Текст книги "Love Dies Hard"

Автор книги: C. C. Cartwright

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Текущая страница: 3 (всего у книги 4 страниц)

Chapter 11

Marcus

The wedding goes off without a hitch. Lauren and Kyle are pronounced man and wife, he kisses the bride and the bridal party files out behind them down the aisle. I meet eyes with Krista and offer her my arm to escort her down the aisle together. It’s an awkward walk as our past together flashes through my mind. There might have been a fleeting moment in our long history together where the thought of us being together forever did cross my young and stupid mind.

As we walk down the aisle arm and arm together, my eyes meet Sophie’s gorgeous eyes. I feel a little sheepish because of what I was just thinking about Krista and I.

I offer Sophie a smile and she doesn’t smile back, but turns away. Clearly she’s not happy with me. Could she have read my thoughts?

Krista laughs and flirts with me and hasn’t let go of my arm as I see Sophie heading towards us, then she turns on her heel and walks the other way, back towards the hotel lobby. Where is she going?

“Sophie,” I call out to her. “Excuse me,” I say to Krista, extricating her from my arm.

“Pictures Marcus, you can’t leave,” Krista pleads.

“I’ll be back in five,” I reply, walking briskly to the elevators.

Sophie’s gone by the time I get there. I press the going up button, anxious to get to her and calm her down. I get to our room and slide the card key into the slot and walk in to our suite.

“Sophie,” I call out as I walk through the sitting room and into the bedroom. I find her sitting on the bed, and she just looks at me with a blank look on her face.

“Why did you leave? The reception is starting soon,” I ask, as I sit down next to her on the bed. She looks down at her hands.

“Babe, look at me. What’s wrong?” She doesn’t say anything, so I cup her face in my hand and turn her towards me.

“I don’t like seeing you together. I can’t stand watching her fawn over you and you don’t seem to mind either. You make a lovely couple, you look like Ken and Barbie,” she says with sarcasm in her voice.

“Sophie, please, she means nothing to me.”

“How many times have I heard that line from you? It seems many of your past ladyloves meant nothing to you. Do you even have a heart? Or is all this just a smoke screen, are you faking that you care about me too? Like all of these past women, at some point down the road will you say I meant nothing to you?” Sophie spats out at me, in her version of a jealous rage.

“Sophie, sweetheart. You are the only girl I have ever been so in love with as to propose to. I want you for my wife, doesn’t that say it all to you?”

My phone starts ringing in my pocket, it’s Kyle, and he needs me downstairs for pictures.

“I need to go, freshen up and come down. Will you?” I ask, leaning in for a kiss and she pulls away. “Come down in half an hour, please?”

“For Kyle and Lauren I will come down, but not for you.”

It’s kind of cute to see Sophie jealous. It shows me she cares about me and about us, which is always a relief to me, considering our more than rocky start.

“Krista, you have to knock it off,” I say firmly, once I get back downstairs and join the bridal party on the beach for wedding photos.

“Knock what off?” she asks, with a flirtatious lilt to her feminine voice.

“Stop coming onto me and flirting with me. I am one hundred percent in love with Sophie and we’re getting married before she gets away. I’m not going to let you ruin what we have. I’ve worked so hard to get her right where I want her and I’m not going to let you win. Not this time, not ever again.”

Krista is actually left speechless. She doesn’t say a word for the longest time.

“Marcus, I’m still in love with you,” she breathes out softly, for my ears only. You could knock me over with a feather. She never would admit she even loved me the first time around and now she’s telling me she “still” loves me.

“Still, I never knew that you ever loved me,” I reply in shock.

“I realized it the last time we reconnected in London a few months ago. I have always loved you, Marcus.”

“You sure didn’t seem to way back in college, you dropped me pretty quickly once that other guy came around. You didn’t give me or what we had together a second thought, so it would seem.”

“I was young and naïve back then, a young girl who followed her every whim,” she tries to defend herself.

“So are you saying you’ve grown up now?”

“Yes, don’t you think so?” she asks, pressing her whole body against mine. I look around in a panic hoping Sophie can’t see us.

“Krista, I told you to give up. I’m spoken for now, and happy about it.”

