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CHAPTER 23
“Raphi’s such a photogenic child, don’t you think?” she laughed, studying the image of her son on his first birthday.
“He’s just perfect,” Armel murmured huskily, his accent suddenly very pronounced as he stared at the picture of a smiling Raphaël proudly showing off his first tooth.
He had missed so much, he acknowledged as he picked up another picture of Raphaël as a newborn baby. Someone else had obviously taken the photo of Harley in the delivery room, smiling bravely despite the exhaustion in her eyes as she clutched her tiny bundle.
Harley looked young and scared as she faced the stark reality of coping with motherhood alone, but he recognized the determined set of her chin and felt a flare of admiration for her.
Her fragile looks were
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IN THE ARMS OF LOVE CHAPTER 24
Noémie De Roquefort still lived at ‘Fleur de Lis’, the pretty white-walled villa where Armel had spent his childhood. She greeted Harley warmly and beamed with genuine delight when Raphaël held out his arms, demanding to be picked up by his grandmother.“And how is mon petit ange (my little angel) today? Have you come to play with your Mémé?” she cooed, her elegantly made-up face breaking into a wide smile. “Harley, thank you for dressing Raphi in this blue outfit. He looks adorable in his polo shirt and his shorts,” Noémie commented. She led the way outside to the terrace where lunch was to be served.“The boutique has the same style in red. I’ll buy it for him tomorrow. And maybe some play clothes too… With your permission, of course, I could take him to the park.”“You’re too kind, Noémie. Of course, you could take Raphi to the park, but you are buying him a lot of clothes and toys. He grows up so fast and those outfits are going to be useless in a few months,”
IN THE ARMS OF LOVE CHAPTER 25
Armel’s taste in swimwear left a lot to be desired, Harley decided later as she cautiously arranged herself on a sun lounger. The minuscule green and gold bikini he’d brought for her was barely decent, just three triangles of material that left a worrying amount of her flesh on display. Not that he had voiced any objections, she mused, a tremor running through her body when Armel turned his head and Harley felt his brilliant blue gaze skim over her. And just like that, the sexual tension between them was back, a prickling, tangible force that was making her skin tingle. All afternoon, Harley had tried to ignore the sexual chemistry that simmered between them, but now, as their eyes clashed, she glimpsed his unconcealed hunger and knew that it mirrored her own. ‘Damn you, Armel!’ she thought frantically. And damn the dictates of her treacherous body. Armel was a man who, two years ago, had seduced her into becoming his mistress, but had considered her of so little importance tha
IN THE ARMS OF LOVE CHAPTER 26
His breath was hot on her skin. ‘Oh, God… I’m burning up,’ Harley thought feverishly, feeling her breasts swell and tighten until they ached for him to caress them. She couldn’t think logically and nothing else seemed to matter except that Armel should continue touching her and kissing her and she made no attempt to stop him when he unfastened the halter straps of her bikini and peeled the material down to expose her breasts to his hungry gaze. Perhaps she should stop wishing for the moon and settle for what Armel was offering? He might not love her, but he wanted to marry her and from the sound of it, he was prepared to be a faithful husband as well as a devoted father to their baby boy. Harley caught her breath when Armel cupped her breast in his palm and lowered his head to stroke his tongue over her hard nipple. The sensation was so exquisite that she arched towards him, wanting, needing, more of the same and she whimpered softly w
IN THE ARMS OF LOVE CHAPTER 27
One week later, Harley stood in the nursery, struggling to hold back her tears as she stared into the crib. Raphaël was now sleeping peacefully, his long eyelashes feathering his cheeks that were now flushed with healthy color once more. The hours after they had arrived at the hospital, had been fraught with tension as the little boy underwent a series of tests, and the eventual diagnosis that he did not have meningitis had only been a partial relief. Raphaël had been suffering from a virus that had taken a hold on his young body. For the next three days, he had lain in his hospital bed attached to wires and monitors and despite the efforts of the excellent medical team, had shown no signs of recovery. But on the fourth day, his high temperature had gradually dropped back to normal and when he’d woken from a long nap, he had sat up, demanded some apple juice, wolfed down a banana, and only been persuaded to remain in bed because his teddy bear w
IN THE ARMS OF LOVE CHAPTER 28
It was still dark when Harley awoke. Not the inky blackness of midnight, but a soft, shadowy darkness as dawn crept closer. ‘This is Armel’s room,’ she realized as her eyes slowly adjusted to the lack of light. She was in Armel’s bed and it had been his arms holding her close throughout the night. He was still holding her, Harley amended when she turned her head and met a wall of warm, satin skin. The rhythmic rise and fall of his chest told her he was sound asleep. She shouldn’t be here and now was the ideal opportunity to slip back to her own room. But the temptation to remain close to him, cocooned in this twilight world with the man she loved, was too strong to resist. With a small sigh, Harley closed her eyes and inhaled his clean, masculine scent. Slowly, inexorably, her senses stirred until she was conscious of each separate nerve ending tingling in illicit anticipation. Common sense warned her to flee before Armel ope
IN THE ARMS OF LOVE CHAPTER 29
For a long while, neither of them spoke and only the steady tick-tock of the clock broke the intimate silence. Armel had rolled onto his back, taking Harley with him, keeping her wrapped in the circle of his strong arms.“It was mind-blowing,” he whispered. “Your body, how it responded to me was like… never before. I don’t know how to put it in words… It left me speechless.” She lifted her head and met his slumberous gaze. Maybe it had been different because she didn’t have sex with him, but she made love to him. And maybe this was the right time to tell him that she was in love with him. That her heart was still his. That staying there, right in his arms, exhausted and sated, was all she wanted to do for the rest of her life.“Armel…”“Oui, chérie (Yes, darling),” he said looking at her with a bright smile on his lips.“I… I need to thank you for everything you’ve done this last week,” Harley murmured huskily. “The way you cared for Raphi… The way you cared for m
IN THE ARMS OF LOVE CHAPTER 30
Three weeks later, Harley was still questioning her sanity at her decision to marry Armel. Undoubtedly it would be best for Raphaël, but could she ever be happy, married to a man who was only proposed to her just to give their son a home? The only thing she was absolutely certain of was their physical compatibility, Harley acknowledged ruefully. The long hours of loving in his bed each night proved irrefutably that her body had been exclusively created for Armel, for his hands, for his lips... The way he was making her body sing every single time he touched her, or kissed her was out of this world. When Armel reached for her, Harley went immediately into his arms, her heart pounding with anticipation of the delight to come when he caressed every inch of her. His hands and mouth were instruments of sensual torture that he used without mercy, exploring each sensitive dip and crevasse of her body before gently parting her and stroking her until she hovered
IN THE ARMS OF LOVE CHAPTER 31
For those few unguarded seconds, Armel had been unable to disguise his look of dismay at the idea of them having another child, and her little flame of hope that their marriage could work flickered and died right there, on the spot. The band struck up a popular tune and people began to drift onto the dance floor. Armel seemed to have regained his composure and glanced down at her.“Would you like to dance, chérie?” His eyes gleamed wickedly.“I have vivid memories of the last time we danced together.” Harley blushed at the shaming recollection of how he had brought her to the peak of sexual pleasure simply by holding her close and hastily shook her head.“Oh, I… Ehm… I just need to go to the ladies’ room… But perhaps Mireille would care to join you on the dancefloor… With Stéphane’s approval, of course…” Armel’s eyes narrowed on her flushed face and she turned and hurried away before he could stop her, desperate to be alone for a few mi
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