Kate Hoffmann - Marcus

He walked his mother down the stairs out to the boatyard. Emma Quinn had been silent along the way, but Marcus didn’t expect it to last. When they stepped outside, she turned and faced him. “She’s a lovely girl, Marcus.”

“She is,” he agreed.

“Though I can’t help but think that I’ve seen her before. Is she from here in town?”

“No,” Marcus said.

“Hmm. Very pretty. But an odd name, that one, don’t you think?”

“She introduced herself?” Marcus asked.

“Liselotte Bunderstrassen.” Emma sighed and shook her head. “It’s not Irish, that’s for sure.”

“I think it’s German, Ma.”

His mother stared at him. “And that’s all you have to say? It’s German? You have a young lady wandering around your apartment in her knickers,” she said. “Would you care to explain?”

“Not right now, Ma,” Marcus said. “And I’d appreciate it if you’d keep this between the two of us.”

“And who would I be telling?” she asked as if insulted by the notion.

“Oh, I don’t know. My sisters. My father. Your ladies down at St. Joe’s.”

She pushed up on her toes and gave Marcus a peck on the cheek. “I hope you’re practicing that safe sex they’re always talking about. If you’re having relations, use a condom. Not that I want to know if you’re having relations. It’s not something a mother needs to know. And considering it’s against the church, I’d rather not know so I don’t have to confess it.” She paused. “So have you been using a condom?”

“Ma, I’m not going to discuss my sex life with you.”

She patted Marcus on the shoulder. “Then you talk to your da. He knows the score on those things.”

“Tell Da I’ll be down in a minute to help him with those crates.”

His mother gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. “He’ll be fine. It’s Sunday and he shouldn’t be working anyway. You go upstairs and tend to your guest and I’ll take care of your father. And I hope to see you both tomorrow.”

“We’ll see, Ma. I’ve got a lot of work to finish.” Marcus watched as she walked back through the boatyard, weaving around the timber cradles and wooden ladders. There were times when his mother still treated him like a teenager. She’d missed so much of his life and the lives of Ian and Declan that she was sometimes unable to accept they were grown men.

At least they’d managed to get beyond past hurts. When he’d returned from Ireland, his relationship with his mother had been in tatters. The anger had lasted years, and he’d kept his distance, afraid to allow her back into his life for fear that he’d lose her again. But over time Marcus had come to understand the choices she’d made.

He couldn’t imagine what she’d gone through while he and his brothers had been growing up in Ireland. His older siblings refused to speak of it, as did his father, but he’d heard from a family friend that the priest had been called for last rites five separate times.

Her illness had nearly destroyed Marcus’s family, and the specter still hung over them all. But his mother had taught them all that they must live each day and stop worrying about the future. She had an amazing outlook, considering what she’d been through, and she never wasted time feeling sorry for herself.

So why couldn’t he apply that theory to Eden? What would be, would be, and worrying over it wouldn’t change anything.

Marcus slowly climbed the stairs to the loft. Eden was waiting for him, perched on a stool, her mug of tea clutched in her hand. “I’m sorry,” she said. “She came in and was cleaning up in the kitchen. I thought she was the housekeeper.”

He frowned. “You thought I had a housekeeper?”

“Well, I didn’t know,” Eden replied. “Your place is pretty clean for a guy.”

Marcus crossed to the refrigerator and pulled out a carton of orange juice, then poured himself a glass. “So what did you talk about?”

“Nothing, really. You, mostly. Did she say anything about me?”

“You mean about Liselotte Bunderstrassen?”

“She asked my name. It’s the first thing that came to mind. You didn’t think I was going to admit to being Eden Ross, did you? I wanted your mother to like me.”

Marcus sat down beside Eden. “She thought you were pretty. And she reminded me that we need to practice safe sex.”

“You told her we were having sex?” Eden cried.

“You’re in my bed at ten o’clock on a Sunday morning.” He looked down and frowned. “And wearing my underwear. My mother’s not an idiot.”

“I’d never tell my father we were having sex.”

“He knows you’re not a virgin.”

Eden took a sip of her tea. “But he doesn’t know the details. He’s a very powerful man. If he wanted to make you disappear, he could. Like Benny, my summer boyfriend when I was sixteen. He caught us swimming naked off the pier one night.”

“And he had Benny killed?”

“No,” Eden replied. “He’s not a mobster, he’s just a businessman. He called in a favor and had Benny’s father transferred to Alaska. They moved two weeks later and I never saw him again.”

“Well, your father isn’t going to find out about us because you’re going to call him today and you’re going tell him you’re all right.”

She stared at him, her lips slightly parted. “No. I’m not ready to talk to him.”

“Then I will,” Marcus said. “I’ll call him and tell him you showed up on the boat, that you’re sorry for everything that’s going on and that you’ll be coming to see him soon.”

“Don’t try to run my life,” Eden snapped.

“Someone has to. You’re not doing it for yourself. Eden, he’s your father and he has a right to know you’re okay. At least give him that much.” A stubborn pout settled onto her pretty face, and Marcus knew he had pushed her about as far as he could. “The sooner you face your problems, the sooner they’ll go away,” he added.

“And what am I supposed say?” she asked. “‘Hi, Daddy, I just wanted to let you know that you’ll probably be getting a call from my former lover, who will probably try to extort a few million dollars from you. So you wanna have lunch?’” She shook her head. “See, it’s not so easy.”

Marcus reached out and smoothed the hair out of her eyes. He could understand her problem. It had taken him nearly a year to confess to Nana Callahan that he’d broken her favorite crystal vase. A sex tape and extortion were a bit dodgier than that. “Maybe you should write him a letter. Or send him an e-mail.”