“Here comes your future bride now,” Krista says and I pull away from her quickly. Maybe too quickly, I hope it didn’t look obvious.

I glance over at Sophie and judging by the look on her face she did see us. I’m in trouble again. Damn Krista, why does she have to drop this bomb on me and claim she still loves me? It’s total bullshit. If I recall correctly, when I told her I loved her back in college, she almost laughed in my face. I never said it again, although I felt it in my heart.

We are finally done with pictures and I head over to the open bar, and Krista is stuck to me like glue. I need a drink, and I have got to shake her. After I get my cocktail, my eyes scan the reception area looking for Sophie. I finally spot her in the crowd and she’s smiling. Whew, that’s a good sign. I walk over towards her and I see that she is talking to a tall, dark and handsome stranger. Who is this guy?

I walk right up to her and wrap my arm around her possessively. “Hi babe,” I say, pulling her into me.

“Oh Marcus, this is Jordan, he works with Kyle in Los Angeles,” Sophie says, introducing me to Mr. tall, dark and handsome. I eye the guy from head to toe before I say it’s nice to meet him.

“So, you know Kyle from Harvard?” Jordan asks.

“Yes, we were roommates freshman year and have been close friends ever since,” I reply.

“Can you introduce me to that beautiful blonde you escorted down the aisle?” Jordan asks boldly. The guys got good taste. First he sidles up to my Sophie, now he wants to try his luck with Krista. Be my guest, be my guest. Take her off my hands, please distract her, I feel like saying out loud. I glance at Sophie and she gives me an encouraging smile.

“Be happy to, follow me,” I say. I take Sophie’s hand in mine and we go in search of Krista. We find her standing by the bar, flirting with the bartender of all people. She lights up when she see’s me approaching.

“Krista, I want you to meet Jordan, he works with Kyle,” I say by way of introduction. The ball is in your court now Jordan.

“Hi Krista, it’s a pleasure to meet you,” Jordan says smoothly.

“Oh, the pleasure is all mine,” Krista says flirtatiously.

“If you will excuse us,” I say to them, and Sophie and I walk away in search of the table we are sitting at for dinner.

“Lucky you. Jordan should be a nice distraction for Krista,” Sophie says.

“Why, do you think Jordan is good-looking?” I feel a pang of jealousy.

“What do you think?” she questions.

“That you only have eyes for me,” I say.

“True,” she says sweetly.

Chapter 12

Sophie

We’re back in London, exhausted from our trip to Hawaii. For me, it was both physically as well as emotionally draining.

Seeing Marcus with an old flame, who obviously was still in love with him, was difficult to stomach. Especially when she was so drop dead gorgeous, it brought all my insecurities to the surface. I just need to remind myself that beauty is only skin deep right?

We crawl into bed tonight, and it’s still nagging at me. What was it between Marcus and Krista anyway?

“Marcus, tell me, was Krista all that in college?”

“Sophie, that time in my life was closed years ago. I won’t discuss it,” he says. “You are the love of my life.”

“Yeah, yeah, tell me more,” I tease.

“I realized a long time ago that I actually started falling for you even before we ever slept together. That’s what made all of this so different for me, different in a good way. It’s one of the reasons why I’m so in love with you. I took the time to get to know you first. I was intrigued by you from the beginning. Of course your beauty and hot body drew my attention first, but the more I got to know you, your whole package sucked me in. Do you remember how many hours we worked together, late into the night sometimes. I saw how you performed under pressure and you were resilient, yet kept your sassy, ball busting charm.”

“You found my sass charming?”

“I did, I love your wicked sense of humor too. In the beginning I couldn’t believe the stuff that would come out of that pretty little mouth of yours. On the outside you look so classy, sophisticated and professional. But boy you really surprised me our first night together between the sheets, sweetheart.”

I let out my throaty and seductive bedroom laugh.

“Touch me, feel what your naughty laugh does to me,” Marcus says huskily, taking my hand a pressing it along his steely shaft. “I fell for you hook, line and sinker, and I’m never letting you go.”

His well-chosen words reel me back in and reassure me that he does love me, all of me. I squeeze his rigid manhood as his lips press urgently to mine as I deepen this delicious kiss from the man of my dreams.

