The Tycoon's Red Hot Marriage Merger (18 page)

“Wait,” Cassandra said, lowering the bottle and giving it to the person standing next to her.

Her parents shot her a questioning glance and Cassandra pointed over their heads to Marco while he closed the distance between them. Everyone standing on the dock seemed to take a collective breath and they craned their necks to see what had caused the hold up. The sound of the
Barracuda’s
sails slapping in the wind, and the gulls calling evaporated until only the thundering of her heart echoed in Cassandra’s ears.

Marco continued moving across the pier, his light suit jacket hugging his broad shoulders to perfection and his cream-colored slacks accenting every inch of his muscular, long legs. Sunlight painted gold in his hair and the silver chain at the base of his bronzed neck flickered tiny points of light.

And when his eyes, those piercing and mesmerizing emerald eyes, locked onto hers, Cassandra wobbled. How could he have become even more gorgeous and breathtakingly handsome during the days they had been apart? Cassandra clasped her hands, looking for a way to anchor her rioting pulse.

Never taking his gaze off of hers, Marco weaved through the crowd until he climbed the stairs. “I hope I’m not too late,” he said when he reached her side.

“No,” Cassandra said. “We’re just getting started.”

He brushed her hair from her cheek and tucked the strands behind her ear. “I’m not talking about the launching ceremony,” Marco said quietly. “I’m talking about us. Our marriage.”

The simple gesture, so tender, made her throat ache. Emotions she had suppressed for days bubbled to the surface. Swallowing hard, Cassandra struggled to speak. “There’s a piece of paper holding
us
together,” she said. “One I’m hoping you’ll annul now that you’ve got what you wanted.”

He held her gaze, unflinching, and took her free hand in his. “After the way I treated you, you have every reason to nullify our agreement,
Tesoro
. I behaved like a first class jerk. But I can’t let you go.”

“Why not?” Cassandra injected steel into her voice, refusing to let the warmth of his touch and his charming Latin love phrases sway her judgment. “You own Nelson Industries. The
Barracuda
is yours. What more could you possibly want?” And she had already given him her heart only to have him break it.

“I want you,” he said.

“You want my body.”

“No.” He knelt on one knee and looked up. “When you proposed to me I thought I wanted revenge, and the chance to prove to the world that I am a world class regatta racer. But I was wrong. You’re all that I want. I love you. I think I was half in love with you after our first dance. But now I am crazy in love with you. And if I lose you, then I’ll lose the one thing that’s important to me.”

Something sweet bloomed deep in Cassandra’s heart. She had longed to hear Marco say those words for so long. Oh, how she wanted to forgive him now, but he had been cruel when she had needed his understanding and compassion.

“You love me?” Cassandra traced the faint scar cutting across his cheek “Are you sure? Because love means listening to each other and being there even when things look bad. Love does not mean jumping to conclusions about what people have to say about us. You never even gave me a chance to explain why I didn’t betray my brother’s trust. I want to believe you, Marco. But simply saying the words isn’t enough.”

Marco claimed she owned his heart, but until he trusted her 100 percent they couldn’t have a future. More than anything, Cassandra had to stay strong and demand what she deserved, because now there was a second heart beating inside her womb that would depend on Marco’s unconditional love. She would expect nothing less from her husband.

###

A sharp pain jabbed behind Marco’s breastbone. What if he had waited too long? Had he lost his last chance? “I know you’ve got no reason to take me back, but I’ll do anything to convince you that I won’t let you down again.”

She looked down that imperial nose of hers; her azure eyes glimmering with unshed tears. “Anything?” Cassandra asked. “If you no longer want revenge, then will you give my father back his company?”

“
Si.
You proposed to save Nelson Industries and give me a chance to regain what I had lost.” He wanted to weep for the pain he had caused Cassandra. “Then you gave me a precious gift and trusted me with your heart. I’m so sorry I let my idiotic pride stand in the way of hearing your side. I should never have listened to Peter.”

She blinked and a single tear traveled down her cheek. “I only wanted to do what was best for everyone. I had to find a way to make things right without dragging Justin’s name through the dirt. But I’m sorry that I didn’t tell you about what happened that day, Marco.”

“You were right to keep your secret.” Shame coursed through him. “I reacted like an imbecile when Peter told me. I should have known that you would never do anything deliberately to hurt me. Every decision you’ve made, even the one to let Justin man the racer’s onboard computer, was made out of love.”

