Page 32 of His to Keep
The broadness of his silhouette was framed by the radiant glow of the crested moon making him appear almost unreal, untouchable.
He didn’t want her anymore.
Whatever had sparked between them was destined to fizzle out. Marcus had given up too easily. He didn’t fight for her, for them.
* * *
When the driverpulled up outside in the very early hours of the morning, Lana fled the Coach House like it was engulfed in flames, without looking back.
Marcus stood by the window in his office, watching the car door slam shut and the tail lights vanish around the bend. He hoped she wouldn’t take his heart from his chest as she left, but she did.
He had seamlessly slipped into autopilot and shut down his emotions. Her interrogation had made him realise they would never really work together.
No need to argue with fate, right? The internal fight was like a game of championship ping pong. Keep her or let her go? Emotions were heightened and a mix of doubt and desire had morphed into a mass of fucking crazy.
He had to break away from the intensity, from the woman who blurred the lines and gave him something important to fuck up.
Now, she was gone, and he was lost in a tornado of regret. He was used to making ruthless snap decisions in his work life, but his heart told him this decision was the worst mistake he had ever made.
Marcus was responsible for Verto Veneri – the buck stopped with him. The business trip had been a necessity even though Donna Marie was more than capable. It wasn’t everyday a client was murdered.
Little did he realise Lana would get so damn jealous. The entire trip was focused on the club, nothing else. They scrutinised security options and even considered a ruthless membership weeding exercise.
Marcus and Donna Marie had thrashed out details of the pending merger with Luke Devereux, which would take the club to the next level and up the financial stakes.
As they refined the business proposal, Donna Marie was quick to point out that Marcus needed to be on top of his game, hinting that his focus had been elsewhere. It wasn’t his fault that his mind kept wandering back to Lana’s sexy giggle, or that he could still smell her sweet fragrance on his shirt.
Donna Marie was right. Marcus knew he needed to be one hundred percent available for the merger and Lana was a distraction. The reality only added to his already wavering doubt.
Then his stomach ached when he witnessed the distrust flash in Lana’s eyes and he felt the hurt that cracked in her voice. It fueled his uncertainty.
He inhaled her pain and exhaled the reasons why he shouldn’t be in a relationship. The persistent doubt sat heavily on his chest, telling him they had no future. Did he want her to leave? Fuck no, but was it the right thing to do—probably.
What he hadn’t accounted for, was the maximum effort it had taken to set her free and let her walk away.
The Coach House became unappealing for the first time, ever. Her beautiful face and hair of spun gold haunted her vacant bedroom. Each empty room begged to echo with her soft sweet laugh.
She had completed his sanctuary and without her in it, it was more like a torturous prison, than a tranquil home.
He decided not to stay the night. After several whiskey’s, he rang his driver to drop him off at St. Angelo airport, which catered to light aircraft and helicopters, just a few miles down the road.
His regular pilot had been on standby and was ready and waiting to fly Marcus to the main airport for a connecting flight.
Business was his sole priority, once again. A life-changing merger was on the table, and the finer details required his full and undivided attention. It was a deal he and Jamie had been building up to for months.
If successful, this final chess move would catapult them into the big league, expanding their bank balances from millions, to a potential billion.
One thing was certain, Carl Reed would pay for what he did to Lana. Marcus had made her a promise that he intended to keep. No matter what the cost.
15
The front door flew open. “Are you okay?” Lana’s best friend,
Amanda, launched into her neck and squeezed tightly. “I’m so glad you’ve come back. I’ve missed you,” she cooed with annoying cheer.
Lana breathed into her shoulder, absorbing the contact. She inhaled the waft of cocoa butter mixed with the scent of Amanda’s freshly laundered robe.
“I’ve missed you too.” The words choked out amongst her best friend’s mass of soft springy spirals.
