Express Male (31 page)

Noah growled in frustration before finally admitting, to her and to himself, “Yes. I’m in love with Marnie.”

Tears filled her eyes at his admission, and Noah felt as if she’d just kicked him in the gut. He’d never seen Lila cry. He hadn’t known she was capable of it. And he certainly hadn’t considered the possibility that she might have feelings for him that were strong enough to generate such a response.

“Lila, I’m sorry,” he said, knowing the apology sounded lame but having no idea what else to tell her. “I had no idea you felt this way about me. I mean, I’m flattered, but…I have to be honest with you. I don’t love you. I never loved you. I love Marnie. I’ve probably loved her since that first night I met her. And she’s who I want to be with.”

He hesitated before saying the rest, because he didn’t want to share that with Lila before telling Marnie, either. But he needed for Lila to unequivocally understand that there was no chance he could ever have feelings for her except what he felt for his other sisters-in-law. So he told her, “I want to be with Marnie forever. If she’ll have me.”

She smiled at that, in a way that kicked the wind right out of Noah’s lungs. Because suddenly, Lila didn’t look like Lila anymore. Suddenly, Lila looked just like…

“Marnie?”

She laughed, then bit her lip, as if she was still straddling the personas of Lila and Marnie and wasn’t sure how much of her happiness she should show just yet. Then she reached for the cap and pulled it off, and a mass of blond hair—darker and longer than Lila’s—came tumbling down around her shoulders. “Whataya know? You were right,” she said as she shook the tresses free. When she tugged off her gloves, he saw that her fingernails were short and unpainted, unlike Lila’s expertly manicured and bloodred nails. “OPUS really could teach me everything I needed to know in two weeks to pass for Lila. And what can I say? I’m a quick study.”

Noah stared at her in silence. Now he saw it. It was so obvious. But only moments ago, he would have sworn on his life she was Lila Moreau. She really could have completed the assignment, he thought. She was that good.

Then he realized the extent of her deception. She’d played him. Extremely well. But why? Because she wanted to know how he felt about her? Why hadn’t she just asked him?

Gee, Einstein,
he immediately answered himself,
maybe because you never gave her the chance?

“Quick study,” he echoed. And then, he smiled. “Must run in the family.”

She smiled back, beaming. “And a good family it is, too.”

Noah nodded, wondering if—and hoping that—there was room for that family to grow. He didn’t care that Marnie had just played him extremely well. Because she’d done it for a reason he completely understood. She’d needed to know without doubt that he wasn’t in love with Lila. She’d needed to know without doubt that he loved her. And he did. Love her. Without doubt. Without reserve. Without fear. He could only hope her feelings for him were just as strong.

For a long time, they only gazed at each other without speaking, a good six feet of floor and the corner of the bed, separating them. Unable to tolerate even that small distance, Noah took two steps forward, something that bumped his thigh against the bed. Marnie grinned and covered the rest of the distance herself, wrapping an arm around the bedpost.

“Tell me again how much you love Marnie,” she said.

“I’d rather show you how much I love you.”

Her eyes widened at that, her expression revealing completely what she was thinking and feeling in that moment. Oh, yeah. Marnie was definitely back. And damn, was Noah grateful.

“Then show me that,” she said.

He lifted a hand to her hair and pushed it over her shoulder, then cupped her face in his hands. “I love you,” he told her without hesitation.

“I love you, too,” she replied just as quickly. “Now tell me how you want to be with me forever.”

“I want to be with you forever,” he replied.

“I want to be with you forever, too. With no deceptions. No phony identities. No secrets.”

“And no clothes,” he added.

She chuckled at that. “And no clothes. Well, not always.”

He reached for the zipper of her jacket and tugged it the rest of the way down. The fastener hissed quietly as it opened, a sound not unlike the whisper of Marnie’s jacket as it fell to the floor when he nudged it from her shoulders. That, in turn, was a sound only a tiny bit louder than his shirt as she skimmed it from his body. The rest of their clothing followed in a concert of soft sounds, leaving their bodies to join in a chorus of soft sighs.

A long time later, Noah lay in his bed with Marnie beside him, knowing there was little chance he’d make it in to work that day. Funny thing was, he didn’t care. He had everything he needed. Right here in his home.