Marco's Redemption (19 page)

She absolutely didn't want to be presumptuous and wear it on her left hand, but there was an insidious little whisper in her brain that was telling her that
he
wanted her to wear it on her left hand. If she put it on her right hand, he might never say anything and it would then have to remain on her right hand.

If she put it on her left, she might please him and the worst that could happen would be complete humiliation if he told her to move it. She knew one thing; she had to go slowly with him.

She bit her lip in indecision and then shoved it on her left ring finger. She gasped out loud from the perfect way it felt on her hand and from the comfort she derived from it.

Now if only she had guessed correctly and she was allowed to keep it there.

****

Marco watched as Natalie left the bedroom and entered the living area of the suite. They hadn't made any definitive plans for supper, but she was dressed in a new, slinky pantsuit that defined casual elegance and could be worn in comfort at home, or would stand up in public as well. Around her neck was the necklace he'd given her, and he could see the earrings glittering through the fall of her pale hair.

He swiftly looked to her hand to see if she'd put the ring on as well. Satisfaction, hard and piercing, ran through his blood when he saw his diamond on her left ring finger. The ring was big enough and noticeable enough to ensure the kind of attention she'd been attracting in the last few weeks when they went out would go away. He didn't like the looks she'd been getting, not a damned bit. She was bright and vibrant and her face glowed with a compelling, innocent beauty that never failed to attract attention wherever they went.

And he hated it.

But short of keeping her locked in all the time, he couldn't think of a single fucking way to keep all the goddamn eyes off her. But at least now when they looked, his ring would be prominently displayed on her hand and she would be marked as his.

Now if he could only get her to agree to have his initials tattooed across the top swell of her breast, he'd be a happy man. The erotic thought ran through his mind only in jest but took hold firmly in his brain and he couldn't seem to shake it.

The image wouldn't go away and he knew without hesitation that if she'd ever allow it, he would jump all over that shit.

****

New York had been brilliant. The week had been brilliant and their relationship had improved and grown from the experience.

Natalie hugged the thought to her as they travelled together up the elevator to the penthouse when they arrived home. No doubt he'd been pleased when he'd seen the ring on her finger, and even more so the next day when she'd worn only the ring and not the rest of the set when he'd taken her sightseeing.

It had set a precedent that she was pleased with. She wore the ring all the time, even at night, and fierce pleasure ran through her when on several occasions, he'd picked her fingers up, laced them with his, and kissed the back of her hand, his lips brushing against the ring as well. He was a man of few words, but his actions gave her both comfort and hope.

The elevator doors swooshed open, and Natalie stepped into the penthouse in a pleasurable haze. She looked around and came to a halt, the suddenness of her stop making him crash into her as he wrapped his arm around her waist to steady her.

As she looked around the interior of the penthouse, her heartbeat went wild and she tried desperately to catch her breath. He spoke from behind her. "Come on. I haven't seen it, either."

He propelled her into the room, moved his arm from her waist to grip her hand, and led her through the apartment one room at a time.

Natalie had no words as she looked around in stunned appreciation. She was completely speechless as he looked from one room to the next, and made only minor comments as he pulled her along. She tried like hell to answer him, but she was very much afraid her words were only garbled sounds of agreement and pleasure. Or so she hoped, at least.

He'd had the penthouse completely redecorated while they'd been gone. Everything had been swept away as if it had never been, and the entire home was redone with new furniture, accessories, paint and flooring.

It was reminiscent of the decor from the restaurant that she had cooed over and she loved it. She loved everything about it, from the warm colors to the stone accents and everything in between.

But she was totally taken aback that he'd had it done.
For her? What other answer could there be?
He led her over to a plush, comfortable couch with a large, matching ottoman that served as a coffee-table. He pulled her down with him, testing it out.

"What do you think?" he asked.

"I--I--" Natalie was still completely speechless--almost afraid to react.

He grimaced as if in pain. "If you don't like it, it's not a problem. I'll have the decorator come out again and redo it the way you want it. Shit. I'm sorry. I should have let you choose to begin with."

She laid her hand on his arm to silence him. "Marco, stop." She looked away from his eyes and then back again. "It's perfect--perfect. I couldn't have done better. I love it."

"Thank fuck. It took them the full week to do. We'd have to move out again."

She clenched his arm and looked around the room. "You did all this for me?"

"I didn't do it for me." His eyes were like razors as they watched closely for her reaction.

"But--why?"

"You know why, Natalie. You hated it. And I can't have you hating our home, or you might leave."

"I wouldn't leave just because of the decor." She stated simply.

"Not a chance I was willing to take, okay?" His words were firm and Natalie knew by his tone that the conversation was over.

"Okay," she whispered.

