Love Dies Hard Three - Book 3 (Billionaire Romance Series) (Hard To Love) Read online

  LOVE Dies HARD 3

  Hard to Love

  Billionaire Romance Series

  By

  C.C. CARTWRIGHT

  Copyright

  This book is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is entirely coincidental. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

  Copyright © 2015 by C.C. Cartwright

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  LOVE Dies HARD 1 (Kindle Unlimited)

  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00XTGGMU4

  LOVE Dies HARD 2 (Kindle Unlimited)

  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00YL2UJOY

  LOVE Dies HARD 3 (Kindle Unlimited)

  LOVE Dies HARD 4 (Release late June 2015)

  Chapter 1

  Marcus

  I am getting so tired of Sophie two timing me. No woman ever two times Marcus Hunter. Maybe I’m exaggerating, is a lunch date harmless? Whenever she sees that other guy it kills me, I become this jealous lover, an emotion I’m not used to feeling. Sophie ignites a wide range of emotions I’m not used to feeling. If lunch is no big deal, then maybe I should have lunch with Jade, see how Sophie would like a dose of her own medicine. The sad thing is, she probably wouldn’t even care if I did. My Father said he wants to meet with me at 11:00 this morning and it sounded serious.

  “Son, I’m sending you to our London office. They need our supervision, John Holden is having trouble holding down the fort there,” my Father says sternly. There’s no refusing him.

  “How soon do I need to leave?” I ask swallowing hard because I know what this means.

  “Yesterday. I should have sent you months ago, but I kept putting off the inevitable,” my Father replies.

  “You know Dad, I wish you had given me some warning. You aren’t doing this to split Sophie and I up are you?” I boldly question my Father, but I can’t stop myself from wanting to know the answer.

  “Marcus, Sophie is a lovely young lady. She’s an ambitious money manager with a bright future ahead of her. However, you know how I feel about you dating and then ultimately casting aside these young ladies when you’re through with them. It makes the firm look bad, it makes me look bad. It’s best for you to move to London and focus on your position here at Hunter Investments son. I understand a man has needs, but I’d rather you ‘date’ women who don’t work for us. It just can get messy, remember the last time?” my Father says cautioning me yet again.

  “Yes sir, but it’s different this time with Sophie. Can you give me one month’s time to wrap things up here before I leave?” I ask.

  “I’ll think about it,” is all my old man offers.

  I’m standing looking out at the expansive view of Los Angeles from my 30th floor office wondering what the hell I’m going to do without Sophie in my life. How could my Father drop a bomb on me like this? He and my mother are working to split us up. They think we have another Jade Johansson on our hands, but they couldn’t be more wrong. I need to go and talk to Sophie about this.

  “We need to talk,” I say walking into Sophie’s office and closing the door.

  “What is it Marcus, you look upset?” Sophie asks concern in her voice. My beautiful girl, it pains me to think we will have to be apart. Maybe I can convince my Father to send Sophie with me.

  “I just had a meeting with my Father. He wants to send me to oversee our London office,” I tell her, straight to the point. I need to gauge her reaction, see if she cares. Her face is unreadable.

  “Do you mean for like a week or would it be for longer?” she calmly questions.

  “He made it sound indefinitely.”

  “Oh I see.”

  “He claims John Holden is having trouble managing the office, so he wants me there to keep an eye on things.”

  “That sounds fairly open ended, like you could be there awhile. Months, wouldn’t you say?” she says as if she is talking to a mere co-worker, not an intimate lover.

  “Yes, that’s what I’m afraid of,” I reply searching her expression.

  “How do you feel about it?” she asks.

  “How do you feel about it?” I ask. I need to know if she cares.

  “It seems so sudden, did he ever give you any inkling that this was in the works?”

  “None whatsoever, he blindsided me,” I sigh out.

  “Well you have to go don’t you? Knowing your Father, you have no say in the matter.”

