The fingers squeezed my waist again, and I sucked in a breath. Maybe he wasn’t providing a merciful exit after all. Maybe he’d just devised his own little torture for me. That’s okay, because I could play right along. I was born for this kind of stuff. I excelled at impromptu acting.
“Oh, you know...” My eyes darted around the room as I looked for an exit. “Sometimes, it feels like I just jumped into this relationship.”
He tilted back his head and laughed like I’d just said the funniest thing in the world. Meanwhile, the girl backpedaled so fast I thought her head would spin off in the process.
“I’m sorry, Marcus, I—”
His eyes flickered to me for a fraction of a second, like he’d guessed my dilemma, but a second later he was staring at his blabbering guest, a slight smile playing around the corners of his mouth. I watched him carefully, scouting for any opportunity to slip away, but he seemed instantly bored by the conversation and turned almost immediately back to me.
“No, when would you say it all started?” He posed the question with a curious tilt of his head, causing his dark hair to spill gracefully across his face. “I’d say it all went back to that little coffee shop, wouldn’t you?”
“Coffee shop?” I echoed, a little light-headed. “Oh...I’d quite forgotten.”
“I didn’t.” He looked me straight on and grinned. “I think about it all the time.”
My heart skipped a beat. I gazed into his eyes, smitten.
“That’s sweet,” was all I could say.
“You two met in a coffee shop?” the woman asked.
I nodded. “I broke up a fight. Marcus was about to get his ass kicked by this huge bodybuilding dude.”
“I had the situation completely under control,” he said.
“Did you, darling? You’re just lucky I was able to sweet-talk that Hulk down and buy him a cup of coffee.”
“I think he was just as smitten with you as I was.”
“I’m so glad I was running late. Or else I would’ve never met you. I think it was fate we ran into each other. And I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”
He softly kissed my hand. “Since the day we’ve met, you’ve captured my heart, my love.”
“Well, it was great to see you again, but I really have to be getting home. I have this...you know...another lover who requires my attention.”
The women all laughed.
“She’s a doll,” one said. “So funny.”
“And that’s why I love her,” Marcus said.
I pulled myself casually away, but Marcus held on tight, eyes dancing as he threw back his head with another sparkling laugh. “Another lover? Rebecca, you liar,” he chided. He pulled me close enough to catch a faint whiff of sandalwood as he smiled down into my face. “We all know the only lover you have here is me.”
“Well, of course, that’s true.”
“Besides,” Snake-eyes just couldn’t leave it alone, “you still have to give Marcus your present.”
“Present?” I blanked. I’d completely forgotten. Goodness—did the lies ever stop?
“You got me a present?” Marcus smiled cheerfully, finally releasing me. “That was considerate of you, pumpkin.”
“Yes...” I faltered. “Wasn’t it?” A shaking hand brought the champagne back up to my lips, but when I finally lowered the glass, they were all still staring at me.
Marcus, in particular, looked like he was having a fantastic time.
“So what is it?” he prompted.
I almost chok