Love Dies Hard 4 - Book 4 (Billionaire Romance Series) (Hard to Love)

by Cartwright, C. C.

  “I better at least look through the peep hole.” When I do, it’s Sophie Shawn I see. It can’t possibly be her, I think, as I open the door. Then there she is, smiling her beautiful smile at me.

  “Sophie,” I say in disbelief, just as I hear Camille calling out to me from inside my flat. Shit. My heart sinks as I see Sophie’s expression change from happiness to sadness. Her smile vanishes and I can tell she is about to bolt.

  “I understand Marcus. Goodnight,” she says curtly, turning to leave. I don’t blame her, who would want to stick around. I can’t believe she’s here, I need to touch her to know she’s not a ghost or a figment of my imagination. I catch up to her in the hall and hold her in my hands.

  “Go to the Savoy,” I find myself managing to think quickly on my feet, “I will come to you.” I need to extricate myself from Camille as soon as possible. When I walk back inside my flat, Camille is no longer in the living room. I go in search of her and find her waiting for me, naked in my bed. This will prove more difficult than I imagined, I run my hands through my hair. My briefs are feeling tighter and tighter by the minute. Camille is so very tempting. Her long brown hair is cascading down her shoulders and she lets the sheets fall away, exposing her more than ample chest. Should I have a quick taste and torture Sophie for a little while longer, make her wait for me? The girl who holds my heart in her precious hands just left and I have this Camille, who means nothing to me, offering herself to me on a silver platter. I need to get to Sophie, see what she flew across the ocean to tell me.

  “Camille, you need to get dressed, I need to take you home now.”

  “Come on Marcus, I’m waiting for you to crawl in bed with me,” she says seductively, drawing back the covers.

  “I’m sorry Camille, something’s come up. I need to leave.” I walk into the living room and find my shirt. She better be getting dressed. I pace in the living room until she comes out of my bedroom dressed and looking extremely put out. Her ego is bruised because Marcus Hunter turned down her offer.

  “What could be so important on a Saturday night, is it work related?” Camille questions me in the car.

  “It’s personal,” I clip out.

  “Is it a woman?” she continues to pry. I don’t answer her, I just continue to drive as fast as possible. I need to get to Sophie, she’s come to me, I still can’t believe it.

  *****

  When I called the hotel earlier this evening I was lucky our suite was available. I get off the elevator at the top floor and knock softly on the door. My heart is pounding in anticipation. She opens the door and all she has on is a red silk robe, which clings to her every curve, her chest is barely covered. The angry, stubborn and defiant girl is gone. What happened to her?

  “Hi Marcus, won’t you come in, she says sultrily, opening the door wide, beckoning me in. She has an almost angelic smile on her face, she’s not angry about Camille, but I guess why should she be. Once I follow her into the suite and we’re standing in the elegant sitting room filled with Edwardian period furnishings, I take her left hand in mine and stare pointedly at her ring finger. To my great relief it’s bare, no ring. My eyes go from her hand to her face and our eyes lock searchingly. We’re looking into each other’s soul. I don’t say anything and wait with baited breath for her to speak first, tell me why she’s here. I’m going to let her do the talking first.

  “I broke off my engagement. I realized you’re the one I love. I’m tired of us having only ‘one last night’ together. I want to be in your bed with you every night. I’m sorry if my words scare you, but I have to say what I feel now. Put it all out there so that I will have no more regrets, so I will know I gave it my all, said it all. You can tell me to go to hell if you want to, but at least I can go there knowing I expressed my love to you. If you’ve moved on and want to throw it all back in my face I wouldn’t bl…..” My lips take hers in a scorching kiss, stifling her midsentence before she could finish the assault of her words of love on me. No more words are spoken and my heart soars knowing she loves me. I undo the belt of her robe and push it over her shoulders and it drops to the ground, exposing her delicious curves. I cup her breasts and lightly squeeze them, rolling her sensitive nipples between my fingers.

  “I love you and only you,” I murmur. I pick her up and toss her down on the bed. Then I strip myself bare in three seconds flat.

  I keep my eyes on hers as I thrust inside her. I want to see her emotions. For the first time she loves me without barriers, her guard is down. For the first time she let’s me see everything she’s feeling, and what we both are feeling is our undeniable love for each other. She is finally willing to accept my love and give her love to me. It’s a beautiful moment for us, an amazing moment. It took us months of heartache and pain to get to this place of total bliss.

  “I love you,” she whispers, and I know it’s coming from her heart.

  This is not our last night.

  It’s our first of many nights together.

  Chapter 7

  Sophie

  Last night was like a dream, being in Marcus’s arms again, him loving me like only he can. We are out to dinner tonight at an incredibly romantic restaurant in Chelsea.

