He smiled, cupping my cheek. “Attagirl.” He made to stand, pausing to press a kiss to my forehead. “I believe in you above all, Maisie. You can do anything you put your mind to.”
“Thank you. For believing.”
“You’re welcome,” he said, turning to go. “But do us all a favor and stay away from Marcus Bennet.”
And I laughed like that was possible.
Because there was one more rebellion I’d make.
And he’d be waiting for me in the morning.
10
Satisfaction Guaranteed
MARCUS
I walked up to the coffee shop the next morning with determination I shouldn’t have, considering I had no plan.
Winging things was not in my nature. I came into every moment of my life equipped with a plan and a contingency plan. Nothing was left to chance—not if I could help it—and if it had to be, I planned even for that.
But when it came to Maisie, there were no steps to take, no outcome to predict. There was no logic to apply. Only the undeniable intention to unearth what was between us.
This, coupled with the knowledge that I couldn’t have what I’d found.
The risk was too great for her, and I knew I should warn her off. I should refuse her for the sake of her future. But then the reminder of what that would mean for her well-being to stay would rise within me, and the compulsion to save her would overshadow all reasoning.
This was not my decision to make. It couldn’t be. Because if it were, I would defy all consequences and claim her for mine.
Fuck the rules if the rules involved Evelyn Bower telling anyone what to do.
The coffee shop was warm, or maybe it was just me. I scanned the room for her in vain, both disappointed and unsurprised—I was early, unable to stall, too anxious to get here. Too ready to know what would come next.
I ordered coffees for us both—I remembered what she’d ordered, remembered what she’d said, remembered every moment I’d spent with her. And once drinks were in hand, I took stock of the available tables, looking for the perfect one. Something close enough to the window but without the exposure, something private enough without being tucked away in a dark corner.
Of course, a dark corner didn’t sound like the worst idea I’d ever had.
My mind buzzed with eager dread as I took a seat at a table for two, putting my back against the wall so I could see when she entered. If she entered. But she would. I didn’t know how I knew, but I did.
A few minutes after eight, I basked in my rightness.
Maisie was the portrait of loveliness. A streak of light illuminated her hair, illuminating the golden curls like a halo. Her face, small and shaped like a heart, was alight from within, her eyes locking on mine the moment she passed the threshold. With a longing smile, she floated in my direction, our gazes never disconnecting.
“Hi,” she said softly, adjusting her bag on her shoulder.
“Hi,” I echoed, too struck to be clever.
She drew a breath to fortify herself and set her bag next to the chair. “Is that for me, or did you need that much of a pick-me-up this morning?” Her eyes flicked to the table, but I was too busy watching her slip off her tan wool coat, revealing a crimson dress that somehow managed to be both sweet and suggestive. Something about the cut maybe, the tasteful V of her neckline, the swinging grace of her skirt.
“Hmm? Oh,” I started, glancing down at her coffee. “I got you a flat white. That’s what you drink, right?”
“It is,” she answered with a smile as she sat. “Thank you.”
I watched her fingers wrap around the cup as she took it, watched her lips as they met the rim of the cup for a sampling.
“I’m sorry I’m late,” she said. “My mother had a hard time taking no for an answer when I made excuses so I didn’t have to ride with her to work.”
“I imagine she did.” I tried to school the distaste out of my voice without luck. “I’m glad you came, Maisie. We have a lot to talk about.”
A flush rose in her cheeks, her eyes lighting with hope. “Like what?”
Like how I can have you. What would it take? What would it cost you? Would you even want me?
“Like what exactly your mother has over you,” I said instead, wondering first what I was up against. “There has to be some way I can help.”
“Oh.” She looked down at her hands. “I … I thought that maybe …” She laughed rather than finish, waving her hand in dismissal. “Never mind. What exactly do you propose to help me with?”
My pause was pregnant with uncertainty that I had any reason to hope. “What did you think I wanted to talk about?” I asked quietly.
Her fair cheeks flamed. “Nothing.”
“Did you think I wanted to talk about us?” I chanced.
“I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t hoped.”
Relief bloomed in my chest, a leap of my heart, a rush of deliverance. “I’d be lying if I said I didn’t come here to. If you and I had been alone yesterday when I found you crying, this conversation would be very different.”
“How so?”
My eyes fell to my hand as I reached across the table for hers. “For starters, we wouldn’t be here.”
“No?” she breathed.
“No. We’d be at my place, and you’d be wearing less than this.”
“Oh,” left her lips as a whisper. “And what would we be talking about?”
I traced the shape of her knuckle with my thumb. “How to see each other with all of this between us.”
“What’s stopping you now?”
“Only that there’s no solution, not one where you don’t give up more than I would ask. What would you lose?”
She turned her hand, threading her fingers with mine. “What if I told you it didn’t matter? What if I told you I was ready to walk away?”
“I’d say you were crazy. And I’d tell you to do it.”
A chuckle. “Well, my mother inspires crazy in people.” She paused, and for that moment, we were preoccupied with the sight of our hands entwined on the café table. “I came back from England because she promised me almost half of her shares over the next ten years, provided I do exactly what she wants. And she gave me the charity I started after college, though she hasn’t held up her end of our deal. But yesterday … yesterday, I realized I can’t do exactly what she wants. I have to find out if there’s a way to do what I want inside of what she wants. And if not, I can’t stay.” With a breath and a sad smile, she said, “I have nothing to lose and everything to gain.”
Recognition and pride struck me. “That’s exactly what I told my family when it came to fighting your mother.”
Her dark eyes snagged mine. “I think we have a lot more in common than we realized, Marcus.”
“I think you might be right.” I shook my head. “I won’t stand by and watch her destroy everything good in my world. Including you. I’ll do whatever I have to do to strip her of her power. So tell me how I can help, and I’ll do it.”
“I hope you won’t have to. I can’t pretend for another day that I can do this. And so, today I’ll raise my bet and see if she antes up.”