Can't Buy Me Love

Chapter Twenty Eight

Marina watched, then gasped as he reached behind himself and unzipped his wetsuit, sliding his arms out. She’d dreamed of that chest SO many times, but her dreams had never recalled with such vividness the broad pecs, flat abs and the smattering of hair that tracked down to the waist band of his dark shorts. 

Dry mouthed she waited patiently as he towelled dry his hair, then that glorious chest, finally he lifted his eyes and scanned the sand lazily. Marina could see the second he realized it was her, his eyes had glanced over her in that loose, free manner before his head shot back and his wide eyes studied her intently.

Half staggering Adam dropped his towel then with indecisive steps crossed the short distance to her.

"Marina?" his voice was a breath. So much fear behind that husky word.

Marina stood slowly to her feet, "yep, it's me." Managing to keep her fear her nerves under wraps her voice was strong.

Their eyes were locked on each other, and nothing else seemed to matter anymore. She drank in his face, his expression of wonder, amazement.

"I finally read your letter." She eventually offered.

He shrugged in a nonchalant manner, "well, it wasn't meant to be...."

She held up a hand to silence him, "I've come all this way to talk, to explain."

"Come to the house, we can't do this here."

Without as much as a glance back he marched across the sand to a back gate that obviously led to the home he was renting.

"So you're a beach bum?" she offered following him into the cosy house.

He nodded, "an ambition of mine." He kicked the wetsuit off his legs and dumped it through a door to his right, then stood facing her in just his shorts. "Anyway. What are you doing here Marina? We said all there was to say in Paris."

Shaking her head, she restrained him with a hand on his forearm, "I wanted to explain to you Adam." Ignoring the flinch at her use of his name, she plundered on. "I should never have flown off the handle in Paris. I overreacted, and then ignored it all for months." She searched his eyes for that chink of hope in his veneer of determination. "You had to work; you had so much to you had to do. I know that, I knew it then. Will you accept my apology Adam?"

"Why are you calling me that?"

She smiled, "because it's your name. I love Adam Parkin. It took a lot to make me realise quite how much. I've been let down and ignored all my life, and I think I wanted you to fail me too. If you hurt me then I'd be justified in my suspicions of you...my suspicions of everyone. Poor Marina...it's a facade I grew so used to. I think I've dwelled on it!"

Adam was looking at her, his face incredulous. "Marina, I accept the apology, and want to say the same, neither of us really behaved like an adult."

"We're both hurt, both nervous, damaged goods y'know? I came all the way here to say I want another chance, I've had so much time to think, to work out where I went wrong."

He shook his head and left the room. Following him she found herself in a small kitchen, "Adam, please. You told me you loved me. I really need to know if you still feel that same way."

"I can't do this....you deserve more!"

Marina laughed, "Deserve more? Who do you think I am? Some princess? I'm just Marina, troubled, screwed up Marina, who hasn't slept properly since you walked out on her six months ago. I want you Adam, not Nathan, not Peter...ADAM PARKIN. That's the man I've fallen in love with, and the man I want to get to know a lot better."