Reasons to Stay

by Lisa J. Hobman

  Chapter Sixteen

  Mollie had been trying to convince Stevie for ages to agree to a blind date with her brother, Marcus. The story was that his divorce had only recently been finalised, and he was ready to get back in the dating game. He was a lawyer and quite shy from what Mollie had told her. He had apparently returned home from working late one day and found his wife in bed with their male nanny. The divorce had been rather fast, thanks to his connections, and he had felt it was important to put it all behind him and move on.

  Mollie had already made it abundantly clear she would love nothing more than for Marcus and Stevie to end up together living their happily ever after in his flashy London town house. Of course he already had a four-year-old son and was paying his wife child support and an allowance to enable her to live rent free in a lovely apartment in Kensington. The whole thing rang alarm bells for Stevie. But Mollie was a good friend, and Stevie figured Mollie wouldn’t steer her wrong.

  So after more cajoling from Mollie, it was set. Marcus Sumner would take Stevie to dinner at Little Italy, the best Italian restaurant in the area. He would pick her up at seven on Friday evening. Great.

  So another Friday evening rolled around rather too speedily. Rowdy was safely ensconced in the home of her neighbour, Joe, as she felt that being attacked and pinned to the wall on their first date might be a deal breaker for Marcus. Stevie stood in front of her full-length mirror, trying to tame her auburn tresses into a tidy chignon. Eventually, once every strand had co-operated, Stevie stepped into her little black dress and picked up her clutch and jacket. She slipped on her favourite purple stilettos and made her way downstairs to the lounge.

  There was a knock on the door, right on time, and with more than a little trepidation, she opened it with a smile.

  Marcus looked very handsome. He wore a black suit and oddly enough a purple tie that matched her shoes and accessories perfectly. Okay…is this fate’s way of telling me something? He smiled and revealed a perfect set of white teeth. Not fake white. Just normal, clean, and fresh white. His hair was cropped short, styled neatly, and his eyes sparkled in the light coming from her hallway. There was no doubt about it. He was attractive in a clean cut, smoothly shaven kind of way. Different to Jason. But attractive all the same.

  ‘Hi, Stevie. Are you ready to go?’ His voice was deep and he was very well spoken.

  ‘H-hi Marcus. Yes, I’m ready.’

  ‘Great…shall we?’ He gestured towards his car. His very nice…sporty…new…black Mercedes. Gulp. He waited for her to step out of her door and lock it before placing his hand at the small of her back and escorting her to the waiting vehicle. He was probably around the same height as Jason. Not quite as broad, but it was clear that he looked after himself simply from the hang of what she presumed was a tailor made suit. He held the car door open for her to climb in. Once he was behind the driver’s seat, she could rake her eyes over him whilst he watched the road. His seat was pushed back to accommodate his long, lean legs, and his wrist sported the very latest designer watch.

  ‘So, how much hassle have you been getting from my kid sister about meeting me?’ he asked after a few moments silence.

  She felt the heat rise from her chest to her cheeks. ‘Oh, quite a lot actually. Has she been the same with you?’

  He cringed. ‘I have a little, tiny, teeny confession to make.’

  ‘Oh? Go on.’ She was intrigued now.

  He glanced at her briefly and then back to the road. He was biting his lip. ‘I actually was the one who asked her to do the hassling.’

  She pulled her brows in. ‘Sorry? What do you mean?’

  ‘I saw you when I was out with Mollie awhile after Sian and I had split, and you were out with another man. She pointed you out, and I asked if the man was your boyfriend. She told me he was Darren or…or Dean or something and that he was a friend of yours from work but that you weren’t seeing anyone. To cut a long story short, I…oh God this makes me sound like such an idiot…I found you incredibly attractive and begged her to set me up with you.’

  Stevie was stunned at hearing this confession but smiled nonetheless. ‘Oh, that’s really sweet.’ She felt herself blush again and was thankful that the interior of the car was dark enough to hide her crimson hue from Marcus.

  He glanced over at her again. ‘So you don’t want me to turn around and take you back home?’

  ‘No, you’re fine to take me to dinner. I should at least get a meal out of the situation.’

