Marcus frowned when he entered the house. It was quiet, which was unusual. The house was never quiet with three young kids. There was always a television blaring, or you could hear their squeals and laughter when they were playing a game. Since Annie and Maddie moved in, it had become a home. A happy home, he might add.
If it was this quiet, it could only mean one thing. The kids and Annie were not here. He could always sense when his Annie was around.
Marcus' shoulders slumped. They might be up at the big house with their grandparents. Marcus was not in the mood to go up to the big house. He hoped they would be here soon. He hoped to speak to Annie tonight. He hoped that she had read the diary he left on her bedside table this morning.
He had been avoiding her, and he shouldn’t have, but it had to stop.
He had enough time to think about everything in the last few days. Last night, while watching her sleep, he realised there were still too many things left unsaid—stuff about his marriage and his children and the lies and fraud that kept them apart.
It would’ve taken him an eternity to tell Annie everything, and he wasn’t even sure he would’ve succeeded without getting angry or upset.
Things had gone so well between them, and then he had to be so stupid as to tell Annie how he felt before she was ready. It hurt now to be close to her without being able to tell her how he felt.
On the way to their bedroom for a shower, his phone beeped, and Marcus took it out. As usual, his breath caught when he saw it was a message from Annie. Marcus opened to read it, and then he stopped. He re-read it again, his heart thumping in his chest.
What should he make of this? He remembered their conversation about the Hideout weeks ago. He had never brought it up again but if Annie was there,
He re-read the message, breathing deeply and then Marcus knew what to do.
“I’m at the Hideout. Alone. Kids have a sleepover with our parents. Want to join me? Annie.”
Damn right, he wanted to join her.
Marcus didn’t bother to reply. He hurried into the shower, barely drying himself when he’d done which caused him to struggle to get his clothes on.
He cursed and grabbed the towel again to rub him dry.
Ten minutes after he entered the house, Marcus got into the Landrover and drove as fast as he could to the Hideout. The Hideout had special meaning to him because that was where he and Annie made love the first time, that summer so long ago. The summer when they had such big dreams of being together forever. That was where he had ended it. Annie had never come back since then. That she wanted to meet here, must mean something.
Unless she wanted to break it off this time—take revenge. Now that Kent was dead, she didn’t need him anymore.
Marcus’ heart clenched. He wouldn’t know what to do if that happened. He wouldn’t be able to let Annie go.
Marcus suppressed that defeatist thought. This time it would not end or anyway, not while he was still breathing. He would not let Annie go again. Ever.
The farm Jeep was next to the cottage and Marcus parked next to it. He took a deep breath and got out. Under other circumstances, he would have admired the view as it was beautiful this time of year. Just below lay Twin Peaks, with the fynbos right here on the mountain and the vineyards down below. To the right, further down the road, was Blue Mountain, his pride and joy.
Today, however, Marcus didn’t look at it. He only wanted to see Annie and hurried to the front door.
Marcus opened the door and stopped, surveying the scene in front of him. He exhaled and smiled.
Finally, they were on the same page.
He knew what would happen tonight, and he could feel himself harden in anticipation.
The stone cottage had only one room big enough for a Queen-size bed against one wall. At the foot of the bed stood a leather couch facing the fireplace which was now warming the room. There was a generator for electricity in the cottage, and although he could hear the faint hum coming from behind the cabin, the power was not in use right now. They didn’t need it because, apart from the fire, the setting sun still bathing the room in a soft glow, enhanced by the candles scattered throughout the room.
The ambience of the room, however, did not hold his attention. Marcus only had eyes for the woman lounging on the carpet, leaning with her back against the couch.
Annie wore one of his dress shirts. Marcus might be wrong, but he was sure that was all she was wearing as her bare legs stretched out in front of her on the thick rug.
When he had opened the door, Annie had looked up. He could almost see the relief on her face because he had shown up. Maybe he should have let her know that he was on his way, but he was in too much of a hurry to get here.
Marcus stepped into the room. He didn’t break eye contact with Annie when he leaned back and locked the door behind him.
Marcus swallowed and approached Annie, who was watching his every move. Marcus knelt next to her. He placed his hands on either side of her and leaned in closer to her. Neither said anything. They were just looking at each other. Then Annie lifted her hand, sliding it over his shoulders and tangled it in his hair. She smiled and whispered, “Your hair is still wet.”
Marcus smiled and whispered back, “I was in a hurry after I got your message.”
Annie pressed against the back of his neck, pulling Marcus closer. Before their lips met, she whispered again, “I love you, Marcus.”
It felt as if all the joy spilt out of his heart, filling his soul.
They had a lot to talk about and they would. Just not now.
So he did what he had to do. He whispered the only words needed at that moment, “And I love you, Annie. I always have, and I always will.”
And then he kissed her. Soft and slow, reaffirming his words with the touch of his lips. The rest could—and would—come later.
A long time later, Marcus lifted his mouth from hers as he needed to breathe. His heart was feeling too big for his chest when Annie opened her eyes. Marcus took a deep breath and exhaled, the same time she did, and then they both burst out laughing.
Marcus moved then, sitting down next to Annie, wrapping his arm around her at the same time. When she nestled against his chest, he asked, “Why can you say it now?”