“I will,” she said. “Sooner or later I have to. Don’t worry, Marcus, I don’t expect you to take care of me forever.”

That was it, Marcus mused. The perfect admission of where they stood. She was biding her time with him until she worked up the courage to face her real life. And when she did, they’d be finished and she’d leave.

“Can we go back to bed now?” she asked.

“Are you still tired?”

“Not at all,” Eden said. She grabbed his hand and dragged him along behind her. “In fact, I’m wide-awake.”

Marcus resisted but only for a moment. Eden might be able to divert his attention for an hour or two, but all the desire in the world wasn’t going to dissolve the cloud that hung over them.

He crawled into bed beside her and pulled her up against his body, kissing her forehead. She seemed to fit perfectly against him, her legs tangled in his, her arms wrapped around his neck. Marcus slowly smoothed his hand over her back, then slipped his palm beneath the T-shirt she wore.

As he caressed her soft skin, he closed his eyes and tried to memorize the feel of her. There would come a night when she no longer slept in his bed, a night when he’d want to remember every perfect detail about her. A dull ache settled inside him. Though Marcus didn’t want to admit it, he’d miss her. Even though Eden could be a pain in the ass, she’d become his pain in the ass, at least for a while.

“Your mother invited me for a picnic tomorrow,” she murmured.

“I made our excuses,” he said.

Eden pushed up on her elbow and met his gaze. “But I want to go.”

“You can’t,” Marcus replied.

“Why not? She invited me. I don’t want to be rude to your mother.” She paused. “Why don’t you want me to go?”

“Isn’t it obvious?”

“No, it’s not. Are you embarrassed to be with me?”

Marcus groaned and threw his arm over his eyes. He’d already decided that he could handle her leaving, but he didn’t want to dissect his feelings before she did. “You’re the one who’s trying to hide out here. If you go to a family dinner, then your presence is not going to be a secret anymore. My brother Declan will be there, and he’s spent the last week looking for you.”

“Looking for me?”

Marcus pulled his arm away. “He works for your father. That’s how I got the job on the boat, Eden.”

“What does he do for my father?” Eden asked.

“Security, private investigations, background checks. Anything your father asks. And right now, among other things, he’s looking for you. So is my brother Ian. He’s the chief of police in this town. And I’m supposed to be looking for you, too, for that matter.”

“Your brothers are looking for me and you’re hiding me?”

Marcus nodded. “So can you see why a family picnic might be a wee bit awkward? Hell, Ian would probably arrest you on the spot for that little 911 call.”

“And that’s all? That’s the only reason you don’t want me to go?”

“Isn’t that enough?”

“I thought maybe you were ashamed to be seen with me.” She drew a deep breath. “Let’s not pretend that I’m every mother’s dream. I have a reputation. My life is splashed all over the media. I guess I’d be a little hesitant to introduce me to your family.”

“That’s not it,” Marcus said.

“But there is something else, isn’t there? If I went to this picnic, then this would be all over, wouldn’t it? You and I would be over.”

She was right. As long as she was hiding from her troubles, she was his. The moment she faced her problems, she’d be gone, out of his life without a second glance. It may be selfish, but Marcus wasn’t going to feel guilty. Why shouldn’t they take as much pleasure as they could from each other? A sexual connection like theirs didn’t come along every day.

“Everything is perfect right now,” Marcus said. “It’s just you and me. Uncomplicated.”

She stared at him, her eyes shadowed with indecision. “So you just want to stay like this forever?”

“I don’t think that’s possible, Eden,” Marcus said.

Eden smiled ruefully. “You’re right. I know you are. But it could be for a little longer, couldn’t it?” She picked up her pillow and smoothed her hands over it. “I’m just not ready.”

He watched Eden crawl out of bed and disappear behind the canvas curtains. She wasn’t ready for what? To go out into the world again or to leave him? He could see it happening in his head. If they both believed it would end, then it would. Gradually they’d pull away from each other. Promises made would be broken. Instead of spending time together, they’d make excuses to be apart, creating a distance that would protect them both when their affair finally came to end.

Marcus fought the temptation to go to her and draw them closer again, to reassure himself that she still cared. He could do it easily, with sweet words or a passionate kiss. But in his gut he knew this was for the best. He’d had her for a week, a lot longer than he’d ever expected for her to stay. He would have to let her go soon and it was about time for both of them to face that truth.

EDEN STOOD IN THE DOORWAY of the coin laundry and gazed at her surroundings through dark sunglasses. “This is nice,” she said. “But why are we here?”

“I have to do laundry,” Marcus replied, flicking the brim of her baseball cap. “In the real world, so will you. Clothes get dirty and you have to wash them.”

“I don’t have to wash them,” she said. “I send them to the cleaners and they wash them.”

“This isn’t the Ritz. Most people wash their own clothes.”

“I know that,” Eden said. There were times with Marcus when she felt like a complete idiot. Yesterday she’d tried to operate his dishwasher and managed to flood his kitchen with suds. Then she’d tried to make toast and set off the smoke alarm. And last night she’d cleaned up cookie crumbs with furniture polish only to have Marcus slip and fall on the hardwood floor.

The past twenty-four hours had been a lesson in how little she knew about day-to-day life. Though she thought she could at least cook something simple, macaroni and cheese from a box had been a disaster. After her fiasco with the furniture polish, Eden had been forced to scratch cleaning off the list of things she could do well. And though grocery shopping seemed like an easy task, the store layout confounded her. If she was a failure at the coin laundry, then she might as well give up her dream of starting a life of her own.