Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 76840 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 384(@200wpm)___ 307(@250wpm)___ 256(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76840 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 384(@200wpm)___ 307(@250wpm)___ 256(@300wpm)
Ciao, bambina.
The velvety sound of his voice, the faint Italian accent threading through the words—-
It was this, of all things, that made her composure slip a little, and Anneke had an insane urge to laugh and cry at the same time.
It really was the simple things, wasn’t it?
She had lost count of the times she had dreamt of this moment, had imagined an infinite number of scenarios, of the things she would say or do if they ever bumped into each other—-
But none of it had been like this.
None of it had been this simple.
This bittersweet.
After taking a deep breath, she said tremulously, “Hello.” And to her own surprise, she even managed a smile
Ah. The way Anneke’s lips curved threatened to knock Marcus off his feet, and he found himself blinking, like a man caged in darkness seeing sunlight for the first time in a very long while.
Anneke’s forehead furrowed at the suddenly stunned expression that had fallen on Marcus’ face. “Is – is everything okay?” she asked uncertainly.
The words had Marcus crashing back to reality, and he cursed silently in his mind. What the fuck did he think he was doing? He raked a hand through his hair, frustrated and more than a little disturbed at the way a simple smile could have him so disoriented.
He cleared his throat, feeling all the while like he had just reverted into a schoolboy in his first throes of infatuation.
Ah, fuck, who would have thought he could ever be this bad with a woman?
He was even worse off now compared to how he had been at eighteen.
Anneke’s confusion grew when all Marcus Ravelli did was clear his throat and stare at her. Her lips parted, “M—-” But she caught herself in time, her face paling as soon as she realized she had almost allowed herself to say his name.
And she couldn’t let that happen.
She couldn’t.
Because it wasn’t supposed to be that easy – right?
Marcus’ eyes darkened. She had been about to say his name. He was damn sure of it, and he didn’t know why it was so but that she almost had – it mattered.
It just fucking mattered, and the anxiety presently strangling his heart slightly loosened its hold at the realization.
It mattered, enough for him to take a deep breath of his own – and try again.
“I have a car waiting. If it’s alright with you – perhaps we could talk somewhere?”
The invitation completely took Anneke aback, and she stammered, “N-now?”
Marcus nodded. “Wherever you want.”
She gnawed on her lip. What to do, what to do? This was a man she hadn’t seen almost a year, a man that she had also been married to for the same amount of time. This was the man she had once loved, the same man who had broken her heart by walking out on her after—-
After—-
Marcus knew the exact second Anneke remembered that moment. It was the way her body suddenly jerked, the way her face whitened—-
And when her lips started to part, he also knew she was about to turn him away—-
As she rightly deserved, Marcus acknowledged grimly, but unfortunately for Anneke, he wasn’t going to make it easy for her to get rid of him.
Before she could say a word, he said roughly, “Per favore, bambina.” If anyone had told Marcus he would one day act on love lessons given to him by Jaike Hepburn’s husband – a man who had also been his rival once upon a time – Marcus would have had that person committed.
And yet that was exactly what was happening.
This was the one most important lesson that Derek Christopoulos had taught him: selflessness was sometimes just another word for cowardice, for fear of rejection. Sometimes, true love – or at least fighting for it – required one to be shameless. Selfish. Dishonorable.
Like what he was doing now, Marcus thought with an inner grimace. The moment he had seen Anneke again, he had known that the sexual chemistry between them was there. And he might be an emotional fuckup because of his parents, but his parents were also the people who had taught him about the drugging power of sex.
And if that was what it took to get Anneke to say yes to letting him spend more time with her—-
“I just want to talk, bambina.” He held her gaze captive as he spoke and didn’t hesitate to use the endearment he knew she loved. And when she looked visibly torn, he didn’t hesitate to press his advantage, reaching out to hold her hands in his—-
The moment their hands came into contact, it sent a simultaneous jolt into both of their bodies, its strength taking even Marcus by surprise, and he sucked in his breath just as Anneke gasped out loud.
Unable to help it, his grip tightened on hers—-
He expected her to pull away, but she didn’t.