  “You’re right, I have no choice. Let’s have dinner tonight and we’ll talk more about it then,” I say, hurt by her lack of reaction.

  “Alright, dinner tonight then,” she accepts and we both know dinner is always followed by a passionate dessert.

  Chapter 2

  Sophie

  I can’t believe Marcus has to up and move to London. This will be our ending. It takes someone else like his Father to put an ocean between us to get us to end it. The thought causes an ache in my heart, but then again I have to realize it’s for the best. Fate has dealt us these cards. Marcus and I alone aren’t strong enough to tear ourselves apart. His parents don’t want us together and I have got to hand it to them, this is a very sly plan of theirs to split us up, but I respect it. Very ingenious of them actually, they need to protect their precious son from gold digging women like myself and Jade Johansson. I laugh to myself at anyone who would consider me a gold digger.

  I’m the most confused girl right now. When Marcus came into my office earlier today to tell me, my heart thumped hard in my chest. I played it cool, not giving away a thing. I already miss him and he hasn’t even left yet. This will be the end and then we both need to move on. I need to move onto my future with John. I will enjoy Marcus’s touch until he leaves for London and then we will say goodbye for good. I stare at my computer screen, but I can’t even concentrate on work anymore. I will still go to his bed or his office as long as he will have me. I’m a pathetic woman, I know.

  We decide to have each other at my apartment tonight. Marcus stops on the way home to pick up some dinner from an Italian place we like because again, I don’t cook. He seems to put up with my lack of culinary skills because I more than deliver in the bedroom, at least that’s what he tells me.

  “I can’t believe my Dad is shipping me off to London,” he says over dinner.

  “London is a great city,” I say encouragingly.

  “Have you ever been there?”

  “Yes, out of college I went to Europe with a sorority sister for a month. We visited eleven countries and we called it the pajama tour because all we were able to do was unpack our pajamas in each city. We moved around every other night practically. It was fun, but exhausting,” I reminisce.

  “I remember backpacking through Europe one summer while I was in college. We visited a lot of countries. London was a very cool city. I’m going to ask my Dad if he will send you over with me,” Marcus says and I just about choke on my food when I start coughing. “Drink some water, are you okay?” Marcus asks with concern in his voice.

  “Yeah, I’m fine,” I squeak out and drink some water.

  “Anyway, like I was saying, I’m going to see if my Father will send you with me.”

  “Marcus, are you delusional? He will never agree to that, I’m the reason he is sending you away in the first place. There’s no way he will send me.” I hope he doesn’t. This has to end and I will mo
ve forward with John. We need to let each other go. Mr. Hunter couldn’t have had better timing.

  “He did say I needed to focus on my duties at Hunter Investments, but I don’t want to go. How do you feel about me going?” he asks expectantly. I just look into those eyes of his as he takes my hand in his. What a loaded question.

  “It hasn’t really sunken in yet,” I reply. Imagining my bed without him in it causes a sinking feeling in my heart, but I don’t dare say it out loud. I evade the question, as I stand up to clear our dishes and walk into the kitchen. Marcus’s eyes follow me. I don’t want him asking me again.

  “Can I watch my show tonight?” I ask him as I walk into the living room with my glass of wine.

  “Sure, which power woman show do you want to watch tonight?”

  “I taped The Good Wife.” We snuggle together on the sofa and we get about halfway through it when Marcus starts tweaking my nipples and trailing kisses down my neck.

  “Are you ready for dessert?” I tease.

  “Always, with you,” he whispers, biting my earlobes and swirling his tongue in my ear. Marcus knows how to make me wet in an instant, with his touch alone. I turn off the TV to take his hand and lead him into my bedroom.