  “Do you know how lovely you are?” Marcus says softly to me across our intimate table for two. He makes me blush. Can you believe it’s these words that make me blush and not those naughty things he says to me in the heat of passion? I just offer him a small smile as I gaze into his eyes across the candlelit table. Just being in London with Marcus makes me happier than I have ever been in my entire life. This city and Marcus have captivated me. I love being here with him. It scares me how much I love it. I’m afraid it won’t last, but that’s the big risk I knew walking into this. I need to seize and enjoy my blissful time with my playboy, because who knows when he will tire of me. Can you tell my insecurities are showing? This is why I never wanted to let my guard down with him. Now that he knows he has me, has my heart, where is the challenge for the player now? For a player like him, I can’t imagine this will last forever. He doesn’t have it in him, I don’t even know if I have it in me. But what I do know is that I absolutely love being with him in and out of the bedroom. I intend to enjoy each and every night with him as if it our last.

  “What are you thinking?” he asks thoughtfully. My thoughts must show on my face.

  “How much this city has captivated me, I love being here with you.” I’m putting my feelings and emotions out there this time so I will have no regrets. Let’s see if he can handle it and if it doesn’t send him running, I’m testing him. If we don’t last, it will be because of Marcus. I’m all in this time around, I sure hope my heart can take whatever he dishes out, the good, the bad and the ugly, like I saw happen to Jade Johannson. I suppose when it comes to affairs of the heart there is always a risk, let’s see if I have the heart.

  “I love you,” he whispers, stroking my hand.

  “I love you too.” I can’t believe I say it so easily to him now. I’m still getting used to expressing it to him, admitting it out loud to him and even to myself feels so foreign. Quite honestly, sometimes I wonder if I even have a heart.

  Once we get back to his flat, he kisses me with so much passion, so much feeling, he literally sweeps me off my feet.

  “I can’t tell you how happy I am that you came back to me, so I’m going to show you.” A wicked smile plays across his luscious lips and he takes my hand and kisses it, then leads me into his bedroom. I can’t help but wonder how many other women he has led into his bedroom since he has been here in London.

  “Marcus?”

  “Yes babe,” he says, drawing me in close to his hard body. We are standing at the edge of his bed and he starts to undress me as he nibbles on my neck.

  “How many other women have you brought in here?” He pierces me with his eyes and holds my face in his hands.

  “I love you and only you,” he replies.

  “Did you sleep with that girl who’s voice I hea
rd here last night?” I whisper. His eyes drop to my lips and I know the answer without him saying a word. I feel like someone has punched me in the gut. Why did I have to go and ask? All I was doing was hurting myself. I search his face.

  “I don’t want Camille. I want you and that’s all you need to know. Don’t ask me any more questions. No more talking, I just want you to feel.” And feel I do, every inch of him, all night. We are making up for lost time.

  Chapter 8

  Marcus

  The night Sophie showed up at my door I thought I was dreaming. How many times I had replayed a reunion for us in my mind, I never really thought it would ever become a reality, but Sophie made it a reality for us. My girl came through and followed her heart. I knew deep down inside that she loved me, I could feel it every single time we made love, even though she would never admit it.

  I couldn’t get to her fast enough, after she checked into the Savoy. Then when she told me she loved me, I can’t tell you how it filled my heart with warmth, after it had been cold for too long. I have never felt this way about a woman before, I need her like I need air.

  We stayed in bed all day on Sunday, we were busy making up for lost time. We only got out of bed to have breakfast, which we ate in our suite.

  I did take her out to a nice romantic dinner, to celebrate our blissful reunion. My Sophie was glowing over dinner, she looked so beautiful. I still can’t believe what a great place we are at right now. I go into the office and work a half day so I can spend the rest of the day with Sophie before she flies back to Los Angeles.

  *****

  “Dad, when can I come back to LA? I think the London office can take care of itself now. And to be honest, I want to come back to Sophie Shawn.”

  “Oh, I thought I had heard she was getting married?”

  “Well, she showed up at my door and told me she broke off her engagement. We’re going to see if we can make it work.” My words are met with a long silence from the old man. “Are you there, Dad?”

  “Yes, yes I’m here.”

  “Look Dad, Sophie is not another Jade. I love Sophie, she’s it for me.”

  “I must say, that’s a surprise, coming from you Son. How does she feel? The last time she was in my office giving me her notice she told me your ‘relationship’ wasn’t right for either of you. She acted like she had moved on.”

  “Really, you never told me?” His comment knocks the wind out of me.

  “She did defend you when I apologized for your actions.”

  “What is that supposed to mean?” I don’t like the way this conversation is heading.

  “I apologized for you using her for your pleasure.”

  “You’re kidding me, right Dad?”

  “No, I’m not. Son you have embarrassed me one too many times with your playboy ways and I simply made apologies for you to Sophie because she seems like a nice girl. She baffled me and actually gained my respect when she said you had never acted inappropriately towards her. Which I must say left me wondering, you would be lucky to have that young lady,” my dad states.

  “So now you have come around?” Now I am the baffled one.

  “Sophie Shawn is a classy and smart young lady with a good head on her shoulders. Did she break off her engagement for you Son?”

  “Yes. She loves me.” God it feels good to be able to say that.

  “Don’t hurt her Marcus,” my father warns.

  “I don’t intend to.” I’m shocked by my father’s admission of their conversation and how he feels towards my Sophie now. He and my mother were so against her, they thought she was a gold digger and sleeping with me for my money, which couldn’t be farther from the truth. “So when can I come back to my office?”