  He laughed heartily, and she couldn’t help joining in. She liked him immediately. Mollie may have been right. Perhaps this is what she needed.

  The restaurant was busy, but conversations were at a low hush. The intimate setting oozed romance, and the subdued lighting was the kind that made her feel sexy. Marcus pulled out her chair and sat opposite her where she could fully take in his features. His nose was aquiline, and his eyes were a deep, dark blue. She wasn’t sure if it was the lighting or if they were naturally so dark.

  ‘So Mollie tells me you’re divorced.’ As soon as the words had left his mouth, he clamped it shut and closed his eyes. ‘Oh great. You can tell I haven’t dated in a while. Next I’ll be asking you when was the last time you had a root canal treatment.’

  Stevie sniggered. ‘It’s fine. Please don’t worry. And yes, I’m divorced. It’s been around a year now. We stayed friends for a while, but it wasn’t helping him move on.’

  ‘I see. So it was you who ended things?’

  Stevie nodded. ‘If I’m completely honest, I should never have married him. I wasn’t in love with him. I cared deeply for him, but…oh I won’t bore you with the details.’ She waved her hand in a dismissive gesture.

  ‘I’m sure you’re very much aware that my beloved wife couldn’t keep her hands off our twenty-five-year old male nanny.’

  Stevie cringed. ‘Yes, Mollie did mention that. How awful.’

  Marcus laughed dryly. ‘I should’ve expected it. It wasn’t the first time she’d been unfaithful. I forgave her the first time because we were young, but there’s only so many times a man can be made to feel inadequate I guess. I ended things then and there. The stupid thing is she wasn’t even upset. Jaiden, the manny, was only interested in her money and dumped her as soon as I did. She’s alone now with our four-year-old son. If my job wasn’t so hectic, I would sue for full custody but…’

  Silence descended on the two new friends for a few moments, and Stevie began to feel uncomfortable. Suddenly, Marcus exhaled noisily and began to speak again.

  ‘Okay, I’ve ruined this, haven’t I? I’m so sorry. I think I’m still very bitter about the whole thing. I shouldn’t be dragging you down with me.’

  She felt sorry for him and reached for his arm. ‘No…no it’s understandable that you feel that way. Look, whilst we’re being honest, I should show you the same courtesy. I’m kind of getting over someone. It’s a very long story, and I won’t bore you with the details but—’

  ‘Would that be Jason?’

  Stevie gawped at the man. Okay, Mollie has really given him the low down. ‘Erm…yes, it would. How much do you know?’ She narrowed her eyes.

  ‘He was your first love, and I know what that’s like. He left you…you accidentally found him again on a school trip. You had a brief relationship but neither of you wanted to relocate, and you don’t like doing the long distance thing, so you ended it.’ Marcus smiled. ‘She pretty much told me the whole thing. I hope you’re not upset with her. She wanted me to know what I was letting myself in for. I told her it was worth it.’ His eyes locked on hers, and she gulped.

  ‘Oookay then. Well, this is not awkward at all.’ Her cheeks heated, and she felt sure she must be lit up like a Belisha beacon.

  ‘No, Stevie, please don’t feel awkward. I understand that your heart is currently stuck in limbo, but…and I don’t want to come across all Miles when I say this but…I would like to see if things could be different for us. I find you incredibly attractive. I thin
k maybe you find me attractive too.’ He held his hands up. ‘And I don’t mean that to sound as arrogant as it no doubt does, but I could tell from your reaction when you opened the door. And I really do like you too. You seem warm and funny, and I’d love a chance to get to know you better.’

  For some reason unbeknownst to herself, Stevie felt overcome with emotion and her eyes began to sting. Don’t cry you idiot. Don’t you dare cry. ‘Gosh you know more about Miles than I thought too. I…I don’t know what to say, Marcus.’

  He leaned forward and took her hand across the table. ‘Just give me a chance. I promise I won’t expect things of you. We go at your pace. And if you don’t fall for me, you get another male friend who secretly fancies the pants off you.’ His smile widened, and she couldn’t help smiling back.