Chapter Nine

A week later, Natalie walked out of the apartment with both phones in her bag and the SIM cards switched.

She'd worried over the thought of him tracking her more than she cared to think about. The situation couldn't go on. Everything was good between them. Their relationship was progressing at a slow but good pace. They were in a place she was very comfortable with. Although only defined as 'a couple,' she wore a ring he had given her, and that was enough for her.

The house had been redecorated for her, and that pleased her beyond belief. The night after they'd gotten home from New York, as he'd wandered in and out of the kitchen after she'd cleaned up after supper, she pulled everything from the cabinets and reorganized them to her satisfaction, as if it were her own kitchen.

And he'd watched her, the only problem he'd had was the amount of time it was taking her. The set of his mouth indicated it was past time for her to be in bed with him.

So with her boundaries set, her kitchen, her domain, his ring on her finger and the right to call herself his girlfriend, the only problem Natalie had was the freaking annoyance that he didn't trust her.

And it had to end. Today.

She'd picked the place for the confrontation carefully. A street in Downtown far enough away from home that he'd drop what he was doing and come look for her, unless he trusted her enough to just call, but she doubted he'd do that. She hoped he would, but she doubted it. The location was close enough she could get there by train and on the outskirts enough, not completely surrounded by tall buildings, that he shouldn't have a problem pinpointing her location.

She wanted him to pinpoint her location, all right.

Natalie walked into the Starbucks she'd already chosen, ordered a coffee, and walked into the restroom. She dumped the coffee into the sink, rinsed and dried the cup out and slipped the smart phone inside. Walking outside to the patio area, she hid the cup in a large potted plant next to a trash receptacle and walked down the street to an outside magazine vendor and pretended to be immersed in browsing for a purchase.

She chatted with the vendor, bought a pack of gum, and continued to look at the magazines while watching the street in front of the Starbucks.

The whole process had already taken over thirty minutes since she'd left the penthouse, and she figured something would happen soon, at least she thought it would.

If he were going to call her, he would have done so already.

Just as the thought came, Marco's car came sliding up to the Starbucks. Fury encompassed her being, and she thanked the vendor and walked swiftly in the opposite direction from the car, pulling out her phone and dialing as she walked. He picked up on the second ring, but she didn't give him even a second to speak. "Are you looking for me, Marco?"

"Yes." He didn't attempt to deny it.

"Your spy phone is in an empty coffee cup inside that potted palm tree next to the trashcan, if you want it. I damn sure don't. I won't be your prisoner anymore. You have my number if you want to call me.
If
you're interested in having a
normal
relationship. She ended the call, turned left, cut through a bank and went down a flight of stairs before becoming immersed in the network of tunnels under the city.

She sat in a fast food restaurant for about an hour, sipping on a Diet Coke, her fury and pain growing when he didn't call her back, until she realized that her cell wasn't picking up a signal down there. She berated herself, feeling like a fool, and then left her seat and went back up again into the sunlight.

Immediately, her phone chimed and registered the text messages she'd missed and his furious voice mail that demanded to know where she was.

She decided he could stew for awhile, and didn't call him back, but walked at her leisure back to the penthouse.

He was waiting for her when the elevator doors opened.

"Where the fuck have you been?" His rage was palpable, but Natalie was angry as well and itching for a fight. She'd left all her stuff in the penthouse, having decided not to move out until she knew how this was going to play out.

"In the tunnels." She said simply, showing no reaction.

"The tunnels? The tunnels are dangerous, Natalie!" he hissed.

"Dangerous? I don't think so, Marco. I was sitting in a fast food restaurant the entire time."

"You don't understand. Maybe the first time you go there you might think it's safe--"

"You're assuming today was the first time? I've been exploring the city for weeks."

The look he gave her became frozen, impenetrable. His eyes hooded and his features hardened. "You've been lying to me."

"Lying
to you?
"
she puffed out. "I don't think so. I simply took the SIM card from the phone you gave me and put it in my old phone, which I happen to like better. How's that lying to you?"

"How long?" He was trying to control his anger. Natalie could see that, just as she could see the tic in his cheek that he couldn't control.

"Since the day I got lost and you picked me up. You know what hurts the most, Marco?"

He crossed his arms and raised an elegant eyebrow.

She continued, "The fact that you think I'm
that
stupid. I even tested you on it, you know? That day I went to the library and you got so upset. You thought I'd forgotten my phone. I realize that I'm small, I don't have a college degree, I don't have a lot of money. But just as sure as I am that the Earth spins on a tilted axis, I'm that damn sure that my I.Q. is higher than yours.

"I don't think you're stupid, Natalie--"

"Don't give me that crap, Marco. You think I'm small and frail and helpless.
We know that much.
Why don't you just admit it and let's throw stupid into the mix?"