Marco's Pride by Jane Porter

Author:Jane Porter
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2003-08-20T04:00:00+00:00

In the morning as they were checking out of the hotel, Marco’s cell phone rang. “Marilena,” he said, answering the call. He moved away a little bit and Payton stood with the girls and their suitcases near the lobby door waiting for the taxi that would carry them to the port.

Payton didn’t hear much of the conversation. She didn’t want to hear much of the conversation and she intentionally busied herself playing a game counting red cars with the girls to keep her focus out on the street instead of on Marco.

Marco glanced at Payton from beneath his lashes as he listened to Marilena describe a party he’d missed the night before. “Everyone asked about you,” the princess said. “You were definitely missed.”

“I’ll be back in a week,” he answered, wondering why he felt so irritated. He and Marilena had always been so social together; they were quite a power couple in their strata-sphere.

“How is it going? How was your night in Naples?”

“The girls enjoyed Naples,” he answered, watching Payton crouch beside the girls at the glass window. It looked almost as if they were playing a game and Payton was laughing as Gia and Livia argued over who’d gotten the last point. “We had dinner at La Terazza.”

“You took the children to La Terazza? But darling, it’s not a restaurant for children.”

“They behaved beautifully.” He saw the taxi pull up and the hotel doorman gestured to Payton. “I need to go,” he said. “Our taxi is here. I don’t want to miss our shuttle to Capri.”

“All right, darling, call me soon. Bye bye.”

The taxi whisked them from the hotel to the bay and they arrived at the port just in time to board one of the high-speed hydrofoils that would carry them to Capri. It was only a forty-minute ride, Marco explained. Hundreds of tourists made the round trip every day in summer.

The hydrofoil picked up speed and Payton watched the steep hillsides with the cascade of pastel houses recede. Naples from the water was even more spectacular. Indeed the whole coastline—all green and blue and jewel tone colors—sparkled in the sun.

As Naples dwindled from the view, Payton thought back to the dream she’d had in high school. The dream had been to come to Italy, to see the great art and cathedrals of ancient Rome. She’d wanted to take an apartment in Milan and study fashion with the top designers. She’d longed to drink coffee and watch the sun rise over the land where great art and great minds had given the world culture.

An hour later, the hydrofoil pulled alongside the harbor and the crew turned to the task of docking. The sun felt warmer already.

Marco suddenly leaned forward and kissed Payton’s forehead, his hand tangling in her long loose curls. “You look happy,” he said. “It’s good to see you smile.”

She blushed, heat blooming through her middle at his touch.

He dipped his head again and this time kissed her cheek, near her mouth. She smelled the spice

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