Page 127 of Checkmate
His laughter followed her gasp of surprise, the pages falling to the floor save for one. “The Bellview property is up for sale?”
She didn’t dare to believe it. Bellview was on their ghost tour. Said to be haunted by the restless spirit of Anna Bellview, it was the most exquisite little cottage Erica had ever seen. The garden was so wild and overgrown that it hid the building from sight. Erica didn’t know it was there until she met Marcus, but once she saw it, she fell in love.
“Boasting three large bedrooms, the Bellview is perfect for a small family who value privacy. With two bathrooms and a powder room, there’ll be no fighting for the shower.” She glanced at Marcus, her hands shaking with excitement. “Surrounded by nature, Bellview is a breath of fresh air for city dwellers and those with a green thumb.”
“They don’t mention Anna Bellview if you’re waiting for her to come up,” Marcus said, amusement etched on every line of his face. “But they mention some sordid history.”
“I can’t believe it’s up for sale,” Erica said, stubbing out her forgotten cigarette and taking a seat. “I hope the new owners will still allow us to include them in the tour.”
“Well, I was hoping we’d be the new owners, actually.”
Erica widened her eyes, immediately glancing down at the asking price and cursing. “Oh, sure. And the money is coming from where?”
Marcus chuckled and leaned forward, taking her hand. “Erica, could you stop focusing on the money for a moment and think about what I’m asking of you?”
“I don’t understand,” she said, meeting his gaze.
“You’re being very obtuse this morning,” Marcus said with a chuckle. “I’m asking you to buy a house with me, Erica. So we’d live together. In the same house.”
“Live together…” Erica expelled a puff of air as reality finally dawned on her.
It wasn’t as though it would be a big change to their current situation, but wow, what a commitment that was. She wasn’t even sure in what capacity they’d be living together. It had been over a week since they had sex. Neither of them had mentioned it, nor tried to do it again. There was no awkwardness, nothing had really changed.
But neither of them had mentioned it.
“Look, I know there’s some stuff we need to work out,” Marcus said, as though reading her mind. “Some stuff we have to talk about. But regardless, I quite like living with you, and I don’t see any harm in us keeping a house together.
“A house we own?”
He nodded and cleared his throat. “Right. I understand there’s a bit of risk involved there. What if we end up hating one another? What if the business fails? Blah, blah, blah, I’ve thought about all this.”
“Care to share?” Erica asked, her thumb stroking him without conscious thought.
“Lawyers. Plain and simple. We’ve done it with the business, we can do it with the house. Very clear terms on what happens if we go our separate ways.”
Erica nodded, making an agreeable sound. The logistics weren’t too much of a concern for her. They already knew they could work together well and create mutually beneficial contracts.
The only worry she had was financial.
The Bellview was an expensive property that she absolutely had to own. She just didn’t know how they were going to pull it off. While the business was still on the rise, they had reached a point where it felt there was nowhere else for them to go. She had a few ideas, but making such a huge purchase didn’t seem sensible.
Without meaning to, her mind wandered back all those years ago when Alex had bought their house. She had been so uncomfortable that he made such a big purchase without her, and that she didn’t have any chance to contribute.
She glanced down at the pages she had dropped. She couldn’t help but smile at the effort Marcus had gone through to include her in something he didn't have to.
“What are you thinking about?” Marcus asked, squeezing her hand and pulling her attention back to the present.
“I was thinking about Alex buying a house without consulting me,” she said with a sigh. “He thought I’d be happy, and I was. Sort of. I really hated that he wouldn’t let me pitch in. Not financially. Not in any of the decisions. Truth be told, I hated that house.”
“I didn’t think it was very you,” Marcus said with a nod. “Not since I’ve got to know you.”
“It wasn’t.” Erica chuckled without humour. “I won’t deny it. I enjoyed the perks of Alex’s money. But I couldn’t even look after my home because he insisted on a maid. Or a gardener. And, I understand he thought he was looking after me. But he wasn't. He was stifling me. He took away all choices from me and I let it happen.”
“Why? I mean, why didn’t you fight him on it?”
“I was in love,” she said, shrugging. “When Alex told me he’d give me the world, it made me feel special. And I want to be clear. I don’t think he meant to be so controlling.” She paused for a moment. “I think he just got it in his head that it was his job to make sure I could live a life of luxury. “
“No wonder Sophie went after him, but why is any of this relevant to us buying a house?”