  Once we make into my bed, I know I want to enjoy every single inch of him. Slowly torture myself, but he must be thinking the same thing. He starts kissing my lips that I part for him. Our tongues swirl together while I hold his face with both hands and wrap my legs around him. I want to consume all of him tonight and I let him consume all of me. He starts trailing light kisses, while he sucks in my skin, along my neck and down to my breasts. He lovingly takes a nipple between his lips and sucks so hard I let out a gasp. He gently blows on my nipple watching it peak for him before he moves on to torture the other one. I love how he makes my body feel. He fills me with a lust and desire so strong that I can’t even think straight. How am I going to survive without his touch? If I fall for you, I will never be the same. Maroon 5’s Love Somebody lyrics run through my head.

  “I like this on you my little minx, I will miss you,” he says making my stomach lurch and my blood run cold at the thought of him leaving me. I need his arms around me, to calm me down and warm me back up. “You have goosebumps.” He reaches behind me and unhooks my bra and slides it off. I sigh as his hands cup my breasts and lightly squeeze them. His hands are warm against my skin and his lips soft as they graze across my nipples.

  Tonight our love is so intense, almost frantic. Our eyes were locked on each other’s the entire time, as if it was going to be our last time. When I rolled over afterwards to try and fall asleep I was overcome with emotion as tears rolled down my face. I didn’t want Marcus to see or hear me crying so I went into the bathroom to dry my eyes. Our sex is on fire, so all consuming, it’s the greatest sex of my entire life and I know it will be coming to an end soon. I drag myself back to share my bed with Marcus. I need to get ahold of myself. These tears tell me I’m in far deeper than I realized. Damn it Sophie, you weren’t supposed to let him anywhere near your heart, near your soul. You foolish girl, thinking you could let him inside your body, but not into your heart. How wrong you were. I quietly get back into bed.

  “Sophie, I know you were crying,” I hear Marcus say tenderly into the darkness. I just about fall apart in front of him, “don’t deny it babe.” My tears start to flow again and I wipe them away with the backs of my hand. I let him wrap his arms around me and hold me close to the warmth of his skin. My tears wet his chest and my heart aches already at the thought of him leaving me.

  “Stop Marcus, please don’t say anymore. You’ll just make this harder than it already is,” I beg and he heeds my warning.

  *****

  Marcus told me he asked his father for one month, but Mr. Hunter gave his son two weeks to be ready to up his life and move to London. When money is no object, I suppose things can be done quickly.

  A few times Marcus has mentioned me coming to visit him, but I remain non-committal. We both know this will end, and even though it’s breaking us inside, we both try and put on a brave face to hide our true feelings. At least that’s what I have been doing. I can’t speak for him.

  Chapter 3

  Marcus

  When I first told Sophie I was being sent to London, we were in her office and she gives me no clue as to what she’s feeling. Ever since that night at Sloan’s, when she saw me with Jade, she hasn’t said she loves me again. Her guard went back up, permanently so it seems. When I told her I was going to have to move to London indefinitely she barely flinched. Does she feel nothing for me, how is that possible? As heartless as I can be, I feel the most intense connection with her when I’m inside her, buried deep, she must feel it too. Her eyes tell me she does, even though her lips won’t. My father wants me to end this with Sophie and this is his way of forcing my hand. I resent his meddling. When I leave for London, Sophie and I will be saying goodbye forever and it tears me apart. We lay in bed together tonight after the most intense sex we’ve had since we started this. We look deep into each other’s eyes the whole time I was inside her. Like we knew our time together was limited, which it is. Then I saw her body shiver, like you do when you cry. I knew she was crying, and that’s when I knew she cared, she cared about us and it broke my heart even more. I promised her I would never hurt her and that’s exactly what I’m doing.

  Chapter 4

  Sophie

  Hunter is having a farewell gathering for Marcus tonight downstairs at Sloan’s and there’s no chance in hell you could get me to go.

  “Hey Sophie, you going to Sloan’s for Marcus’s farewell?” Christopher walks into my office asking.

  “No I can’t,” is all I clip out.

  “Why not?” he tries to ask innocently, but he knows why, everyone knows why I will be absent from tonight’s gathering.

