“Who does she think she is? Who was she to you?” I ask, letting my insecurities get the best of me.
“Krista Fairbanks? I love seeing you jealous,” Marcus says with a devilish grin, trying to make light of my jealousy.
“Don’t make me even madder. Was she at Harvard with you?”
“Yes,” he replies, as his eyes shift down to his glass of scotch.
“Who was she to you?”
“Why do you ask?”
“I could tell there was something between you two, she was thrilled to be on your arm.”
“Krista and I were a lifetime ago. It was nothing.”
“I see she is still single. Nothing to you, I’m sure. What about her?”
“Why does it even matter? I’m marrying you, sweetheart,” he says, nuzzling into my neck and pulling me in closer. I know he’s right, but tell that to my heart.
“Look we dated briefly when we were at Harvard. End of story.”
“Then why does she act so possessive of you, like she still knows you so intimately. When was the last time you saw her?” I ask.
He doesn’t answer me for what feels like an eternity.
“She came to London for business and looked me up when I was alone and we weren’t together,” he finally admits, adding the we weren’t together for good measure.
“Oh I see. So you have seen her fairly recently, within the last year?”
“Yes.”
This doesn’t sit well with me. My stomach is in knots and I can sense my pulse picking up, and my heart sinks to my knees. I just sit there and stare out at the ocean in the darkness, and watch the palm trees sway with the wind.
“Sophie, you have no reason to be jealous. All those women are history, I only want you.”
I don’t have anything to say, as I sit here and wallow in self-pity, paying the price for being with a player. My thoughts are obsessing over Marcus’s womanizing past and it’s eating at me. Will he really manage to stay faithful to me for as long as we both shall live? Especially someone like him who is so used to ‘variety’. I know I never felt these emotions when I was with John.
“Sophie, what are you thinking?” he asks and I don’t answer him.
“Tell me,” he commands softly.
Do I tell him, should I tell him?
“Marcus, how can someone like you, who has grown so accustomed to ‘variety’, really promise to be faithful until death do us part?” Heck, those words even scare me, now that I have said them out loud. “Forget I even asked.”
We both get quiet and gaze at the stars in a deafening silence.
“Sophie, look at me?” he says, turning my chin towards him, forcing me to look him in the eyes.
“I love you and I want you to be my wife. We’ve been through so much to finally be together,” he pleads softly.
I look at my handsome man, his eyes filled with what I believe to be sincerity, what I hope to be sincerity. I know in my heart I am still taking a huge chance with him.
“Sometimes, I’m still afraid to love you too much,” I whisper.
He moves to kiss me tenderly.
“Just know that I love you with all of my heart and only you,” he murmurs into my ear seductively. I’m addicted to his kisses; they still make my pulse race and my heart flutter.
“Let’s go to bed,” he whispers as he pulls away and stands up, taking my hand in his and leading us back into the room.
We leave the lanai doors wide open as the tropical breeze blows into our room filled with moonlight. We stop at the foot of the bed and he slides the straps of my dress down and it pools on the floor. I don’t have a bra on and he cups them gently in the palms of his hands, dipping down to take a nipple in his mouth as he gazes at me with the most seductive look on his face I moan out as my sex clenches in anticipation of his loving me.
He pulls his shirt over his head and drops his shorts onto the floor and I feast my eyes on my sexy man. I slide my hands into the waistband of his briefs and tug them off. He springs forth, hard and ready for me. I drop to my knees before him, and look up at him, returning the seductive gaze he gave me earlier as I take him between my lips.
“God, you kill me babe,” he murmurs, looking down at me. I love the taste of him.
“Mmmmmm,” I moan, sending vibrations along his shaft.
“Yeah, babe. I love you on your knees,” he says like the naughty boy he is.
We move to the bed and I sprawl out for him, I want him to take me hard tonight, but he seems tenderer tonight.
Chapter 9
Marcus
“Nothing worth having comes easy. What scares us challenges us, what frightens us strengthens us. That’s what our love is to me. Worth having, challenging us and strengthening our bond each and every single day.”
“When did you develop such a philosophical view on love?” I ask, enjoying this sensitive and caring side of Marcus.
“The day I came home to find out you lost the baby, it brought me even closer to you. It’s a loss and a challenge we share together and made me love you even more. I know in my heart nothing would make me happier than to make babies with you, that’s how I know this is forever for me. Like I told you before, way back when we were just dating, I have never felt this close to a woman before, let a woman hold my heart in the palm of her hand. But I let you hold my heart every day,” I say, taking her tiny delicate hand in mine and place it gently on my bare chest. I need to convince her and reassure her, quiet those doubts that are obviously still floating around in her head and in her heart. Those doubts have been with her since day one. I had to put up a fight at every turn for her love since day one, because I knew after the first night with her that there was something different about her and about us, together.
I literally did feel the earth move that first night.
I have to admit, I was slowly falling for Sophie, even before I got her into bed and had my way with her.
She intrigued me with her intelligence, wicked wit and killer business instinct. Then add that sweet and sassy personality of hers and I became immensely turned on by her. I would fantasize about her in the office.
She may not scream sexy siren outwardly. But she has class, a sense of sophistication about her and is extremely sensual, especially when the bedroom door closes. I have to brace myself for what she has in store for me. She completely satisfies me in every possible way.
“Hey, I really like Lauren. You did well for yourself man,” I say to Kyle as we walk ahead of the group.
“Thanks, same with you. I like Sophie. Looks like you have met your match with her.”
“I know, right? She completes me.”
“We are two whipped guys aren’t we?”
“Never thought I’d see the day when you would settle down,” I say with a grin.
“Same with you Marcus. I thought you would be a confirmed bachelor.”
“I know, I thought I would be too. But Sophie, what can I say. She does it all for me,” I reply.
“I bet she does,” Kyle laughs.
“Tread lightly there, we’re talking about my future wife.”
“Hey, Krista keeps circling around.”
“I know. She was hoping to rekindle the flame. Especially after you two hooked up again in London last year,” Kyle says a little too loudly. I glance over at Sophie and she’s talking with Lauren.
“Keep it down. Sophie asked about her and got a little jealous.”
“For good reason. You were pretty into her at one time if I recall.”
“Yeah, I know. But that’s ancient history my friend. Let’s keep it that way. I have worked long and hard to get to where I am with Sophie and I don’t intend to blow it.”