*****

My Mom is less than enthusiastic about my pending nuptials with Marcus. In spite of the fact that he is the love of my life, she can’t get past me not marrying John.

She absolutely adored John. He was perfect for me, or so she believed. But we know when it comes to affairs of the heart, no one knows better than the person going through it. Yes, John looked good on paper, heck he looked great in person as well. Unfortunately, for my mother, my heart felt differently. It was Marcus all along, as hard as I tried to fight it.

I need to go shopping for another wedding dress soon. My mom and I went together the last time, so I don’t dare ask her to do it again. Makes me sad that she won’t be here today, but at this point I will just be happy to get her to fly all the way over to London for the wedding. She doesn’t like airplane travel. I can tell when I do talk to her on the phone that she thinks I am making a mistake marrying Marcus. Knowing this makes me feel beyond terrible inside, because I know usually mothers know what’s best for their children. She thinks his name, his money and his slick charm swayed me. In the back of my mind I know mothers are usually right, but I brush the fleeting thoughts away and remember how much I love him, and how much he loves me. Doesn’t love conquer all?

I asked Julia Robbins to go shopping for a dress with me today. Since she is a new bride, and did this recently I thought she would steer me in the right direction.

“You are going to love this shop. They have got all of the latest designs in wedding couture. It’s where I found my dress, so of course I’m partial. I took the liberty of making you an appointment with my salesgirl at 11:00,” Julia says as we  walk down Bond Street, making our way to Just Say I Do.

“Perfect, thanks so much for coming with me today,” I reply.

We walk by the gorgeous storefront window, which displays mannequins wearing the most amazing wedding dresses. Once we walk in, we are greeted by a classy older woman, who says to feel free to browse while she let’s our salesperson know we have arrived.

“What do you have in mind?” Julia asks, as we roam the displays of dresses.

I know in my mind I have to get something totally different then what I picked out for my wedding to John. God, as I look through the dresses, it feels strange. I feel a strong sense of guilt, remorse and sadness when I think about John. How I practically left him at the altar.

“What’s wrong Sophie?” I hear Julia saying to me while I was lost in my own guilt-ridden world.

“Oh nothing,” I reply, shaking my head slightly, as if trying to shake my memories and guilt out of my mind.

“Hello ladies.” A pleasant looking woman in her forties greets us.

“Louisa,” Julia squeals, and gives Louisa a hug. She then introduces us.

“So Sophie, what kind of dress did you have in mind?”

“You both pick out what you think would look good on me and I will just try them on,” I reply. Louisa hesitates, and looks at Julia.

“Alright,” Louisa says to me as she steps back and seem to appraise my stature and figure. “I have a few styles I think you would look fabulous in.”

I like hearing this, I just can’t think straight right now.

“Come on, Louisa is the best,” Julia says.

We follow Louisa around the boutique as she plucks 3 or 4 dresses off the racks before leading us into the dressing room.

The first one I try on is a very sexy, almost corset style dress. When I walk out of the dressing room, Julia let’s out a whistle.

“Too sexy siren?”

“You rock that dress! Once Marcus see’s you in that dress, all he will want to do is get you out of it,”

I twirl in front of the mirror. “No, it’s too much, to vixen.”

I come out in dress number two.

“That dress is more sophisticated, you will make a striking bride, Sophie,” Julia exclaims.

“This is more the look I was going for,” I say, admiring myself in the mirror.

“Let me get a veil that will go perfectly with this dress,” Louisa says, disappearing into the back of the boutique.

As I gaze at myself in the mirror, I try and imagine Marcus at the end of the aisle waiting for me. I start to freak out a little. I try and take a deep calming breath.

“What is it, Sophie? You have the strangest look on your face,” Julia asks.

I don’t have to answer her as Louisa has returned and is adjusting a beautiful veil on my head. She drapes it across my face. I actually start to tremble and almost hyperventilate. I was trying on dresses less than a year ago to marry John. What the hell am I doing? Maybe my mother is right.

“What do you think?” I finally hear Louisa ask for the second time.

“Looks lovely,” I say softly, and then turn to go back into the dressing room. I can’t do this right now. Plan another wedding. I put back on my clothes in a flash, I need to get out of here and get some air.

“Thank you for your help today. I’m going to think about the second dress,” I say to Louisa.