  “I just can’t make it,” I say and my throat is getting tight as I try to fight back my tears. I turn in my chair so Christopher can’t read my expression.

  “Alright, well I guess I will see you tomorrow then,” Christopher says as he stands and leaves my office. Damn, I need to keep my emotions in check. I need to just leave work early today. I don’t want anybody else coming in here and asking me questions.

  “Tamara, I’m leaving for the day,” I clip out.

  “Alright, is everything ok?” she asks tentatively.

  “I’m just tired and I don’t feel well,” I tell Tamara, I’m not really lying.

  “You’re going to miss Marcus’s farewell party,” she says with a frown.

  “Yeah, well if anyone asks for me just say I went home and that I wasn’t feeling well.”

  As I’m waiting for the elevator, Marcus spots me and I turn away willing the elevator to hurry up and swallow me up as I press the button again.

  “Sophie,” I hear Marcus say coming up behind me. I don’t even turn around, I’m afraid my waterworks will start. The elevator arrives and the doors open.

  “Goodbye Marcus,” I say evenly, not turning to face him and I step onto the elevator and don’t look back. The minute the elevator doors close, tears stream down my face. This is it for us, the end of the road. Just like his father wanted it, just like I wanted it.

  I go home to seek refuge alone, so I can cry my eyes out openly. Get it out of my system. John calls me and I try to sound normal.

  “You sound stuffy, are you coming down with something?” John asks.

  “No, maybe it’s just my allergies. I’m going to sleep now,” I say trying to cover up that I’ve been crying. I agree to see him this weekend, I’m moving onto my future with John.

  I go into my room and into my bathroom and look at myself in the mirror. I’m a mess. My eyes are red and swollen along with my nose. I blast Sex On Fire and get lost in the lyrics. This song is about the most passionate sex of your life. Singing if it’s not forever, it’s still the greatest. That’s what I had with Marcus. Of course the player knew his way around the female body, the
ultimate pleaser from all of his experience with the many women who came in and out of his life. Of course he was good. He will undoubtedly have the British girls falling prey to his worldly charms and they will be dropping their panties for him.

  I’m just about to turn in for the night when I hear my phone chime on my nightstand. It’s a text from Marcus and my heart sinks.

  Marcus: I’m outside your front door. Please let me in.

  My trembling hand goes to my lips and my heart starts hammering in my chest. Do I let him into my bed and into my body one last time? I shake my head no, but the rest of my body is screaming, yes Sophie open the door and let him in. I lie down on my bed and bury my face in my pillow. I can’t do this anymore, and that’s the text I send him.

  Sophie: I can’t do this anymore.

  Marcus: Please Sophie one last time.

  Sophie: No Marcus, please leave.

  Marcus: I can’t, I need to see you.

  Sophie: Please Marcus, leave. We have to let go of each other.

  Marcus: I can’t babe.

  Sophie: You have to go now.

  I go to get more tissues to dry my tears and blow my nose again. I’m a freaking mess. I don’t receive another text from him. Good, he’s left. I wander out to the kitchen for a drink of water and I look through my peep hole. He’s still here, damn you Marcus. I wait it out, and look through the peep hole again. He’s still standing out there. The longer he stays out there the more I’m afraid he will break down my resolve. I don’t want him to see me like this. I’m a blubbering mess. Now I hear him knocking softly, as if he knows I’m standing right on the other side of this door.

  “Marcus, you need to leave. I’m not opening the door,” I say as I press my forehead against the door.

  “Not until I see you,” he pleads softly.

  “Why are you here and not at your farewell party?” I ask once I open the door to him, although I already know the answer to my question. He wants me one last time before he leaves. He takes one look at my tear stained face and he knows I’ve been crying. He steps towards me and comes into my apartment and closes the door. I stand before him, a total emotional mess. My tough girl exterior is gone. I’m so vulnerable right now, I can’t even tell you how raw I feel, how raw I look.