Page 25 of Marc (Men of Forbidden Temptation #2)

STACI

ONE YEAR LATER

A knock sounds on the bathroom door before Marc’s worried voice is heard from the other side of the wooden divider.

“Staci, not to rush you or anything, but are you almost ready? The reservation is for seven thirty and right now it is six forty-nine.”

I yell back. “Then we are swimming in time.”

The restaurant is only a two-minute walk from the condo that Marc has rented for the week, so I don’t know what his rush is.

I line my eyes with liquid eyeliner before grabbing the tube of mascara.

After checking my reflection one last time, I slip on my knee length black sequined dress before sliding on a pair of black heels.

I meet Marc in the beach themed living room .

He is wearing a black fitted suit with a traditional white button-up shirt and a black tie.

His gaze lowers to my feet before taking in the rest of my body. When he gets to my chest, his gaze lingers for a few extra moments before landing on my face.

“Wow, you look incredible.”

Has he seen himself?

“You look quite handsome yourself.”

He walks to the front door, peeking through the hole in the door. “Ready?”

“Ready as I’ll ever be, since you refuse to tell me the real reason as to why we are all dressed up.”

Marc has been protective of me since Jared was arrested and charged last year.

Life has been stress free and quite amazing these past twelve months, but Marc started acting weirder than usual when the two of us found out that Jared was due to get out of jail this week because of his good behavior.

Like a caring and supportive boyfriend, Marc wanted the two of us to be out of town when Jared’s release happens, so he brought me back to the beach.

This time, he rented a condo instead of a hotel so we could make our own meals and have more privacy.

These past few days have been so romantic and relaxing.

Marc surprised me this afternoon when he told me to get dressed up because he was taking me out to a fancy dinner.

It’s a good thing I packed all sorts of clothes for this trip because I wasn’t expecting a fancy dinner.

When we get out of the condominium building, Marc grabs my hand and pulls me close to his side.

“Would you like to take a walk on the beach before dinner?”

I look out towards the ocean and the setting sun. “That sounds perfect.”

When we get to the sand, Marc squats down to take my heels off.

Taking my heels from him, I say, “Thank you.”

We walk hand in hand as the sun sets over the horizon, casting the last rays of the sun until tomorrow.

The soft sound of the crashing waves and the cawing of seagulls in the distance paired with the salty sea air comforts and relaxes me.

“This is so beautiful.”

I know Teri is here with me, smiling at the life I’ve created for myself and with Marc.

Marc glances towards the waves, looking nervous.

“Is everything okay?”

His eyes dart around the near empty beach as if he is looking for someone.

“Everything is perfect.”

He doesn’t seem too convincing. What could be wrong?

I wrap my arm around his to get him to stop walking. Looking at him, I check for any signs as to why he is acting differently today.

He was in such a rush to get to the restaurant, only to ask to walk on the beach before dinner.

“Do you feel sick? We can cancel the reservation and go back to the condo. I can order take out.”

“No. I’m fine. Actually, I was going to wait until after dessert when we were walking along the water, but I feel too nervous to eat anything at the moment.”

Does he want to skip dinner?

“What’s going on?”

Marc takes a deep breath.

“Staci, this past year has been incredible. Not only do I get to work with you every day and our careers are doing great, but living with you has been better than I ever could have imagined. I want you in my life and in my bed for the rest of our lives.”

Marc kneels on the soft sand with the sun setting behind him and pulls out a small velvet box.

Opening it up, he shows me the most stunning diamond ring I have ever seen.

His voice is shaky and full of uncertainty. “Will you continue to make me the happiest man alive and marry me?”

I nod my head and scream, “Yes!”

Marc stands and pulls me into a hug, kissing me as people clap and cheer in the background.

Our kiss is gentle and chaste as we share this moment together .

When we break apart, Marc slides the solitaire diamond ring onto my ring finger.

I am amazed at the perfect fit. “It’s the perfect size. How did you know?”

Marc chuckles. “I measured your finger one night while you were asleep. After I picked this ring out, I tried it on your finger to make sure it fit.”

“You did all of that for me?”