Annie lifted her head to look at him and admitted, “I’m sorry for my reaction when you told me you loved me. I promise you that that was as unexpected to me as it was to you.”
Marcus grimaced, “I haven’t been romantic either. I was busy in the cellars, and I had this sudden urge to tell you how I feel, begging you to give us a chance.”
Annie flushed, “I was daydreaming. Instead of working, I was thinking of ways to tell you I love you and then you were saying what was in my head. I thought I imagined it, so I didn’t react. I noticed that I had doodled the words ‘I love you’ and then you repeated it. I’m sorry that I cried.”
Annie studied Marcus’ face, which looked far more relaxed now than it had been the last three days, “I want more from our marriage, Marcus. I want a real, loving marriage. I want our children to grow up in a loving home. When you withdrew this week, I knew I had to take the first step to make it happen. I had to be the one to tell you how I feel. You already did, after all,” she smiled.
“I’m sorry I withdrew. It scared me to be in the same room as you, Annie. If I’m close to you, all I want to do is touch you, to kiss you, to make love to you. When you didn’t say the words, I thought you were not ready yet. It was agony lying in bed next to you and not being able to touch you.”
Annie sat up, and as she had the previous time, she straddled him. Her hands lifted to cup his face and whispered, “Do you believe that I love you, Marcus?”
Marcus studied her face, and he saw the anxiety and fear in her face. He mirrored her movement and cupped her face in his hands, “I believe you, Baby. I think I’ve known at Christmas when you kissed me back. I wasn’t sure if you knew.”
“Oh, I knew Marcus. I’ve always known. I tried, but I could never stop loving you.”
Annie admitted, “I avoided you since I came back from New York. It scared me. If I’m anywhere close to you, I may allow everyone to see how I felt—still feel, after all these years. I rather avoided you to protect myself. I should’ve known you were the only person who could help me heal.”
“As you helped me, Annie,” Marcus admitted. He hesitated then asked, “Did you read the diary?”
Annie nodded, and tears filled her eyes, “I did. I…”
Marcus shook his head, “No, my Love, don’t cry. I never spoke about it to anyone because I didn’t know how to do it without getting angry or upset. I didn’t want to upset you, and I don’t want to talk about it now. I only wanted you to know so that you will understand.”
Her smile was still shaky when she agreed, “I’m glad you gave it to me to read. We need to talk about it but yes, not tonight. Tonight is ours.”
Marcus teased, “So what made you decide that today is the right time to tell me you love me?”
Annie flushed and then she admitted, “I read the diary before I went to work and then cried on Mum’s shoulder. She told me I have to seduce you, just as she had to do with Dad,” she laughed.
“Eww,” Marcus groaned. “That was an image I did not need,” but then he laughed too. He leaned down and asked, “So are you going to seduce your husband, Mrs Walker?”
“You bet I am,” Annie smiled impishly, but then she bit her lip, saying unsure. “But before we get to that… I’m not sure how you will feel about it…”
“What is it?” Marcus probed when she didn’t continue.
“I figured out why I’m so emotional and tired,” Annie said.
Marcus stilled and his face tensed. He seemed hesitant when he asked, “Are you ill? Have you been to the doctor?”
Annie leaned in to brush her lips over his, then leaned back to study his face, “I’ve been to the doctor, yes and no, I’m not sick.”
Marcus’ eyes widened, but he said nothing. Annie could see that his mind was working overtime. To put him out of his misery, she smiled, “I’m pregnant, Marcus.”
Marcus closed his eyes, but when he opened it, he didn’t bother to hide his tears, even though he was grinning—just seeing his tears made Annie want to cry too. Marcus captured her mouth in a kiss so sweet and full of love that Annie did cry.
When he pulled back, he whispered, “Thank you, Annie. I’ve dreamed… I’ve hoped… I hoped that you and I could have another child or two together and now it’s happening. You don’t know what it means to me. I love you so much, Annie-Baby.”
“And I love you, Marcus.”
Marcus turned serious, “We’ve wasted so many years, my Love. I don’t want to waste any more. I want to make a family with you, and I want to start it by adopting Maddie if that’s okay with you.”
“Yes, I would love that. Maddie would love that too. She anyway considers you to be her father,” Annie smiled.
Marcus flushed and then he admitted, “That day when Kent wanted to take her… When she saw me when I came around the corner, she screamed at me, ‘Daddy, help me’. I felt so big and strong at that moment. I could have murdered Kent. It didn’t matter if she isn’t biologically mine, she is my daughter—my child, just like the boys.”
“Marcus leaned back and asked, “So, Mrs Walker, you promised you would seduce me. I’m still waiting…”
Annie didn’t wait for another invitation. Her hands moved to undress him, dragging it out. It felt like a lifetime before she had him naked, but damn, was it worth it when she pulled his shirt over her head. He was right. Annie had not been wearing anything underneath.
Marcus wondered how the hell he had waited so long, but now he could not wait any longer. He took control, rolling Annie underneath him and entering her.
Annie liked it if Marcus took control, and she giggled. He needed no more seducing tonight.
She anyway had him with “I love you.”