  Her thoughts flicked to Jason. He still held her heart, and that would take some getting over. But maybe…just maybe she could begin to let go of the hope that he would somehow turn up and tell her he had changed his mind about London. And perhaps the handsome, tall sweet man before her could be the one to help loosen Jason’s hold over her.

  Just maybe.

  ‘I know this is only our first date, and maybe it’s been a little unorthodox in the way we’ve talked about our baggage, but if I promise to leave my baggage in a dumpster somewhere and focus on us. Do you think you could give me a chance?’ He gazed at her with pleading eyes and squeezed her hand.

  ‘I…I can’t make any promises to you, Marcus.’

  ‘Hey, who can? When anyone starts a relationship, there’s always the chance that it won’t work out, but at least if you are willing to try…’ His words trailed off as if he was feeling they were a waste of breath.

  ‘I am. I’m willing to try.’ She nodded as if to affirm her answer. Marcus smiled widely. His dark eyes lit up with an obvious happiness that surprised Stevie. He must really like me. Like…really, really like me.

  The rest of their date was filled with chatter about their likes and dislikes. They had different tastes in music and film, but Stevie decided that would only give them more to talk about. At the end of the night, they pulled up outside Stevie’s house, and for the first time in a long while, she was filled with something akin to hope.

  ‘Would you like to come in for coffee?’ she asked, hoping that it wasn’t a mistake.

  ‘Ah…no. As much as I want to, I won’t this time. I think maybe you and I need to process everything that’s happened tonight, and if I’m honest…if I come in…’ He bit his lip and turned away.

  She twisted towards him. ‘What? If you come in what?’

  He removed his seatbelt and turned to face her. His voice was low and incredibly sexy. ‘I think what we’ve established tonight is that we’re both a little broken. We need to take this slow for both our sakes, and if I come in with you, I’m going to want to kiss you. If I kiss you in the privacy of your home, I’m not going to want to stop.’ He leaned forward and caressed her cheek, making her heart race. ‘I’m going to want to undress you and touch you…and make love to you.’ He closed his eyes for a moment and inhaled deeply. ‘Okay, that may have been a little too honest.’

  Stevie gulped as she felt desire pool deep in her belly. She cleared her throat, but her voice still came out as a whisper. ‘Oh, I see. And no…no, it wasn’t too honest. I think…I think it was the right amount of honest, and I think maybe if you did come in, I’d want those things too. So maybe tonight I just say goodnight and walk away.’

  ‘But we’ll see each other again?’

  She smiled. ‘Y-yes. I’d like that.’

  He leaned towards her until his lips almost touched hers. She could feel his warm breath feathering over her mouth. ‘May I kiss you goodnight?’

  ‘I…I think that would be acceptable.’

  She saw the smile play on his lips before they connected with hers in a slow, languorous kiss. His lips were soft but firm as his mouth glided over her tenderly. Thoughts of Jason clouded her mind and she suppressed a moan that was building within her and slipped her hand into his hair as her fantasy took her elsewhere. As she did so, his tongue sought entry to her mouth and she let him in, his hand still gently cupping her cheek.

  When the kiss ended, she fluttered her eyes open and gazed, not into the eyes of Jason but into those of Marcus, which were now ablaze with lust. Her breathing was a little faster, and she was tingling in places that begged for his touch. Or was it Jason's touch? She pulled her bottom lip into her mouth suddenly overcome with a sense of grief at Jason's absence.

  Marcus swallowed hard, his eyes now focused on her mouth. ‘I think you’d better go now before I lose my resolve and change my mind.’ His husky whisper made her stomach clench.

  She nodded slowly. ‘Goodnight, Marcus.’

  ‘Goodnight, Stevie.’

  She exited the car and walked on wobbly legs to the front door, turning to raise her hand in a wave as he watched her go inside. Only when she closed the door on the night did she hear him drive away. Leaning her back on the door, she allowed herself to slide to the floor. Her mind went immediately to the place she didn’t want to venture. She suddenly felt guilty. As if she’d somehow been unfaithful to Jason. It was a kiss for goodness sake, Stevie. Get a grip! That’s all it was…just a kiss. A hot, sensual kiss, fair enough, but it was Jason who had invaded her mind and he wasn't even here. And she didn’t belong to him.

