Chapter 8 #2
Other, far more adult words come into my mind, but I remember little ears are listening, as Ava always says. What I really want to scream at Marius is, “What the fuck did you do that for?”
He stands on the pool deck grinning like some fool, and I swear when I turn to face Ava she looks like she’s so stunned she doesn’t know what to say. Furious, I climb out of the pool and storm toward the house, unsure what I’m going to do since I don’t have any dry clothes here.
Thankfully, Ava calls to me, “You can get a pair of shorts and a t-shirt from my closet.”
I don’t turn around to thank her because if I see Marius, I think I’m going to smack him. Matthias walks into the living room just as I’m marching through, and I point toward the stairs.
“Don’t come up to your bedroom. I have to get some of your wife’s clothes because your brother is an asshole.”
Matthias nods and gives me a shrug. “Okay. Marius, I’m assuming?”
Without looking back, I answer, “You’d assume right.”
Goddamn him! He makes it so I have to lie to my oldest and dearest friend, and then he does shit like this.
As I stomp up the stairs, I try to remember why I love that man. At the moment, nothing is coming to me, but I have a list as long as my arm why I hate him right now.
Ten minutes later, at least I have dry clothes on. My underwear and bra are still drenched, so let’s hope my friend and her husband don’t have a problem with me going commando. I don’t give a damn what Marius thinks.
On my way back out to the pool, a bedroom door opens and he pulls he into his room before slamming it shut. As usual, he’s wearing a smile, like he’s happy he pissed me off.
“Don’t bother telling me you’re angry because I know you’re not. You’re just pretending for Ava and my brother.”
Jesus, he can be utterly clueless sometimes!
I push against his chest, catching him off guard and sending him back a few feet into the wall. “I am angry, Marius! I told you I didn’t want to go swimming. Did I have to say I didn’t want to get wet too?”
Now that he has a real sense of how furious I am, he stops smiling and walks over toward me. “Oh, don’t be mad. I was just having a little fun.”
I narrow my eyes and glare at him. “I’m going now. Don’t try to talk to me for the rest of the time I’m here. That’s how angry I am at you.”
Of course, that doesn’t stop him from sliding his arms around my waist and pulling me into him. Looking down at me, he studies what I imagine must be a truly enraged expression on my face and leans in to kiss me. I shouldn’t let him, but I can’t deny I do love the man’s mouth.
“Don’t be angry, Duck. If it was just the two of us, we’d be having sex in the pool right now. Admit it.”
I stare up into his dark eyes and shake my head. “Admit what? That I like having sex with you? Okay, fine. I do. Why can’t you see I’m angry with you right now?”
He steps closer and presses his bare body against mine. “Because I don’t want to see that. Come on. Give me a smile. You know how much I love when you smile. It makes my heart happy.”
Wriggling against him, I twist out of his hold. “Well, your heart is going to have to be unhappy this afternoon. Maybe next time go with your heart’s idea instead of wherever you got the idea to throw me in the pool.”
Marius frowns like I’m the one who caused this problem. “It’s not bad enough I have to hear the woman I love is being set up with some guy from King Industries? Now you won’t even smile for me?”
This man is going to drive me insane.
“So you don’t like that Ava keeps trying to set me up with potential boyfriends? Then let’s tell the truth so everyone can know we’re together.”
He shakes his head to that idea. “So what are you going to do with this guy?”
Seems the man I love is choosing denial today. So be it.
“Well, I thought after dinner I’d tell him to drive to the nearest dark spot and we can fuck like animals. Then maybe I’ll ask to go for ice cream since I’ve been really wanting some mint chocolate chip lately. Nothing big. Just your usual blind date.”
Even though he has to know none of that is what I actually plan on doing with Ava’s newest potential Mr. Right, Marius looks utterly miserable as he listens to me. When I finish, he grunts like he’s disgusted.
“I don’t want you to go.”
“Then let’s come clean and tell the world we’re together.”
Of course, his answer to that suggestion is the same it’s been for two years. Shaking his head again, he says, “Not yet. That doesn’t mean you have to go out with this guy, though.”
He pulls me to him and kisses me hard, his hand gently encircling my throat in that way he does when we’re alone that never fails to make me weak in the knees. “You’re mine, Eden. Not his. Mine.”
Barely able to speak I’m so aroused, I croak out, “If I don’t go out with this guy, Ava will be suspicious.”
I see the jealousy in his eyes when he says, “And if you do go, I’ll be miserable.”
Against his lips, I whisper, “Then you know what you have to do. It’s your call, baby. The ball’s totally in your court.”
I spin out of his hold again and hurry toward the door. I don’t look back because if I do, I’m going to want to stay, and I can’t.
He’s going to have to accept the fact that as long as he insists we keep our relationship secret, I’ll have to keep going on blind dates with the men Ava finds for me. It’s completely in his control.