the right move. If she’d stayed, yes, she and Marcus would continue to burn up the sheets, but what else could they build on? Love wasn’t an option, so where would that leave them ten years down the road?
Chloe put her dishes in the sink before Lydia could collect them. She glanced out the patio doors leading to the pool and flower gardens. Tom, the gardener, was busy weeding the beds near the pool, careful not to get any unwanted weeds on the freshly cut grass.
As she watched Tom, she didn’t see an elderly gentleman with silver hair. She saw a well-built, thirty-something man who cared for his parent’s home with as much tenderness and care as he showed his siblings. And her.
An ache settled deep in her chest. Actually, the ache had begun the second she drove from the Delaney’s drive, but now the pain had grown roots and Chloe knew it wouldn’t be going anywhere anytime soon...if ever.
Because she needed something to do be
fore she drove herself mad over memories that should remain in the past, Chloe gathered up her suitcases she’d left in the foyer earlier and headed up the grand staircase to her bedroom.
The cold, empty house seemed even more cold and empty.
Did she really believe she could come back to this mausoleum of a home and feel anything remotely like what she had at the B & B?
Nothing was ever out of place in this establishment her parents had called a house, no sign of life existed within this structure. No shoes by the front door, no utility statements lying on the kitchen counter, even the televisions were kept behind closed armoires.
That damn ache increased. She would have to sell this house and get something more...cozy, livable. She wanted a place she could be comfortable in, leave a mess unattended if she so desired. Toss some throw pillows on the floor and watch a movie. Have pretty wallpaper and fresh floral arrangements on the kitchen table.
Chloe sighed. She wanted a house like the one she’d just left—the one she owned half of. She wanted the big, wrap-around porch with wicker rocking chairs and a porch swing swaying in the breeze. She wanted to have nicks in the banister leading up the steps. She wanted signs of life in her home. Warmth, laughter...love.
Chloe stilled. Love. Perhaps she was capable of feeling such an unknown emotion. Her hand fell from the marble newel post of the winding staircase, and her heart tapped heavily against her chest. With determined hands, Chloe gripped her luggage in one hand, pulled her keys from her pocket with the other and dashed out the door.
She already had her dream home, her dream man and her dream life. She didn’t need anything else.
****
Marcus pulled the crisp, white sheets from the dryer, and since no one was around to see him, he held them to his face and inhaled. Even through a washing, they still smelled of Chloe. Her jasmine scent had mocked him all through the house since she left yesterday evening.
He had to force himself to go into her room and clean it for the next guests arriving in two days. The sooner he got the room ready, the sooner he could start putting her out of his mind.
Yeah, like that would ever happen.