He seems unfazed. “Of course I did. I wanted it to be perfect.”

I laugh and gaze at the ring. “Well, it is. The perfect size, the perfect ring, and the perfect location. I couldn’t be happier.”

My stomach growls, interrupting our special moment. “So, are you still too nervous to eat?”

He grabs my hand. “Actually, now that my nerves are back to normal, I feel starved.”

I pull him back towards the road. “Then let’s go so we can catch our reservation.”

He stops walking and I nearly fall.

“I have another surprise for you.”

What else could he have in store for me?

“Something else on top of this beautiful ring and a very nice dinner?”

“My sister wanted to meet you and when I told her I was planning on proposing, she practically came through the phone for an invitation.”

I look around at the people waiting outside the restaurant. “Your sister is here?”

His smile fades. “Yeah. Is that okay? ”

“That’s more than okay! How long has she been here?”

I continue to look around at all the people in the restaurant.

Marc raises an eyebrow. “Uh, she came in last night.”

“Last night! Why didn’t you say something earlier? We could have hung out with her today, so she wasn’t alone and bored.”

Marc shrugs before kneeling down to help me put my heels back on.

“She went shopping today. Trust me, she’s fine. Plus, I told her we could meet up after dinner. I didn’t want her to clue you in on my plans and I didn’t want you to be suspicious of why she was at the same beach that we were.”

“Why don’t you call her and see if she can meet us for dinner now? I’ll check in with the hostess and make sure they can put us at a bigger table.”

Marc grabs his phone but hesitates. “Are you sure you don’t mind eating with her? This can be a dinner for the two of us like we planned, and she can meet up with us later.”

Does he want this dinner to be just the two of us?

“I mean, if you want it to be more intimate, then I am perfectly fine with it just being the two of us. However, I am also perfectly okay with your sister joining us. I want to share this moment with family, especially since-”

I stop talking as my throat tightens with emotion. I blink rapidly to keep the tears from falling and messing up my makeup.

In an instant, Marc is by my side.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for this to become too much for you. That was never my intention.”

I wave him off. “You didn’t do anything wrong. I would love to celebrate with your sister. So, you call her and I’ll get a bigger table.”

“Sounds great. Thank you for including her. I know it will mean the world to her.”

I head to the hostess stand while Marc calls his sister.

After getting our reservation changed to a bigger table, I meet back up with Marc.

He ends the call and slips his phone back in his pocket. “Amanda will be here in ten minutes.”

“Great. Our reservation had to be moved to eight, so we have a little time to talk and get to know each other before dinner.”

He gestures to an open bench that is facing the water. “Do you want to sit while we wait?”

“Sure. We have some time to kill.”

I sit in the middle of the bench and lean my head on his shoulder.

Holding up my hand, I admire the diamond ring.

It is the complete opposite of what I had with my last marriage. Hell, this one actually fits, so that is a plus.

“You picked out such an amazing ring. I still can’t believe you went through all that just to make sure it was the correct size.”

His chuckle causes my head to bounce. “I just wanted it to be perfect.”

I look up at him as he stares into the ocean.

“It is beyond perfect. All of this. The condo, the proposal, the ring, and meeting your sister. I feel so lucky to have you in my life.”

“I’m the lucky one.”

I lean closer and press my lips to his.

A woman’s voice sounds from behind us. “You two are seriously so cute together.”

Marc and I break the kiss and look towards the voice.

I recognize the woman from the photographs that are in Marc’s house. His sister is wearing a knee length, one-shouldered, light blue silky dress.

Marc stands and walks over to her, pulling her into a hug. “Amanda, I’m surprised it only took you a few minutes to get dressed.”

She looks embarrassed. “I didn’t want you two to be waiting for me.” She turns towards me. “It is so nice to finally meet you, Staci.”

I give her a hug and it feels like I have known her for a lifetime. “We don’t mind waiting a few extra minutes. I mean, who wouldn’t like to sit and watch this sunset?”

She laughs and nods her head before pulling her phone out of her clutch and walking back over to Marc .

“I promised Mom that we would video call her so she can meet Staci and see the ring.”

