Innocence (Tales of Olympus #1)(27)

He gave her an enigmatic smile as they went up the steps. She could barely see beyond his sheltering arms as he pushed open the doors.

As soon as they stepped inside, humid heat rolled over Cora, lapping at her arms and face like an ocean wave. It was completely dark, though. But Cora relaxed anyway, walking into the darkness without being afraid. Marcus was at her side.

“What is this place?” she breathed.

A flashlight switched on, and the beam danced over palms and ferns, flowers and green—a whole host of growing things, sheltered in the building of glass.

“A greenhouse!” she cried, and Marcus chuckled as he came forward to show her around. They traipsed the narrow paths and found their way through the dark with only his single flashlight.

How did he know that this was exactly what she’d needed? As much as she admired the city, sometimes it got to be oppressive—so much concrete, pavement, brick, and steel, block after block in all directions. She missed growing things. She missed being able to walk out her front door and touch the earth, smell the soil, and watch the sun rise in the big open sky.

She held out her arms and laughed as her hands brushed the beckoning soft branches and leaves.

She squinted. “I see something up ahead.” She dropped her arms and pressed forward.

Marcus obligingly followed with the light, until they pushed past one great frond and found a little table and some wine, lit by a silver candelabra. Going around her, he pulled out one of the chairs.

“Welcome to paradise, goddess.”

Speechless, she sat quiet while he poured the champagne, and took a glass without a word.

“A toast,” he said, “to our new favorite place.”

She couldn’t help it; she laughed. His eyes sparkled over the glass as he drank first. She was still waiting, wide eyed, when he finished. He toyed with his glass before placing it down decisively.

“You aren’t like any other woman I’ve dated.”

“Oh?” she asked. He came over to her, and she looked up at him, heart beating so rapidly she lifted a hand to her chest like that might slow it down. Would he kiss her again? Every time he did was so overwhelming and exquisite, she thought she might die of the pleasure.

“When I first saw you, angel,” he said, “I knew you would be my wife.”

Cora lost her breath for the second time that night. He— He did? His wife?

Her mind was racing a million miles a minute as he came near her and cupped her cheek.

“So lovely, so innocent. You are exactly what I’ve been looking for and didn’t even know it.” He knelt down before her on one knee. “I need you to be mine, Cora.” He reached into his pocket, keeping his eyes on hers.

What was happening? This couldn’t be happening. Oh gods, was this happening?

“Marcus?” she started to ask, but he opened the jewelry box, and she found she couldn’t speak.

It was a ring. It was a freaking ring!

“Marry me,” he said, smiling at her shock.

“Oh, Marcus,” she mouthed. Her breath was gone; she was mute. Instead, she reached forward to touch the ring. The metal was silver colored, but she knew it would be white gold. There were tiny diamonds, cut to sparkle. But the main gem was red. Mesmerized, she realized he was speaking.

“I almost got you a diamond, a real nice rock. But you look so good in red.” He looked at her suddenly in such a way that she blushed. She leaned back in her chair, away from both him and the ring, hoping she could hide the fear that had pierced through her.

There was a darkness in Marcus. She still believed what she’d told Maeve earlier this afternoon. Marcus was a good man, but there was a darkness in him. Was she really ready to commit her life to a man she knew so little about? He was careful around her, showing her only the parts of himself he wanted her to see.

“So?” He prompted, after a moment of silence.

“What if I’m not ready?” She didn’t know where the words came from. Dark fire flashed through Marcus’s eyes, but otherwise he hid his frustration well. “It’s just so soon,” she hurried to say. “We’ve only known each other a couple of months.”

“I think you’re ready,” he said and he stood up, towering over her, until he drew her to her feet. He moved his face close, as if he would kiss her, and she was frozen, watching his lips, “I think you want to say yes.”

And then he did kiss her. “Say yes,” he murmured while his lips played over her skin, kissing down her throat in the most delicious way. “Say yes.”

She closed her eyes, wound her arms around his neck, and like always when it came to Marcus, gave in.

“Yes,” she whispered in the darkness. “Yes, I’ll marry you.”

Even as he smiled and kissed her, though, a small worried voice piped up in the back of her mind. The setting was romantic, yes. The ring was beautiful. He’d expressed more of his feelings tonight than she’d ever heard from him before.

But he hadn’t said a single thing about love.





Seven





“Now that’s a nice ring,” Maeve said in her quiet, matter-of-fact way when Cora came to volunteer that week. Marcus had frowned when Cora told him she’d be busy until dinner, but she was adamant to keep to her schedule. Not even planning a rush wedding to one of the wealthiest men in the city would make her bail on Maeve.