Free If You Come Back To Me (If You Come Back To Me #1) by Beth Kery Page B

thumb, a placeholder for his mouth, on her lower lip and rubbed, a reminder to Mari that while he’d do his best, there was only so much a man could do to control human nature.
    “I’ll race you to the mouth of the lagoon.”
    “What?” she asked, looking dazed and beautiful.
    “I’m trying to control myself, Mari, but it’s hard.”
    Her eyes widened at his abrupt, gruff statement. She blinked, as though coming out of a trance.
    “All right, let’s swim then,” she said breathlessly.
    Thankful for the rush of coolness across his over-heated body, he submerged himself in the water.

Chapter Five
    T hey swam, and they ate the sandwiches Marc had brought and they swam again. They talked almost nonstop, as though they were trying to make up for fifteen years of separation in one afternoon. Mari hesitantly asked him about his divorce, but she soon discovered there was no reason for discomfort on that front. Marc spoke without rancor about his ex-wife. He explained how they’d grown apart and how they’d wanted different things.
    “I suppose that can happen to any couple,” Mari murmured, thinking of herself and James as she idly dried herself with a towel. “People grow. They change. There’s no guarantee they’ll change in the same way.”
    “Maybe,” Marc replied levelly. “But if you care enough about the person to begin with, there’s more of a cushion to weather the changes.”
    He sprawled on the blanket to soak up the sun’s rays. He went on to tell Mari that Sandra had disapprovedwholeheartedly of him running for Cook County State’s Attorney, and how his choice had been the nail in the coffin of their marriage.
    “She insisted I only wanted experience at the State’s Attorney’s Office as a springboard for a cushy job at a law firm. When I said I planned to run for the job, she couldn’t believe it.”
    Mari didn’t reply for several seconds as she studied his strong profile. “I’ve heard that you head up the second largest criminal justice system in the entire country. It’s an extraordinary feat, Marc. I…I was really proud of you when I heard you’d won the election.”
    He lifted his head off the blanket. “You were?”
    She rolled her eyes, both flattered and discombobulated by the fact that he seemed genuinely pleased by her compliment. “Of course. Do you—” she glanced away from his piercing eyes “—regret it?”
    “Becoming a state’s attorney?”
    “No. You and Sandra splitting.”
    He exhaled and lay back, staring up at the blue sky and fluffy clouds. “No. It was the right thing to do. If anything, I regret entering into the marriage so impulsively. I was too young. Maybe I was grasping for something to hold on to.”
    He glanced over and noticed her small smile.
    “What?” he asked.
    Mari shook her head and looked away from the enticing vision of him lying there wearing nothing but board shorts and water droplets.
    “I was just thinking you must be one of the most eligible bachelors in the state.”
    He rolled his eyes. “If anyone thinks that, they’re either crazy or have never experienced the fallout of divorce. I hardly consider myself to be in the marriagemarket. Avoiding it like the plague, more like. What about you? Do you have any regrets, Mari?”
    “With my career? No. I’ve never once regretted my work. You must remember how much I loved playing, even when I was a girl. My choice of career was an easy one. I’ve felt nothing but blessed since the day someone actually paid me to do what I love.”
    “You’re fortunate.”
    “I am. Maybe too much so.”
    His brows went up.
    She laughed self-consciously. “I’ve had a boyfriend or two tell me that I’m too serious about my career.”
    “Ah. We have that in common, then. Fortunate in our choice of career, unlucky at love. It’s funny, though…. I’d always pictured Mari Itani to be the type to master both her career and romance like a pro.” His mouth quirked with humor, but his eyes