“I didn’t think it would happen, but I fell in love with you almost from the start,” Cassandra said.

Her voice cracked, but Marco heard the truth. She’d loved him even when he hadn’t promised her his heart. He stood, then swept another stray tear from her cheek. “I hate that I made you cry. I want to make you happy. I don’t need the company or the
Barracuda.
I need you. Please, Cassandra. Take me back, and let me love you forever.”

“You don’t want the
Barracuda
?” she asked, sniffing.

He tucked one hand into his pocket and withdrew a white box. “No,
Ti Amo
, I only want you.”

Cassandra’s lower lip trembled. “But what about the Platinum Cup?”

He could hear the sound of waves lapping the dock’s pilings and the rustle of the wind flapping through the catamaran’s tall mainsail. A small murmuring of voices speaking in hushed tones permeated his senses. Marco inhaled the scent of sea and surf and sun, remembering all the glorious days he’d spent with Cassandra on the Atlantic Ocean.

“I don’t need a trophy,” Marco said. “I need you. You’re more than a lover; you’re my heart. You are my breath.”

“Marco,” she said, holding him. “I want you to race in July. And I need you by my side at Nelson Industries. You don’t have to give that up to be with me.”

He rained kisses across her cheeks and feathered his lips across her mouth. “You are my heart and the center of my world. Without you I am an empty shell, but with you I am whole. Please marry me again, and I’ll give you a lifetime of happiness in return.”

“Leaving you was the hardest thing I’ve ever done,” Cassandra said. “But I had to be sure that you could love me because I need you to love our child, too.”

His pulse raced and his ears thundered with a rush of blood. “We made a baby? I’m going to be a father?” Hope, something greater than himself, radiated throughout his entire body. Marco looked down at Cassandra’s flat stomach and back again. “But isn’t it too soon?”

“Oh, Marco, you should know by now that when it comes to calculations, I’m usually right.” She took his hand and placed it on her belly. “You think you have enough room in your heart for both of us?”

Emotion lodged in his throat. Marco had fought his entire life to be part of a family that hadn’t wanted him, but this beautiful and courageous woman had given him everything he’d ever dreamed of having. “
Si.
” He withdrew his touch long enough to take out the ring box and open it. “Now please put me out of my misery and tell me you’ll be mine forever.” He heard laugher, the soft sound of clapping, and the pop of a cork.

Cassandra smiled and lifted the wedding band out, then slipped it on her ring finger. Looking up at him, trust and love shining in her indigo eyes, she said, “I’m already yours.”

“And I’ll be yours forever.” Marco wrapped his arms around Cassandra’s shoulders and lowered his mouth to hers, coming home to the one place he would always belong.

About the Author:

Christine Glover loves writing sensual, sizzling, emotional contemporary romances where two lost souls find each other and discover home. She resides in Alabama with her husband, two insane cats and her wonderful daughter. She enjoys finding the silly in the serious, making wine out of sour grapes, and giving people giggle fits along with heartfelt hugs. When she’s not writing, you can find her traveling the world, cooking gourmet food, and desperately seeking a corkscrew.

She enjoys hanging out with people online and in the real world. You can contact her at
[email protected]
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www.christinegloverauthorsite.com

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Acknowledgements:

A very big thank you to my editor, Deadra Krieger, for your insights and keen eye. This story is so much better because of you! And a big shout out to my cover designer, Jaycee DeLorenzo! You took my vision and made it real—super sexy real!

Thank you to my critique partner, Pam Mantovani, for always having my back and making me get to the heart of the story. I wouldn’t be the writer I am today if not for your Picky Alerts, wine infusions, and awesome brainstorming weekends. Next time I see you the champagne is on me!

I owe a big debt of gratitude to my street team, The Passion Players. Passionettes, you are the best ever. Thanks so much for all your support, the virtual chocolate, and the Man Candy!! I love our online group so much—each and every one of you rock!

I’m incredibly blessed by the support of my family and friends. You’ve been there through all the ups and downs of this crazy roller coaster ride I’m on. Thanks for putting up with your writer friend/wife/mom even when I’m not cooking, hard to find, or wallowing in a personal pity party. You make me laugh, and you give me the courage to get back in the chair to write for another day.

Finally, I want to thank all the readers who have taken the time to read my books and who continue to give me an opportunity to write more stories for them to discover.

Other Books by Christine Glover

Sweetbriar Springs Series

The Movie Star’s Red Hot Holiday Fling

The Maverick’s Red Hot Reunion