“Oh honey, don’t cry. I’d give everything I own to bet on Marc loving you. Just give it some time. I’m sure he’ll relax and all this will seem silly in a few days.”

Kyle approached with Marc and Shane, all holding stuff to load into the cars and Liv quickly dried her eyes and stood back.

“Call me tomorrow, okay?”

Liv nodded. She leaned down to kiss Nicholas’ head as he slept in his carseat.

“Night, sweetie.”

Kyle looked at her, a question in his eyes but she shook her head and he moved his gaze to Maggie who shrugged.

“Everything okay?” Marc asked as he took Liv’s hand.

“You tell me.”

“Okay, what the hell is going on?” Kyle asked.

“Nothing, hon. Liv, you call me tomorrow, you hear? Marc, goodnight and make sure you take care of our girl.” Maggie gave him a stern look and got into the car.

“Liv, honey, have you been crying?” Marc touched her face gently.

“It doesn’t matter. I want to go home.”

He helped her into his truck and drove back to her place.

“It does matter.” He turned to her once he’d pulled into her driveway. “Tell me what’s wrong.”

“You’re the one who’s not telling me what’s wrong, Marc. I can tell there’s something up but you won’t say and that makes me wonder just what it is you’re hiding.”

“Sugar, I’m not hiding anything. I love you. You believe that, don’t you?”

“I want to.”

Marc’s heart began to pound at the desolate sound of that answer. God, he’d made her so upset without even trying to and now if he told her it would make it even worse. She’d think he was hiding it because it meant something instead of just a stupid thing that he didn’t say anything about and now had snowballed.

He moved over to her side and pulled her to him, holding her tight. “I love you, Olivia. More than anything. I swear that on my life. I’m just stressed, honey. It has nothing to do with how I feel about you.”

Nodding against his chest she hugged him back. “I need you to tell me stuff, okay? I can’t bear thinking that you’re having second thoughts or something and not telling me.”

He tipped her chin up, kissing her lips. “I love you. I don’t doubt that for a moment. Now let’s go inside, okay?”

* * *

Things had gotten back to normal pretty much and Liv relaxed. Maggie had been relieved that everything was all right and Liv realized that things were going the best they had her entire life. Her plan had actually come to fruition and loving Marc Chase had been everything she’d imagined true love to be and more.

A spring in her step, she walked toward the studio a bit early on a Wednesday. The heat had finally edged away and fall was in the air. She’d picked up a few brochures for a bed and breakfast down on the coast. She thought a nice weekend away would be just the thing for them.

Pushing open the front door of the studio, Liv halted. The smile on her face froze and then slid off as a pain so sharp she wasn’t sure she’d survive it sliced through her gut.

Marc was there on the floor, on top of another woman, Nancy Ellis. Nancy’s thighs were spread and wrapped around him.

Nancy, laughing looked up and caught sight of Liv as Marc pushed away and scrambled up. When he turned and saw her he went as pale as a ghost.

“Sugar, it’s…”

“Not what I think?” She felt totally empty, as if there was nothing inside her at all, which she supposed was better than the searing pain she’d felt just before.

“You made me think I was imaging things.” She took a step back and he took one forward. “Don’t. Don’t you f**king come near me. Not ever again. Don’t call me. Don’t come see me.” She pressed a fist to her gut to keep from screaming as the pain came back, filling her from her toes up to her ears. She would not cry. She would not give him the satisfaction.

Turning, she left and he was on her heels.

“Liv, damn it, wait!” He grabbed her arm and she spun, kneeing him square in the balls, smiling with savage satisfaction as he crumpled to his knees.

“Don’t you touch me. You f**king bastard.” Turning again she ran as fast as she could.

Knowing he’d probably go to her place, she grabbed her car and got the hell out of there.

* * *

Marc had been busy with one of his clients when he’d turned to see Nancy walk in. Great.

“Hey, Nancy. What brings you here?”

She put her hand on her hip and gave him her sexiest smile. “I came for a workout.”

His other client had been cooling down and by the time she’d gone, it was just Marc and Nancy.

“Well, I told you that I’m with Liv Davis and I meant that. If you’d like to work out without any sex involved, I’d be happy to help. I’m not taking one-on-one clients just now but I have a wait list. But you can use the facilities here without a personal trainer.”

She’d appeared to take the news well and had gone back to change and he’d filled out enrollment papers and gotten her signed up. He should have known it was too good to be true when she’d said she was having trouble with one of the machines. He’d bent over her to help and she’d pulled him down, laughing, wrapping her thighs around his waist.

Pissed off beyond measure, he pushed himself away from Nancy and to standing when he’d heard a gasp. A sound that constricted around his heart. He’d turned, knowing she was there but that knowledge hadn’t been enough to prepare him for the look on her face.