Chapter 8
Marie woke to the smell of coffee and stretched. That movement woke her up faster than normal and she looked around, wondering where she was. The breeze fluttered the white, filmy curtains that hung down around open windows that looked out at a turquoise sea. There were a few boats out in the bluer waters, but otherwise, nothing impeded the glorious view.
Why was she so sore? Moving, she realized that there was only a light sheet covering her. Pushing her hair out of her eyes, she looked around, trying to get her muddled mind to figure out where she was. The clock beside the bed told her that it was only eight o’clock. Much too early to be awake. Unless she had to be at work.
Her head flopped back down onto the pillow. Thinking was too hard. Maybe in an hour, she told herself and curled back up.
The laughter behind her aborted that mission and she glanced over her shoulder as Phillip walked in. He was wearing only a pair of board shorts, his amazing chest completely bare for her viewing pleasure. When he sat down beside her on the bed, handing her a cup of coffee, she realized that he smelled like salt and sea.
“Have you already been out swimming?” she asked, blinking as she tried to figure out what was going on. “Why are you here? Where is here?” she asked.
His chuckle caused a spark of heat to hit her right beside her heart. But still, nothing made sense.
“Aruba? Last night? Anything ring a bell?”
She stared at him, wondering if Phillip was speaking English. She pushed a pillow behind her and tried to sit up, but…
“Coffee,” she told him and lifted the mug to her lips. “Good,” she mumbled, then lowered the cup again, holding it close to her chest as if it were a treasure.
His tanned fingers pushed the sheet out of the way, his hand sliding up her calf.
Okay, that woke her up a bit faster than normal! She almost spilled her precious coffee when his hand touched her like that. And yeah, the memories of last night flooded through her brain. “Phillip!” she gasped, leaning forward as the heat and lust hit her.
“Yes?” he asked, leaning forward to kiss her neck.
“We can’t!”
He laughed and continued nibbling. “Oh, you’re going to toss me aside now that the morning has arrived?” He moved his lips to her earlobe. “I think that’s cruel, my dear.”
She shivered, still cradling her cup of coffee. “Last night…” she started to say that last night had been a mistake, but he nipped at her earlobe before she could say the words and all that came out was a moan. One hand reached out and touched his chest, her fingers curling around the muscles that had so fascinated her last night.
When he pulled away, Marie whimpered, her body primed for another round of that incredible pleasure.
“Why did you stop?” she asked, wishing she didn’t sound so needy.
“Because I won’t let you use me and toss me away, Marie,” he teased with a twinkle in his eye as he lifted her coffee cup out of her hands. She let out another whimper as he set the coffee on the bedside table, laughing at the storm growing in her lovely hazel eyes. “Yes, you can have your coffee, but right now, I need you to answer a question.”
“What’s that?” she asked, looking at all the glorious skin she wanted to touch and explore, then over at the cup of coffee that was just out of reach. Marie wasn’t sure which was more tempting at the moment.
He reached into the bedside table, but it wasn’t a condom that he pulled out. It was a little black box. Opening the lid, Phillip revealed a stunning diamond ring. It was just a center stone, nothing else, but it sparkled like…well, like a diamond!
“What’s this?” she asked, not daring to touch it as she stared down at the beautiful ring.
“Marie,” he began with a formal tone, “I stupidly engaged myself to the wrong woman. But you’re the right one. I fell in love with you the moment you stepped into my office last year. Even during the interview, I knew that you would be my best friend, but…well, I let things get out of hand.”
She touched the ring, then quickly pulled her fingers away. “Phillip, you just…” she wasn’t sure what to say. “We’re business acquaintances,” she told him, even though she loved him with all of her heart.
“Is that how you really feel?” he asked, confident that she felt the same way about him. “Before you answer that, you should know that you talk in your sleep. So, you’ve already told me that you love me last night.”
Her eyes widened with horror at the possibility. “I didn’t!” she gasped, pulling back as she stared at him, trying to discern if he was teasing her or not.
“You did. And a whole lot more.” He leaned forward and kissed her gently. It was the sweetest kiss, and she wanted more, but he pulled back about an inch, looking into her eyes. “You love me and hate Lillian, apparently.”
“I don’t!” she asserted vehemently. “Lillian is a lovely woman! I don’t hate her!”
He laughed, shaking his head. “Not what your subconscious told me,” he argued. “But that’s okay,” he said as he took the ring out of the box. Taking her hand, he slid the ring onto her finger. “Because I love you too. And now, we’re going to be married.”
“Married?” she gasped, looking down at the ring.
“Yes. Married. Tomorrow if I can arrange it, so if there is anyone you’d like to invite, then tell me now, because we’re not leaving this island until you are my wife and I can call you…oomph!”
Marie tackled him, pinning him onto his back on the bed. “I do love you, Phillip. I’ve loved you ever since our first lunch together.”
“Not the first time we met?”
She laughed and shook her head, straddling his stomach as she bent lower. “No. The first time we met, you were laughing with Lillian about something and I hated you. Instant hate. But then you hired me and I forgave you.”
“And fell in love with me, right?”
She shook her head again. “No. It took about a week for me to fall in love with you.” She looked down at him, serious and intent. “Phillip, I know you don’t really love me. And this is just a rebound relationship. So…”
Marie blinked as she tried to figure out how she ended up on her back with Phillip looming over her, her arms pinned above her head.
“Marie, you need to get this thought through your very intelligent head. I love you. I never loved Lillian. She and I admitted that we’d made a mistake in getting engaged. It was stupid and pointless, and I wasted a lot of time. I’m not doing it again.” He lowered his body so that he was covering her, pressing his legs between hers so he could settle himself against her more completely.
“I love you,” he told her as he lowered his head to kiss her. “I love the way it takes you an hour to wake up in the morning,” and he kissed her neck. “I love the way you try to boss me around.” He kissed her shoulder. “I love the way you laugh at my jokes in the morning, your efficiency around the office, the way you smile while we talk over lunch and dinner…” he lifted his head and looked down at her. “This isn’t a rebound relationship, Marie. You are who I’ve been dreaming about for months. You’re the woman I’ve wanted, but I wouldn’t allow myself to admit to wanting. I’ve wasted too many months. I’m not wasting any more time.” He smiled as he shifted against her hips, the heat increasing between them as he reached for another condom. “We spend almost all of our time together already. You tell me all of your secrets, we talk over lunch and dinners about our days and frustrations, argue about politics and social issues, laugh at inside jokes…we’re practically married. I’m just making it official.”
Marie couldn’t argue since he was sliding into her body, filling her up, making her feel perfect and whole. “Yes!” she sighed as she lifted her hips to receive him, shifting to take all of him into her body.
“I’m taking that as your answer,” he said and started moving, thrusting into her heat as only he knew how. And when they both found their own release, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her gently, sealing their silent vow of love.
Curling up against his side, she smiled as she stared at the ring on her finger. “Are you sure?” she asked softly, looking over her shoulder at him.
He pulled her closer, kissing her naked shoulder. “I’ve never been more sure about anything in my life,” he replied.