  Feeling a little overheated after her passionate exchange with Marcus, she decided a soothing shower and bed would be the best thing. It was getting late, and she had preparations to make over the weekend for the Head of Science interviews taking place the following week.

  Once showered and dried off, she slipped into a pair of old comfortable pyjamas and climbed into bed. She rested her head back, closed her eyes, and allowed her mind to wander back to her date with Marcus. More to the point, to the kiss they had shared. The man could certainly kiss. But his kisses took her mind somewhere she couldn't be. He had nice hands. But they weren't Jason's hands. His touch could bring her all manner of pleasures. Stop it! God woman, you’re so bloody sex starved you’re getting obsessed! She chastised herself. Taking a deep, calming breath, she did her best to relax and eventually sleep took her…

  She looked around and realised she had somehow ended up back in the shower. A little confused, she fumbled around her brain trying to remember getting out and actually going to bed. She was sure she had, but maybe she’d been daydreaming. Could that be it?

  Out of nowhere, warm hands slipped around her stomach from behind, making her gasp in surprise. She looked down at the hands but didn’t recognise them. Long fingers caressed her skin, and a mouth began to kiss her neck. She arched, allowing whomever it was to continue their ministrations, seeing as it felt so damn good. A tongue joined in and licked a trail from her shoulder to just below her ear, and a shiver travelled the length of her relaxing spine. She turned around and found herself looking into hooded, deep blue eyes. Blue eyes? She opened her mouth to ask, ‘What the hell are you doing in my shower?’ but before she could utter a word, Marcus’ mouth was on hers, drawing the breath from her body in a luscious, wet, deep kiss. His tongue laved at her mouth, and her hands involuntarily scratched at the smattering of hair on his toned chest, eliciting a deep groan from within him.

  Suddenly, she was turned around again to face the tiles, and Marcus’ hands were all over her body, slipping and sliding as the soapy water cascaded downwards. His fingers toyed with her breasts and tugged at her nipples until they stood to attention, aching for more. He released one breast in favour of sliding his hand down her body. His long fingers sliding into her dampness and massaging her most sensitive place. She moaned and writhed against him and was on the brink when he entered her, making her yelp with shock. This is a little strange and forward for our first time, her mind was telling her. But her body was too involved in the overwhelming sensations to react. She could feel the tension building and then a voice from behind her spoke… ‘St
evie, I want to hear you call my name. You have all of me. Now give me something of you.’

  Oh my God! Jason! It was Jason’s voice. Filled with confusion, she turned her face and raked her eyes up a tattooed bicep and ended up locked onto a dark chocolate brown gaze. ‘Come for me, Stevie…give in…give me this much.’ Jason’s voice was filled with desperation. She shuddered and called his name as her orgasm ripped through her body.

  Woken by her own voice calling out, her eyes snapped open, and she looked around frantically, feeling completely disoriented. Her body thrummed, and her breathing was a set of erratic inhales and exhales punctuating the silence of the room. Realising she was in her own bed, tangled in her own sheets, completely alone, brought her back to earth with a mentally resounding thud. She rubbed her hands over her face as she tried to make sense of the highly erotic dream. She had begun by dreaming about the potentially new man in her life only to end it in the throes of a mind shattering orgasm at the hands and body of the man she gave up. It made sense when she thought about it.

  Guilt was a major player here.

  Glancing at the clock, she realised it was still very early morning. Shit! She rolled over once again and tried to clear her mind, but the fact was that it was buzzing in the wake of an incredible sex dream, and so she knew that her attempts at relaxation were futile. After around half an hour, she grabbed the novel from her nightstand and began reading. Ironically, the story was about a love triangle, and that fact didn’t help matters, so she eventually gave up, deciding that she would go and make coffee instead.

  As she stood in the kitchen waiting for the kettle to boil, she went over and over the dream. She was attracted to Marcus. There was no doubt about that. But Jason wasn’t vacating her mind any time soon, so it would seem. But it wasn’t her mind she was bothered about. It was the overwhelming sense of love that filled her heart when she had orgasmed that was most disconcerting.