Love Dies Hard 4 - Book 4 (Billionaire Romance Series) (Hard to Love) (3 page)

“Courtney Cross was a fan of yours,” she says dabbing her lips with her napkin, before she starts on dessert.

“What, are you jealous Miss Shawn?” she does actually seem a little jealous.

“I’m just looking out for you, maybe she could become your next conquest,” she taunts, but I know she’s jealous and she’s starting to piss me off.

“I’ve told you, it’s you I want,” I say through clenched teeth. No response. She can’t possibly still be thinking of marrying that guy, she loves me. No bull shit is going to keep us apart anymore.

Sophie

Our night together was utterly amazing, the earth really did move. Set my heart and entire being on fire. His touch, his taste, his scent was intoxicating, even better than I remember, if that’s possible. How many times over the last few months have I found my thoughts drifting to our time together, of being with Marcus again, like last night? Now that we’ve reunited, it’s more than I can bear.

Of course in the light of day, the remorse is even more unbearable. I’m engaged to be married to John. How can I really be doing this, doing Marcus? It’s wrong on so many levels, but when I’m in his arms it feels so right. So wrongly right. He wants me to come to him again tonight. My heart and body want to go, but my head is screaming no.

Once I get back to my room this morning, my first thought is to bolt out of here, pack up and leave the temptation of Marcus Hunter behind me. But honestly, I’m too exhausted physically and emotionally to do any of that. All I want to do is crawl in bed and get some shut eye. I manage to fall asleep for a little while, but end up dreaming of Marcus caressing my body. Even in my dreams I can’t get away from him. What the hell am I going to do? I need to see a shrink to figure all of this out. I better get my sorry self downstairs and into the afternoon session.

I find my way to the main conference room and no sooner I sit down, Marcus finds me and fills the seat next to me. My eyes cast down to those hands of his, resting on his thighs and I get wet between my legs just remembering them roaming all over my body last night, I can sense my nipples harden. How is my body going to resist another night with him? After I admit that I was thinking of bolting, but took a nap instead because I was tired, he leans into me intimately and whispers sweet nothings to me about being sorry I’m tired. We both know why and it’s killing me, I’m a hot mess of burning lust. I can’t even focus on the speaker. All I can think about is having another night with this hunk of male hotness sitting next to me. I shift restlessly in my chair and cross and re-cross my legs, trying desperately to quiet the humming at my core. All I want right now is to be beneath him, begging for more of what only he can give me. I know I am in so much trouble.

After the long session of pure boringness is over, most of the group head to the elevators. Marcus stays on my tail and gets on the same elevator going up as I do. I sense him watching me, but I don’t give him and inch, not an inkling of whether or not I will come to him tonight, because honestly, I still don’t know myself. When I get back to my room, I practically scream out loud. What am I going to do? I find myself calling John, to check in, just in case I go to Marcus I don’t want John looking for me.

“Hi,” John picks up his cell on the first ring.

“Hi sweetheart, how are you?” he asks.

“Another long boring session on money management,” I sigh out.

“What time will you be done tomorrow?” he asks.

“I’m not sure, I think there are morning and afternoon group sessions I need to attend. So I may not come home until the next morning,” I say.

“I miss you,” he says.

“I miss you too,” I reply feeling a horrible sense of guilt.

“What are you doing tonight?” he asks. What a loaded question that is and my heart sinks into my stomach before I make up an excuse.

“Going out to dinner with some other people from Bristol,” I lie.

“Well have a good time, I’ll see you when I see you then. I love you.”

“I love you too.” And I do, I love John too. I hang up and throw myself on my bed and just stare at the ceiling. What am I going to do? I want Marcus tonight, my body definitely is screaming for his touch.

I shower and get ready to go to Marcus’s room. Yes, I can’t stop myself from enjoying one last night of passion with him. We’re going to live it like we care, for one last night.

I knock on the door of his suite and no one answers so I decide to slide his card key in and access is granted.

“Marcus,” I call out into his cavernous suite. No answer. I walk into his bedroom, still now sign of his sexiness. My heart is beating loudly in anticipation of another night with my playboy. I peek in the bathroom and see he’s toweling off. I decide I will surprise him and be waiting in his bed, just like I did our first night together. Back when it was only supposed to be one night. He walks out of the bathroom with a look of utter shock across his handsome face. I love to surprise him, catch Mr. Calm and Cool off guard, throw him off his seductive game.

“Don’t look so surprised big boy,” I say seductively and the loving begins.

After another mind-blowing session with lover boy, I’m famished, and we order room service. The conversation turns serious, he doesn’t want me to marry John, he wants to keep me for himself. I’m not going there, this was only supposed to be one last night. I bring up the beautiful blonde fan we met earlier and he is getting pissed.

Marcus goes to the fully stocked bar in his expansive suite and pours himself a Scotch. Downs it and pours himself another and comes back to the table. Seeing him pound down the drinks reminds me again why I chose John over Marcus.