  “Do you feel confident that John Holden can run things smoothly from here on out?”

  “Yes, yes I do.”

  “Then come home when you decide to wrap things up there. Give your notice to your landlord on your flat. Your office is here waiting for you, besides your mother does miss you.”

  “Great, I should be able to move back within the month then. Thanks Dad.” I’m ecstatic to be relieved of my duties here. It can be so tough being a Hunter and living up to my father’s high expectations.

  “Marcus, you have done a good job of overseeing the London office. I’m proud of you,” my Dad says in all sincerity.

  “Thanks Dad,” I gloat at his words of praise. To my great relief our conversation went way better than I could have ever imagined. The things Sophie said I do find disturbing, but I trust she doesn’t feel that way anymore, right?

  Chapter 9

  Sophie

  Marcus went into work this morning and says he will be coming to the hotel at lunch. I am sore today from all of our sexy time since I arrived. I take a long luxurious bath in the sunken bathtub. I replay our passionate reunion in my mind, so thankful that I was not too late, although I can’t help wondering if this girl Camille means anything to Marcus.

  Marcus comes to the hotel to pick me up and takes me to Harrods for lunch. I love Harrods. We decide to have Gourmet Pizza at the restaurant in the grandiose landmark department store.

  “You need to give your two week notice as soon as you get back to Los Angeles.” Marcus tells me, rather than asking me if that’s what I want to do.

  “Hold on, I hadn’t really thought about it yet. But I do know I’m not ready to give notice to Bristol. I will continue to work there for now,” I reply calmly.

  “You can’t continue to work there,” Marcus says firmly.

  “Marcus, you know no one tells me what to do. Especially when it comes to my career. I will continue to make my own decisions like I always have,” I state firmly right back at him. How dare he try and tell me what to do. I don’t play that game.

  “I spoke with my father this morning about moving back to LA.”

  “How did it go?” I ask, genuinely curious about what his father has to say this time. I’m sure he wasn’t happy about it all, depending on how much Marcus told him.

  “He said I can move back home.”

  “Really, you’re done here?”

  “Yes, I feel confident that John Holden can manage from here on out. My father shared with me what was said between you two when you gave your notice.”

  “Oh, I barely remember that conversation.”

  “I appreciate you coming to my defense.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “My father said you told him I never behaved inappropriately towards you. Of course we both know that is debatable,” Marcus says with a sinfully sexy smile playing across his lips. I laugh.

  “But what I don’t think is funny is that you went on to say our relationship wasn’t right for either of us. That obviously isn’t how you feel anymore, right babe?” he asks reaching for my hand across the table. My eyes cast down to my plate, then look back into his searching eyes. I love Marcus, I need Marcus, but can I really say he’s right for me?

  “Marcus, I love you and I need you,” I sigh out breathily hoping that will pacify him and work as my answer. I squeeze his hand for good measure. Just then our waitress brings our pizzas and he is distracted from asking me anything more.

  “So when will you be making the move back home?”

  “Within the month. I told my Dad we were back together.”

  “And he still agreed to let you come home, that’s a surprise,” I remark.

  “He actually said you are a classy and smart young lady with a good head on your shoulders and that I would be lucky to have you,” Marcus says with pride in his voice. I’m stunned by his father’s words, literally stunned speechless.

  “I’m shocked.”

  “I know, I guess when you came to my defense, it impressed him. You were basically telling him that we were BOTH consenting adults and that you held no grudges or ill will towards me. Thanks babe.” He seems pleased that I stood up for him to his Dad.

  “So are you saying he ‘approves’ of us having a rela
tionship?”

  “Yes, so it seems. I for one am thrilled. I’m sure you could have your position at Hunter back in a heartbeat. It’s yours for the asking,” Marcus encourages. I know that’s what he wants me to do. But maybe it’s better if we work separately.

  “Maybe it’s best if we don’t work together,” I say in all honesty.

  “I don’t like you working at Bristol, our competitor. Especially now that we are together, it doesn’t look right.” Marcus says, determined to sway my decision. This could become a big issue for us. I don’t want to argue about it right now.

  “Let’s not make any decisions right now,” I say soothingly. His expression softens. I don’t want the rest of my time here in London to be spent arguing about this.

  “You’re right babe, what do you want to do this evening?”

  “You,” I say with a sexy smile, I can’t get enough of him and he knows it.

  “That’s the same line you gave me that first night at the bar when we were having drinks together,” Marcus says with his captivating smile. God, how I love this man.

  Chapter 10

  Marcus

  Walking into my condo tonight, fresh off my Virgin Atlantic flight, it feels good to be home. Home with Sophie, I still can’t believe we’re together and that she is mine, all mine. I am the luckiest guy on earth, just like my Father said.

  “Let’s open the back sliding glass door and let the ocean breeze in,” I say to Sophie who is putting the groceries in the refrigerator that we just picked up from the market on the way home from the airport.

  “Are you hungry? Do you want me to make us a snack?” Sophie offers. Damn, who is this sweet girl in my kitchen who is actually offering to cook me something.

  “First, let’s get in the shower together,” I say pulling her against me a placing a kiss on those luscious lips of her.