“Yes, of course,” Louisa says, giving me a puzzled look at my abruptness.

Julia and I walk out of the store and decide to have lunch at a bistro nearby.

“Sophie, what happened in there?” Julia asks once we are seated in the restaurant.

I stare out the window and breath out a heavy sigh.

“I don’t know, I started freaking out I guess.”

“Why, you mean you were getting cold feet?”

“I guess you could call it that. You know I was engaged to marry someone else less than a year ago? I went through a lot of the wedding planning. Bought a dress and everything. Trying on dresses again just brought up these feelings of guilt and remorse. I love Marcus, I do. But marriage to someone like him scares me.”

“What about it scares you?”

“He was such a player before, enjoyed variety. How can he really commit a lifetime to me?”

“Marriage is a gamble. I had some of those same feelings with Richie. Wondered if I would be enough for him. It’s hard marrying a man who has girls throwing themselves at him. It’s hard marrying a hunky man,” Julia says with a wink.

I let out a small laugh. “I’ve actually met two of Marcus’s ex’s and he tells me they meant nothing to him. Maybe that’s what he will be saying about me five years from now.”

“No Sophie, I see the way he looks at you. With the look of eternal love.”

I give her a coy smile as I fiddle with my water glass. “He does seem pretty devoted to me.”

“I think what you’re going through is normal. Just remember, follow your heart.”

“I know, you’re right.”

“Now, back to that amazing dress. Is it the one?”

“Yes, I did love it on.”

“Then let’s go buy it after lunch and you can check that off your wedding to do list.”

“Sounds good. Thanks for going with me today. I would have loved to have my mom with me, but I will be lucky to get her to fly all this way for the wedding.”

“Really? Why do you say that?”

“She adored John, my ex. She thinks I’m making a mistake marrying Marcus. She doesn’t think he is a long haul kind of guy.”

“That’s too bad. I wasn’t sure my parents were going to like my tatted up rocker man, but once they spent time with him, they saw how sweet he is and he won them over. Has your mom spent anytime getting to know Marcus?”

“No, not really.”

“Then she doesn’t really know him does she?”

“True.”

Chapter 13

 

Marcus

“Hi, any luck finding a dress today?” I say, walking into the kitchen. Sophie is pulling something out of the oven and I give her a peck on the lips.

“Not yet,” is all she replies. She’s a little sedate tonight and seems preoccupied.

“Did you make an appointment with the Savoy?”

“Not yet.”

“Sophie, I want to set a date. We need to book the reception venue soon.”

“I know.”

“What’s wrong, do you want it somewhere else?”

“No, the Savoy is fine.”

“Just fine, Sophie, it’s one of the poshest places in London to have a wedding. Can you show a little more enthusiasm?” Damn, my feelings are hurt. It’s as if she doesn’t want to get married or something.

We eat in silence for a while before she speaks again.

“I’m sorry, it’s been a long, overwhelming day.”

“I thought girls love wedding dress shopping and all that girly stuff.”

“I just missed having my mom there with me.”

“Oh, I see,” I reply. I know all too well how Mrs. Shawn feels about me. She doesn’t think I am right for her precious daughter. I’m going to give her the world on a silver platter, but that’s still not good enough for Mrs. Shawn.

“You know how she hates to fly, so I didn’t bother asking her to come help me.”

“I do know how she feels about us getting married, about you marrying me. Is that what this is about?” I ask. Sophie shrugs.

“Look Marcus, I went through all this not too long ago and it’s just overwhelming me.”

“Do you have any regrets,” I dare ask and then hold my breath while I wait for her reply.

“No regrets, more like remorse and guilt for what I did.”

“I love you Sophie, and I want you to be my wife. Do you want to be my wife, do you want ME to be your husband?”

“Yes, of course I do. You know I do.”

“Well sometimes you don’t act like it,” I say with a scowl. Do you know how many women would love to snag me as a husband, I feel like saying, but I bite it back. What’s up with her? I know she loves me. She’s afraid of marriage.

“You’re afraid of marriage aren’t you?”

“I think so.”

“Usually it’s the guy that gets cold feet, my dear. But then again you aren’t the typical female, I knew that from our first night together,” I tease.