“Marcus, from the beginning, we were only supposed to be one night.”

“Why is that exactly?” he stoically asks.

“I wasn’t going to be a fool and fall for the office player, that’s why. And from what I hear, you’ve been playing all over London,” I say with heat in my voice.

“I can’t deny it. I was drowning my sorrows. I’m not proud of it,” he replies honestly, staring at the ice in his glass, before he downs it. “Sophie, I won’t lose you again.”

“It’s too late for us Marcus,” I say sadly. He stands and comes to stand in front of me. He takes my hand and places it on his arousal. He wants me again. I stroke his shaft and tug down his boxers, freeing the beast. I take him in my hand and guide the head to my lips. I feel so wanton, why does he make me want to do naughty things to him? It’s as if he puts me in a trance like state. I don’t think clearly when I’m near him. I flick my tongue lovingly along his shaft and our eyes lock. He’s watching me with a look of pure carnal desire, which only fuels my passion for this man. His hand brushes through my hair.

“Let me love you, again,” he says huskily.

He’s on me, he’s in me and I’m begging him to never stop filling me. I’m pulling him in and with each deep stroke he plunders into me and I whimper from the shear pleasure he incites inside my core.

“Marcus, deeper,” I hear myself begging. He drives into the hilt, over and over. He dips into me in and all the way out again. Then he puts my legs on his shoulders and I don’t think he can go any deeper as I moan out his name.

“Marcus, oh, oh, oh,” I cry out.

“Is this how you want it, is this what you came to my bed looking for?” he asks seductively.

“Yes. Yes. Yes.”

“I love you,” he murmurs. It’s the alcohol talking I tell myself. I need to get on that plane tomorrow and not look back. But oh how I’m enjoying this, this last night. He let’s out a scream as he releases and spasms into me, his warmth I welcome. I tighten hard around him as he continues pumping into me the last few thrust. He drags me over the edge. My heart has stopped…I’ve just died in his arms. I can barely breathe as he collapses on me.

“You’re amazing babe,” he pants, kissing me on the side of the cheek. I wrap my arms around him and hold him tightly to me. “You cast a spell on me Miss Shawn.”

“Marcus, you have all of the lines down don’t you?” He raises off me and props himself on his elbows, his face one inch from mine, I can smell the Scotch on his breath.

“Damn it Sophie, I mean what I say. You want to belittle my feelings for you at every turn.” Then his lips slant on mine in a heated kiss. I hate myself for loving this man, because he’s wrong for me. I can’t live with the drinking.

“Marcus, I love you. But I can’t live with your drinking.” I admit.

“What? You’ve never said anything to me about it before.”

“Between that and your partying, it’s the reason I chose John.”

“How can you say all this to me while I’m practically still inside you,” he says heatedly. He rolls off me suddenly, leaves the bed and walks into the bathroom. I shiver from his warm body leaving me so suddenly. He’s angry. We’re playing with fire here. I follow him into the bathroom and he’s standing at the sink, his hands on the basin, and his head hung low in defeat. My heart breaks for his man. I wrap my arms around him and press a kiss to his back before I press my bare chest against the warmth of his body.

“I can’t do this anymore Sophie, you better leave,” he says, his voice filled with emotion. I hold him tight, skimming my hands across the smooth skin of his abs. We stand here like this for what feels like an eternity.  I slowly let go and he doesn’t turn around, he won’t even look at me. I feel as cold as the tile beneath my feet. I walk slowly back into the bedroom and stare at the bed we just made love in. I pick up my scattered clothes and get dressed and leave as quietly as I came in. Marcus never came out of the bathroom to say goodbye.

With a heavy heart I crawl into bed in my own room. I miss him already. There’s a dull ache inside of me. I only wish we could have fallen asleep in each other’s arms tonight, but he was right to kick me out. Why prolong the pain? I toss and turn all night long, never really falling asleep. When I wake up, I feel hungover, even though I didn’t drink last night. This must be what they call a love hangover. I drag my wrung out body out of bed and get in the shower, trying desperately to wash away the sins of last night. I scrub hard, hoping to erase his scent and his touch that still linger on my body. Why did I torture us by giving into his touch? No good could come from this, nothing but pain. I’m toweling off when I hear my phone chime in the other room. Why am I hoping it’s Marcus?

John: I’m downstairs in the lobby, where are you?

NO.WAY. This isn’t happening. My heart jumps into my throat and my pulse starts racing.

Sophie: Give me 10, I’ll be down.

Shit, what is John doing here? I’m in total disbelief that he would fly up here. It’s a good thing Marcus kicked me out last night, I’m freaking out right now big time. God, imagine if John caught us together. I frantically blow dry my hair and get dressed before getting on the elevator to the lobby. When I get into the expansive lobby, I have no idea where to find him. He spots me first because he comes up behind me and wraps his arms around me from behind startling me.

