CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
MARCUS
Katy stopped short at the door and stared at Marcus. “What are you doing here?”
“You two know each other?” Jay asked.
“Yes,” Marcus said. To Katy, he said, “Jay had invited me to visit. I wasn’t planning to come…until your mother told me you were going to be here. So I came. It’s much faster to fly straight here.”
Katy paled. She twirled around and ran from the room.
Jay and Talia stood there with their mouths open.
Marcus chased after Katy. She was halfway down the hall. “Katy!”
She stopped but didn’t turn.
“You knew I was going to be here, and you deliberately came,” she said, her voice low.
“Yes. I wanted to see you again.”
She turned slowly, her eyes wet with tears. “And I wanted to come to have a peaceful Christmas.”
“I’m sorry. I…I don’t have a good excuse for my bad behavior. I should have at least asked you if it was all right for me to come. I suspect I know what you would have answered. Maybe that’s why I didn’t ask.”
“I wanted time to myself,” she said. “With you around…it’’ll be different.”
“I certainly don’t want to ruin your holiday. I needed to apologize for another stupid mistake.”
She held herself rigid, not trusting him.
“Alessandra came to my hotel room to interview me. She saw the Jacuzzi and invited herself to stay.”
The way he said the reporter’s name made Katy bristle. “Not very professional.”
“No, it wasn’t. And it was, like I said, stupid on my part. I’m so sorry. It meant nothing. You, on the other hand, mean everything.”
“It was like my dad all over again,” she whispered.
Regret flicked in his eyes. “I can see that.”
“Thanks for coming all this way to apologize.”
He gazed at her tenderly. “I’m glad to see you, even for a moment.” He stepped back. “I’ll leave you to your holiday.”
He turned.
“Wait,” she said.
He faced her, hope surging in his chest.
She took a deep breath. “You can stay.”
“Not if it makes you miserable.”
“You have every right as I do to be here.” Katy studied her hands. “I thought you didn’t want to have anything to do with me…not after Amanda.”
“I fought it for the longest time. I’m still fighting it.”
She flinched.
“Hear me out, please.” He searched for the right words. “I don’t even know my own heart. I’ll be honest. I’m still running scared. Am I ready to jump into another relationship? I don’t know. I do know I didn’t want to lose you forever. It’s asking a lot, but I’m begging for your patience……and another chance.”
Katy rubbed her arms. “I can’t guarantee anything.”
“Of course. I understand.” He looked over his shoulder. “Shall we join our hosts before they think we’re both lunatics?”
Her lovely mouth twitched. “I’m perfectly sane, thank you.”
He smiled and allowed his eyes to convey how much he cherished her. He wanted to hold and kiss her, but he needed to give her time and space.
***
KATY
When the two joined the royal couple, Katy took her seat beside Talia on a loveseat.
“I take it he’s the billionaire who broke your heart?” Talia whispered.
“Yes,” Katy whispered back.
“He’s cute.”
“He’s in the doghouse.”
“You’ll have to tell me more.”
Jay looked from Marcus to Katy. “Do you mind explaining what’s going on?”
Marcus cleared his throat. “My company sponsored a Christmas prize, and Katy’s charity was one of five selected.”
“Thank you so much, by the way,” Katy said, her eyes glistening. “Sorry I missed the benefit.”
Marcus shrugged. “That was nice of your mother to accept on your behalf.”
“Yes, it was.” Katy bit her lip. “I was watching your gala as I flew over on the plane. You must have left pretty quickly after?”
“I took my own private plane, yes,” he said.
She cast her eyes down. In the past, she might have criticized him for throwing his billionaire status around. But now, she was floored that he’d come all the way here, so fast, simply to be with her.
He said he didn’t know his heart. Well, she didn’t know hers either. This was going to be an interesting Christmas.