Chapter 45

Marcus glanced briefly at the starless sky and said without any emotion, "You can enjoy the same view from the balcony upstairs." "It's not the same," Elaine insisted, shaking her head and hopping out of the car. She stretched her arms wide like she was hugging the world. "Out here feels more real, more... natural." Marcus quietly stepped behind her, his voice like a whisper in the dark. "You scared?" Her heart skipped a beat, but she held her ground, straightening up and responding with all the fake confidence she could muster. "Scared of what?" "It's totally normal between husband and wife. Why would I be scared?" Her voice betrayed her nerves, even if her words didn't. Marcus found her current demeanor kind of entertaining. The Audrey he remembered used to go out of her way trying to climb into his bed. Now? Completely different story. "Then let's go wash up and get to bed," he said, grabbing her wrist. Elaine didn't pull away. She tried to act cool, but her voice was a little too c