“Surprise, gorgeous,” he says and I can hear the smile in his voice before I turn around.

“John, this is a surprise,” I turn around and give him a hug that he tightens. He holds me close.

“I missed you and thought I would surprise you. Let’s stay the weekend,” he says.

“You surprised me alright, when did you decide to do this?” I say with a forced smile, still getting a handle on the shock of this and shaking with nerves at almost getting caught with Marcus.

“At the last minute, I almost came last night, but I had to finish up some work to get the weekend off to spend with you,” he replies. Damn, if he came last night, it would have been the end. Just when I think things couldn’t get any worse, I see Marcus out of the corner of my eye, walking through the lobby with Christopher. Christopher waves, but Marcus doesn’t make eye contact, he’s seething. “Who’s that?” John asks as he see’s me wave and acknowledge them.

“Some guys I used to work with at Hunter,” is all I volunteer.

“Let’s go to your room,” John says, taking my hand. We walk into my room and John goes to look out the window.

“This is a nice room, too bad you don’t have a view of those magical fountains. Shall we move to a suite overlooking the fountains?” John asks and I cringe inside. If he only knew I was in the best suite in the house last night.

“No, this room is perfect, I don’t want to go through the trouble of switching rooms.”

“Sophie, aren’t you happy to see me, you seem a little distant?”

“I’m just tired, that’s all. I haven’t been sleeping well on this trip.”

“Come here,” John says and I walk into his arms and he gives me a tight embrace. I breathe in his familiar scent. I do love John, I do. You couldn’t ask for a nicer guy, but at the moment my heart isn’t here. I’m beginning to realize just where my heart truly lies.

Marcus

Sophie is a walking, talking, living, breathing contradiction when it comes to us. She let’s me make mad, passionate love to her, but she won’t let me anywhere near her heart or her soul. Then she gives her lifetime to someone else, not me. I keep taking one last night from her and it’s literally tearing me apart inside. Then she has the nerve to tell me why she chose the other guy over me while we were so intimately entwined. It broke me. I couldn’t look at her anymore. Let her go Marcus, you have to let her go right now for own self preservation. I had to get myself away from her, away from her touch.

This morning, when I came down to the lobby of the Bellagio to meet Christopher for breakfast, it just about killed me to see Sophie with her fiancée. I knew immediately who that big hunky good-looking guy was. He looked like her type, the kind of guy I would imagine my stunning girl with, only she isn’t mine is she? I feel like such a schmuck, she chose him over me because of my drinking and partying.

“Hey look, there’s Sophie, who’s the guy?” Christopher questions.

“Must be her fiancée.”

“Big guy,” Christopher remarks. He waves to her and all I can do is scowl. Do you blame me?

We get seated in the restaurant for breakfast and I’ve lost my appetite. I feel sick to my stomach after seeing her with HIM, he was draped all over her. I can’t wait to get back to London and be 5,ooo miles away from her and my memories of us together here.

“So what’s up with you and Sophie?” Christopher asks.

“Nothing, why do you ask?”

“It’s obvious that you two still have your love, hate, thing going on,” he observes.

“What does it matter, she’s getting married soon,” I clip out and take a sip of my hot coffee.

“Is she?”

“So she told me in no uncertain terms.”

“When did she tell you?”

“Last night.”

“You saw her last night?”

“Yes,” I answer pointedly. I saw all of her last night.

“You two…?” Christopher questions.

“I’m not saying,” is all I offer by way of details.

“She still loves you, can’t you see it?” Christopher shakes his head.

“It doesn’t matter whether she does or not, she’s getting married to someone else.”

“It’s painful to see you two together,” he says giving me a sympathetic look.

“Tell me about it, she’s painful.”

“You can’t change her mind, stop her from marrying that guy?” he asks.

“Look, I’ve tried. Sophie has a heart of stone, colder than my own.”

“I never thought I would see the day when Marcus Hunter didn’t get what he wanted,” Christopher chides me.

“Must you rub salt in the wound?”

“Just making an observation.”

“Ok Casanova, what would you do?”

“Have you told her how you feel?”

“Yes.”

“So you’ve told her those three words they always want to hear from us?”

“Yes,” I reply and Christopher’s eyes go wide with surprise. He knows I usually don’t do love.

“Alright, then you’ve done all that you can. It’s up to her. All I can say is, I can tell she still has feelings for you.”

“Like I said before it doesn’t seem to matter to her. Let’s drop it. When are you coming to visit me in London? I really enjoy living in London, I can’t wait to get thousands of miles away from here, away from her.”

“How about I come next month? Have your Father send me over to work for a couple of weeks,” Christopher suggests.

“I think that can be arranged,” I reply. I remember when Sophie came to visit, I loved having her enjoy the vibrant city of London with me. I shake my head trying to clear the memories from my mind. I need a drink and it’s not even noon yet.