“I know, our relationship hasn’t been the typical courtship, now has it?” she says with the wicked smile I love.

“No, you made me chase you, I had to fight for you tooth and nail.”

“You weren’t used to that were you Golden Boy? You were used to getting what you wanted, when you wanted it,” she quips.

“You got that right, but in the end I won you over, didn’t I?”

“Yes you did. I love you Marcus, I do.”

“But you still have cold feet.”

“No, it’s the wedding planning that’s getting to me, that’s all.”

“Fine, then I will schedule the appointment with the wedding caterer at the Savoy and we will go together,” I say.

“That sounds perfect.”

“It’s settled then.” I can’t believe how much I have to push Sophie down the aisle, this girl who is the love of my life. It’s like she’s dragging her heels to the altar. Isn’t it usually the girl dragging the guy to the altar? What’s wrong with this picture, I think to myself. All I want is to make my Sophie happy.

Chapter 14

 

Sophie

I feel so much remorse for what I did to John. Sometimes it makes me feel like I don’t deserve happiness because of it. Shopping for a wedding dress again today brought all of these emotions to the surface again. As hard as I’ve tried to ignore them lately. I look at a picture of Marcus and I took together in Hawaii and then it makes me think of Krista.

“Hi Mom,” I say when my Mom picks of the phone.

“Hi honey, how are you?”

“A little overwhelmed.”

“Why?”

“I went wedding dress shopping today and I really wished you could have been there with me,” I admit and am met with silence on the other end.

“Sophie, you know how I feel about it all.”

“I know, that’s why I didn’t ask you to come." I know I’ll be lucky to get you over here for the wedding.”

“London is far for me.”

“But you will make it right?”

“Have you and Marcus set a date?”

“Not yet.” There’s a deafening silence on the other end of the phone.

“Mom, can’t you try and be happy for me?”

“I was happy for you…”

“Was as in you aren’t now?”

“You really think you can tame a man like Marcus?”

My mother goes right for the jugular, right to the heart of my insecurities. Now I’m the silent one. Is my mom right? Mothers usually are.

“Oh, by the way, I ran into Mrs. Devereaux when I was shopping down on Rodeo, near their jewelry store. She was barely cordial to me, especially after how you treated her poor son, who could blame the woman.”

“Mom, please. Not a day goes by that I don’t have remorse over what transpired between John and I. I’m sorry, but I had to follow my heart. Don’t you understand?”

“No, but I’m sorry I don’t. John was so perfect in every way for you. How you could pass him over for a man like Marcus is beyond me. The Hunter name, his money and the lifestyle you seem to think he can provide you lured you in. I just hope he’s home with you at night. You will have always keep a close eye on that one, mark my words.”

“Mom, I can’t listen to anymore of this. You will just have to get to know him better to see how much he cares about me. You should have seen how thrilled he was when I was expecting, I saw the love in his eyes.”

“Yes, because you were carrying the heir to the Hunter fortune, he was hoping for the splitting image of himself, I’m sure.”

“Mom, you’re cruel, do you know that?”

“Just stating the facts dear. How was your trip to Hawaii? I haven’t spoken to you since you got back to London?”

“It was nice,” is all I have to say as my memories of the beautiful Krista pops into my head. She would make a better trophy wife for Marcus.

“Did you have a good time?”

“Yes we did,” I don’t care to elaborate on the sordid details that I am sure my mother would love to hear, because they reinforce her theory about Marcus. She means nothing to me is his standard line about every one of his past dalliances.

“I need to get going Mom, I want to get started on dinner.”

“You’re cooking now?” Mom says in surprise.

“Yes, I actually bought a cookbook and try and cook for Marcus when he gets home from work.”

“Who would have thought my career minded daughter would ever be a little homemaker. Glad to hear it.”

“Yeah, ok Mom. I’ll call you again once we have a date set.”

“I will be waiting with baited breath.” I can hear the slight sarcasm in her voice. Parents, between my mother and Marcus’s mother we don’t have a very cohesive support system do we?

Needless to say, my mom steams me. The less I talk to her the better. All she does is make me feel bad about my decisions.

We should just elope, find a reclusive resort somewhere in Europe and just elope. I’m going to suggest it.