Anneke made a face. “It wasn’t like I left you a choice.”
Marcus’ lips only curved in the briefest of smiles, but he didn’t say it wasn’t so, and Anneke didn’t expect him to. It was the truth, after all. Last night’s events still haunted her, and she could see in his dark eyes that it was the same for him. There were so many things for them to talk about, but the moment she had tried broaching the topic last night a shuttered expression had fallen over his face. She knew then he still wasn’t ready, knew that he still believed she pitied him.
But that was all going to change now.
It had to.
“So...” Anneke cleared her throat. “I was wondering if you could accompany me to town. I have a couple of errands to run.”
Marcus didn’t answer right away. The words made it seem like things were normal between them, made it look like everything was okay now – but was it, really?
“It’s just going to be a short while,” she hastened to add when he still didn’t speak.
Realizing she had misinterpreted his silence, he shook his head, saying softly, “I would be happy to accompany you,bambina.You only have to ask me anything, and it’s yours.”
Anneke only nodded, and when she retreated from him, he had to clench his fists to control the urge to haul her back into him.
“I’ll leave you to shower,” Anneke was saying over her shoulder as she padded towards the door. She turned back to him just as she reached for the knob, asking, “Join me for breakfast?”
“I’ll be with you in fifteen.”
“Okay.” Her fingers wrapped around the doorknob. “And Marcus?”
“Si?”
“I hope you meant what you said—-”
Ah.
“Because thereissomething I want to ask of you.”
****
THEIR WALK TO TOWNafter breakfast was like a trip down memory lane, and Anneke made sure to keep everything light and limit her reminiscing to their happy moments. She even had him carry a familiar tote bag, and her heart felt close to bursting with pleasure when she saw his eyes widen at the sight of it.
“This is the bag from that time.” Marcus’ tone was faintly incredulous. “You managed to keep it?”
Everything that has to do with you,Anneke thought,I kept with me, even when I had every reason to throw it all away.
But out loud, she only said lightly, “It’s proven to be a sturdy little thing over the years.”
When they made it to town, another pleasant surprise awaited him, and Marcus’ head snapped towards Anneke.“A festival?”
“Uh huh.” She grinned up at him, asking teasingly, “Excited about all the angsty live readings we’re about to attend?”
But the Italian billionaire only laughed, and reaching for one loose blond lock, Marcus said silkily, “It is pointless to scare an Italian with such a thing,bambina.We do not shun emotions like you Dutch.”
“Hmph!” But she couldn’t fight the grin off her face, knowing that he wasn’t saying anything that wasn’t true.
Their first stop was a makeshift station of a poet-for-hire, with the requisite typewriter in front of him, and a blank paper already slotted in place.
“Want a custom-written haiku?” the younger man asked hopefully.
“Yes, please.” And without looking at Marcus, she said, “I’d like it dedicated to my husband.”
Beside her, said husband stiffened, and she wanted to laugh and cry.
Oh, my love.