Marc coughs. “You told Mom?”

He looks surprised that his mom would want to see the ring or meet me.

“Wait, you didn’t tell your mom that you were planning on proposing to me?”

“She knows how I feel about you and she already knew that I went ring shopping, but no, I didn’t tell her I was proposing tonight.”

Amanda groans. “I’m sorry, bro. You can blame me.”

“Uh, yeah. You’re damn right I am blaming you.”

I love seeing their sibling bond. It makes my heart swell, but it also stings because Teri and I would tease each other like the two of them are right now.

Amanda pushes Marc away and turns to face me. “So, should we call your family first?”

Her question catches me by surprise. “Oh, uh, no, that won’t be necessary.”

“Oh.” She looks towards Marc before looking back at me. “Are they, umm, dead?”

Marc throws his hands up in exasperation and scowls at Amanda. “That is incredibly rude to ask.”

I interject. “In a sense, but no, they are very much alive except my sister. She passed away a long time ago.”

Amanda wraps her arm around my shoulder. “I am so sorry. Marc’s right, that was rude of me and I shouldn’t have asked. That’s personal, and you just met me.”

“It’s not a big deal.” At Marc’s questioning look, I clarify. “Sure, I wish I had a loving and supportive family, but I’m mostly over it. The only person I wish I could share this with is Teri, but I know she is watching and is proud of me, so that is all that matters.”

Marc grabs my hand and gives it a squeeze. “I know it isn’t the same, but I can promise you that my family will love you like their own and treat you the same, if not better, than they treat me.”

Amanda adds, “He’s right. We already love you and are happy for the two of you. I know we can’t replace your family, but you are always welcome in ours.”

I feel a sense of relief. Almost as if my conscience was worried about Marc’s family liking me.

“Well, in that case, let’s video call your mom.”

“Yay!” Amanda squeals before making the call.

The three of us huddle together on the bench, with Marc in the middle as an older woman pops up on the screen.

Marc and Amanda speak at the same time. “Hey, Mom.”

“Hey guys and hi Staci, I’m Patti.”

I give her a wave. “Hi. It’s nice to meet you.”

She smiles. “It’s so nice to finally meet you. I’m so sorry we haven’t met sooner, but with being out of state for the past year, we haven’t had much down time. We will be coming home in the next couple of weeks, so we can get together then, if you are up to it.”

Marc looks at me as if he is expecting me to make that decision.

His parents have had to care for Marc’s sick grandparents over the past year, and Marc and I have made sure to keep their house clean and their lawn mowed.

“I’m totally up for that. Work isn’t going to be too crazy, but you are more than welcome to come see Marc in action.”

Marc chuckles. “Me? I just stand there. You are the one that actually works.”

“It’s not work when you enjoy it.”

Patti’s voice interrupts us. “That’s true, and I am so happy Marc found you. I can see how happy you two are. Now, let me see the ring.”

I hold up my hand to show off my ring.

Patti’s eyes get wide. “Oh! That is beautiful. You did great, Marc.”

Amanda and I nod and I say, “He really did.”

Amanda looks towards the restaurant. “Mom, we need to go.”

Patti looks away from the camera before saying, “Okay, I’ll let you three go to enjoy your night. Congratulations Staci and Marc. I’m happy to welcome you into the family.”

I give her a genuine smile. “Thank you so much.”

Marc places his hand on my thigh. “Staci and I will call you when we get home so we can make plans.”

“That sounds great. I love you guys.”

Amanda waves. “Bye Mom.”

She hangs up the phone and places it back in her clutch.

Marc stands and pulls me up. “That went well.”

Amanda joins us. “Of course, it did. Why wouldn’t it have gone well? Mom is excited about helping plan a wedding and the possibility of grandkids in the near future.”

Marc chokes. “Grandkids? We just got engaged.”

I rub his arm. “Don’t worry, she is just excited about the future. As am I.”

Marc leads us to the restaurant. “Then let’s start planning our wedding.”

Want more sexy, irresistible, forbidden men? Check out book three in the Men of Forbidden Temptation series, Damien .